someguy360's VS Weekender/Track Car

[someguy360]

Hi Guys

Had another thread for this car but have decided to start a new one as so much has changed.

I bought this VS Equipe for $550 in a very bad way at the start of the year (dead fuel pump, shagged starter, no oil/fluids, bad p/s pump, cuts/tears in bonnet, no wheels and a few dents/rust spots and was so dirty I couldn't even see through the windows......the previous owner had it sitting in his garage unstarted for 3.5 years). Should have seen the look on everyones face when I brought it to the workshop on a flat bed but I could see the potential in it and didn't want to see such a nice car get scrapped so alot of hard work and 12 months later I have got it this far.

Model:
1996 VS Equipe Series 1

Interior:
Level 3 Cluster
Sparco P220 Steering Wheel
SAAS Gear Shift Knob
Custom LED Footwell Lights
Tenzo Race Seats
Speco Volt & Oil Pressure Gauge (with custom facia under head unit)
Full Blue interior LED Conversion

Stereo:
Stock Equipe front splits
Sony Xplode Splits (Parcel Shelf)
Pioneer USB Headunit
JVC 2 Channel Amp
Pioneer 1200W 12" Sub

Engine & Mechanical:
3.8L Ecotec V6
GM 4L60-E
Custom Cold Air Intake (front bumper)
K&N Filter
Corvette Servo
Polished Plenum
Custom Chevy Red Rocker Covers
MACE Tuned
Advance Headers
Custom 2.5" Catback with Single Magnaflow Resonator
Magnaflow 100 Cell Race Catalytic Converter
PWR Transmission Cooler
NGK-R Plugs with 10mm Top Gun Race Leads
Walboro 500HP Fuel Pump
3.45 Open Wheeler Diff
Painted Brake Calipers
King Spring SuperLows all round
Monroe GT Sports on the front
Monroe GT Gas on the back
Whole car Nolathaned


Exterior:
Resprayed original Silver Ice
Clear Side Indicators
Hype Illusion 17" Alloys
Tinted Windows
GTS Replica Body Kit
Custom HSV Center Caps
SS Spoiler (Factory Optioned)
Phillips 5000K Headlights


Stuff To Install:
Strut Brace
Adjustable Panhard Rod
Stage II Shift Kit
Stage 2 Cam
HSV Spoiler

Future Plans:
LS1 Harrop
6 Speed
LSD
VE Brakes



Total build cost so far: $18,000 and counting....will probably take another $15-20k or so before I am happy with it

[VS_Pete_1]

Looks good mate.
Love the front bar

[someguy360]

Looks good mate.
Love the front bar

Thanks, resprayed the front and rear last weekend so its all fresh and shiny at the moment :P

I have loved the VR/VS since the first ones rolled off the production line (my old man worked at the holden plant, so I was there the day the VS was launched)

I had always dreamed of owning one (the VS was in the top 5 dream cars list in my mind, no ferrari's for me thanks, some people think I am sad that my 5 dream cars are mostly holdens and chevs lol) and when I found this little gem in a shed I jumped on it.


From the day I bought it I knew it needed an HSV kit, just made the VS look that much tougher

[F l a k]

Mate it's looking awesome. The resprayed bits look heaps better and I really like the rims. The colour coding in the bay is sweet too. I still rekon clear side indicators would make it look even cleaner

[someguy360]

Mate it's looking awesome. The resprayed bits look heaps better and I really like the rims. The colour coding in the bay is sweet too. I still rekon clear side indicators would make it look even cleaner

Yeah, I have the indicators sitting in my shed....just been too lazy after spending 3 weekends doing bumpers (I hate prep work before painting, 2 full weekends rubbing back and prepping, one day painting lol)

[frogsta]

Nice car, looking good. Hopefully mine'll look somewhat like this.

[GothicKidd]

Nice man, Not a fan of those stickers in the bay but yeah..
What's that yellow light on the dashboard on the right? O.o

[someguy360]

Nice man, Not a fan of those stickers in the bay but yeah..
What's that yellow light on the dashboard on the right? O.o

Stickers aren't there anymore.....thats a pretty old pic

thats the seatbelt light

[frogsta]

How much and where did you get the steering wheel?

[someguy360]

Got it here:
http://www.autosportdirect.com.au/itemdetailspage/15267

Was $250 when I bought it so your getting a good deal there

[dbarnes]

hey mate nice car. I am the same as you, in that I love the VS and always have done since I was a kid, didn't want anything else lol.

Glad to see you have resurrected that car rather than just get it crushed. I admire any car that has turned from a forgotten shed wreck to the car
you have today.

I think if you were to do a conversion, stick with the 5LTR 355 conversion, these older style cars need the tougher, older sounding motors

[someguy360]

hey mate nice car. I am the same as you, in that I love the VS and always have done since I was a kid, didn't want anything else lol.

Glad to see you have resurrected that car rather than just get it crushed. I admire any car that has turned from a forgotten shed wreck to the car
you have today.

I think if you were to do a conversion, stick with the 5LTR 355 conversion, these older style cars need the tougher, older sounding motors

Yeah I like your point about the 355, I have never heard a better sounding holden block....the 5.7 & 6.0's of today are nothing compared to the roar of the 5L with a proper exhaust and a big f&*k off cam


On a lighter note: Build cost just hit the $10k mark on the weekend (remembering that this car was a rebuild from a repairable wreck, the only mechanical thing thats original is the engine and diff....just some light mods and a retune...everything else has been replaced).......around another $15k to go I reckon :P

[Bizmark]

Looks like a lot of work has been put into this car. The silver is real nice, I don't see many VS's in that colour.

How'd you manage to route the CAI to the front bar? That's something I've been thinking about doing, using LPG pipe, but there doesn't appear to be a whole lot of room for it.

[someguy360]

Looks like a lot of work has been put into this car. The silver is real nice, I don't see many VS's in that colour.

How'd you manage to route the CAI to the front bar? That's something I've been thinking about doing, using LPG pipe, but there doesn't appear to be a whole lot of room for it.

Yeah lots of work mate, coming up on a year of work every weekend.



Used PVC piping and appropriate bend joints, then sprayed black to match the radiator/fans it was running around.

Total cost around $10-15

Even with the stock airbox it made a noticeable difference on my last dyno run.

Cant wait to see what it will be like combined with an enclosed K&N pod filter.

And yeah, I was contemplating respraying the car a different colour but decided to respray in the current colour as it suits the car really well and isn't that common.

[frogsta]

Thanks, the steering wheel isn't fully legal though is it? I've heard that cars which started with a driver's airbag in the wheel had to have one there at all times?

[someguy360]

Thanks, the steering wheel isn't fully legal though is it? I've heard that cars which started with a driver's airbag in the wheel had to have one there at all times?

Its 100% legal....the series I VS was optional with all safety featurs.

Mine didn't come with ABS or SRS so its completely legal to use aftermarket wheels aslong as they are adr approved wheels

[Bizmark]

Yeah lots of work mate, coming up on a year of work every weekend.



Used PVC piping and appropriate bend joints, then sprayed black to match the radiator/fans it was running around.

Total cost around $10-15

Even with the stock airbox it made a noticeable difference on my last dyno run.

Cant wait to see what it will be like combined with an enclosed K&N pod filter.

And yeah, I was contemplating respraying the car a different colour but decided to respray in the current colour as it suits the car really well and isn't that common.

Did it also have a noticeable affect when actually driving the car? Sometimes what happens on a dyno doesn't happen on the road, or vice versa.

With the intake piping, did you run it under the splash guard, or did you cut away at some metal, I had a look at my VR and there doesn't seem to be any way to get a pipe to the front bar without cutting anything. If you don't mind snapping some pics of the setup then that would be great.

[frogsta]

Ahh okay then. I have an Acclaim :/
Probably get one anyway lawl

[someguy360]

Did it also have a noticeable affect when actually driving the car? Sometimes what happens on a dyno doesn't happen on the road, or vice versa.

With the intake piping, did you run it under the splash guard, or did you cut away at some metal, I had a look at my VR and there doesn't seem to be any way to get a pipe to the front bar without cutting anything. If you don't mind snapping some pics of the setup then that would be great.

Yeah it has a really noticable effect on the road...and especially on the highway (temp gauge never goes over 1/4)

Feels torquier and more responsive.

Your VR seems to be setup differently to my VS....I had a relatively straight run straight to to the bumper

Will get some pics on the weekend when its out the garage

[SirYesSir]

The Brake calipers make it look real mint!

[someguy360]

Picked up my SC14 supercharger kit over the weekend.....should be fitting over the new year

Has a custom pulley made up which will apparently allow me to get a decent amount of boost out of it :P

[frogsta]

Awwwwww yeahhhhhh

[F l a k]

Make sure we get plenty of updates and progress pics

[someguy360]

Well I scrapped the supercharger project for now (funds and time did not permit hehe)

Since last photos I have finished respraying/panel beating all the panels so the car is lookin pretty shmick also did the clear side indicators while I sprayed the guards




Hunting down a clubby or senator spoiler at the moment to replace the SS spoiler.

I have also fabricated a GPS unit into the dash (I hate having them mounted on windscreens) this looks similar to the IQ systems on the VE's (which is what gave me the idea)

I have also finished my new intake which is running great and looks good.

Pics will come next week when the weather gets a bit better and I can take some good pics :P


Build cost now at around $12.5-13k

[someguy360]

Latest Pic taken before ACC Cruise: