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Fixing my brothers UC hatch


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#501 _Yella SLuR_

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Posted 02 April 2010 - 08:30 PM

VH Commodore gear shift knob. My first rana had one of them too. Everybody seemed to be doing it back then.

#502 _dirtbag_

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Posted 02 April 2010 - 09:09 PM

Yeah, the VB and VC had the same knob too. I do like the idea of the old 4 speed knob on a T56. : )

#503 ls2lxhatch

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Posted 02 April 2010 - 10:35 PM

Hi Aido. Yes, I'll change the black. I think the straight gloss looks a bit tacky and cheap. Too plasticy. I know, it's plastic, but I like a more subtle, vinyl like finish of a semi gloss.


I sprayed a dash using a can of black vinyl paint that I originally bought to paint my sun visors. It had just the right amount of gloss to suit the dash.

#504 _dirtbag_

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Posted 03 April 2010 - 06:52 AM

Good idea. Thanks again Andy.

#505 _mick74lh_

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Posted 03 April 2010 - 11:59 AM

Ha I'm a dumbarse! Didn't realise the thread went back to the very start of the build! Some of the metal work performed in the early stages of the build is amazing.

And nice job with the shifter. Will you be using a factory LH LX style centre console?

#506 _dirtbag_

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Posted 03 April 2010 - 02:02 PM

As far as I know there will be no console at all. Plus having a UC handbrake would make an LX console look weird anyway. I think just having the gearstick boot mounted to the carpet will look good. Nice and simple. Just like me hahaha : )

#507 _Viper_

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Posted 03 April 2010 - 04:05 PM

hehe I love seeing little bits and pieces like this made from scratch, I know it gives me a nice fuzzy feeling of "frOck im awesome" when I complete something custom like that haha

#508 _LH8VD69_

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Posted 04 April 2010 - 09:13 PM

Hey top bl88dy job once again ! I understand the need to use modern gauges with the electronics of a modern motor. They look pretty damn good anyway :-) As for the dash- satin. As for the lack of monster tacho Posted Image ... They seem to be getting bigger? Is there something in that? I was thinking of taking out the front passenger seat in my slr n replacing it with a 1 metre x 1 metre tacho ! Perhaps i could even get a trailer to tow around with a 8x4 foot tacho ? Ideas??

#509 _dirtbag_

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Posted 04 April 2010 - 09:18 PM

Yeah, the trailer is a nice idea hahahaha:spoton:


Or, I can convert your sedan into a wagon and fill the whole rear section with hundreds of separate tachos, all with shift lights set at different revs......

#510 _mick74lh_

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Posted 04 April 2010 - 11:17 PM

ha yeah of course! ha ha good stuff

#511 _Bomber Watson_

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Posted 04 April 2010 - 11:58 PM

Lol they start going off at idle and get brighter as you reach the redline...

Cheers.

#512 _2wild4u_

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Posted 05 April 2010 - 05:15 PM

loving this build, just shows how much time and effort goes into building a top notch car, cant wait to see this thing finished

#513 _nial8r_

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Posted 05 April 2010 - 07:37 PM

i dont mind the look of the new cluster you have done a really neat job, good work mate Posted Image

#514 orangeLJ

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Posted 06 April 2010 - 09:15 AM

Should have just sprung for some 4 core wire to do the electrics! would have saved you the hassle with running 4 seperate wires +shrink wrap etc.

Looking great!

#515 _cruiza_

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Posted 06 April 2010 - 06:04 PM

I used trailor wirering cable to do all the front and rear of the car quick easy and very neat none of this lombing up and tapeing off etc etc

#516 _dirtbag_

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Posted 06 April 2010 - 06:08 PM

Well today was one of those days where you're flat out but getting nothing done.

I ordered the tyres, they'll hopefully get here tomorrow or thursday.

I also got the exhaust quoted and will hopefully get that fitted next week.

Plus I had various other little things to get, nuts and bolts, brakes and so on.


Originally, when I put the flares on, I thought about getting a nutsert/rivetnut gun to put captive threads in the guards for the flare bolts. I thought it would make it easier to assemble. Then I thought it would only get assembled once so not really worth it. Then I remembered how annoying it was on my old flared sedans getting polish stuck in the rubber strip around the flare and how hard it was to get out.

Well today I bought a nutsert gun and some nuts so my brother can just loosen the flares from the outside and not have to pull any interior trim out to do so.

They're not super cheap, but a very useful. The one I bought does from sizes M3 to M8.


Posted Image


I also had to buy all new stainless bolts for the flares as the original ones were imperial. Bugger. Oh well, at least I've got a nice stash of stainless bolts with nyloc nuts : )

To use the 6mm bolts I bought, I had to drill the flare bolt holes in the guard out to 9.5mm. Then I fitted the nuts. Simple.


Posted Image


This is what they look like from inside the car.


Posted Image


Fitting the flare was so easy it was ridiculous. I've never had a flare so easy to install.


Posted Image


Much easier than trying to get inside and do up nuts.


Posted Image


Here's something really exciting. I got some extra bolts for the gearstick. Can you believe I had to go to 3 shops to get these!!!!!!

The new bolts are 5mm shorter than the originals, so I put them at the top, so they don't stick out past the edge of the shifter like the others do.


Posted Image


Here's the new rear rotors, handbrake shoes and brake pads. These will get fitted tomorrow.


Posted Image


I also had an A/C guy come around to look at making the lines up. He'll come back on friday hopefully and make all the lines up and replace the TX valve, just to be sure.

#517 Heath

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Posted 06 April 2010 - 06:13 PM

You said you ordered tyres... for what wheels?

I really like the captive flare nuts, never heard of that being done before. How much are we talking per bolt, and for the kit initially?

#518 _dirtbag_

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Posted 06 April 2010 - 06:17 PM

Hey orangelj. There was so much wiring to go into this car I just bought long lengths of all different colour wires and went from there. The problem with the sheathed grouped wires that you're talking about is they're pretty expensive, and the conduit I used is cheap : ) Plus I only used heat shrink where I'd soldered wire together, so I would have needed that with the 4 core stuff anyway.

Cruiza, the one thing that put me off trailer wire is it's only 2mm. Well, around here it is anyway, as I checked at the start : ) I used 4mm for most of the wiring. The main power wires are bigger. The main battery cable is size "00". It's as big as I could find.

I appreciate the help though, as like I said earlier in the post, I'm no sparky, so any hints and help is taken with open arms.

Cheers.

Hi Heath. The tool itself was about $300, but the nuts are cheap as.

Yes, I ordered the tyres. I've had the wheels here for a while now but my brother wants them left a mystery until the car is finished.

I can show you a sneak peak though : )


Posted Image

#519 ls2lxhatch

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Posted 06 April 2010 - 06:30 PM

I bought the same tool KJ21 from Profast last week. I have been hiring one over the last couple of years for $20 a weekend but decided I would rather have it on the shelf.

Teng Tools make a cheaper version that does 3, 4, 5 and 6 mm and includes nuts.

Teng Tools Kit $242

If you really want imperial thread the you can buy the tools from the USA.

Edited by ls2lxhatch, 06 April 2010 - 06:31 PM.


#520 _Viper_

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Posted 06 April 2010 - 06:41 PM

Was there any issue with the flare sitting off the guard slightly since the rivet nut sits proud of the panel? or does the rubber strip fill that in...


Great idea tho!

Hmm might have to do that on the gemini's flares before I paint it.

#521 Heath

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Posted 06 April 2010 - 06:41 PM

Nice, cheers for the feedback.

What diameter are the wheels? lol

#522 _dirtbag_

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Posted 06 April 2010 - 06:48 PM

Clint, I guess the flares would now sit maybe half a mm off the body now, so definitely nothing the plastic piping wont hide. I'll definitely be using them on anything with bolt on flares, spoilers etc.

Heath, the wheels are 15x8 and 15x10. Trying to still keep it looking sort of period correct, with the stock trim, non metallic paint etc, so 18's wouldn't have suited what we're trying to do. Just don't open the bonnet : )
Oh, and the nuts are less than 50c each. Sorry I didn't answer properly the first time. I try to be smarter, but it never works : ) hahaha

#523 _Bomber Watson_

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Posted 06 April 2010 - 07:25 PM

I love Nutserts.

We have the tool at work, it gets borrowed frequently.

Cheers.

#524 76lxhatch

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Posted 06 April 2010 - 07:58 PM

Looks great, I'm impressed with the nutserts too, just seems such a perfect solution.

Not making the exhaust yourself?

#525 _dirtbag_

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Posted 06 April 2010 - 08:30 PM

No 76lxhatch, I'll get a shop down the road to do the system. They do a great job and at a reasonable price. Plus they get the components (cat converters, mufflers, mandrel bent tailpipes etc) much cheaper than I could anyway. Plus they have a hoist : )




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