Jump to content

Dean's (deankdx) 1981 Holden Gemini wagon on a budget (Melbourne Australia) 2litre G200z upgraded


deankdx

Recommended Posts

1 September 2019

lots of nothing for more months

i decided i'd rather not spend all day sanding and painting the bonnet for this car if possible, so put a wanted ad on facebook,  $100 offer for non blistered maranello red bonnet within 100km if possible. 

 

one was offered about 50km away so i went and got it.. better condition rust wise also. 

paint is better than on My roof, but still not perfect. definitely good enough for Me though

 

pics of the IMPROVEMENT. should polish up well when i get time soon(daylight savings)

 BEFORE

0zc2IOe.jpg

 

 

tV8p5J2.jpg

tV8p5J2.jpg

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 154
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • deankdx

    155

Top Posters In This Topic

1 April 2020

 

it's finally fixed.. Noooo, not the gemini..(check the date)

  but i did buy something today due to bargain and cool factor (old skool cool)

a set of 13" x 5.5" magnum wheels.  amazingly light and look a LOT easier to polish than the bathurst globes i also have and like..(currently fitted with semi slicks)

these i suspect will find their way onto the wagon, with the 205/60/13 Federal 595 that Ando76 suggested to run on his cortina (for sticky street tyres) when i'm rich.. i have half a feeling i'll be down the wreckers buying a set of 175/65/13s off some Hyundai to slap on them first.

need to find a couple of cheap centre caps and give them the polish up (black outs and at min a steel wool shine up)

ad photo for now

0n1DoAj.jpg

 

i want that center cap logo now..  or something that's suitable, saw a Holden logo that might even suit.

found and bought NOS caps for these mags, they arrived today.
i'll need to drill out the broken screws and find some fancy cap screws (button head maybe even if i tap a thread in them)

BEFORE...

84gc42R.jpg

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

28 April 2020

went a bit nuts on this wheel today,  i sanded the other and it came up well quite easily .. this one has pitting, and sanding was painful.. so out came the strip wheel..

did a fairly good job of getting rid of the larger scale and cleaning out the pitted section.  next episode will be the 400 wet and dry again and see how it comes up.  not ever going to be perfect without getting stuck in a lathe(not happening on My watch)

this attachment from supercheap might also be handy for your wheels in some spots hard to hand sand(around the wheel balance lip etc. it's not super aggressive, but definitely puts scratches in that will want sanding out.. but it might take some stubborn marks off (i'm using it to remove/clean some badly pitted areas on these mags.

tpoOGYH.jpg

Et5wfg7.jpg

 

spent a few hours searching for center cap decals.. NON EXISTENT in My opinion. 

but, the option of sticking some other brand(like US RACING, or SPEEDY or some Chinesium branding.. nah, not feeling it) 

i came across sticker dude on ebay, and asked if he could replicate a sticker.. same day he came up with "close enough" in Vinyl for $6  made My day..

this will give Me more motivation to make the wheels shine i think.   

best cap decal i could find wasn't a full face, but it's pretty awesome if it comes out as pictured.

4lCMgGy.jpg

 

vvYeUO5.jpg

 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 May 2020
 

Pick a Part had a sale on $12 per tyre on Steel Wheels (any tyre, even if it was a brand new yokohama 17" etc.. if they had one) naturally going after a weekend leaves the selection very very slim.. but lucky for what i want.. 13" tyres are not a big seller especially in brands no one's heard of.

 

i originally was looking at them thinking, looks like a good tyre/tread pattern and NEAR BRAND NEW.. but Viking, sounds Cheap.. when i looked them up, they are made By Continental.. Woo!, DECENT..

SO, these will find there way onto the magnums sooner or later.. cheap starting point. need fitting and balancing done at some point, if only i knew someone that could so without costing a fortune or taking 6months or longer

 

SEE THE MADE BY CONTINENTAL IN THIS PIC

aI17t3j.jpg

RNmgF2k.jpg

gk5J0bm.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

26 June 2020

not sure if you'll be able to see the difference in this photo. 
but there's 3 or 4 sections different in this wheel..
 

sanded with 340, then, 600 then 1000. then steel wool. (i think i'd like to get 2000 paper or similar actually, it sands easy if not trying to remove every mark) 

 

another spoke is just  340 then steel wool.

 

the rest of the wheel is just steel wool after the nylon wheel.. (can definitely see swirly scratches in it from this) 

 

i'm going to buzz the lip with the flap disc i reckon

 

kE6W1cu.jpg

YiHjEFW.jpg

S2XjKAf.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

27 June 2020

depends how shit the wheels are to begin with.. the nylon wheel pictured below I used first.. it's taken out a lot of pitting and scratches and the marks it leaves are easy to sand off with 340 grit wet and dry..  they could be polished with the buffing wheel from that i reckon, but it makes a big difference polishing up from 1000 grit.. and no doubt 2000 even(not sure what grit the steel wool equates to, but it does definitely clean up the scratches to some degree also).

 

so the method going forward is, 340 after the nylon wheel (ish.. if i run out of 340, and find i only have 400 or even 240 i'll use that first. )  

maybe 800/1000  then steel wool.. 

 

i'm going to flap disk the rim edge to clean it up..  I MAY file it if i can clamp the tyre out of the way.  (i decided i'm not paying for tyre stripping separate to strip and fit of the new tyres.. will do it all in one go)
i'll ask the condition of the beads before they fit the tyres though, as that's where ALL 4 of the current tyres leak.  might ALL need sealant there.

hHs3I0S.jpg

XpJh8mH.jpg

1YLvBse.png

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 July 2020

almost 2 years Later and i FINALLY found out this HOT CAM,  is a CROW (not listed on their cam catalogue) 

it's a lower lift, almost same lift as the mild cam currently in it( part number 782507) and same LSA but duration is slightly more than the second biggest on their chart 

page 22 on the crow cam catalogue for gemini cams if anyone wants to give their opinion https://www.crowcams.com.au/Portals/0/Crow2020/CrowCams2020.pdf?ver=2019-12-18-095023-240

not sure how that relates to drivability? 
what's likely the difference between a cam with longer duration but lower lift, to a higher lift shorter duration?

will it rev like a HOT CAM (3000-7000) due to duration? or is that a characteristic of lift?  
I've asked that question also to Crow, see if they reply or not and i'll update if so. 

 

 

PART NUMBER 78670ohc Date 10-JULY-20
Cam type: Asysmetrical profile Read in Head
Advance Ground on Cam: 1 Lobe separation: 107

.075 VALVE TIMING ( Measured at the valve with no lash )
Inlet opens: 11 BTDC Closes: 43 ABDC .075 Duration: 235
Exhaust Opens: 45 BBDC Closes: 9 ATDC .075 Duration: 235
ADVERTISED VALVE TIMING
Inlet opens: 39 BTDC Closes: 71 ABDC ADV Duration: 290
Exhaust Opens: 73 BBDC Closes: 37 ATDC ADV Duration: 290
Inlet lobe lift at TDC on the over lap:
Valve lift Inlet: .4225 Inlet Rocker Ratio: 1.00
Valve lift Exhaust: .4248 Exhaust Rocker Ratio: 1.00
Valve Lash Inlet:.008 Valve Lash Exhaust: .010
RECOMENDED VALVE TRAIN COMPONENTS Kit Number:
Valve Springs: Spring height: Collets:
Retainers: Pushrod: Lifters:
H/D Timing Set:
These HIGH PERFORMANCE components should be checked for suitabilty by the
person installing them as engines of the same group can vary in
valve length spring installed height and collet grooves
IT THE SOLE RESPONSIBILTY OFF THE INSTALLER TO CHECK SUITABILTY
ALL ENGINES
To ensure your camshaft is the correct model for your application place
new cam next to old cam and check the following points
Do the lobes all point the same way
Are the holes or grooves in bearing journals the same
Is the distributor gear the same size and angle and position on camshaft.
Is the fuel pump lobe in the same place on the camshaft
ALL OHC ENGINES
The valve timing on overhead camshaft engines is severely affected by
factors such as head thickness, block heightand chain stretch. Therefore
it is critical for optimum performance to check the valve timing when
fitting a new camshaft, even on standard engines.
EP 78 Isuzu 1600,1800,2000
It is important to check the valve timing in these engines as timing varies
between models. OHC engines suffer from retarded valve timing if the head
and/or block has been surfaced

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 Months after that cold start video.. and we are up to date .. 

lots of "life got in the way" issues. 

it's still parked up with either a broken gearbox or diff, or both. 

plans are to pull the diff out first, or maybe drop the torque tube off just in case it's that simple initially. 

box is still stuffed, needs to come out, I'm not doing that without the engine coming with it(too hard.. engine out is 3hrs ish with box attached with an engine crane i need to borrow)
 

I sold the diesel gemini sedan i was using as a daily as it was getting too rusty to stay on the road and i didn't see any time to weld 50 patches in. (went to a good home, buyer reckoned he'd have it back on the road with no rust in 6 months which is about now ish)

i replaced it with an N15 SSS pulsar auto(traffic reasons) that decided to have a dead transmission soon after servicing it.. (suspect i emptied all the stop slip goop out? ) tempted to sell this as broken, not set up for big jobs here. replace it with a working anything or buy another pulsar and use this one for parts(kind of over them after this issue though)

Gemini wagon May end up a daily driver when fixed even. 

originally the delay in fixing it, was due to planning to put together the big port, big cam reco 2 litre engine first and just swapping that in when i did the gearbox. but now i'm leaning towards wanting a reco 5 speed for that engine, it will have more power and i'll likey use it, so 2nd hand boxes may not last either. 

i did look at that $100 engine on the stand and think.. i still haven't started that up yet.. so that may get half a day rounding up bits to assemble for an old start also.

 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...