Harv's (Grace's) EK ute

[Harv]

We have the He Who F***s Fixes rule, but Number 1 Son is notorious for "evaporating" midway through a job . His sister has more patience.

We also have the French Foreign Legion rule. The Legion are notorious for wanting things perfect... or you start again from scratch. If one of the kids attempts a half-arsed job, they are threatened with the French Foreign Legion. Oui Sargant!

Shame the FB is manual - the crashie is not too bad, but benchpressing a Hydramatic would challenge him .

Cheers,
Harv

[vmx-mxr]

Far out Harv!
That EK is now looking the business!
It is Silverton Grey now.
Looks like all those stupid little holes along the quarter are all filled now ready for lift-a-dots (I'm sure you know it but you can get them with studs to fit real nuts too - thats what is going on the FB).
Grace is a lucky girl !!!
Cheers mate
Dave Mac

[gpi]

Maybe the same thing could happen to the forum Harv!
SSL certificates are cheap these days.

[Harv]

Making some headway with the ute reassembly. Got the guards body-deadened, side trims back on them and mounted up. Got the radiator support bars, stone tray, grille, headlights, indicators, bonnet catch and bonnet budgie back on it. Long way to go, but my dining room is looking less like a Pick-n-Payless. I suspect Santa might bring someone some seatbelts and a radio speaker .

Dumb question - I intend to fishoil in the tray, by removing the internal panels and running oil into cavity each side. Not to sure about the inside of the tray itself (ie the area under the wooden tray board) - other than ensuring the two drain lines are intact, is there any other "under the wooden board" fishoiling/preservation to do? Everything under there seems to have a good (albeit grotty) coat of paint.

Cheers,
Harv

[OldMan's Lacky]

Great to see yet another ute get reborn. Keep those pics coming Harv!

[EK JAY]

Yep, they fitted and gapped the doors, even adjusted the strikers. Doors look and feel beautiful.

Number 1 Son decided he wanted a VL Commodore, so we hunted one down from Coffs Harbour. It has had a moderate life, though there were a few bugs to iron out. Figured I'd drive his car around for a while, and get the bugs out of it before letting him loose on his P-plates. I ran out of driveway space, so the FB tow car has been having a holiday at my parents house. I've now realised that Number 1 Son needs some time on a manual gearbox (the VL is an auto), so at Christmas I will swap over - the VL can have a rest, and he can finish off his L-plate time in the FB. Got me worried... the clutch in the FB has had a hard life, and he is hard on clutches. May have to do a clutch changeout before the middle of next year .

I've got a towbar for the ute though.... maybe it needs a turn at being the tow car

Cheers,
Harv

Should of yelled out Harv that you were coming to Coffs you could have stopped in for a cuppa And checked out the FB wagon
Both myself and Mick aka ratbox are in the Coffs area

[WesternWagon]

Looks great Harv, picking up my ute today

Cheers

Gazza

[Harv]

Got a bit more done on the ute.

Sanded back the tray wooden floor, gave it a quick coat of estapol, and put the wear strips back on. The timber isn't perfect, though the ute tray will see all kinds of crap over the next decade. Fishoiled inside the tray, installed and sealed the wooden floor. I can now move some of the bits back into the tray, and stop my house looking quite so much like a wrecking yard.

Got the towbar and bumperettes back on. Not happy with the towbar tangs that bolt up through the subframe either side of the number plate. Looks like they will hit the spare wheel door... some more thinking then some grinding to do there. Got the towbar wired up, and fitted a stainless exhaust tip. Flash as a rat with a gold tooth .

Ended up keeping the bungy cord hooks up the side of the ute, with the lift-a-dot posts under the rear window only. Got some replacement double height lift-the-dot posts from the UK, though they don't tighten as much as I'd like (thread is poorly formed for a self-tapper).

Made some replacement anti-rattle rubbers for the tailgate rattling rod holder-uppers by turning down some Bunnings door stops. Has anyone got a photo of these installed on an original ute? Mine are chewed out and loose... not sure if they are supposed to be held tightly in one spot, or run loose along the rattling rod.

Found an ventilation control unit in the spares department, relieved it of the arm and turned Grace's control unit into a two-arm one. Now it's ready for a heater tap. Got the choke back in and most of the dash put back together. Gave a lot of the screw heads/brackets a quick run on the buffing wheel to polish up the zinc plate. Never knew the glovebox hinges could look that neat.

Got the mudflaps onto the back, much to Grace's disgust. Have threatened to fit weathershields too .

Cheers,
Harv

[59wagon]

All the little things, Harv. Sounds like you had a good session with Grace’s Ute.
Cheers,
John

[FJWALLY]

Sounds awesome Harv - The lift a dot posts are a problem as to make the tauneu tight enough it always loosens them - Ive heard there are ones that come with a unlock on the back rather than being a self tapper so I'm hoping to go that path.

Re the inside of tub probably too late but I'm getting mine done in Rhyno Lining which is tough as all sh1t and also gives some sound deadening - having all underbody done same plus under guards and inside floor - some dynamat type stuff in cab and should be nice and quiet.

I'd be keen on some orriginal mud flaps if you dont want them

[FJWALLY]

can buy the tailgate rubber from rares - just slit them and glue together in place - they go about 2/3 the way down on the top arm from memory

[vmx-mxr]

Here you go Rob and Harv
Found these a while back.
I am sure there would be other sellers too, even in OZ that have the threaded stud that can be tightened by a nut and washer rather than relying on the wobbly self tapper type.
http://www.softbitsforsevens.co.uk/page30.html
Sounds like both of those utes are powering along now !!!
Dave Mac

[Harv]

Thanks gents.

Here you go Rob and Harv
Found these a while back.
I am sure there would be other sellers too, even in OZ that have the threaded stud that can be tightened by a nut and washer rather than relying on the wobbly self tapper type.
http://www.softbitsforsevens.co.uk/page30.html

Yep, Soft Bits For Sevens was the company I bought the double height lift-the-dot studs from. The thread is self tapping, but very fine... it tends to butcher the hole rather than cut a thread. It's a big thread too, so the original GMH studs no longer fit in the flogged out holes. I got smart and also bought a set of nut-and-washer double height studs at the same time as the self tappers. I figured that if the self tappers didn't work out, I'd use the nut-and-washer ones. What has caught me out is that the panel behind the ute rear window looks to be a hollow cross section (i.e. I can't get into the panel to fit the nuts). Some more thinking to do on this one... maybe the ends of the panel are open and I can get in with a nut-on-a-wire. Might also try some Loctite on the self tappers, but not hopeful.

Cheers,
Harv

[FireKraka]

Hi Harv the panel under the back window is closed at both ends and you can't get into it mine is rusted out and I have to replace it.
I have a cut from a rusted out Ute and can see it clearly.
Regards
Neil

[Harv]

Hi Harv the panel under the back window is closed at both ends and you can't get into it mine is rusted out and I have to replace it.
I have a cut from a rusted out Ute and can see it clearly.
Regards
Neil

Bugger . Will have to do some more thinking on how to get the lift-the-dots tight.

Cheers,
Harv