Heron's VK SL Build – LS3, TH400, Sleeper Style

[VRSenator065Participant Adelaide SAVR Senator LSx454 1960 Kombi (project) 1921 Nash Hot Rod (future project) View build HERE Member since: February 17, 2015 Posts: 5 777]

lol, I admit my keyboard skills are rather limited…

[vlsv88Participant MelbourneVL Calais View build HERE Member since: January 14, 2017 Posts: 22]

Can I ask why your engineered asked you to get a VS fuel tank? Mine told me to use a VS one too but I told him I have a spare vl long range tank I want to use and he didn’t go into it further. Do you know whats special about the VS ones?

[Heron SSVParticipant Central Coast NSW2009 Pajero Exceed 84 VK SL LS3 View build HERE Member since: May 5, 2015 Posts: 585]

I needed a late model one as my one was for a carby motor. Using a later model one means I can run an upgraded in tank fuel pump and external filter/regulator without needing a surge tank. Wasn’t the engineers idea, I did heaps of research and that setup was tried and tested, plus it’s simple to do.

[Heron SSVParticipant Central Coast NSW2009 Pajero Exceed 84 VK SL LS3 View build HERE Member since: May 5, 2015 Posts: 585]

Weekend update: Got the front guards and boot lid painted. Came up pretty good considering they were done in a dusty shed. Pulled the old k frame apart to get the lower control arms off and the old bushes pressed out. They were a prick to do. Used a press at my mates work that was a little too big (used on mining equipment and is rated at eleventy million tons) and was starting to bend the arm without budging the inner bush. Ended up heating it with an oxy and beating them out with a sledge. A few love taps and go it straightened out again.

Went to Supercheap to have a look around cause they had a half year sale on. Picked up a 2 inch air grinder and some new shifters and long arm allen keys. Went back yesterday and grabbed some black gloss enamel spray paint and painted the new k frame and lower control arms, came up a treat for a spray can job.

While at Supercheap I seen a ToolPro tool roller cabinet and top chest that was on sale for half price. Couldn’t pass it up cause I’ve wanted to get one to get all my tools in one spot cause they’re all over the garage at the moment and it takes ages to find what I’m looking for.

This weekend I’ll be mounting the cowl on the bonnet and smoothing it in. A mate who’s helping with the cowl is going to buff part of the car to see how it comes up.

Aiming to get the motor and box in around the middle of next month, between now and then I need to get the front end back together and run new brake lines.

[VRSenator065Participant Adelaide SAVR Senator LSx454 1960 Kombi (project) 1921 Nash Hot Rod (future project) View build HERE Member since: February 17, 2015 Posts: 5 777]

Yea nice work mate, love that tool chest.  Just a question as I haven’t got a clue.  Is there anything special you do before painting like that, like wetting the floor down to stop dust or whatever?  Just curious as to what the go is?  Half thinking I might do the interior when the time comes of my Kombi in my shed.

[Heron SSVParticipant Central Coast NSW2009 Pajero Exceed 84 VK SL LS3 View build HERE Member since: May 5, 2015 Posts: 585]

VRSenator065 wrote:

Yea nice work mate, love that tool chest. Just a question as I haven’t got a clue. Is there anything special you do before painting like that, like wetting the floor down to stop dust or whatever? Just curious as to what the go is? Half thinking I might do the interior when the time comes of my Kombi in my shed.

Ideally you’d wet the floor to prevent dust. I knew I was going to sand it back to get rid of imperfections so I didn’t really bother, just made sure I swept my garage floor before starting. Everything in your shed will get a light coating of paint, event with drop sheets over it. Most stuff in my garage has a white film over it, even stuff that was behind plastic sheeting. There’s always overspray that floats around and air currents can carry it into places you’d never think of. Room temp will have a big impact of the end result. We painted my guards and boot lid at my mates work, he heated the panels with a propane torch to get them hot before painting and the finish came up great, better than the rest of the car. Could wait till spring/summer when it gets warmer, but then you have to contend with more bugs that would land on your freshly painted panel. Six of one and half a dozen of the other really. I didn’t mind the extra effort with sanding cause of the cash I was saving.

[VRSenator065Participant Adelaide SAVR Senator LSx454 1960 Kombi (project) 1921 Nash Hot Rod (future project) View build HERE Member since: February 17, 2015 Posts: 5 777]

Cheers for that.

[Heron SSVParticipant Central Coast NSW2009 Pajero Exceed 84 VK SL LS3 View build HERE Member since: May 5, 2015 Posts: 585]

Anyone have any tips on organising my new tool chest? The plan is to combine all my loose tools scattered around my garage to make it easier to find something and to free up some shelf space for storage.

Was thinking about a drawer each for screwdrivers, spanners, sockets, pliers and electrical stuff, power tools, air tools etc.

[VRSenator065Participant Adelaide SAVR Senator LSx454 1960 Kombi (project) 1921 Nash Hot Rod (future project) View build HERE Member since: February 17, 2015 Posts: 5 777]

Thats how mine is, I  have them separated out like that.  I use some aluminum angle and cut that and pop riveted down as dividers to keep it neater.  On the sockets drawer i pop riveted down one of those strips you can buy.  For the screw driver drawer, I cut off the top of the stanley case and have the bottom half.

[VRSenator065Participant Adelaide SAVR Senator LSx454 1960 Kombi (project) 1921 Nash Hot Rod (future project) View build HERE Member since: February 17, 2015 Posts: 5 777]

In my case I removed the wheels as its works better for me, but you get the idea;

[Heron SSVParticipant Central Coast NSW2009 Pajero Exceed 84 VK SL LS3 View build HERE Member since: May 5, 2015 Posts: 585]

Thanks Gary, nice setup!

[VRSenator065Participant Adelaide SAVR Senator LSx454 1960 Kombi (project) 1921 Nash Hot Rod (future project) View build HERE Member since: February 17, 2015 Posts: 5 777]

Cheers, I have it set up better than when I took that pic.  Getting my shed set up right is a big part of the hobby

[Heron SSVParticipant Central Coast NSW2009 Pajero Exceed 84 VK SL LS3 View build HERE Member since: May 5, 2015 Posts: 585]

Yep I agree. Collecting different tools along the way while building the VK is a nice side hobby. First time in ages I’m looking forward to cleaning up the garage cause I get to put everything in my chest lol

[VRSenator065Participant Adelaide SAVR Senator LSx454 1960 Kombi (project) 1921 Nash Hot Rod (future project) View build HERE Member since: February 17, 2015 Posts: 5 777]

Heron SSV wrote:

First time in ages I’m looking forward to cleaning up the garage cause I get to put everything in my chest lol

You bet, post up some pics once you have finished

[jlssParticipant tasvr ss View build HERE Member since: May 7, 2015 Posts: 155]

Ratchet spanners    so bloody good.     legend who invented them.

[Heron SSVParticipant Central Coast NSW2009 Pajero Exceed 84 VK SL LS3 View build HERE Member since: May 5, 2015 Posts: 585]

Time for another weekend update. Got the cowl mounted. Used some Sikaflex from Bunnings and eleventy billion tek screws to hold the edges down to get a good seal. The passenger side only needed 5, it followed the curve of the bonnet quite well. The drivers side sat ok but the outside edge seemed to curl upwards a bit so used heaps along that side. Also trimmed the front so I can use the edge that runs across the front of the bonnet as the start of the cowl. The cowl is a bit long and will cover most of the rear vents, I’m going to cut them down so they slide in from the top, was thinking of trimming the base of the cowl back but there wouldn’t be enough support at the back of the cowl and it’d end up flapping in the breeze.

My mate who helped me do the cowl gave the door and part of the roof a buff. Came up pretty good for a quick once over, can still see some small scratches from the sanding but he used his smaller buffer and a fairly mild compound, when the whole car gets done he’ll use his bigger buffer and a coarser compound, he reckons that and some more time spent on it will get rid of the marks.

Started putting the k frame in yesterday. Got it in position but was having issues with the nuts, they seem to go on alright but get too tight once the nut is almost onto the bolt. I think the threads must be dirty so I’ll get a wire brush and give them a clean up.

Got two weekends left to get it back on the ground before the motor and box goes in. Fun times.

[cava454Moderator 93 VR BT1 View build HERE Member since: February 20, 2015 Posts: 2 390]

Why the cowl? It should fit all under bonnet

[Heron SSVParticipant Central Coast NSW2009 Pajero Exceed 84 VK SL LS3 View build HERE Member since: May 5, 2015 Posts: 585]

I like the look of them, plus it was a drunken purchase and I cant back out now haha.

It will be of use at some point, down the track I want to whack on either a blower or a single turbo with a Holley high rise manifold, both will pop through the bonnet.

[Judge1 FrazerParticipant new zealand1983 VB LSA MG9 6060 6 speed View build HERE Member since: February 5, 2016 Posts: 775]

Hey bud the nut for the cross member are like a nylock but a nut version so can be reused so will only screw on by hand so far if you look at the nut it’s kind of looks like it been hit buy a hammer , similar to the bush bolts and nuts same deal

• This reply was modified 6 years, 10 months ago by  Judge1 Frazer.

[Heron SSVParticipant Central Coast NSW2009 Pajero Exceed 84 VK SL LS3 View build HERE Member since: May 5, 2015 Posts: 585]

I tried a rattle gun on it with no luck, it ended up spinning the bolt

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