388 replies to this topic

[stevemc32]

As a quick introduction, I'm an old fan who'd been Torana-less for a good fifteen years or so I guess.

My first car was a '69 LC sedan with a reco 186P and 3 on the floor conversion. As finances permitted it got an M20 and an engine rebuild with the standard Yella Terra head, triple SUs and a decent exhaust upgrade. It was a nice little car and delivered a crap load of fun, I liked it so much I drove it for close to 6 years but it ended up dying a cancerous death on the front lawn of my parents house... An LJ S coupe "project" ran concurrently with the LC but never got off the ground and as a young and stupid fool I ended up throwing it away.

Since then, a very uninspiring precession of Commodores, Toyotas and Mitsubishi's have carried me to my current home and in my defence, the most I ever paid for a Mitsubishi was a case of beer... As a further excuse, until maybe a year ago I really did think my car building days were way behind me. Not sure what re-sparked the interest but I found myself longing for a little Torana to call my own once again.

So after some serious negotiation, with the wife, I now have an LJ sedan camped on the lawn.

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As it stands it's 99.9% complete in standard form with the only things missing being the position adjustment knobs on the two front seats. Everything else is exactly where it should be. It's a Brisbane baby from November '73 and still carries it's production numbered 173.

This made it a little hard for me and left me undecided as my plan was always (over the last year or so) to build a modified cruiser. It's been half / half so far with the people I've talked to about building it whether it should be restored or modified. The telling point is that the half saying restore it to original factory spec are really only concerned about the resale value where my goal was always to build a car I'd enjoy driving. So bring on the mods and we'll get underway!

So here's the plan.

I love learning new skills so I'm planning on doing as much as I can at home. The only part I think I'll struggle with is getting it straight but I do have a few mates I can call on for advice in this area.

Can't see it being any less than a 5 year project at this point. I'm going to sort out all the mechanicals before I even consider stripping the body for rust repair and panel work. I've checked over the body and the usual places need attention like the sills, door bottoms, and screen frames. A manual conversion is a must so I've already sourced a W58 Supra box and completed the required shifter modifcations. I'm planning an injected 202 running a delco 808 as I have a background in electronics and think it would be a fun and reliable conversion.

That's about it for an introduction, don't hold your breath for updates as it'll be a slow one.

Cheers,
Steve.

[stevemc32]

Cheers Guys, thanks for the comments.

Here's a pic of the trusty 173 that's graced the bay for almost 40 years. It still runs but needs a little bit of carby work to get it running well. I may even think about using this block for rego purposes when the time comes.

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The next few shots are of the W58 gearbox. As shown in the first photo it came with a remote shifter so that needed to be moved up to overhead the box. I found the Dellow quick shifter at the 18 inch position would be the easiest way to go about the adjustment but there were some complications. Turns out the shift fork in the remote shift boxes had a different bolt hole position for the shift slider, compared to all the other Supra boxes, so it needed a second hole drilled at the correct position for the shifter to align properly. The second photo shows the modified selector fork on top.

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Dellow were very helpful in this regard and actually supplied a replacement selector fork (the one on the bottom) but there were a few other minor differences which meant that re-drilling the original would be the easiest option.

So here's the box ready for some test fitting. I've decided on a cable clutch for it and will probably get onto that next.

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[orangeLJ]

4 doors>2 doors.

I'd say a respray in the original colour, widened stockies and hubcaps, cranky 202 under the bonnet.

Would make it a bit different to the norm and confuse a few people.

W58 is probably overkill for a mild 202, but you'll be able to abuse it a fair bit if thats your thing! haha.

Heavy buggers too!


Looks like a great place to start.

[stevemc32]

Thanks Hamo, your build so far has provided plenty of motivation. Keep it up!

OrangeLJ, I'm liking the idea of the widened stockies with caps but I doubt the Covert Green will be reapplied. Not sure on the colour yet.

Do you mean the W58 is a heavy gearbox? I would have thought at 35kg it would have been pretty close to the old Trimatic that it'll replace and 5kg lighter than a W50 steel case box. I don't have any figures on the Trimatic to back it up though.

[stevemc32]

So I did a bit of stuffing around with the LJ over the last week or so. Ran a carby kit through the Strommy and it's working a lot better now and not spewing fuel out over the exhaust manifold. The 173 is slowly starting to come back up to working condition but still has a little way to go before it would be driveable.

I'd like to get it running so that I can fix up and test the brakes before doing any further mechanical work to it. At this stage I've only found one hole in the steel brake lines down towards the diff. Planning on replacing the damaged section using a compression fitting join for now and then bending up a full replacement line when the body work is being done. I'd like to get the brakes operational so I can then test the engine and driveline mods as they are completed. The pipe flaring tool should arrive soon.

Here's a pic of the engine planned to replace the 173, just a stock VK 202. I've gotten hold of a VN throttle body and completed the distributor mods to run the Delco 808 computer. I'm not really concerned about it's current condition as it will get a full rebuild when the body is stripped.

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Did a dry run of the Dellow bellhousing and clutch kit. Luckily I noticed that the engine had been fitted with a red motor flywheel before I ordered my clutch kit. It had a Torquemaster gearbox attached when I bought it. Everything fitted up well with the exception of the spigot bearing, it wouldn't go into the crank but I suspect a little bit of rust in the crank bore was the culprit. I'll give it a clean up and force the bastard in when it comes time to fit it up.

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I removed the auto brake pedal, fitted up a manual pedal, and now have to do some figuring out of the cable clutch setup. I really don't want to cut another hole in the firewall for the clutch cable so am planning on running the cable down through the original clutch rod hole as I've seen done in a previous conversion thread.

Here's a pic of the clutch pedal pivot. It's been previously modified for hydraulic use but I'd like to know the correct pivot distance for a full cable setup if anyone can help. Just the measurement between the centre of the pivot and the centre of the clevis on a 4 cylinder clutch pedal would do the job so I can make up a cable hook.

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Any help or suggestions on the cable clutch are much appreciated.

Cheers,
Steve.

[stevemc32]

Got out to Pick and Payless this arvo and collected a few parts for the Torana. Just a couple of different accelerator cables to try and some plugs and a new fuse box for relays and fusible links etc. to run the Delco.

Anyone know what colour this one is the in SL brochure, I'm really liking it but haven't been able to find it in the colour charts.

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[shadey1963]

Hi Steve,
Maybe some info here

http://www.gmh-toran...is-this-colour/


Regards
Steve

[stevemc32]

Thanks Steve.

Definitely looks to be Taomina Aqua but not sure I like it as much now seeing it in the sun in your linked thread. It seems a lot darker in the brochure picture.

[sibhs]

Here's a pic of the clutch pedal pivot. It's been previously modified for hydraulic use but I'd like to know the correct pivot distance for a full cable setup if anyone can help. Just the measurement between the centre of the pivot and the centre of the clevis on a 4 cylinder clutch pedal would do the job so I can make up a cable hook.

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Any help or suggestions on the cable clutch are much appreciated.

Cheers,
Steve.

Hi Steve,
If it's any help my 6 cyl clutch distance is 58mm

Marty

[stevemc32]

Cheers Marty, thanks for that.

 

I can see that my request was a little ambiguous.  The pictured clutch pedal is the one I have here and it is a 6 cylinder pedal with a modification for hydraulic clutch use.

 

My question really should have been, for the guys using a full cable clutch, if I anchor the clutch cable at the original pedal lever distance of 58mm will this provide the correct amount of cable pull to operate the clutch, or will it be too much / too little?

 

I assumed that since people are using the 4 cylinder pedal for cable clutch conversions without modification the original lever distance on that pedal must be sufficient.  So the question then becomes, what is the lever distance on the 4 cylinder pedal?

 

Thanks again for the help.

[stevemc32]

Had a little win today, received my tube bender and cutter in the mail so I immediately went about replacing the rusted section of brake line at the rear.  I'd initially intended on replacing about 12 inches of line but the flare nut was rusted solid to the pipe so after I'd turned it just a fraction the rusty pipe opened up in a few places...

 

Anyhow, ended up taking it back to solid, grease protected, pipe just under the rear door and bent up and flared my first replacement line.

 

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This is just a temporary part that I've joined up to the original line with a compression fitting so that I can move the car around during the mechanical works.  Once I start the body work I'll strip the lines away and make up some complete replacements.

 

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Spent an hour or so bleeding the whole system and I've now got brakes!

Next onto the clutch pedal and with some solid info from hutch I've got a good plan to get this cable system underway.

 

 

[stevemc32]

Again some good but slow progress today working on the cable clutch conversion.

 

First up needed a bit of a story stick to check that the cable hook I was working on was going to do the job ok.

 

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All measurements looked sweet so it was time to start destroying this clutch pedal who's acquisition had cost me many nights of ebay trawling.  Gotta say, pretty happy with my beginner welds.  It seems the welder settings are more important than the technique at this stage for getting a good result...  Anyhow, cable hook got welded!

 

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I then harassed a good mate to turn me up a collet for the firewall cable entry.  I had to promise that no-one would see it before he'd give it to me without cleaning it up further.  Looks good to me, it'll just get welded to the firewall anyway...

 

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It turned out just like a bought one, it fitted perfectly and will do a cracking job.  I will end up trimming the top of it before welding in but couldn't have asked for a better fit.

 

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Finished off the day with a bit of late arvo sand blasting and the pedal is starting to look like a restoration piece.

 

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[SmacT]

Nice work on the clutch cable set up. I need to do somethimg similar on my LX soon - same but different. Fiddly stuff eh, but it all adds up!

[stevemc32]

Cheers Sam, it's funny how you can spend a whole day on a little cable hook and collet and still think it's solid progress...

 

I just had a look at your build and I'm expecting to have a heap more problems with the Delco 808 than yourself, given it was never made for the straight six, though that's all part of the fun.  I spent many years with the OBMCC in a previous life when my body was a whole lot more rubbery so I also understand the two wheel addiction.  Fun times.

[ribz0]

Hi Steve..

 

Always great to see another 4 door get a re-birth... Great work so far mate...

 

Lots of great ideas and people that know more about these things than the guys who built them... All the best with the build and look forward to see more pics of the progress...

 

[stevemc32]

Thanks Eric, really enjoyed following the work you've done on the LC.

 

Went about fitting the clutch cable collet to the firewall today and I'm not sure I got the welder settings right this time.  That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it...

 

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I just needed it functional at this stage and I think I may have actually got one or two welds in the correct position to hold it in place. Just ignore the others for now.  Once I've stripped the body I'll go about cleaning it up along with any unnecessary firewall holes.

 

That's about it for now, I've got a carport in the planning stage and need the Torana mobile to get the building work done so can't really go much further with the gearbox swap.  Might start to think about wiring up the Delco computer but don't expect too much short term progress.

[SmacT]

Ha ha - good on you for being brave and posting your welding. I hide my bad stuff... Shouldn't though, becasue someone on here could probably tell you waht happened just by looking at it. Not me, however. And I agree, getting the right settings is the hard bit.

[stevemc32]

Not much progress lately but I've been working on the throttle cable setup and found a cable from an Astra that I think should do the job.  I'm hoping to be able to attack the throttle body from the rear of the engine so the cable can be routed along the firewall instead of across the top of the rocker cover.  No pics yet and the only issue I might have is whether the Commodore throttle body will fit under the bonnet with the TPS positioned to the top of the engine.

 

Also got hold a a cheap repro radiator support off ebay and couldn't resist rare's special on at the moment for standard guards at $200 off the normal price.  The right hand side of mine had been smashed and I dug about a half inch of bog out of the front the guard.  The left didn't seem too bad but it was still far from perfect so I thought I might as well get both...

[stevemc32]

Still just playing around with the accelerator cable setup and thought I'd throw up some calculations to see if anyone disagrees.

 

I've gotten hold of an LH/LX pedal and will be using the top half of that to modify the LJ pedal appropriately.  The end result should look something like this with the bottom of the LH pedal removed.

 

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The issue will be that the pedal pivot ratio will be changed and I'm not sure if it will cause problems or not. 

 

The LH pedal has a ratio of 3:4 so the top cable mount moves only 75% of the distance that the pedal moves giving a nice lever advantage.  My proposed modification to the original pedal will result in an 11:10 ratio so the cable mount will actually move 110% of the pedal travel.

 

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edit:  I'd love to see some photos from this angle of modified pedals in use if anyone has them.

 

If I then limit the pedal travel to 60mm, giving 66mm of cable travel, I think I can work out the throttle body cable mount pivot distance as 45mm.  I wish I could use the progressive cable pull channel but I can't see any way of modifying it to be useful.

 

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I'm pretty sure it will work, I'm just concerned about the pedal feel and whether it might be too heavy.  Just have to give it a go I guess.  Here is the cable I picked up for it and it looks like it will do the job no worries.

 

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Final pic tonight is some rust repairs to look forward to.  Looks to have had a fairly dodgy repair already so there's a bit of work to do there.

 

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Edited by stevemc32, 07 May 2013 - 08:28 PM.

[SmacT]

Cool progress. I guess you could just tack it up and see if it works beforwelding it right up. Wish i could offer more than that!

Also, on that earlier welding shot, I had several similar, and have been told its because the earth clamp on my cheap mig is rubbish. I am about to try a copper one - hope its right. Otherwise its just me... :-)

[stevemc32]

Cheers Sam, I think that's what will have to happen with the pedal, just give it a go and see if it works.

 

You are probably right on about the dodgy earth connection when I was welding the clutch collet onto the firewall.  I did struggle to find something close and clean to make the connection to.  I think it was the shifter linkage bracket in the end that got the earth clamp...

[stevemc32]

Went back out to Pick and Payless today to find a few small parts for the accelerator cable to throttle body mounting and a few plugs but came home with a couple of different pieces.

 

First up is a VX Commodore accelerator pedal assembly that I reckon might just do the job quite a bit better than my intended modified original version.  This one will still need a couple of adjustments but should only be a little bending of the upper arm and some mounting adjustments.  The higher pivot point should also get me back the mechanical advantage I was concerned about losing.

 

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From the same car I grabbed the internal fuse and relay block that should have more than enough space to cover everything needed to sort the Delco out.  Kept a crap load of loom connected to it for completing any new wiring.  The downside is this all has to be unwrapped and I really hate that messy sticky crap that the tape turns into as soon as the car leaves the factory.

 

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