Dave's new nugget... VT II Calais L67

[dr364]

Howdy all, well after a fairly lengthy layoff from JC after my last daily bit the dust, I'm back, this time with a new daily that is a bit of an upgrade on the last

Unfortunately when I bought it, it was a private sale and I was in a rush to get something as I need a daily to get around, there were a number of issues with it that weren't visible on inspection. It wasn't until I did some investigating that I found the following:
- Airbag didn't work
- No ABS/Trac Control
- Wet carpet under driver's footwell
- Dicky indicator stalk (sometimes wouldn't flick on before turning, or flick off after turning)

It came with a RWC which was part of the reason I got it (no need to provide RWC in VIC if it is a private sale) but it was clearly a dodgy roady - I didn't know the airbag or ABS didn't work because some numbnuts removed the globes out of the dash cluster!

Fortunately most of the issues were fairly simple and cheap to resolve. The airbag fault was due to the clock spring; I got the car scanned and appeared the ABS fault was due to the front left wheel sensor; I already had a VX2 indicator stalk at home for the last daily etc. so most of the major issues are resolved.

Car: 2000 VT Calais
Colour: Bermuda Blue (B168)
Engine: L67
Engine Mods: DIY Mace-style CAI
Power: It goes
Exhaust: No-name 2.5" cat-back
Gearbox: 4L60E with MPS shift kit
Diff: Stock 3.08 single pegger
Brakes: VZ SSZ calipers with 320mm x 32mm DBA T3 rotors (front), SSZ 286mm x 18mm DBA T3 rotors (rear), standard pads all round
Suspension: Monroe GT shocks and Pedders 6412 springs (front), Pedders SportsRyder shocks and Pedders 6419 springs (rear), Superpro SHR50A 18mm adjustable rear swaybar, VY/VZ factory strut brace
Wheels/Tyres: 20" Supersports (genuine), 245/30 Achilles ATR Sport tyres
Interior: VE SSV leather foams on VT frames, standard Calais chrome door handles, satin air vents, VY leather steering wheel, VY handbrake lever, VZ shifter, SS pedals, leather console lid, hardwired Gator front dash cam, relocated ciggie lighter to centre console, dual USB charger panel, VZ black carpet, butyl sound deadening in floorpan and doors
Stereo: Kenwood head unit, 3 amps, Hertz splits (front), Alpine 2-ways (rear doors), Hertz 6.5" 2-ways (parcel shelf), Fusion 12" sub in the boot
Other Mods: Genuine Monaro headlights
Cost so far: About $10k so far

 

[dr364]

First mod was a shift kit from MPS in Thomastown... the scan revealed some minor transmission fault so I took it to them because I wanted to get a shift kit anyway... for $200 plus trans service I couldn't complain. The guy there hooked up to his scanner but it couldn't find any fault; he took it for a spin and thought it shifted fine.
So $200 later and it now noticeably snaps 2nd... was a bit weird at first but I'm not used to it.

Second mod was a catback - I found one off a wrecked VT 5L at Jolly's in Dandenong for $100. Unbeknownst to me at the time I didn't notice there was a small kink in the X-pipe Fortunately I took it to the local exhaust shop and the guy swapped it out for a X-pipe from another catback he had lying around and fitted it for $150.

 

[dr364]

Next up was seats...

The front seats were a bit worse for wear when I bought it. The driver's seat had been reupholstered at some point but the bolsters were flogged out. The passenger seat had a number of small tears in it. I had the VE SSV foams and leather trim sitting in a wardrobe from when I swapped them out and had custom trim go in with GTS foams on my ute, so it simply made sense to make use of them

I picked up a couple of VX Calais seats for $55 at the wreckers to use the frames. What followed was quite time consuming work - cutting out the old foams to get it back to the frames, then endless cutting and test fitting for the new VE foams... :hmmm: I had to cut a not inconsiderable amount out of the side backrest bolsters to account for the side airbags (the car came with side airbags as well so I wasn't going to do a dodgy and leave them off the new seats) but I got there in the end... for a $55 outlay I think they ended up good value for money

Before

After

 

[dr364]

The final major mod I've completed up until now is a custom MACE-style CAI. The material is 3mm perspex and I've formed it using a heat gun. All up, the cost was probably about $140 or so, but that included $45 for the heat gun, which I've already been able to make use of for other things. It took several weekends, almost full time, of cutting cardboard for fitting and measurements, cutting and forming the perspex, and a great many re-trims and test fitting to get it right. I also had to buy a pod filter of course (SAAS one reduced to clear at Autobarn for $12) silicone hose reducer to fit the filter to the MAF as the filter mouth was slightly smaller.

I have to say it is the single best mod I've done to the car thus far Throttle response is much improved, inductio noise is much more noticeable (it seems to growl a bit vs. before) and best of all, you can hear that glorious supercharger whine when you get on it! Completely transformed the driving experience.

Really, really happy with how it turned out... for about half the price of a MACE one (a third if you take out the purchase of the heat gun) it looks as good as, or better than one of them.

Progress shots

End result

 

[dr364]

Also picked up these puppies for $100 recently... I have supers to go on it but I'll clean these up, fill the gashes and scrapes, sand and repaint and put some street/track tyres or semi slicks on them for racing

 

[dr364]

Just this weekend gone I finally got around to properly re-wiring the VX2 wiper and indicator stalks... Great to get rid of the chunky old pre-VX jobbies! (y)

 

[dgp]

Love your work mate, thumbs up from me.

 

[MEANL67]

Great work. even slight mods makes a huge difference.

 

[Husky]

Good job so far. I hope you reported the moron who did the roady. if he is doing stuff that dodgy someone less mechanically minded than yourself might end up getting seriously hurt, or worse.

 

[dr364]

Thanks for the kind words so far. Re: the dodgy roady, I still have a copy of it showing the place that provided it, but I wouldn't be able to prove it and they could always say the problems occurred after the roady was given. I can't even rule out the previous owner doing the dodgy themselves and hiding it well enough for the inspector not to notice.