CUL8R

Hey mate I own a car trailer, but honestly for time/pissing around shifting it out I dont bother for stuff like this, stropping it down, dropping off and taking it back home. I just use Ashley's tow taxi's, cost me approx $100 from within Chch to the other side of town, they collect it, strop it down , and saves me 2 hours of faffing about (by the time you load it, deliver it and come back home and unhitch). Also if its low or not running the best it can be winched on, and layflat beds on the tow truck from memory

In my experience the Late 80's to Early 2000's Hiace are the same as your Hilux's - as in the splines, with drum brakes standard. They will use the same head and axle flange bolt pattern, however I believe the 5.1 Ratio has a notch in the housing for the larger Crown wheel (in itself that is quite a rare one, much like finding a 3.7 or 3.9) There's different types of housings, a centre style with the axle tubes welded in, and more of a 2 stamped halves housing then welded style if I remember correctly? I used to prefer the Leaf Spring Diffs over say the Hilux Surfs, as it meant less brackets to cut off. I had run a mix of Hiace,Hilux, Hilux Surf, and Prado. I think certain Landcruiser could be used also Johnny race will no doubt set the record straight

Im pretty sure there's a guy Darren in Australia that gets NOS hinges made in the Philippines or something. He has about 3 gemini's from memory - he used to have a Gypsy Gemini Van that he restored.. I used some brass doll house hinges from Bunnings on my petrol flap with some araldite way back when..

Go see Chris @ Chamberlains Suspension. He can either match the coils of what you have or custom build new coils, reset factory ones ( I believe their Coiling machine is out of action at the moment however ) . They can also make blocks, and install it all for you too. If its a old enough car I wouldn't recommend resetting your factory coil springs, as they've most likely sagged over the years and will re-settle unevenly 9/10...

Ive had success in dealing with Performance Transmissions - think he was Auckland based from memory. He had what I needed that no one else could supply in NZ https://www.performancetransmissions.co.nz/index/

What about adapting the column from the hiace, and putting the steering universals / guts out of the thames van?

Rather than a bolt, why not put studs in and then you just have a nut to worry about?

Nice job, is that with you in the car for the Scales & Corner weights?

Yea got the mounts in - wasn't anywhere near as scary as I suspected, didn't solve my shifter problem. It was missing 4 of the Mid Mounts. One front body mount is rusted away - which I knew about and needs to be fixed for repair cert. Im guessing its actually a repro stamping issue. Have some bucket seat floor brackets that should've left on Monday after being out of stock for a couple months, so once those arrive I can weld them in and then be able to re-fit the seats.

Oh that was good, I didn't know you were specifically after one. Just thought it was of interest lol

Thought it might be of interest!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/371096506262022/posts/4588602941178003/ "Geddes Speed Ali manifold,for MK 3 zephyr to suite downdraft Weber carb, new old stk brought but never been mounted on a engine make an offer"

Why not just cut a end off the rail and weld a -AN fitting on for a return?

Have you tried backflushing the radiator? My Gloria when I got that had been sitting for 15 years or so, I think it ended up getting backflushed for about 40min before the water ran clear The other thing you can do it put a cup of soda washing crystals in it, run it for awhile and then dump it out. Also I think Griffiths Equipment based in Auckland sell reproduction centrecaps for the Aungers..

@ Alex, you could give the hole more of a dimple too to help with the runoff

No lockdown skids Im afraid. Need to fit new body mounts so the trans clears the tunnel (and then I can fit the shifter) I got a set airfreighted over but left them at work on the day lockdown was announced

So the car was originally a Malibu - SBC 10 Bolt & Th350 Auto. Built in Kansas City Missouri Now it has a Rebuilt 402 BBC, 12 Bolt Diff with 3:73 Gears. New Fuel tank & Carter Electric pump, New Boot Lid. New Floor Pan & Boot floor, and rear quarters - all will need some fettling to get up to NZ compliance standard. I have inner fenders waiting at Kiwi Shipping - with a ever growing pile of parts..

Ever since I'd had it the steering wheel was on the turps, removed the steering wheel and boss kit to re-index, however this can only go on one way, so as I like doing everything the hard way. I re-indexed the steering column on the steering box.. (Photo's from the weekend after being washed and rear springs installed)

Tidied up the welds topside & underside, painted with black Zinc it.. Then began my pedal conversion - all the parts bought as parts of a bolt in conversion. Z Bar Bracket (shown here below the brake booster) needed about 5 degree slice and dice with the welder to line up properly. This was followed by a 3 hour marathon - Pedals in and out without intructions, powdercoating in one of the clevis holes was stopping the clevis pin from going through, clips hard to get on/off the end. Hole-sawed the column/firewall bracket, installed the rubber boot & steel surround. Trimmed the carpet hole. Tidied the wiring a little and re-joined some wires I had to cut to remove the carpet.

This was followed by a late night weekend mission rifling through my bolts box trying to find gearbox to bellhousing bolts (as everywhere was shut and time of the essence on my day off). Ended up piecing together 4 bolts from my own pile and a friends pile, tapping the bellhousing to tidy the threads & running the die nut down 2 of the bolts that were too long. (Imperial bolts aren't what I have a great deal of) Interesting point I learnt, the SBC and BBC both share the same bolt pattern for bellhousings and clutches.. Installed this in the car lying on the garage floor with my trusty trolley jack and some strops for safety to avoid crushing myself, but came across my first stumbling block - the factory body mounts have sagged too much - my shifter sits too high even with the shortest trans mount. So fitted it up sans trans mount and shifter. Ordered some which turned up the day before the current lockdown, and I promptly left them under my desk #doh Cut the hole in the floor for the floor shifter stamping Tek screwed it on after trimming the floor. - I then used these holes for plug welding Stitched welded the edges. Filled in the holes in the firewall, and in the floor where the seat mounting holes had been punched through..

First things first, the next day after getting the car home, I installed the new rear KYB gas shocks & springs (binned the random springs & air shocks) - these were akin to replacing springs and shocks on a Hilux Surf - no room and non captive nuts made for a 3 hour ordeal - No room for a ring spanner let alone socket and with a stripped thread on one of the 4 bolts. Ended up carefully cutting the nuts off one bolt and then the rest went swimmingly. Removed the TH400 & lines - promptly listed them on Trademe. Among-st the purchases was a Muncie M21, with 10.5" flywheel, hurst competition pro shifter & Bellhousing - had been stored for about 20 years. I decided not to tempt fate & ordered a rebuild kit from Rock auto. Turns out it had most likely been rebuilt in the past as it was in remarkably good condition. However it had been slapped together and one syncro ring had ridden up on the syncro keys. Resulting in one mashed syncro and shards of Brass throughout the box. Installed new seals, bearings and gaskets. Managed to snap the stud on the reverse lever, - no biggy as this is quite common so drilled and tapped it instead. Had the housings blasted to clean it up

Gave it a wash and general inspection. Paint is about a 7/10, wiring from previous owner is interesting. Wipers don't work - cause well they don't exist lol. All of this I knew, and given the price one can't really cant complain. Haul of parts was sizeable, and I was like a kid at Christmas opening the packages up and consolidating them for space.. 4

Got it home safely, unloaded all the parts - I had the boot, interior and tray of the Ute loaded with boxes.- Glad I didn't buy the 70 conversion otherwise I'd have had to make 2 trips lol

Fast forward 2 and a half months and she's arrived. Collected it the day the weather decided to snow & sleet. Tried to fire it up but unbeknown to be (which in hindsight makes sense) they drain all the fuel from before it leaves. Winched it on the trailer and dragged it home. Found some photos of the previous owners handwork too

Before the car left I sussed a deal with the seller and found a set of SS wheels 15x7 - he paid for them and kept the current wheels/tyres for his superbee. Also came very near to buying the full 70 sheet metal conversion but decided to cool my jets and wait till the car arrived (as this was my first experience buying overseas) But I did hit the button on quite a few parts I had made a wishlist for as soon as I'd paid the deposit..