81 replies to this topic

[kimbo]

So I have acquired the car that is about to consume an eye watering amount of money :-)   The full plan is under development so I am in fluid mode right now and I reserve the right to change my vision.  However roughly I am thinking 308 with M21, full nut and bolt rotisserie body work, White with blackouts, 17" Hotwires and full flare kit.   The panel and paint is booked in and start first week in Sept with completion agreed in December.

 

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Is there any interest in me doing a YouTube series on this build?   (Please say No)

[kimbo]

Found myself a bargain today.  I am not sure if I will use it yet but good chance that I will.  The story is a guy bought a SLR from Victoria about 5 years ago.  It came with this motor and the claim was it had had a recent "freshen up" (what ever that means).  Its a bog standard motor that apparently ran sweet as.  Anyhow he hardly drove the car, said he only had it out about 12 times, but decided to take this motor out and spend 50K on a hot donk.  He has had this motor on a pallet on a rack in his warehouse for 4 years.  I stumbled across it and he was happy to let it go for not very much.  I am thinking of just putting a cam in it, assuming everything checks out OK, then getting it registered with it.   I might then get another donk to replace it later.

 

I am assuming by the Engine # and Date casting it may have originally came out of a VB Commodore ?

 

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[FLY_LX]

how about a series on putting 1GZ-FE in the A70??

[yel327]

Definitely a VB engine. You'll get a feel for what it's like inside when you do the cam. Maybe stick a camera down the plug holes. I'd get the Quadrajet serviced. A nice cheap mod today is an aftermarket HEI dizzy and coil, worth every cent. You can still use the red leads and cap. You might need to prime the oil pump before cranking it though.

 

Is it an auto or manual block?

 

Before you buy an aussie 4spd, price up all the other gear too like clutch setup. It gets expensive. unless you can buy a whole conversion. If it's an auto block the standard Torana clutch mech won't work with it and you'll need to figure out another way to do it. Basically what I'm getting at is it might be similar priced or cheaper to just buy a decent 5spd conversion and then you can run a shorter set of diff gears too.

[Bigfella237]

Definitely a VB engine. ~

It's been a little while since I looked at one but didn't "Red" 5.0L VB Commodes retain the "ZT" prefix up until March/April 1980?

 

I thought all the "V" prefixes were "Blue" motors onward?

Edited by Bigfella237, 11 August 2023 - 08:30 AM.

[yel327]

ZT is HZ as is ZR, ZL etc. V prefix is VB onwards.

[kimbo]

It's been a little while since I looked at one but didn't "Red" 5.0L VB Commodes retain the "ZT" prefix up until March/April 1980?

 

I thought all the "V" prefixes were "Blue" motors onward?

 

VT is described as being available in Red, Black and Blue.  I imagine the first VB's, which mine was probably, were red.

[kimbo]

Any tricks with Alternators and brackets?  Or will any Holden V8 setup fit into a Torrie ?

[yel327]

You need Torana. Old memory that HT-HG might fit too.

V prefix 100% started with VB mid 1978. Almost aligned with the XT5 (blue) V8 block introduction, only a handful of VR or VT made using the older HJ to HZ block.

[claysummers]

VT is described as being available in Red, Black and Blue. I imagine the first VB's, which mine was probably, were red.

all the VBs were red engine AFAIK Kimbo.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[yel327]

They were all painted red. But most VB V8 blocks were the new improved XT5 blocks with the longer valley head bolt bosses. Same blocks used in VC-VL and WB.

[tsn007]

ditched the m21 and go for a Supra 5sp or a t5, with a hydraulic clutch conversion  

[kimbo]

ditched the m21 and go for a Supra 5sp or a t5, with a hydraulic clutch conversion  

 

Which Hyraulic clutch conversion do you think ?

[tsn007]

Dellows do one , but looks ugly in the engine bay

 

Mal wood does one but expensive

[yel327]

Here is a Supra conversation out of a manual/Torana pattern HX V8. It says it has a hydraulic clutch so hopefully that just means sorting out the master cylinder. You could modify a Torana setup too but I’d go hydraulic. The stick should be right for a Torana if it fits HX. With any luck it comes with the clutch and tailshaft so you get the yoke. You’d have to get a custom crossmember.

http://www.gumtree.c...&utm_source=sms

[kimbo]

Here is a Supra conversation out of a manual/Torana pattern HX V8. It says it has a hydraulic clutch so hopefully that just means sorting out the master cylinder. You could modify a Torana setup too but I’d go hydraulic. The stick should be right for a Torana if it fits HX. With any luck it comes with the clutch and tailshaft so you get the yoke. You’d have to get a custom crossmember.

http://www.gumtree.c...&utm_source=sms

Looks ideal ...unfortunately I have a turbo block :-(

[yel327]

Looking closely it might actually be one of the CRS multi-fit housings. It has the top holes for a HJ-VC auto block. The multi fit housings have both sets of dowel holes drilled plus have the bottom 4 holes slotted.

[Heath]

Yeah, that looks good. I think that bellhousing has been made to suit either Chev or Holden pattern.

 

You might want to start with a new pedal arrangement and you might want to run a concentric slave, but you may be able to get a few bucks back from the HX stuff. If it has a tailshaft, you could shorten it for your Torana to save another couple of hundred bucks. I generally like buying "kits" of stuff if I can, I can normally sell or modify what isn't right. It would be "ideal" if it came from a Torana, but that bellhousing alone is very helpful. If it says "full conversion" one would hope it comes with a clutch and flywheel, some kind of crossmember, etc.

[yel327]

I think I have two of these bellhousings at home. Both are full cable (pull fork) for VB-VL. One is a CRS one like that one and it is a multi-fit. The other is only one pattern, and it may be an early CRS one but could be Dellow.

 

If you do buy it hopefully it comes with the lower bolts as these are important to get right especially with the slotted holes. If not CRS may be able to sell you the right ones. Not sure what grade they are supposed to be.

 

As Heath says, if it comes with a tailshaft and gearbox crossmember you can modify the tailshaft and sell the gearbox crossmember. If it has a speedo cable you should be able to use that in a Torana.

 

Also agree the bellhousing drilled multifit is good. It gives you flexibility in the future to put in a Holden pattern V8 in or even a SBC if you decided to go down that path. I'm pretty sure the going price for these bellhousings new now are well over $750. Plus the bracket for the slave. Plus the clutch fork and clutch/flywheel. It would also allow you to whack in a 253 to make it mobile and driveable and build a 308/304/350 Holden V8 in whatever belllhousing pattern you chose to use to go in later..

[Shiney005]

Is it definitely a Supra box?

[yel327]

It's probably not, probably just a Hilux box. OP (Kimbo) is just building a nice replica SS though with a near standard 308, so it wouldn't really matter for what he's doing initially. Could always be upgraded later to a Supra box if he doesn't like the gearing. I actually liked the wide ratio W55 box behind a stock engine, made a nice cruiser that also wasn't revving its ring out at highway speeds. I had one behind a stock-ish 202 in a HJ sedan, was effortless to drive as bugger all clutch ever needed, and it was quiet as a mouse at 110 on the freeway as the engine was way below 2000rpm. That was with a 3.55 rear axle and 225/60/14 tyres. Compared to any stock Holdens I'd owned with an aussie 4spd and even with a 3.08 rear axle with 14" tyres it was brilliant. For a car doing what Heath's doing you'd want a close ratio box.

[kimbo]

Yeah, that looks good. I think that bellhousing has been made to suit either Chev or Holden pattern.

 

You might want to start with a new pedal arrangement and you might want to run a concentric slave, but you may be able to get a few bucks back from the HX stuff. If it has a tailshaft, you could shorten it for your Torana to save another couple of hundred bucks. I generally like buying "kits" of stuff if I can, I can normally sell or modify what isn't right. It would be "ideal" if it came from a Torana, but that bellhousing alone is very helpful. If it says "full conversion" one would hope it comes with a clutch and flywheel, some kind of crossmember, etc.

 

Spoke to the guy.  Comes with new clutch and has receipts for it.  Has tailshaft and crossmenber etc.  Says there was a minor whine in first gear but changed and ran quietly and smoothly.

[kimbo]

Here is a Supra conversation out of a manual/Torana pattern HX V8. It says it has a hydraulic clutch so hopefully that just means sorting out the master cylinder. You could modify a Torana setup too but I’d go hydraulic. The stick should be right for a Torana if it fits HX. With any luck it comes with the clutch and tailshaft so you get the yoke. You’d have to get a custom crossmember.

http://www.gumtree.c...&utm_source=sms

 

How do the supra boxes compare to say a T5?  Any idea?   I have a mate shitting on the supra box but he tends to do that LOL  The guy selling the conversion has put an auto into his ute as his wife doesn't like the manual.  Yes it comes with clutch, flywheel, tailshaft, crossmember and new clutch.

[yel327]

Put it this way, would be no worse in any way than an Aussie 4spd. You can break one but it will probably last longer than an Aussie 4spd. Others here will tell you the ins and outs of them.

[kimbo]

It's probably not, probably just a Hilux box. OP (Kimbo) is just building a nice replica SS though with a near standard 308, so it wouldn't really matter for what he's doing initially. Could always be upgraded later to a Supra box if he doesn't like the gearing. I actually liked the wide ratio W55 box behind a stock engine, made a nice cruiser that also wasn't revving its ring out at highway speeds. I had one behind a stock-ish 202 in a HJ sedan, was effortless to drive as bugger all clutch ever needed, and it was quiet as a mouse at 110 on the freeway as the engine was way below 2000rpm. That was with a 3.55 rear axle and 225/60/14 tyres. Compared to any stock Holdens I'd owned with an aussie 4spd and even with a 3.08 rear axle with 14" tyres it was brilliant. For a car doing what Heath's doing you'd want a close ratio box.

 

Physically it doesn't look like a W55 box.  Similar but not the same.  https://dellowconver...x-transmission/