Tones VX SS Mod Thread

[Tones]

Rear Shocks and Springs.

When I bought the car, it was set up for towing.
It had FE2 Springs and Monroe Gas Air adjustable shocks.

After doing some research on them, they apparently put a lot of stress on the shock mounts because the spring themselves aren't doing the work or load they were designed for.
Not to mention having the car look like the ass is up in the air.
Because I often Tow quite a few Tonne of firewood a year, I still needed something to help out, and to make sure I didn't scrub. I found these on eBay. SL King springs for the desired height with helper air bags inserted. Operating bag pressure between 5 psi (no towing or heavy passengers) and 30 psi (a trailer full of wood) and a very stiff rear end.
It was a little more involved fitting these, you have to cut a little off of the bottom of the spring seats and from memory I think the top (for the air line). But the result was well worth it.

Much better ride height.

Before -

And after -

 

[kangavxss]

Good job there Tones...that would help alot.
If your after a build sig at the bottom of your threads/posts, send a private message to uniacidz (who has an ss also) and im sure he will help you out (he did mine)
Cheers

 

[Tones]

Rear Wheels Scraping

Then of course once I dropped it lower than FE2, The rear wheels were scraping occasionally. And at over $200 a tyre I thought I'd better get the guards rolled.
Rang around a few panel beaters locally and to my surprise, no one would do it. I rang further a field and found a few pricing was excessive.
Solution- eBay.
I bought this for less than the price of getting just 2 guards rolled. -

So basically I got the two front guards done for free, and still have the tool. No brainer.

It's pretty easy to use, bolt it to the hub using the wheel studs, and roll. Increasing the tension each time. You will need a heat gun to warm the paint, otherwise it will crack. And don' be in a hurry, just little by little with enough heat and you will have an uncle called Bob.

 

[kangavxss]

Wouldnt think you would need the guards rolled? I have no problem with the thunders even with a fully loaded car and im on SL springs all round but others on this forum have issues with the same wheels/ tyre sizes as mine so go figure? Sometimes with aftermarket wheels the offset is wrong then you get issues..

 

[Tones]

I'm still getting my head around offsets. Is it how far in or out the centre of the wheel is in relation to the wheel hub?
I'm looking into new wheels. Getting bored with mine. Might even look at getting the Pontiac GTO's and painting them black or grey. Or even painting the centr of my wheels and leaving a polished outer lip. Still undecided.
Thanks for the advice, I'll hit up uniacidz and see if he'll help me out.

 

[Tones]

I'm still getting my head around offsets. Is it how far in or out the centre of the wheel is in relation to the wheel hub?
I'm looking into new wheels. Getting bored with mine. Might even look at getting the Pontiac GTO's and painting them black or grey. Or even painting the centr of my wheels and leaving a polished outer lip. Still undecided.
Thanks for the advice, I'll hit up uniacidz and see if he'll help me out.

 

[kangavxss]

Yep pretty much..
The offset of a wheel is the distance from its hub mounting surface to the centerline of the wheel.
You can find wheel/ tyre/ offset calculators on the net. Most Holden made rims will have the correct offset
and also the correct centre bore ( pending on model - Ve is smaller than Vt,vx,vy,vz) but ve wheels
can be bored out to fit pre ve as you probably know and offset is ok..After market wheels are often bigger centre bore
and rely on those hub centric rings to centre the wheel..

 

[Tones]

Thanks Kanga.

 

[Tones]

Fathers Day

Well, it looks like all of my subtle hints have paid off.
This morning after a little sleep in, I woke to find this waiting for me. -

Thanks to Wifey and my my 8 year old.
Have been totally spoilt since, including an amazing breakfast.
Feeling blessed.

 

[Tones]

Car Detailing.

I still remember years ago washing cars using dish washing liquid. lol.
Since owning the SS I have gotten a little wiser when it comes to car detailing.
I have acquired a mountain of knowledge from forum sponsors Car Care Products. They carry an amazing amount of great products, and they are always happy to answer any question you may have.

This is where my OCD really stands out!!

My detailing regime now consists of -

Weekly/Fortnightly
1. Washing the car with a quality pH neutral shampoo. Always using the 2 bucket method to ensure no new swirls in the paint.

2. Apply "Aquawax" to wet panels, and then dry using a large Waffle weave cloth. This stuff is amazing, gives a great shine with good depth of colour. It also acts as a bit of a barrier between the paint and containments.
3. Apply Duragloss Tyre and Rubber dressing on the tyres. Leaves them looking good without that horrible looking wet shine.
4. After vacuuming the interior, I use Aerospace 303 on dash and trim. This product also acts as a sunscreen.

Every 6 months
1. Wash the car with an All Purpose Cleaner to remove all previous wax and sealant.
2. Clay bar the entire vehicle.
3. Apply Duragloss 652 Pre cleaner No.2
4. Apply Duragloss 601 Polish Bonding Agent, Normally I apply 2 coats to be sure that I haven't missed anywhere. This is left on the vehicle and not removed.
5. Apply Duragloss 105 Total Performance Polish. Again I normally apply 2 coats to ensure total coverage. Once dried, remove and polish using a "Mint Microfibre Super Plush Cloth".

Annually/As required

Last year Wifey bought me this for my 40th birthday -

Still playing around with it a little, but did an awesome job at "Paint correction". Took most of the swirls and holograms out of the paint including small scratches. I've only used it twice. It came with 3 different pads and three different grades of Polish. Great Invesment.
To use the machine as effectively as possible, it's best to -
1. Wash the car with an all purpose cleaner.
2. Dry the car.
3. Clay bar the vehicle.
4. Polish with the machine. I normally start with a medium cutting pad and polish, then follow with a Finishing pad and super fine polishing compound.
5. After the polish, I normally then use the Duragloss products, Bonding agent then the polish.

The bonding agent and the Total Performance Polish not only look good, but offer a minimum 6 months of protection.

I have just started to use this on my door seals, trying to get rid of those annoying squeaks. So far it has helped a little, but too early to tell if it will be a permanent fix.

The 303 I use for the trim -

I love this sh!t, especially under the bonnet. Pretty powerful, and still quite a "safe" product to use. I also use it on my wheels and callipers occasionally.