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01 Caprice

WHCapriceHBD

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Apparently the steel 'feet' that mount the rails down onto the intake manifold can tweak the rails forwards/backwards just enough to pinch an O-ring or unseat them. Seems to be a manufacturing tolerance thing with the rail. Mine seems to do it if you watch carefully when it pulls down.

I replaced all the O-rings about 6 or 8 months back, and replaced all the injector basket filters and the pintle caps and had the injectors all sonic cleaned and flow tested at the time (I did a large write-up on it a few pages back) and I've had the injector rail on and off a few times since then with no drama.

Looking at the whole thing, as you bolt the rail down, it pulls the injectors very slightly off kilt. It probably seals fine 9 times out of 10, but the last 2 times, it has caused weeping from the O-rings that I couldn't stop no matter how much I tried.

I've got a set of slightly oversized O-rings today, to fit more snugly in the rail and manifold. And instead of just rubber, these new ones are made of Viton, which is more durable. I'll install them tonight and I've given the rail feet a very slight adjustment in the vice and tested bolting it down until it stopped pulling the injectors over. I'm happy with the rail feet adjustment, so hopefully the new Viton O-rings do their part and everything seals nicer than before.

Nothing more irritating/offputting than weeping injectors and a fuelly smell in the dash vents.

Other news is that the silicone couplers I wanted for the MAF pipe have arrived, so I can get on with putting that on now. Its been on the bench staring at me for over a week..
 

WHCapriceHBD

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Between having the flu and having no daylight hours to do anything (we only get 9 hours of daylight per day) I got everything back together and took it for a run today. Runs well. No more fuel smell or leaks.

The new MAF pipe fits quite well. Only issue I had was trying to find hose clamps locally that opened up large enough to go over the throttle body coupler.
I really need to clean the engine bay. I might wash & detail it tomorrow, although I have those tail lights to look at.... Hard to fit everything into a weekend.

20160702_1342342_zpseeyjfrba.jpg


20160702_1432452_zpsdxrzyu84.jpg
 

WHCapriceHBD

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Picked up a really, really nice set of rear tail lights last week, including the middle garnish, for 30 bucks. Even the "C-A-P-R-I-C-E" lettering across the garnish still has its frosted silver/chrome on the lettering (99% of them have the chrome peel off, revealing ugly yellow plastic underneath with age and sun) so I was pretty stoked to get these. Especially at this price.

20160702_233223_zpscdff61gs.jpg


I had the lights in the shed for a while as the weather outside has been awful. But today was near perfect. So I got the lights out, cleaned them off and made a decision on what to do with them.
Originally I wanted a spare set, as the WH lights are hard to find here. But I thought I'd like to try tinting one set, and keeping the other set standard. This way I can run tinted lights and if I get pulled over for them, I can just swap my standard set straight back in.
I didn't want to go too dark with the tinting. Nothing black.

I used VHT on them, and it was really easy. VHT reformulated the tinting paint back about 4 or 5 years ago. Its now really nice to use and easy to work with. Before they reformulated it, the stuff was awful and would run and go blotchy. But now its a breeze to use and get nice glossy results with some prep work and wet rubbing.

So this is what I ended up with. Its probably not to everyone's taste. I'm happy with it. I think like the Monaro headlight swap I did, it changes the look of the rear a lot.

Before (very old photo, but you get the idea) :

20150718_163009_HDR_zpswykeus04.jpg


After:

20160703_1431162_zpswyj6yzum.jpg


A lot of people are not really advocates of tinted lights, and I'm aware of the insurance issues that can come with it. I have had them on a few different cars in the past with no issues but I'll wear any issues that come with them. My FD RX-7 has tinted rear lights from the factory.
 

Kuksta

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Excellent read mate, lots of good stuff in this thread, love the DIY too. I'm going to try some of the things you mentioned in here one day. Love the attention to detail bud top stuff! :spot on:
 

sleepa

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Those tinted taillights are awesome.
Always been a fan of lightly tinted/Smoked lights, especially on a lighter coloured car.
 

WHCapriceHBD

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Thanks guys.

Very, very minor update this time.

Took the power window switch apart in the centre console and had the black plastic switch plate piece plated in chrome.
Such a minor detail, but it lifts the look of the console a fair bit actually. I had it done in a dark chrome, so it didn't look too blingy.

20160811_095953_zps8tiokzvg.jpg


I think it looks classier with the wood grain.
 
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WHCapriceHBD

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And also found the rare wood grain version of the factory GPS remote holder base, out of a VX Senator.

I swapped out my old grey plastic base:

20160809_203015_zps4glb3yg4.jpg


For the rarer Senator version (stock photo but you get the idea)

woodgrain_zpssc3vgz6d.jpg


Which sits here and holds the factory GPS remote:

225d33bf-7a11-4314-ad23-99201f68680a_zpshrc5uuch.jpg


Probably another one of the worst photos ever: (I was in a rush and didn't have much daylight left)

20160811_095937_zpshe3ddtuc.jpg


I know its a tiny little detail, but I just felt like I should finish off those little things that I knew could be very slightly improved over stock.... I'm obsessively compulsive that way I guess.
 
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Skydrol

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Not a fan of the wood grain consoles but have to admit, on that picture, it looks outstanding. Perhaps is the little details that makes it look good. Also, the slight tinted rear lights was a great idea.
 

WHCapriceHBD

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I think you may have- it would have been a few weeks ago now though. Still waiting the 21 days for Paypal to release the funds from that one- they are a lovely company like that.....

In other news, unfortunately it looks like all the work I've put into this car may end up either in someone else's driveway or in a wrecking yard, with no financial gain to me.

I was driving my Father to the airport and his flight to see his sister (who has terminal cancer) was scheduled earlier, and the itinerary changed by half an hour. As a result, I had to drive a little bit quicker to get him to the plane on time.
Unfortunately, I drove a little over the 110kmh limit in an area where there was a speed camera hiding in the bushes.
Here in Tasmania, under our hooning laws, speeding in a manner that they say "constituted hooning", results in forfeiture of your vehicle for sale by the Crown, crushing of the vehicle or community service if the destruction of the vehicle or forfeiture causes "unusual hardship" which it doesn't look like it would for me.

So likely as a result of doing 120kmh in a 110kmh zone (74mph in a 68mph zone) there's going to be a trip to court, a fine probably exceeding $2500.00 and my license being suspended for 4 months solid.
I've had zero fines or previous marks on my drivers license- this is the first mark and its a heavy one. So depending on what I can say and explain to them, the Caprice may get crushed or sold off despite my protests.

Tasmania is very, very heavy handed on speeding, and our laws are some of the harshest. This is particularly stupid to me, given there were no other cars around, the road was deserted for 3km, weather and visibility was very good and clear, daylight. The stretch of road was 3km long and dead straight and rural with no entries or exits along its sides at all.

We had a 16 year old kid down here, steal a RAV4 Toyota in January, and lead police on a chase through the city at 1am. He did 100+kmh in a 60kmh zone. He T boned a poor lady's car at an intersection and killed her- she was 8 or 9 months pregnant. The baby survived. That kid got given 6 months jail time- 3 months suspended on good behaviour. $50.00 fine.
Here I am staring down the barrel of licence suspension for 4 months, forfeiture of car and thousands of dollars in fines.
You tell me whats fair.
Bloody Tasmania.....
 
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