386 replies to this topic

[Shtstr]

Hi all,

 

Some of you might remember a while back i started a project ( 5 plus years ) haha

 

The project is a lx hatch to be fitted with the complete driveline from an LX8 Holden adventra sports wagon.

 

Same running gear as the rare coupe 4 commodore monaro.

 

Well i haven't been unwell for some time as some of you know, but the car is still an ongoing to say the least.

 

The car was put on hold for 4 years while i wasn't well, but im slowly getting back into it.

 

The car was re sandblasted as it had been sitting for a while and this time painted in KBS and etch primer over the top of it just in case it gets put in the corner again.

 

So far the chassis floor wheel tubs boot floor cabin floor and rear beaver panel normal hatch rust sections have been modified along with the engine bay.

 

Rear flairs have been fitted and wheel arches have been cut out and mini tubed.

 

Currently up to smoothing out the engine bay and getting it ready for the engine and wiring harness to go in.

 

Dash has been test fitted and also in the process of fitting the commodore air con under the dash. I have had to modify the plenum to do this, Not really worried because the plenum had rust to be cut out anyway.

 

I have also fitted the commodore steering column and bracketry form the commodore along with the pedal set up so everything is from the late model commodore. 

 

The brake pedal will need to be modified to sit in the correct location in the torana foot well.

 

There is still lots more to do and i know i will run into other things i haven't thought of yet, but 99% of things are covered at the moment.

 

It is sorted in my head and hurdles have been thought out and covered, like how to over come the tail shaft problem.

 

The commodore runs an independent rear so there is no uni joints on the tail shaft. i have worked out how to machine a fitting front and rear to bolt to the gearbox and diff to convert it to a uni style tail shaft arrangement.

 

Other problems have been with wheel track dimensions and so on.

 

The list never stopped, and I'm slowly getting back into things now.

 

While I've been doing other things besides the car. Like rebuilding a house in side and out extending the shed and tring to get live back on track in general.

 

I will upload photos soon.

[Shtstr]

Photos

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•  20191109_161417.jpg   130.64K   31 downloads

[Ice]

Cant read black writing

[Shtstr]

Freshly blasted and painted.
Most of the photos I have are over the max size so you won't see to many.

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•  Screenshot_20180622-182334.png   1.32MB   27 downloads

[Shtstr]

Modified boot floor and chassis rails for wheel tubes.

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•  20180412_184959.jpg   141.35K   24 downloads

[Shtstr]

Engine bay with strut towers.
Bit weird in a torana but will be 100%rts haha

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•  20180608_190648.jpg   225.14K   24 downloads

[Shtstr]

Where the front hub lands in the wheel arche

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•  20180201_185110.jpg   197.47K   23 downloads

[Shtstr]

Number plates

That's what the site did it as.
I wouldn't have a clue how to change it.

Cant read black writing

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•  20170814_133557.jpg   57.99K   22 downloads

[Shtstr]

Short video for everyone to see how much has been done to convert it over.


https://youtu.be/4LnW1Fh20fs

[Shtstr]

The little shed extensions.
Went from 6x9 to 18.5x6
Wife is now jealous that the shed is bigger than the house. I call it priorities.

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•  20191115_122204.jpg   222.71K   29 downloads

Edited by Shtstr, 15 November 2019 - 01:44 PM.

[Bigfella237]

Cant read black writing

If viewing on a PC hit CTRL + A

[Shiney005]

Love the video. If a picture tells a thousand words then  a video gives us a million.  I have two LX8s here if you need any small bits that are easy to post.

[Shtstr]

Love the video. If a picture tells a thousand words then  a video gives us a million.  I have two LX8s here if you need any small bits that are easy to post.

 

Thanks for the offer. if i need anything i will let you know.

 

But as far as i know im all good.

Will be having a chat to a company on Monday about how to over come the tailshaf problem. At this stage i think i have it all worked out as you can buy an adaptor for a uni joint for the rear of the gearbox 3 bolt flange and a slip youke for the diff from the fords will most likly sort it out.

Just need to sort little things out like that. 

The x member swap was easy and so was narrowing the front wheel track. The rear was done by just getting a diff from a cross 8 crewman ute. Same diff ratio and all the same abs sensors.

Just needed to join them in between.

It's a pain in the arse having to use everything from the commodore but I guess it will be easier in the long run when and if I ever need to fix or replace anything.

I know I need to get the gearbox rebuilt and it's around $2200 for that alone plus the abs module shit it's self waiting for me to do the transplant., found out the expensive way you can't leave the without power they go to sleep and you can't wake them up. Dam it that was an $800 error for a new one from Holden.

The joys of computers haha NOT

[Shiney005]

I got told the ABS module wasn't available anymore. Although this didn't bother me much as it was much better at braking on dirt roads without it.

[yel327]

Sounds like a big challenge, good on you.

I’ve seen a CV8 Monaro converted to Adventra running gear. They deleted the centre diff from memory.

[Shtstr]

I got told the ABS module wasn't available anymore. Although this didn't bother me much as it was much better at braking on dirt roads without it.

I have a mate who owns a wrecking yard in beenleigh and knows where i can get one.

Sounds like a big challenge, good on you.

I’ve seen a CV8 Monaro converted to Adventra running gear. They deleted the centre diff from memory.

 

They run a transfer case same as all 4x4's front and rear diff only.

[yel327]

They have a crosstrac setup, they removed that.

[RIM-010]

$2200 for a new trans? That would go a long way towards getting a T56 in there...

[yel327]

Have a read what Durwin did with his Monaro conversion. You’ll find it on Fastlane or JustCommodores. Lots more work to make a manual work, plus unlikely the box would handle the duty meaning a bigger box again! There was a reason why GMH never made any manual versions, similar reasons why Arthur never did any manual Overlanders.

[YELLAcakeu308]

Shtstr, What model strut towers did you use?

[Shtstr]

Shtstr, What model strut towers did you use?

used the strut towers out of a lx 8 Adventra. 

everthing cme out of the adventra so i know it all works together.

[Shtstr]

$2200 for a new trans? That would go a long way towards getting a T56 in there...

 

Sticking with the auto as i know they have problems with the manual along with the fact that if you change anything in the set up they go into limp mode. abssolute pain in the arse but it's more so the engineering side of it for me to prove it can be done along with upsetting people by doing it to a lx hatch. Just like my lc gtr that has a turbo nissan engine.

[yel327]

From memory Durwin used a V2 body and harness, ECU etc (so VX or VY) with gear from a VZ Adventra. By not using the Quadratrac stuff the V2 ECU doesn’t even know it is driving the front, but I think he said it only drives three wheels at any one time. This is maybe how you’d manualise it?

I like your thinking, it is only an LX hatch body. I had people whinging I’m pulling apart the oldest known surviving HK V8 GTS and replacing the crappy original 307, Powerglide, nodular banjo and whole front end with an injected, stroked 350 (377), TH350, 9” and Rodtech front end with power steer. I just don’t see the point of old crap when you can have modern stuff that drives and steers well, brakes well and has aircon to boot. When this one is done will be doing something similar to a GTS327 but with a Big Block. Yours is slightly different, but it’s just a car and you own it and get to do what you want with it!

[myss427]

Caddies had a CTS manual 4 wheel drive, they used the chev parts bin, same as monaro coupe 4 steering sump ect, and it was a T56 if I remember.

[myss427]

From memory Durwin used a V2 body and harness, ECU etc (so VX or VY) with gear from a VZ Adventra. By not using the Quadratrac stuff the V2 ECU doesn’t even know it is driving the front, but I think he said it only drives three wheels at any one time. This is maybe how you’d manualise it?

I like your thinking, it is only an LX hatch body. I had people whinging I’m pulling apart the oldest known surviving HK V8 GTS and replacing the crappy original 307, Powerglide, nodular banjo and whole front end with an injected, stroked 350 (377), TH350, 9” and Rodtech front end with power steer. I just don’t see the point of old crap when you can have modern stuff that drives and steers well, brakes well and has aircon to boot. When this one is done will be doing something similar to a GTS327 but with a Big Block. Yours is slightly different, but it’s just a car and you own it and get to do what you want with it!

 

Totally, agree with you, my brothers HG Monaro is away better car to drive and live with with the Rod-Tech front and you can never argue with bigger brakes on old cars.