Popular Post f100_dreamin Posted June 18, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted June 18, 2018 So this is the reason I sold my VL Calais. A while back (when the Calais has no trans in it) this popped up on the Tard, I looked at it and thought oh if only the Calais was sellable. It stayed on my watchlist and to my surprise just didn’t sell. The price dropped and still no sale, unfortunately by the time I finally had the Calais legal again, the seller had put the price up and stated he was putting it through vinning. However the seed was planted and I was casually on the lookout for a piece of American iron, in the meantime a post from a guy looking for a VL Calais popped up on my Facebook page, and I thought worth a try and Ended up selling the car. the seller of the scamp also had a 68 big block caprice for sale so I sent him a message and he sent me a heap more photos, ended up being too rusty for me but I got talking to him and i mentioned that I was interested in the scamp but was gutted I had missed out because he had started the vinning process but it turned out that he had only had a pre vin check done and was willing to do a deal unvinned It is currently being sent up from Wellington so I should have it here Wednesday or Thursday. Pics: 22 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post f100_dreamin Posted June 18, 2018 Author Popular Post Share Posted June 18, 2018 Its running a 318 LA V8, recently rebuilt auto, AC, PS, it does have some rust but it’s an Arizona car so apparently a dry car. Floor pans look good, just general surface rust, Will need all the basics of Vinning: brakes, headlights, suspension bushes etc, rust: Suspension interior Needless to say I’m very excited and can’t wait for it to be delivered so I can work out what I need and start ordering parts from rock auto. 17 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f100_dreamin Posted June 18, 2018 Author Share Posted June 18, 2018 Discuss how my levels of bogan have move up the scale here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f100_dreamin Posted June 19, 2018 Author Share Posted June 19, 2018 Its here early!!!!! now the real fun starts, 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post f100_dreamin Posted June 20, 2018 Author Popular Post Share Posted June 20, 2018 I drove the car home from work, what a whale, (it’s funny it literally has the world smallest carb, I’m sure it’s about the same size as the one on the 235 blue flame 6 cylinder that’s in the wife’s Belair) this showed a couple of things that will need attention, the fuel and temp gauges don’t work, the power steering box has excessive free play in it but otherwise drove nicely, I showed the wife (so she understand why she won’t be seeing for a few months.....maybe longer) put it in the garage, lifted it up on ramps in the back and axle stands in the front, realised how much flex is in a pillarless car as if I had the axle stands behind the front axle centre line, the doors opened and closed noticeably less nice, can understand why it’s common to put subframe connectors into these vehicles and it’s definitely on the list of things to do after compliance have had a good look under and around the car and have come to conclusion that it really needs to have the under body blasted, it looks to be nice and solid, but there is a fair bit of rust/dirt scale. I’m going to go see a chap in Pukekohe that has been recommended to me to see how much it’s going to hurt to have it done. All the fixed hard hard fuel and brake lines will need to be replaced so I will get them out in the next week or two and get them re made and refitted. The brake line on the diff was obviously made too long so some ones fix for this was to wrap the fixed line around the axle tube, The RR 1/4 has rust starting to come through on the inside and out. Not enough to stop compliance so that will probably wait until afterwards. There is a little bit of rust in the LR spring hanger mount point in the chassis rail but it’s bugger all realistically so I’m happy. The PS box and pump both seem to leak, there is wiring to the gearbox that has been on the exhaust at some point and melted, there is sign of a trans pan leak, obviously the fuel gauge has been an issue as some one has rangi’d and earth wire to the sender unit, And rockauto has given my bank account a hammering tonight, I’ve ordered wheel cylinders, brake hoses, temp sender, pitman arm, idler arm, all inner and outer tie rod ends, engine gasket set, ps box and pump gasket sets, full poly urethane suspension bush kit, all four shocks (uprated KYBs), All upper and lower ball joints, i messed up and ordered 2x suspension bush kits, I’ve cancelled one so I hope that gets caught before the pick and pack it, and they refund me my money. Over all I’m super happy with it, I think it’s got huge amounts of potential and I can’t wait to get it legal and start tidying up the body and personalising it 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f100_dreamin Posted June 24, 2018 Author Share Posted June 24, 2018 So I had a call from FEDEX last week, When I ordered all my parts from Rock auto, I spent a heap of time doing it in smaller orders to keep it under the $400 limit to avoid GST, however because its all coming in on the same Plane Customs has stung me an extra $192 because they class is as one shipment, Lesson learnt there haha, Anyway Parts are in NZ and I should have them tomorrow or Wednesday, Will be like Christmas again, Photos to follow, 2 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f100_dreamin Posted June 25, 2018 Author Share Posted June 25, 2018 While I wait on parts to arrive I decided to start the long painful tedious job of underseal removal (as the guy who is going to blast and paint the underbody wants the underseal gone as the media he uses won’t remove it) got the right rear floor pan cleaned up, happy to report no holes haha, This is where the two rusty fuel lines were sitting (see above) Looks good under there as that was one of the areas of concern for me Also forgot to put these pictures up, they are of some receipts I found in the glove box, Auto trans rebuild receipt: Receipt for 4 tyres (hard to read in photo): and a registration receipt: Hopefully parts turn up tomorrow Discuss here: 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f100_dreamin Posted June 28, 2018 Author Share Posted June 28, 2018 Continued with the tedious job of underseal removal, 4hrs in and maybe 1/8th of the job is done. But it’s on the easiest parts to begin with so am expecting that to be faster progress than the other parts again I’m happy with the condition of things under the underseal, better news yet is that most of my parts have arrived from Rockauto and the contents just waiting on the ball joints to turn up now, 6 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f100_dreamin Posted July 14, 2018 Author Share Posted July 14, 2018 Progress has been slow due to having to do grown up stuff. The upside to this is that all going to plan my wife and I have purchased a new house that has a 70m2 American barn shed, so will be getting a hoist once we move in which will make working on cars so much better. The plan for now isto replace the wheel cylinders, replace the hard fuel line that I’ve removed already, and then I’m going to strip the roof so I can drop the car to the panelbeaters just before we move to get it out of my hair anyway I’ve replaced the rear wheel cylinders and sorted the extra long brake line on the diff before, too long and wrapped around the diff, Now, tidy, the right length and secured by the clamp I’ve also swapped the headlights out for a set of semi sealed ones with the correct lenses for NZ nothing major, but slowly chipping away! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post f100_dreamin Posted July 21, 2018 Author Popular Post Share Posted July 21, 2018 Pulled the back seat out today, found this Pretty cool to find the build sheet in such good condition 23 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f100_dreamin Posted July 30, 2018 Author Share Posted July 30, 2018 Ok so the house thing is all going to plan. The downside to this is that the people who are buying my house want a fast settlement. As in we have three weeks to pack everything up ready to move house. What this means for the Plymouth is that I need to get it to the panelbeaters to have the roof tidied up (where the factory leading has been removed and poorly bogged) and repainted. However I had started to replace brake components and had run into issues with the fixed lines braking. And I hate making brake lines, in all my years as a mechanic it has always been my most hated job, I had borrowed an SP tools double flare kit from @Shakotom however the 3/16 mandrel centre pin is bent and I couldn’t for the life of me get it to do a nice straight flare. So I stumped up and bought an Eastwood 3/16 double flare tool, It’s called an on car double flare, however you can remove the handle and mount it in a vice. The flares come out very nice and it’s way easier than using the conventional style double flare tool. Broken lines have been replaced. There are more that need doing but that can wait until we are in the new house and I have had the underbody blasted and painted, discussion here: 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post f100_dreamin Posted September 4, 2018 Author Popular Post Share Posted September 4, 2018 Well house move is completed, unpacking is about 65-70% done, which means I have been able to start working on the shed to make it a workshop as it has been converted into a living space, so is fully lined and insulated and has a heat pump (spoilt I know) however it has a kitchen and walls where I don’t need them. ive started on removing the kitchen carpet will be removed next. And today I ordered a hoist, got a new 4 ton single phase motorex hoist so should have that in the next week or two then will move the walls on the other side of the barn and life will be good, anyway while this had all been happening the car had been at my Panelbeaters to have the roof stripped and repainted (but mainly to get them to store it while we moved) went and had a look today, overall the roof is in good condition, and we are just waiting to have the screen removed so we can see what’s hiding under the seal And today my new tyres turned up will get the wheels to the steel surgeon to be widened once I get the car back from the panelbeaters and then have the wheels painted to match the roof, and will hopefully get a set of dog dish hubcaps or some spun bullet centres slowly doing heaps of jobs that have no bearing on getting it legal haha 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f100_dreamin Posted September 4, 2018 Author Share Posted September 4, 2018 Discuss Fred here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f100_dreamin Posted September 12, 2018 Author Share Posted September 12, 2018 Rear screen is out and it’s good news, no significant rust, just a bunch of scale, it’s being cleaned up now (and any Pinholes being sorted) and then the roof can be painted and the screen refitted. Hanging out to have this home again so I can work on it. In other news The car sounds like it has a collapsed lifter, so today I ordered a comp cam/lifter/double row timing chain/valve spring kit from Summit racing. I hadn’t planned on it but if I was going to go to the effort of replacing lifters I may as well upgrade stuff. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f100_dreamin Posted September 17, 2018 Author Share Posted September 17, 2018 Gotta love it when the fedex man arrives. Just received this from Summit racing, ordered Wednesday the 12th, delivered to NZ on Monday the 17th. Can’t complain at that. Panelbeaters says I should have the car back Friday. Then it’s all go! 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post f100_dreamin Posted October 3, 2018 Author Popular Post Share Posted October 3, 2018 Finally got the car back from the panelbeater, am very happy with how it’s come out, still need to move one more wall in the garage so I can get the hoist installed, but I’m currently swamped by the multiples of jobs that need doing when you first move into a new house, also we have a 1978 Anglo caravan that we are making useable for the family Xmas holiday so hopefully I can find some time to do more work on this haha 17 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f100_dreamin Posted October 10, 2018 Author Share Posted October 10, 2018 Because Cletus reckons drum brakes are lame. I bought some VJ valiant disc brakes, different stud pattern (5x4.5 instead of the 5x4 the vehicle currently has) but hoping I can make Something work from them, got 4x callipers, 2 Aussie A body Disc brake spindles, upper an lower control arms, torsion bars and steering linkages. Really only wanted the spindles and 2 callipers, but for $350 (including shipping from Dunedin to Auckland) I couldn’t complain, once I’ve used what I need, I’ll stash the rest for a rainy day. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f100_dreamin Posted October 21, 2018 Author Share Posted October 21, 2018 Started to pull the VJ valiant brakes apart, looks like they should bolt straight in, lower ball joints are different in the steering arm between the Plymouth and valiant but the bolt pattern is spot on Upper ball joints look all good too, I’ve decided that When I get new rotors I’ll get them redrilled to siut the SBP (5x4) so i can keep the 14” steelies (as long as they fit over the brakes) i gave the car a clean and decided to sit the eagers by it, gives a rough idea of the look I’m going for 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f100_dreamin Posted October 22, 2018 Author Share Posted October 22, 2018 So I knocked the studs out of the front rotor and assembled the brake calliper, went to throw the wheel on but unfortunately the centre bore is too small so while it looked like it would clear I’ll never know, I guess I’m on the the lookout for a cheap set of valiant 14” rims although I’ve spotted a set of 14x7 hotwires on trademe for 420, only problem being is that they are in Southland, 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f100_dreamin Posted January 13, 2019 Author Share Posted January 13, 2019 Long time no yarns, haven’t had much chance to work on this as leading up to Xmas I was working on the family caravan so we could go away in it. Managed to get stuck into it today, started removing parts so I can remove the motor, trans, fuel tank and rear end so that I can continue the process of stripping the underbody so I can have it inspected by a repair certifier before I take it for compliance had to take on some extra help pulling it apart it seems that the previous owner in the US of A had spent a bit of money to get this back up and running reliably it’s got a rebuilt Carter carb, Pertronix Ignition, with a flamethrower coil, new AC pump and hoses (although it had a bunch of leaks so it had already de-gassed itself) am going to build a cradle so I can drop the engine and trans out of the bottom of the car as one, Will continue the updates over the next couple of days 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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