Keep it or sell it?

[c2105026]

Hello all,

I have a '79 VB base model 6 cyl sedan in excellent condition, save for a few items. However the few things that are wrong with it will either require big bucks or significant time spent on my behalf.

Here are the issues

1. Oil leaks - rear main seal leaking quite badly. From my understanding this is an engine out job. I cannot do this in my confined space. How much to rectify? Can it be done with engine still in vehicle? To boot the timing cover gasket/oil seal appears to be leaking, too. One local mechanic suggested ballpark figure of $600 for the rear main seal if it can be done with motor in vehicle.

2. Ventilation fan - bearing has gone; noone in town is willing to do this so i will have to do it myself. Dashboard out job.

3. Dash re-covering - dash is cracked, needs recovering, uncracked dash tops non-existant in my colour. The console is non-original moulded brown example from a vh. I have an original console that needs to be recovered. Total cost for these 2 items ~$700

4. Transmission is good save for a clunk that jars through the drivetrain when it changes into 1st when slowing down for intersection, driveway etc.

I am getting weary of the continuing money being spent on vehicle. So far dad and I have spent $17k on the project so far (including $7500 for paint and panel); any more money spent hereonin may be economically un-feasible overkill. Should I persevere with the project, assuming I can raise the necessary funds, or should the car be sold onto an enthusiast who has more patience and disposable funds than I?

[75hjprem]

put a v8 in it :P solves all the oil leaks, transmission problems haha. but i say keep it if you've already spent that much on it you may aswell see it through mate

[ari666]

any more money spent hereonin may be economically un-feasible overkill.

mate. im sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but pretty much every penny of that 17K has been "economically unfeasable overkill"

could agree more with 75HJ. V8 power is the way to go from here.

also the fan is a "three screws and she falls out" kinda job in the VK. is it that much different in the VB?

[undersuspicion]

+1, 253/308 conversion

[SL/ENUT]

Ok, a few things here.
The rear seal, its an engine out job. Its a common thing to go on any Holden engine. The front timing cover, it can be done while engine is still on k frame.

Vent fan, only need to take the passenger side lower dash. Its a bugger of a job, requires a sharp tongue lol. But it can be done

Dash top, now, what is your interior colour? Wreckers still keep the good condition ones, in any colour. VB and VC's have same interior colours. VHs doesn't.

Transmission, may need a service, thats all. It may still be the 30+ year old configer!.

With money spent, thats life of cars really. I don't want to know how much i've spent on mine, more than what i've paid i know that!. And i wouldn't ever sell it either

[DerekP]

Base model 6 pack = sell and upgrade to an original 308 SL/E. At least that way your investment will increase in value, especially if kept rigi didge.

[pjdm1980]

HOLY SHIZZZZZ!!!! $17,000 where are some pics, this thing must look awesome.

[monkeys437]

If youve spent 17k so far, youd be nuts to sell it off for a massive loss just to save spending $600 on a rear main seal.

[Darren_L]

if you've already spent $17K on it, then you are going to almost blow that $17K selling it. If you like it, hang onto it.

you can do the rear seal with the engine in the car. We used to do them all the time. Stands under the gearbox and drop the k-frame, that way you can get the sump off. Use a tool called a 'sneaky pete' to pull the new seal around the crank. Do the timing cover gasket & front crank seal while the sump is off.

blower fan I'm not sure on a VB... totally different setup to a VC/VH. But I can get my VH blower fan out in less than an hour

Transmission probably just needs a servo dump valve - common thing to go on the trimatic. It's just a little plastic clip, used to cost about $5. Not difficult to do -it's been a long time, but from memory you just unbolt the servo cover and push the new valve in (usually you find the leftovers of the old valve sitting in the bottom of the servo cover)

[Sabbath']

I am getting weary of the continuing money being spent on vehicle. So far dad and I have spent $17k on the project so far (including $7500 for paint and panel); any more money spent hereonin may be economically un-feasible overkill. Should I persevere with the project, assuming I can raise the necessary funds, or should the car be sold onto an enthusiast who has more patience and disposable funds than I?

So you spent $7500 on paint...without checking if it had any oil leaks? And now you're complaining because it's going to cost more?

Seriously, where did the other $10,000 go if the engine and driveline havent been touched?

[Sabbath']

blower fan I'm not sure on a VB... totally different setup to a VC/VH. But I can get my VH blower fan out in less than an hour

Took me 10 minutes with a hammer to get Dirby's out

[VBRED]

$17 F##k. I rebuilt my VB including all running gear (2 engines) paint and interrior and still would have enough left over for a trip to Bali.

[VK SL 3800]

Keep it, rear main seal- yet to see any old holden that doesnt let out a dribble. Just give it a good wash down every now and then and replace it when you can afford it, unless its absolutely hoseing out less then a drip or two a minute should be ok.
Transmission- well trimatics are renowned for being clunky and horrible, change the oil and filter for starters and see how it goes. When i got my other VK it hadnt had the trans fluid changed for a very long time, took it out of grandmas shed and first shift up the road just went bang! and continued to be just crap until i changed the fluid- its now fine.
Dashboard- VB cracked dashboards like no tomorrow, my old mans had 3 under warranty then he had to live with his cracked 4th one for the 15 yrs he owned the car, it doesnt even need to be fixed it can be a later job when its financially viable to do so.
Vent fan is a weekend job, pull it all apart and go to the bearing shop and theyll probably be less then $20 if that.

[ari666]

Took me 10 minutes with a hammer to get Dirby's out

lol, and it woulda taken 5 with a phillips head

edit* as a dodgie fix you can fill dash cracks with bumperbar filler. its not permanant, but will last a year or so.

[Sabbath']

lol, and it woulda taken 5 with a phillips head

edit* as a dodgie fix you can fill dash cracks with bumperbar filler. its not permanant, but will last a year or so.

What's more fun? Being a stooge and using a screwdriver, or being a rough #### and using a hammer?

[VK SL 3800]

The helpstick gets my vote.

[c2105026]

Thanks for the responses...

Clearing some things up.....

1. The oil leak is a new issue. In the 2 yrs I have had the car, there was no problem. As is the ventilation fan.

2. Cost blowout...well this was my first project and much of the work has been done by mechanics who charge $60-$80 and hour, and there have been some mistakes made by myself. If i rebuild a car again I guess i'd learn the lessons, not do the same mistakes again. I'll see if I can do an excel spreadsheet and upload it.

3. V8 - no. Part of the vehicles appeal is that it is numbers matching. Plus due to regs i'd have to upgrade the brakes, steering, real headache.

[VK SL 3800]

To be honest i dont give a flyling F**K what my car is worth to others, i make it the way i want it and i love it, its not all about value. And having it like it left the factory adds value but for what point, its no use having an original VB that has matching numbers if you dont enjoy it. In the end its just a stamp on the casting which is almost the exact same as every other one made.

No offence but yours is a base model VB, its not going to be worth much in the great scheme of things anyway.

[Sabbath']

3. V8 - no. Part of the vehicles appeal is that it is numbers matching. Plus due to regs i'd have to upgrade the brakes, steering, real headache.

Appeal to who? So you can have mates over and show them your half finished project in the shed

"Yeah mate, spent $7k on the paint, but the gearbox is clunky and the engine leaks oil. But the numbers match"

[SL/ENUT]

Only way it would be worth a bit if its a very early 78 build low kays etc. If not, no point really.

[MY_84_VK]

To be honest i dont give a flyling F**K what my car is worth to others, i make it the way i want it and i love it, its not all about value. And having it like it left the factory adds value but for what point, its no use having an original VB that has matching numbers if you dont enjoy it. In the end its just a stamp on the casting which is almost the exact same as every other one made.

No offence but yours is a base model VB, its not going to be worth much in the great scheme of things anyway.

I could not agree more!!! If you don't make the car the way you want it then its never really your car and you can never truely enjoy it!

[c2105026]

Ahh yes but there was a time when a base model torana was worthless - you now try to find a nice LH-LX torana, base, for under, say, $8k. Base EHs that were $7k in the 90s are now $20k+.

The car is intended to be an original restoration project. I have an interest in archaeology, history etc, and when I see the underside of a seat with '25 August 1979 - 1' stamped on it i get goosebumps; anyone can take a rolling VK shell and stuff a V8 in it, been done before; I am one for trying new things Anyway, it started off as a 'tidy up for rego'......it was either the VB or a '65 VW beetle that i spotted locally....

i am into the car for its historical value - numbers matching satus is purely for my appeal, and I guess in this I am the most important person who needs to be pleased. Sure, it doesn't have an SLE 5.0's desireability, but it does not have its complexity of air-con, power steering, power windows etc. I am thankful for not getting an SLE, the car has been enough of a challenge as is I am of the opinion that basically any car is worth saving. The VB turns heads (in a positive manner) wherever it goes. It has been entered in a variety of car shows, locally, regionally and in sydney and gets plenty of attention The VB is possibly the most important holden since the 48-215 and, I would argue, the most important commodore series. Why not restore the most popular variat of the series? If I spent $17k on a base rebuild imagine what a SLE rebuild would have cost, with the extra systems etc.

I have tried to upload my spreadsheet but to no avail; here are some examples of things done so far.....

New windscreen, new shocks, 4 new tyres, new steering rack, every single decal on vehicle replaced, respray and rust repairs, some new badges, new front and rear bumpers, new carpet in boot and cabin, drivers seat repaired, new steering wheel, speedo repaired, all wiring repaired, new instrument binnacle, new axle oil seals, new brake hoses, rebuilt brake system, carby rebuilt, all new underbonnet hosing new waterpump, transmission kickdown repaired, replaced chrome strips on interior door trims, new sound system, new washer reservoir and pump, new chrome strips around windows, new rear springs, new wheel breaings, rear suspension re-bushed, rear windscreen re-sealed, propshaft rebalanced - the list goes on. When it comes to cars I am a perfectionist. The fact that my VX has a graze in its clear coat on the LH rear door does not sit right with me, but one can only see it when looked at carefully from an angle, so it will be left for now.

I think I have answered my own question.....thanks for the responses anyway....it is going to a mechanic tomorrow for assessment of where its leaking from.....

[VK SL 3800]

I would understand if it was over HG GTS 350 monaro or a GTHO Phase III falcon ect but over a base model commodore! Its just a commodore! But as i said before you shouldn't care what everyone else thinks, still getting off over a date sticker is a little extreme. (saying that i started jumping up and down like a three year old when i found the build sheet under the tray in my old ute.)

[c2105026]

Indeed; i'd love a 'proper' classic vehicle but......I am not wealthy, and in my future career as a teacher i won't ever be wealthy there either. even a junker phase III is 60k outlay (but, yes, the restoration is very economically feasible). I am having as much fun restoring a base VB as I would have restoring a torana A9X; even more fun actually, because the lack of enthusiast appeal means there is a distinct lack of reproduction items which makes finding the required good used items even more challenging. There is also the joy of doing something a bit different. Finally, I'd rather spend $20k on something that's worth $6k and drive it twice a week to say, the gym or the pub than to spend $30k on something worth $80k, and never to drive out of fear of damage, theft, accident etc.

Last point for the night - if the only VB-VHs ever saved from the wreckers were SLEs then would that not mean that the Base/SL models that miraculously survived be super rare, and therefore worth a bit in years to come (albeit nowhere near the SLEs)?

[75hjprem]

I'd say no, purely because just because something is rare doesn't mean it is sought after. i like your enthusiasm and frame of mind about it though mate and you should totally throw up some pics of her