Shonky's '58 Series II SWB

**Shonky** · 9th June 2009, 10:52 AM

5 minutes before I walked out the door on Sunday, I gave Mark (longing4alandy) a call and asked if he was up for a roadtrip. Luckily, he was bored too so I swung by his place and we headed west.

We didn't get up there until nightfall unfortunately, so after a breif night-bushbash around the farm in the Patrol we turned in for dinner (thanks mum).

Monday morning we got stuck into it with a vengeance, after breakfast (thanks again mum).

Before breakfast, I had already dismantled the wall of the shed and attacked the one remaining wing. I was already sick of fighting with flailing no-longer-captive bolts in the tiny available space, so I just dragged the front of the wing around 90 degrees to the truck. I then got the two bolts in the slotted holes free by wrenching the guard up so the bolts pulled out of the slots, and I then attacked the remaining bolt with the drill and a chisel. After first trying to get the wing off 6 years ago, it is finally off!

The damage? It's a bit bent, but it's no worse than the rest of the truck.

The main task for the day was to be the firewall, and the Holden 186 if we had time.

With some help from the manual (using mainly as a checklist before the final heave-ho) we set to work disconnecting the various things which are built onto the firewall.

Predictably, the steering linkages gave us the most trouble, and after a half-arsed effort at splitting ball joints without a splitter, we ended up wrestling the long arm off the splined shaft on the relay box.

We couldn't get the last bolt out of the floor (the drill had run out of electrical juice) and it was too big an ask to lie in the dirt to pull the sills so the whole lot came out as one.

Gus is now completely devoid of bodywork, and is now ready to have the motor plucked and get taken down to Sydney for final welding repairs, painting and fitment of parabolics before the new engine, firewall and body is put back on. He looks very nude!

In the end we ran out of time to pull the motor, so we left it for next time. The firewall was loaded onto the ute for mum to bring into Sydney next weekend and we headed off for a bit of a jaunt down to the old Glen Davis mines.

Glen Davis Road (unsealed) was the worst I have ever seen it and the tracks into the mines were not doing so well either. The vibrations and potholes were so bad it rubbed through the ropes holding the firewall!

Mum will have to retie it when she comes down.

**HBWC** · 9th June 2009, 11:22 AM

Are you going to loop off tho's chassie extentions on gus???

**Shonky** · 9th June 2009, 11:31 AM

Nope. They are for the bullbar which I am now going to use.

When I was thinking of doing a nut and bolt resto, I was going to lop them off so I could put on a standard bumper.

Now that he is being rebuilt more as a daily driver / trip truck the bullbar should be useful!

**Shonky** · 9th June 2009, 08:11 PM

I gots more toys!

Grabbed a new fuel pump and rocker cover gasket today from CLR - while I picked up my parabolics.

It's coming...

**dullbird** · 10th June 2009, 12:07 PM

looking good......

As soon as that pile on our drive way goes we can make a start on ours...got some straight wings too 40bux each

**Shonky** · 10th June 2009, 01:05 PM

Thanks Lou.

The pile should be gone on Saturday!

I'm bringing my angle grinder...

**Shonky** · 15th June 2009, 08:49 AM

I spent most of Saturday playing with other peoples IIAs, so I didn't get any work done on Gus until Sunday.

Mum dropped off the complete firewall in the afternoon and I now have the old and the new lined up side by side in the garage. The plan of attack is to just paint the firewall. I was going to reweld the footwell, have the powdercoating sandblasted away and have it zinc-sprayed - but I have come to the conclusion that it is all too hard, too expensive and there is nothing wrong with painting it as-is. After painting, I will start to swap things over, checking as I go.

I spent a bit of time painting fiddly bits. It was damp but they weren't important things so I don't care about the finish. I got the manifold heatshield and tailpipe done in manifold silver and painted a few other engine bay bits and bobs in gloss black.

Ian shared a few more goodies on Saturday, including a tailpipe and muffler, handbrake lever assembly etc. Thanks mate!

(and Lou too...)

Pics this arvo when I get home.

**Sleepy** · 15th June 2009, 06:37 PM

Originally Posted by Shonky

Mum dropped off the complete firewall in the afternoon .........

Make sure you remember her next mothers day - perhaps some new riggers gloves and some nice new tie down straps

- what a mum!

**isuzutoo-eh** · 15th June 2009, 08:58 PM

Originally Posted by Sleepy

Make sure you remember her next mothers day - perhaps some new riggers gloves and some nice new tie down straps

- what a mum!

I believe she was given some new ratchet straps in return anyway!

**Shonky** · 16th June 2009, 07:40 AM

Correct!

I did indeed give her some new tie downs, and she is constantly losing gloves and I constantly replace them.

I usually check that the truck is stocked up whenever I have it. It always has:

- bag of ropes and ratchet straps
- 2x Fire Extinguishers
- First Aid Kit
- Recovery Kit
- Tarp
- 5L Water
- Maglite
- Lighters
- Leatherman
- Gloves

It's amazing how much crap you can cram behind the seats!

Yep she's a good ol' mum.

Thread: Shonky's '58 Series II SWB

Thread Tools

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions