83 WB_Ute's Ultimate Shed Thread

[83 WB_Ute]

Not sure weather I like the standard wheel with caps better or the Dragways....

One thing I think would look really good is if you lost about a foot suspension all around.

Good luck with it buddy! Hope you have plenty of cruisin time in her!

Cheers Jon

Cheers man! I think I like the standard wheels with the hubcaps better! Its been a while since the last update, and a lot has happened....

Its a really good car to drive, and I've been taking it everywhere when I can hahaha doesn't help it does 20L/100km It will be getting lowered soon, I've just got to sort out the mechanical gremlins.. I'm thinking 2.5''-3'' in the front and maybe 1'' in the rear, just to give it that awsome nose down stance hahahaha

Its received a new alternator (old one was charging 7.4Volt.. ) new fuel pump, needs a new radiator and radiator hoses, and a new set of lifters... And the kicker is that we think it has a burnt valve :( so basically it needs the head reconditioned too...

[83 WB_Ute]

Well, its been a long time no see situation, and lots has happend since my last update.. I will have to gradually catch up on the updates, but for now, I'll leave you with these teasers that I took with our DSLR camera a couple of weeks ago..

What do you think of my photography skills? haha









The last one is my favourite picture of the car to date

[HJRAY]

That a beauty mate

[83 WB_Ute]

That a beauty mate

Cheers mate! Alot of hard work and $$$ have gone into the old girl, and she's still got a long way to go until I'm 100% happy with it... haha

[83 WB_Ute]

Geeeze! Reading over this again has brought back a lot of memories! But the ute has also changed heaps since the last post.. I should probably update it hahaha

[Robbo]

Good to see the ute on the road, it all takes time and money. You will get there, just take your time and do it correctly. You can at least enjoy driving it still.

[83 WB_Ute]

Good to see the ute on the road, it all takes time and money. You will get there, just take your time and do it correctly. You can at least enjoy driving it still.

Thanks mate Its a joy to drive! Its just so easy to do when its running right - the timings out a little bit at the moment.. But I love cruising around in the old girl..

It has an awsome exhaust tone, and cruising around while its school holidays is always fun cause of the looks and smiles I get from the school girls hahaha

[SLR_dave]

Looks really good , you've done some great work!! I like the standard hubcaps better than the dragways as well, a set of chrome wheel trims would also set the standard wheels and hubcaps off nicely, might be a nice addition one day if you come across a set (if you find em cheap somewhere, - not usually worth ebay prices).

Theres been some comment on stereo placement, may I make a suggestion?

I like your footwell trims with the speakers in them, its neat work you can be proud of, however, you really want to ensure that the firewall edge of the trim on the drivers side is really solidly attatched behind the tang (or more) so that it cant move outwards at all, even with wear and tear, and that the speaker grill can not bend outwards and snag the accelerator pedal with wear over time. This is a trap for all players, young and old!
I say this becuase when I was about your age (a little older actually I think I was 22) I made up some cool looking trims for the footwell speakers in my Torana, thought I had them secured well enough using the pinchweld trim and just enough (so I thought) physical attachment on the firewall side, they fitted in tight had a small wooden block holding them to the side wall and exta friction due to the carpet etc. Over a couple of years the carpet moved, stuff shifted fractionally, not badly, I noticed but didnt see any real issue, just something to fix at some stage later - and of course, by then I had my mind on other things - the pinchweld was still holding it, no issue for the moment I thought.

All was cool till one afternoon my friend was driving, he put his foot down up a crest in the suburbs, accelerator pedal jammed firmly, full throttle, not just on the speaker grill, but behind the edge of the plywood trim - cars crossing T intersection immediately ahead etc. Fotunately this was in the sububs, and so doing around 60 (ish) uphill, no traffic behind and it was a manual. Gave us both a decent scare though and yeah, I didn't look like an ace mechanic that day!!! Anyway, I dont mean to scare you, (or anyone else) just seeing as you have done your footwell trims I thought I'd give you a heads up! You've got a bit more room there in the WB than in a Tory so you should be right if you ensure it is securely attached on all edges. If you do decide you need to change it, there will be a way to do it without removing the finish or integrity of your previous work, solutions usually turn up with a few days contemplation.

By the way the ding in that dragway doesnt look too bad, it probably wants to leak air though, I like the stockies better! Great looking build all round.

[83 WB_Ute]

Looks really good , you've done some great work!! I like the standard hubcaps better than the dragways as well, a set of chrome wheel trims would also set the standard wheels and hubcaps off nicely, might be a nice addition one day if you come across a set (if you find em cheap somewhere, - not usually worth ebay prices).

Theres been some comment on stereo placement, may I make a suggestion?

I like your footwell trims with the speakers in them, its neat work you can be proud of, however, you really want to ensure that the firewall edge of the trim on the drivers side is really solidly attatched behind the tang (or more) so that it cant move outwards at all, even with wear and tear, and that the speaker grill can not bend outwards and snag the accelerator pedal with wear over time. This is a trap for all players, young and old!
I say this becuase when I was about your age (a little older actually I think I was 22) I made up some cool looking trims for the footwell speakers in my Torana, thought I had them secured well enough using the pinchweld trim and just enough (so I thought) physical attachment on the firewall side, they fitted in tight had a small wooden block holding them to the side wall and exta friction due to the carpet etc. Over a couple of years the carpet moved, stuff shifted fractionally, not badly, I noticed but didnt see any real issue, just something to fix at some stage later - and of course, by then I had my mind on other things - the pinchweld was still holding it, no issue for the moment I thought.

All was cool till one afternoon my friend was driving, he put his foot down up a crest in the suburbs, accelerator pedal jammed firmly, full throttle, not just on the speaker grill, but behind the edge of the plywood trim - cars crossing T intersection immediately ahead etc. Fotunately this was in the sububs, and so doing around 60 (ish) uphill, no traffic behind and it was a manual. Gave us both a decent scare though and yeah, I didn't look like an ace mechanic that day!!! Anyway, I dont mean to scare you, (or anyone else) just seeing as you have done your footwell trims I thought I'd give you a heads up! You've got a bit more room there in the WB than in a Tory so you should be right if you ensure it is securely attached on all edges. If you do decide you need to change it, there will be a way to do it without removing the finish or integrity of your previous work, solutions usually turn up with a few days contemplation.

By the way the ding in that dragway doesnt look too bad, it probably wants to leak air though, I like the stockies better! Great looking build all round.

Thanks mate I agree with you on the wheels, and the Dragways have been sold too.. I want to widen the rears to 8'' or 9'' haha

Yeah, I had the same thought and completely re designed the set up for that reason.. Its almost an interferance fit, so for it to move forwards (can't cause its pushed up behind the firewall tang..) or backwards its really damn hard because of the way the lower dash acts as a stay that stops it from vibrating loose or moving around...

[wbute]

Ah the old throttle stuck on flat out trick. My mates wb kingswood does this. But the cause has yet to be found. I drove it home from Sydney in about 1991. I pulled out to overtake, floored it in third, got around the car in front, went to pull in and back off..... No back off. Just kept accelerating. Scared shit out of both of us. Pumped the throttle and it backed off thank Christ. My brother now owns this ute and it still does it. It's been on the dyno but never does it there for some reason. It's got the best blue 253 I have ever driven in it. Mild cam and 3:08 diff. It will pull 220km on its ear.