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Burning questions.


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#1 _Windknot_

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Posted 03 December 2018 - 10:42 AM

I Finally have my 76 SS Hatch back on the road after 26 years of storage. I did an Introduction a few years ago on here but it's been a long time so might do another one. I was given the car when i was 18 in 1986 by my dad.  It has been painted and has new interior etc At one stage I was going to put the flares and bonnet scoop on but didn't. I was also going to trade it in on a VL Group A Commodore but didn't. Unfortunately i no longer have the original 253 or the M20 gearbox. At the time the car had 250,000km so the gearbox was an exchange and the engine is now a 308 as the 253 was shot. Anyway hindsight is a wonderful thing and things that didn't seem big then obviously are now. Ok so sorry for the pre-amble but i thought i'd mention a bit about the car before i asked the following....

 

1) I have all the original glass but it has minor scratching does anybody know of somebody that can polish them out.  I have seen the full new glass sets on line.  Do most people go this way or try and polish out the original glass if this is possible ?  I realise polishing glass isn't that successful on deep scratching but was wondering if anybody has had it done and how it went.

 

2) My car has over 300,000 km on it so the das fascia has been worn out especially around the heater controls etc but most of the grey just looks worn and dirty.  Do the rare spares full fascia kits fit over the top of the existing ones or do you remove all the existing ones get rid of the old glue and re contact adhesive them back on ?  Do people install those kits themselves or get somebody to install them in situ ? Or do people get the whole lot re-painted ? I see the kits at rare spares and think it would make my interior look brand new but am concerned they won't look factory. I also don't want to de-value the car.

 

3) Rocker switches for the demister for the switch fascia. Can you still get them ? Or rocker switches that fit the fascia.

 

4) Ashtray Fascia should i re-spray the original as its completely worn out and had been painted black with just a red SS. I like the look of the rare spares fascia but feel once i drill the rivets out of the old one that's a bit of history lost.

 

5) Does anybody know where to get the metal sills on the bottom of the door jamb are they a repro item anywhere ? Mine are a light grey but look like they're not right. 

 

6) Window tinting.  It gets really hot anybody in Canberra know of a good window tint company ?

 

Any help would be appreciated.  I have searched on the site for most of these answers but a lot of the information is really old with no linking photo's.  Just thought there might be some updated information.  Plus i get stuck on all the long time builds from start to finish that end up hours to read but are impossible not to keep reading.

 

Thanks Glen

 

 

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#2 _imj411_

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Posted 03 December 2018 - 12:03 PM

For me paint the ashtray and leave the original silver dash in place as all those years of wear help verify authenticity.

For me paint the ashtray and leave the original silver dash in place as all those years of wear help verify authenticity. The scuff plates are correct in silver they are not ment to be chrome, cheers Aaron.

#3 CI 0308

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Posted 03 December 2018 - 01:05 PM

Yep my dash is similar but I like it that way. I call it patina. Aaron is correct the scuff plates were originally that thin galv colour.



#4 AbsynthHatch

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Posted 03 December 2018 - 08:22 PM

Send the ash try to one of the professional dash restorers, there are threads on here if you goggle it.
Bare in mind the patina of your dash and a newly restored ash tray may differ.
My opinion, use as few Rare Spares items as possible, there are plenty of NOS on eBay you just need to be patient.
There is a demister switch (nos) at moment but don't bid on it because I am. Just joking, go for it.
Remember they are only original once, let's keep that way.

#5 koalasprint

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Posted 05 December 2018 - 12:29 PM

My hatch has scratches on the glass. I decided to ignore it and had the tinting done over the top. I'll be interested to know what others have done though.

 

Looks like a good car, well done leaving it intact!

 

Cheers, Steve.



#6 Tyre biter

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Posted 08 December 2018 - 11:53 AM

Glen,

 

I'd love to see some pics of the exterior :)

 

1) I have all the original glass but it has minor scratching does anybody know of somebody that can polish them out.  I have seen the full new glass sets on line.  Do most people go this way or try and polish out the original glass if this is possible ?  I realise polishing glass isn't that successful on deep scratching but was wondering if anybody has had it done and how it went.

I have the same issue - was told by many reliable folk, the side glass (tempered glass) is pretty much unable to be polished for deep scratches - the definition of 'deep scratches' being that if your run a ball-point biro over the glass (across the scratches) and you can feel them with the pen, then they are too deep to polish out.

 

2) My car has over 300,000 km on it so the das fascia has been worn out especially around the heater controls etc but most of the grey just looks worn and dirty.  Do the rare spares full fascia kits fit over the top of the existing ones or do you remove all the existing ones get rid of the old glue and re contact adhesive them back on ?  Do people install those kits themselves or get somebody to install them in situ ? Or do people get the whole lot re-painted ? I see the kits at rare spares and think it would make my interior look brand new but am concerned they won't look factory. I also don't want to de-value the car.

See Torana RPA: http://www.toranarpa...sole components for all manner of kits and advice.

AFAIK the fascia is glued on and needs to be removed.

Like I said, chat with Torana RPA and Mick McCardle will set you right.

 

3) Rocker switches for the demister for the switch fascia. Can you still get them ? Or rocker switches that fit the fascia.

As above - at least the blanking panel is available.

Torana RPA should be able to steer you if they don't have them.

 

Cheers, TB



#7 _Windknot_

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Posted 11 December 2018 - 04:19 PM

Thanks for the replies.  I still have a lot of reading to do on this site. I'll send the ashtray off to be restored. By the way does an LH ashtray fit the LX ? i see a few of them on Ebay and was thinking of using one of these with a new Fascia until i can get mine re-painted. I've looked up a few Dash Restorers but some you need to do your whole interior with etc.  I'll do a bit more research, but if somebody can recommend someone they have used recently that would be great. I'll also check my scratches with a pen. i do know trying to get scratches out of glass can break the glass so if it can't be done so be it. If anybody knows a good suspension company in Canberra as well that would be helpful. I'll try not to keep rambling but no promises. My car has been off the road for 26 years and i'm re-living the honeymoon stage again. Thanks Glen.



#8 _Windknot_

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Posted 11 December 2018 - 05:29 PM

Here are a couple of pic's from my daughters formal last week.  Not the best pic's but all i have for the minute.  I'll take some more when the weather is a bit better and i finish a few things on the car.  It looks very similar to Rainman's colour but they are different i think.  We saw the colour on a HSV car at a dealership years ago and the salesman rang and got the colour for us.  I think it was on a Grange but maybe a special order ? I'm sure some of the Holden specialists on this site will know it. Cheers Macca

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