207 replies to this topic

[DanWA]

Thank you!

Well i like to keep it with half constant updates, pretty limited though after disclocating my knee in bali ****censored racist comment****

Suspension ordered, just basic for now... Lowered king springs front and rear and monroe shocks. Will re-look at this if i cop the drag racing bug. Have a full race series bush kit that came boxed with the hatch that i will fit to the sedan to.

After tossing up where to go for the converter i bit the bullet, went local with Allfast which mumbo swears by so he must be good. (thank you Kev!)

After spitting his drink out when i gave him the cam part # and bashing out some other stuff like the box and diff details, its going to be around the 3800rpm mark. Coupled with 4.11's i'm feeling a little scared already!

Now to ring John @ SQP for a chat about the tune and a few other minor details.

Stay tuned! (8.5k left)

[DanWA]

Well i figured i might re-open this build thread and catch everyone up to speed.

 

I lost my dad just after the last post to Cancer which pretty much killed off any motivation for a while.

 

I did order suspension, however i opted for Lovells & Koni Reds (this gets fitted later on in the story update) and I did (on Kev's advice) get the Allfast 3800 converter.

 

The 8.5k went pretty fast aswell, especially when i tried "rushing things" to get it running for my dad's funeral which sadly didn't happen due to the dreaded LS1 clearance issues.

 

The diff on the other hand ended up getting 3.9's and a spool. Gonzo at Allfast suggested 3.7's as a much wiser option so i have a set ready to go if/when the car is finally running and a KAAZ

 

Anyway... I'll try to get the order of events fine from the last post onwards.

 

The Browns radiator had arrived, i took this fairly average pic back then, they are VERY nice in person.

 

 

This was a dummy fit on the crane before one of the later test fits. TUFF Mounts, Moroso Sump, Modified Windage Tray, MSD Starter etc

 

 

Engine in, diff in to become a roller again (suspension not installed at this stage either). No gearbox in at this stage or the extractors (long story of extractor clearancing begins here ha ha)

 

 

At this stage EMG managed to re-birth the original story into another one of its magazines

 

 

It then headed to Perth to Shaun's (forum member) workshop for the "rush week" before my Dad's funeral. Engine was dropped back in, gearbox & converter in, Extractors fitted (somewhat) and an exhaust was made that consisted of 3" Stainless twins out of the 4-1's to Stainless Magnaflow Cats, then through a "Tapper Special" X-Pipe into Stainless Magnaflow Cats. Pretty damn happy with the exhaust and hope i can continue to use it. The 2 photos below were taken the same day, not the best photos but we were super busy. This is also when i started noticing weird clearance issues, Gearbox was on a nasty angle, sump was hard up even more etc

 

 

At this stage i then had the gearbox fitted with a electronic speed sensor conversion back at Dimoff Transmissions (DTM) that i bought from John at SQP. I also scratched the idea of a full autometer dash and after some advice from LS1 Hatch i purchased 2 SLR clusters off Viper.

 

After the car missing out on my Dad's funeral and running out of cash somewhat the car went into hibernation for quite a bit while i dealt with some person issues.

 

Around March last year my mother and my mrs got on my back to stop moping and "fix that piece of shit"... yeah cheers mum!

 

I then booked it in locally for the complete suspension to be fitted etc. Picture below is the day it headed down there.

 

 

It sat there from March-June through lots of small issues and parts problems and them whinging about a few things. Fitted bushes all around, Koni Red Shocks, Lovells springs, new balljoints, new tie rod ends. Had the factory Torana handbrake mated to the R31 diff... New brake lines front to back, VH346 booster fitted, Statesman Master Cylinder, pushrod modified and fitted and system fully bled up. They also didn't like the way Hopper Stoppers want you to run the front brake lines so they made some new ones up. Below is 2 pictures i took while it was there, ignore the shitty diff cover i have one of those fandangled alloy diff covers for it now.

 

 

 

This is now about the time the clearancing started to become a very important issue, especially with the local guys not liking one part of it which is not a good thing as it will eventually be registered there.

 

Here is a sequence of pics i took of the clearance while it was at the workshop.

 

 

 

 

 

 

frOck knows how overspray got on my starter, i assume when Shaun was messing around with the extractor install... no biggy anyway i guess.

 

Anyway around June last year i received the car back!!! With stern instructions to sort the sump clearance and extractors out which is where the motivation began to drop again.

 

 

 

At this stage i got back into burnouts and have destroyed many a VN/VP since.

I figured i would tackle the small issue of sorting the alternator and belt system out and this is about the time i decided to go down the electric water pump route. Below is a picture of the Alternator relocation test fitted.

 

 

 

The car has not been touched since but i have recently regained some motivation however the cash in the bank is not playing ball at the moment for anything major. This is the last picture taken of the car peacefully resting in its tiny shed.

 

 

Now where i am at is tossing up whether to put a 308 in it and get it cruising for Summer or suck it up like a princess and continue slowly to move towards finishing the LS off. This is also currently stalled due to engineering still being required and not being able to track down a running/driving VL V8 for a donor.

 

Shaun has been kind enough to either modify or replace the current extractors. I will deliver it to him when i sort these useless Tuff Mounts out once and for all! I also have a plan in place for the fuel system via Josh at Metalcraft Marine which requires modifying the fittings on the tank, fitting EFI filler neck and making a custom surge tank etc that complies with engineering, just need the cash to do it.

 

On a side note, i will be returning my Dad's 1966 Dodge Phoenix to the road for Summer, just awaiting some white walls for it and it needs a new exhaust. Mum recently spent almost 5k having the total braking system overhauled so it should be nice and safe to drive now.

 

 

Apologies for the massive essay and i am sure there is most likely a couple of things i have missed but i will keep this thread going.

[WA1TNC]

G'day mate, sorry to hear bout your old man, I was the same with loosing motivation on my torrie as well with a few things good & bad happening.

Amongst it all though I brought a 2nd hand rottisery, I cut all the arse end out, on the LH, I ended up getting married in November, blew the old 253 in my daily 4wks before the wedding.... no time or $$$ to fix it or work on the LH, I then brought another LS1 a few months ago, robbed pretty much all the conversion parts off my supercharged engine & threw the LS1 & a t56 in my daily in place of the old fluffy.

I'm hoping to get the daily 100% finished & sell it & use the $$$ to finish off the torrie but the t56 has now developed a major whinning noise, so loud you can hardly hear a passenger ;(

But it's only a car & it's only money hey!!!

Cheers, Nig.

[WA1TNC]

Yeah well I figured I've been driving it for a few mths & 3000ks & not having any issue before I decided 2 check the level...it took like 2L of fluid!!! Plus your supposed to take off the rear lockout thing & add another 400mL so it's more like 2.4L now.
I have a feeling that there's more to it than that but, like bearings of a worn shaft maybe.

Cheers, Nig.

[DanWA]

Thanks for some inspiration fellas!

 

It ventured out into the daylight today for the first time in a LONG time so i could get a spare diff out to donate its gears for the latest skid car

 

Dunno if you can notice much pics wise, but the suspension has settled very nicely

 

[WA1TNC]

Good stuff mate, did you also give it a quick dust off with a rag, I don't know why but if my car ever see' daylight....mine hasn't in 2yrs ;( but I always give it a quick once over to make her feel like I do still love her haha

[DanWA]

The mrs of all people has been nagging about it sitting in the shed.

 

The Torana will be dropped off to a mate's new workshop make the driveline fit properly and in legal accordance, probably cost me another packet load but oh well, i still believe i have dodgy Tuff Mounts.

 

Edited by DanWA, 01 November 2013 - 04:10 PM.

[DanWA]

Well i had Neil unlock this and we'll see how it goes. All the old photos are gone again :(

A lot has happened since 2013. Will likely do an extensive write up when i get the car back but for now a couple of pics and an information dump

Late last year i finally got the car running, this time on a complete Rodshop Kit with an Ultimate Conversions Wiring standalone loom. My engineering approval had long expired so i reapplied and was re-approved again

Had a baby due June this year that decided to come in February so family comes first as always. Once he was settled in the mrs got on the nag again to get the Torana legally on the road for some safe family cruising

I wheeled it out of the shed and it looked like a barn find once again and organised a workshop to finish the engineering process and lots of tedious things beyond my capability. Doesn't help living 200km from the city either

When i removed the grill i think for the first time in the car's life pretty much all the screw head's snapped clean. Made some brackets, fitted the trans cooler and made some lines.

Off the top of my head:
Removed spooled centre and fitted an OEM LSD (Car is R31 28 Spline Borg Warner for those not familiar with the build - Truetrac to come later when funds allow)

The factory tank has been spaced down and fitted with an Aeromotive Phantom module (Thanks derrin71 from here!) using a VN neck

D34 Optima Yellow in the boot (no venting required according to engineer)

ECU/Relays etc have made themselves at home between the glovebox and heater box with the OBD2 connector mounted under the glovebox

The heater core fell to bits when i pulled the 202 out years ago so had a new one fitted, plumbed and the firewall cover (from J's Customs) fitted

RHD B&M Megashifter nutserted to floor and wired in

GTS/SLR Steering wheel fitted

My car always had a busted ignition switch and had button start (still required key etc). That has all been fixed back to original off the key

The TH400 had an electronic speedo covnersion in it which we had wired to the ECU last year

Being an SL it only had speedo and fuel guage. I have a few SLR clusters stashed so factory senders have been fitted to the LS1 and cluster is at AISAT for overhaul and retrofit of VDO electronic 200kmh speedo and tacho with a new voltage regulator so it doesn't burn itself out as they do. Also thanks to Neil dattoman a LX SLR decal set minus the park brake cutout

 

Many will cry about the bay not being painted but this has been a long and painful conversion and i am glad i never painted it to begin with. It can all happen later in a facelift.

 

Once again i'll go into a more detailed version later on

 

Cheers

Dan

Edited by DanWA, 07 October 2019 - 12:01 PM.

[Shiney005]

My first born was 13 weeks prem. It is a very harrowing time, but we have been lucky to have King Edward hospital in this state as they do an amazing job there. 

It is good to see the Torana getting close. We don't have the Gazzanats in Collie any more though so you might have to find some shows further afield to cruise in.

[DanWA]

My first born was 13 weeks prem. It is a very harrowing time, but we have been lucky to have King Edward hospital in this state as they do an amazing job there. 

It is good to see the Torana getting close. We don't have the Gazzanats in Collie any more though so you might have to find some shows further afield to cruise in.

 

Yeah the harrowing part was even making the 23 week cut off, they wouldn't even move us from Bunbury to King Edward until then. He was delivered 13 hours into 23 weeks
Glad my tax money goes into there, PCH & RMH! Put 30,000km on my Pajero over the course of the next 4 months!

 

Thanks for the kind words Laurie. I plan to drive this on weekends with the family and to work regularly, not really interested in Gazzanats kind of events so no loss there for me but a big loss for Collie

[77lx308]

If you like driving it then this might be the sort of event for you

http://www.gmh-toran...-november-2019/

[DanWA]

If you like driving it then this might be the sort of event for you

http://www.gmh-toran...-november-2019/

Hey Mike would love to but the DoT paperwork won't make it back in time. Engineer said 4-6 weeks :(

[DanWA]

New legal exhaust finished

[DanWA]

[77lx308]

Don't forget you could always come along to CC&C and the drive ins in your daily.  Love to see everyone there - even without their cars.

[Shiney005]

I will be at Kwinana without my car. It is a pity the Toranas aren't going to hang around there for a bit longer.

 

Who did the exhaust work Dan?

[Ice]

I will be at Kwinana without my car. It is a pity the Toranas aren't going to hang around there for a bit longer. I will try and catch up with you and say gday if i end up going Laurie
 
Who did the exhaust work Dan?

[DanWA]

Dean @ Mufflers R Us did this latest exhaust

 

Good old ebay. Ordered an unfinished diff cover. It arrived red. Oh well

 

Diff is a OEM LSD from my EF Falcon track car. Still running the 3.9 ratio gears. Will put more highway spec gears in when i can afford the truetrac

[DanWA]

Well a couple more engineering gremlins appeared

The wheel track can be increased but not reduced and with the commodore pcd, R31 borg warner disc rear and hopper stopper fronts it was actually skinny! So it was fairly cheaper to modify the rocko billets than order custom wheels

Also the engineer demanded retractable rear belts "for the power increase". Solution was formed and wasn't mad at the extra cost as they are 2019 spec now and my children's seats will fit properly

[DanWA]

More pics next week but for now the interior is back in

Waiting on the custom offset wheels so it meets engineering track

Dash back next week then onto the dyno for calibration and the engineering tune

 

The list is finally getting smaller

[Oversteer]

Looks good.

 

What seat belts did you use ?