deankdx

10 May 2017 been spending, emailing, and physically touring the local ish wreckers this last week. i found a lightly damaged boot trim off a VB or VC commo which will work as my side trim, i can get the correct one but its over the postage length at 1.3meters and so far i only know of the one gemini wrecker which is in Qld(elkygem/gemwreck) 1800km away ish. i have ordered most of the parts needed to make it complete and get the brakes working properly(they are very touchy, i noticed while moving it around, seem to work well still) i always wanted to get the SLE alloy wheels for my gemini sedan, they look similar to the hubcaps i am running. and i think this wagon i may model on the Gypsy panel van.. as Chip Foose would say, make it look like it could have come that way from the factory. so it could look like a windowed version of the below albeit ratty at first. because i am not painting it other than the issues at first. i cant do much to it until the parts turn up anyway.. But i do want it on the road asap.. can't wait to drive it. so, now torn between bathurst globes for the 80s look or the hippy wagon in stock style with sle wheels.. 

April 29 2017 well, had a look on the hoist today.. stupid cars, why do they rust? i know.. they leak. pic of the ad, note the mention of rust all removed.. has water on the front floor, found the cause, minor rust on the drivers plenum(behind the heater air intake.. (i expected this) has rust on the front floor. its not where i'd thought it would be.. on the angled part not the floor base. the rear passenger floor is soft. doesn't look rusty though. will have to replace it probably and the boot floor back edge needs a good going over with the flap disk/wire wheel to see what the hell the bodger has done..(i did see this, pretty hard to find a solid cheap gemini wagon..) also removed all the wheels, looked at the brakes, needs front pads, came with new rear shoes but will get new wheel cyls also. and also needs brake lines across the diff for some reason.(parked in long grass possibly) the rear opening windows seals are shrunken, so there is another leak, same with the tailgate seal.. went to start it up.. 2 pumps, turned the key.. running.. MINT! didn't spend much time there today.. it came with some 15" x5.5" interceptor style rims that i'll be selling(hub centerbore is too small anyway, would need spacers or boring out) no idea what they would sell for..but it will cover the cost of some other parts needed. the globe mags i can't bring myself to sell yet.. although it looks good with the 225s squeezed on the 5.5" rims but wouldn't be legal(these tyres are rooted from age unfortunately) i'll be trying to round up all the missing bits/replacement parts and probably be ripping the interior out next visit.. hopefully not find anymore surprises.. the suspension doesn't appear rooted. but i'll drop it in at pedders after i make a fan mount for the new alloy radiator. all that stop putty on the rear door area(if it had one) is due to some knob pulling the side moulds off and the paint with it. i will probably have to take that back to metal now because the rest of the bog just chips off as if they didn't clean the area. (plus i'd like to see what is under there.) remember the ad above.. "all rust removed" yeah, we'll see more later, don't worry

The sellers missus was excited that i rocked up to view it in a gemini(My diesel TE that will get a mention later in the thread), and heard that it was going to be standard.. He had the usual P plater dream of crap race seats, sub woofers from front to rear, lowered till it scraped and "cepter rims" and some weird ass new paint colour that looks cool for 3 weeks and then gets a defect for life.. i said i'll send a photo of it with rego plates in 10 weeks.... see how that goes, hopefully it doesn't need everything..(i decided not to contact them in the end) spending has started..(few days later) went to pick a part today, bought 4 x dunlop 175/65/13" tyres for the stock rims(i always regretted chucking them away from My sedan when i left Tassie due to no room in the car) cost $80 plus will need to spend upto $80 if i fit all 4 to the other rims(2 currently on the front are new looking yokohamas.. not sure if any good yet) i know you can get cheap new 13" tyres for $50 each($200) Vs $160 for used dunlops etc.. but i bet the dunlops are better than chyna etc brand no one has heard of. these tyres came up as $89 each when i googled the price.. for not much extra i could get wide tyres for the bathurst globes.. going for club rego, i intend to have it stock and neat as possible. .. the bathurst globes and super low springs it came with are calling me though.

Discussion thread for My Gemini wagon project here (will be many more posts coming as i migrate them from another forum)

G'day OS this thread is already complete on another forum, but i'll migrate it here to share with you all. so bare with Me, DISCUSSION THREAD HERE I bought this unfinished project in April 2017, I'll let the thread tell the story with a date on each post, the posts here may have references to days/dates that are no longer relevant, but i'll try to edit as i go. I had the goal to get it back on the road as soon as possible and on club permit (limited use registration for cars over 25yrs old, cost comparison $150 ish per year compared to full registration of $800ish) pity the tyres on the Bathurst globe wheels are so old.. heaps of tread, but heaps of age cracks also. i had only pretty much picked it up with the help of BGDAV(just joined OS today), and dropped it off at Daves till Saturday when it can go up on the hoist and see all the issues i didn't see when it was in the owners shed. it runs, it moves.. that's the extent known so far. currently a 1.6 and 5 speed as far as i know... probably will stay, its had a head gasket change, new alloy radiator and heater core and some other new parts and "rust bubble" repairs.. the paint is pretty crap, good excuse to paint something. has that "patina" everyone loves lately (haters gunna hate) i suspect finding wide 13" tyres might be difficult.. (wide and Cheap i mean) plans are to make it road worthy asap.. club rego and drive it places. (including Calder Park drag strip) has low kms.. doesn't mean much to me.. this wagon has been sitting in a shed for 2yrs doing nothing much. (cars that have sat for a long time usually have issues like stale fuel, gummed up brakes etc) anyway.. that's where it's at currently.. start up video.. bit of a glimpse inside.. needs a console surround.. etc

good idea! will you add some kind of hinged locking bar to the side to prevent drawers sliding out and tip over if it goes over some wonky ground? (filing cabinets are experts at this trick, dangerous too)

it has a pet cock type drain on it, i've drained it somehow in the past to check it. not recently though. i found a pic i took when the wire for injector pump shorted out(rubbed through insulation near the bell housing so i hotwired it to get the van to auto elec(needed tow truck home due to 9pm at night in middle of nowhere) The fact it was kind of suddenly gutless was My concern, i had a bolt come loose inside the timing cover in My diesel gemini and it made the belt jump 2 teeth, i retimed it, and was lucky it didn't bend any valves.. replaced the belt and was good for 20,000kms + until i sold it recently. when that timing jumped it was gutless and extra smokey (one mechanic just said, mate.. needs a new engine.. suffice to say i went home and diagnosed it myself)

it has 2 filters, one's an odd one i can't find a number on it, i did change the other. it pumped with the hand pump through the first unchanged one, i recall the previous owner saying that one (possibly a water trap?) almost never got changed in the 500,000kms Thanks for the reply, the tank has a drain bung, and i did drain off a few litres last year to check for water etc, it looked as new(does that algai/bug sit on the bottom or top?) i'm not going to get to it real soon, but i appreciate the heads up. i'll keep you updated of what i find. i'll have to check the belt before i even move it to muck around with fuel filters or the fuel tank.

forgive me, i haven't read any posts in this thread yet. and this post is quite long for the relevant info rather than 20 posts. i have some questions about My 1987 Mazda van E2200 with R2 diesel. the engine should only have approx. 100,000km on it (van has 500,000, but previous owner said the engine was replaced with a BRAND NEW, not reco engine 80,000 km before i got it and i've done approx. 20,000km) i assume it's due for a timing belt for age and kms( no idea how old the engine is but the 20,000 i did was in the last 6yrs) the last time i drove it, it had sat for 12 months or more and that was over 12 months ago also(so done 20km only in 2 years now) main reason i haven't driven it, is i'm too scared incase the belt has jumped a tooth. last time i drove it, it stalled at idle at traffic lights and was more gutless/slow than usual. (it starts very easily still, i accidentally started it cranking the motor to check the battery in summer 9months ago, fired up within one revolution or less without glow plugs) just wondering if the stalling/gutless is likely caused by timing belt(danger fix immediately) or could it be fuel stale(had a stabilizer added 6months after being parked 18months ago) or could it be something else(rat nest in the air box? ) cracked fuel hose sucking air?(idles too smooth for that i would think) i've had several reasons i haven't looked at it, back is sore, red back spiders are under it everywhere .. can't really afford to take it to a rip off mechanic, i don't trust them to break it anyway.. (brooom brrooom crash... oh yeah it was the belt mate, needs a new engine now.. cheers) Thanks in advance for any pointers, places to check etc. i did wonder if the valve lash might need checking(zero lash?) but can't find any info online about the engine and haven't lifted the rocker cover to see if they are even adjustable.

not sure about the 4cyl cars,(if there's space in the bell housing) But My Dad fitted a BW51 from EFI falcon XF to a leyland P76 V8 but never ended up using it, blew up several BW35s, and then adapted a C4 to the BW bell housing (he was a fitter and turner) that was behind it for years in a Mk1 Transit (broke the flex plate twice after though, but this wasn't that uncommon anyway.)

there's another thread somewhere, possibly that forum. GTR TORANA HATCH lots of pics, has a LX hatch with full GTR Skyline 4wd grafted in(including the floors) not finished or updated last i looked. https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/426700-torana-lx-gtr-hatch-lots-of-pictures/ http://i664.photobucket.com/albums/vv2/turbo76lx/A9X hatch/IMGP2387_resize_zps670c2b58.jpg http://i664.photobucket.com/albums/vv2/turbo76lx/A9X hatch/20131006_173611_resize_zpsd86a75fc.jpg

I'm enjoying this rescue you have. hope you don't mind my sharn below. My uncle had a 4cyl 4 door manual (Melbourne AU) about 20yrs ago, he loved it as a daily driver.(used to run on the smell of an oily rag) i don't remember what happened to it but he bought a 6cyl one for parts and just ended up driving that one instead even though it drank heaps of fuel by comparison. i once saw one(originally a 4cyl) with a rover 3.5 V8 fitted, the owner said all he needed to do was make engine mounts as the auto trans was same type as the marina 4cyl. was looking to change the diff for a better ratio though. it was still registered as a 4cyl though. no idea if 6cyl brakes and diff were better suited.

this has been one of the most interesting and entertaining builds I've seen recently.

this guy has an epic build thread on a UC to LX Torana hatch, heaps and heaps of custom touches and drillium ITBs with LPG injection looks like he's made his first video on it, the thread will keep you busy for a while (60 pages) http://www.gmh-torana.com.au/forums/topic/66597-heaths-hatch/

i can't remember if i found this guys channel in this thread or elsewhere. but the wood working tool builds are awesome. (plus he built the log cabin by himself also, one month a year while on vacation) there are several playlists.

his mountain bikes are impressive also, made his own shock absorbers and the way the rear wheel mounts is unique also. they are on his channel also

Thanks for sharing this one! This thread is amazing. 144 pages, i'm blown away so far(upto page 13, skimming through luckily lots of photos.. ) machining dies to press out shapes for the seat belt bolts as per original on the inner sills was enough, but the bead roller tools he makes is just as impressive. loved the way he balanced the rotisserie also, very very neat thread.

not really a build thread, but an awesome machine. 2 half cuts in one buggy (put one in 1st/ other in reverse = stationary 4 wheel burnout .. actually 8 wheels, because they are double stacked. also front and rear steering for turning radius x eleventy)

It's Ben Modified, (been very quiet for the last 2yrs) has a lot of oddball projects. this playlist is for his V8 hijet ute. getting a transmission(was one speed direct drive first) he's got a autobianci microcar with 1000cc motorbike engine fitted and a subaru micro van with motorbike engine also, V8 bug, pedal/electric motorbike he built.

QUICKSHIFT.tv also have a red supra they haven't finished it, but there's some very cool tech being used to make the 5 litre V12 handle 1000hp. (rods are weak for starters) go back to episode 1 if interested.

pretty much every video contains some badass cars, but this 1UZ into subra with rear mount turbo and massive cams (sounds glorious at 7500rpm ish) there's no playlist so you'd need to just change the search to ep2 ep3 etc

Homebuilt By Jeff Alfararri (Ferarri V8 to Subaru BRZ 6 speed into Alfa 105) pretty much does it all himself, and it's getting close to finished

if you enjoy some Aussie banter, and budget builds using junk the "birdawg" budget 8 second 1/4mile goal from a XM falcon sedan with turbo 5.3

TasTuned playlist of the "mini Dale truck" budget built cool burnout car. (also has a motorbike engined go kart hotrod thing and some other cool projects)

Johnathan W has a lot of interesting videos, made his own motorbike, has a lot of barn find revival type videos if you enjoy them. builds hotrods out of junk (playlist below of one)