VH SLE 2 TONE blue/silver rebuild

[VH SLE BLUE/SILVER]

Just purchased a reasonably good condition vh sle in the 2 tone blue/silver with everything being standard untouched I'm looking at restoring it. First question, where to start? engine bay? interior? paint? motor? I wanna bring it back to it it's better days. I also don''t wanna do things by halves so I know there will be lots of $'s that will be spent. any help?

[vkberlina]

how much of the car do you want to do?
if everything
strip out the interior & mechanicals respray it, do the interior next then do the mechanicals

scott

[VH SLE BLUE/SILVER]

also, if i changed the interior, smoothed engine bay ect, would a car like this have more value in future if i was to keep everything original or wouldn't make no diff.

[ari666]

no, leave it as original as possible. idiot owners of these dont realise that they are holding onto gems that (in 5-10 years) will be worth the same as a torana is today.

original, original, original.

source as many original SL/E parts as you can to replace anything that hase been changed, i.e. if they fitted a stereo, change it back, etc.

put as little paint on it as you can, try and find original cloth to repair the seats if they need it, if not go get some nice sturdy seat covers if you plan to drive it. keep it covered if its going to be parked up.

[VH SLE BLUE/SILVER]

When you mean original cloth?, do you mean same colour, style but new from reupholster? how hard would it be to find original cloth in good condition? with paint, do you think just a respray or bare metal respray.

[Pub247]

bare metal going to cost a lot but if it needs a lot of body work its the way to go. Personally i agree with ari keep it ridgey didge blue over silver SL/E's are mint easily best looking VH's ever.
the only mod i'd do is clear indicators but that easy to swap back to original
Is it a V8 ???

[vk.jonno]

Chuck up heaps of piks of interior/exterior I wannnna see

[pjdm1980]

I'd keep it original but I'd definitely smooth the engine bay and hide the wiring that old school wiring look like crap.
I had a quote to re-upholster my old SLE in the original blue leather about five years ago and they quote me $3000.

[VH SLE BLUE/SILVER]

it's a 253, with all electrics windows,trip ect. with the respray, i got access to soda blaster so is this the best option to take or just a simple respray will do? should all the interior be removed before i tackle this or is this going to far with messing with the originality of the car if i was to reupholster and bare metal respray the car.

[ari666]

it's a 253, with all electrics windows,trip ect. with the respray, i got access to soda blaster so is this the best option to take or just a simple respray will do? should all the interior be removed before i tackle this or is this going to far with messing with the originality of the car if i was to reupholster and bare metal respray the car.

*sigh* it seems tha you are set on respraying it. any chance of a few pics? namely the front and rear windscreens and the bottoms of the doors.

[vkberlina]

if your going to smooth the engine bay there is no point keeping it original, if its a good clean example keep it as original as you can

scott

[pjdm1980]

if your going to smooth the engine bay there is no point keeping it original, if its a good clean example keep it as original as you can

scott

VH's have beautifully clean and simple lines the only thing that lets that philosophy down is the messy wiring and if your going to strip the car back to bare metal then take the chance to fix the factory cost cutting!
Going by your theory when putting it back together you should leave the dodgy factory body panels gaps, these cars are never going to make 6 figure sums at auctions so you don't have to make the 100% factory just neat and clean.
Just don't make dodgy cheap mods like stupid want to be body kits, crappy Super Cheap steering wheels and two dollar shop wheels.

[ari666]

these cars are never going to make 6 figure sums at auctions so you don't have to make the 100% factory just neat and clean.

SL/e is a special edition, and as much as people are blind to the fact, special editions BECOME more valuable that people often realise. if we were talking bottom end VH, granted it probably will remain a similar price to what it is. but the two tone SL/E's are already being sought after, and popularity makes them more valuable.

supply and demand baby. the more of these that get modified, the less stock standard examples are left which then makes them worth more.

if you want to modify a commodore, give that one to me and you can go bananas on a regular VH

[pjdm1980]

Sort after yes but they are never going to bring the GTHO money or even Monaro money, smooth out the engine bay hide the wiring. Even a car with full service history, matching numbers and one owner would struggle to bring in 10 grand that will go up but it will but not to the levels you guys are talking about. If it was a Brock you'd be right, time for a reality check.

[ari666]

lol. fair enough. i guess i dont really know much about classic cars.

[VH SLE BLUE/SILVER]

will post pic's soon.

[saladine1]

I had a pretty much immaculate Venetian Red over Mercury Silver SLE 5.0 not long ago. I gave the engine bay a respray, tidied up the wiring, repainted the block and rocker covers in GMH Blue, repainted the original air cleaner,new decal..etc. It had a manual conversion from the Auto to an M21 setup. Engine was the original though with no mods,low k's.
I sold it for $10000.
The days following the sale,(buyer was yet to pick up the car), I was bombarded with calls amd messages asking if i'd sell them the car instead and that they would offer more money(I had a guy beg me to take $14000 for it). I told them it was too late and a bloke from S.A took the car home.
Another thing, and I'm not joking here, I had received heaps of calls 6 months after asking If I still had the car!
What's my point here?
Well, if a car is really sort after, it doesn't have to be in an absolute original condition for a worthwhile sale to happen, but is does help. As long as most of the original stuff is intact it should be fine.
At the moment, i'm on the hunt for an SLE two tone 5.0 again. I've been looking and looking but to no avail. I've begged the bloke who bought my car to sell it back but he has absolutely no intention of selling!
All I can say is, if you have one for sale, they are worth nothing so sell it to me!
Seriously though, there has been of late an influx of shadow tone SLE buyers with no SLE's to be seen(5.0 version).
They are the last and best of the chrome bumpers and will fetch high prices in a few years to come...you'd better believe it!

P.S- Does anyone have an original two tone SLE 5.0 for sale,lol?
No,seriously,anyone?

[DerekP]

[QUOTE=saladine1;1681150At the moment, i'm on the hunt for an SLE two tone 5.0 again. I've been looking and looking but to no avail. I've begged the bloke who bought my car to sell it back but he has absolutely no intention of selling!QUOTE]

Why did you sell it in the first place?

[mooks6669]

i always wanted one of these when i got my license...was obssesed....nice choice of car mate...put some pics up through stages hey

[Sabbath']

if your going to smooth the engine bay there is no point keeping it original, if its a good clean example keep it as original as you can

scott

Engine bay detailed, exterior standard and original. Given 26+ years of wear, oil leaks, brake fluid leaks and the ratty wiring that came from factory the engine bay is usually a mess. What better way to fix it than to smooth it out and clean it up.

[ari666]

yeah although i agree with wiring, smoothing stuff is very much a personal choice, and TBH people looking for a nice clean example of an sle would not want it smooth.

first thing i think is "hmm, engine bay is smooth, wonder what else they fixed while they did that, wonder why the needed to paint it, has it been in a smash?... how much rust is under that paint" and wouldnt pay top dollar for it for exactly that reason.

[hainzy]

Interesting conversation.

I have a top 30 dealer special which is very original. However ive just put a VN 304 and 5 speed into it. Ive kept all the original bits including obviously the original HDT engine. I know itll be worth good money one day but for the time being i want to enjoy it as a daily. I havent done anything to it that cant be changed back. I wouldnt do something like smooth the engine bay. i like the well loved look. I love the 2 tone 5 litre VH SL/E's!

[vhsle308]

I have got a VH sle, was an original 6 cylinder but fitted a warm 308 with turbo 400 box. interior is like new, all electric windows work, trip works. is brown but needs paint. no rust what so ever. whats is worth?.

[ari666]

ill give ya 1500 for it.

[vhsle308]

$1500 dont even give me half the money back on the engine. is a fully rebuilt 308 turbo pattern, everything new bottom end, yella terra big valve heads, t400 box fully rebuilt.