Welcome to Just Commodores, a site specifically designed for all people who share the same passion as yourself.

New Posts Contact us

Just Commodores Forum Community

It takes just a moment to join our fantastic community

Register

A WB Ute called Mrs Marsh

OldDog

Donating Member
Joined
Mar 12, 2008
Messages
218
Reaction score
2
Points
18
Location
Mudgee, NSW
Members Ride
VF Series 1 SS Storm Ute
Or how not to buy a ute off ebay! I thought I’d share this amusing little story about my quest for a half decent parts chaser / tow vehicle.

So, I’m looking for a good Holden HQ-WB ute or one tonner to serve as a general work car/parts chaser/tow car. I’ve had a total of 23 Holdens of this era so know em pretty well. I started looking through ebay for a suitable car and found this amongst em all http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320648750866&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT Looks a bit tatty but it has all the good gear and how hard’s a broken starter motor bolt to fix? So I ring the guy and yes it has a few bubbles of rust and the starter motor is not in the car. Yes it has a CD player and an alarm and the gas tank is ok and all up its a great ute that needs a coat of paint to look good again. Easy to fix I think, so I bid on it....and win! Maybe a little higher than i wanted to go but not too bad.

I send my mate round to pick it up for me, he knows cars and doesn’t mind an argument if things aren’t kosher. He gets there before the owner turns up and does a quick pre inspection and finds its an absolute pile of crap, heres a few pics
DSCF0974.jpg


DSCF0978.jpg


DSCF0982.jpg


DSCF0983.jpg


DSCF0977.jpg


As you can see way more rust than the "just a few bubbles" mentioned. Old mate the seller got a bit cranky but my mate talked him round and the guy dropped the price by a grand. I figure its worth that in parts if it turns out to be a complete pile of rubbish. So, Mick (me cranky, talkative mate) drags its sorry arse home to his place.

DSCF1001.jpg


So Mick has a bit of a tinker and finds that the starter motor is still in the engine :hmmm: , so what the hell he hot wires it and BAM fires straight up and runs like a charm! Its got a bit of a cam and sounds great, no smoke etc so it may be okay. The box drops into the different gears okay so it may be fine too. Later in the day he calls me to say that he’s broken the ute, he got it running off the ignition switch and then the starter motor fell out :rofl2:. He has a quick look and finds that it had been installed with a metric bolt on one side by just a few threads, on closer inspection not only does it have a broken bolt but some butcher has tried to drill it out and managed to drill into the block, so when i get down there the first thing i'll do is pop out the motor and drop in some thread inserts.....

DSCF11631.jpg


back to the ute.... while sitting in the car seeing if everything works he hits the stereo, which falls out.....it was never mounted in there and its got no wires in the back anyway....wtf??? This car really is a strange machine, it was loved once but has really been left to rot. Clearly the bloke I bought it off has absolutely no clue about cars.

I’ll have to re-body it I think and my luck is in as the bloke right over the road has a WB ute shell for sale! It has a few good points though, it has a 1974 Canadian 350 ex cop engine and TH 350, pacemakers and a full gas system,

DSCF0993.jpg


recaro drivers seat, Statesman front with no rust!!! and a statesman dash, a full set of Hotwires (early series Aunger fronts and late series Aunger rears).......and the seller left half a load of fire wood in the tray :hmmm::rofl2:

Oh and why Mrs Marsh? Well when i was a young tacker back in the 70's there was this toothpaste ad.....the decay gets in just like the liquid gets into this chalk........and i think she did an ad with a car load of lemons too........

Cheers
OD
 

elmaso

Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2010
Messages
428
Reaction score
6
Points
18
Age
31
Location
geelong
Members Ride
VS berlina
looks like its going to add some fun in your life mate, sounds like the previous owner was a bit of a dip #### lol, and i dunno if its just the camera angle, but the front looks odd...
 

OldDog

Donating Member
Joined
Mar 12, 2008
Messages
218
Reaction score
2
Points
18
Location
Mudgee, NSW
Members Ride
VF Series 1 SS Storm Ute
Thanks for the replies,
what looks wrong with the front elmaso? I hope its not bent, thats one of the good bits on the car!
ari, i'm enjoying your 66 thread, i used to own a big block powered 4 door pillarless one back in the 90's, the old man used to call it 21 feet of American bad taste LOL but i didn't care. Good to see you have a sticker from a proper motorcycle on the back window :)
And yeah the gas is a bummer re: power loss, but at least its cheap!

So anyway, heres the next installment of the saga.

I live in sunny Cobar, central NSW and Mrs Marsh is in Hamilton, Vis, so i'll ride my trusty Super 10
P1000336.jpg


down there in a week or so, pop the engine out and fix the starter and the oil leaks, the drive the ute home with the 10 in the back. I've been lucky enough to pick this up from the bloke across the street from me
P1000316.jpg

P1000314.jpg


for a grand! All he wants is the GTS dash and the A/C compressor off it. Its a 253 and 4 speed and the body is in much much better condition than Mrs Marsh. I've started stripping this shell down ready for one of my patented fast rebuilds. This one i plan to have done in a week

P1000325.jpg


Before i leave i'll have the under body preped and driveline, suspension and steering finished and waiting for that 350 heart transplant. Then i'll wheel the chassis back under, drop the shell and hook everything up...... Thats the plan anyway LOL
 
Last edited:

OldDog

Donating Member
Joined
Mar 12, 2008
Messages
218
Reaction score
2
Points
18
Location
Mudgee, NSW
Members Ride
VF Series 1 SS Storm Ute
Ummmmm......ahem....i meant a week after i get the grey ute home.....ohhh this pressure is killing me!
 

OldDog

Donating Member
Joined
Mar 12, 2008
Messages
218
Reaction score
2
Points
18
Location
Mudgee, NSW
Members Ride
VF Series 1 SS Storm Ute
Ah yeah i know that feeling, i have one of those that keeps ending up on the back burner,

P1000273.jpg


Its a 1942 Jailbar truck body and i'm adapting it to a Toyota Landcruiser chassis.
 
Top