Jump to content


- - - - -

Berro's Rusty UC to A9X HATCH


  • Please log in to reply
662 replies to this topic

#1 _berro59_

_berro59_
  • Guests

Posted 24 June 2011 - 11:01 PM

Hi fellow Torana fans,
20+ years ago I was a teen and my first car was a beautiful SS hatch.
Now with kids and a mortgage I wish id kept it. Don't we all!
Money is always an issue when building a car. So I decided to start with something cheap and put in the hours. I couldn't afford the 5k on a rusted LX hatch so I bought a UC hatch....... that was worse.

The car cost me $1000 and included the donor parts.

I will try and share my tips and mistakes. I wish I knew what I know now...........................

Attached Files



#2 _Bomber Watson_

_Bomber Watson_
  • Guests

Posted 24 June 2011 - 11:03 PM

Nice.

That primer looks familiar, not Protec EX-408 is it??

Cheers.

#3 _berro59_

_berro59_
  • Guests

Posted 24 June 2011 - 11:09 PM

Nice.

That primer looks familiar, not Protec EX-408 is it??

Cheers.

Nason 2 pack epoxy. Its a Dupont product. You mix it 50 to 50 let it sit for a half hour before application and it sticks like S*it to a blanket.It also has good rust inhibitors in it. You will see as the thread progresses why I picked it. The car had more rust and bog than metal!

#4 _Bomber Watson_

_Bomber Watson_
  • Guests

Posted 24 June 2011 - 11:31 PM

AHA!!

#5 Struggler

Struggler

    Forum Fixture

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPipPip
  • 2,426 posts
  • Name:Andrew or AJ
  • Location:Canberra A.C.T.
  • Car:UC Sedan
  • Joined: 08-November 05

Posted 25 June 2011 - 09:01 AM

Looking good Berro, should be an interesting and informative thread !

#6 FastEHHolden

FastEHHolden

    Steptoe

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 5,114 posts
  • Location:Central Coast NSW
  • Joined: 16-November 05

Posted 25 June 2011 - 09:33 AM

Nice...its come a long way

#7 _Kush_

_Kush_
  • Guests

Posted 25 June 2011 - 09:46 AM

Berro, you've got more pics than that........ Don't be shy now :)

#8 _berro59_

_berro59_
  • Guests

Posted 25 June 2011 - 10:12 AM

Berro, you've got more pics than that........ Don't be shy now :)


Yeah Kush, 2 years worth! By the way great job on the your conversion I have been following every day. I'm keen to see how your car ends up! I have to resize pictures as i go.

#9 _Kush_

_Kush_
  • Guests

Posted 25 June 2011 - 10:20 AM

Thanks mate, how'd you go with the dash? Got any tips?
I might go out and have a look at mine this weekend as I haven't done anything in ages.

#10 _berro59_

_berro59_
  • Guests

Posted 25 June 2011 - 10:30 AM

Here is a list of donor bits you need to do the UC to LX conversion with out cutting the existing uc panels (ie non Dirt Bag Style):

Nose cone
Rad support panel
inner and outer front quarters
Bonnet
Front bumper + mounts
Dash (optional)
Rear tail lights

Good welder, grinder and a special drill bit to remove spot welds.

And most of all patience.

I should have had my head examined considering this is my first ground up rebuild!

Attached Files



#11 _berro59_

_berro59_
  • Guests

Posted 25 June 2011 - 10:55 AM

Thanks mate, how'd you go with the dash? Got any tips?
I might go out and have a look at mine this weekend as I haven't done anything in ages.


Hey Kush,
The dash graft is all about precision. You will find the donor LX graft will fit exactly.
Firstly I unpicked the UC dash around the windscreen. Then I cut the uc dash out ensuring I left around 10mm of fat on all the mounting points. This helps because you can then scribe where the donor dash sits for an exact fit. Be prepared to get a little burnt when welding it in as you have to crawl right under the dash to weld it in to the same mounting points.

Be sure to use a weld through primer on all panels that cant be cleaned back to metal after the weld. I us a Upol Weld #2 with Copper. When you weld it fuses with the weld to reduce rust between joins. You can see on the pictures the mounting points as they are spayed copper. The steering column is a little fidgety.

I found the only way to get the donor dash in was to feed it in through the windscreen. Be patient it will fit exactly.

Attached Files



#12 _Kush_

_Kush_
  • Guests

Posted 25 June 2011 - 10:59 AM

Exellent! Thanks :)

#13 _berro59_

_berro59_
  • Guests

Posted 25 June 2011 - 11:01 AM

Check out this LX dash I spotted on a hatch being upholstered! I was going to have a crack a some thing similar but I thought the UC i have is mongrel enough and I want to be true to the original look.

Attached Files



#14 _berro59_

_berro59_
  • Guests

Posted 26 June 2011 - 01:05 PM

Firstly I unpicked the inner guards. The donor inner guards were fairly stuffed and needed some repairs. You can see the difference between the UC inner (black) and LX inner Grey. The UC is a lot smoother. At this point I wish I had smoothed the LX donor parts before fitting back on the car. May have to do that later. As you can see there is heaps of room to work on them with the front end off.

Attached Files



#15 _cruiza_

_cruiza_
  • Guests

Posted 26 June 2011 - 01:49 PM

Great thread will definitely be watching this, admire your ambition

#16 _Kush_

_Kush_
  • Guests

Posted 26 June 2011 - 01:52 PM

Jeez that looks tricky to do. I'd need therapy from trying to line all the bits up. How many sets of vice grips do you have LOL
It's an outstanding job though. :)

Edited by Kush, 26 June 2011 - 01:55 PM.


#17 _berro59_

_berro59_
  • Guests

Posted 26 June 2011 - 03:29 PM

Great thread will definitely be watching this, admire your ambition


There is a fine line between ambition and stupidity!

#18 _berro59_

_berro59_
  • Guests

Posted 26 June 2011 - 03:56 PM

Jeez that looks tricky to do. I'd need therapy from trying to line all the bits up. How many sets of vice grips do you have LOL
It's an outstanding job though. :)

This was one of the scariest parts of the build.
I was scared that once id cut of the UC radiator support off the LX wouldn't line up with the inner guards. It was the point of no return.
I used a couple of tech screws to hold it together and found once the bumper bar brackets were fitted they pull the Radiator support and inner quarters together nicely. The radiator support panel was stuffed so I fixed that. I then fitted the Nose cone and quarters. There you have it...... an LX front end!

Attached Files



#19 FastEHHolden

FastEHHolden

    Steptoe

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 5,114 posts
  • Location:Central Coast NSW
  • Joined: 16-November 05

Posted 26 June 2011 - 04:32 PM

Is that the remains of that brown LH? crikey you have done well.

#20 _berro59_

_berro59_
  • Guests

Posted 26 June 2011 - 10:28 PM

Is that the remains of that brown LH? crikey you have done well.

Dark Blue LH inner Guards
Yellow LX nose cone
Light Blue LH rear cut
Gold LX Bonet

This car is a mongrel in every sense of the word.

Soon to follow VN 304 + running gear. This is the doner bought for $2000 with injected 304 and recently rebuilt Manual T5.I have already sold the body kit and rims to be a grand up. Like I said this car is being built on a tight budget!.

Attached Files



#21 _Lamo_

_Lamo_
  • Guests

Posted 26 June 2011 - 11:18 PM

Well Done! Good buy on the VN. Something I have been keeping my eye out for. Up here everyone want waaaay too much for them.

#22 _berro59_

_berro59_
  • Guests

Posted 27 June 2011 - 11:18 PM

Yes the commodore was a good buy.

#23 _berro59_

_berro59_
  • Guests

Posted 27 June 2011 - 11:32 PM

Had the K frame sand blasted and powder coated. The colour has a nice metallic shine through it and should be pretty resistant to chips.
I also replaced all the bearings, ball joints and all the rubber with Nolathaine. Bought some slotted rotors to slow the thing down a little.
Got new Lovell lowered springs and new GT gas shocks.

Fitting the K frame back on with all new bushes was nightmare. I nearly lost it and was going to kick the hell out of every panel on the car a few times. My tip is walk away.........clear the mind.......breathe........breathe.....bloody cars.

Attached Files



#24 _berro59_

_berro59_
  • Guests

Posted 28 June 2011 - 05:46 PM

I started paint stripping all larger panels. Messy work. Paint stripper burns! I don't have the cash to get them soda blasted. Sand blasting will warp the large plat panels. I found some nasty holes around where that hatch rubber fits so ground them out, rust converted them, then welded them up.Its amazing how panels will turn almost yellow with Phosphoric (spelling?) based converter. I always smother every exposed bit of metal with rust converter and then wash it off with water and a rag. Then blow dry it with a compressor. Always make sure you use a compressor with water traps at least a few meters away from the compressor. Its amazing to see how much condensation a compressor generates when you capture it. A condensation trap near the compressor doesn't really work as the water is still a vapour at that point. If that water hits your bare panels whilst painting they will rust straight up! I use over 12 meters of air lines and set the water trap at the lowest point.

Attached Files



#25 _Liam_

_Liam_
  • Guests

Posted 28 June 2011 - 06:06 PM

Is that a bit of Lead filler? In that hatch weather channel I mean?

Good work mate, the Red K-Frame is different. I wouldn't have gone for it myself, but I am keen to see what colour you will be matching it too.




0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users