Ryan's VB Daily/Project

[RazzaCaine]

Introduction: Razzacaine

Hey all, my real name is Ryan. Im currently a 2nd year uni student studying psychology and philosophy, and work part-time at a supermarket. Ive always loved cars, my love affair started with exotics such as ferraris, lamborghinis etc as I was growing up and then moved on to jap cars such as skylines. Since then I have seen the light and now love a good bit of muscle and have really taken a liking to the early commodores (mainly due to Chrissos immaculate vb!). Besides cars, I love martial arts, movies and music.

My previous car history to date, in order, has consisted of a 1994 Daihatsu Charade (learnt to drive it in), a 1980 Mazda RX7 S1 12A (was falling apart), a 1997 Holden Commodore VS V6 and now a 1979 Holden Commodore VB V8.

Introduction: VB

So the story goes that one night I was up late and was bored on my laptop so I decided to hop on ebay. I was just having a look at what cars where up for sale and I came across a clean looking VB. The owner was selling it as his wife wanted something newer and automatic. Three days later the swap for my old VS was done and I found myself driving home in a nice clean VB!

Once I got it home I had a good look over the VB and it has to be said that the car is in amazing condition. The interior is extremely clean and is nearly all original. Besides a couple of small cracks in the dash pad and a couple of easy to repair rips in the leather seats seam, the interior is spotless. Even more amazing is the exterior of the car as there is only a few small spots of surface rust and no structural rust anywhere. And to think it originally called Tassie home!

Mechanically the VB was in excellent condition with recently overhauled brakes and suspension, and a nice healthy engine and gearbox. However the car was suffering from a power steering fluid leak, idled rough and was experiencing run-on when shutting down the engine. I will get these issues sorted asap so that the car has a clean bill of health and modification can begin! The only other issue I wish to sort out is to put a quieter exhaust on the car as the current one is simply too loud for a daily driven car even though it sounds amazing!

The plan for the VB is to keep it reasonably original appearance wise but with some cosmetic enhancements to make it look a bit cleaner and sharper. With the interior, again I aim to keep it relatively standard but with a few modern creature comforts thrown in. Mechanically I want to get the car completely overhauled to modern standards and putting out some decent power, not monstrous amounts, but enough to keep me entertained! The car is going to be my daily driver come project car and will also hopefully be a bit of a long-term investment as these early birds are just going to get rarer and increase in value!

Now for some more information on the car currently (i.e. as purchased) and my future plans for it. Progress will unfortunately be slow in this space due to a massive lack of funds at current, however this gives me plenty of time to plan out what I want to accomplish with the VB.

Current Condition

Model: 1979 Holden Commodore VB SL
Colour: Tan Brown
Bodykit: None
Exterior Mods: None
Engine: rebuilt Black 308 from a VK
Engine Mods: Cam, Roller Rockers
Power: Untested
Exhaust: Extractors, Muffler, 2.5” Piping etc
Gearbox: M20
Diff: Standard
Brakes: Standard But Rebuilt
Suspension: Pedders Shocks, Kings Springs
Wheels/Tyres: 16" VS SS Mags
Interior: Standard
Stereo: Kenwood Headunit and 6" Speakers in Parcel Shelf

Future Aim

Model: 1979 Holden Commodore VB SL
Colour: VS Cherry Black
Bodykit: VH SS
Exterior Mods: Clear Indicators, 30% Window Tint, LED Lights, White Ventian Blinds, New Chroming, Drop Tank
Engine: 355ci or LS1
Engine Mods: Depends on Engine Choice
Power: Dont Have a Figure in Mind Yet
Exhaust: Extractors, 2.5” Piping, Sports Muffler
Gearbox: T5 or T56 Depending on Engine Choice
Diff: 9” with 4.11 Gears
Brakes: VT Front Brake Upgrade, Standard Rears
Suspension: Keep Current Suspension
Wheels/Tyres: Something Period Correct
Interior: Standard with Power Windows, Alarm, Remote Central Locking, Air Conditioning
Stereo: Kenwood Headunit and 6" Speakers in Parcel Shelf and 4” Speakers in the Kick Panels

Last Words

Hope you guys like the car and enjoy the progress, even if it is slow! Ill be asking plenty of questions throughout the build so feel free to give me some advice and any suggestions you come up with. Cheers!

 

[chrisso 82]

Hey mate you have joined the Old School Parade ha ha cant wait to see some pics!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[VLC86]

sounds sweet. Can't wait to see some pictures

 

[RazzaCaine]

pictures will be up shortly. im going to take a load as soon as i get a chance. im going to be taking the vb to the mechanic this afternoon to get the power steering leak sussed out. *fingers crossed* hopefully it will be a cheap fix and i wont need a reco rack otherwise im going to be broke =( ill keep you all posted

 

[ari666]

the car currently experiences a bit of over-run but if i hold the clutch pedal in and release it, to effectively stall it, as i turn of the ignition the problem doesnt present itself. the issue is the ignition system is currently receiving too much voltage so when you shut down the motor it is still receiving enough power to try to start up.

run-on as in:
a. it will continue to run indefinately after you have switched it off unless you stall it?
b. it continues to run, cough maybe splutter a bit after you switch it off?

anyways, great score, cant wait to se pics

 

[RazzaCaine]

run-on as in:
a. it will continue to run indefinately after you have switched it off unless you stall it?
b. it continues to run, cough maybe splutter a bit after you switch it off?

anyways, great score, cant wait to se pics

as is b. but ive gotten into the habit of stalling it as i switch it off to prevent the run on. i have my suspicions that it is due to the car being filled with a tank of 91 and not 98. im going to fill it up with a tank of 98 in a day or two once i have emptied it and see if the issue goes away. actually, changed my mind, ill probably empty the tank out tonight and put some 98 in it =) haha! if the problem still persists then im going to get the ignition off diode checked out because it may be tired and need replacing.

in other news, just got back from a power steering and transmission specialist. we got the vb up on the hoist and had a good suss of the underbody of the car. there wasnt a single patch of rust anywhere! to make it even more remarkable, the cars originally from tassie! how there is no rust is beyond me! ive managed to accidentally stumble across a gem. with regards to the power steering the issue has been put down to the lines as they are leaking quite badly. unfortunately i cant get it fixed next week as the mechanic is booked out until next thursday but i can still drive the vb as long as i top up the fluid every day to prevent the pump from croaking.

im going to try to get some photos up tomorrow but they will most likely be up on thursday as i have a nice big break between lectures at uni so ill probably go for a drive with a few people and take some snaps.

 

[RazzaCaine]

ok so here are some pictures! i apologise for the poor quality, they are taken from the ebay listing i saw the car on originally. as stated in the previous post, ill take some better ones on thursday

 

[ari666]

run on (as in: B) is mostly caused by fouled plugs, fouled cylinder heads (from carbon buildup) or bad timing. first thing to do is take out a plug, take a pic and post it up dont think it has much to do with fuel, but could be wrong

carby condition may also be a factor, but nevertheless run-on is reallllly bad for your engine, so best sort it out asap.

 

[chrisso 82]

Hey mate checked out the pics you scored a good one there mate!!!!!!!!!!! the interior was pretty much the same as mine when i bought it HA HA HA poo brown !!!!!!!!!!!
GREAT STARTIN POINT MATE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[RazzaCaine]

run on (as in: B) is mostly caused by fouled plugs, fouled cylinder heads (from carbon buildup) or bad timing. first thing to do is take out a plug, take a pic and post it up dont think it has much to do with fuel, but could be wrong

carby condition may also be a factor, but nevertheless run-on is reallllly bad for your engine, so best sort it out asap.

the guy i bought it from said he had just changed the leads and plugs but i do need to check this. he also said the motor had been rebuilt about 20,000kms ago so hopefully carbon build up shouldnt be an issue. he unfortunately didnt have the paperwork to back up his claims but he had been honest with me about the cars down falls and what he said about the suspension and brakes being overhauled recently is clearly evident in their condition. he was also a really nice guy so im inclined to believe him that the motor was rebuilt. he did that the carby could use a tune as the idle is a tad lower than what it should be, but the idle is really only a problem when the motor is stone cold, i.e. at the crack of dawn. when the motors warm it idles fine, at about 850rpm but when its cold it idles at about 450 - 500 rpm until it has warmed up. im going to get it tuned and have the diode checked out, it should be a simple fix. i want to get it fixed over the next week or so as i dont want my engine to go pop! thanks for all the useful information and wise words, its much appreciated and its people like you that make me love these forums =)

Hey mate checked out the pics you scored a good one there mate!!!!!!!!!!! the interior was pretty much the same as mine when i bought it HA HA HA poo brown !!!!!!!!!!!
GREAT STARTIN POINT MATE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

thanks mate, im undecided whether i like the stock interior or not. im a huge fan of the leather and the interior itself but cant decide if i like the colour or not. i guess it will have to grow on me haha! one thing i do hate about it though is the steering wheel and the horrible aftermarket gearknob and shifter boot it has in it currently