Losh's VR Ute build thread

[afstruct]

So , you're looking for a maintenance excuse to be able to do a mod.

Sounds like me and heads, cams and the new to me manifold I have.

 

[losh1971]

I'm just doing a restore. Bike has sat for over 6 years without having a decent ride. It needed it as it was looking really shabby. All the polished ali had oxidised and frame paint was chipped to buggary. It took a few hours to tear it down but putting it back together will take me over 30hrs, as so many parts need cleaning, painting and or lubrication.

 

[losh1971]

Sanded ans painted the tub side rails today. Paint was all cracked so needed take it right back. Primed it up and applied some SCA, pressure can acrylic. I was going to buy a pressure can of Alaskan White just to blend in the colour. Then i checked and i had some thinned out Alaskan gear left over from the roof job. I blew in half a pot from the touch up gun. I only painted the Alaskan gear on the exposed edge, as the tub liner will cover most of the rail and i really didn't have enough to do the lot. As it is the gear i gunned in was 80% thinners. I probably won't cut and buff the rails in case i rub through the thin top layer. Being so much thinners it has got plenty smooth and stacks of shine straight off the gun.

 

[losh1971]

here is the finished job. Matches in really well now the ute has been pressure washed. On the weekend i will rivet the clips back on for the cover. Gonna leave the tub liner off for about 6 weeks to allow the paint to get nice and hard so the liner doesn't dig in to the paint.

 

[afstruct]

Nice, Alaskan white is a great colour , I recon.

 

[losh1971]

Ordered these, thanks to @immortality and @The1 for providing me the details. As good as MSD but way less expensive.

 

[Wozza]

but but they are not red ......red is faster

 

[losh1971]

So just when I was saying eBay no longer gives discount codes for car parts, tonight I see they have a new one and it works, 10% off. Decided to take advantage of it and get my braided rear lines that I have wanted for over a year. I wanted to add a few extra bits to the cart but I have spent way too much this last few weeks on cars, bikes and trailers so needed to let the plugs and front pads go. But I now have all I need for the rear brake overhaul and upgrade. I have two weeks off in April so I plan to finally upgrade the rears that I have been collecting bits for over the last 12 months.

 

[losh1971]

Braided rear lines arrived today, yay, which means I have everything to completely go over the rear brakes, including shoes. I am now in two minds about whether to overhaul the rear brakes this weekend or wait for five weeks when I have two weeks annual leave. I'm keen to increase the braking efficiency of the ute but I am also mindful I seem to be having a run of bad luck, just stupid **** that's costing me money. First the strut top busted through a week ago. It finally let go after nailing a pot hole on a dirt road back at Christmas. Wrecked my nicely painted bonnet. Then I clean the engine and manage to **** a TPS. So now I am reluctant to try and finish the engine clean. Not to mention after day of fiascos this morning I reverse into star picket with 100mm pipe over it tonight because it was right in line with the windscreen pillar so I didn't see it. Put a line along the bumper end on the rear that I now have to rub out and paint. I need to think about the pros because I dare say a rear overhaul will make a fair improvement on rotors that have lips and really old pads of NFI what brand and spongy old lines and calipers that need dismantling and cleaning.

 

[UTE042_NZ]

Yea, the frustration of something going wrong as you hurry to finish a job because you're running out of time. I would wait until I had at least twice the time I think I will need.