Red upgrade help??

[fasteddyfc]

Hi guys its about 45 weeks until the tassie nationals, and having just returned from tas last wknd I'm keen to finish my ute and get it over there. Any advice from people that have done a 202 upgrade would be great. I have the 202, trimatic, disc brake front end, bigger tunnel, and I am aware I need a collapsible column, demisters, 2spd wipers, seatbelts etc. but I guess what I really need advice on is #steering set ups #do I need a hadfield chassis kit or gearbox crossmember???
Also has anyone dealt with Alien Retro Columns? He sounds reasonably priced I just need to work out the best steering set up?
 I have spoken to my nearest engineer and he said just refer to vsb14 or whatever it's called but all I picked up from that was wipers, belts, disc brakes, column etc.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers
Eddy

[mcl1959]

Eddy - you will need a half chassis kit to hang the rear gearbox mount on. The trimatic gearbox is mounted at the rear and the FC has no structural members in this area. I did mine with an EK hydro floor pan but they are a little hard to get now. My FE had 186 with trimatic.
A Torana column would be preferable but any column can be made to fit. If you get one from a car that had a Trimatic then the selector lockout and safety switch will all be in place.
I have no info on the aftermarket column or how it will adapt.

Ken

[waynos]

i welded rhs to the floor which i bolted a hr crossmember tp

[hsv-001]

Yeah Wayne is right .If the old girl is sound a chassis kit and full width crossmember sometimes gets in way of the exhaust more so if lowered.You have lifted the tunnel so i am guessing the floor and subframes are sound so i would manufacture some channels[c.sections]out of rhs and place[weld] them either side of the tunnel from the reverse side of front subframe connecting points back to the rib that crosses the floor at the highest point of the floor.You can taper the sections at the rear and also drill and capture nuts on the inside for other gearbox options.

[fasteddyfc]

Cheers guys. Has anyone got any pics of the floor mods they have done to fit a trimatic. I want the ute to be pretty low so I would prefer not to run the chassis kit if it affects lowering and exhaust.

[hsv-001]

Have a look at the photos on page 3 of OLD MT ISA boy [waynes] build and you will see what i was trying to explain[rather badly].If your subframes and floor are solid you only need the 2 rails either side at the gearbox [lifted] part of the tunnel and you can finish them at that small stiffening section that runs across the floor at the high point[I think this will look tidy if you taper the sections toward the rear].Hope this helps ,if not i can send photos of my rails under my van[it run a 5 speed and is much higher than you need for auto].

[FCV08]

Eddy

Have a look at my build (Here I go Again) under finished projects. I manufactured crossmember mounting rails out of 65x40 RHS () and mounted captive nuts inside then stitch welded to underside of floor as well as closing off the modified subassembly.

I then manufactured a crossmember to suit a T700.

Cheers

Craig D

[fasteddyfc]

Thanks for the help guys.
I am planning on running the stock steering set up(if i can)with the factory column modified by alien retro columns to be collapsible and to incorporate self cancelling indicators.
Still undecided on chassis kits/ crossmember, but thanks for showing me some options
Cheers
Eddy