Nathan's VN Project

[Post Vintage]

Well It's time I posted up my project car which I bought last weekend.

Car cost me $700, it's unregistered and is a 160,000km 1989 VN Series 1. $100 to tow it to my place.

I wanted a manual car with a bit of oomph. I was thinking and still really wanted a VL, however the Buick(and Ecotec) 3.8's go really hard, and I wanted something a little bit newer. The car come with a big ugly VT clubby rear bar, sideskirts... rim bashed 17" ROH rims and (ok some good things.... ) an awesome engine.

[Post Vintage]

Ok some pics after having it a week. Can't get too much done weekdays... but I try.

So far... Last Sunday I bought the car. During the week and this weekend I have done:

Engine oil flush with "Liqui-Moly" and re-fil with cheapo oil (20w50) - Won't be driving it, just starting it up once a week until it's warm and then turning it off, probably for two months. This will flush all the crap out of the system and I'll re-flush the oil again in a month. Changed the oil filter also.

Replaced the spark plugs with Bosch units. Old plugs weren't in the best condition and pretty fouled.

Cleaned the engine bay and degreased everything... gearbox and sump etc. Inspected all bushes and made report of what needs to be done to go over the pits. I figure new front shocks, springs, rear springs.

Removed damaged front bumper, removed big space machine rear bumper. Removed crappy kenwood head unit, sony sub, kenwood amp, front and rear speakers... all "friend donation" material. - I use good stereo stuff =)

Also replaced the rims to some 16" 225's 5 spokes. The car looks a bit tougher with them. I also just bought a VP front bumper.

Also painted front LHS brake caliper in red... looks decent, but have to replace the front brakes and have to paint the caliper mount red also. I'll have to get some matt black paint too so I can paint the crappy part of the rotor, and anything else that looks dusty or old.

I cut n polished everything but the roof... lost interest after that since I'm getting a full respray anyway.

This week's goals:

Cover door trim inserts with cream leather (Doing this tonight/tomorrow at work)
Remove all door trims and wipe them down clean ready for cream paint
(Painting by Wednesday/Thursday arvo)
Remove front seats and check out why they seem a bit loose. Probably just the bolts holding them to the rails, but if they are screwed I'll get my cream leather seats sooner. (Thursday)
Remove tie rod ends, ball joints and sway bar bushes (Front only) (Friday)
Replace tie rod ends, ball joints, install HD sway bar link kit. (If my kit comes this week.)



Future:
Inspect steering rack thoroughly.. either that or the sump gasket is leaking. And the front four bolts on the sump tightened up another two full turns so I am going to tighten all sump bolts, inspect steering rack and degrease it... run it on Saturday and then see where it's leaking from.

Two weeks: Replace front suspension and rear springs, radiator flush. Bosskit and woodgrain and chrome wheel.

Then it should be ready for the pits... give or take a few other bits and pieces. Might have to do engine mounts but thats $100 for a new set. This is exactly why I got the commodore.... everything is so cheap.





And what's coming after she is registered? Ohhh... baby. I have about a 3-4k budget after I spend whatever it takes to get it over the pits and new suspension and the engine running ok. Maybe a SC14 blower conversion because they can be done for $2k and with another $1k worth of intercooler, injectors and tune. Anyway... some pics =)

[Post Vintage]

Ok Monday 23rd March, 2009

Painted front Bumper RED
Still have to let it dry, hit it with another coat, buff it and see what it turns out like... and if I want this colour. I always wanted a hot red car with black trim, but had silver and black bimmers with chrome trim.

Also some pics with the new rims on it. I've gone from 17" to 16", however these look ALOT cleaner, and I have to test drive it to make sure my suspicions are right about the old rims being buckled.

Once I get new shocks and springs she should sit nice on them rims.

Goals for Tuesday:
Pick up bumper support
Also get new RHS front headlight since the indicator support tabs are broken on the one I have.
Collect Alpine head unit with sub output

With the stereo in this I will go for a single 12" Sub, alpine head unit running speakers and monoblock for sub... weight is going to be the key factor.

I have to decide what I will do with the interior now also. I have heaps of cream leather sitting here and wholesale prices on fabrics, however converting the whole interior to cream is going to be a headache. I bought some "Satin Buckskin" interior paint today also. Any area that won't be touched can be painted in this, however the door trims will look crap after a while and I am thinking about just replacing the whole interior with another.

[Post Vintage]

Tuesday 24th March, 2009

- Picked up Front bumper support, VP rear bumper and RHS headlight

[crazywog]

nice vn project car bud vn's go hard when u knw how to really fix them bro go stage 2 shift kit and full exaughst system and extractors andlower it coz it loks grand pa spec

[Post Vintage]

It's manual... getting HD Exedy clutch kit, has 2.5" system... working out whether I want it turbo or supercharged before I buy extractors, and getting new suspension and springs for it.

I bought the Nolathane HD Sway bar link pin kit today. Gotta go collect the new VP rear bar after work.

[Post Vintage]

Thursday 26th March, 2009

- Went and had a look at colours to paint it... it's either going to be GMH Maranello Red, or Gloss black. I bought a tin of Holts Duplicolour Maranello Red and it turned out ok on the bumper to test.

[Post Vintage]

Nolathane front swaybar link pin kit fitted
VP front and rear bumper painted Gloss Red (Didn't go with Maranello Red, this is darker and better gloss.)
Front right headlight replaced

I'll have letterbox grille, front bumper extension, vx hsv skirts, vp rear bar (might put the vx clubsport one back on... would look at lot better with paint and lined up right.) Doing tie rod ends and front and rear suspension this week. I'll get king superlows since I have 225/50/R16's Also maybe some VX SS red embroided front seats. Picking up some replacement White/Silver calais doors and spraying them.

[jw.pfitzner]

this i like, this is the same as mine except mines auto, silvery blue with no duco on the bonet, bootlid, rear quarters and some of the roof hahaha do u have a pic of it when the vt bar was on the back?