[Phire aka GmfanParticipant VictoriaVT LS1 Wagon View build HERE Member since: March 3, 2015 Posts: 105]

So picked these up cheap and on-sold my 265/35 tyres. I’ll just get some 235/40 size tyres and run them for now. Wheels were $180 and sold tyres for $1000. Spent $60 on a die grinder so frees up $760 for rear rotors, pads and possibly a clutch for the t5? Hoping i might be able to sell the tyres that came on the VE SS wheels for $10-$20 a tyre?

[Phire aka GmfanParticipant VictoriaVT LS1 Wagon View build HERE Member since: March 3, 2015 Posts: 105]

Yeh i just can’t flare line on the car and don’t want to remove it again. It was a bastard getting all the lines into those rubber insulator things and back folded nicely. A union would allow me to leave the line in and just add on a section.

I’m hoping because the brakes are going to be factory hsv vt-vy front and rear as well as running a vt master cylinder that bias should be okay for now. I wasn’t going to stuff around with trying to adapt the rear brakes but for $300 it made sense so i could use common rotors and pads.

[Phire aka GmfanParticipant VictoriaVT LS1 Wagon View build HERE Member since: March 3, 2015 Posts: 105]

Yeh that was why the original plan had been mount it under the floor and drill small hole so knob could protrude through floorpan next to drivers seat. I have no intention of pulling solid line again but i could possibly use a flare union to extend line through firewall to the dash?

[Phire aka GmfanParticipant VictoriaVT LS1 Wagon View build HERE Member since: March 3, 2015 Posts: 105]

No big deal. I’ll probably end up just mounting proportioning valve in engine bay in similar fashion to you. Not what I’d wanted but once it’s set i shouldn’t need to fiddle with it. Wondering if i should get a ute master cylinder when i fit the proportioning valve?

<span style=”line-height: 1.5;”>Still would have been a bastard if i had a vice mounted flaring tool because line would still have to come out of car. I liked the idea of the inline hydraulic flaring tool but far too much to justify for one job. </span>

 

[Phire aka GmfanParticipant VictoriaVT LS1 Wagon View build HERE Member since: March 3, 2015 Posts: 105]

Tyrepower who does alignment for mates race car refused to do it. They said they won’t do 4 point kits anymore. I took it there in desperation after local kmart tyre and auto put new tyres on it and supposedly aligned it. Camber on drivers side was fucked and when Tyrepower checked it one of the bolts was missing completely. They replaced the bolt for me but would only do proper alignment if i replaced 2 points with static offset bushes for $350.

I opted not to ams that’s when i found Greg and started doing more regular alignments after i was getting poor tyre wear and changing settings. Couldn’t work out if it was axle tramp doing it or what but much like my clutch fluid, it would come and go.

[Phire aka GmfanParticipant VictoriaVT LS1 Wagon View build HERE Member since: March 3, 2015 Posts: 105]

You got a camber kit? I have no end of trouble with mine. Been a nuisance ever since i fitted it really. Ended up taking car in every 5000k to get alignment checked and tyres rotated. I don’t do lots of kms though. Only the other week my locking nut was loose again on drivers side and had 6mm toe out. Apparently inner bolt won’t tighten up either. Tempted to change them out for a static offset bush.

Anyway I’m down in Somerville and get stuff done by Greg at G&S Tyres. Always been helpful. Not really sure what you mean about ride heights being weird though?

[Phire aka GmfanParticipant VictoriaVT LS1 Wagon View build HERE Member since: March 3, 2015 Posts: 105]

Swapped rear solid line and rebuilt rear calipers yesterday. Slow progress but progress all the same. My modified handbrake and backing plates are made so waiting on those. Will rebuild front calipers when i have a chance and but full front brakes on.

[Phire aka GmfanParticipant VictoriaVT LS1 Wagon View build HERE Member since: March 3, 2015 Posts: 105]

Guy at work got Keysborough diffs to build one. Gave them 3-4 goes to get it right and ended up putting stock one back in.

 

G&J built mine. 50,000k and bearings and gears fucked so got rebuilt again.

[Phire aka GmfanParticipant VictoriaVT LS1 Wagon View build HERE Member since: March 3, 2015 Posts: 105]

A cooled v2 vortech would be pushing the limits of bottom end at 14psi. This is a whole lot better/worse. The lsx swap make ssense if you want something big and mad like a 454 cube v8 for example  but for tough streeter with reasonable limits building a reliable short motor to support fair hp on the street isn’t difficult with the holden 5ltr. You won’t be spinning it hard with whipple to make power and blower will do 300-400rwkw. If you want more than that in a street car I’d be setting money aside for a funeral plan as well….

[Phire aka GmfanParticipant VictoriaVT LS1 Wagon View build HERE Member since: March 3, 2015 Posts: 105]

Obviously big plans if you decided to go with the whipple?

Even on low boost it would be a fair handful?

[Phire aka GmfanParticipant VictoriaVT LS1 Wagon View build HERE Member since: March 3, 2015 Posts: 105]

I’ll be interested to hear your results with the plated lower arms. Does it tramp in a straight line or is it tramping in a slide? I have bad tramp in my 250rwkw VT wagon that I’ve tried to cure with various parts but my old 130rwkw 5lt sedan with live axle didn’t tramp at all.

Have you considered fitting a falcon watts link instead of the panhard road? It’s not the ideal watts link setup but should possibly only require a chassis mount and some arms. Diff hat bolts straight on. Would stop any lateral movement of the diff in slides.

[Phire aka GmfanParticipant VictoriaVT LS1 Wagon View build HERE Member since: March 3, 2015 Posts: 105]

So not too much happening lately. Finally got some parts back after the bracket fuckup but somewhere between MKAL and CHI they’ve ‘misplaced’ one of my calipers and both my original brackets.

Finally received some calipers from guy interstate but of course they aren’t what was advertised or even off a Holden.

Brenton at HPW wrecking did me a deal on some front/rear calipers from the 330/315mm hsv brake setup. Went and collected them only to find they were missing the dog leg brackets required to mount them.

So where I’m at now is that I’ve ordered brackets from UPC, Hoppers Stoppers making me brake lines to suit the calipers and having modified backing plates made to suit the rear brake conversion. I’ve modified the towers to allow adjustment of strut tops in situ and replaced a tie rod that i damaged a while back.

What i need now is to order rear rotors, new front/rear pads and sort out my hard-line that runs from master cylinder to the back of the car. I’m in two minds about buying a proper (expensive) flaring tool and making my lines from scratch or just a replacement standard line and leaving out the proportioning valve for now. I don’t think I’ll be able to replace the line without removing the engine or bending the line so leaning towards buying a flaring tool.

 

• This reply was modified 8 years, 2 months ago by  Phire aka Gmfan.

[Phire aka GmfanParticipant VictoriaVT LS1 Wagon View build HERE Member since: March 3, 2015 Posts: 105]

You still running the ns400 pads up front? How are you finding the pad/rotor life so far? Now that my adapter brackets are useless and muppet lost one of my calipers I’ll be looking for new pads. Tossng up between the ns400 or the hc800 mu pads. If i don’t need the higher heat range I’d prefer to maintain more rotor life with the ns400

[Phire aka GmfanParticipant VictoriaVT LS1 Wagon View build HERE Member since: March 3, 2015 Posts: 105]

Dan811 wrote:

Don’t take this as a dig, but I have to ask about the elephant in the corner… Why carburettors????? I could almost understand if you were putting the motor into an old car that didn’t have the wiring for it. But on a project that will have it’s own challenges and difficulties, surely the fact that the wiring and EFI tuning capability is already there makes it a no-brainer? Again, it’s not a bad thing, just curious as to your motivation?

If he were using an ls based motor and could use factory wiring with minor mods this might make sense but that is not a gen3/gen4 block so would seem efi on a small block would be a lot more hassle than carbs.

[Phire aka GmfanParticipant VictoriaVT LS1 Wagon View build HERE Member since: March 3, 2015 Posts: 105]

Mkal automotive uses them on his engineered ls swapped cars so must pass requirements and the hot wheels demo utes use xyz stuff too. What i haven’t seen is replacement cost of rotor rings and how often you have to replace hats.

[Phire aka GmfanParticipant VictoriaVT LS1 Wagon View build HERE Member since: March 3, 2015 Posts: 105]

Thanks for all the feedback. Police were calling me back tomorrow morning so hopefully then i’ll know about front calipers. Still chasing to get my rotors back and i’ll try some of the companies mentioned above for lines.

[Phire aka GmfanParticipant VictoriaVT LS1 Wagon View build HERE Member since: March 3, 2015 Posts: 105]

So no progress lately. In contact with NSW police over calipers i purchased on a whim but never received, still haven’t received my parts (my rotor and calipers supplied for mockup) <span style=”line-height: 1.5;”>back from MKAL/CHE even though my refund came through before xmas and i still have no rear brake lines because i haven’t found anyone that makes the 3rd line in braid that goes over the diff in live axle models. Safe brake are out having stuffed me around with short lines and then wrong fittings on what were supposed to be “custom” lines. </span>

Been frustrating 12 months with this car.

 

[Phire aka GmfanParticipant VictoriaVT LS1 Wagon View build HERE Member since: March 3, 2015 Posts: 105]

The seats you’ll be able to colour no worries. Mate has been slowly doing his e36 m3 interior. Bought brand new door trims from Germany but they were a purple colour and his interior was cream. Came out quite good for a home job.

[Phire aka GmfanParticipant VictoriaVT LS1 Wagon View build HERE Member since: March 3, 2015 Posts: 105]

I’d put a proper adjustable on now. Saves doing it once your strut towers crack and separate like so many others have

[Phire aka GmfanParticipant VictoriaVT LS1 Wagon View build HERE Member since: March 3, 2015 Posts: 105]

Good info about the handbrake rings but bit of a hassle cutting rotors up to get ring back out. Better off doing proper upgrade so no need for the rings.

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