2redrovers

For a lot of situations it is possible to bend the hinge arms to get the alignment. This may involve some heat but I've used an F shaped lever to give you more power to bend the arms

You can tell when an enthusiast does a job... Just keeps getting better.

Is that the pick up point at the front? It looks like a bolt through the rail to a link for the cradle? I've got a guess for what you're thinking about but maybe I'll just wait and see if I got it right

Consider this a place to pool ideas, get feedback and discuss your wildest dreams for that custom build you've always wanted. I'll cut and paste the relevant stuff out of gerg's cold gal thread when I get the chance but here's the basics. Modified xc sedan into something different, probably a pro touring flavour. Early sketch Before After

I saw that post too, body work is done really well but being vr vs inside is just a big let down. Originally a steel dash so there was ample opportunity to create something really interesting.

I know that cutting laminated stuff is much easier than toughened, I don't know what side glass is for that era as it possibly depends on the car. In a rough mock up the Subaru seems a very easy fit. Even seems like it has the same angle on the pillar to a hatchback. That could be way off though because I didn't chase measurements for the Subaru. There's even the touring version that can use the roof bump for that surfer look.

Do you reckon cutting the side glass from something like that subi would be possible? Maybe a water jet cutter or something like that? Was thinking that it would be less involved to cut down a suitable van/wagon glass to suit the angles of the desired torana wagon. Just don't know if you can do that without the glass exploding into a billion pieces.

The guy who did the ones in the last post also revised the rear shot. There were comments about the D pillar not being consistent between the two views so he reworked and showed a closer view. Can see how the tail lights are modified too. This is the van version the diy fellow liked most, I'm sure there's a second version by this artist but I can't find it again.

Adding the other examples people have come up with. That's the original "fake", supposedly old school photo chop (with scissors). I'm guessing a PR gambit to figure out if folks would buy it before they tried making it. I forgot this rough sketch with territory roof and rear.

Yeah those were also shown on the posts I saw. The ones people seem happy with always look like gemini knock off's to me. I've tried hard to get away from that look as much as possible.

This is another idea I began playing with on my phone but not complete design yet. I wondered if you could do it with mostly torana parts. Take the sedan window and move it back all the way to create an upper tailgate. I'm not sure what to fill the gaps with yet. Couldn't think of a panel or window that would be that shape off the top of my head. Saw a camry wagon that had a rear window that could work with this though. As long as that doesn't have studs built into it to bolt in then it could be converted to a rubber mount window. Just requires a modified window opening to accommodate the rubber seal, relatively simple to make happen.

OK now to the design that Holden would have built. This uses all panels that made up the production hx/Hz wagons except that none of them are the same size any more. I've seen a concept /pre production version of the LH wagon in an old magazine and it's very similar but obviously not quite styled like the actual versions. Interestingly, I have found that you can really only make a wagon from a sedan 4dr, not with a 2dr hatch. While it looks OK, the slope on the B pillar makes it practically impossible to find glass to fit the gap without resorting to a custom made piece. The rear is made from vh commy glass and gate, the rest is custom roof and fill ins. Whenever you try to make it with a 2dr, it magically ends up looking like a gemini regardless of what you do with it.

This is probably the best spot for these ideas. There has been a bit of discussion on the torana fb group recently about a wagon/panelvan conversion of an LH LX. I've been chatting with two different people about the potential for actually doing it to a car. One was a general diy chat, the other would be knocking on my door if he was in the same state. It's been a fun distraction while driving to work, looking at all the different cars around me and mentally sizing the rear glass to find something that could be a wagon. Cue the measurements of the Territory rear windows. Stupid part is the tailgate glass is within a few millimetres of the original rear windscreen of the LH sedan I'm working on. Fired up photoshop and squeezed out this... Kinda like a shooting brake looking thing. Got a comment that it looked tacked on with that large pillar. That pillar is almost the standard sedan one. I didn't add fake window trim to make it look like an old school rubber fit window but it would be fairly simple task to achieve in real life. It's not what others are wanting but for me it was proof that I wasn't completely nuts. I'd consider moving the rear glass forward slightly to slim the pillar down but I'd have to see how well it sat over the boot edge before saying yes/no. Don't want a funky step below the tailgate glass but has to keep the torana lights out back.

Other than check all connections, relays, fuses and solenoids are working properly.. I don't know enough to suggest anything specific.

If you have a search for the model number you can probably find the service manual for the converter. Might help you diagnose the issue and maybe not have to swap it.

In theory it's just swapping parts over if it's the same model BUT make sure that you turn the supply off at the tank before undoing anything. Be prepared for some escape from the lines and don't get freezer burns. There's also coolant running through it. The problem I can see is when you get it swapped over, will the new one need tuning or set up? That would be the benefit of having a pro do it for you. I've heard that the converter can get waxed up and stop working, I believe there is a drain on them but I'm not familiar enough to give any more than general info.

I have no idea exactly what is required to fit the 2L but I can add this, if you slide the engine back on the mounts that's easy enough to do with offset brackets. However, there isn't any more room to advance the shifter location and have it in the factory hole. The conversion moves the shifter forward 75mm for a standard engine placement and that brings the shifter "box" as far as you can get without cutting into the trans case itself. Any further and you would be halfway through the linkages etc so that's not an option either.

It will probably have less rust by then too. No one wants it looking the way it is (too scary) and I'm not desperate to get rid of it, just a bit impractical having so many cars crammed in the shop. That won't last forever and I'll eventually tinker with the bodywork. I've had silly half thoughts about replicating the chassis in thicker stock so it still looks original but is way stiffer.

Probably will.....

I may know of one [emoji28]

Nothing wrong with that idea

2-2.5k for an engine conversion is reasonably cheap compared to other swaps and the build of a 1600 would take that much easily yes? If you really want to run down that road you just have to supply the engine and gearbox for any mods pre paint and then it goes home on a truck to finish the set up... Just a thought you've probably already had. Question is which block do you actually want?

What's the cost of supporting systems? Is there a cheaper "stock" way to get it running that you could upgrade later and spread the cost out a bit?

Does the gearbox still work with zetec?

I like it. That's how I would have done the front too.