Story Time!
Dear PF.
I've not put much effort into a build thread for the cars I own (see the Gemini collection thread wherever it is) but after requests I'll start one for this.
Few years back a mate of mine bought this VN. He told me about it and I figured it was just some mang box that they'd bought to mash limiter down the Cotter.
At the time Simsy was off work and looking for something to occupy his time. I figured while I work I give him something to do.
I began searching for a grandma VL Calais or just a neat VL Exec.
The usual PF dream, LS1 skids and high 5s in half an hour. Needless to say I came across and handful locally and they're either all junk or all over priced...
Fast forward a month or two and we were cutting laps in town and such and Waz says he needs to move his VN on. Bit of ehh yeah rights and hmms happened.
I do sorta have a thing for VN's.
My grandparents had an immaculate Phoenix Red VN SS. 355 on gas etc. Not bad for a grandpa car. They left to me for my first car when I got my licence. Being part of the 'high performance' ban of P platers at the time I couldn't drive it.
So they sold it for stupid money back in 2005 and that was it.
So I went round to Waz's joint and had a look at what I expected to be some shitter but figured LS it and no one would really care.
I was incredibly excited to see that it was definitely not an exec but a VN SS.
So when he got it he had spent some time, effort and money getting it up and running which worked well for me. It's had a complete service on it. New plugs, leads, dizzy and stuff (apparently had no spark at one point) so I got around that having to be done. Has a new pump and stuff as well.
Thankfully it's not completely wrecked but there is a few things that need to be done to get it to Roady.
So begins the parts accumulation.
For whatever reason the rack was shot and someone's replaced it with the wrong one. They've put what I think is a VS? one in it. So they're either spline of square where the column meets the rack.
Mines not square and this is...
So F3ARD got one for me down his way and brought it up sometime last year.
So it's just a case of installing that and setting up the power steering. (Will get a new PS pump to get that new as well)
At some point in it's life and with all of those old shitty commodore LSDs it's been replaced by either a locked centre or a spool. I haven't had the time to pull the cap off and have a look but it's locked solid either way.
The old boy cringed when I turned into the shed and 'skipped' along his 20k driveway.
He also has some weird hard on for the car itself.
So after some research I sounds like I can just swap that out for any LSD of it's era.
Apparently it came with one out of a VS ute. So I'm hoping to swap that out and see how it goes.
I had a look underneath it a while ago and it seems pretty sweet.
Nolethane everywhere and kingsprings. What is a slight problem is the auto has a slight leak... Doesn't piss out but seems to leave a puddle after sitting for months. I'll have to work out what the go is there.
So once these things are fixed I'll run it through rego and see what happens.
It does need a horn actually.
The plan is to keep it seemingly stock but with period spec mods cause it's not quite 100% original anyway.
It's a bit of a shame actually. I think prior to Warren owning it must have been something pretty sweet. The roofling has been retrimmed but done the same spec as a Statesman. So has map lights and rear door lights which I'm not sure if they work or not but looks cool. Wires from a big stereo at some point in its life etc.
It's got the wrong model seats in it and the drivers fells like the frame is slightly bent. (They're S1 and mines a S2 powerpack)
The steering wheel was some rubbish that wasn't even on it properly. I'd say the guy Waz got it from must have stripped it's good bits and put them on another or sold them off.
I want to avoid putting something too new in it but will keep the original style seats for it anyway.
I have been chasing a VS Clubsport set of seats for it.
Ideally I really want a set of Devonish seats but missed the boat on them and can't afford now.
So I found a lad wrecking a VS S which had VS Statesman seats in it. I wanted to put the head rest rear seats in like the Berlina, Calias and SV/Group A's had.
Give it a little class so I got those. They're in surprisingly decent nick to.
Steering wheel was the next thing to fuck off. The manky supercheap auto 18th hand wheel went to the bin.
Looking for a factory wheel was getting harder and I got sick of trying to find one for a reasonable price. Christmas came around and I was browsing the fb classifieds just as I do.
I dunno what style of momo it's called but it's the exact same as the VN Group A and priced at fuck all.
Yes thanks. Merry Christmas Jonno.
Wheels was the next thing. It came with an assortment of random wheels and rocked VY SS wheels painted matte black... Wasn't really the look I was going for an as much as I tried to convince myself these were worth leaving on I couldn't do it and dad was like "yeah they are shit".
I let the smoke out of the tyres in the shed much to dads displeasure so figured I'd get something nice.
Seeing as every mug has pretend Simmons these days and 3 peice seem to get lost in the 1 peice ones and I didn't have the money for billets (they'll come) I figured I'd try and model off BLO 767's VN's original configuration.
So I found a set of genuine VX GTS rims for a decent price. They've been painted gold but will go back to original colour I think.
So other than those bigger things just accumulated other little stuff.
My bob tail looks like someones pushed on it with the handle of a screw driver in a couple of places so I found non busted bob tail (it's the wrong colour but will get it painted or wrapped), an immaculate Genuine SV instrument cluster which was a wicked find, HSV centre caps, new washer/over flow bottle as an example.
After we get over the rego hurdle the plan is to get it cleaned up and repainted and re-striped
The paint itself is actually pretty bloody decent for it's age but as most 30 year old cars has been driven around and has a few little dents here and there.
A mate of mine insists on getting it "better than factory" for straightness. So should be able to get away with a closed door. That's future anyway.
Just want it 'neat'. The Geminis are 70% unreliable except the coupe so it'd be nice to have a car that anyone can grab the keys and we can go for drives.
I also need to fix the speedo which doesn't work for whatever reason it's stopped.
Wouldn't mind a letterbox grill as well.
I've also got a VT brake upgrade to do I bought of Forg. I just need hubs
I know there's a small 5L following on here. So willing to hear ideas and help.
Cliffs.
Mate had VN. Turns out to be an SS I buy. I hoard. I buy bits now I slowly fix. Will be registered in the year 2042
Here's some more pics:
These are from the weekend after a year of sitting. I've sold on the VY SS wheels and it's just rocking these 'things' to hold it up and make it mobile.
5litres of 5
Jackie likes going to drives in it. Even though he cost me 3k (eating something he shouldn't have) which was money for rego and to get the wheels painted and treads on them...
Thanks for taking the time to read my thread.
Dear PF.
I've not put much effort into a build thread for the cars I own (see the Gemini collection thread wherever it is) but after requests I'll start one for this.
Few years back a mate of mine bought this VN. He told me about it and I figured it was just some mang box that they'd bought to mash limiter down the Cotter.
At the time Simsy was off work and looking for something to occupy his time. I figured while I work I give him something to do.
I began searching for a grandma VL Calais or just a neat VL Exec.
The usual PF dream, LS1 skids and high 5s in half an hour. Needless to say I came across and handful locally and they're either all junk or all over priced...
Fast forward a month or two and we were cutting laps in town and such and Waz says he needs to move his VN on. Bit of ehh yeah rights and hmms happened.
I do sorta have a thing for VN's.
My grandparents had an immaculate Phoenix Red VN SS. 355 on gas etc. Not bad for a grandpa car. They left to me for my first car when I got my licence. Being part of the 'high performance' ban of P platers at the time I couldn't drive it.
So they sold it for stupid money back in 2005 and that was it.
So I went round to Waz's joint and had a look at what I expected to be some shitter but figured LS it and no one would really care.
I was incredibly excited to see that it was definitely not an exec but a VN SS.
So when he got it he had spent some time, effort and money getting it up and running which worked well for me. It's had a complete service on it. New plugs, leads, dizzy and stuff (apparently had no spark at one point) so I got around that having to be done. Has a new pump and stuff as well.
Thankfully it's not completely wrecked but there is a few things that need to be done to get it to Roady.
So begins the parts accumulation.
For whatever reason the rack was shot and someone's replaced it with the wrong one. They've put what I think is a VS? one in it. So they're either spline of square where the column meets the rack.
Mines not square and this is...
So F3ARD got one for me down his way and brought it up sometime last year.
So it's just a case of installing that and setting up the power steering. (Will get a new PS pump to get that new as well)
At some point in it's life and with all of those old shitty commodore LSDs it's been replaced by either a locked centre or a spool. I haven't had the time to pull the cap off and have a look but it's locked solid either way.
The old boy cringed when I turned into the shed and 'skipped' along his 20k driveway.
He also has some weird hard on for the car itself.
So after some research I sounds like I can just swap that out for any LSD of it's era.
Apparently it came with one out of a VS ute. So I'm hoping to swap that out and see how it goes.
I had a look underneath it a while ago and it seems pretty sweet.
Nolethane everywhere and kingsprings. What is a slight problem is the auto has a slight leak... Doesn't piss out but seems to leave a puddle after sitting for months. I'll have to work out what the go is there.
So once these things are fixed I'll run it through rego and see what happens.
It does need a horn actually.
The plan is to keep it seemingly stock but with period spec mods cause it's not quite 100% original anyway.
It's a bit of a shame actually. I think prior to Warren owning it must have been something pretty sweet. The roofling has been retrimmed but done the same spec as a Statesman. So has map lights and rear door lights which I'm not sure if they work or not but looks cool. Wires from a big stereo at some point in its life etc.
It's got the wrong model seats in it and the drivers fells like the frame is slightly bent. (They're S1 and mines a S2 powerpack)
The steering wheel was some rubbish that wasn't even on it properly. I'd say the guy Waz got it from must have stripped it's good bits and put them on another or sold them off.
I want to avoid putting something too new in it but will keep the original style seats for it anyway.
I have been chasing a VS Clubsport set of seats for it.
Ideally I really want a set of Devonish seats but missed the boat on them and can't afford now.
So I found a lad wrecking a VS S which had VS Statesman seats in it. I wanted to put the head rest rear seats in like the Berlina, Calias and SV/Group A's had.
Give it a little class so I got those. They're in surprisingly decent nick to.
Steering wheel was the next thing to fuck off. The manky supercheap auto 18th hand wheel went to the bin.
Looking for a factory wheel was getting harder and I got sick of trying to find one for a reasonable price. Christmas came around and I was browsing the fb classifieds just as I do.
I dunno what style of momo it's called but it's the exact same as the VN Group A and priced at fuck all.
Yes thanks. Merry Christmas Jonno.
Wheels was the next thing. It came with an assortment of random wheels and rocked VY SS wheels painted matte black... Wasn't really the look I was going for an as much as I tried to convince myself these were worth leaving on I couldn't do it and dad was like "yeah they are shit".
I let the smoke out of the tyres in the shed much to dads displeasure so figured I'd get something nice.
Seeing as every mug has pretend Simmons these days and 3 peice seem to get lost in the 1 peice ones and I didn't have the money for billets (they'll come) I figured I'd try and model off BLO 767's VN's original configuration.
So I found a set of genuine VX GTS rims for a decent price. They've been painted gold but will go back to original colour I think.
So other than those bigger things just accumulated other little stuff.
My bob tail looks like someones pushed on it with the handle of a screw driver in a couple of places so I found non busted bob tail (it's the wrong colour but will get it painted or wrapped), an immaculate Genuine SV instrument cluster which was a wicked find, HSV centre caps, new washer/over flow bottle as an example.
After we get over the rego hurdle the plan is to get it cleaned up and repainted and re-striped
The paint itself is actually pretty bloody decent for it's age but as most 30 year old cars has been driven around and has a few little dents here and there.
A mate of mine insists on getting it "better than factory" for straightness. So should be able to get away with a closed door. That's future anyway.
Just want it 'neat'. The Geminis are 70% unreliable except the coupe so it'd be nice to have a car that anyone can grab the keys and we can go for drives.
I also need to fix the speedo which doesn't work for whatever reason it's stopped.
Wouldn't mind a letterbox grill as well.
I've also got a VT brake upgrade to do I bought of Forg. I just need hubs
I know there's a small 5L following on here. So willing to hear ideas and help.
Cliffs.
Mate had VN. Turns out to be an SS I buy. I hoard. I buy bits now I slowly fix. Will be registered in the year 2042
Here's some more pics:
These are from the weekend after a year of sitting. I've sold on the VY SS wheels and it's just rocking these 'things' to hold it up and make it mobile.
5litres of 5
Jackie likes going to drives in it. Even though he cost me 3k (eating something he shouldn't have) which was money for rego and to get the wheels painted and treads on them...
Thanks for taking the time to read my thread.
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