31 replies to this topic

[rexy]

Hi everyone.

 

I am about to start a tidy up of my 10-76 L31 M40 LX hatch and I have a few questions for the clever folk.

 

It needs a bit of body work so I might as well return it to its proper colour. Other stuff i am replacing might as well be close to factory if possible. This isn’t a back to factory resto though, it will retain the current drivetrain, suspension brakes etc.

 

Questions

 

1. Paint code is 568 - 15953. Mandarin red?

2. What is the correct pattern of black on the paint?

3. Engine bay black or body colour?

4. Flares are pretty tatty. Who makes the best available flares and F&R spoilers. Probably not going to put a scoop on it at the moment.

 

5. Trim is 1890 -18X. Will be replacing carpet and maybe doorcards. Will need a new headlining. What do I ask for? 

 

Thanks!

 

 

[yel327]

Yes, 1890 is Mandarin Red.

 

Not sure when LX changed to body colour engine bay.

 

Black will be air dry satin. I'll get you the code.

[GMH-01X]

Hey Rexy
I’d contact Cindy from C & G Upholstery for your interior needs, I bought hood lining & door vinyls from them, fantastic quality products.

[yel327]

This should be the black. It was what was used on the sills and lower panels of HQ Sandman, GTS etc. HJ was the same.

 

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[Shiney005]

Not sure when they started painting the engine bays body colour, but 3-76 definitely is.  I bought a set of sedan flares from Pande Torana who hangs around the Torana Facebook pages. They aren't bad, but they are a lot thinner than my original ones.

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[RoyalPlum76SS]

The change over from black engine bay to being same as body colour was later half of March 76, so 10/76 is definitely colour bay.

 

Ernicks or Repliglass seem to be the biggest sellers of flares and spoilers etc (Laurie I was told the Pande fella is just a reseller for Ernicks product) But have been told and seen first hand that they both can need tweeking and nothing is perfect.

There was a great place down in Cockatoo Vic going by the name of Hornet fibreglass, unfortunately when I last bought some flares off him 2 years ago he said he was overdue for retirement so might have finished up by now. Would be well worth chasing him up to see if he still might be doing them.

Cheers

John

[Cook]

Hi Rexy. If the flairs fit well, is there any benefit in just finding a good fibreglasser to refurb them. As we know seems like every new set has to have some modification anyway, which would still need finishing touches anyway. Just as thought. Good luck with it. Cheers Ron

[Hatchback13]

Sounds like a great project, are you doing a picture diary along the way? I got the ernicks flares and spoiler haven’t had time to really fit them properly, rears seam ok so far and their the wider ones their  a start anyway. Cheers

[meanmachine72]

give steve at Cools Auto Trim ring on  02 91530042

his go the best customer service, Steve looked after me with my LJ trim 

[Shiney005]

give steve at Cools Auto Trim ring on  02 91530042

his go the best customer service, Steve looked after me with my LJ trim 

I found Steve good as well.

[rexy]

Thanks for the help so far.

 

With respect to the black on the car does anyone have pictures of the correct pattern for 10/76 SS?

 

Is the plenum black or body colour?

Are the mirrors just black plastic or body colour?

 

Is the undersurface of the bonnet black or body colour?

 

Im hoping to get the body painted as correct as possible.

 

Thanks!

[rexy]

Hi Rexy. If the flairs fit well, is there any benefit in just finding a good fibreglasser to refurb them. As we know seems like every new set has to have some modification anyway, which would still need finishing touches anyway. Just as thought. Good luck with it. Cheers Ron

 

 

Not a bad idea. The current ones are black plastic rather than fiberglass. My guy reckons he can get them looking good..

[Shiney005]

The plastic flares would be rare items these days.

I'm not an expert on the SS's but I don't think any left the factory with a black bonnet apart from A9X. LX SL/R 5000's got the black bonnet, and therefore black plenum chamber as well.

I reckon Body colour plenum.

Body colour under bonnet.

Black mirrors.

Blackouts as in the (October 1974!) GMH drawings.

 

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However, if you want to stick with the black bonnet then this is the A9X Hatch chart which differs from sedan as the black doesn't "spill" onto the nosecone and guards like it does on the sedan.

 

 

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Edited by Shiney005, 11 October 2024 - 11:56 AM.

[Shiney005]

Unrestored standard SS.

 

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Blackouts at B pillar.

 

 

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[rexy]

Unrestored standard SS.

 

200-5.jpg

 

300-5.jpg

 

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500-5.jpg

 

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Blackouts at B pillar.

 

 

900-4.jpg

 

1500-5.jpg

 

Thanks Shiney, that’s awesomely helpful.

 

Does anyone know who made the plastic flares back in the day?

[rexy]

And from those photos I gather the front spoiler is supposed to be single piece?

[hawk]

Hi Rexy,

I believe Member Mark (mantis17) has a contact number for the guy in Cockatoo. He buys all his flares off him. I have a contact for Mark if you're interested, PM me. He's pretty helpful and does a lot of torana restorations.

[Shiney005]

And from those photos I gather the front spoiler is supposed to be single piece?

Yes, if you are not fitting the A9X type. I believe the Rare Spares plastic one is pretty good. A bit exxy though.  Rare Spares also did a plastic version of the L34 / A9X one years ago, but I can't recall if they ever made flares.  

 

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[rexy]

Thanks Steve, that would be great.

[rexy]

So with the trim 1890-18X I have a couple of questions.

 

Is the carpet black loop?

There seem to be a few “factory” different headlining patterns including sandpaper and herringbone. Which one is correct?

 

Is the interior roof light black or chrome?

 

Does the coverage of pillars with vinyl or paint vary between SS and lesser hatches?

 

 

Thanks in advance.

[Shiney005]

Hi everyone.

 

I am about to start a tidy up of my 10-76 L31 M40 LX hatch

So being an auto, (which I assume would be pretty rare) is it an SS? As in LX8VD77? Are all 308 powered hatches SS or could you by a 308 SL hatch?

[yel327]

So being an auto, (which I assume would be pretty rare) is it an SS? As in LX8VD77? Are all 308 powered hatches SS or could you by a 308 SL hatch?

 

Relatively common Laurie in the scheme of things, but it has to be an SS. An L31 option on an SL would be a special vehicle order whereas L31 optioned SS were regular stock order cars - M21 was standard on these, so GMH would have made more than those optioned with M40. The L31 SS tags I have for my display are M40 as well.

[Shiney005]

But you could get an 8VC77 with 253, and you could get an 8VD77 with 253, so I was wondering if it is possible to have an 8VC77 with 308?

[yel327]

But you could get an 8VC77 with 253, and you could get an 8VD77 with 253, so I was wondering if it is possible to have an 8VC77 with 308?

 

Yes, as an SVO. Like a 350 in a HQ Premier or ute. GMH didn't build them for sale, which is how almost all cars were made, people rarely ordered a car. You would have to find a dealer willing to bother and then normally the Zone Office would say no unless it was a dealer with influence like Bob Jane, Ron Hodgson etc. In the end though, by the time you optioned the L31 and all the other mandatory stuff that came with it like N10 my guess is the dealer would point you towards a 5.0L SS either in plant stock, another dealer's stock or on the schedule and it'd be similarly priced to the SL or cheaper. Dealers were trained to sell from stock, there was whole GMH manuals on it. It was still going on when I bought both my VS and VY utes, they try to sell you what is already made or planned to be built. Easier and less work for the dealer and you got it quicker. WIth teh VS it worked for me, I wanted a manual Holden ute, they ended up selling me an S ute for less than $1000 more. 

[Shiney005]

It didn't work for me with my first new car. (VT) I ordered every Holden By Design option available because I wanted the best that Holden could deliver with my particular budget. I went this way because I was a Holden fan, not HSV. It wasn't a problem at all for Station Motors in Collie, and it only took about six weeks to get my manual V8 Executive with bodykit and wheels not available anywhere else.

Edited by Shiney005, 17 October 2024 - 08:58 PM.