2140 replies to this topic

[Heath]

Nice to see you back here Mitch. Cheers.

 

Alright so let's get this thread a little up to speed.

 

Made some ally hatch hinge covers that my car was missing (used some from a mate's rusted/burnt out shell as a template):

 

Grabbed some brackets for the factory gas struts:

Much better:

 

Had some low pressure charge gas struts with nice chrome ends made to suit the fibreglass hatch lid:

 

Actually sourced another fibreglass hatch lid that was going to be a bit easier to get to fit. Also a *@&%. Asked for parts of the frame and skin to be left separated so that I adhere the two parts myself when clamped in position.

Further ugly repairs to try and get shit to fit better:

 

Built up various edges on flares, glass guards, hatch lid etc. with fibreglass resin and powdered filler to start getting the panel gaps under control. Fibreglass takes a lot of work in this way.

 

The rear spoiler was all too long, and the gaps weren't much good.

Cut the ends down and made a new piece to glass in:

Neatened up and cut to length:

Forgot to grab an after photo.

 

Hatch lock barrel also wasn't in the right position:

Also forgot to grab an after photo.

 

Took the bodywork about as far as I could on my own, cut it all back for epoxy:

Loosely bolted together to go to its new temporary home the next morning:

Edited by Heath, 10 May 2020 - 12:42 PM.

[Heath]

Another example of the edge building up on the hatch lid. Top corners were the worst area:

 

Also shows some manipulation on the inside of the frame. I got it better here, but not good enough really. Was running out of time before I had to get the car off.

Still had a bunch of parts left over though. Working on the front spoiler:

Fibreglass bumpers:

 

Celebratory brew after giving it all a squirt with epoxy. Bit of hard work in all this!

 

And high fill.

 

Got to the new location and started sanding the inside of a lot of panels for stoneguard:

Edited by Heath, 10 May 2020 - 12:58 PM.

[Heath]

I laid down some more high fill after a sand back of everything I took up originally.


Final bit more stuffing about with the hatch lid. I don't love working with fibreglass, but the guy painting the car didn't want to touch it, so I had to spend another day and a half sorting it out as best I could:

Slight spread by squeezing some bits of ally in some slots I cut:

Glassed over:

 

Cut away a bit at an old hatch rubber so that it didn't fight the shape of the hatch so badly upon closing:

Very bloody happy to tick that off the list.

 

 

 

 

Edited by Heath, 10 May 2020 - 01:05 PM.

[Com_VC]

Is that a spray on or brush on stone guard you are using?  What brand is it?

Thanks

[Heath]

That is just a generic (well I was using Septone from Supercheap) Water-Based one that you buy from the normal 3 auto stores. Spray on with a Schutz gun, or the gun I used for the Lizard Skin product a few years back.

Edited by Heath, 10 May 2020 - 03:07 PM.

[76lxhatch]

Well done getting the hatch fitted.

 

You work so fast you're making the rest of us look bad!

[Ice]

Thats a decent size scoop ?
Always look forward to your updates Heath love ya work

[46Crab]

The hatch was a ‘see you next Tuesday’ of a job to get right. Great job

[rodomo]

よくやったバッタ

[Ice]

よくやったバッタ

Its not a Ricer ✌️

[Toranamat69]

Looking good Heath.

Ive got rear spolier to do soon. Hope mine doesnt give me dramas.

What front bumper brackets are you using with thd fibreglass?

[Heath]

Yeah, I was surprised that the hatch spoiler needed what it did, it wasn't that difficult to modify though.

Front bumper brackets are discussed here:
http://www.gmh-toran...40#entry1023179

Basically one side is a fibreglass bumper bracket assembly from Alfa Fibreglass, the other is a hybrid between modified originals and one fibreglass part because my car has a tow point on the LHS on that bracket.

I don't think this can be considered working fast BTW.

Edited by Heath, 11 May 2020 - 01:38 PM.

[Toranamat69]

Ahh yes i see your bumper brackets.

I have just made a new version alloy brackets for my front bumper and was thinking of selling version 1. Version 1 bolts up to std lx bumper bolts.

I'm not sure if ill persist with fibreglass hatch. Mines an alfa one and looks good fit but i just don't see how it will work with original style seal. The hatch just isnt strong enough near the lower corners of window.
Watching how you go with the fibreglass hatch.

[Heath]

I understand your concern about the hatch in that area. The seal really does seem to boss it around.

If things get really drastic, I might attach some alloy sheet on the side of the frame in that area to hold the profile of the hatch and limit how much the seal tries to push it up.

 

Pulled all the door nut plates out and gave them a bit of lightening treatment:

 

Plenty of this sanding stuff:

 

Had the unfortunate realisation that using epoxy over seam sealer is BAD news, and that the epoxy hasn't really grabbed on most of the seam sealer. So ahh... having to strip the whole lot out with a screwdriver and carry out some repairs. That has been quite a major setback and gumption trap as you can imagine.

 

Did some final weight adjustment on the door hinges:

Hung for priming:

 

Bought some stainless panhead coach bolts for the bumpers, sanded the embossing off, and primed them:

 

Sandblasted an assortment of parts and had them plated in black zinc. I'm only wanting satin black, so I did touch up a few areas with aerosol where the hinge pivots did not plate perfectly etc.

 

Dropped by EFI Hardware to collect my 8 throttle body kit that has been basically completed now:

Looks pretty sweet poking through the bonnet.

Looks pretty sweet from any angle... really

 

50mm 'Pro Series' throttles (IDF Weber style) with 150mm black anodised trumpets, Prinz 82cc vapour LPG injectors, plumbed into the alloy rails. Bought it with a few things like a TPS and plug, a new VT Commodore type distributor, and oil pressure sender with plug.

[UCANG]

Looking amazing! Love all the fab work in this one! Well done!

[Cook]

Hi Heath.  Amazing as always.  A couple of questions if I may:

 

The hole to the right of the hatch hinges.  Is that original? Only ask as I don't have one on mine.

Are the door hinge springs new or original cleaned up.  If new where did you get them? 

Cheers Ron

[76lxhatch]

Looks pretty sweet from any angle... really

Yep.

[Heath]

Ron, sorry, I don't know what you're asking. If you see a 'hole' that isn't present on your car, you can be safe to assume that it's unique to my car. I can't tell if that was what you meant.
There are some parts there that are not Torana parts, like components for the Porsche sunroof assembly.

 

The door hinge springs are originals that I have media blasted and had "blue" zinc coated.

[Mitchyboy]

Looks awesome through the bonnet dude
U gotta be stoked with that

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

[Cook]

Thanks heath, here's the hole I am talking about.  Maybe I missed it in your build but what is it for? Cheers Ron

 

 

Attached Files

•  Hatch Hinge Area.jpg   166.83K   15 downloads

[308 Sunbird]

Heated rear window wire grommet Ron

[Cook]

Thanks Stuart.  Makes sense.  Mine didn't/doesn't have a heated rear demister so answers the question. Cheers Ron

[308 Sunbird]

Yep mine either mate but have soon a few with them,

[lx308]

Going to be interesting to weigh this thing when it's all done.

[LXCHEV]

Love the look of the throttle bodies poking up through the bonnet too - I know you need to cover them, but seriously, do you?