Cheers for your thought Rosco, I'm torn with what to do... The plan all along was to pick up something pretty rough and go the custom route, pretty much customizing each bit along the way to suit my likes. But now that I've found one in such good (and fairly original) condition, I feel as though I should spare it. As you said the originals are getting rarer and I would think more and more valuable every year.
If I had the money I would be putting this car aside and finding another to make my project. But it's not really what I had in mind... The other option I guess is to keep all original parts and refrain from cutting into the original sheet metal too much, and go the "custom" route. And then if i ever wanted to go back to original I could. Afterall the driveline, interior and paint can all be interchanged to a certain degree. Depending of course on what form of engine/trans combo i went with.
Tyson,
I understand your position entirely. , and further understand that you very much appreciate what you have been so fortunate to collect is indeed very rare.
As mentioned previously - it's your call and we will all watch with interest which direction you determine befits both you and this original classic.
Of course, there is the "third" option - and, if I read your thoughts correctly - will still afford you to provide a lot of up-market inclusions, yet retain the base original car - should you realise somewhere down the track that my thoughts, and many other "purists" - that "original" is indeed something which can rarely be achieved, once the cut and paste body/frame has been "butchered"....
This "third" option is that of Sports....... it allows much to be done, but the basic configuration of engine and trans, brakes etc. etc must be "period"...... "hotted up" if you like - as it would have been back in the 60's and 70's....
I don't know how much research your study of FB and EK's has revealled - but there was some pretty "serious" attention paid to grey motors.
Believe it or not, FB and EK's were raced at Bathurst, formerly the Armstrong 500....
There are a number of people here who can tell you what options were available.
I was lucky enough to be invited to Phil Munday's here in Melbourne a few years back, within weeks of Brocky's fatal accident in WA... and both inspected and listened to the FX he raced earlier in the year at Goodwood, England....... that grey motor was just "sweet" - Ian Tate built it - and it kept up with the best of the period cars.... so, for a little 'ole grey motor - there's heaps which can be done... if it is "go" you want.
The Crupi's here in Vic have some very incredible grey motored wagons - both Sam and Joe's cars had no issue with holding on to me with my 179 and 4speed Aussie.... I was quite surprised that they could climb the mountains and stick right on my tail at fairly high speeds.... so, don't underestimate the "grey"...
As for trans - you might like to make contact with Roger Hancock (Holden Resto Man) - he's a member of the Vic club - and offers many alternatives to the standard run of the mill fittings found in our old buses....
I totally agree with you that plans for a major cut and chop - would be more suited to a vehicle which requires a lot of work anyway.... this sort of a project goes hand in hand with a vehicle probably too far gone for any chance of a realistic restoration.... and because panels have to be fabricated - they can easily be made specially for that "custom" project...
I am comforted to learn that you have a solid understanding and appreciation of your fabulous original FB, Tyson - there are many who would not "see" what you have - just the plans for a major gutting to create their own masterpiece.... sadly, the majority of these never reach fruition - and many wasted vehicles have become "donor" vehicles..... I believe you can appreciate, what you have is simply far too good for such a sad demise.....
Your call - let me know if I can offer any further assistance..
When I went to look at my ute the plan was - chop top , V8, tubs etc but when I got it home I realised it had never been touched from factory - no radio, no cigarette lighter , no holes drilled in the dash - it was so original that I ended up restoring it back to stock , but with a Torana diff , lowered , twin carbs, cam , headers , custom grill etc - in other words, nothing that I couldn't change back without spanners and screwdrivers.
I started with nothing and still have most of it left.
Foundation member #61 of FB/EK Holden club of W.A.
as far as I'm concerned it's all up to what YOU want, if yor only thinking of $$$$$ at the end do as little as possible, if you want the car that you wanted do what you wanted there's plenty of stockers around that they aren't a dieing breed, if you have a good one that just means less work
I once bought a really good ute and was gunna cut the roof off but was far to good for that so I just put a V8 in it
I now once again have a very good bodied ute, I'm giving the restorers there chance to save it but i'de say at the end of next week the cutting will begin
sometimes yor just better off shitting in yor hands and clapping
Blacky, - music to my ears... I can still see the original ute in your pic. cudos to you!
Dash - yes, yes, blasted yes..... for goodness sake, anyone with an untouched dash...... my very strongest suggestion is to resist the urge to do anything except fit an original radio or "grunter" clock to the dash.....
Once the drill bit goes through that centre facia..... it's stuffed for life... I fitted switches, knobs, LED's and opened out the radio aperture.... and learned to hate everything I did.... it took me years and years to get another facia trim... and I will never interfere with that untouched area again....
Tyson - hopefully, you can glean some very projected reflection from what we post...
Geez I remember cutting out the rear parcel shelf of my EH to fit speakers... when I was 17 bass was more impact than originality to me... makes me cringe!
That's a beaut FB and she deserves good resto! Well I would relish the chance to resto that one anyway
Mick wrote:as far as I'm concerned it's all up to what YOU want, if yor only thinking of $$$$$ at the end do as little as possible, if you want the car that you wanted do what you wanted there's plenty of stockers around that they aren't a dieing breed, if you have a good one that just means less work
I once bought a really good ute and was gunna cut the roof off but was far to good for that so I just put a V8 in it
I now once again have a very good bodied ute, I'm giving the restorers there chance to save it but i'de say at the end of next week the cutting will begin
Mick, don't mean to ruffle your feathers - yes, agree... it's Tyson's vehicle - and as stated earlier - I'm happy to go along with what ever he decides...
My suggestion was to establish that he appreciate exactly what potential the vehicle had for restoration, which I'm now confident he accepts.
DanFranko wrote:Geez I remember cutting out the rear parcel shelf of my EH to fit speakers... when I was 17 bass was more impact than originality to me... makes me cringe!
That's a beaut FB and she deserves good resto! Well I would relish the chance to resto that one anyway
DanFranko - To add gravity to your thoughts, the show "Fletch's Resto's" usually is limited to just that - resto's...
The show has a huge following by avid enthusiasts of all makes.... I guess the impetus on restoration gains more appreciation of vehicles restored to original presentation - than it does on anything cut up....
Tough call, Tyson - guess I've just about run out of suggestions now - and will leave it to others to offer their thoughts...
Tyson she looks a beauty! Do what you have to do with the build. Your the one that will enjoy it....bugger the rest.
If I can say one thing though, keep what ever you chop out, take shitloads of pictures, and what you cant keep if you go down the modified path, get before you do it. I've done the full circle with my latest build. It started with a few chops here and there so I could fit a red/black motor and trimatic. Now she's all back to stock (almost bar some engine mods). I was once young and did that stuff.............but now older and maybe a bit slower my preference has changed somewhat. I'm just lucky I scrounged and bought what I could to replace whatever chopped panels that came out and kept the rest so they could be refitted or remade.
The first few pictures in my post will show how much was cut and eventually the car was retrieved back. I'm sure others have done more. http://www.fbekholden.com/forum/viewtop ... 11&t=16926
WayneXG95 wrote:Or and no one mentioned this, is to sell the FB for a profit buy another and bugger it up..
that was kind of my point with if $$$$$ was in his mind do as little as possable
but can't figure considering that they are getting harder to find why you would sell one with little work to buy one that needs a lot of work just to keep some other people that don't own or have to drive the car happy
sometimes yor just better off shitting in yor hands and clapping
Restore it modify it chop it. Do whatever you want to it as long as you finish it. There are way too many unfinished projects that end up never seing the road.
Thats what drives me nuts about people that dream about a project and cant see it through to end.
like me .....sell it for twice what you got it, to a restorer ,only for it to be modified in the future
nice car!! , It does need to be preserved and Not modified ,no one cares about vx vt commodores....
sell it for 12 g buy 12 vt commodores and store them for 40 years ,undercover space is the only issue
