Valiant

Yeah you're not wrong there, maybe we could drop the instigator off out the back of Hanmer next time.

Hopefully it won't say guard rub anymore, then we can skip straight to the argument about 190e Cosworths.

Wow, this will drive so much better when it's put back together. Have a look at the spring eye and shackle bushes too, I bet they are in a poor state too.

Yeah mate it only took 5 years but I've done it. @yetchh, lowered your Zephyr yet?

Woah 5 years no update. But... I have done some things to this over the last year or so. Converting to LPG wasn't one of them as it turns out, but anyway. I took this to Hanmer last year and in the run up to that I took the opportunity to make a couple of upgrades. First and most important was to fit an LSD for increased hektikness. The car has a Ford 9 inch so finding a center wasn't a problem I wasn't sure about the True Track centers like this one. But I took the plunge and brought one, had it set up with my 3/1 Crown Wheel and Pinion and popped it in. In all honesty it's awesome, it reduced hektikness in all situations except for when required. The car is much nicer to drive in all situations, especially when it's raining. No more inside wheel spinning and twitching about, nice to park and do tight turns etc. Cost a bit to do but well worth it. Next up was to swap the little bucket seats out, it was time for them to move on. When you need new seats, there is no option other than tatty Recaros is there? Ultimately I'll get them recovered in maroon vinyl to match the rear seats etc but for now they are a huge comfort and ease of in/egress upgrade. I also got the sill trims vapour blasted, put the radio delete plate back in the dash, fixed the demister and connected the tubes etc etc. I think most importantly the SS Cragars are a thing of the past. It's now sporting a set of 15/7 steel rims from TWL with AU Falcon centers, I made a jig and welded some threaded lugs onto the centers to hold AP5 hub caps. Anyway pics. I'm very pleased with them to be honest. I'll clean the hub caps up and repaint the Valiant emblems on them. I have plenty to do yet before I'm happy with it. The exhaust needs to be raised, I want to paint the roof maroon to match the wheels, and a bunch of other things. Look forward to another update around 2022ad. Spin some sharns about it here.

There's some classy rust repairs being done here, nice work keep it up. It looks like there are some other interesting projects in the shed with your wagon? This makes me happy TBH, one of my first cars was an Escort wagon. I had the guards and front panel off, made a new radiator support etc too.

Front end rebuild will be the *perfect* opportunity to back those torsion bars off a bit.

Get a good wheel alignment afterward and it'll be so much nicer to drive.

Result! Do the other side while you're at it, do the whole front end even. I bet the lower arm bushes and ball joints are manky too.

I have a home made socket that "Goes hard for what it is" I find it is easier to do them with the arm on the car stil.l It's very hard / impossible to hold the arm in a vice without wrecking the arm. Could post it up to you if you pay post.

Nice work Josh. You should buy this too, you'd own the full set then.

You're a more patient man than I. Mine took a number of sledge hammer blows and went to the big slant six factory in the sky.

Nice to see another AP5 here, oddly mine had a cracked block when I got it.

Finally, a good sunny morning for some photos. The first two are my bike with a 16" Cub that the kids ride from time to time.

I'm not convinced by this "Safety Cletus" Can we have "Do some skids Cletus" back?