Vintage Grumble

So I met this guy Dave my last year of high school. A year or so later he came into my work (wreckers yard) looking for a fan for his off roader, which he had just purchased from his little sisters boyfriend (who had purchased it from a work mate, who had originally built it in the 90s) He said I should come see it sometime. I went to have a gork at it some time later, but it was out of action due to the steering rack being broken (steering geometry was all wrong) Dave had worked on it on and off for years, but never got it drivable again. I'd had a crush on it ever since I first laid eyes on it, and pined hard to go for a hoon in it. The off roader then spends most of it's time hidden in a shed, I see it now and then due to me ending up married to Dave's little sister (who I wouldn't have met if I hadn't gone to see said off roader, and started hanging around with Dave) 18+ years after I first saw it, Dave loses interest and decided to sell, so I snap it up. One little problem though, I've never been able to drive it, because it's always been broken, and because my 6'4" ass don't fit in it. That's the first thing I'll sort, so I have cut the front off it, and will extend it about 120mm. It's a bit of a kit set at the moment, due to Dave starting on fixing a few of it's design issues but not finishing them, and from me stripping the front to extend it. I want to get it drivable pretty quickly, and then will work on modifying/upgrading a few things I don't like. A few pics. Just before cutting the front off, Boxes full of bits, Like all cool things, it has a live rear axle, with a gay ass 4x motorbike shock set up, one of the things I want to change. It's powered by a late 80s GSZ600 engine, that makes about 80hp. It also came with a spare engine, which I hacked out of this bad boy, I've had this in the shed for quite a while, but haven't let myself touch it until I finished a few other projects, and sold off a few other things. Super excited about getting stuck into this, and one day being able to hoon it after nearly two decades of pining. Regards, VG.

We didn't discuss this at the meating, but I assume we will run a $20 entry fee to pay for support vehicle gas and food, as we did last year. If anyone has a decent 5+ seater vehicle (with internal storage would be ace) that can tow a trailer (I can supply a decent tandem most likely) and is interested in being support crew, please let us know. You will be worshipped as the god you are.

Shingle Shenanigans Forest Frolics The Urewera Undertaking The Dicky Tour Hot Cock Calamity The Urewera Taint Tickler The Grand Gravel Gala Sauteed Snag Stunt Road Rash Romp Amazing Anus Annihilation Adventure Eastern Bay Vagrant Voyage

What about Sausage Fest? Oh wait ....

Waikaremoanacapade, puhuhu.

Meh, you did more to it than I did, haha.

Planning meeting underway.

Yeh, back of the pack Dan/Ruckus guy, now has a 125 Grom, so the position is open for slow guy.

I'll do some research and get back to ya'll.

I would like to do Whakatane to Waikaremoana, camp the night there, then to Gisborne for a night, then back to Whakatane via Motu. Would have to be a bit more self sufficient with food/gas/camping gear and so on, and its a lot of gravel, but would be a good ride I reckon. I can't speak for the local lads, but I get the feeling there wasn't much excitement to do the cape again, but I could be wrong.

I don't remember selling you that seat?

Actually, they might be for kill switches?

I got me an air filter, just fits, hits the mudguard under full compression or full lock, but good enough. Also got a stand alone throttle, might bend the bend in the cable to straighten it up a bit. Couldn't find the banjo fittings I needed for the oil cooler, so cut up the std lines and a pair of hydraulic fittings from work. Easy flowed them together, neat. Fitted the oil cooler lines, fuel line and a few other bits n bobs (after stripping it to paint parts of the frame) and decided to play around with the wiring. Then realized there was no reason not to start it, so had a crack. 3 kicks and it was away. Haven't played with the carb, but it seems to run well and is super responsive/crisp. Muffler needs some packing or something, as it's stupid loud, which is understandable as it's just a ribbed tube at the moment. One thing I haven't worked out, is what these wire are for. They seem to put out about 4-5 volts at idle, and come out of the CDI. I was hoping one was the AC (charge coil?) out put, but that wouldn't come from the CDI would it? I think my motor may not have a charge coil, which I'll have to remedy. Yeh wires make no sense to me, lols. Regards, V "electronically impotent" G.

So I got a big ass fancy ol carb from @Raizer which came complete with delicious and entertaining packaging, I set about making a stainless manifold for it, this is the first thing I have ever Tig welded, so didn't complicate things with filler. I had to mount it facing forwards for several reasons, I then made a mount for the oil cooler, this is about the only place it would fit, didn't have to cut the leg shields, The donor bike didn't come with any foot pegs, so I made a set. I nicked the rubbery foot bits from my velo bike, which came from an NC50 I think? I will strengthen these up in the future, Then I set about mounting the muffler, couldn't decide to go big angle or straight out, until I realized it would be a cunt to mount it low down, I made a mount (which took a lot longer than you would think) to mount the muffler, it hangs down just in front of the rear shock, Once the muffler was mostly mounted, I set about making the header, out of stainless tube (as that's what I had at work with the correct ID for the exhaust port) It came out pretty well, hopefully it doesn't crack/fall off too quickly. I then trimmed the leg shield to clear the motor and pipe. Bent the kick start a tiny bit to clear the muffler, Its on quite an angle, but looks OK I reckon. I then cracked open the China oil cooler to have a nose. The silicon was blocking half of the galleries, so glad I opened it. I also magic'd the green off it while it was apart, I made some gaskets for it, but I might make some more out of thinner material, 3mm is a bit thick. I also ported the insides of this a bit to help with flow. Annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd that's where I'm up to. Reagrds, V "taken forever to do fuck all" G

I think it's the lack of dish that looks odd to me, as it's always had a bit. I might try shine them up a bit, or go full retard and paint them white.

So I haven't had a spare wheel for ages, and decided I should get one before I get caught out. I ended up buying a whole set of wheels off @jono007 who was nice enough to drop them off at @Truenotch pad, and he was nice enough to store them for a while. Thank you gentlemen! I decided to fit a set of tyres to them and use them over winter, as my semis are bald and are quite scary in the wet, and I still haven't had my promesh repaired. I've never been so confused by a set of wheels in my life, they are kinda so gross they are Kool, or are they? Regards, V "confused half mongrel" G.

Gedoutofityamongrel!

330kgs!?!?!?

I see a camera on the fire wall, you better post some videos young man! Also, where did you get that hat? I must have one.

Is that an Ed I see there? So that's where he's been.

So, ain't used this much in the last year and a half, infact it's been sat in the shed the last seven months. Thought I better start using it, so I charged the battery, gave it a quick clean, and obtained a WOF. This morning I felt semi motivated, so set about fixing a few things that have annoyed me for ages. Since I got it back on the road about six years ago, the fuel gauge hasn't read correctly/won't show over 2/3rds full. I whipped out the sender (luckily it has an inspection hatch for the sender) and held the float lever against it's full stop, it still wouldn't show over 2/3rds full. I then opened the little box on the sender, and it seemed the wire coil is wearing out, and the little arm that rubs against it wasn't contacting properly, so I gave the little arm a tweak. I teasted it and it now reads darn bloody close to full, not perfect, but much closerer. Next I pissed around with the hatch latch, as the hatch has never sat down on it's stoppers properly, and kinda sits on the latch mechanism. Managed to free the latch and adjust it, and by hoki, it now shuts nice and toight, which has the awesome side effects of not letting exhaust stank in, and has banished about 78% of the rattles in the car, huzzah! The other thing I did a while back was modify my catch can, it used to be empty, so did a shit job at taking oil mist out of the air, so it's now full of steel wool and fancy shapes, and let's no oil mist out at all, rippa. I have some fittings to connect it to the back of the filter plate, so next time the plates out, I'll slap that in. Next on the list, is to give it a rangi tune up, as it runs ridiculously rich, so I'll have to acquire the bro in law, so he can muck round with that. I still haven't sent the rims away to be fixed, fucks sake VG. P.S. I really like driving this car.

The callipers will expand a bit under heavier braking I'd say, so will have to use spacers I'd imagine? Happened with my Corolla, sweet as until I braked hard, then calliper hit wheel. I machined a tiny amount off my rims to sort it.

Its no Lexus, but i'll allow it.

Sounds heavy?

Modified stationary engines?