My First Torana
#1
Posted 02 March 2006 - 01:56 PM
Its a 2 Door, 1973 LJ
"Purr Pull" Purple
173, stock at the moment, but hopefully getting extractors and a twin barrel carb.
3 speed manual, for the time being, soon to get a M20/M21 4 speed.
again, the wheels are stock, but im on the lookout for a set of mags.
interior (surprise surprise) is also stock, but getting a sports wheel, and a smallish Kenwood System.
thats about it for now, ill post some piccs as soon as i get some.
RIM
#2
Posted 02 March 2006 - 02:19 PM
Welcome to the forums , no doubt you will find a heap of info & parts on here, sounds like youve got a nice little LJ there, i run an LJ 4dr with a 173 as well and cant wait for pics of your "pur pull" beast.
Cheers,
Mick
#3
Posted 02 March 2006 - 02:30 PM
If anyone has any tips on making LJ's go/handle/look better, im all ears. Keeping in mind that i dont have heaps of time to work on it, and on a really small budget.
Cheers, RIM
#4
Posted 02 March 2006 - 03:02 PM
If you can't justify the cost of a respray, just polish it up and then work on other aspects of the car. Improve its stance a bit with some lowered springs. Extractors and a larger carbie (with a shiny filter ontop) will look good too.
Painting parts of the interior is also cheap with vinyl paint etc. Just take that part off, clean it perfectly with a toothbrush and spray, put it all back on and it'll look a treat.
Hard to say without really seeing what it looks like as of now though; I'll be hanging out for some snaps.
Edited by Heath, 02 March 2006 - 03:04 PM.
#5 _Keithy's_UC_
Posted 02 March 2006 - 03:52 PM
I'd agree with Heath there - a nice tidy stocker can pull some decent looks just as good as a custom cruiser! My next project is a visually stock UC Torana with a worked 327chev! I call it project "Sleeper"!!
Keith
#6
Posted 02 March 2006 - 03:54 PM
heh heh
#7 _Aquarius - LC_
Posted 02 March 2006 - 04:06 PM
Heath is spot on the money, you can make huge improvements
with some good quality cleaning & polishing products and attention
to detail. Regarding handling & performance improvements.
Make sure all bushes ball joints and steering components are in
good working order, LC, LJ's handle quite well with a good spring,
shock combo. Don't be tempted to go to low with your spring choice
though, LC, LJ's dont have a real lot of suspention travel.
With performance upgrades, Heath mentioned exhaust and
carby inprovements. There are many small things you
can do with out spending a lot of money.
Basically it is things like plugs, points, leads, fuel filter,
correct timing, engine tuning, all these to optimise
what you already have.
Later on down the road,
you can think about cam, cylinder head mods,
and list gets bigger, better and more expensive.
My advice though is these little toranas have a good power
to weight ratio even in nearly standard form.
You are still young, and in my experience making small
improvements and then taking the time to enjoy your car,
before you make the next one, I think is the way to go.
This means you are constantly enjoying what you
are creating and it does not cost a lot of money all the time.
I remember well, when I was your age, the things
I did to my first torana.
Enjoy,
#8
Posted 02 March 2006 - 05:37 PM
With performance upgrades, Heath mentioned exhaust and
carby inprovements. There are many small things you
can do with out spending a lot of money.
Basically it is things like plugs, points, leads, fuel filter,
correct timing, engine tuning, all these to optimise
what you already have.
You're correct there. I was just talking about the aesthetic appeal of the two performance mods he mentioned.
For example, Red6's car is still running a standard Stromberg, and he has just recently stuck a Yella Terra head on there. Peter UC also has a pretty much stock engine with a mildly worked head.
Great cheap modifications would include the VK Commodore's Electronic Ignition, which pretty much bolts strait on there. Personally I'm a big fan of changing heads, and if you don't want to go a Yella Terra head, you could always consider the 12-port head off the Blue and Black Holden six motors.
Sammy has a website with a fantastic guide to adapting 12-Port heads onto the Red block. But you must remember that you will need different extractors and Intake Manifold (?) to fit onto the later head. I have heard that those 12-Port heads "shit all over a Stage-3 YT".
Anyway, enough rambling; Bernie seems to know what he's talking about, and if you know how to tune that's a great skill with these engines too. I've never heard about changing your fuel filter to gain performance, but he may be onto something there.
Edited by Heath, 02 March 2006 - 05:38 PM.
#9
Posted 02 March 2006 - 06:32 PM
Does anyone know what the paint for the mighty Red is called?
also, i'd love to lower it, but dad thinks that lowered cars look shit, but i might be able to give it a tickle.
i dont know about changing heads, but the carb and exhaust will definitely be seen to.
the interior will stay relatively stock, with some seat covers etc... and a sports wheel.
The wheels, hopefully, will be Sprintmasters, but until then ill repaint the stockies and polish up the hubcaps.
this is slightly off topic, but my cousin recently bought a UC and wants to put a toyota 5 speed in. is this a complicated conversion?
back to the subject. I'll see if i can get myself a new washer bottle and other small engine accesories, and i'll see if i can paint the engine bay in body colour.
thanks for the advice guys, ill have some pics next weekend.
cheers, RIM
#10 _Aquarius - LC_
Posted 02 March 2006 - 07:12 PM
i was trying to make, very well,in my earlier post.
firstly, my reference to replacing, or atleast checking
the fuel filter,is not to improve performance as such.
More to make sure it's not hindering fuel supply, thus
potentially afecting the engines performance. They are
quite often overlooked, especially ones sometimes hidden
in the line under the car somewhere.
Secondly, I agree totally about heath's point about an
improved flowing cyl head, there's no greater gift you
give a holden 6.
Just trying think within your current
budget. Hope i helped in some small way.
#11
Posted 02 March 2006 - 08:29 PM
RIM
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