589 replies to this topic

[Potta]

Love your work Col!!

 

Congrats mate.

 

Enjoy the ride   

 

 

[Statler]

It's been a mad week ironing out the bugs.

 

Been having issues with the fuel system. One minute it runs sweet, the next minute the fuel pressure is gone.

 

I noticed that the vacume hose was about to fall off the fuel reg so ( thinking that was the problem ) i replaced the hose with a more suitable item. I reset the fuel pressure & the car ran fine. 

 

I drove it over town to have a wheel alignment done & the 4 valves replaced in the Simmons because the old valves were getting old & starting to leak. 

"I've set the toe in alright, but i can't check the castor/camber because the front flares are getting in the way of the light beam. Can you remove them"?  Ummmmmm ...... NO!

 

Almost made it home & the bloody thing started running rough again.

 

Reset the fuel pressure, car settled down. Took it for another drive & it was worse!

 

Had a scotch or 3 & a broken nights sleep & a deep think. Only thing to do was start from scratch & go back thru the fuel system looking for gremlins. 

 

It didn't take long to find the culprit. The lift pump wasn't lifting! The brand new Walboro pump supplied by Brown Davis has failed. It also turned out to be a 'Automotive' brand instead of the Walboro.  

 

I borrowed a genuine Walboro from a buddy, plumbed it in & BAM! Instant fuel pressure & the car is now running the best it has ever been. Well enough to do a final tune. 

 

One of the steering cotter pins had come loose. When i tightened the nut it stripped. Fortunately i got the pin out easily & the thread was still ok. I bought new nuts & replaced them. I had a stripped thread on the lowest cotter pin & no nut, so a fitter buddy of mine came over & we cleaned up the thread & put a new nut on. Steering is now tight again.

 

I had the clutch wound up too far so with each drive i seem to be backing it off a touch. The car just keeps getting better & better. The exhaust sounds excellent, the engine revs strong, no rattles or bumps. Only annoying thing is a noisy injector. I will get around to it.

 

We are taking it out for it's first public cruise tomorrow. Fingers crossed all will go well. 

[TOERUNNER]

cic?? can,t make it myself but should be a good morning

Edited by TOERUNNER, 11 June 2016 - 08:24 PM.

[Statler]

Holden Club mystery cruise/poker run.

Leaves from the harbour so i will get a little bit of CIC in.

[Ice]

Good stuff Col pics or it didnt happen lol

[IMORAL]

Good stuff Col pics or it didnt happen lol

Really? You have to be kidding.......



Great work Col. Enjoy tomorrow mate. Well earned

[Statler]

Put maybe 150ks on it today. It ran well. No major issues. The temp is very good & the new fuel pump works a treat.

 

I have a couple of 'to do' things on the list but nothing major. 

 

Almost time to wind some boost into it. Hehehehe.  

[Statler]

Here's a couple of pics. 

 

 

 

Photo credit to Luke Dahms. 

[Ice]

Suits you down to a tee Col glad Purples on the road at last have fun
V5s looks great

[Statler]

Little bit by little bit. It all adds up. 

 

I tried to do at least something each day (except for the down time when i can't stand up) knowing that the little bits add up to a big bit. Some good friends have helped me out with the heavy lifting when i needed it, & my sons are on permanent standbye. 

 

Here i am. 14yrs later, But i'm still here.

 

If anyone understands the 'Boom & Bust' theory, well i'm living it! I can't escape it. 

[rodomo]

Here's a couple of pics.

[dattoman]

Congrats on finally "finishing" it

[Mort]

Here is another one, i like this shot, a close up. 

 

 Col's Torana.jpg   262.31K   5 downloads

[Statler]

Just need to find some time so Gary can run over it with the buff.

 

It has never been polished since it was painted about 10yrs ago. 

[Mort]

And the tank, don't forget the tank.

[fatslr]

Awsome stuff Col came up a treat - they are never finished !!!!!!!!!!

 

Enjoy driving it !!!

[Heath]

Nice work Col, looks great!

[Statler]

I emailed Brown Davis about the failed lift pump. After sending them the requested photos & freighting the piece of shit back to them they decided that the pump (which was initially in warranty) was out of warranty.

 

My fault for not fitting it the day i bought it & testing it for 2hrs i guess. 

 

Doesn't matter that i have proof of the day it was wired into the car.

 

Oh we can do you a really good deal on another pump! Like i would want another piece of shit! I'd rather spend 4 weeks driving the car than waiting for them to kick the can around.

 

I should have been suspicious when the company owner phoned me after i requested specs on the pump instead of committing to a typed email. It was supposed to be a Walboro brand pump but they supplied a Automotive brand pump.

 

Oh well. Lesson learned. Another $170.50 down the drain. 

[bullitA9X]

I emailed Brown Davis about the failed lift pump. After sending them the requested photos & freighting the piece of shit back to them they decided that the pump (which was initially in warranty) was out of warranty.

My fault for not fitting it the day i bought it & testing it for 2hrs i guess.

Doesn't matter that i have proof of the day it was wired into the car.

Oh we can do you a really good deal on another pump! Like i would want another piece of shit! I'd rather spend 4 weeks driving the car than waiting for them to kick the can around.

I should have been suspicious when the company owner phoned me after i requested specs on the pump instead of committing to a typed email. It was supposed to be a Walboro brand pump but they supplied a Automotive brand pump.

Oh well. Lesson learned. Another $170.50 down the drain.

awesome build mate love it!! and yes that's the problem we have building these cars some parts can not be put on and tested straight away.....

[Statler]

Today marks 50 days of rego.

I'm leaving it in the shed today.

[Statler]

Been getting out & about in it when we can, Pic from todays run to a local beach. 

 

My Club asked if i would be interested in using the car to lead a funeral procession. The deceased first car was a Torana & he was a welder. How could i say no? 

The 'Atch kinda speaks for itself. lol. 

 

[Statler]

I paid the rego a couple of weeks back so it's been on the road for 1 year.

 

It has been running really well. I've had a couple of hic ups but nothing major ...... until ...... 

 

Coming home from a cruise; ticking along at 100kph @ 1500rpm & a strange noise appeared followed instantly by the whole front of the car lifting up in the air. I instinctively looked in the rear view mirror to see stuff flying everywhere! Oh crap! I'm 2k's in one direction to my Mum's place, & 2 k's the other way to the pub. <sigh> Can't leave the car alone by the side of the highway & i've left my phone at home & i can't open the bonnet. 

 

All sorts of mad guessing at to what had happened. Did i destroy the gearbox? Dropped a uni? I saw a blower belt flying off in the rearview mirror. Have i broken a blower snout? Maybe the support bracket failed? Did the alternator fall off?  

The car is still running fine. Revs ok. I have forward & reverse gears? All the gauges read nice.  

 

Seeing as i had time to kill i took a stroll back up the highway & found the blower belt & alternator belt in the middle of the road. 

 

I wandered back to the car just as someone pulled up. Turned out to be a member of my Club. I managed to borrow a phone & call a tow truck (there goes the sly $100 i stole from the pokies at lunch) & more importantly ..... get the bonnet open. lol

 

Took 2 seconds to find the culprit. The crank pulley parted company from the harmonic balancer. I initially thought that it had been thrown under the front rhs wheel, but after closer inspection it has exited under the car & squeezed between the road surface & the X-member. It took off one of the rack boot zip ties & left some nice belt groove imprints on the X-member. I never saw that crank pulley again. 

 

I didn't think that finding another crank pulley would be that difficult. Quick call to YellaTerra & have them send me a replacement. Yeah right! 

 

"Oh you have one of those old 1pce steel pulleys? We don't use them anymore. We use a 2pc alloy one now. It's $590 + GST + freight. <THUD>

 

I even thought about buying a brand new Honda brush cutter & going looking for the old one. It would be cheaper!

 

I managed to borrow a stock accessory drive pulley to check which one of the 3 'V' drives i needed, & i could then measure off the blower pulley to get a measurement to the rib belt. I took the acc dve pulley & the measurements to an old eccentric retired machinist who does 1-off stuff for me occasionally. I left it in his hands.

 

While the new pulley was being made i thought i may as well change out the weeping front crank seal. The harmonic balancer had to come off anyway so now's the time. As one of the bolts in the old balancer had snapped off it was easier & less trouble to replace it. A call to our "Ex- Presedente' Keef & a new one was in the mail. Thanks Keef.    I promise i will pay you back ..... one day. 

 

While the car was sitting there gathering dust, i took the opportunity to make up a couple of boot side panels. Nothing extravagant, I had some left over wood stuff from the parcel shelf. Quick trip to Spotlight for some black vinyl & Bunnings for some glue. Couple days ..... bewdeeful.

 

 

 

 

 

Made it a bit neater i think. 

 

 

Then all the parts arrived. Keith's balancer, crank pulley & bolts. New seal fitted, new belts (waiting on the blower belt) , reassemble.

 

 

 

Back on the road again.

[Statler]

I suppose i should update this, it has been a while.

Since my last post i have driven the ring out of it. Even drove it to Toranafest 2017.  39018504_443179296165319_4052565380537778176_n.jpg   191.61K   3 downloads

Picked up some plastic
 DSC00387.JPG   234.51K   3 downloads

Even won Club car of the year.
 DSC00491.JPG   144.86K   3 downloads

But mechanically ....... i've done next to nothing ! I really haven't needed to put a spanner near it.

Until now.

I have a leak in the radiator , the blower needs some love & the diff is getting louder.

Thanks to the addition of a hoist , i guess it's onwards & upwards

 DSC00466.JPG   204.08K   3 downloads