Dave's Orange Betty EK Sedan

[Harv]

However I could always chauffeur Betty around if she isn't ready, on the next side project:
Trailer.jpg

Needs suspension, rear end bracing, brake overhaul and ramps made. Will be nice to weld with some thick metal for a change!

I've got the twin sister to that car trailer. Suprisingly heavy (mine went 750kg). It means I can tow an FB/EK with no engine in it (behind the FB), but not with an engine onboard (using the 150% weight rule for a braked trailer). The EK wagon can tow an FB/EK with engine, as it is heavier.

Mine has no suspension either, but its not a drama - the loaded car gets strapped down by the axles and does all the "bouncing". They are a little fun to drive unloaded, but manageable. The wiring in mine ran under the rearmost plate, and had to be relocated to stop it getting mauled when the rear end bottoms out.

The rails at the side are painful... they are just low enough to let an FB/EK door open, but once someone gets into the car the doors rub. They want lowering so they are only about 2" tall. I bought some ramps from SuperCheap, only to find that the load ratings on them were rubbish... did a trial run with them 4" up on wood, and bent them at less than 50% of the rated load. Brother-in-law reinforced them, and you could now drive a D9 Cat up them.

What I like most about mine is that it is wide enough (... just) to fit into a single car garage roll-a-door. With some careful maneouvering, I can get mine into the fibro palace.

Cheers,
Harv

[Orange Betty]

Hi Harv

Interesting, I was wondering how it would tow with a car on board with no suspension. It towed fine unloaded - didn't bounce around any more than an unloaded trailer with suspension. A 2500kg rocker leaf spring set up at around $400 isn't too bad as I got the trailer pretty cheap at an auction. BUT the draw bar goes all the way to the front axle so I'd have to remove it and slide the bed back to fit the front hangar mount in.

Front two thirds of the bed is well supported by the draw bar and two axles but rear has nothing. The LH rear on this one is visibly bent.

Cheers

Dave

[Harv]

Mines the same - not much in the way of support on the rear. I haven't had much of a problem with bending/flex, and I've done quite a lot of miles with it. With a car loading on nose-forwards, most of the weight is over the front of the trailer. I wouldn't reccomend loading nose-rearwards... the reduced weight on the towball makes the back end of the tow car pretty antsy. Don't ask how I know .

I ended up replacing all the brake hoses on mine. One blocked, and locked a wheel. I didn't notice until a passing motorist pointed out the plume of smoke from the dragging tyre. The master cylinder also has a tendency to corrode on. Every fortnight or so as I walk past it I give the brake handle a pump, just to keep things moving. Seems to have stopped the problem.

It's worth investing in a decent jockey wheel clamp for the front. SuperCheap sells a normal one, and a heavy duty one. I've managed to bend both whilst negotiating down my driveway. It's a mongrel of a thing to maneuver on the small, hard rubber jockey wheels.

Cheers,
Harv

[Orange Betty]

Well its been a while (again) but small progress. Have been following everyone's progress, advice and Nationals prep. Have finished the trailer, now with roller rocker leaf spring suspension, much more bracing, brakes freshened up, new lights, ramps, winch and registered!

Trailer.JPG (43.27 KiB) Viewed 707 times

Have been working on the driver's side outer sill and A piller. Inner sill is good.

RH A Pillar B4.JPG (30.81 KiB) Viewed 707 times

RH Osill b4.JPG (65.77 KiB) Viewed 707 times

The sill itself wasn't too bad. I used offcuts from the left outer sill that I replaced to make the patches. While I had the holes open cleaned out the cavity as best I could and sprayed a fair amount of Penetrol around.

RH Osill fix.JPG (49.01 KiB) Viewed 707 times

Bottom of the A pillar wasn't great, not as bad as the passenger side and at least I salvaged the bolt hole.

RH A Pillar fixed.JPG (34.92 KiB) Viewed 707 times

Still have to address a few small areas in the dogleg and then tackle the rear quarter mess.

RH dogleg b4.JPG (37.37 KiB) Viewed 707 times

RR Qtr.JPG (39.13 KiB) Viewed 707 times

A patch panel will fix the visible issues but what the picture doesn't show is that the back half of the panel is very dimpled. I might attempt some panel beating to start with - You Tube makes it look pretty straight forward... but I do also have a full rear quarter cut I could use. Bit nervous about doing a large replacement job though.

Dave

[Brett027]

Hi Dave, good to hear from you. Yes, I saw that dimpling a few weeks ago and it's pretty savage. Agree it is still probably less of a task than doing the cut. Impressive metal work as always.

[Errol62]

Great to see progress Dave.

FB ute driver, EK van project

[In the Shed]

Good work Dave,
Interested to see & read how you go with the panel work, gotta be worth a crack hey?

Regards
Stephen

[Orange Betty]

The rear qtr panel has scared me off for now so got onto to the lack of flooring...

No floor.JPG (40.11 KiB) Viewed 629 times

Rares pans went into with some massaging. And I did KBS all the support structures.

Rares pans.JPG (41.01 KiB) Viewed 629 times

Did some patchwork for the footwells. Beads aren't quite the same size and despite trying to creep up on my patch shapes still managed to get it wrong. So not perfect but finessing with heat, relief cuts and hammer it's good 'nuff. All be covered anyway.

Foot well patches.JPG (40.97 KiB) Viewed 629 times

And the first bit of extending the tunnel. Not fully welded in yet but worked pretty well.

Tunnel.JPG (42.15 KiB) Viewed 629 times

Dave

[Brett027]

Go Dave, you'll be done in no time.

[Blacky]

Looks good mate

[Errol62]

Floor will be in the weeds meh. Like your tunnel. Looks factory.


FB ute fixer upper, EK van on rotisserie

[FireKraka]

Looks great mate good work there.

[Orange Betty]

So the first bit of transmission tunnel went well. But after I added on the second bit I wasn't so sure...

Tunnel wrong angle.JPG (975.44 KiB) Viewed 538 times

The tail of it was kicked up at an angle to finish in the right spot at the crossmember. I had done the tunnel in two bits as my bender is only 300mm wide. And with hindsight I should have welded them together first before coz I obviously didn't get the right angle to start with. It looked like it only dipped 20mm at the join and I tried to convince myself there would be room for the Hydromatic (but I don't really know). In the end it bugged my so much I had to fix it.

Tunnel fix.jpg (23.68 KiB) Viewed 538 times

Pretty easy in the end. I just cut away the top panel from each side and cut the top panel where I had welded the two tunnel bits together. This let me push it up into the correct position and cut and butt it into place. Then shaped new side panels and welded them in. Lots of welding all up but better result.

tunnel sides.jpg (29.52 KiB) Viewed 538 times

tunnel finished.jpg (32.1 KiB) Viewed 538 times

While I was contemplating what to do with the tunnel I dug out the instrument cluster

Instrument cluster b4.jpg (24.55 KiB) Viewed 538 times

Instrument cluster 2.jpg (31.34 KiB) Viewed 538 times

There was some nasty oxidation (??) on the chrome and while there is still some pitting it cleaned up nicely

cluster finished.jpg (34.48 KiB) Viewed 538 times

In other new I got most of my engine back from the machine shop. Just cam grind, lifter resurface and timing gear to go. All in bits as I want to build it myself at some point in the future. So sprayed the block and head down with WD40 and wrapped them up in clingwrap to save for another day.

A bit more work on the front floor and then a crusty roof to ponder over...

Cheers

Dave

[Brett027]

Nice work Dave. Betty will be on the road in a few months. Crusty roof sounds a wee bit daunting though. Still going Orange?

[Errol62]

Are you fitting an original front bench seat Dave and if so have you trialled it?
Cheers
Clay

FB ute driver, EK van project