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Tyre Biter's Hatchback - ETA unknown...


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#176 _LS1 Hatch_

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Posted 02 October 2011 - 06:38 AM

Holy cow....what a color, talk about bright!


I like it B)

#177 Tyre biter

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Posted 05 October 2011 - 05:03 PM

I think I mentioned previously that I have tracked down a few former owners.
Today I was sent a couple of pics from a former lady owner (1996-ish) and thought I'd share.
They aren't great quality - scanned from old framed pics that luckily survived the Qld floods buy hey, beggars can't be choosers;
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Cheers, TB

#178 Redslur

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Posted 05 October 2011 - 06:32 PM

Love it. Would have been nice to score the hotwires too....

#179 Tyre biter

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Posted 05 October 2011 - 07:07 PM

What do you reckon Gerry - It must have had a re-spray by then to be the half SS and half A9X scheme as depicted?
And there is evidence through the car that it has been re-sprayed at some juncture (you've seen the over-spray previously) albeit it a half arsed job.
I also see (despite the bonnet being black in the pics) it didn't have a black bum or sills 25-23 years ago, and this further suggests a re-spray prior to the pics being taken given it is an SS and so ought to have black on those areas - all SS' has black bums and sills right?

Got a couple more pics of some painting work done last Monday - bonnet is black now including the folded section of bonnet skin on the underside.
Paint on the bonnet still needs to be de-nibbed (sp?) but it looks amazing despite the poor reflection in this pic - still wonder what satin black would have been like though...

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Cheers, TB

#180 myss427

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Posted 05 October 2011 - 07:44 PM

Satin is nice but that green and gloss black go so well together! more pics needed.

#181 Redslur

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Posted 06 October 2011 - 06:35 AM

Yeah I agree. Gloss looks better. And yes it would have been repainted for sure, the black bonnet is a giveaway for a starters. Correct, the SS's did have the black bum and sills from factory.

Looking forward to seeing the final result. Will happily sit in your shed having a stubbie (or two) just gawking at the final product. In fact you may even have a gang of us wanting to do that LOL....You could even charge a torana gawkers fee from onlookers and still fill the shed :-)

#182 Tyre biter

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Posted 09 October 2011 - 04:53 PM

...stay with rubber bushes for now UC upper control arm in the higher mounting position...


Righto - lame question time.
When you say "in the higher mounting position", do you mean using the 'standard' holes already in the LX K-Frame or should I be drilling holes even higher - if so, how much higher?
Just that I have read umpteen threads on drilling new holes but now I search again I can't find anything that applies to what I am doing - essentially retaining an LX set-up save for UC UCA.
Cheers, TB

#183 _cruiza_

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Posted 09 October 2011 - 05:23 PM

if going with UC upper arms, the better way to go in MHO then use UC steering arms and mount upper arms in UC mounting position, hopefully someone can give you the correct measurement but I think it is about 12 to 15 millmeters down from top while LX LH were 25 mm roughly

IF using HQ type stub axles that is A9X setup then use UC upper arms in lower mounting position, that is LX LH

#184 _Yella SLuR_

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Posted 09 October 2011 - 05:57 PM

RTS front ends have the upper control arms (or UCA as Tyre Biter calls them) 25mm lower than original, or 1". Just gives better geometry. Early LX K frames had two sets of holes, original LH/early LX and RTS. Later LX ones just had one set for RTS.

I have a K frame sitting waiting for paint if you want measurements. It is an RTS K frame.

Edited by Yella SLuR, 09 October 2011 - 05:58 PM.


#185 _cruiza_

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Posted 09 October 2011 - 07:43 PM

RTS front ends have the upper control arms (or UCA as Tyre Biter calls them) 25mm lower than original, or 1". Just gives better geometry. Early LX K frames had two sets of holes, original LH/early LX and RTS. Later LX ones just had one set for RTS.

I have a K frame sitting waiting for paint if you want measurements. It is an RTS K frame.


Sorry Yella but you have some miss information there.

First there was the LH LX setup, then sway bars were added and this was dubbed confusingly, RTS, Radial Tuned Suspension, there was some minor re-tuning of shocks too. (some V8s also had sway-bars as an option but this was not called RTS (confusing eh)

On going development of the basic LX led to the A9X setup. with new upper control arms, heavy duty stub axles,, (Holden one tonner) and specially cast steering arms and solid bushes for mounting the steering rack

finally a watered down version of the A9X suspension setup was released with the UC Torana, also known as RTS this had the new A9X upper control arms mounted higher up on the sub-frame, a solid mounted steering rack (no need for bushes) and new (different again) steering arms but kept the standard stub-axles and solid non vented disc brakes of a normal Torana.

Some sub-frames did have two sets of mounting holes for the Upper Control arms this was during the transition from LX to UC production, so was late in the LX production cycle.

So in short you had LH and LX no RTS
LX with RTS but was really just sway-bars
LX A9X with true RTS and heavy duty brakes
UC with true RTS

#186 76lxhatch

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Posted 09 October 2011 - 07:55 PM

LX with RTS but was really just sway-bars

and the arms mounted lower as Yella said...

#187 Tyre biter

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Posted 09 October 2011 - 09:14 PM

Thanks guys.
My K-Frame has just the one set of holes.
I'll take a pic and measurements tomorrow and it would be great for some opinions as to what I have, and where to from here - up or down and by how much?
As Cruiza alluded to, I plan on running the UC UCA, standard LX stub axles and I took his advice previously to go with UC steering arms (yet to be sourced) and I'll either mount the existing LX rack with solid bushes or get myself a UC rack - not decided yet.
Chat tomorrow after I get back from the paint shop!
Cheers, TB

#188 _Yella SLuR_

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Posted 09 October 2011 - 09:40 PM

Mmm, not quite correct. LH SL/R's (all models), GPaks, and L34's had sway bars, maybe other models as well. It's all got to do with different tuning with the suspesion geometry. Can work it out if you want, as to how it improves it. Thinking out loud, it probably just increases the camber of the wheel more during heavy cornering or suspension travel. We are just doing the geometry for the new car, it does away with rubber bushes and has solid plastic bushings. Will probably be a noisy ride, but wont make much difference when you have a helmet on.

If you want, go talk to Pete at Canberra Steering and Suspension. He was going to change Yella for me at one stage.

Edited by Yella SLuR, 09 October 2011 - 09:41 PM.


#189 _cruiza_

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Posted 09 October 2011 - 09:48 PM

Mmm, not quite correct. LH SL/R's (all models), GPaks, and L34's had sway bars, maybe other models as well. It's all got to do with different tuning with the suspesion geometry. Can work it out if you want, as to how it improves it. Thinking out loud, it probably just increases the camber of the wheel more during heavy cornering or suspension travel. We are just doing the geometry for the new car, it does away with rubber bushes and has solid plastic bushings. Will probably be a noisy ride, but wont make much difference when you have a helmet on.

If you want, go talk to Pete at Canberra Steering and Suspension. He was going to change Yella for me at one stage.


agreed about the above having sway bars I was just being lazy saying it was option. my point was early LX RTS was not much more then sway bars, but not to confuse that with other non RTS LXs that had sway bars
I had a 6 cyclnder SL hatch that had factory sway bars front and rear but was Non RTS

#190 Tyre biter

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Posted 10 October 2011 - 01:36 PM

Well I am stuffed if I know what is going on.
I have two K-Frames and both have just the one pair of holes.
The K-Frame I am using (cleaned up and with a shiny coat of black paint) has the centre of the holes 35mm below the base of the lip;
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All good you'd think - and in reality it is - I can drill a pair a tad lower (between 50-55mm from the top).

Then for the sake of it I compared the holes to my other K-Frame that is a crappy, dirty affair and it's hole centres are at 55mm - some 20mm lower than the first...
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Just wondering - going by the commentary here; is the first one then an LX (higher mount) and the second one a UC (lower mount) K-Frame or the other way around?

In any case, it probably doesn't really matter in the end - I will likely just drill lower holes in the fist one and play on - or have I not considered something that should cause me to use the second K-Frame?

Oh, and spent some time in the paint-shop this morning - the masking out of the black-outs took a lot longer than expected and so didn't get to see the paint go on as I had to duck away. I hope to get some pics through soon otherwise I'll go visit it in the morning - can't wait to see it all shiny because it looks really sad what with the solid paint rubbed to a flat finish like that.

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Cheers, TB

#191 76lxhatch

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Posted 10 October 2011 - 03:46 PM

The clean one is pre-RTS, the dirty one is LX RTS. UC had the holes higher than both of those.

Car is looking good!

#192 _Yella SLuR_

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Posted 10 October 2011 - 09:47 PM

Where is Craig (Toranavista) when you need him.

OK, this is my LX RTS K Frame. LH parts book shows the UCA mounted closer to the top. I dare say they further refined the suspension geometry slightly with the UC.

There is a bit of paralex error in this picture, actually measured 55mm to centre of hole.

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I can measure Yella for you one day, but it will be a while till I have the K frame out of it.

If what I understand of them is correct, the LH holes would be up at the 2cm mark (20mm).

There are very few K frames with two sets of holes in them. I've heard of them, but never seen one.

Edited by Yella SLuR, 10 October 2011 - 09:49 PM.


#193 Ruts

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Posted 10 October 2011 - 10:19 PM

I have an original A9X K frame in the shed I'll measure it tomorrow for you.

#194 Tyre biter

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Posted 11 October 2011 - 11:03 AM

Thanks guys - much appreciated.
It should be home in a few hours - went and paid a visit this morning - looks fantastic!

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Cheers, TB

#195 _nial8r_

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Posted 11 October 2011 - 11:11 AM

looks very nice :spoton: , now the scary part....... putting it back together without damaging the new paint :DOH:

#196 debkar

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Posted 11 October 2011 - 12:38 PM

Hi Craig,

That came up very nicely, you must be happy with the finish

Regards Simon

#197 _CHEV_

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Posted 11 October 2011 - 06:50 PM

Just read your thread from start to finish... love the colour and the work you put into it! Great Read!

So happy to see the paint done! haha now to watch as you peice the old girl together.

Dave

#198 Tyre biter

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Posted 11 October 2011 - 07:43 PM

Lee, Dave & Simon - thanks - yep happy with the end result and yes also crapping myself at what is left to do.

I also got a Hotwire today to trial fit - 15 x 8 front - it will be all mine with three more wheels to follow if all goes well.
Just love Hotwires, and whilst I don't wish to be a whinger, I accept that perhaps I am, I will say the finish and attention to detail is not what I expected for a set retailing at $3.5k.
Make no mistake, the folks at Neales have been great - friendly, accommodating, interested and all of that, but I had hoped that such a price tag would mean that someone there would cast a degree of scrutiny over the wheel/s to make sure they are perfect before sending them off;

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Just a couple of examples where the painted finished hasn't been cleaned up or seemingly sealed;
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The inside has water marks all over it;
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I just expected better for my $$$ but again, they are what they are - just like my car...well shell actually, and I'd be stuffed without them because to me Hotwires on a Torana is a non negotiable requirement. Maybe this is exactly what they were like back in the day but then, they didn't cost that sort of money I'd wager, and whilst being a tad critical, the Speedy Cheetahs I ordered for my VE SSV came better finished - this from a mass produced item versus a reportedly hand-made item - I just expected better is all.

Nevertheless, I half-arsed fitted the UPC caliper onto the stub-axle and it seems to fit over - will have a better idea at the weekend when I try to fit the wheel onto Redslur's car proper nut it is looking good and this despite my whinge is great, great news!

Thanks also to CB (LX6LTR) for what I hope will be his final uplift of my car...shell - I really appreciate your help in that regard, not to mention your advice and interest along the way, and also your quarantining for me those vital parts I need - you are a Godsend - thank you. I'll get it off the trolley somehow and get that back to you ASAP.

Cheers. TB

#199 Tyre biter

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Posted 11 October 2011 - 07:47 PM

Oh, and this pic dropped out of my post of 5th Oct 2011 when showing some photos I got from a former owner back in 1996-1999 or thereabouts;
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Cheers, TB

#200 debkar

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Posted 11 October 2011 - 07:49 PM

Hi Craig,

Love hotwires, they make the car. So they are new? That finish could be a lot better, that's for sure

Regards Simon




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