HQ sedan feed back please

**RAEME** · 13-09-2014, 04:54 PM

Hello.I have just finished today welding in lower quarters and rust repairs in sills of the HQ four door. I'm getting another set of guards painted now to fit on. They have HJ GTS flutes in them. Don't look to bad actually. But this old girl has factory fitted sill strips ( you know rust catchers) and extra chrome around the windows on the doors. When the GTS fluted guards go on they don't have the little steel tabs for the clips that hold the sill strips. I don't like these things any way but should I refit them? I was going to grind them off. I will leave the ones around the windows. My question is would this adversely affect the future sale of the Car? We're these sill strips something more then a tick on the order sheet that makes this thing extra Gootchy? This car is going to get a full respray and the blown engine in the van fitted with the power glide. I will be taking it to shows, skid pans, burnout comps and 8 th mile drags etc. so grind them off or jot. That's the long winded question. Look forward to your thoughts. Cheers

**Taily** · 13-09-2014, 05:23 PM

More weight=slower car

Depends on what look you're going for. You'll always have detractors either way you go. It may look better to you with them on, it may look better with them off. Only you can make that call.

**Cocko750** · 13-09-2014, 05:36 PM

I think there are pop rivets available as seen for trims around windscreens and on doors etc I think Kingswood parts would have some , measure old guards or line the other pins and drill them in. I have a pair of hq guards with hj-flutes pressed in are yours welded or pressed an old bloke in Sydney used to do them I think, and yes I recon they look good throw up a few pics of it.

**RAEME** · 14-09-2014, 08:33 PM

Originally Posted by Cocko750

I think there are pop rivets available as seen for trims around windscreens and on doors etc I think Kingswood parts would have some , measure old guards or line the other pins and drill them in. I have a pair of hq guards with hj-flutes pressed in are yours welded or pressed an old bloke in Sydney used to do them I think, and yes I recon they look good throw up a few pics of it.

Hi, mine are welded in. They look good. Just getting them finished now as in tidy up and paint. There is a bloke in Coonabarabran NSW who presses them in he has the dies.

**Cocko750** · 14-09-2014, 09:07 PM

Yep had some straight hz guards for him to do but the Taiwanese ones look ok haven't spoke to him for a while but he still hadn't got hq ones right

**RAEME** · 16-09-2014, 04:40 PM

Originally Posted by Cocko750

Yep had some straight hz guards for him to do but the Taiwanese ones look ok haven't spoke to him for a while but he still hadn't got hq ones right

Hi. I was in Coona today and dropped in and had a look at his set up. He has guards there with the flutes pressed in to look at. The HJ ones look real good. He also has the HQ ones as well. The main problem with the HQ was the flutes need to be forward by about 9 mm from where they usually are due to the lip at the rear of the guard being in the way. But you would be hard pressed to pick it. also on a side note. He has a HT two door monaro there rolling shell for sale. Has some rust. Nothing that can't be fixed. Red with Black stripes looks like a good project for someone.

**L31 Sandman** · 13-09-2014, 05:34 PM

mate your fitting gts flutes to the guards!! do as you please and those little steel tabs can be put back on at anytime!

**hqhzvans** · 13-09-2014, 06:14 PM

By the sounds of it the rest of the car is not original with motor and box etc so dont beat yourself up over the stainless strips and as you say they are rust catchers hardly think deleting these will have too big of an adverse effect in regards to value or sales appeal especially to the uneducated

**Valencia** · 13-09-2014, 09:37 PM

Whip them off no need for them

**SLR_dave** · 14-09-2014, 06:30 AM

I like em, you want a pair that are clean and straight though of course (I found cutting compound is an easy way to clean em up, if you have a spare amount drying out in the bottom of a jar somewhere). I have them factory on my HJ wagon (a prior owner 20 years back fixed that guard change issue with a big fat flat head screw at the end of the strip - not at all advised of course...) I'll get around to fixing that one day. And factory on my tuxedo HX van, gonna keep em.

But, generally, I dunno that the sill side strips are actually rust catchers, not these days anyway if you're looking after the car, the worst I reckon were HZ to WB mid body strips, the rust gets under those over time really well!, but I reckon the HJ/HX sill strips aren't so bad for rust. Done right they can look dang hot too.
(OK just my opinion, slam me gently I had a long week).