505 replies to this topic

[notna]

Nice pace you're working at and loving your work.

Sorry to hear you got burnt a bit when you bought it, but you are doing justice to a great car, and there ain't nothing wrong with an L32 SS or SL/R

Keep it going at that pace and you will be cruising before you know it. And if that's before me, I'll be so jealous!

[derrin71]

Great work, good to see another hatch being resurected.

[Tyre biter]

Thanks fella's and don't worry notna, once in paint I reckon the pace will slow and perhaps even stall for a while - you'll easily overtake me for sure. I just want to get it into paint and then chip away at it as best that I can. Thanks to LX6LTR I have a donor (sedan) that it fairly complete and which I can take things from bit by bit and transfer to my hatchback after a wee clean, inspection and/or service. I think wiring will be high on the list given the hatchback came to me without any and so will soon start there. Higher still is rebuilding the front suspension and sourcing a decent LSD centre if not an entire rear axle for it.

My goal is to take it to Toranafest 2012, but 2013 is probably more on the cards - I guess I'll just need to see how the cards fall as to parts.

By the way, I just learned the car is completely in primer both inside, underneath and outside and so panel work from here for the first half of this week coming - a shedload of speed filing, more primer and rubbing - I am about to jump in the deep end in this regard but thankfully Dave is a skilled fella who is also pretty patient with me.

Cheers, TB

[Tyre biter]

Update:

As promised - the car is in primer inside and underneath - need to brush on seam seal everything here as yet;


That replacement panel looks just great - more seam sealing to do yet.


Today the driver's door was hung and speed filing of the metal started. Here is Dave hard at it;


Then we started to think about the hatch and what is required back there and so diverted from filing to hanging it.

Turns out things aren't too good right now. Seems a previous repair is not what it ought to have been and the rear apron/beaver might be a tad lower than it should be. We played with the hatch a bit more after this but still it isn't quite right - the length has been remedied but there is a significant sized panel gap below the hatch where it closes against the rear apron - the rubber bump stops are about 10mm in the air.

As described previously we know the car has had a hit in the rear before what with replaced rear quarters and rear apron being evident (floor is untouched so a strange type of hit it must have been). The previous repairs around the top of the tail-lights have that part of the apron staggered inwards where it meets the rear quarter more than it should be (both sides). We've been left scratching our heads as to where to from here - clearly we know what needs to be done but are just trying to sort the best way to do it from here, but we will fit a rubber tomorrow to see how bad the problem is or is not, and take it from there I guess.





The pics don't really show what we are up against but that gap below the hatch is pretty big.

Question; the openings for the tail-lights - in my car the top and bottom openings (horizontal sections) curve from the rear and go up (top) and go down (bottom) - it this how it should be or should these horizontal sections be flat/square against the rear apron (as I suspect they ought to be)?

Cheers, TB

Edited by Tyre biter, 11 July 2011 - 04:45 PM.

[Tyre biter]

Thanks nial8r,

Yep - There are some rounded dents in the pass side tunnel - well spotted.

No - No idea why or how...like a lot of things with this car it seems, and I am positive this sort of sentiment is shared by 99% of the Torana community.

Yep - I thought about pulling them out but, just like the dents in the chassis rails I have decided to leave them there for three reasons:

1. The first one sounds a bit hippy of me but the car is 35yrs old and these knocks are part of its story. Whilst I will never know the how's or why's, as long as these things don't
interfere with the car in any meaningful way, I accept they belong, and

2. As you identified, there are more important things on my plate just now and the dents don't trouble me one iota, and

3. The car will be coveted, highly maintained, and spoiled but never a trailer dolly - I respect to those who make their cars as such, but not for me and so getting it inch perfect in
places like this isn't very important to me - I understand why it might be to others, just it is not for me.

Having said all this, thanks for your suggestion and tips with the tail-lights - genuinely appreciate it.

All the best, TB

[308mate]

Great inspiration for my future hatch project. keep up the good work n photos etc

cheers \m/

[notna]

TB, I hear you 110% mate!

I have built a genuine concourse car in recent years. It was a MAJOR PITA..... I never wanted to take the custom made cotton car cover off it, for fear of it getting a spec of dust on it! Build a car to be driven, and it will be enjoyed! Those chassis rails will get dents back in them the first visit to a mechanic for a blue slip. Those guys don't give a rats ass when they jack them up for whatever.

Lee, your suggestions weren't having a dig..... you have an eye for detail and you are a perfectionist, like a lot of us here. I find being like that, as having a love / hate relationship with yourself! You love to make things perfect, but you *effin* hate it!

[Tyre biter]

i hope you didnt take it the wrong way as a wasnt having a dig at ya just trying to keep up with your build i also understand that we all do alot of different things to our pride and joys and we all have a reasons, your doing great work so keep it up and keep the pic's coming

nial8r,
Not at all, hence my comment that I genuinely appreciate your suggestion.
By all means throw in suggestions - very happy to consider the same.
Cheers, TB

[myss427]

The rounded dent would be for the Auto gear lever clearance, needed to do that a couple of times with Turbo 350's and Powerglides.

[Tyre biter]

notna,

I hear you, and I too am ordinarily an anally obsessive type personality born under Virgo (a double whammy), however in recent years I have been working hard to 'get over' this affliction (not sweat the small stuff) and so I nowadays better appreciate where you are coming from than perhaps I was a few years back. Yes, I'd like nothing more than an millimeter perfect car in every way, and again I very much appreciate these sort of cars and respect highly the folks who build them, but I simply just don't have the energy to do this sort of thing anymore (build, own and use) - perhaps having three kids under eight when in my early 40's has something to do with tiredness and finding a 'whatever' trait - maybe not... In any case, I am after a quality job but not concourse and as you forecast, I absolutely 'got' what nial8r was saying - nothing more - thanks for your affirmation in any case.

All the best and cheers, TB

[Tyre biter]

Update;

Today we did a shedload of work around the rear working out whatever happened there - see previous posts.
Put the rubber in and things are not as bad as they seemed yesterday.
Still need to do some work back there but things are looking 'on the up'.

Before I turned up Dave had done some work on the right rear quarter after filing the metal;


Things are coming together - bit slow today but should accelerate tomorrow as Dave wants to have the right side in primer by the end of the day given other commitments mean the car wont be touched for several days. Nothing slow on purpose, just a lot of work needed to get the rear right - panel work, more welding and even some filler required in places - the results look great - will post pics when completed the rear.

No pics but I re-hinged the left hand door hinges using those RSP parts - not too bad - a minor widening of the pin holes, and some meat needed to be taken off the rim of one brass bushes (replace OEM plastic bushes) but all went together really well and very happy with the end result - nice and tight but doesn't stick. But jeepers, getting the spring off and especially back on the lower hinge is a bit of an ask isn't it?

Cheers, TB

[notna]

notna,

I hear you, and I too am ordinarily an anally obsessive type personality born under Virgo (a double whammy),

hehehe... thought so! Same here mate!

[Tyre biter]

Update:

Right tail-light finished - a lot of mucking around and thank God one of us knew what we were doing. The photo just doesn't do it justice, the fit of the tail-light around the panel is nothing short of fantastic. Don't worry about the change in height between the rear quarter and hatch panel at the spoiler - the hatch isn't latched in this photo;


Then worked the rear quarter some more, the sills, C pillar and door openings to smooth things out, before putting the right side into primer three coats, maybe four as I had to duck away before all done. Amazed we could paint today - it was bloody freezing but the paint dried really well - I guess this is what comes with low humidity we experience in Canberra. Anyway the plan is to speed file the car with panels hung and then re-primer following but need to get the left side and roof into primer first. Really happy with how it is turning out so far.


So we down tools for a little while with other commitments. I am off to Sydney tomorrow to collect my gearbox and also visiting Cools to collect seat and door trims - hello roadtrip! Also have to visit Ikea for the bride whilst I am there but hey, all for a good cause.

Cheers, TB

[Tyre biter]

I think they are but not certain - a friend asked me if they were as well.
I'd not heard of them previously but apparently they were 'the thing' back in the day - mid to late 1970's???
Still have them but only to get the car around until I have some Hotwires and the car is ready to take them on.
Yep, they have pink painted centres (over chrome I think it is) and the backs of them are in blue (again over chrome I think).
Goodness knows the story with them...

Cheers, TB

[Tyre biter]

Will do sting.

I have seen their seat trims in the flesh and they look bloody good.
They were in RedSlur's car and he is a stickler for original/quality, hence his referring me to Cools - essentially if it is passes Gerry's muster then I am happy with it.
Steve at Cools seems to go to lengths to get the right grain in the vinyl and recently I ordered and paid for seat trims but later asked for door trims - he released my seat trims to another customer so he could be sure the seat and door trims were in the same batch of vinyl - I think this shows care and thinking on his part - not a common outcome nowadays.
But yes, happy to let you know what I think when I get them home and will post some pics as well.

Cheers, TB

[Tyre biter]

Berro,
Love your thread - thanks for sharing your build - I use your thread and a couple of others often as a reference point.
Thanks also for playing in mine.
As you your question; I intend on running a 308 block likely stroked to 355 in front of an M21 by Aussie 4 Speed Specialists (see below) and out the rear via a Banjo (the Ford 9" in 2.75 that came with the car turns out to be locked and so will be binned/sold/gifted).

Updates on my build/journey:
I travelled to Sydney recently and collected the M21 from Peter Zitis of 'Australian 4 Speed Specialists' in Belmore.
What can I say...reportedly the bloke is very good at his craft and whilst he may well be, nevertheless he doesn't mind telling you the same either and this always makes me uncomfortable - folks unsolicited blowing their own trumpet that is.

Now I don't want to say too much at this juncture given my gearbox is far from being installed let alone tested, but his 'workshop' is a long, long, long way...did I say 'a long way' from clinical? Nor is Peter's presentation anything short of slovenly, and far from the experienced professional I was hoping for and indeed used to dealing with, ie; Gary Cheverly and his team from Chevs in Carrum Downs, VIC. He may well been up until 3am this morning building it (as he claimed) - why this is required when the gearbox was ordered and paid for several months back is beyond me as it he continued work required this morning to finish it.

You see, the lag between paying for the gearbox and receiving the same is bloody significant, and caused a few sleepless nights on my part - indeed only my posturing and demands for refund seemed to have finally got things moving and resolved. But even then everything appears slap-dash, last minute and entirely amateur. His excuses are rehearsed and often re-used though he doesn't realise he has used that particular fib previously and this outcome casts doubt towards his integrity. Communication is absolutely non-existant unless you instigate contact despite repeated (accepted) requests for him to merely keep me in the loop as to delays and timeframe. I ought to conceede there is always a timely response to my messages however it is seemingly often an intoxicated one - the later probably accounts for recycled delay fibs and repetitive comments, questions and undertakings as to build specification. God only knows if I have walked away with what I was promised and paid for.

Essentially this bloke may well be as good as his reputation in terms of what he can build - heck he may well have built me a beauty, but I am very suspicious of the job and rightfully so in the circumstances I submit. Problem is, my circumstance doesn't appear to be peculiar to me. And make no mistake, this is not some alcohol fueled nor emotional interjection on my part - rather everything I have committed to writing (unlike Pete's aversion to doing the same) is defensible, reasonable, accurate and if anything; restrained. To anyone considering buying a gearbox from Pete, I commend you to visit his place at 34 Kennedy Avenue, Belmore first and to also take any undertaking he offers, especially those pertaining to timelines as being a rough...indeed vague guestimation. Again, I am told his work is purportedly pretty bloody good but in my opinion all of that is offset by the pretty bloody awful experience suffered by me and it seems many others - be warned and perhaps things would be different if I and (it seems) a number of others had followed Chris De Burgh's simple advice by simply not paying the ferryman until he gets us to the other side.

Now Cools on the other hand - an extreme contrast and couldn't have gone better. Everything was as purchased/ordered, all was ready, communication was f.a.b. and I appreciated Steve's simple, no BS yet friendly approach - much appreciated.

Cheers, TB

Edited by Tyre biter, 14 July 2011 - 09:04 PM.

[Redslur]

Hope you are feeling better now mate after that LOL. Did Steve manage to get hold of you today? He rang me asking for your number urgently...

You about this weekend for a looksie at the beast?

Gerry

[Tyre biter]

Yeah, funny thing - Steve gave me two sets of fronts rather than a set of fronts and the rear.
Worst still, when he got in touch I was near Goulburn on my way home.
In any case, looks like we'll meet up on Saturday midday out on the Hume Hwy at Yass on his way to a swap meet and we can swap over the seat trims.
As for a look, maybe whilst I am out at Yass perhaps?
Cheers mate.