75wagon's GD sedan, now wagon project...

[75wagon]

are fibreglass panel legal for road use (guessing not)

In NSW body panels are not allowed, I'm guessing it might be similar in other states?

what else you could fibreglass, rocker cover,air cleaner

It would have to be a pretty good glassing job on the rocker cover I would guess? You wouldn't want it to leak or anything :/

[Scorpma82]

well uve just done a top job on the manifold.......that seems to be far more complex than a rocker cover im sure

[A112H]

are fibreglass panel legal for road use (guessing not)

In NSW body panels are not allowed, I'm guessing it might be similar in other states?

They are legal in SA as long as the wheel arch is identical to stock. Basically so you can't slam a car and then have a bigger wheel arch so it measures as correct height from hub to wheel arch.
Bonnets are illegal as there were incidents during frontal collision of the hinge bolts shearing and the bonnet entering the cabin via the windscreen insted of crumpling as a metal one would.
Don't know about boot lids but they should be okay I would think.
Having said that, to make them strong enough not to warp and maintain a reasonable form in an impact you would need to lay such thick glass they would be heavier than a stock steel panel.
What makes them popular in the drift and show scene is easy manufacture and addition of vents and the like. As for race cars, have you seen how easily they rip apart? Thats what lightweight glass looks like in a minor accident, lol

[75wagon]

Finally got some more progress and pics.

In this pic I have my newly turned up polystyrene thermostat housing mould.
The polystyrene forms the inside of the thermostat housing. I glass around this, and then put acetone inside (where the polystyrene is) and melt the polystrene out leaving the internal shape I need.


Fitted to the car, I still need to make a few mods, I need to cut it down a bit further so it clears the fuel pump outlet.

[geezer101]

It's been a while Dave - any progress on the 'glass manifold? How is the thermostat housing turning out?

[75wagon]

I've had a lot of distractions over the last couple of weeks with birthday party's, family functions, and another trip to Sydney yesterday to help repair accident damage on my nephew's 180SX, so I haven't had time to get any more done to this. I am in 2 minds about starting over again, using the polystyrene mould making method.
In the process of learning while building the manifold I have currently constructed, I can see where I could have made improvements. Also now having something tangible that I can actually see sizing and clearances, it's now much easier to see how the design either works or doesn't.

Dave...

[geezer101]

You now have a prototype to work with. And the experience will definately show in the final product. All you need now is some free time when you won't be interrupted - wouldn't that be novel

[75wagon]

I've hit a low point in the build

Starting to wonder if I should continue any further, or pass it on to someone else (or parts of).
My priorities have changed a little, I'm starting to wonder the relevance of this build in my life right now.

Might just be a phase, I certainly went through plenty of them with my GC build, but the point is, I just can't get motivated with this atm

[A112H]

Motivation comes and goes Dave, I find if I hit a few snags or find time dragging I start to lose sight of the goal. I discussed selling the hardtop about 3 years ago with my Wife and friends, glad now that I listened to them and kept it, pushed on and got it to stage one.
Keep pushing mate, check with Affa or eBay and buy a few cheap motivational parts, I found that helped a lot.
You will see it through mate and be very happy you did at the end

[crystalmeths]

You now have a prototype to work with. And the experience will definately show in the final product. All you need now is some free time when you won't be interrupted - wouldn't that be novel

arnt we the comedian ...............free time what the hell is that?.....

[geezer101]

It's the stuff you use to have but wasted on doing other things Sorry you hit a low point Dave, life happens while you're making other plans. Roll it quietly to the back of the garage and let it rest until the old fire flares back into you. It's that time of the year when Christmas , the bills and other distractions irritate us normal people. A new year will be upon us shortly - time to put your feet up over the break and get some perspective.

[Superscan811]

I've hit a low point in the build

Starting to wonder if I should continue any further, or pass it on to someone else (or parts of).
My priorities have changed a little, I'm starting to wonder the relevance of this build in my life right now.

Might just be a phase, I certainly went through plenty of them with my GC build, but the point is, I just can't get motivated with this atm

I go through that on a daily basis, but mine is due to having too many projects, so when I start, there are too many things to distract me, then I overthink what I should do and how I should do it. Before you know it, an hour or 2 has past but little to no work was done, or worse, a bucket load of work done but then deciding do something different.

Case in point, this weekend I made up a new manifold, for a set of quad 40mm motorbike carbies I re-spaced so I can have straight runners, and then talked myself out of using them because I haven't used that particular type of carbie before. The reason is because it may take a while to get my head around how to tune them properly and would prefer to work with something familiar because of the long trip to Adelaide I've planned in the new year.
2 days on the manifold, 3 days on the carbies and all that work will now sit on a shelf for the next 6 months, or longer..

SO NOW, they are on the back-burner, and I have decided to modify a standard Astron II manifold to use a set of un-spaced carbies, that are similar to the original ones that were on the wagon.
Hopefully it should only take me a day or 2...

Hope this post doesn't de-motivate any further..


Cheers.

[orangelancer]

whenever i hit a low point with my car i just drive it and see how everyone reacts. makes me always want to keep it. ofcourse when its not running its a different situation but maybe take our the gc wagon and see all the attention you get

[75glnt]

im like that now

but i come on here and read everyones build posts and im off again.

[75wagon]

I've been too busy with everything else going on around here lately, and what's going with events for those around me, so motivation and time to be able to actually do anything positive towards this build, has been hard to come by.

Saying that though, the New Year has been rather life changing (for various reasons) and it seems that things seem to have quite a positive outlook for me coming into 2013. I have new found interest in fixing some of the long term items that need attending to on my GC wagon, and hopefully once they are completed I will get straight back into this.

I'm still tossing up some of the final plans for this build. But I have to admit, they are a bit of a stumbling block for me.

but i come on here and read everyones build posts and im off again.

Probably how you ended up reading this then?

Dave...

[75glnt]

Probably how you ended up reading this then?

nah i genuinely followed this thread for a while. but i hadnt been on in a while with enough time to browse through all my posts.

whats going on with the 75 wagon?

[75wagon]

Well, I got a little bit of progress done today.
I've had these rims sitting there for ages, thought it was time to do something with them (still don't know if I'm using them or not).


So I aquired along the way a 5th rim from Tj. and that was the rim holding me up on painting them (I had already prepped the first 4 rims). So I prepped up the 5th rim and started masking up. I started with the green fine line tape (makes for a cleaner edge when the tape is removed.


Then I applied some non ferrous etch primer


Last was the hammertone finish coat.


Finished with all the tape removed.


Still to do, buff the alloy outer edge, and make or get some wheel centres to finish them off.

[geezer101]

Old school wheels are awesome, you've done a great job of refurbishing yours Dave. Imagine getting these reproduced in a 17" wheel - you'd be able to build your wagon avatar. Hell, if they make repros of the old school Fuchs wheels off Porsches in 17's, they can do these no problem...

[75wagon]

I was just mucking around in the garage with some red paint and one of my sign writing brushes.
Yes or no?

Old school wheels are awesome, you've done a great job of refurbishing yours Dave.

Thanks geezer101. I sure put some work into them.
I've spent quite a few hours on them removing almost all of the gutter rash, sandblasting the centres, and sanding them back.
I was going to do them black, but decided to just do them the same as the ones on my GC wagon.

The biggest thing now, is I will be making some customised centres to go in them, I'm thinking highly polished alloy and as slimline as I can make them.

[Tj.]

Awesome job! Good to see that old rim get put to good use. I think the old fella was just going to throw it away

[75wagon]

Awesome job! Good to see that old rim get put to good use.

Thanks Tj.

I think the old fella was just going to throw it away

NOooo! Just as well I saved it then

Anyway, getting those rims finished (now got all 5 of them pin striped up) has got me a bit inspired to get them on something.



While I was there changing over the wheel for a look, I thought I'd start knocking out some of the dents in the rear arch mould (which came up pretty well considering) and then I thought I'd have a crack at the dents in the rear panel also. It's improved a bit already, but I need to get serious, and get all the paint off that panel, so I can really get a good go at it.

[mstrrab1992]

I was about to say, didn't back into something did you, hah.

[75wagon]

Nope, it came all bent up.
This is how it looked the day I bought it


check out the dent in the drivers door as well

Shame, because it's a rust free door

[mstrrab1992]

Eeep, Yes, I see what you mean, been thinking about doing a panel beating course at tafe CERT 3 of a night time, just for personal use. the new siggy has some dents not major ones but id like to get them fixed.

[75wagon]

Latest acquisition



Yes they are Leather, yes they are electric, and yes I've tried them, the air pump in the drivers seat doesn't work at this stage, but everything else seems to.

They are similar to the seats in my GC wagon


Best thing about the Recaros are, they bolt straight up to the standard Galant seat rails without any welding. The only thing needed to modified is the hole locations where they bolt up (the centres between bolt holes are the same between both Galant and Recaro seats).

[Superscan811]

Wonder whee you found them. Hmm...

Cheers.

[75wagon]

Laying in the back of some blokes shed covered in car parts looking very unloved.
The shed looked awfully similar to yours Superscan811

I think I now owe this bloke a favour or 2 anyway...

Dave...

[Superscan811]

I'd say lucky this guy has a yellow GH Scorpion he wants to register..



Cheers.

[75wagon]

I'm pretty sure he does have a Yellow Scorpion now you mention it

Dave...

[75glnt]

Children! haha

Those seats look very... Star Wars like.. very stealthy.