Fixing my brothers UC hatch
#1 _dirtbag_
Posted 30 December 2009 - 01:19 PM
It's going to be a pretty special car when it's done, and so far I've really enjoyed working on it. I think my brother is going to have some trouble getting this car back. He might have to pry the keys out of my cold dead hands : )
#2 _niterida_
Posted 30 December 2009 - 01:26 PM
#3 _dirtbag_
Posted 30 December 2009 - 06:25 PM
There's a few wobbles down the side, but at least it doesn't have a sunroof.
#4
Posted 30 December 2009 - 06:31 PM
#5 _dirtbag_
Posted 30 December 2009 - 07:16 PM
Of course the C pillars are stuffed. It wouldn't be a proper hatch otherwise : )
At least it's a 308 and 5 speed. For now.
Having a 9 inch doesn't hurt either.
Here's a pic of the lovely interior. That steering wheel is awesome : )
#6 _dirtbag_
Posted 30 December 2009 - 07:26 PM
Finally!!!! The transformation from ugly bucket of crap to proper torana begins. The removal of any UC panels is a good look. This is just the start.
The front end is going to get a bit of a frankenstein job done to it. Some will like, others will hate. Either way, at least it'll be different. Here you can see how much long the UC guards are against the LX bonnet.
I decided to go with the LX nosecone look, but preferred the smoothness of the lower valance of the UC, so I used what I liked.
This gives a bit of a clearer idea of what I'm going for.
Obviously the LX nosecone wont just magically line up with the cut UC guards. But they will soon.
#7 _dirtbag_
Posted 30 December 2009 - 07:37 PM
I thought the yanks were the only ones stupid enough to drill holes in sheetmetal to pull dents??? I'm proven wrong : )
There was a fairly large low spot on each side above the doors too.
It took a while to dig all the bog out of these low spots.
Getting the paint off this thing was a pain. It just melted into the sanding discs, so took a while.
I was amazed at how badly the hatch lined up. No wonder they put that horrid rear spoiler on it, to cover this up : )
The C pillar after a bit of sanding.
The rear panel under the lights was a mess too. The whole rear end is pushed in, and full of bog. Awesome : )
#8 _dirtbag_
Posted 30 December 2009 - 07:43 PM
Here you can see the plate I made earlier is now part of the guard.
#9 _evil UC hatch_
Posted 30 December 2009 - 07:46 PM
#10
Posted 30 December 2009 - 08:01 PM
Love the hatchback and i like the idea of changing the UC front to a LX one. With the UC stone tray still in place where are you going to fit the indicators?
Chears Neil
#11 _dirtbag_
Posted 30 December 2009 - 08:07 PM
I then decided a front spoiler would look good. I want to make it from the UC front panel, but it isn't low enough. Yet.
Whoops!!! The front fell off : )
I added 60mm to the length of the guards to give them a more "spoiler" look.
With the bumper sort of in place, I knew I'd have to modify the guards where they peak out the front.
Thanks guys, glad you like it. It's a love it or hate it thing I feel : )
I'm in Perwillowen, about 5 minutes from Nambour.
As for the indicators, you'll see : )
#12
Posted 30 December 2009 - 08:16 PM
Are you changing the rear tailights to LX ones or something different?
Chears Neil
#13
Posted 30 December 2009 - 08:22 PM
I hope you dont have to change the front guards for any reason.
Regarding the 'C' pillars......if the seam is bogged up, there is a fair assumption that the previous repairs wern't that good!
Just my humble opinion!
#14 _evil UC hatch_
Posted 30 December 2009 - 08:23 PM
#15
Posted 30 December 2009 - 08:30 PM
wots the go with the passengers side brake line under the hood?
Is that a camaro in the background also?
#16 _Woodsy_
Posted 30 December 2009 - 08:48 PM
#17
Posted 30 December 2009 - 09:06 PM
I actually like the work you have done on the front m8. Well done!
I hope you dont have to change the front guards for any reason.
Regarding the 'C' pillars......if the seam is bogged up, there is a fair assumption that the previous repairs wern't that good!
Just my humble opinion!
Yep I would say a certainty !, the only way is to replace the inner & outer sections where they join, did this to mine, both sides.
#18
Posted 30 December 2009 - 09:27 PM
#19
Posted 30 December 2009 - 09:53 PM
But woah!!! Great work, definitely a unique approach, and yeah I really like how it's coming along. Genuinely inspiring.
What experience do you have with this kinda thing?
#20
Posted 30 December 2009 - 10:06 PM
very impressive rebuild for it's originality..Look forward to updates
#21 _dirtbag_
Posted 31 December 2009 - 04:47 AM
You can see the difference here after I changed one of the guards.
It's starting to get a nice low spoiler look to it now I feel.
You can see here just how much I reduced the peak in the front guards. I also need to fill in the section of the guard that gets covered by the bumper.
Here's all the welding on the guard finished now the part behind the bumper is filled in.
#22 _dirtbag_
Posted 31 December 2009 - 04:59 AM
In regards to the question about the passengers brakeline, I have no idea what they were thinking. If they were trying to hide the lines for a smoother look, they should have at least pulled the old grommet out and welded up the hole : )
#23 _dirtbag_
Posted 31 December 2009 - 05:06 AM
#24 _dirtbag_
Posted 31 December 2009 - 05:11 AM
I copied the shape of the ducts right off a fibreglass spoiler out of 6mm rod, then used 1mm zincaneal (spelling??) to form the rest.
And finally, the brake ducts are made. The weren't too hard to make. Fitting them, well that's another story : )
#25 _dirtbag_
Posted 31 December 2009 - 05:21 AM
Obviously it looks pretty terrible, but I thought if I extended the lower lip it would look better, so I gave that a go.
Now I'm starting to like it more. I know it seems weird doing all this, when screwing on a plastic one would look the same, but we didn't want the screwed on spoiler look, and metal is fun : )
Once the lip was added to the stone tray, I also had to incorporate it into the corners of the guards.
With the other side welded into place it looks something like this.
Here you can see I was toying with the idea of using the LX indicators, but with the vertical seam of the UC stone tray in the way, they looked too big, so I went with something else.
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