A few questions re: project car

[blitzem]

Hey guys/girls,

Decided that im gonna go and buy myself a VH SL/E as my first project car.

Now i have a few questions, most relating to the VH :P

Call them dumb questions if you want, but i dont no, and am only going to learn from asking.

1. VH commodore, and i going to find one with a 308 in it? or would i be better off getting one with a 253 and then buying a 308? (if thats the case is it a straight swap?)

2. Heard a lot lately about, Red..Black..Blue motors? What is the difference?

3. The 308, would a VL Grp A manifold with the TTB fit onto the 308? or would a hi-rise manifold suit it better?

4. A lot of the VH's have rather high KM's. would this matter as much if i was to re-build the whole motor. Is the concern with high km's the engine? or just all round general maintenance (suspension, driveline etc)

5. Did any Vh's come with power windows? if not. how hard is power windows to install?

Thanks for your help guys.

Phil

[blitzem]

Btw. Plans for the VH are.

stip motor, full rebuild kit. with hi rise manifold. air filter out of bonnet about 30-40mm
resprayed gloss black.
18" Vy ss rims.
Custom dash.

Phil

[Shifty1]

1. VH commodore, and i going to find one with a 308 in it? or would i be better off getting one with a 253 and then buying a 308? (if thats the case is it a straight swap?)
Ive heard they exist, never seen one though..

5. Did any Vh's come with power windows? if not. how hard is power windows to install?

SL/E's did..

[Goon]

If your after a 202 there's a few around put extractors on and she will dust your VT blitzem , but you want a v8 overall?

You might even have luck finding a v8 in another model VB, VC or VK

It would be a challenge whiteVC

[craigvk]

1. VH commodore, and i going to find one with a 308 in it? or would i be better off getting one with a 253 and then buying a 308? (if thats the case is it a straight swap?)

You likely won't find one with a 308 in it. The VH's only came out with 253 4.2 litre and 202 3.3 litre motors. If you wanted to put a 308 in one, you would probably need to put a 308 black motor in as the red motors didn't have emission control bits back in the 1970's when the HZ/HX etc... were around.

2. Heard a lot lately about, Red..Black..Blue motors? What is the difference?

For 202's, the red ones had different heads for example extractors for a red won't fit a blue and black, and the blue and black were very similar but I think the blacks had a better head upgrade.

The 253 motors only came out in red and blue. Red for earlier models and the blue came out in the VH with added emission control.

The 308 red motor had a number of differences to the blue and black including not having emission control and other stuff and I think the starter motor out of a blue and black won't fit a red motor.
I am not sure but I think the blue 308 was introduced into the VB in 1978, so emission control was probably there.

4. A lot of the VH's have rather high KM's. would this matter as much if i was to re-build the whole motor. Is the concern with high km's the engine? or just all round general maintenance (suspension, driveline etc)

Even if you have a nice shiny new motor in, doesn't mean the body is good. You can put a new heart, liver and lungs in a 90 year old granny, but the body is still old.

My advise like as I suggested on another thread is if you have got your SL/E and a rebuilt motor, check every trailing arm, links, panhard rod, strut, sway bar mount and radius rod bushes under your car for their condition. On a 20+ year old car you'd likely find at least half of the bushes stripped or gone and should be replaced if you really wanted to make it good as gold. I'd check the suspension and shocks as well. Other than checking for rust, that should be about it, but the list is endless to what you can do. You can spend as much as you want on a car.

[ucwepn]

A mate of mine has a pearler of a VH sl/e with factory 308. threw that motor in the bin and got a new one built for $9000 based on an L34 block ,shhh it's a stroker now LOL, That is a scary car. He paid $6000 for the car but it has full electrics and is in Excellent condition inside and out with less than 160,000km's on it.

[SL/ENUT]

Hey guys/girls,
1. VH commodore, and i going to find one with a 308 in it? or would i be better off getting one with a 253 and then buying a 308? (if thats the case is it a straight swap?)

If you look for a genuine SL/E, look on the build plate(pic attach) and it shoulf have 8VX69(Sl/E build code) and on the eng L31, factory 308.

2. Heard a lot lately about, Red..Black..Blue motors? What is the difference?

The red motors are from the 60s right upto 1980(last of the VBs. They don't have much emissions.They feature a 9 port head(6 cylinders) The blue motors was in the VC/VH models feature a 12 port heard(again 6 cylinders). The Black motors feature EST or EFi(6 cylinders). The V8s however there isn't much difference between them. The red V8s are basic in the emissions. The blue/black V8s are about the same, newer cast heads.

3. The 308, would a VL Grp A manifold with the TTB fit onto the 308? or would a hi-rise manifold suit it better?

Thats if you can get a walky manifold, rare as rocking horse shit. You can make it fit. Might need to get VL V8 heads. A hi-rise manifold is good for power, but not enough room for carby. Having the carby out of the bonnet makes the police/rta frown. Its generally not allowed for street use.

4. A lot of the VH's have rather high KM's. would this matter as much if i was to re-build the whole motor. Is the concern with high km's the engine? or just all round general maintenance (suspension, driveline etc)

Well higher the Ks, the more worn out the VH is. Better off going the full hog and rebuild the whole car.

5. Did any Vh's come with power windows? if not. how hard is power windows to install?

Only the SL/E. Not all of them however. You might be lucky and get a VH SL/E fully option with power windows, central locking.

Thanks for your help guys. Phil

Its a pleasure mate. These aren't dumb questions. Only dumb questions is ones that you don't ask

Damo

[blitzem]

Thanks for the replies guys!

Goon: haha, i had never really considered the 202, as soon as i said "project car" V8 was just buzzing in my head :P

Slim: thanks for that helped heaps, will definatly have to replace all the brush's bearings etc.
And i suppose new shocks

SL/ENUTE: Wow, thanks for that info mate, i have written down those build numbers in my phone. as for the hi-rise. are cops still as fussy if its just the air filter hanging out 20-30mm?

Would u mind having a look at a few of these, had a look around, and Sl/e with 308 isnt tooo hard to find.

http://www.carsales.com.au/pls/carsa...ch_distance=25

http://www.carsales.com.au/pls/carsa...ch_distance=25

(hmms, P-plater, Detroit locker...)

http://www.carsales.com.au/pls/carsa...ch_distance=25

(only 253)

CHeers,

BTW. Sl/enut
have u seen these? not sure if any interest to you?

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/COMPLETE-SLE-...QQcmdZViewItem
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Full-SLE-inte...QQcmdZViewItem

[Goon]

Goodluck with the v8 project mate

The end result should be pretty beasty

[blitzem]

Wat did u think of those 3 on car sales mate?

[Goon]

I like the first one the best sounds like a good deal.

2nd is okay doesnt look as nice and you get more with the first one..

3rd is sus, its had a rebuild and drvin another 40k's or so, has it had a thrash in that period?

[craigvk]

Those cars are virtually complete. They wouldn't be much of project cars.
And Goon, they ALL would have been thrashed. You don't get hot looking VB/VC/VH/VK's with 5 litre motors that have been granny footed along

[SL/ENUT]

Thanks for the replies guys!
Would u mind having a look at a few of these, had a look around, and Sl/e with 308 isnt tooo hard to find.
http://www.carsales.com.au/pls/carsa...ch_distance=25

This one looks very sweet. The added bonus is its not that dear either. try and get this one, if you can

http://www.carsales.com.au/pls/carsa...ch_distance=25
(hmms, P-plater, Detroit locker...)

Hmmm this one don't look like a SL/E. Why would someone put a standard VH bumper on the rear instead of the wrap around SL/E type?. Might be an SL/X.

http://www.carsales.com.au/pls/carsa...ch_distance=25

(only 253)

Hmmm this one ain't to bad. There is nothing wrong with a 253 either. Although the pics make the paint work a little rough for my taste

BTW. Sl/enut
have u seen these? not sure if any interest to you?
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/COMPLETE-SLE-...QQcmdZViewItem
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Full-SLE-inte...QQcmdZViewItem

Nah no good to me, wrong type of velour, colour and patten. But still someone on here might see it and grab it.

[blitzem]

Thkns for the info guys! been great!

Slim. The car will be copping a full strip and re build in a fair few places.
So to me this will be a project in itself.
I as well like the silver one, might give him a ring tomorrow.

What are your thoughts, on the recess along the side of the car (middle of the door), bogging this up and smoothing out so it is all one flush door?

Would this look good, any pics?

Phil

[SL/ENUT]

Only ever seen one pic of a Vh SL/E with that recess filled in, look like crap IMO. I rather get the original VH door protection strips(thats what they are called0 and put them back on, no one like shopping car park dents in doors.

[Goon]

When i say thrash i mean thrashed 24-7, constant driving in the way never giving it a break.. but anywayz

[Goon]

check out the wreckers to mate, you'd be amazed on the commodores u can find there and some are in a sort of good condition, just missing an exhaust etc..

It's cheap and you can spend the rest on the rebuild from there..

I scored my baby for 400 after some talking, and shes worth it, i brought her from a car yard to so shes legit.. In the next 2- 3 weeks with luck

[craigvk]

What are your thoughts, on the recess along the side of the car (middle of the door), bogging this up and smoothing out so it is all one flush door?

I have seen heaps of them on the road with the strips taken off but I don't think I have seen any bogged up. My brother took his strips off his VK vacationer and I think it makes the car look worse. Everyone seems to do it though. They must think it looks better, but I don't.