FCCOOL KUSTOM WAGON REBUILD for Mt Gambier?

[smithy]

fair enough leon, just thought id let you know roll diameters.

keep up the great work mate...

[NO NAME]

yeah i remember someone was real low in the front with dropped spindles. think it was greg gleeson and he was running 15"s and he reckoned they cleared ok so i figured the 15's  must get as low as the 70-sr series.

[matty martin]

hey leon

mate where can i get some of these from... actually what power window kit are you using...


[/quote]

thanks
matty martin

[Ed]

nice to see progress Leon,

Did everything work out OK with respect to the alignment etc?

Cheers

Ed

[NO NAME]

the front windows are 810 series bluebird LX motors butchered onto fc regulators, i am now trying to fit vn motors to the back doors.
 there is a little cutting and hammering to the door around the motor, ill put some pics up when the time comes to refit.
 the switches are 59-72 chevrolet, i think they are in some buicks and pontiacs too, if you can find 55-57 chevy switches they look more cool, especaily in a FC but the price is high.
i just had a week of to try and make a run for getting it ready for wintersun, ofcourse it pissed down all week, i cleared a spot in the shed and put on some floodlights and got a nice little work area going and just worked on the front, man that part has consumed some time.
 i havent touched the body for two weeks, car has been stuck outside wrapped up.
this pic makes it look like ive made more progress than i have, i put the first few coats of blue on to protect it, i am just going to paint all the blue bits blue and put it together, rub it down, flow coat it with a couple of coats of blue and then put on some pearl and lots of clear, if i tried to paint it all in one go it would probably be too much wet paint in one go.
 the blue is a bit darker than before, i think its too dark, i made it darker becuase i thought the pearl would lighten it right up, i mixed about 150 mls of pearl tinter into the 4L mix thinking it might help any aereas that i might not get enough pearl on like ariel and indicator holes and the guard lips, you can slightly see the white pearl all ready but not in this picture, it seems to be lighter from some angles but its also darker on some angles wich i forgot it might do.

.

 I think the front is straight now, straight enough, the front edge of the door doesnt seem to have any problem, but while working on the passenger door of the car ive some how got the door dipping in about 5mm deeper than the door edges so that door is going to need to be redone, i also might need to somehow grind in the bottom front passenger hinge.
i learned something new the other day but reading the manual regarding fitting the crossmember, apparently there are different size shim tubes that go in certain spots, if they are sligthly out you should use a different shim tube, do people normally worry about that when they fit a HR front end or do we all fit them wrong or doesnt it matter as much with the hr front end having no rubber under the crossmember.

 Hey Ed, hopefully i will be finished with your stands soon.

[ratbox]

the switch is also very simular to HQ power window switch
FCCOOL yor a champ i don't know how you work in those conditions
here's a tip don't get/use a garage ???since i've had good sheds to work in i don't really do much, did all my best work in the big blue shed (back yard) when i had no garage

[smithy]

leon that front is looking spectacular mate, very nicely done  .
cant wait to see it all come together.

keep it up
dean

[mcl1959]

You should set the HR front end up using rubber insulators similar to the way HR's were originally mounted, then this eliminates the need for the short spacers. If you were mounting up an original front end then the manual should be followed.

Ken

[NO NAME]

the switch is also very simular to HQ power window switch
FCCOOL yor a champ i don't know how you work in those conditions
here's a tip don't get/use a garage ???since i've had good sheds to work in i don't really do much, did all my best work in the big blue shed (back yard) when i had no garage

i have a feeling they are simular to hk-t-g
 i have a plastic hq repro one here, it was in the bargain bin at american autos, i figured it was obsolete stock, it was $5, i saw them in the counter the other day for about $150.
 does anyone want a hq power window switch for $5, they have sharper corners and the switches are closer together than the ones i have in the pic.
 anyway the guys at american auto's (rare spares homebush) swear that hr's dont have a 3rd rubber under the crossmember, only the two that go top and bottom on the subframe.
 my crossmember shim tubes are all the same, they came in my fe wich i originally used the hr front end out of till i wore it out. in the manual for the fc it says there are various lengths available, sometimes they need to be checked and swapped for different lengths, there are two different colour shim tubes aswell, one colour for the front and one colour for the rear, so do you just go down to the local holden dealer and buy one of the range of these tubes when you guys fit a front end or service your suspension?
 is this the same in a hr set up, should there be a rubber under the crossmember on a hr front end like on a FC. i lways had a 3rd rubber in the past but the guys at rares said there isnt supposed to be one.

[zulu]

Leon, are you reffering to the long tube spacers that pass through the sub frame.....or the short tube shims, these shims are easily thrown away as they often get stuck in the lower square insulator rubber, so if anyone is renewing thier rubbers, make sure you remove & mark where the shims came from .....front or rear

There are at least 3 colours, red, white & yellow, slightly different lengths, don't recall the method of working out which goes where though & HR is too modern for me so not sure if they ran them.

That front end is looking good Leon, sort of Dame Edna lookin   just kiddin mate, keep up the pace, hope to see it sometime soon.

Cheers, Gary

[NO NAME]

that sounds like them, i thought the manual was refering to the long tubes, i never new anything about shims here.

[FC427]

Leon HR's only have two rubbers like the guy from Rares told you  one on top & one in between and nothing but a big washer on the bottom[FC -EK have the third square rubber and the shim]........FC427..... 

[mcl1959]

Leon, you need to use the FC long tubes, white to the rear and black to the front. This is because the chassis is a different thickness at the front compared to the rear. Don't use the HR spacers in the FC.

This should be the way you put the front end together;

Use FC bolts, long tubes, top insulator and cap, HR middle insulator and lower washer and nut. Don't use FC short tubes and lower insulators.

Ken

[NO NAME]

i am not sure what mine are, what is the length of hr and what is the length of fc, the rubber insulators were bought as a rare spares hr front end fe fc kit.

[GMH-O57(FLASH BACK 57)]

any new pictures leon

[EffCee]

Hi Leon, (effcee's wife here). my husband has only just joined the forum and spends hours reading all the blogs  and often drags me into the computer room to have a read. Cripes i'd always thought my husband was the unluckest guy in Oz. He has just brought an FC to fix up and says he will have it finished by xmas (I typically triple any time frames he gives me, when it comes to my husband! ) I have just spent about 1 1/2 hours reading all your progress and all I could think of was "you poor bugger" I wish I had the money to buy you a big garage. I'd like to take my hat off to your wife, she must be one amazing women! I managed to hold off my husband getting a "project" for seven years, but he finally meet all my ground rules and I couldn't avoid it any longer  . Now after reading your blog I'm really scared, murphy's law would mean that my husband will have just as many problems as you have.  But in all seriousness, it looks like you have done one hell of an amazing job (coming from someone who can't tell the bonnet from the back end), seeing the start of your project, to where it is now is terrific and hearing about all the trials and tribulations along the way is wonderful not to mention entertaining, at least you can put a funny spin on it all. I hope we get to see the end result when it's finally finished (and i pray to god my husband doesn't have as much delays as you have) cheers  Sandra.

[NosFEratu]

Hi Sandra

Great words of encouragement there for Leon (and his wife) - they are well deserved - he has done a marvellous job. 

A great part of playing cars is the journey on the way to the end result - don't worry, there is always an end result - it's just that sometimes it takes a little longer than originally planned.  But when you are out cruizin' that's when the trials and tribulations experienced along the way tend to "fade" a little.   

If you don't feel that you can/or want to physically give Keith a hand, pop out ocassionally when he's working on the car and ask a few questions - he'll appreciate your interest and I'll bet you start becoming his "promoter" about what he is/has been doing. You being willing to spend a bit of time with him reading some blogs is a really good start, and from what I understand, I thought FC's were in your blood - I believe your mum and dad certainly knew the back end from the bonnet!  Nudge nudge wink wink - you know what I mean!       

Kathi 

[EffCee]

yeah - thanks Kathi, mum had great pleasure in disgusting me with that information!!  and when mum and Keith get together it's nothing but trouble for me.

I am looking forward to seeing the FC rebuild get started and progress along the way. Never been overly interested in cars, as long as they got me from A to B didn't care what they were, however hubby as introduced me to a whole new world especially when he brought me my XR6 (which I love) but seeing some of the classic old cars that he has shown me through the forum and watching the progress of them is amazing and I look forward to the day (probably in about five years time)  , when we can go for a cruise in his finished FC, which no doubt I will be really proud of his efforts and end results. P.S - we'll have to leave the kids at home!! 

I think Leon has made a fantastic effort with his car, just to still be persisting with it after all the set backs is a credit to him, many I believe by now would have thrown the towel in, or at least moved to an area that doesn't rain so much  ....Sandra

[NosFEratu]

Hi Sandra

Nice to see you're gradually being seduced to the dark side as well as overcoming your aversion to FC's - yes, eeeeew, way too much information mum!     I'm sure that both you and Keith will have an eventful journey to your first of many cruises in the FC - however long it might take!   

Leon's efforts are truly inspiring and it's great to see him get some well deserved recognition in SM.   

Kathi 

[NO NAME]

Mrs Efcee, dont stress, just put all plans for the next few years on hold, buy some earmuffs, a couple of years down the track he might come to see you for a hand to fit the bonnet, that part is the hardest part to do on your own.
it is hell, however a large percentage of time on my car has been due to wanting to customise so many body panels, every one of them i have altered in some way, the car is now also set up to be supercharged, that added more to the job, i got some wild ideas and bit of more than i could chew but by hanging in its almost all chewed.
 I did rebuild this car when i was younger, not any were near as fussy, it only took a few weeks but it only lasted about 8 years.
 one thing i did learn the first time was no matter how much you do to the car its worth it, after spending years rolling around in the dirt getting showered with sparks and sanding the nights away and going to work everyday with blood shot eyes I know i can look forward to racing it at the drags, travelling up and down the coast with the family, club runs and picnics, nationals shows, drive in nights etc etc, it feels alot better to be driving something you put together yourself so yeah, the time to build the car really sucks but the end result pays off.
 it kinda took alot of hours to make the custom front, the car also has been changed to take the front and the body has lots of subtle changes, if i were just putting standard guards on i probably would have been finished a year or two ago.
 Also some creep has put a spell on my car, everytime i hook up a spray gun to a air line it storms, i have found it will rain without fail when ever i go to paint.
 you need somewere to store parts and panels while the car is apart, under the house is ok but if they are in bare metal or primer it would be better to have them in a shed, or the house.
 it could be easier when you strip the car to get it sandblasted and then epoxy primer it, this would have saved me alot of headaches and surprises.
 I would also buy him a quality mig if he doesnt have one, NOT a italian made one and dont go to mad on him if you come home early one day and catch him in the kitchen in the act with stuff like this spread out.


  It does cost money to. I research prices and nearly everything and try to get everthing as cheap as possible, i only clean cars for a living and am not heaps wealthy.
 Something ive found is you have to get used to disapointment, the weather will allways be against what you are doing, some things might go wrong and need to be redone after a couple of weekends have been spent doing it, you cant really back off if you get pisse of with it if you want it rite and you want it out of the way, you just need to keep going, the more you do the less there is to do and at the begining there is alot to do.
 neigbours may look down on your mess and noise but at the end whenyou hit the road you will be envied by people left right and centre, you will get waves, smiles and at every servo some old guy is going to tell you his life story.