01 Caprice

[WHCapriceHBD]

Well, I got my hands on a set of genuine HSV NOS side skirts. Got them here in the post and unfortunately they didn't come with end caps, so they are about 4 inches too short!!

4blok, the seller of the skirts, clearly tried to sell them on Ebay as "Wagon/long wheelbase WH/WL WK" side skirts. But without end caps, they are SEDAN length side skirts. They should have noted this and advertised them as SEDAN side skirts to save people like me, the pain of finding out they mislabelled them and they are too short and don't fit a long wheelbase car.

Messaged 4blok about this, and they began abusing me in public, in a vulgar manner on Facebook about it, which was extremely unprofessional. I didn't resort to name calling or abuse back, as I am not going to go down to that level with them. Not having any help from them at all, and being left $291 out of pocket with sedan skirts that clearly do not fit, I am not a happy customer.

4blok then suggested that they had the end caps available- at $250 a piece. $500 extra for end caps. When the skirts were $291 a pair. Thats very unreasonable.

This means I've begun to make a profile mould of the curvature of the HSV skirts using expanding foam and will have no choice but to make the end caps from scratch. Its taken a week to cure (a lot of foam) but I'll shave it smooth and then cover it with fibreglass/bog and sand the profile right, and hollow them out, making end caps... Not bloody ideal but there are no more end caps available anywhere other than 4blok's magically gold plated end caps. But I'm not willing to suffer abusive messages and $500 for them. So this may take some time. Photos will come shortly.

To say I'm disappointed with them is an understatement. I won't be buying anything more from them again.

 

[WHCapriceHBD]

In other news, my radiator (receipts show it was replaced and has only done 40,000km since new) has split the plastic side tank.

This is apparently a common problem to WH WK WL VT VX and all V8 LS1 versions of those cars. It split just where the top hose joins the top corner of the drivers side plastic tank and this apparently where they all let go.

So I've ordered a set of silicone coolant hoses, a heavy duty full alloy welded radiator (no more plastic tanks crap) and a new coolant surge tank cap for peace of mind. Just waiting on the new radiator to arrive in the post!!!!

Car still drives as the split tank is only weeping and its losing 10mm of coolant height in the surge tank every 5 days or so. I just want to get it sorted. Hurry up Australia Post....

 

[kangavxss]

Sorry bout your dealings with 4blok..there are laws to protect you against this ( item not fit for the purpose) and should have taken it up with ebay and consumer affairs..the more people 4pox can swindle the more they will keep doing it to others..false and misleading advertising..I've seen their ads on eBay and always thought they were over the top with prices on everything so never bought anything from them..Name and shame them , that's what they deserve.. rip off merchants..

 

[WHCapriceHBD]

I did take it up with ebay and believe it or not, they sided with 4Blok and closed the case. So I sold the skirts off and lost no money. I did however get a bit of an insight into how 4Blok's company operates and how little they value their customer and the sort of abuse I copped after the point of sale. I saved all the messages.

Anyways, alloy radiator. Got the old one out with a lot of swearing and pulling and reefing. It was jammed in the car hard. And yeah, it had a split tank on the drivers side just as I thought it did.

The all alloy aftermarket radiator fit 'ok'. It had the tabs for the fan shroud a bit off but nothing a little tweaking didn't fix. It went in well. The extra thickness of the 52mm thick core means that the top plastic finisher shroud doesn't sit down flat, and I might trim some plastic off the bottom of it in order to get it to sit down a little better. Overall it was a half day job just because the old radiator was so jammed in there and it took monumental effort to get it to start moving upwards and out of the car.

Also changed out the power steering belt and the air con belt while I had space in the front of the engine with the radiator out. Belt changes on an LS are soooooo easy!!!!

Old manky split radiator:

Split in the drivers side tank where the fan shround mount is formed.

Split and leaking where the top hose joins the drivers side tank.

New radiator.

Radiator going in.

All back together and new hoses and belts too.

 

[WHCapriceHBD]

Changed the spark plugs today. Had a slight stereo whine, which I was chasing for a while with no luck. Pulled out the spark plug on the rear passengers side of the V8 and it was cracked along the porcelain. Once the new set of plugs went in, idle quality improved and the stereo whine was gone. I have an idea the whine was actually electrical interference from the cracked plug.

Removed the standard front door vents. Put a set of NOS LS8 International vents into the car (found a NOS set cheap) which really dressed up the door trims nicely.

All the lights have had their bulbs upgraded in the front now also.

Mtec 'Super White' 4350K H4 in the low beams.
Mtec 'Super White' 4350K H27 (880 in USA-speak) in the fog lights.
Mtec 'Golden Ion Yellow' 3000K H1 in the high beams.

And took the time to aim the fog lights and head lights using the factory aiming specifications I have here. Quite pleased with the lights now.

 

[rch-13z]

Very Very tidy! With the GPS Nav bezel, did you fit up the factory GPS in it? or just opt for an aftermarket job?

 

[WHCapriceHBD]

^ The GPS system was fitted to the car on the factory production line when it was built. It is still going strong 14 years later.

It is the factory HSV navigation system, and its stamped in the factory build plate. I didnt add a thing to the car at all. This is just how it left the factory

 

[uniacidz]

How have i not seen this.

Excellent ride fella.

Keep up the meticulous work

 

[rch-13z]

^ The GPS system was fitted to the car on the factory production line when it was built. It is still going strong 14 years later.

It is the factory HSV navigation system, and its stamped in the factory build plate. I didnt add a thing to the car at all. This is just how it left the factory

Nice, I got given a factory GPS kit but opted to just use the bezel & run an Iphone to utilise GPS, MP3 etc etc... Still have all the wiring etc but I'll just hold onto them until someone needs spares etc

 

[WHCapriceHBD]

I could use a spare bezel myself actually...!

I replaced the both valve cover gaskets yesterday as they had a slight weep. Took them off and the gaskets were really done for- squashed flat and cactus.
The V8 looks good in the rocker area though. Looks nice and clean, etc. Painted the valve covers while they were off. Good easy Sunday job.