135 replies to this topic

[ben23]

Well a bit of progress, finally painted the lower plenum in KBS rust seal and got the upper plenum (the underside of which already done in KBS) welded back on tonight. Just need to fix a bit of rust under the cowl ends and then get them lined up and back on. Also cut some of the pinchweld away on the front edge of the plenum to make room should the dizzy ever have to come out with engine in place (anyone who's had to remove a distributor from a injected 5L in a LH/X will know.

 

 

 

[Heath]

Awesome work mate.

[ben23]

Awesome work mate.

Thanks bud although I can't take credit for the welding, my boily mate is the one behind all the welding on this thing. Front end repairs getting closer to being finished. Firewall plating, rad support

and then the Floor pan just needs a few rivet holes welded up and then its onto the rear end!

[ben23]

Well its been nearly a year since work actually started on it and to be honest, its all just taking way too long. The problem is everyone makes you a promise and never comes through or takes 10 years to do it. Story of all my cars. If i could weld and paint this wouldn't be a problem. Panel beaters and painters should be thankful that they have those skills and don't need to spend 5 figures painting a car. Auto sparkies and mechanics are relatively cheap in comparison and a lot of that can be done DIY satisfactorily. Thats coming from an auto electrician who is never crash hot on people doing their own electrical (because it usually ends up a dogs breakfast) but to be honest if its something old like a torana with a bit of common sense and some professional advice it can be done fine. Painting is more of an art and when the bloke doing your welding is all blase about rust and for example, when you want him to use weld thru cold gal under the shit you are welding and says oh nah it makes my job harder and it will still rust anyway. Like frOck be positive and just do it. Even harder when it is your best mate and you just can't get it thru his head. Anyone else and I'd have flattened them by now. frOck me who else has these sorts of dramas.

[Heath]

The more you handle yourself, the less any of this shit matters. 

 

Don't classify yourself as someone who cannot weld or paint. You can do whatever the hell you want and you'll make it work if you need to want it enough. Everyone can weld and/or paint, but some people haven't done either YET.

Edited by Heath, 22 August 2016 - 10:59 AM.

[midget81]

^^^^^^^agreed the best painters and fabricators couldn't do it either at some point.

[ben23]

I get it we all start off knowing nothing in life but some of us just aren't great with a welder haha.

[Ice]

I get it we all start off knowing nothing in life but some of us just aren't great with a welder haha.

Second that

[ben23]

Well its been coming along in small tiny minute steps. Hoping to get the front end back into it sometime before the end of the year after painting the underbody. Shitting me with how long it takes to do anything and this weather doesn't help. I work in the heat normally every day but I'm just losing my tolerance for it year after year.

 

Once the front end is back in the Cunning Stunts going to a painter and I'll just bend over. 

[Covert]

Great, glad to hear your making progress Ben.

[ben23]

Well, not a great deal of progress, plan at the moment is to get as much of the rust repairs as I can finished and get the front end rebuilt, back in, get my R31 diff converted and fitted so I can get it back on its wheels and get the rest of the underbody painted. Then its off to a panel beater/spray painter. I've never had to deal with a panel beater or spray painter professionally, when it comes to funds, do they allow you to pay it off weekly while the car is there? Obviously the car will be there for a number of months, even then a likely bill of 20k couldn't be paid off in that time (on my wage anyway), and how much do they usually want up front, a few g's?

Also have a missus now although it isnt all bad she gave me a hand painting the interior floorpan and the inner front guards.

 

[ben23]

Wow when your build thread ends up 3 pages back you know you either need to add more to the page or get more done on the car haha, havent touched it in ages, considering starting again and getting the thing sandblasted and epoxied like i'd originally planned, the biggest thing deterring me from dumping 20k on paint is having rust come back through. That and not having 20k to dump on it. haha. However my sisters wedding is in just over a years time and I need it done, frOck knows what I'm gonna do, this shouldnt be as hard as it is. I just wanna cruise the thing.

[Heath]

Sounds like you're going to have to pull your finger out, get that welder in your hand and attack the rust first up. Don't be too worried about media blasting a car. Not a bad thing to do but it isn't the be all and end all of a good restoration.

[ben23]

Yeah that's true 👌 Well I've been doing some thinking and gonna sell my van to inject some cash into the Torrie and buy a much cheaper car to run around in, especially since the CTP on a van is nearly 1300 a year. Little shitbox runaround that's cheap on fuel and rego would be the go. The van could sell for around 5-7 grand and I have access to a cheap little manual lancer for about 500 bucks and it just needs a little bit of love. Being my Auntys old car I know it back to front and have done major work on it so I know it's solid. Plus my tax return, I'm looking at a nice little cash flow to get the car done!

[ben23]

Well got stuck into the front end, got all bushes and ball joints done and everything all painted up ready to be assembled tomorrow. Then once it's in and back on it's wheels I can test fit the motor and box. Pics to follow 😊

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[ben23]

Well, got lots done this past weekend. Got K frame painted up and reassembled apart from shocks. Painted the areas of the bay and rails that would be inaccessible with the K frame in. Then after smashing that decided to get motor and box in for a test fit. Must say I'm pretty impressed! All that's left to do is do my markouts on the firewall and make holes for A/C hoses and engine wiring, finish off some welding at the rear of the car and then it's off for panel and paint!

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•  EF315C33-8D47-4AC3-833F-A8B26B7A4EC5.jpg   184.09K   7 downloads
•  IMG_0637.JPG   297.67K   6 downloads

[Heath]

Solid work, Ben!

[ben23]

Thanks! Yeah its been a long time coming, just getting everything finally up to the point of reassembling and refitting the K frame. Figured we might as well make sure the mounts and crossmember all lined up. Surprisingly didnt have to bash the tunnel much to fit the 4L60E. Goes straight in pretty much. Just a few swings near the shifter linkage on passenger side.

 

Once I drill the crossmember to suit the gearbox and map out wiring and plumbing routes and sort column shift adaptation, the motor and box is coming back out and not going back in till the car is painted and motor and box are both ready.

[ben23]

Got the underbody cleaned off and painted. Got it right up in the air and hosed it down underneath with trucksteam degreaser and got it spotless, after that, rustblast etched it all and KBS coated the entire floorpan.

 

[ben23]

Well it's been nearly a year since the last post and can say I've done sweet f all. Accumulated a few parts, manifold and 4 barrel TB for the 304, wheels (14" ROH Wildfires) shocks, and thats about it. In two minds whether to give the body a crack myself or get another loan for the bodywork. The way I see it is if i get someone else to do it, it's their problem if they frOck it up, but mine if I do it. I have enough problems. Always thinking about selling it just to alleviate the stress. Don't have to finish a car you don't own.

[Heath]

And then you don't get to have a sick car.
And also you don't get any satisfaction from having built a sick car.

Go and hang out with some motivated people. Building cars is the best shit.

[ben23]

Yeah the problem is I share my workshop with two mates, neither of which are in a hurry to finish their cars (an XC falcon and a Trans-Am). I wish I was that relaxed about it. But also thinking that I'm gonna be 29 this year, I'm still at home, and should probably have bought a house by now and be thinking about my future. Unfortunately I don't make the sort of money that would allow both comfortably.

 

I have a lot of conflicting desires and while I want my Torana done more than anything I'm trying to be intelligent about it as well given that I'm nearly 30. Not trying to sound like my time is running out or anything, I'm still young, but yeah. Seems a bit frivolous to be handing over 20+k to paint a car when that could probably be better spent, Especially since id have to loan it. Biggest fear is rust turning up less than 10 years later. If a bubble turns up in 20 years i can wear that.

 

Also I never spend any time on the car in summer as I spend all day fixing trucks in the stifling Sydney humidity and heat and be #@$^%& if I'm gonna do that after doing it for 12+ hours a day. So I work on it when its comfortable, otherwise I'll just hate the thing more. Not making excuses, just how I feel. If I was confident at tackling the body work I would have ages ago.

[Ice]

Ben imho if your heart is not in it put the car away for a few years save some cash buy a house ,this is coming from a guy that prob spent a couple of hundred thousands of $$$ over a long period of time on cars
It does get you down when you dont see progress for a few years its bloody hard to swallow after a while
all the best on what you decide
cheers G.