Joe's 1984 WB One-Tonner

[Zeussy]

I got my Gas MIG, 160 amp, (about the biggest you can go on normal house power) for around the $600 mark I think from memory, from Gasweld, and eventually put the bigger handle on it,

But its only those little gas bottles, one day i'll look into putting it onto the big gas bottles, but I've been welding gasless lately...

[grovers_1983]

lol just get glassless do you have flux wire?

[Jo3_Blo]

So wait, which one is cheaper and which one is better for the job?

BTW guys, I just remembered, I have a 14w soldering iron, gonna give it a go I reckon!!!

[Jo3_Blo]

Also, slight update, I've been sanding and painting my windscreen wipers, still in the process. Got one painted and it looks good. Still sanding the second, almost ready to paint.

Within the next few days I'm hoping to pick up some axle stands and also I'm in the process of removing the inner drivers guard so I can hopefully just pop out the massive ding in the guard. I've disconnected and removed everything that needs to be, all I have to do now is indo the bolts.

I would also like to start working on the stereo set up. Namely I want to make sure I'm going to be able to fit the 6X9s in the rear, and if so, start making the mounts and stuff for them.

[Zeussy]

lol just get glassless do you have flux wire?

Yeah, I've got both, but run out of gas lately,

I've found Gas to be a 'cleaner' weld, but Flux Cored Gasless does the job just fine... If it needs to be a neat looking weld I normally just run a flapper disc over it to remove all the splatter..

The Flux cored Wire is a bit more expensive, although you don't need to buy the Gas!

So wait, which one is cheaper and which one is better for the job?

BTW guys, I just remembered, I have a 14w soldering iron, gonna give it a go I reckon!!!

Alot of the cheaper welders will probly only be Gasless, but you might be able to find a Gas one. Either will do the job fine, just need to get the right wire for it!
Which ever welder you get!


Yeah go the soldering iron man! that'l do a smick job eyy, lmao...

[Blown V6 Hatch]

Joe, where are you planning to put the speakers? There isn't much room in a ute/1 tonner to put speakers. I'll attach a pic of what i did on my ute, might give you some ideas.

As for a welder, Gas is the only way to go. The only killer is the bottle rental, however IMO it's a small price to pay for much better welds.

[Head_is]

I'm doing this to my ute right now... HQ-WB Tonner Cabin modification - Aussie V8 | Holden - Ford | Australian V8 Engine Community Anyway Back to it I go.

[Jo3_Blo]

Hey guys,

Yeah Head, that flat wall cab mod is a great mod and will give heaps of room, in my case for speakers and audio equipment and what not.

However, that said, I won't be completing that mod on my ute, so I've gotta work with what I've got. Blown V6 (Tim?), I'm planning on putting my speakers in roughly the same location as you have yours. Originally I had it all planned out in my head, however once I went out and actually had a look, I realised just how small the space at the back of the cab really is. I've already made up some MDF faces to mount the speakers onto (was going to make boxes, until I realised how small it really was) So yeah, I'm planning to make the faces in MDF, mount the speakers onto them, and then make up some metal brackets to mount the faces to the back of the cab.

Next time I'm working on the ute, I'll take a picture of the spot I plan on putting em in and upload it here.


ALSO - update, well, I got every single nut and bolt off to remove the inner guard, and quite easily so. Except for the last one, which is a screw which holds the washer bottle to the inner guard, and also the inner guard to the front clip of the vehicle, hence it must be unscrewed in order to remove the inner guard. And WHAT A BASTARD, I have spent AGES trying to get it off. And felt like throwing a spanner through the windscreen.
I have gotten it halfway out, which was a struggle and a half, and now it just won't budge anymore, and the head is stripped now anyway (screw driver kept slipping). Its in the most awkward spot, I've tried a real long handle, soaked it in WD40 over 2 days, etc etc. So now dad's suggested we just get a nice long drill bit and simply drill it out. So yeh, what a pain in the arse lol.

[Head_is]

That nut that you have had trouble getting out Sh*t me to tears aswell.... Took me so long to get it out..

[Jo3_Blo]

Are you serious dude? LOL, How did you end up gettin yours off?

I didn't actually intend to take mine off, I only realised that it was one of the attatching screws after I'd undone all the rest.

[Head_is]

I got it screwed off..... After a couple of hours and a load of wd40

[Jo3_Blo]

Well I used heaps of WD40 as well (even had two days to soak in it) and still couldn't get it undone.

And the head of the screw is just about stripped now anyway so bugger.

[nemesis_adrasteia]

Well I used heaps of WD40 as well (even had two days to soak in it) and still couldn't get it undone.

And the head of the screw is just about stripped now anyway so bugger.

just lock it in a set of vice grips and get a new screw?

[Jo3_Blo]

Nah, not that simple mate, you can't really get to it with the vice grips, its in a tight spot.

Anyhow, I had another go at it today, and whaddaya know, it came out.

Now onto my new problem........I can't get the inner guard out!!! :Z I'm assuming that it is physically possible to remove the inner guard without removing the guard? It seems so, just there are lots of things in the way, ie fuel lines etc.........anyone know of an easy way to get it out? I'm thinking if I take the wheel off it would be easiest to take it out from under the guard, but yeh........anyone know for sure or what is the best way to go about it?

[Jo3_Blo]

After a bit of persistance and fiddling around I finally got the inner guard out.

I also sized up the speakers in the loacation I want to fit them, and they will fit, however I want to be sure that they won't be too close to the seat, as this would damage the speakers or affect the quality of sound? IE - if the speakers are too close to the seat, the sound will just hit the seat and bounce back into the speaker......isn't this bad?

[Jo3_Blo]

Also irrelevant to this, but I started up the statesman just before, damn, I'd forgotten how comfortable it was to sit in, and how good the exhaust note sounded. Exciting stuff lol.
I want to take it for a drive, but it needs a bit of work first, needs new oil and filter, dunno what the radiators like these days, tyres need to be pumped up, needs a good clean etc. etc. And the motor needs work too, but thats had issues for a long time now. It might improve once we change the oil.

[VBRED]

Mate

Your tunna is a clone of mine except for the wheels. Just can't kill it.

Pete

[Jo3_Blo]

Haha, choice. Throw us a coupla pics?

[Jo3_Blo]

No real updates as usual, I've finished painting the windscreen wipers (just something to kill time lol) and they'll look good when they go back on.

I don't really know why, but while I was waiting for the paint to dry yesterday, I just started unbolting the drivers side guard. Got all of em out but then wasn't sure what to do with the bonnet. So then I started taking off the bonnet. I unbolted the bonnet, and was about to pull it off when I wondered why I was actually doing it, and how I was gonna cover it all up in case it rained. Couldn't answer my own question, so just bolted it all back up again lol.
What a waste of time that was.

I do have a question though, in regards to fixing the dint in my drivers side guard, refer to pics. Wouldn't I be better off to leave the guard bolted onto the vehicle and try pop it out (it is accessible now that the innerguard is out of the way) or would it be better to take the guard off and try pop it out?

Coz I'm thinking if I leave it bolted on, then it won't warp or go out of allignment when it pops out?

And I swear, the rust has gotten worse since I've had the ute.............starting to get over it really, sometimes tempted to just go out and buy a commodore.

[Head_is]

don't buy a commodore!! lol.. unless you need a car you can drive.. My progress is also not much!

[Jo3_Blo]

Bah, I'm just so over it lol. Can't really be bothered with it, theres nothing more I can really do anyway. School finishes in like 2 weeks so maybe I'll do something then.

I've got my eye on a nice HZ tonner with 308, stato interior, all the goods etc. but its a 2.5 + hour drive from me so probs out of the question.......

[Head_is]

Bah, I'm just so over it lol. Can't really be bothered with it, theres nothing more I can really do anyway. School finishes in like 2 weeks so maybe I'll do something then.

I've got my eye on a nice HZ tonner with 308, stato interior, all the goods etc. but its a 2.5 + hour drive from me so probs out of the question.......

hmm yea, is it like the one that has that walkaround on youtube? Or IS it that one... I would love to have the stato interior in mine but I'm assuming it would all be custom..?

[Jo3_Blo]

Huh? Nah I saw this on tradingpost. Its a black hz tunna, with twin headlight and HX grille, with purple flames and weld drag lite mags or something like that.

Its got a b&m shifter, with stato door trims, stato dash, and a black velour bench seat.

Its also got a bug catcher.


I really wouldn't mind this ute, itd be a heap of fun I reckon. On the other hand, I saw a VP V6 Ute at the caryard today. Wouldn't mind it, but I couldn't love it half as much as a HQ-WB.

[Jo3_Blo]

ALSO - Thinking of selling my WB if anyones interested.

[Head_is]

I would be interested if you weren't across the country and it had good panels :P