My Torana Rebuild

[Jecs]

hatch, im rep'n you for this epic build. i just wish it was finished so i could skip to the end and see it already!

 

[383 hatch]

Thanks mate. Give me some time and you'll see it finished

Tubs are finished, spent the weekend getting them done. It swallows 295's nicely now. So glad i mini tubbed it, instead of taking the easy way out and bolting a set of flares on.

Stay tuned for pics, it was too dark in the corner of the shed to take pics tonight.

Cam kit should be here early next month. The final piece to the 383 puzzle.

 

[vq rat]

Mate i just went throw the hole thread and WOW top work, what do you do for a trade??? will be keeping up with this one from now on you have put a lot of time in keep it up

 

[383 hatch]

Thanks mate. I'm a panel beater by trade, but for the last 8 or so years i've been working as a motor mechanic (we also do a fair bit of performance work and things like engine building), hence my diversity in what i'm able to do. I'll do a little update tonight.

 

[Wombles]

Hurry the update up Hatch. I need more!!

 

[383 hatch]

Ok, so small update. As i said in one of my previous posts, the mini tubs are finished.

I finished them last weekend, so i thought this week i better try the rear seats back in to see what needed to be done there. To my complete surprise, they fitted straight back in the hole....I only had to shorten/modify the hinge that bolts the upper seat to the wheel tub and it fitted perfectly. It's as if Holden intended for Torana hatchbacks to be mini tubbed .

I do recall there being a decent sized gap around the rear seats (which always annoyed me) when the tubs were stock, but who would have thought it would be the perfect gap for the mini tubs? It actually looks much better now as there is no unsightly gap around the seats.

Pics: (sorry they're dark)

I will get some shots with the wheels off on the weekend.

I got hold of a dead second hand HQ Chev radiator for free to try in (until i get my new Race Radiators alloy rad) to make sure all was well. Fits between the rails fine with no mods. Also there will plenty of room at the front of the engine with EF-L fans. I will be cutting off some mounts on the radiator support that protrude past the core (you can see them in the front on pic) to allow the radiator to get full flow. I'm sure they wouldn't make any difference what so ever to cooling, but i want to get rid of them anyway as they look a bit ugly.

Glad i bought the short water pump and not the long. Still room for a blower belt lol.

Ford fans: (I know it's bloody embarrassing to run Ford fans on a Holden, so Wraith better not see this )

I've also just about finished the repairs on the drivers guard.

So, that's it for now.

 

[Jecs]

they are actually good thermos. alot of people run them because the motors are flush with the unit.

when you start runnin PWR or desert coolers it pushes everythin back closer (usually) to the gilmer belts.

 

[383 hatch]

Yeh, i know they're a good thing, we fit them to nearly every modified car we build/work on at work. I also run them on my ute and it never, ever gets hot and that's with just an original copper core, non crossflow HQ radiator. I will be using a new set though and making them a lot neater than the set in the pics, they were already fitted to the rad so they were fine to check clearances and such.

They will do an excellent job of keeping the Chev cool with a good alloy radiator.

The embarrassment comment was just a bit of tongue in cheek.

 

[Jecs]

never heard of Race Radiators, but as long as ur not runnin an aussie desert cooler ill be happy.

my mate ran one in his HZ. would not recommend to anyone haha

 

[383 hatch]

Race Radiators are fantastic, i've put a couple in customer cars and they have always ran cool. Their work is top notch also. I'd recommend them to anyone in the market for a good quality custom made alloy radiator.

No way, no Aussie dessert leak a lot for this car. Used them a couple of times, never had anything from them that's been any good. It's all been absolute junk. Never again.