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MRLXSS - The Complete Build Thread


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#201 _torriechick_

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Posted 01 April 2010 - 02:35 PM

When mine's ready, I'll race ya. And win. Posted Image



#202 _LH8VD69_

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Posted 01 April 2010 - 03:25 PM

Great read ! The car looks hot and i like the seats as well. I knew a guy back in the early 90's with a 4.2 torrie that went like a bat out of hell. I say this with the expeiriance of lots of hot cars under my belt. It was an immaculate stock bodied LH with awesome paint , lowered n a set of dragways on it. He used to proundly display his 4.2 litre badge on the front gaurds n rear for all to see. Unsuspecting people would line him up at the lights thinking 4.2 ha ! ha ! ha ! then he would make mince out of them. What was done to the engine i don't know to this day but yeah there ya go. Anyhow back to your car i think u have done a top job with it, i'd go the manual box but thats only me. Oh the rice burner tacho .......um i would Posted Image it. Lol

#203 MRLXSS

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Posted 01 June 2010 - 03:02 PM

Watch this space... he he he...

#204 orangeLJ

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Posted 01 June 2010 - 03:20 PM

I know the secret, I know the secret! ner ner nee ner ner!

#205 _TJ308_

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Posted 01 June 2010 - 10:36 PM

LOL do i smell a 308 coming along ?

#206 MRLXSS

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Posted 02 June 2010 - 08:27 AM

When i get it in my shed, i'll be more than happy to share!

#207 MRLXSS

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Posted 15 June 2010 - 09:57 PM

Well,

I need some opinions and ideas of what i should do with my engine bay.

I have got my hands on a new motor. It's currently living in the shed of a friend in Sydney! I could do a bit of name dropping here, but lets just say i love the contacts my new job brings!

In the next few weeks, i'm going to pull the motor out of the Torana and get to work on fixing a few things up. First thing is putting in a new steering column with a double knuckle and reco the steering rack, I'll also re-bush what needs doing and put new balljoint etc in... My car handles like shit, and i want to make it at least feel safe on the road! I plan on driving this as much as possible, so i want it to feel safe!

I'm going to put some better, stiffer springs in the front. I'm going to run the lowered A9X Springs in the front.

Now, what i need help with, is my engine bay. I am ashamed to pop the bonnet at a carshow, because it just looks CRAP!

Posted Image

Should i keep it black? Honestly i don't mind the black... as long as its neat and minimal...

I want to neaten up the wiring and hide as much as i can!

Also either paint the hinges or get them plated same with the bonnet catch gear... Where and how much to get something like this done?

What else to people suggest? Relocate the battery? What benefits does this bring? Worth doing?

Any suggestions are good! I want to be proud to pop my bonnet!

Oh, here is my new motor too...

Posted Image

Posted Image

#208 _gen3torrie_

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Posted 15 June 2010 - 10:12 PM

nice looking motor you got there matty

#209 _@milco@_

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Posted 15 June 2010 - 10:48 PM

engine specs?

#210 _fryzem_

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Posted 16 June 2010 - 12:38 AM

matty,
remove the brake lines and proportioning valve. put the proportining valve under the guard and run the lines under the guards too.
battery to the boot, washer bottle ot the boot, hide the wirng and a new coat of jam in there and she'll be neat as a pin.
if ya want i can help you sort the wiring but you will need to rip the front guards off first thats all. i do it all the time with painted cars it easy if ya careful. removing those few things will open it right up in there.

#211 76lxhatch

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Posted 16 June 2010 - 07:15 AM

If you're up for painting it changing the engine bay to body colour will make a big difference. Hiding things and neatening up as you go is pretty straight-forward, just start chopping then you've got to sort it!

Engine looks good :spoton:

#212 mr5000

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Posted 16 June 2010 - 08:27 AM

maybe get the brake booster and master cylinder chromed i think rares do change over ones same with wiper motor and fan motor
while ya at it fix the wiring so you dont have to call me up asking if you can borrow myspare starter

#213 orangeLJ

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Posted 16 June 2010 - 08:28 AM

Hooray!

go orange with the engine bay, makes a MASSIVE difference (as I found out)

Paint the new block silver, hinges and bonnet catch silver, booster orange, master silver with chrome cap.

That way you can save on chrome plating the hinges (will be $150 odd for them and $50 for the bonnet catch)

A set of polished rocker covers and a nice shiny filter top and your done!

#214 MRLXSS

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Posted 16 June 2010 - 08:45 AM

engine specs?


Not 100% sure on them yet... Apparently its a stroker motor, but i'm not saying it is until i rip the sump off and measure it up. Basic run down though, VN Heads, Harrop Manifold, 650 Holley, Accel Dizzy, 'Stage 3 Cam' apparently a 'larry perkins crank'. Bottom end was out of a vr-vs senator.

matty,
remove the brake lines and proportioning valve. put the proportining valve under the guard and run the lines under the guards too.
battery to the boot, washer bottle ot the boot, hide the wirng and a new coat of jam in there and she'll be neat as a pin.
if ya want i can help you sort the wiring but you will need to rip the front guards off first thats all. i do it all the time with painted cars it easy if ya careful. removing those few things will open it right up in there.


Yeah, that's the kinda stuff i was thinking of James! Especially with the brake gear, and get nice neat brakelines bent up. I need to fix up a bit of my wiring so i might give you a call when the time comes. It'd be nice to have headlights that work properly again! LOL!

I'll definitely be taking off the front guards, bonnet and nose cone (Might paint the rad support black)

Hooray!

go orange with the engine bay, makes a MASSIVE difference (as I found out)

Paint the new block silver, hinges and bonnet catch silver, booster orange, master silver with chrome cap.

That way you can save on chrome plating the hinges (will be $150 odd for them and $50 for the bonnet catch)

A set of polished rocker covers and a nice shiny filter top and your done!


I'd like to go orange, but i now know how to make the 'electric orange' look better... So i don't want to be inclined to want to respray the whole car again! LOL!

With the block... I'm still undecided on the block colour... I really love the silver block, so that is probably my first choice! But i am also starting to get old and like the 'original look'

I wonder how these would look - http://cgi.ebay.com....e=STRK:MEWAX:IT

With a Rocket Red engine and everything coloured to original (Block, water pump etc). Now i have a Harrop manifold... Do I have to lose the Edelbrock Air Cleaner? LOL

#215 _niterida_

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Posted 16 June 2010 - 09:14 AM

Hooray!

go orange with the engine bay, makes a MASSIVE difference (as I found out)

Paint the new block silver, hinges and bonnet catch silver, booster orange, master silver with chrome cap.

That way you can save on chrome plating the hinges (will be $150 odd for them and $50 for the bonnet catch)

A set of polished rocker covers and a nice shiny filter top and your done!


Posted Image that gets my vote

#216 _dirtbag_

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Posted 16 June 2010 - 09:23 AM

Hi Matt. Are you going to smooth the engine bay too, or just paint things? Smooth is good : )

This is just my opinion, but I like body coloured engine bays with some colour coding. I wouldn't do heaps of chrome as it highlights bits that are usually ugly, where if they're painted they blend in more - such as brake boosters and wiper motors.

New donk sounds fun. Now you just need to get a proper gearbox to go behind it to replace the big power sapping oil pump that's in there now :badabing:


Make sure to post pics of what you do. We all want to see : )

#217 MRLXSS

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Posted 16 June 2010 - 10:32 AM

Dirtbag,

After spending all weekend dripping in Trans fluid courtesy of my new VT, i have come to realise why i hate the shit! If i could find a decent T5 set up i would seriously consider putting it in. The Block is Turbo pattern, but if i go auto... I will re-drill the block to suit Trimatic and run my current box.

Maybe i do paint the bay orange... It will look a heap better! Just have to make sure i use the same base coat as the rest of the car so the colour matches... Might just use a 2k clear over the top as well...

#218 Heath

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Posted 16 June 2010 - 02:02 PM

You won't regret putting a manual back in it Matty. Will make the interior look better too :)

I don't mind low-gloss black engine bays, they are really practical etc, but body colour has always been a bit more 'showy'. Either way I think the rocker covers on the new motor should be colour matched with Electric orange and the stripes painted black or silver or something.

I think getting the bonnet catch, hinges and springs all zinc plated would be the go too because it's cheap and simple and I've never really gone for painted bolts and moving parts because generally the paint ends up cracking etc but that's just how I like it.

But yeah even if you leave it similar to how it looks now, just a general tidy up and a respray of the satin black will make it look a lot better. Sand everything back, weld up all the holes etc and give it a fresh lick of paint.

#219 orangeLJ

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Posted 16 June 2010 - 02:21 PM

Yeah dont be tempted to paint the whole car again! haha.

Id say just make the bay the same as the rest of the car (use the same dark undercoat)

using 2p clear would be better too, that way your brakefluid etc wont have too much of an effect on the paintwork if you have a spillage.


Also, I know someone with a 6speed that might be tempted to sell it for the right price! haha

Edited by orangeLJ, 16 June 2010 - 02:23 PM.


#220 _doogs_

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Posted 16 June 2010 - 02:50 PM

Good to hear you are getting around to the powerplant upgrade Matt !
My vote would be for hidden brakelines, wiring etc behind the gaurd and minimal chrome. This would give a neat look that's not to showy, and suit the rest of the car. Definitely go for a manual box as well, if it's going to handle you may as well shift properly too!

#221 _mick74lh_

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Posted 16 June 2010 - 06:23 PM

Good on ya Matt and good luck.

Have you considered painting the engine bay gloss black? My suggestion is to paint the front of the radiator support panel black and then just be really anal about getting every screw and bolt head looking clean and shiny. And if you're going to drive it in anything but a straight line manual boxes are better. But thats just my opinion, its your car, I'm sure whatever you do will look ace.

#222 _TUFF75LH355_

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Posted 16 June 2010 - 06:46 PM

Love your torry mate and the fact you done the work yourself... new motor will look a treat between the rails mate.. looking forward to seeing the progress cheers ben

#223 _dirtbag_

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Posted 16 June 2010 - 06:47 PM

The more I think about it the more I think you need to smooth the bay out. Look at the bay in 2wild4u and you'll know what I mean.

DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!

#224 _cruiza_

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Posted 16 June 2010 - 07:31 PM

Hi Matt

looks like a good score with the motor. if your looking for ideas on your engine bay some cheap easy mods to do yourself are conceal the wire-ring, colour code engine bay with some engine highlights in body colour too. I really like the HZ style master cyclinder, 1 inch bore and setup for disc brakes and looks stock (ish) and finally fill all the small holes in the engine bay.

That is all I did to mine and I think it looked pretty good, while not full on smooth and minimalist, it was cheap neat and I did it all myself. If I was doing it again I think I would have definitely put the battery in the boot

Posted ImageFrom Cruiza">


#225 Heath

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Posted 16 June 2010 - 09:01 PM

Obviously you don't want to put a new battery in the car if there's nothing wrong with what's in it now, but a black battery would look a lot better too.




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