Tarran's GX Mark II's No. 2 & 3

[J-Calico]

WALL O' TEXT

Skip if you like, if your bored, read it through.

tis' like a novel.

Not a happy way to start a thread I understand, but relevant to me stumbling upon this vehicle.

On Dec 2nd of last year (the twentyten/2010) whilst at work I got a pretty upsetting phone call from a good

mate. Another very good mutual friennd of ours had tragically passed away that night before.

Many people knew him, infact I saw Markku(truenotch) at his funneral in Ashhurst, so no doubt Simon also knew

of him aswell, as he was a Hurst local.

I sort of lost it, left work and fel like I needed to be around people who knew him too, and went to a friends flat

close by. After a few hours here where a few mates that knew him lived, I got quite hungry and decided to head home

to get something to eat, venturing the EX toward home.

As I passed the local countdown (cnr Rangitikei and featherston, opp Macca's) I did as i often do, and 'eyed out'

the cars in the car park. Im unsure why, (sometimes i see this pristine blue crown etc) and on this occasion I spy

what appears to be a facelift GX61 MarkII sedan. I think to myself, shit, thats the first time I've seen another one

in Palmy, as i drive past, perpendicular to the front on the car, which is pointing out toward featherston.

And then I see it...

The front grill,

or rather more importantly something in/on it.

A Badge,

Twincam24.

'You have to be fucking kidding me' i think, I wasnt sure if there many in NZ (maybe a exhaggeration) ,

let alone my own 'backyard' so to speak, as i symiltaneously pull in for a closer look.

Its near the entrance, not that tidy, and as I swing behind it yet anther twincam badge greets my eyes.

Fender mirrors are M.I.A and the factory hubcaps are long gone, in their place are 2 Only X80 series markII

hubcaps. (how did they get the model right?)

I suppsoe its a bloody factory manual too, I think as i pull into a carparkone down from it.

(you have to understand im quite partial to this model, )

I park the lancer, walk up to it and peer in the window.

It Fucking is manual.

Interior trims pretty reasonable, quite diffrent to mine, more 'sporty', less plush 'button type kenworth/old couch style' interior.

Same as the one in the add I'd seen on youtube, (with the Japanese baseball star advertising it?).

Its rocking white sheep skin-style covers on the fronts.

I had to buy it.

4-5 cars gets pretty crazy, but I wanted(needed it, you guys understand more than anyone).

I got pretty excited (we we we so excited...)

I'd been driving the EX, illegal as hell (wof and reg are like 2 years out or something) for a couple of weeks

due to poor care/ignorance & subsequently running a bearing on 1st MarkII's 1GE-U, on the way home from a local OS meetup, (that was suppose to be a BBQ and wasn't) nonetheless.

This all felt wrong though, I'd just learnt of Sams passing and I was quite happy about something.

But I decided to stake it out and wait out the owner.

It was most likely an elderly couple, judging by the interior, who saw it as an appliance for A-B juties.

Waited a while, got hungry and went home for a bite then rushed back, hoping it was still there.

Again i waited, this time sitting in a lot across from it.

After some time, an elderly man came out and proceeded to open the boot.

I began my approach, I was pretty nervous and felt kina rude, I didnt know what the fuck to say,

sort of fucked it up, but told him I had a great appreciation for that model, and that i pretty much Needed that car.

He seemed semi-open to the idea, he said they had another car and he didnt often use this one, only to

go to the train station once a month and i guess for groceries now and then too.

He gave me his card and said to give him a call at some stage and we parted ways.

That saturday I called and arranged to view it that following weekend.

So the next weekend I took the Old man with me for a look and after awkward-ish convo with

him, I arrange to buy it the following weekend.

He was a kind old chap and I stayed in contact with him kinda.

(sorry for shit as pics, camera is crap and light conditions were bad, how it adapted to them was worse..)

Above is how it was right after i picked it up and toke her home. (wasnt far, only a few blocks/kms away)

Slightly neglected, but I wanted to change that.

Firstly it was to get it back closer to how toyota made it when it left the line.

[J-Calico]

tidied up a few things, got a set of X70 H/T markII wheel trims/hubbcaps for it from down south,( form the angle of the pic I thought that it had GX61 ones on it), Vast improvement on dirty old steels and 2 X80 hubcaps. They were on it for awhile until i spied a set of X61 trims on 'the tard' for fuckall and threw them on

Also got glovebox opening again, got the door opening sensor working, put another stock headunit in it, as the other one had fucked out.

cleaned it up a bit, removed the shit & poorly installed mud flaps etc.

small tidy-up type stuff.

[J-Calico]

Got Fenders mirriors for it.

after a huge hunt and getting ripped off last year.

the old fellow who I purchased it off said that he was sure it had them when it arrived, but the car yard dealer (i think?) hated them and took them off. What a dick.

Incidentally the first time it needed a wof,

I took it to the workshop where the old owner used to take it. (just up the road from him, not far from me either)

and the guy there said another customer popped in for something and said the markII was his old car and that he wouldnt mind it back, which must have been that dealer/s son, as the old fella had had it for many years, (since 95/7?) and the only other owner was the guy from the yard)

Hes not gettin' it back.

Was fucked off how crap and poorly done the door conversion ones were.

When i got it, the didn't even stay up and slumped down all the time, so were effectively useless.

Took off most of the gay pointless stickers from window/s glovebox lid etc. Left acouple for lowkey ness

Added a couple more appropriate ones

[J-Calico]

The interior was suprisingly quite tidy.

The factory steerer was the same style as my lower spec MarkII, but was leather trimmed arond the edge in the same dark brown as the some of the interior, which unfortunately but of course had not aged well with use and probably little care.

Threw on an old momo i had with the assistance of an MR2 momo bosskit courtesy of Tard-me, when i found out the hard way that cheap bosskits are super shit and cheap for a reason.

Also a silly large shifter, which i actually find quite comfortable to change with.

interior is slightly different in design and trim to my lesser spec one too, sadly the belts have been changed and the monting of the front ones is retardedly long.

[J-Calico]

Haven't done a heck of alot to the old girl.

When I first got it I was desperate to do oil and coolant on it, esp the later as the colour of the fluid was a little concerning/ lacking of a strong green tinge.

Did an oil change with a reasonably light weight oil and ryco a week or so after taking ownership of it, then another with

a slightly heavier weight and genunie toyota filter. (there such good quality, im sure they even pre-grease the o-ring haha)

With they advice of my cousin Trigger/MR4G63,

( //oldschool.co.nz/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=13789 )

I began purchasing a few genunie toyota items to tidy it up.

He pointed out leaking dizzy o-ring and rocker cover gasket/s and stated a few other things that would be

worth while to change.

Asked when cambelt was done etc

Learning from the king of do it once, do it right (properly) gets expensive

But hes right, and when everythings apart you may aswell do as muc has you can,

(like camshaft seals when doing cambelt etc)

Got a few things,

Then a few more things,

First batch was, Air filter, Oil filter, Plugs, Front & rear pads, fuel filter, Rocker cover GASKETS (two @ $112 each!)

Dizzy o-ring and thermostat.

Second batch was Cambelt, tensioner, pulley, a genunie bolt, a gen. spring for tensioner, Camshaft seals, crankshaft seal,

Rocker cover bolt o-ring bushes(16), Non-genuine (AC Delco) New Old Stock Water Pump via tardme (was cheap ) and genuine water pump gasket.

Will that pump be okay/ okay brand? anyone had good/bad experience?

Unfortunately I've only done the basic as I dont really have the space and time to do it all, busy as job and too many other cars!

Knocking it all out in one go seems the best way to do so.

Not driving it at the mo either, so in no real rush.

[J-Calico]

As this markII was more of an impulse buy want/need, it never really had a project direction.

I have a couple of sets of OS wheels now,

understandably, the best set were/are destined for the more involved and permanent MarkII project.

But since it will be a long way off getting done, I may slap them on the Twincam if I give it some low.

Ideally, i should sell this one and use the funds to tidy up then sell the EX, and also to contribute to the other markII's build.

(/buy a sweet F/L LS400 as a daily!)

but alas, funds are lacking due to so many cars,

(the fucking r34 eating huge funds for breakfast lunch and dinner and it doesnt even get driven much!) and new job/business.

First set was from here on good ole OS, from a True OSGC Rob/ 4AG_Addict ?

Never regret getting these wheels for what seems now like a very good price.

Thanks again Rob.

second set i got for around 300 in welly, Big thanks to Both KK and Richy (Snoozin) for getting these to me.

You may remember when they were also on here, no one is sure what they are, looks as they they ARE japanese though, as has JWL stamping (according to Zeb thats a fact?)

Could do dirty old cutties for looks/lols as have spare front shocks/springs for other markII's coilovers, or is that a

bit rough?

[J-Calico]

With they advice of my cousin Trigger/MR4G63,

( //oldschool.co.nz/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=13789 )

I began purchasing a few genunie toyota items to tidy it up.

He pointed out leaking dizzy o-ring and rocker cover gasket/s and stated a few other things that would be

worth while to change.

Asked when cambelt was done etc

Learning from the king of do it once, do it right (properly) gets expensive

But hes right, and when everythings apart you may aswell do as much has you can,

(like camshaft seals when doing cambelt etc)

Got a few things,

Then a few more things,

First batch was, Air filter, Oil filter, Plugs, Front & rear pads, fuel filter, Rocker cover GASKETS (two @ $112 each!)

Dizzy o-ring and thermostat.

Second batch was Cambelt, tensioner, pulley, a genunie bolt, a gen. spring for tensioner, Camshaft seals, crankshaft seal,

Rocker cover bolt o-ring bushes(16), Non-genuine (AC Delco) New Old Stock Water Pump via tardme (was cheap ) and genuine water pump gasket.

Knocking it all out in one go seems the best way to do so.

Not driving it at the mo either, so in no real rush.

Seriously, shit must be like in the $1000's worth of genuine parts, fuck they're not cheap.

Got my friends/(freind of Trigger's) Casey, a qualified mechanic to install all this /\

Said pads were near new, but changed them anyway (genuine toyota mo-fucker, you better have haha)

Belt tensioner was shagged. Good timing, lucky I have trigger to tell me the IMPORTANT palces to spend the money...

Good ole 'K.C' Now just wanting on WOF, Then prehaps an order of slam and seeing if the 'Wats Reps' Fit.

Sadly though, I think a sale may have to be on the cards soon...

Too many cars! not enough time& money. Same old story.

[J-Calico]

So Sadly I missed the 'brotaki' meet to do lower the Tohc markII.

Wanted to do it the day before but started late, didnt have the right tools etc. looks like this \/

[J-Calico]

At my mates place where we took to it. The rear is lowered with random springs he had lying around, the only ones there.

after I compared them with the factory rears once out and found they were a similar diametre, albeit much softer, I thought we'd try them uncut.

According to my mate there E30 BMW springs, from the FRONT of the car of all places.

Couldn't believe how well they sat, not even that uncomfortable, still a bit of travel and captive!

[J-Calico]

Swapped to a Nardi/HKB bosskit.

You really do get what you pay for.

HKB was pricey but worth it, so good having a proper boss for the car.

Old one was an mr2 item (correct splines etc, but indicator turn-off thing and horn wiring was wrong)

could have made it work with drill/wires etc but meh, stuff it.

Wheel from a local cat with s13 via 'the Tard' w/out horn button though..

(got the horn button & new HKB via the Tard also)

Also Got my starsharks!

Thanks so much to Richy, (THE Snoozin) for getting them to me from the big smoke/the city of sails

Rockin' 'em (& at stock height) because

sadly it got pink stickered

The guts inside the rear muffler rusted out and caused the last tail pipe piece to break around the weld and fall down,

almost to the ground.

This combined with a trip home on a Friday night around 12am from a friends didnt help once the local law enforcement

caught eye of it.

Obviously I didn't know about the exhaust, it was super bad timing and it hadn't made the car any louder.

Sufice to say once they saw the wheels, tires, height, lack of travel etc it wasn't looking promising.

Was really nice to the police though, (as always, it just seems to help so much)

and I think for that, in return the were pretty good guys about the whole thing.

No fines, just the sticker and drove it home.

Once they told me to check the tip, I just broke it off (car turned of by this stage) Was much louder as I drove off

Swapped back to stock susp, removed shifter, wheels etc and got it legal.

Incidentally it failed on some rust behind the rear wheels, got that fixed at a cost of $450

so it hasn't exactly been a cheap exercise, (even without fines) but at least I got it legal again reasonably quickly.

looks like this currently

admittedly though, do quite miss

will probably try tidy it up more, breifly restore it back to this /\ steez and throw it in the local jamboree thing next month

to get expressions of interest/please local O.S. authority if they so desire it be there.

[J-Calico]

Ole 'Twincam24' Was sold, then sold on.

(just recently for the second time)

Now in the capable hands of OS's resident GX61 O.G. the Z. E. B.

Couldn't be happier were it ended up, as I know he'll do it justice.

Replaced...

With that tidy GX71 H/T PFL from inver's.

Quite tidy considering a reasonable innings of 216k kms on the Odo.

Had it transported up, despite the fun that the mission to collect could have been.

Worked out about the same or cheaper, and so much easier! just sit back and wait a few days.

Sadly I dont really have the time currently, dont get enough done as it is

[J-Calico]

Time for low and...

or

Yet??

Im so keen to see it.

X70/71 peeps let me know what model 'coon springs to use and alike shocks for rear (and fronts..)