Andrew's fb - the transformation to Colleen

FB MAD · Post by **FB MAD** » Thu Sep 10, 2009 1:22 pm

Tell him to buy some thread bar about 1/2 inch diameter ( maybe 7/16th ? can't remember exactly ) and about a foot long or so as long as it will fit in place where the front shock absorber would go.

Thread and weld a nut on one end of the thread bar.

Cut off some flat bar about 3 inch long or so.

Drill a hole in the flat bar big enough to allow the thread bar to fit and then slide the 3 inch piece of flat bar along the thread bar so it butts up against the welded nut.

Slide this thread bar in through the lower wishbone where the shock absorber would fit so that the welded nut end/flat bar is against the lower wishbone around where the lower shock bolts fit.

Then place a good size flat washer and nut on the other end of the thread bar where the top shock nut goes and then just basically screw it all up.

This will compress the lower wishbone and spring and eventually allow the ball joint to be fitted once you screw it up tight enough to mate the parts together.

Basically you have just made a spring compressor that fits in place where the front shock goes and compresses it all up.

I made my own in about half an hour and have used it to compress springs in many front ends that are not actually fitted to the car.

Works great!!

FB MAD · Post by **FB MAD** » Thu Sep 10, 2009 1:25 pm

Ooops sorry, just realised it's a kingpin front end so delete any reference I've said about ball joints above

but the compressor will work just as well with a kingpin front as I did the kingpin front end up in my FB in my avatar thingo using the home made spring compressor made to the specs written above.

P.S. I don't think he'll get enough weight on that spring as per the pic by just using the weight of the hoist arm alone, they don't weigh enough.He'd be better off putting a car on the hoist and then trying the same method.It might work that way??

Oh,..... and make sure he uses an old bomb jap car, just in case it slides off!!

oldnek · Post by **oldnek** » Thu Sep 10, 2009 2:01 pm

And hes a Suspension Specialist...................................

Makes you wonder.

matches · Post by **matches** » Thu Sep 10, 2009 2:30 pm

i used to install and service mechanics hoists. with seeing that its no surprise i was in pedders fixing their hoists so often.
and no they're not heavy enough, if i can lift one of the arms by myself thares no way they'll compress a spring (unless theres a f250 or something on the hoist at the time)

ben · Post by **ben** » Thu Sep 10, 2009 3:03 pm

He will be cutting the coils next to get it together

Trev · Post by **Trev** » Thu Sep 10, 2009 3:08 pm

ben wrote: He will be cutting the coils next to get it together

I was going to say they must need a few coils cut off, I don't seem to have any trouble fitting mine

, Trev

.

ek61 · Post by **ek61** » Thu Sep 10, 2009 4:31 pm

lol mate i got a tool for that job

and u were at the shed last week

stinky · Post by **stinky** » Thu Sep 10, 2009 10:10 pm

Threaded rod will do the job

check out the FE/FC forum for a king-pin front going together with pics in the Real Cars section.
As for Pedders being specialists, well just have a look at their mascot

Devilrod · Post by **Devilrod** » Thu Sep 10, 2009 10:11 pm

oldnek wrote:And hes a Suspension Specialist...................................

Makes you wonder.

x2

Thats somewhat disturbing!

FB wannabe · Post by **FB wannabe** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 1:24 pm

Hey guys, try not to be too hard on old Pauly at Pedders he is a mate of mine and alswys looks after me extremely well and does a good job. This is the first time he has had to do a job like this since he has lost quite a bit of weight. Before he said he was able to put his weight behind it and make it all work but now he struggles and he was a bit unsure how to takle it. Your right though it didn't compress the spring down enough.

Front end is all back in and she is back on all fours!

Then it was time to takle the nasty bit around the windscreen.

All the rusted crappy bits cut out

And the new piece from the donar section (Thanks Dave!) welded in.

From here we are going to finish the car off mechanically so it's all running driving etc then we are going to move on to the body and paint. We didn't plan to repaint it at the start, but looking at it we would be silly not to as there is already so much that we have to paint anyway. I am doing a colour change on it despite what so man friends and family have said to stick with the original colour. I knew in my head I wanted the car Satelite yellow and Grecian white as I realy like this colour combo. That was untill June when I spotted this and all of a sudden every other colour didn't measure up

It's a original Holden colour and it is called Coleen green. I absolutely love it and knew right there if I ever repainted mine that this would be the only choice.

It's the same old story, originally we started out replacing the inner and outer passenger sill and the headlight peaks. Before you know it it's a full blown rebuild. Still, it should be a killer ride when finished and still should be finished well and truely before Narranderah in June

Trev · Post by **Trev** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 1:47 pm

Nice work on the screen frame

, colleen green is a great color, good choice, Trev

.

mrs ratbox · Post by **mrs ratbox** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 4:47 pm

nice colour choice, if yor respraying the car and unless yor going for a total original might aswell paint it a nice colour rather than a boreng one

MINT62 · Post by **MINT62** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 8:11 pm

nice goin andrew

u gotta be happy with that, lookin at some of those pics brings back some good memories of my project

good luck with the deadline, looks like your in good hands with lenny bro

basic.green · Post by **basic.green** » Wed Oct 14, 2009 2:22 pm

Thats right rat box

and the car is looking good. a nice colour choice to

FB wannabe · Post by **FB wannabe** » Thu Nov 26, 2009 10:49 pm

Thanks everyone! Ratbox couldn't agree more

the original colour on this is cringe worthy in my eyes. When I was younger I always thought it would be cool to get a fb and do it exactly how you would've picked one back in 1960 if you were there (born 1982

) so this is what I have done. As I said from about 18 I knew I wanted it satelite yellow and grecian white untill I saw that wagon, makes me weak at the knees everytime I see a pic of it.

So you've probably noticed I changed my title. That's because I have always liked naming my toys as it gives it a personal touch. The only car I don't have a name for is the Cortina sedan? the Cortina wagon is named Cookie as in the Cookie monster from sesame street. I think Colleen suits the fb perfectly as Colleen to me just screams "little old lady" it will be like a little old lady in persoanlity, old frail and gets around slowly!

So not too much has been happening around here lately with Lenny having a death in the family

and us South Aussies having some extreme weather lately but we are still moving forwards!

A while ago I posted a wanted ad in parts wanted chasing a drivers rear door and got one response from blacky in W.A (thanks mate, I really appreciate it but your a little bit too far) this is why........

The old door was completly fubar and before I realised how bad it was I was quoted $400 by a place in Adelaide to fix it!

The bog that is around the holes is around half a centimetre thick

and I'm sure I would find more holes if I kept digging

Lenny knew he had a door stashed away but wasn't sure how good / bad it was so he dug it out and we had a look. It wasn't much chop but was better than mine so I bought a door skin of a guy in Qld on ebay, if anyone's interested in one Lenny was really happy with the quality of it. So he welded that in and made a small repair to te underneath of it and this is now what we have

Next item on the agenda is getting the motor and box back in and getting it mechanically A1 then starting on the paint. The diff will be coming out soon as well as Lenny seems to think it makes a worrying noise when you turn a wheel and wants me to get a diff guy to check. That and it leaks like a siv, to be honest I'm not even sure there is a diff there as I havn't seen it yet. I assume there is one there under about 3cm of solid grease but I can't be certain