242 replies to this topic

[Kevrev]

Hi all,

 

Here is my 12/73 LJ GTR that I bought running, drivable and nearly ready for registration according to the seller.

 

Engine was a bit rattly in the top end but seemed to go pretty well, exterior and interior in pretty good nick.

I posted the  tags,chassis and engine number on the forum here and all seemed to align (thanks Bazza!)

 

So on the trailer it went and back home

Attached Files

•  Front - Perth.jpg   109.05K   17 downloads
•  LJ GTR.jpg   132.01K   22 downloads
•  On trailer small.jpg   145.3K   14 downloads
•  Interior.jpg   115.72K   17 downloads
•  Engine bay1.jpg   223.98K   16 downloads

[Kevrev]

Car back home, checked the source of the top end rattle. With rocker cover off, I found all the roller rockers were badly adjusted (way too loose) and were all flogged out, as well as the tops of the valves being mushroomed.

So off came the cylinder head, down to Eddie Woods at HSD for a bit of TLC.

 

It came back fully recoed, with all new valves, springs, guides redone and a port job. 

Attached Files

•  Engine bay head off small.jpg   150.2K   15 downloads
•  Cylinder head reco small.jpg   235.41K   14 downloads
•  Cylinder head valve springs small.jpg   236.32K   14 downloads
•  Cylinder head reco 2 small.jpg   175.63K   14 downloads

[RallyRed]

gotta luv a Cyan Blue LJ...looks nice !

[Kevrev]

Then I thought I'd better check the cam if the valve gear was a bit messed up, sure enough cam and lifters weren't too good either.

So out came the cam etc. Had my brother who is a mechanic give me a hand, he reckoned there was a bit too much wear in the bores, so then the engine came out.

Sorry no pictures not too happy at this stage. Off the engine went to Duggans Balancing for a rebore to 40 thou, new flat top HQ race pistons, Starfire rods, grind crank, new ACL bearings, full balance etc

Had Clive Cams grind me a HQ race cam and supply new lifters and timing set, I wanted a bit of performance without going too ridiculous, I'll get rid of the triple SU's and go back to the original Stromberg, Eddie Woods reckoned the HQ race 202's are making plenty of grunt these days so I'm going down that path.

Engine will look nearly original, just a set of extractors the only visible change

Engine back together with a coat of rocket red paint, and I've had the original rocker cover rechromed.

Also had the manifold hydroblasted, carby rebuilt and replated.

 

Only about $6,000 all up for the engine, the missus is giving me plenty of grief with it being in pieces and costing plenty!

 

By the way the original inlet manifold hits the XU-1 headers,I was hoping to retain them but they will have be sold and replaced by a new set of extractors. I'm hoping I'll get a bit of money back from the headers, if anyone has any ideas on what extarctors would suit this engine combo I'd be happy to hear your opinion.

 

Thanks Col I've always loved the Cyan colour, seems to be a whole lot of red, green and yellow GTR's out there, nice to have something a little different

Attached Files

•  Engine - rebuilt.jpg   182.58K   15 downloads
•  Engine complete.jpg   242.11K   15 downloads

[Potta]

Love it

 

Quick fix up always ends up taking a bit longer than you expect, ask Gene

[Ice]

Love it
 
Quick fix up always ends up taking a bit longer than you expect, ask Gene

Aint that the truth

[My390]

Looks great. Good choice of engine mods. Will go well and not over the top.

[Kevrev]

After removing the very rusty battery tray, i discovered that the panel underneath was also rusty and had been replaced before.

It was a flat piece of steel instead of having the crumple zone pressings.

Attached Files

•  Battery tray.jpg   318.25K   10 downloads
•  Battery tray about to be welded.jpg   185.98K   14 downloads

[IMORAL]

Great to see a patch panel going in with a nice 1mm gap for a change

[Kevrev]

I was using the disposable Argon gas bottles for my MIG, but used a whole  bottle just practicing on a bit of scrap steel then welding in the panel underneath the battery tray. Off to the local tool place to buy a large gas bottle outright, I don't want to be paying monthly rental.

The missus is giving me grief, after spending $500 plus dollars on the bottle and regulator I got the "Why are you spending so much time and money on that car. I thought you said it was good when you bought it!!!"

What she down't know is that I also need a new clutch, the one that is in the car is really heavy and I don't think the rat trap will handle it, especially the metal rod from the clutch pedal

[Kevrev]

Hi Paul my nephew was helping with the welding, he's a professional welder so he's made sure I leave a gap so he can fill with weld properly.

I had to make a piece to fit next to the steering column, I have no idea why this was cut out, has anyone seen the same thing done to a Torana?

Attached Files

•  Steering column firewall repair.jpg   211.14K   11 downloads

[Kevrev]

While working inside the car I noticed a few pin holes in the drivers floor pan, which I attacked with a wire brush attached to my electric drill.

Amazing how what you thought was solid steel can disappear before your eyes!!

Ended up cutting the whole floor pan out, looks like more welding than planned!!

Attached Files

•  Drivers floorpan.jpg   162.6K   9 downloads

[grumpy xu1]

Hi Kev, looks like you may have to wire wheel out way further mate incase you missed any. I believe that the wurth rust converter is the best 1 on the market, although it won't be cheap obviously. Please either wear a pair of goggles with the wire wheel or a pair of glasses & a face sheild preferably. Im not trying to sound like your mum just those little things go everywhere & you only get 1 pair of eye's mate. & a bit of epotec or whatever protec call it or get the sikkens ep if you are a bit flash !

[grumpy xu1]

& i had a bit of a laugh when you missus cracked it about the price of the engine rebuild. She's going to freak if you ever have to do the body & interior ever, that'd be 18k nowadays. Sorry to tell you! Gary.

[xu2308]

Hi Paul my nephew was helping with the welding, he's a professional welder so he's made sure I leave a gap so he can fill with weld properly.

I had to make a piece to fit next to the steering column, I have no idea why this was cut out, has anyone seen the same thing done to a Torana?

My guess that bit is cut out as the Car might of been converted to a V8, not the normal way of doing a steering conversion, but as you need to move the steering coloum to the right side more, so looking at your Photo it is cut out on the right side more, and they would have only used two bolts to hold the Coloum to the floor by the look of it.  Look at the Passenger side trailing arm and if Lip has been removed for a V8 set up, then you will know.

 

AL

[jd lj]

It looks like a nice car and it's good to see a LJ GTR without triple carbs going back on.

72 model gtr's had the headers that you show in the photo but 73 gtr's had a std one piece exhaust manifold the same as what HQ's used. Can you grind down a bit of each manifold to get the clearance you need? Or maybe a different inlet manifold (72 type) will solve the problem.

As said above cyan blue is a great colour.

If you remove the hydraulic clutch and refit the rat trap clutch then the pedal won't be so heavy even if you don't change the actual clutch.

This is a classic case of each job starting of small and rapidly escalating, we all have this problem.

Keep at it and it'll be worthwhile.

[Kevrev]

Thank for your comments, yes I'm certainly wearing a face shield while wire brushing, the wires flying off everywhere are a real pain.

I'm making sure I go back to clean metal everywhere, don't want to be revisiting any rust. I'm using the Ranex rust converter, hopefully that's OK?

Al I've checked the crossmember trailing arms, they look standard other than being painted light green (WTF?)

While the front end is out I've sandblasted it, can't have the nice shiny new motor bolted on to a crusty crossmember.

With the inlet manifold, as my car is very late 73 it has the larger 23-3076 Stromberg with the 1 9/16" base, so I want to keep the matching larger inlet manifold.

These manifolds are popular with the HQ race boys as they flow a bit better.

I would have to grind a big chunk out of the back corner of the manifold and then have a plate welded on, all seems to hard so extractors will probably be the go.

I have the standard single outlet cast iron exhaust manifold but that won't help the performance of the car at all.

 

Anyway here's some more progress pics, engine bay all welded up ready for paint

Attached Files

•  Battery tray finished 2.jpg   272.59K   9 downloads
•  Firewall being welded.jpg   167.95K   9 downloads
•  George welding.jpg   357.84K   9 downloads

[Kevrev]

Forgot to add, after removing the heater found more rust! Not too bad, had the local engineering place make a replacement panel, spot welded together nicely and only $50. This has to be only job on this car that's not into the many 100's so I can't complain

More pics..

Attached Files

•  Heater replacement panel 2.jpg   303.49K   13 downloads
•  Heater rust 2.jpg   363.01K   8 downloads
•  Heater replacemet panel.jpg   325.66K   8 downloads

Edited by Kevrev, 18 September 2016 - 10:47 AM.

[Kevrev]

Whoops those last photos weren't in order. Being a bit clumsy on the laptop.

Anyway here's the firewall finished, a bit of sanding then ready for paint

Attached Files

•  Firewall finished.jpg   320.65K   8 downloads

[Kevrev]

Here's the front end, outriggers were painted a nice shade of green, I've scraped a bit of it off before having a go at sandblasting the front end

Attached Files

•  Front end before reco.jpg   246.93K   7 downloads
•  Front end before reco 2.jpg   265.79K   6 downloads

[S pack]

It looks like a nice car and it's good to see a LJ GTR without triple carbs going back on.

72 model gtr's had the headers that you show in the photo but 73 gtr's had a std one piece exhaust manifold the same as what HQ's used.
 

All LJ GTR used the std HQ type single outlet exhaust manifold.

[jd lj]

Thanks for clearing that up Dave. I'd forgotten about that. A late 73 gtr should also have a red three hole rocker cover and the std black air filter with the long snout as opposed to the chrome air filters with the large holes as used on earlier LJ GTR's (to comply with adr27 that came into effect in late October 73,I'm sure someone will refine this information better than I can off the top of my head).

I don't know if you want to be this particular on the details or not, but if you do there's a few changes worth noting.

[grumpy xu1]

Hi Kev, what's your plan for the headers sell them ? & do you have extractors yet ? I have a set of extractors need a weld on cylinder 1 ten minutes work that I'm not going to use, & would like a spare set of those headers if you're interested pm me with your number & i'll text you photos of the pipes if you like mate, & you're flying along on the gtr mate honestly, Gary .

[Kevrev]

Hi James,

 

Yes I have the three hole rocker cover, I also have the LX style air cleaner with the snout but it doesn't look as good ( and I doubt it flows as much air) as the earlier chrome one.

Here's a pic of the other side of the engine, you can see the rocker cover better

Attached Files

•  Engine - rebuilt 3.jpg   182K   5 downloads