1102 replies to this topic

[ollie]

Firstly, ultra blue is an awesome colour and was on my short list of colours.
Having just finished a project (this week), paint and panel was the worst of it. Sounds like you have an understanding what you're in for.
I think 8k + is more likely with all of those hidden extras and expensive Torana parts... Do those rotors work without hubs etc? Ie. the factory rotors have bearing races pressed in.
Best of luck.

[ollie]

On a conventional car a hub is what the brake rotor sits on. It houses the bearings and studs.
On a lh/lx Torana the brake rotor is the hub (ie. those rotors you want to buy don't have a place to sit the bearings/studs in by the looks of them)
See the fitting hq in the pinned section of brakes for images to visualise it)

[turbo76lx]

Before buying any procomp/atracing i would do a search on the quality of their products. 

 

 

[SmacT]

Before buying any procomp/atracing i would do a search on the quality of their products.

+1...

Welcome mate. I am also doing a budget build, but think long and hard about what to buy cheap and what to just save up for. Starter motors for instance - I wouldn't buy a cheap one as they need to be reliable. Same with brakes ( I saved for Hoppers Stoppers) and paint prep products (good quality epoxy primer, excellent plastic filler, etc).

I went cheap/second hand on stuff I can clean up/refurbish myself with some commitment and time.

You want the car reliable. I did, anyway. Google Pro Comp. :-) good luck with the build, I look forward to seeing it progress.

[LJGTR6]

That blue is a great colour.

I used one of those wiring looms on my LX motor.

I got it with the idle solenoid wire. (pink I think it is)

I have the idle solenoid and bracket under the house and plan to put it on one day

but the car still runs none the less.

 

There is a plug that ends up on the left side of the carby for another solenoid that I think was on the

rear right of the 77 LX's. did not worry me at all as I think that may have been part of all the pollution set up.

 

So the short answer is that with or without the idle wire it will work. Some one might enlighten both of us and explain

exactly what that solenoid does?

 

good luck with the build.

 

steve

[Mort]

Mat, try searching You Tube for vids on how to fix things, you will be surprised what information is out there and what you can learn from them.

[Ice]

Mat, try searching You Tube for vids on how to fix things, you will be surprised what information is out there and what you can learn from them.

Or go to the Marty report in members section he has just about done it all and pics to

[Punchy]

Hey man, great to see someone with the genuine naivety on rebuilding cars.

 

I too was once like you, young, keen, full of ideas and dream to have a cheap affordable hatch driving around in a couple of years.

 

15 years later, 2 plastic Tupperware containers ( that could hold your spaghetti bags in ) compressed full of receipts, countless god damn hours looking at it and almost as many working on it 

 

and still only really have it to the point of engine and box built, Body finished in colour ( empress black of course in 2pac Spies Heckler ) prepped by me top coated in a pro booth for 3.5k.

 

If you want a tough good looking car I think you need to drop the A.D.D. mentality and really watch and learn from some of the pros around here. I still sit back in awe of some of the guys work here. Totally blows me away with just the standard " street car" builds have risen too. Truly some are works of art and done on reasonable budgets. Some almost make me want to sell mine because I'm just that much of a fussy prick too.

 

Put the right feelers out and you may even get help from some forum members with some spare time to see another beast rise up from the ashes..  

 

There's an old saying, Plan thrice...cut once.

 

good luck dood

[hawk]

I tried to keep my Torana on the road the way you have described with cheap bits to keep going and trust me it's not worth it. Cost me three times as much by trying to keep it cheap.

It's also a good idea to start with small goals that are easily worked towards.

As for all the motor bits and so forth get it running if possible then worry about the rest later. Personally I would start with rust repairs and body work then suspension.

Again if it's a really tight budget why not paint the motor, kit though the carby and general matinee then use it as is until you can build something better. Same goes for the interior only replace what you need too and give it a proper going over after the rest of the work is done. Just something to think about.