376 replies to this topic

[orangeLJ]

Well the little corolla is currently up for sale and not wanting to be without a second car for too long, I started hunting around for something to replace it.

after sitting down and budgeting and sorting out how much we should be able to get for the corolla, we set a budget price, what we wanted and how much we plan to spend to get it up to scratch and then I hit ebay and the papers.

Purchased this on saturday for a nice cheap figure.
















HX ute, 253 with a steel case supra 5 speed box (fitted) HT fluted front gaurds, twin headlight front end and everything bar a decent grille and some decent bumpers to finish it. It runs and drives which is a bonus over others I looked at.

Im off to cooma next sunday morning (early) to pay for it and pick it up, withh a stop off at the snow (somehow the quick down and back drive, just me and ray got turned into an overnight affair with Karlie and Mum coming along and taking mums VX instead....)

So the basic plan is this-

For the next few weeks the ute will be put in a friends garage and sit idle (or until I can keep myself away)

Fingers crossed the corolla sells (lots of interest in it at the moment)

Im using some of my "torana" money for the original purchase price and to pay for the petrol there and back etc. So when the corolla sells, the torana fund will be reimbursed.
(torana is currently very bare, whole front of car is bare, engine is only thing left in the bay)

So, once we have the money from the corolla (tax return is helping too) we will start on the ute a bit more seriously-

Quick rust repair on drivers sill
Quick panel beat/bog up of any dents
hi-fill
2 week wait
good block back
coat of white 2 pack paint (maybe some blackouts, yet to decide)

Has a bench seat at the moment, couple hundred bucks will see it recovered by a friend in some black vinyl.
I'll throw some mats in it to start with, and buy some new carpet eventually.

Its either that or find a set of commodore buckets and throw them in.

It comes with a set of hotwires with good tyres, so im thinking I might just tidy them up and leave them on it until I can find a cheap set of 15inch wheels and throw some decent tyres on (will be a daily)

Unfortunately I threw out pretty much a whole gas system about 6 months ago when we shut down the muffler shop!

I still have a tank, so it will go in the tray and I still get $1800 from the govt for the gas conversion so that will cover the other bits and pieces (friend doing the gas plumbing as a favour)

Going to hunt around for a cheap 308 to rebuild and throw a gas grind cam at it and have a nice fresh engine to put around with eventually.

Hoping to get it on the road in under 2 months from next weekend.

Edited by orangeLJ, 13 July 2009 - 10:33 AM.

[76lxhatch]

Looks reasonably solid, as long as you get enough of the trim and fiddly bits with it you can't go too far wrong

[orangeLJ]

Trim is all there bar one door trim, so thats a bonus.

Only thing Im looking at and thinking will need updating is the dash.

But seeing as its reasonably flat and I have a few spare gauges, it shouldnt be too hard to knock one up, or look out for a GTS dash for it eventually.

[Tiny]

Hey Guys,

I've moved some posts from here that dont relate to the thread.

Hopefully you guys can sort it out between yourselves, This post is probably not the right place to be discussing the problems that were being discussed!

Cheers!

[orangeLJ]

Very good Josh!

that was the first question I asked the bloke (I bought it privately after it didnt meet the blokes reserve on ebay)

No rust under the cowl panel, only a little dribble in the drivers side sill (well no more visible rust)

I know the insides of the sills are probably a bit worse for ware, but Im going to pump them full of fishoil and just touch anything up that comes through in the future.

We pretty much decided on white for a colour, based around the fact its alot easier to touch up any repairs and its alot more forgiving on any panel imperfections!

That and it doesnt make it stand out at the shops (thief magnet)

[Struggler]

Its a small world, I got offered this ute about 2 weeks ago. I'm not surprised it didn't make reserve !!

Good luck with it !!

[orangeLJ]

Out of interest, how much did he want for it when he offered it to you?

Have you looked at it in person?

youve got me worried now!

[mr5000]

looking forward to this if i land myself a plumbing apprenticeship this is exactly what i will be doing

[orangeLJ]

Yeah it definitely played out as the cheapest option for what we need/want.

I was originally looking at doing what my uncle did, got an old hilux for free from a farm, lick of paint and some chinese ebay chrome bars and he was offf.

But I figure I need something that can actually pull the skin off of custard.

[orangeLJ]

im posting on the laptop from a motel room in queanbeyan (spelling? im too lazy to get up and read the motel directory!)

Left home at 5am thismorning (was at a 21st till late last night too, so im stuffed)

drove straight down to Cooma, met the bloke with the ute (nice guy too!) checked out the HX and threw it on the trailer.

We left the trailer at his house (loaded) and headed out to Selwyn snow fields, Had a bit of a muck around in the snow and then headed back to his joint, payed him and hooked up the trailer and headed off again.

Rocked up at this joint here at about 6.30 (early for once!)

Ive got a few photos, but this laptop doesnt have a bloody XD card reader (for the camera) and I dont have a mini SD card adapter for the phone photos!



The ute is in very good condition, will only need a bit of a patch on a sill, bit of a repair on a rear 1/4 bit of bog around a flute in the front gaurd (has HT flutes)

Starts, runs and drives, has lowered king springs with monroe gt gas shocks in the front, same shocks in the rear, look reasonably new.
Has extractors and a 2.5" exhaust fitted, supra 5 speed with a nice bitey clutch.
twin headlight front end, all the chrome bits etc.

Should end up costing us about $1000 all up (accomodation, fuel etc) and we got a play in some snow out of it (something I have only seen twice, karlie once 10 years ago, mum when she was about 18 and my old man about 15 years, so we were all excited)

Will post up all the photos when we get home, going via the panel beaters on the way home to get a mate to quote some stuff. Stay tuned!!

[orangeLJ]

first thing the dog did was try to get in the back of the ute, when we finally unpacked it, she got in and wouldnt get out!



more photos after lunch

[orangeLJ]

woof woof.

[orangeLJ]

on the trailer at the blokes house-




and its rest stop for the night-





I thought I had a whole lot more on the camera and my phone, but they have gone walk about at the moment.

inner gaurds, radiator support, bonnet hinges and some other bits are going to a mates tonight for him to sandblast and whack some primer over at his work tomorrow night, inners will be GMH black, same with radiator support. hinges and bonnet catch will be silver.

going to de-oxidine (rust converter acid stuff) the bare metal on the weekend and slap a coat of primer over it all.

Then a little bit of bog work and a coat of hi-fill rub rub rub and some nice white 2 pack over the top (using a friends booth)

Just need to sort out the front panels (apron, bonnet and gaurds)

I ordered a taiwanese tailgate today $120 delivered to my door.

Ive bought bits from AP panels before and they are pretty bloody good for the price.

Will grab some more detailed photos tonight though.

The front end is going to need a couple new bushes and some new ball joints aswell, maybe some new shackle? rubbers in the rear.

Definitely going to have to lower the bum of it, carla can make the jump easy, but I dare say as she gets older it will get harder! and plus, its too high anyway!

Edited by orangeLJ, 21 July 2009 - 01:23 PM.

[orangeLJ]

Floor pans are pretty much perfect




Im just going to stick the hoodlinging back in and tidy it up a bit for now, no use replacing it when its in an ok condition.


and yes, the dog has taken up sleeping in the back of the ute, I think she approves.






just a few mirrors came iwth it.....





its going to need new tie rod ends, new balljoints, and some new bushes in some places





the nosecone has ALOT of bog in it-






Gaurds arent horrible, but arent the best-

[Statler]

The dog looks right at home in the back! lol

[MRLXSS]

Is there a car under all that bog? LOL

[orangeLJ]

the actual car (doors and 1/4s) have bugger all bog.

The gaurds and nose cone are full of it, hence why im looking for some replacements.

looks like I may have scored a complete HJ panel van for a couple cartons of beer, will probably pick that up sunday (local)

[orangeLJ]

Im happy with what we have, and from the looks of that WB it would need some time on the rack after a hit like that. Thanks anyway, but Im going to see this one through.

This is the progress from last night-

Radiatior support has a little bit of rust, Going to cut it out and plate it over, about an hour long job really, so not too much drama.




inners come up good though!





Ive got some pictures of what they came out of the blasting booth looking like, Ill throw them up in a minute.

Edited by orangeLJ, 23 July 2009 - 08:42 AM.

[orangeLJ]

Before and afters that my mate sent me last night-












Im pretty happy with that for midweek progress, Im going to plate up and GMH black those bits first thing saturday morning.

I was going to strip the interior tonight, but we are going for dinner at the sister inlaws joint and shopping tomorrow night, so I might put Karlie on the spanners and get her to pull the bench seat out and other bits on saturday.

It will go to the trimmers mid next week I think for a re-pack and recover in some sort of grey material (thinking the "mesh" like commodores have?)

Edited by orangeLJ, 23 July 2009 - 08:55 AM.

[Rockoz]

Do yourself a favour and pull the rooflining out and have a good look at the condition of the roof down to the gutter.
Its a really bad spot for rust in there.
Just did a repair on mine on drivers side, passenger side to still do.