fbekholden.com

Hi all,
well I've found a bit time to make a start on posting something about my current build.
I bought the car back in 93. Its a Melb build that I believe was bought and first registered in NSW (Albury). Since NSW it was registered in Vic but then that elasped sometime prior to 93. On my purchase I refurbished all the mechanicals and anything else that was needed for RWC. By that time I had been posted to Qld so the car was trucked up there and eventually regoed in Qld. The car has been used as a daily driver including being driven back to Melb with a trailer load of "precious" shed stuff after having to move for work again. This included re rego in Vic. Over the years she has had a few transplants from a 202, to a 186 special (High comp Straight LPG), manual to trimatic (without any cut and shut of firewall or trans hump), HD drum front end then Disc.
She's a bit of a well travelled old girl and so far been rego'd in Vic twice, and Qld and Nsw once each (I dont intend moving again to achieve rego in any other state.....the trailer would be too bloody big for all my shed stuff )
About 2006 I took it off the road to start cleaning the body up.....and well one thing lead to another with further work on the 186 including fitting a 12port head, EFI induction, and setting up for direct fire ignition system.
This year has been the busiest with it as I have taken a move to a new place with a bigger shed
Its also seen a change in my plans and the old grey has been dusted off and I'm now going stock albeit some minor tweeks to the engine.........I must be getting old
Anyway I've posted some pics for all incl my old FB prior to this one, and one new addition to the shed last year that is just teasing me to get into it.

Where the bug for these old girls started!
Bought this one off my uncle and eventually sold it to my brother so I could start on a FC sedan with a 400 cube SBC. Offloaded the FC but couldn't live without an early so I got this one.
This is not long after the trip from Brisbane to Melb (still on Qld Reg)
One of the many transplants after the grey was removed for a little rest.
Test running the engine after fitting up the gas system and 12 port YT head and roller rockers
Car partly reassembled and trucked due to yet another house move
The site manager checking the job during the current teardown
Overall not too bad, just the old dodgy rust repairs on the floor to remove and some minor rust patches in a few other areas.
More to come!!

Cool Graig......

looks good and only some rust in the floors to do, makes life easier,and back to grey

Crikey, how did you manage to shoehorn the traumatic box into the manual transmission hump without any floor or firewall mods? That was pretty well done!

Hi MeFB,

It wasn't too hard, just ended up cutting and reinforcing the front end (HR) so the engine could be lowered further and pushed forward slightly. I think from memory I dropped it about 2" and forward about 1 1/2"

The radiator was custom made and sat under the spot where the radiator cross brace was/is. I still managed to retain the bonnet catch as the rad was quite thin but had very good surface area.
I reworked the rear trans cross piece for the intial set up to see if it fitted. Managed to retain original handbrake arrangement too. Ground clearance a little less at trans sump but nothing dramatic.
With the engine forward now it allowed me space at the firewall to start setting up for the crank sensor arrangement. It also gave me room with the EFI manifold so there was no requirement to do any mods to the firewall.

Some more pics to update the build.

Sills and firewall looking ok so far.
Some dodgy stuff found
Work needed on front subframe also
All panels look ok so far.
Stay tuned.

Back from the soda blasters and I'm pretty happy with it. No real suprises thank christ.
I was shitting that it was going to come back looking like swiss cheese.
The greys been dusted off for its revival. Shown here just set up to see for fit in engine bay with Weber and Headers.
Engine is currently stripped for a bit of a check up (only done 13000 miles since last rebuild) and fitment of mild cam and less than athsmatic head.
These are the most uptodate pics showing the front end being assembled after rebuild and paint work.
and lastly a pic of my latest purchase, cant wait to get into this one but she'll have to wait.
Well that's it till next time and hopefully after a heap of progress.

Cheers

She's in good shape after blasting. Gotta be happy with that

That was pretty clever dropping everything to get the gearbox to fit. When I converted my EK ute to auto I just did a full-on butcher job and grafted in a new tranny tunnel (then had to butcher more to get the headers to fit).

What are the plans for the ute?

Not much planned for the ute as yet until the FB is finished.

Running gear in it is pretty down (motor oils up the plugs, lots of oil leaks, brakes are shot), so it'll probably be a full number on all that stuff.
Rust wise it doesn't have any at all from what I can see, but you dont really know till you dig deeper.
Paint is average and there's a lot of little dents here and there that are starting to get my eye and I hate it. There's been a few holes drilled in the firewall here for what looks like some dodgy heater arrangement or something. They'll be welded up as I've got a near new Warmaride heater to go in.
She'll be definitley a stocky as its too original to stuff with.

Hi Craig

The FB came up clean after the soda blast. No swiss cheese! If I have read that right the FB has been off the road since 2006?

Looking good.

regards
Stewart

parisian62 wrote:Hi Craig

The FB came up clean after the soda blast. No swiss cheese! If I have read that right the FB has been off the road since 2006?

Looking good.

regards
Stewart

Hi Stewart,

Yep, its pretty much been off the road since then. Work oversea's and two house moves have slowed progress a bit. I'm hoping now that things have settled down lately to make a heap of progress in the next six months. Dare I say it but I would like to make it to the nationals next year. Time will tell.

SunnyTim wrote:as others have said the shell looks good. What is the go with the parcel shelf on the boot?
The EK ute looks great as is
Do the brakes and engine and drive it the way it is I reckon.

Hi Tim,

At some stage in the past the original parcel shelf was replaced with I think one out of a HR due to rust. It was done really bad so I've decided to replace it. Well spotted!

Todays update. Making good headway this week and all primed up for a big weekend of work
Its Friday though A beer or two first then in the shed tomorrow

Diff centre all overhauled and cleaned up ready for paint. Stripped the engine a bit for cam change and a check up. All good so far, no suprises but did find some case hardening separating from the base of one lifter which was a bit dissapointing for only 13,000 mile. Fibre cam gear looks good so no issues with oil feed to that area. Will be fitting the new cam with a steel gear anyway.
Got the new carb out of the box. Just got to set it up with a fitting for ported vacuum for the dissy and look around for a decent air filter assembly.
New parcel shelf is in and I'm pretty happy with it. Front floor sections are done, now onto the rear. Had to replace the rear driveshaft hump in the floor as it was a bit shitty. Thats it for now, time for a froffy

Love your work

Almost a shame to have to put air-cleaners on that carb.

MeFB wrote:Love your work

Almost a shame to have to put air-cleaners on that carb.

x2!!