Slow on the updates, but large one attached :)
Well, things have been on and off, my father and mother spent 9 weeks on the east coast so the car took a little of a back seat, but now its all systems go and things are back on track. Most of the horrible work has now been done and we are starting to put things back together which is a very rewarding process i am finding.... So, where to start....
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Discovered the joys of POR15, this stuff is worth every penny....
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Reapiring the pillars, yes we are no Ozbilt with our body work but it will all get touched up nearer the finish
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Tail panel and rear valance are trial fitted with Tek screws to get everything lined up and square. Tek holes to be spot welded over.
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Fire wall and toe boards all repaired and painted with rust proof. Cant wait to cut the firewall and switch it up for the RHD conversion.
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Multiple sheet repairs under the back seat. My father thought it prudent to re-weld both seatbelt connections for safety's sake.
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Seat risers installed. Was amazed at the added strength these put into the floor pans. Used a trolley jack under each floor pan to bring them up marginally to the underside of the riser to reverse all the sagging while a 110kg lump was sitting on them...
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My father holding the seat to check positioning. Thanks to Jtourvas for the seats, will fix the GT500 on them as mine isnt going to be a GT500 clone. Apart from that they are in superb condition. Note the burn marks on the wood, from jacking up the floor pans then spot welding. Car now smells like burnt pine!
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Right hand drive just feels more natural....good thing i dont have the windscreen in else the car noises i was making might have left residue on the glass.
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Test fit of the bumper to make sure all sits square still, valance not fitted. Gas cap looks good, thanks again to Jtourvas!
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Trunk lid not sitting straight, nor the quarter panel extensions, but damn i like the way its starting to shape up. Bumper shines up very well, thanks Matt from Shermatt for packing it so safely :)
Well, getting there, not bad for a weekender job with my father doing bits and pieces when he feels like it during the week. Definately getting to the rewarding part of the process.
Next.....Engine is on its way out of the fairmont, so is the wiring loom, then the dashboard and i will fabricate my own dash and support fitting the electronics from the fairmont. Plan to have cruise control, electronic dash intruments and all the fairmont aircon etc incorporated. Going to be a squeeze but cant wait.
PIcked up most of an XW front end, so going to use these bits to get it past the licensing people, less headaches than trying to fit the fairmont front suspension and steering arrangement. $60 for the XW bits wasnt a bad find, just needs the disks replaced and calipers restored to their former glory :)
Hope to have the suspension and steering done inside the next month and the engine installed the month after that. Till then, apologies for the long winded post!
Stu