Jolls FC Ute Project

[Jolls]

Jack etc lives in the spare wheel compartment.

Sent from my SM-G781B using Tapatalk

Got it, thought it may have been behind the seat. Scissor jack, tool roll of little utility and a cross brace with hub cap remover and rubber cap I assume.

[Errol62]

Commercials had the bottle jack as far as I know, with no jacking point under the b pillar. I think the standard tools would be familiar to most Australian males of a certain age, as they were generally floating around dads sheds in multiples. The orange handle screw driver, spark plug tube spanner and adjustable pliers stuck in my memory.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Jolls]

Commercials had the bottle jack as far as I know, with no jacking point under the b pillar. I think the standard tools would be familiar to most Australian males of a certain age, as they were generally floating around dads sheds in multiples. The orange handle screw driver, spark plug tube spanner and adjustable pliers stuck in my memory.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Thanks - time to rat through the shed!

[Jolls]

Being a builder and rain don't go together so I got a bit of time out in the shed this afternoon after doing quotes this morning. I ducked into town before lunch and picked up some model paint and got stuck into the horn button. The paint was flaky and missing in places. I used a combination of scotchbrite and nail polish remover to clean the old girl up. My lion had changed to gold but the rest of the silver remained the same colour. I kept the gold lion but rubbed back outlines around his legs and head so it was back to the resin. I did the same for the GMH symbol in the ball.

Then taped him all up in preparation for paint. If you have a close look at the lion you can see where I rubbed the paint back to the resin.



Then it was a matter of layering the paint. Silver first, then blue and finally the red. It turned out pretty well, although you can see in the blue places where I couldn't remove all of the old shitty paint in the creases and also where I missed a bit of silver overspray thet crept under the tape and some red that somehow bled through. I will rub that back tomorrow after the paint has died a little and do another blue coat to sort it out.

Turned out OK for my first ever attempt. The silver against the gold for contrast makes the lion much better defined and I like the GMH detail in red.

When I find another horn button I think I will soak it in a bit of thinners to see if I can't get the residue out of the creases in the blue and have another crack now that I know a little bit more about what I am doing.

Finished off the outside with a clean and a coat of headlight restorer. Restored horn button - must we worth 5 mph?



Cheers n Beers
Jolls

[Maco]

Looks great.

[Errol62]

Great job Craig. 👍👍

Sent from my SM-G781B using Tapatalk

[my8thholden]

well done , looks the part ..

[Jolls]

First bay back on the tools for the New Year - well it was supposed to be but pissing down rain here in Murrumbateman.

Tidied up some papaerwork and did some maintenance on our machines then started on the steering wheel. Sort of working in reverse until I can get the house resto complete as the shed space I need to work on the ute is full of materials for the house build, and the wife's Capris Convertable. So got to finish the house or the Capri before I get the sehd space I need!

Anyway the steerign wheel had been "restored" by the previous owner. A half hearted job, some bog/spot putty worked into the hairline cracks and then sanded with what looks like 120 grit judging by the sanding marks, well oversanded in places, and then hit with some gloss black. Enamel I expect.

I took to it with the dremmel and gouged out most of the bog and opted for the trusty 5 minute Araldite approach.





There will be a fair bit of sanding to do as I addressed every crack that I found. I will probably need to hit it with some spray putty as well to address the overzealous sanding of the previous owner. As it is going back into a ute I think a couple of coats of black and then some clear in 2 pack should tidy it all up.

Now to try and tidy up the hub caps - I think I have one decent one out of the four that could be rechromed. The other three have been battered over their life - I will see what I can achieve with a hammer and a few dollys but my selection is limited so a slow and steady approach will be required. I expect I will need to find a couple of spoons and make a couple of custom dolly's; but even then a couple of the creases are pretty deep. Slow and steady wins the race here I guess!

[ardiesse]

Craig,

It depends what you want to achieve with the hubcaps, but Electroplating Technology in Queanbeyan does a good thing with steel hubcaps.

Rob

[Jolls]

Thanks Rob,

They are the guys I'm taking everything to. I went through everything today and found that there is still a bit of work to do before I take it in for them to do in a job lot:

• There was an inch depression in the lower member of the chrome grille caused a while back based on the rust in the depression. I have it back to 2mm over about 200 so I'm happy with that. I do have to weld a tear in the strengthening rib at the the centre of where the depression was though.
• On thorough inspection of the left hand front indicator I found a tear in the metal, won't be seen but will need a pot metal repair to stop it spreading.
• All of the three tail light surrounds that I thougth were good are damaged. I can probably repair two but maybe not to the standard for chroming - I could probably cut and shut two into one with a pot metal weld but I'm not sure of how the finish will come up. I'll have a chat with them about it as I am taking in the tailgate badge to discuss if the repair is good enough to chrome
• I need to pull the quarter windows apart. Started on it today but the rubbers are so stiff they don't want to come out. I will drill out the rivets tomorrow so I have better access to finish the job.
• I haven't been able to straighten one of the bumparettes enough to weld yet. I think I will apply some heat to see if I can get a bit more of a response - otherwise I will need to get it into somewhere to press it straight and weld the tear - another search while I am in town tomorrow
• The bonnet bird is in average state so definitely needs to be done
• The speaker grille and radio cover are in reasonable shape but will look odd among the new chrome so I will get them done as well

[ardiesse]

Craig,

I have many taillight housings.

Front quarter windows are a world unto themselves.  If you want a top-class job, it's best to separate the top hinge brackets from the frames, and also the lock pivot from the frame (many rivets to drill) and get each component rechromed separately.  Be aware also that the replacement Rare Spares rivets are oversize.  I had to turn them down before I could use them.  Also, chroming reduces hole diameters.

Rob

[Jolls]

Craig,

I have many taillight housings.

Front quarter windows are a world unto themselves.  If you want a top-class job, it's best to separate the top hinge brackets from the frames, and also the lock pivot from the frame (many rivets to drill) and get each component rechromed separately.  Be aware also that the replacement Rare Spares rivets are oversize.  I had to turn them down before I could use them.  Also, chroming reduces hole diameters.

Rob

Thanks for the tip re the Rare Spares components - I assume it is the saem deal from Resto Country.  I'm going down the route of separating all of the components and getting them chromed individually. I've messaged you about the taillight housings.

Cheers
Craig

[Errol62]

Ute tail lights were originally p a inted, rather than chromed. If you go that route, they can be lightly filled.

Sent from my SM-G781B using Tapatalk

[Jolls]

Ute tail lights were originally p a inted, rather than chromed. If you go that route, they can be lightly filled.

Sent from my SM-G781B using Tapatalk

Thanks, I was aware of that but Mrs J isn't a fan - I was keen on the painted route but was out voted!

I'm fighting to keep the standard chrome strip on the govebox and no radio as original (hiding a bluetooth unit). I folded on the heater though - I feel the cold now too!

Cheers

[Jolls]

Got stuck into the lower portion of the grille today. It had a 25mm depression in the centre rear of the bar and had a small tear in the metal. I beat out the depression yesterday and it was about 2mm out of alignment. I grabbed the MIG today as we were welding up some damage to a couple of our trailers. After the first attempt the shrinkage pulled the bar out of alignment by about 10mm so I muscled it back into shape only to find the material adjacent to the weld tore. So it was rewelded and I used the MAP torch to heat it and then persuades it into position.
 




I managed to get it within a mm or so out of true so pretty happy with the result. It will be hidden at the rear of the bar and go unseeen so, while it will never be in concourse condition, it should cut the mustard for doing quotes in around Yass and Murrumbateman!

While the boys were slaving away on the trailer repair I also took the opportunity to drill out the rivets in the front quarter windows and separated the glass from the frames. Both clips that hold the pivot rod in place and allow it to rotate were rusted and snapped off so I need to find a way to repair that element before they can go back in. Thoughts?

Drilling out the rivets was time consuming but the worst part of the job was getting the 65 year old rubber out of the channel. Removing the glass with a paint scraper and hammer was probably the easiest part of the whole job.

Cheers n Beers
Jolls

[ardiesse]

Conveniently, Rare Spares reproduces the lower spring clips for FE-FC front quarter windows.

My preferred method for removing the glass from the frames is an oven preheated to 100 deg.

Is the pivot for the quarter window lock still firmly in place?  I have had to braze mine back in.

Rob

[Jolls]

Conveniently, Rare Spares reproduces the lower spring clips for FE-FC front quarter windows.

My preferred method for removing the glass from the frames is an oven preheated to 100 deg.

Is the pivot for the quarter window lock still firmly in place?  I have had to braze mine back in.

Rob

Thanks for the heads up - there is a Rare Spares store in Mitchell ACT so I will drop in.

Pivots are both good, one window lock missing the other siezed. Will probably purchase an aftermarket set and keep the original as a spare.

Cheers

Craig

[Jolls]

Got a bit of time today to check out the engine in more detail. Unfortunatley the findings weren't great.

Despite the tag attached to the manifold showing 100 psi on all cylinders the readings I achieved were 75 - 80 psi across the board. Given the time it has been in dry storage it is highly likely that the rings are stuck in the grooves. I have always had it in my plans to "freshen" her up but was secretly hoping that there wasn't a reason to.

Off with its head me thinks - and we can do a better assessment from there.

Just got to fight Son 2 for some shed space. He ran (pushed in with a loader) his VZ Crewman project into the shed this morning and is in the process of changing over all of the V6 running and stopping gear for V8 bits.

[Errol62]

Spare V6 and commy brakes, 🤔


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Jolls]

Spare V6 and commy brakes, 🤔
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

The thought crossed my mind but the V6 was sold off and the brakes etc will probably go the same way - if not I will put them on the parts shelf for a rainy day. I have a hot VY SS Commodore as one of my "work utes" - needs repainting but otherwise is in great nick so no need for another go really fast horse in the stable. I am going back to my FC roots and will get the old grey up and running again. In my youth I would have made it a four speed/maybe five but I am keen to keep the 3 on the tree for nostalgia purposes. I leant to drive in one and my last FC started out as one.