Robbo's EK Ute

Post photos of your pride and joy, or updates on your rebuild!

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Robbo999
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Aug 19, 2013 9:50 pm
State: SA
Location: Gawler SA

Robbo's EK Ute

Post by Robbo999 »

Hi all. I would like to introduce myself, I have been lurking off stage now for a while and thought it was about time to come out of the shadows.
A little history. EK's have been a part of me since before I was born. My dad bought a Wedgewood Blue Ute brand new from Smith Motor Co. of Port Adelaide in 1962, before he got married to my mum.

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After they got married they moved from the farm in Boobarowie to the family farm minnipa in 1965.

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Then in 1976 our family moved from Minnipa to a farm at Pt Vincent where i learnt to drive in the ute when I was 10years old.
Over the next few years us kids hammered the ute around the paddocks and scrub tracks until it became unsafe due to rust and damage. The ute was parked indefinitely. Then mum and dad bought me a Opal green with a white roof EK sedan.
I did use this car as a paddock car but not for very long because thankfully I saw the light and decided to start fixing it up.
Then I was given an FB which turned out to be stolen, unclaimed and towed into the scrub and left to rot. This turned out to be a great parts car for the EK sedan. But I kept it going to use as a scrub car.

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I finally finished the Sedan. 179 HP, HR disc brakes Aussie 4 speed.

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And while the resto was happening we had some fun with the ute (after we dragged to its final resting place).


RIP (I now regret trashing it. but it was fun at the time)

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Anyway, i ended up selling the sedan in 1994 (again should have kept it)
since then I have been wanting to restore a ute.
Mid last year we finished building our new home, but more importantly I finished my new shed (quite large for the area)

Now I needed something to fill it. Thats when I found this one

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EK ute built in Adelaide with the same paint and interior codes, all same as my dads ute and in much better condition. Could not pass it up!

And now for the fun stuff!!

More soon

Cheers
Robbo
In the Shed
Posts: 1873
Joined: Wed May 16, 2012 10:18 pm
State: SA
Location: South Australia

Re: Robbo's EK Ute

Post by In the Shed »

G'day Robbo,
Welcome to the forum mate. Looks like you go back a long way with FB / EK Holden's. You did a nice job on that EK sedan! I have to ask what was going on in that shed, there looks to be a bit of smoke?

I spotted that EK ute on Gumtree back in Sept last year as it was located not more than 15 mins from me. I hope it turns out to be a good ute for you. What are your plans with the ute?

Regards
Stephen
A day in the shed beats a day at work!
EK JAY
Posts: 1883
Joined: Sat Mar 17, 2007 8:25 pm
State: NSW
Location: Sawtell

Re: Robbo's EK Ute

Post by EK JAY »

Welcome mate looks like a good solid original ute good score :thumbsup:
EK JAY SINCE 1990
parisian62
Posts: 3996
Joined: Wed May 11, 2005 2:19 pm
State: NSW
Location: Sydney
Contact:

Re: Robbo's EK Ute

Post by parisian62 »

Hi Robbo,

Great stories and pics :thumbsup: All the best with your ute.

Stewart
Feelin free in a '61 FB.
Member of FB-EK Holden Car Club Of NSW Inc.
Check out the Rebuild of Old Timer
Blacky
Posts: 12171
Joined: Tue Jul 20, 2004 8:58 am
State: WA
Location: up in the Perth hills

Re: Robbo's EK Ute

Post by Blacky »

Good to see you have stopped killing them and started fixing them Robbo :lol: :thumbsup:
When you're faced with an unpleasant task that you really don't want to do, sometimes you just have to dig deep down inside and somehow find the patience to wait for someone else to do it for you.


Foundation member #61 of FB/EK Holden club of W.A.
EKK00L
Posts: 33
Joined: Mon Jun 09, 2008 12:36 am
State: NOT ENTERED
Location: Queanbeyan NSW

Re: Robbo's EK Ute

Post by EKK00L »

Awesome story and pics well done on your ute score, bit partial to the utes myself
Robbo999
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Aug 19, 2013 9:50 pm
State: SA
Location: Gawler SA

Re: Robbo's EK Ute

Post by Robbo999 »

Hi all,
Been a while since my last post, been busy establishing the garden, keeping the wife happy.
Anyway been in hunting and gathering mode, found a couple of repairable spare wheel doors, cut rust out, made new hinges and side support braces.

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Found a set of triples at a swap meet started reconditioning them, still yet to put them back together (night time quiet time job)

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Latest toy, 200amp AC/DC TIG welder and 50amp plasma cutter

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Bought a ute for parts a few weeks back (wife not so happy), stripped it out and used it to finish my rotisserie. I think it may be a bit far gone. Next is to get my ute on the rotisserie and get cracking with the rust repairs.

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Cheers
Robbo
Robbo999
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Aug 19, 2013 9:50 pm
State: SA
Location: Gawler SA

Re: Robbo's EK Ute

Post by Robbo999 »

Got the ute mounted on rotisserie
Plenty of dirt, dry mud and rust falling from every where

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Cut away rear quarter to start the rust repairs.

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Few pics of sill panels

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Removed outer and inner sills. Currently in the process of making new inners.
Test fit of new inner.

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Cheers

Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk

In the Shed
Posts: 1873
Joined: Wed May 16, 2012 10:18 pm
State: SA
Location: South Australia

Re: Robbo's EK Ute

Post by In the Shed »

Hey Robby,
You have been busy. Some pretty serious stuff going on there. look forward to keeping an eye on your progress.

Regards
Stephen
A day in the shed beats a day at work!
User avatar
oz_ek
Posts: 431
Joined: Sat Oct 31, 2015 8:22 pm
State: VIC
Location: Victoria

Re: Robbo's EK Ute

Post by oz_ek »

That's some nice work there on those inner sills!!.....Did you make them yourself?
Robbo999
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Aug 19, 2013 9:50 pm
State: SA
Location: Gawler SA

Re: RE: Re: Robbo's EK Ute

Post by Robbo999 »

oz_ek wrote:That's some nice work there on those inner sills!!.....Did you make them yourself?
Yeah mate. Working on the front section where the y frame mounts to. Thought about patching them up. Could be done. But new ones are just about the same amount of work.

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ekv8ute
Posts: 226
Joined: Tue Apr 27, 2004 10:02 pm
State: NOT ENTERED
Location: Batemans Bay

Robbo's EK Ute

Post by ekv8ute »

I like the inners-plenty of others would like to get their hands on those !
You could have a hot item if you decided to go into production......


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thebrotherj
Posts: 660
Joined: Wed Aug 21, 2013 4:09 pm
State: NSW
Location: Sydney

Re: RE: Re: Robbo's EK Ute

Post by thebrotherj »

Robbo999 wrote: Thu Mar 23, 2017 1:20 pm
oz_ek wrote:That's some nice work there on those inner sills!!.....Did you make them yourself?
Yeah mate. Working on the front section where the y frame mounts to. Thought about patching them up. Could be done. But new ones are just about the same amount of work.

Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk
ditto - those inner sills are damn sexy. Also, I'm about to make up corners, where the subframe bolt goes through and locates the outer K frame leg. The template looks good, just waiting for new bolts to arrive so I can line it all up, maybe set up a crush tube and then weld it to the body & sill. I'll be watching your progress with interest! Cheers, Joe
Robbo999
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Aug 19, 2013 9:50 pm
State: SA
Location: Gawler SA

Re: Robbo's EK Ute

Post by Robbo999 »

New y frame mounts. Probably went a little overboard with keeping the original look. Turned out fitting up well. What's next!ImageImage

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NoMAD
Posts: 1992
Joined: Thu Sep 29, 2005 5:07 pm
State: WA
Location: Perth, WA

Re: Robbo's EK Ute

Post by NoMAD »

Looks really good... you'll have people knocking on your door for replacement ones! :thumbsup:

top work keep it up

Cheers
Nathan
FB/EK Holden Car Club of W.A. Inc
Foundation Member
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