fbekholden.com

Well I think I might stick with the orginal setup, but i will need a new column as the one i have is stuffed and has to much play in it!!!

Any ideas/or anyone have a spare good one they dont want/need???

Well I have put a column in that allows me to move the car around but its far from perfect/ or good so i will need to get one at some stage, any ideas???

It also is running a 173 with the original 3 speed converted to the floor.......now I am on a budget and interested with what people think i should do engine wise, I have driven a 3 speed before and have found them not to bad......but I`m not going v8 as much as I would love to......so 202 or 186, just after something good for cruising around, and something there for over taking, but also efficient!!!

Paint still undecided on flat or polished and what colour......any ideas are welcome, please be aware I like rat rod style but also clean, so please go nuts on your ideas and let me know what you all think but remember a budget is in place!!! And I also will be trying to do the panel work myself once I read up, welding i wont be but prep and maybe spray myself!!!

Cheers Cam

P.S - Happy New Year to all!!!

I'd steer clear of a 202, probably the worst of the red/black/blue motors in my opinion. They are thirsty and seem to rattle themselves loose. 186 especially if you have one would be a good way to go, a bit more grunt and alot lss thirsty.

Rat Rod style and clean!??!?!? Now there's a contradiction in itself.

I think by the sounds of it you like the look more of the unfinished mild customs/traditional Hotrods that are getting around. Nicely finished, except with a matt finish paint wise. Although alot of cars that started this whole fad of flat paint are now nice and shiney.

Colour and gloss or matt are entirely your choice. Will it be garaged? Are you near salt water or inland?

Most flat paint jobs never get polish to help them last and need a freshen up every couple of years or so as the colour starts to fade out. An example is my sisters XT wagon, its flat purple and hs been for 8 years or so. Its on its third paint job, same colour. Luckily the old man is handy with a spraygun.

I know the whole rat rod style and clean sounds like complete opposites, and they are, and really the car will be one or the other........and knowing me it will be more a clean cut look, but simple........

The car wont be under cover all the time and me being a surfer means salt water could be an issue, I dont really want to have to worry about touching the paint up that regularly so i guess that basically answers my question.

I have a 186 in my last FB ute and found that it was quite good, it was running a 350 Jetted down holley and extractors and it went well, had a 5 speed supra box behind it, so just wasnt sure. Some people like the 202 and others dont.........I have always liked the 186 myself!!!

Colours is the next question, last one was white and I didnt mind that, but I think a change is required.......I like the 2 tone colour look but finding the chrome moldings will be an issue I feel.............any ideas on colour/s please voice, I`m after all ideas!!!

mate welcome to the forum and good luck with the project. All im saying is build it the way you want it (within legal parameters), its you car, your paying for it and you gotta enjoy it.

Hopefully the advice you get here helps, and keep us posted on the build, we all like seeing progress, and in my case it sorta gives me motivation to play with my projects.

Cheers and welcome once again.

RETRO.

Try here for Colours, I think they have nearly all colours ever produced!!!!

http://www.tcpglobal.com/autocolorlibrary/

I had a cream ute a while ago, I have also seen on the FC forum a metallic light green EK ute which looks great. But in the end you have to live with the colour, best you choose

G'day Cam...
Welcome to the site, Great UTE!! If you're a newbie to paint I'd go acrylic as it is far easier to use and repair any stuff ups you might make. Two Pack is a bit of a bugger to use as it can get away from you (as in runs!). I still use acrylic and get great results, plus I do alot of graphics & mural work and I'd never use two pack in my airbrush! As for flat finish.......er....just take the advice of the other blokes and forget it....more trouble than what it's worth!
I like the back bumper but need to see it closer up!

Scotty,

Hey Cam, If you want my opinion, Stick with the 173 and 3 speed, Get your steering box serviced and drive the bloody thing! It looks fantastic. If you want to change the colour to suit yourself, it is only paint, Pick a colour and go for it. The rear bumper looks to be hand fabbed it's a little plain for me but its not mine.
Scotty, Click on the pic to get a larger image!
Cam, I run a 186 with 5 speed and disc front, no rack, standard steering column and box. I drive it every day as my work truck, never had problems and it's still tuff enuff. As long as you enjoy what you have is all you need. We can give you all the advice in the world but if you dont have the resources or budget its of little value.
Just my 2 cents Cam.
Welcome to the forum and enjoy!
Cheers Theo Z................

Well thanks for all the advice...........it appears that I have decisions to make

Just a quick note that the picture I uploaded with the custom bumper is not my ute, mine is not quite in that good of condition.......yet

This is my ute -

I have removed the front guards, grill, lights and so forth and just trying to figure out the best place to start with the rebuild.....was thinking a guard as its small and that means any mistake will be small.....any thoughts???

I know what i want the ute to look like, now its just a case of making it happen and choosing the colour!!! With the dash, whats the best way to go about preparing it for painting??? Also.........who sells flappers???

Anyone???

Hey Cam, Try to work in grids, Start at one corner and work your way around. With the dash, Do you want to custom your gauges or do you just want to paint the gauge surround. I'd just sand the surround and prime'n'paint in the colour you choose.
This is my dash in the Van

Try john's rod and custom for flappers.
Cheers Theo Z.........................

The dash surround was what i was talking about, but I actually stumbled across the custom guages section today and its quite trick, so that might be an option.

The car seemed to originally be a light aquary bluey green colour, not sure what this is called.....so now i`m trying to decide if I want to redo it in this colour or to do it white, with a cherry red interior, or white with the original coloured interior, which was the same as the exterior. Trying to think of practicality. My last FB Ute was white and I always wanted a cherry red interior in that, but cant decide if i should go different this time.

If the dash has to be re done I`m not to fussed about changing the colour......thoughts on all of the above???

Definitely John's R & C for the flappers.

I still cant decide if I want to go Mat paint or not.....I really would like some opinions on this. Ease of painting myself and what exactly is involved with mat paint, I know it looks cool, but i dont actually know to much about the prep for it and the application!!!

Also durability and practicality of it. Also where does the difference in application of normal acrylic to mat occur in the process??? I really would like a guide on what people think and whats involved in both!!! I`m starting with a guard and going from there!!!

Please all help and opinions are much appreciated!!!

Cam

camstuart52 wrote:I still cant decide if I want to go Mat paint or not.....I really would like some opinions on this. Ease of painting myself and what exactly is involved with mat paint, I know it looks cool, but i dont actually know to much about the prep for it and the application!!!

Same prep work required whether gloss or matt. Only diffrence being you can block back and buff out any peel or small runs in a gloss finish. I'll say it again a matt finish will not hide bad body work. So prep work will be just the same, unless of course your going for the rough round the edges look

camstuart52 wrote:Also durability and practicality of it. Also where does the difference in application of normal acrylic to mat occur in the process??? I really would like a guide on what people think and whats involved in both!!! I`m starting with a guard and going from there!!!

Please all help and opinions are much appreciated!!!

Cam

See above and previous responses. Long term matt paint won't cut it (from my experiences anyway) as you cannot build up a protective coating of polish. Most guys I know who have painted their cars matt have regretted it and painted them gloss a couple of years later. Unpolished paint especially acrylic will go chalky (white-ish colour) after a prolonged period outside. There is no difference in application other than being careful not to get overspray and dry patches of paint as you can't polish them out.

Ratbox might be good for some tips on spraying matt paint.

Either way in the end YOU have to live with the finished product, so choose what you really want. If you are still unsure do all the prep work and keep looking at pics of both types of finishes in the mean time....