Ek Holden need some ideas!

[Ek_leigh]

Hey guys, I have been watching and reading this site for years and I finally now have my own Ek to get excited about.
I do have a couple of questions though, that if hope you guys will be able to help me with.
I need a new fuel tank, I am only going to be running a 186 so I am thinking a ?&@d xa/Xb tank ( the one with the spare wheel in it) thoughts?
What does 'a' mean after the build number on the ID plate?
I need to start deciding what front end to use, I am leaning towards a HR one. But am open to ideas and suggestions.

Cheers

[NoMAD]

simple answers here... do what ever you want...

budget / time / skills & budget are going to be your only issues all can be overcome.

if you can do a lot yourself or happy to throw money at it you won't have any issues.

fuel tanks quite simple... basically need to cut out the boot floor and weld in a frame to bolt the &*#@ one in, a few of us here have done it... you then have to get a different fuel gauge or change the sender to suit the FB one.

the A I'm assuming is basically saying it was built in the Adelaide plant

HD/R front end is the simplest front end change... but getting thin on the ground or pricey... brakes then theres tons of options to run, LX Torana fronts are becoming common with a few mods can be easily done (theres a topic in here on it) and then theres custom made coil over front that typically run between 4.5g's and above but you can run any combo you like quite easily.

basically do whatever it is you want... it's your car. and post pics obviously.



cheers
Nathan

[kelleigh54]

Good to see another on board , how about some photos and info .
Leigh

[Blacky]

G'day Leigh, welcome to the forum mate

Frod XB tanks are getting hard to find, I had a VN Commondoor one in my V6 EK , lots easier to find - theres a couple of pics of it in my build thread (which would be a loooooong way back now) - the name of it was the "rust free" EK

HR fronts are the easiest swap , especially if you are going red six then you don't need to muck around with steering racks etc - but you may need to modify your column to collapsible , again - theres a thread on here somewhere that gives you a step by step on how to do it or theres a link on here to a bloke who can do one for you - the search function is your friend

and remember - we love photos !!!!!

[Ek_leigh]

Hey guys,

Good to see the WA banner flying strong! Thanks for the replies, I have just started a solid week of work but I will get some pictures up ASAP for you all. Have any of you had any experiences with the CRS HR style front ends?


Cheers Leigh

[Harv]

G'day Leigh,

The trick to a rebuild is to sit down early and work out what you want the car to do over the next decade. Sounds silly, but it can save you having to do things three times over. For example, a daily driver putting around Perth can probably get away with using the standard fuel tank (patching yours or finding one locally). Doing highway trips can make the smaller original 35L tank a pain in the bum (ask me how I know ). If you want to go EFI sometime down the track, finding a tank that will bolt-in an EFI pump (or at least has return line connections) may save you drama later. Similar on front end - if you are keeping the grey, the original front is probably more than OK... a change to a red may warrant the HR front, whilst a daily driver where turning circle and bumpsteer become more annoying may mean that the CRS front end is not the better choice.

As an example, I wanted a wagon that would be a daily driver doing long freeway miles, so a 60+L fuel tank was on the cards (I ended up with a new stainless one from Qld... more than happy). I love carbs and have no intention of fitting EFI, so no return fittings or internal pump are on the tank. I wanted to tow frequently, so something with more grunt than the grey was in order. It was either V6 or V8, with little additional work required for the 8 over the 6, so that was the way I went. Engineer required disks, which lead to the new front end. At the time (10 years ago ) the best option for a bolt-in front end was CRS. If I was starting from scratch, I would choose one of the newer front ends (just moving it around on and off the trailer is crapping me with turning circle already).

Once you have a rough plan, talk to your local rego approver (and probably insurer if that worries you) and see what he is happy to sign off. Some will let you have HR front ends etc... others will want an engineers certificate. If so, call a few engineers and see what they are happy with... again, a change to things like front end can lead to an engineer developing a wish list like collapsible columns, demisters etc that can soon get out of hand.

Cheers,
Harv

[MyEKisdriven]

Good advice Harv

Most modified old holdens can look similar on the outside but are often very different internally. If you intend to build the car as a daily, using proven methods and modifications should give the car a reasonable level of reliability. These old girls look "cool" as they are (,ie; stock) so the only thing a daily really needs is for it to be practical and reliable.

If your planning your build perhaps you could begin by developing a budget. Often a budget will determine what modifications you end up with. A budget can get you thinking about the direction of the build and what the car will become once it's sitting in your driveway.

Fortunately, there are plenty of people in here that have documented the journey you are about to go on. As you read through some of these builds you will find plenty of "common" reliable modifications and techniques that you can apply to your EK.

Or,
sink a load of time and money into owning something unique, it's your car.
Like most of us, it all comes down to what you want verse what you can afford..

You can see plenty of good examples through the FB/EK Club WA together with first hand advice on members cars.. We all love to talk about our pride n' joy's.

Either way, once you've got the car up n' running you'll be smiling every time you get behind the wheel... just like we all do.

[Devilrod]

I'll only add to Harv's & Myekisdriven's comments, get a clear picture of how you want the car to looak and what you want to do before you start the reassembly and stick to it! It will save rework or extra budget breaking costs.

[Ek_leigh]

Gents,

Thanks for the feedback. What I want is a EK that will handle being driven everyday, as close to fault free as possible (hahah positive thinking). Not that that I am intending to drive it daily, but would like the option. The thing that I am big on, is if I do it once I do it to the highest standard possible.
That is why I was asking about the front ends, I can put a HR one in but I want the best!

Definite - 186 with a few little tweaks,

Probably - celica 5 speed, hr front (collapsible arm, demised etc)

Wants that I will have to get delivered when the mrs is on holidays - the stainless tank ( I have seen these, and they are worth it!) new front and rear seats (leather)

Coming just don't know when - full body respray in colour yet to be decided.

[Dakam]

Daily Driver, talk to Devilrod.
He drove his every day to work for the past 8 years

Dave.

[Brian Westlake]

Hey EK Leigh, it sounds like your on the right track with your mods, but when I read your thread out to my Mrs. Fiona, she pointed out that you can even drive a stocker as a daily driver ( as she has on and off for most of 20 years) with non assisted drums, generator and a Blow Through Heater to keep your toes warm in winter. She fitted Hazard lights and a stick on window demister and sometimes she has traffic light derbys with early model L300 Vans.

[WayneXG95]

Hey EK Leigh, it sounds like your on the right track with your mods, but when I read your thread out to my Mrs. Fiona, she pointed out that you can even drive a stocker as a daily driver ( as she has on and off for most of 20 years) with non assisted drums, generator and a Blow Through Heater to keep your toes warm in winter. She fitted Hazard lights and a stick on window demister and sometimes she has traffic light derbys with early model L300 Vans.

L300 vans..mmmm better than me draging off Mighty Boys..