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1974 LH TORANA RESTORATION

Started by _LH SLR 3300_ , Dec 04 2010 05:58 PM

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320 replies to this topic

#76 _TUFF75LH355_

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Posted 02 May 2011 - 06:48 PM

Looks awesome matt top job mate

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#77 _mick74lh_

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Posted 02 May 2011 - 08:12 PM

Awesome job. The repairs are neat as. I think I'll use that method next time I want to strip paint.

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#78 _LH SLR 3300_

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Posted 21 May 2011 - 05:12 PM

After two attempts & two different brands of paint, engine bay is painted. First attempt i either didn't mix the paint properly or applied to heavy so it had more shine than i was happy with. A week of after hours rubbing back with P800 sponge pads & using a different paint & it more or less looks closer to how i want.
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First attempt.
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Second attempt, hopefully will dull off more, flash from the camera gives an illusion of a gloss finish but it is more satin which is what i wanted. Thanks to Glenn from Exclusive Customs Kingsgrove for your help.
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#79 lxsstorana

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Posted 21 May 2011 - 05:43 PM

Looks Great! :spoton:

Now get back to work. :lol:

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#80 _nial8r_

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Posted 21 May 2011 - 08:02 PM

shit i forgot all about this LH you were doing but im glad i just came across it, your doing some really neat work as always Matt and that shinny bay looks horn too :buttrock:

this one will look really neat like the orchid LH. how the SL/R going ?

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#81 _LH SLR 3300_

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Posted 21 May 2011 - 10:04 PM

Hi Lee, looks like you've got the bug too, some nice work on your car, i think you'd give me a good run for rust repair/panel fabrication. Not sure which direction i'll be taking with this car yet, i've been offered a trade of services from a spraypainter mate, he'll take one of my Toranas & give it a paint job & i'll take his VH SL/E Commodore & do the rust repairs/body work. Thinking of giving him my SL/R as it's in 2K etch at the moment & i know he'll go the extra yard to make it into something special.

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#82 _nial8r_

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Posted 22 May 2011 - 08:41 AM

lol yeah mate i hooking in again, took some time off with the Torana as i was building up my 4x4 HiLux to escape city life :surrenderwave:

and not to mention there is a bloke in my street that has just finished his SL/R and i hear it and see it all the time, dont know how good it goes but it sounds like its got the goods.
it sounds like you have a good deal going there with you painter mate, is there a lot of repairs to be done on the VH ??

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#83 _DrFegg_

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Posted 22 May 2011 - 01:21 PM

mmmmm shiny...

very very nice.

Shits me about black, you can take the best photo but it still looks like the paint is covered with white powder. Still it is the finest of colours...

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#84 _LH SLR 3300_

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Posted 22 May 2011 - 08:51 PM

Now that the engine bay finally has a coat of paint i'm reasonably happy with, the fun part of putting it all together begins. One part that couldn't be re-fitted as removed from the car was the steering column. This car was a factory bench seat column shift which are being replaced with bucket seats & aftermarket shifter so i needed a blank column. I couldn't justify paying $300+ i've seen these columns sell for on ebay, so using parts from the original column & two damaged & incomplete ones i picked up in my travels i built one good one. A bastard of a job, especially re-fitting the spring & retainer on the ignition housing, but with some assistance from my Mrs i got it done without collapsing the steering shaft or sctratching the satin black paint. I managed to keep the original column more or less complete too as a spare.
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#85 _nial8r_

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Posted 23 May 2011 - 07:52 AM

looks good Matt and is always a good thing when the wife is willing to lend a hand even with the dirty jobs :buttrock:

are they a set of PaceMakers i spot in the background ?

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#86 wot179

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Posted 23 May 2011 - 09:02 AM

I know its probably too late,nowJust thought Id pop this link up that I tripped over 5 minutes ago.. http://www.ididitinc...linkage_kit.htm

I really liked the idea of bench seat and column shift.

Love your work,by the way.Cheers.

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#87 _LH SLR 3300_

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Posted 23 May 2011 - 04:36 PM

Yes Lee they are a set of Pacemaker headers in the background. Thanks for the link Craig, i was really keen on keeping the column shift & bench but all my research into making it work with the V8 Tri-matic amounted to nothing. But then that is also why i kept the column shift steering column intact in the event one day i can make it work. At least it will still have the factory Air Chief AM radio, poverty pack instrument cluster & factory oval steering wheel.

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#88 _Liam_

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Posted 23 May 2011 - 05:38 PM

Nice work mate, that's it get the Mrs into it!!! :fighting:

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#89 _Liam_

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Posted 23 May 2011 - 07:54 PM

Happy birthday too mate! :buttrock:

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#90 _LH SLR 3300_

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Posted 28 May 2011 - 03:40 PM

A couple of steps closer to getting my Torana back on the road, applied stoneguard to the front wheel wells & 2K cleared over the stoneguard to seal it of sorts & make it easier to clean.
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Finally get to see the whole car after five weeks of being covered in masking plastic.
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Knocked the old balljoints & bushes out of the control arms & paint stripped them, trying to organise use of a workshop with a large press to fit new bushes etc.
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#91 _nial8r_

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Posted 28 May 2011 - 05:02 PM

looking good there Matt, i didnt know that clear could be thrown over the top of the stone gaurd but now i do :spoton:

has to be a lot easyer than to keep spraying black over it all the time to keep it looking clean. a quick sponge down with soapy water and they will look clean again. did you use 2K clear or Acylic ??
Happy birthday for the other day too :party:

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#92 _LH SLR 3300_

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Posted 28 May 2011 - 05:12 PM

Thanks Lee, some products can't be painted over or the paint will delaminate, the stoneguard i used can either be left or painted over. I used 2K clear as it's more durable than acrylic. This car isn't likely to see many dirt or gravel roads, but i've done my last three cars this way, the Orchid one nearly two years ago, & after 5000kms the finish is as good as the day i applied it. As you correctly pointed out, a quick hose & sponge as you would the rest of the car brings it up like new. My cars will never win trophies or feature in magazines, i did this for my own personal satisfaction

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#93 _nial8r_

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Posted 28 May 2011 - 07:16 PM

thanks for that Matt, im for ever painting in the wheel arches with black paint just to keep them looking neat and tidy, i will have to look in to the product i used to see if it can have a clear applied over the top as that why i will be able to just wash it done when need be. has it already been almost 2 yrs since you finished your Orchid LH ?? shit thats gone quick

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#94 notna

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Posted 08 June 2011 - 10:25 AM

A couple of steps closer to getting my Torana back on the road, applied stoneguard to the front wheel wells & 2K cleared over the stoneguard to seal it of sorts & make it easier to clean.

What's the theory there Matt? Does the clearcoat make the surface less adhesive so dirt and crud doesn't stick to the stoneguard? I thought I saw someone use satin black 2K over stoneguard as well. Same theory? I hope to be at this stage within the next month so I'm interested to know.

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#95 _nial8r_

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Posted 08 June 2011 - 01:48 PM

it makes it very easy to clean, just give it a wash down with soapy water and it comes up like new again. i have always just kept hitting the inners with black with they started to look dull but with the clear over the top it keeps it sealed from dirt/road grim/fadding and always looking like new. i will be doing the same now that i know it can be done :buttrock:

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#96 notna

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Posted 08 June 2011 - 02:51 PM

So definitely clear it rather than colour over it?

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#97 _nial8r_

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Posted 08 June 2011 - 02:54 PM

So definitely clear it rather than colour over it?

i will be leaving mine black as i always do so clear is good for me, but im pretty sure you can put a colour over it just not sure on what method to use ???

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#98 notna

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Posted 08 June 2011 - 03:00 PM

Ah.... by colour I mean black 2K. I saw someone on here do that over stoneguard under the guards.

Anyway, I have 4L of PPG clear coat left over from a previous resto, so I'm set for mine then.

Edited by notna, 08 June 2011 - 03:01 PM.

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#99 _LH SLR 3300_

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Posted 08 June 2011 - 04:29 PM

You can paint whatever colour you like over it as you would the outside of the car as long as the product is designed to be top coated over. You could even paint a COB metallic if you wanted. Just make sure the panel you apply the stoneguard to is prepped as you would an exterior panel. I scuffed the factory red oxide primer with P240 & red scotchbrite, cleaned it with a thinners rag & spot primed any bare steel before applying the stoneguard. You don't need to prime over the stoneguard either. I've always painted 2K black over it but this time i chose 2K clear as i have plenty of that but not much black left.

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#100 _LH SLR 3300_

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Posted 19 June 2011 - 05:15 PM

Made some more progress with my car, got a heap of parts re-zinc/cad plated & all the parts i had done ended up costing less than a pair of chrome bonnet hinges.
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Alot of the parts won't be seen once fitted but i can't bring myself to fit old dirty parts to a freshly painted engine bay & knowing that the attention to detail is spot on is good enough for me.
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All suspension bushes etc are fitted & all parts are painted 2K solid black. Was hoping to have the whole front suspension fitted in the car but just fitting the k-frame took a few hours, i always seem to struggle fitting these, especialy getting the outriggers to squeeze in between the chassis rails after fitting new bushes.
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Before i fitted the k-frame, i fitted the auto trans as it was easier to do this with the k-frame out & i find it easier to fit the engine later without the trans bolted up. Swapped the Commodore sump & pickup on the engine for a Windage tray sump & pickup to suit Torana & gave the engine a colour change from Commodore blue to Holden Rocket Red.
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