chasinthemirage

Cool! How's she going with it? I've only built military kits but definitely keen to try some sci-fi stuff. Gave up on the Belfast, parts fit is terrible and I'm missing a sprue. This is the second go with this kit, the first one had two portside hulls. Good old Airfix. Having a jam at HMS Dreadnought now.

Started building an Airfix 1:600 (soz it's the wrong scale) HMS Belfast this afternoon. Fit of the parts is just as bad as I remember from childhood but it's an enjoyable process nonetheless.

Awesome thanks guys, will have a go!

@flyingbrick thanks man! So if I'm understanding correctly just use fibreglass to form a female mould of the original hull? I considered this but was a bit worried that the heat from the epoxy curing might cause the vacuum formed hull to distort.

I recently bought this vacuum formed hull off trademe. It's quite a nice wee hull but is fairly flimsy as it's only plastic. I want to make a copy of it in fibreglass so it's a bit tougher. How would you guys recommend I go about making a mould? I've been reading up on it but keen to hear some real world advice as there's an overwhelming number of options. It's part of a vintage kit so I don't want to destroy the original hull in the process. It would also be a bonus if more than one hull could be made but it's not essential. I've removed the motor mount, rudder post etc and will patch the holes up. At this stage I'm thinking the way to go will be to clean up the inside of the hull, apply some sort of release agent and then fill it with plaster of paris/liquid latex etc to form a plug. Then fibreglass over this plug to make a hull. Does this seem plausible to you guys? And if so, what would you recommend I use to form the plug? Thinking I'll just use a fibreglass kit from Bunnings for starters as it seems a pretty cheap/easy way to purchase everything I need to start out.

Late to the party here re seat belts, I've had three Mk3's and they've all had different seat belt mountings. One was bolted through the pillar and two just had a 'captive' nut with a large washer inside the pillar that the belts were mounted too. Both methods were fairly common as far as I'm aware.

Thanks man, will check them out! I have been wondering that, been keeping an eye out for a BA XR6T ute. Not ideal as far as passenger space but has potential to be used as a work ute for carting saws, wood etc and despite the higher purchase price might actually still end up cheaper than parts, cert etc. Yeah good point, I know the VL diffs are made of glass. Will do some research!

It's definitely getting that way, there's still the odd one around though. On the cusp of being unaffordable though too.

Semi ling but not really worth starting a thread, has anyone mucked around with the Holden 3.8 motors? Pretty keen on another fun car but priced out of VL's, VN SS' etc. Seen a few people in Aussie with turbo 3.8's, anyone done it? Just want a fun street car that I could do the odd skid in/take to the drags occasionally. Thinking 255's, LSD and a turbo (just want it to do hektik doses tbh). Sound plausible or nah? Also inb4 V6's are yuck.

Yes please.

Good work on the headlining man!

What about building an exhaust system with flanges or v band clamps so you could have a muffler that could be easily swapped out with a section of pipe if you want some more noise? Best of both worlds that way maybe?

Whats the go with GL4 and GL5 gear oils? Probably about time I did the gearbox oil in my KZN130, Castrol website reckons GL5 for a KZN165 (theres not a 130 listing that I could see). I vaguely remember something about GL5 not being suitable for older transmissions but I assume the KZN130 is 'modern' enough that GL5 would be suitable?

@cletus how often do you see old cars that have numbers that don't match? There was a Zephyr in the club I used to belong to that had been registered a year before it was built ie rego said it was a 1963 but the number stamped on the body indicated it had been built in 1964. What would be the go there if you had a car like that?

Hmm yeah might just mask it up tbh. With the glacial pace of progress on the car I'd rather not have an irreplaceable part at VTNZ for however long. Just as long as there's nothing under it contamination wise that will affect the new paint. I feel like if I just removed it and went for a wof with it reattached its one of those things that could go either way tbh.

Do they use special rivets or anything? Just curious as to whether anyone would be able to tell whether they'd removed it or not.

Zephyr should be getting painted soon, I want to remove the ID tag before it gets painted as I think it will look better than masking it off. Its secured with four pop rivets, am I all good removing it or will I run into issues come time to get it another WOF?

Man it must be great being able to whip things up on the lathe like that! Also interesting re the testing station. My brother took his Surf there a few months back (32s, 2" lift, spotlights etc, nothing out of the ordinary) and they went to town on it. Wanted proof from Toyota that the lift wasn't more than 2", made him take all the stickers off the side windows, also wanted him to remove the lower half of the dash to prove there wasn't an odometer switch in there etc. Won't be going there ever again.

Still a lot less work than mine needs though! I'm hoping my brakes etc will be okay but we'll see, been sitting for awhile now.

Its certainly been a long cashie haha. Once its painted progress shouldn't be too bad though, the running gear is pretty much done so that can all go back in. What state is yours in currently?

What I remember the most is the N04s running bearings due to diesel in the oil and customers getting super irate because the VGT actuator had packed up and they had to replace the entire turbo as a result. Good times in parts haha

Yeah g'day, been a minute eh. In fact I hadn't seen the car in something like two years but a couple of weeks ago the old man and I hired a trailer and picked it up from the panel beaters. The body has been taken back to bare metal, the rust has been sorted as well as a redo of a couple of old repairs for peace of mind. Theres still a few wee things to be sorted before it gets painted, I think years ago I told the panel beater I was keen to have a go but tbh I'll just pay an expert to do it and then get them to prep and paint it at the same time. Hopefully got someone coming to see it in a couple of weeks. Tbh I kinda cbf with paint, pretty tempted to just rattle can and slam it so I can actually drive the thing. Progress will likely be at my usual glacial pace, mrs and I bought a house a few months back and I'm unenthusiastically working my way through an apprenticeship so things are fairly busy but pretty exciting to have the thing tucked away in the garage after being away for so long! Yarn fred here:

Ideal, worked in parts at a Hino dealership for a few years, don't really remember doing much for the J07C motors apart from filters and gaskets. I'm pleased its not N04C powered haha

Shitchea, love me a Hino. What engine and box is it running?

As far as the handling with a leaf spring live axle, what's your ultimate goal with the build? I'm no suspension expert but surely with a bit of fettling with shocks and sway bars etc you'd be able to make it go pretty well. Even if it didn't handle that well it'd be so damn cool it wouldn't really matter IMO.