The Plan

Route666

Active Member
Aug 16, 2003
1,652
6
39
Brisbane, Australia
ok, I've been thinking and planning and talking for a while, and the more I delve into planning the more expensive and complicated things get.

I want to do things right first time, and at the moment, everything is gunna cost me BOATLOADS of cash to get together.

Doing things right first time means that I'm going to need to have everything all at once, so I can fit it all, so I don't get it painted and have to drill more holes, etc. I suppose I won't need the motor really, because it will just bolt in, and the trans cross member might need modification, but that is bolted on too, so it's ok. So that is a big expensive piece I don't really need right there, bout 1/3 of the car's cost.

So tell me if this plan is good, or out of order.

Buy car.

Convert to RHD.

Strip car of all bits. (while I'm at this, match visible bolts with stainless versions, and bag em up and label em)

Put shell on rotisserie.

Fit all the new bits. (suspension, stereo, subframes, fuel cell, air-con, mountings for fuel lines, etc)

Take all the new bits off.

Weld seams, fix rust, weld up little holes, smooth engine bay out, etc.

Send shell and panels off to be bodyworked by pros (with my specs, stripped, por in hidden places, and the myriad of other quirks I want)

When shell comes back,
Bolt suspension on, steering rack, steering column, wheels and tyres, take it off rotisserie

Put fuel cell in.

Fuel lines, brake lines.

Plaster the inner floor, ceiling, doors, firewall, boot (trunk) with a sound deadener/heat sheild like dynamat.

Put new wiring harness through car.

Mount battery mount in trunk, and battery disconnect under dash.

Lights.

Put in carpet, rear sound system, and upholstery.

Put rollbar in.

Pedals, hook up brakes, fill and bleed.

Put dash in.

Put Air-con in (except condensor).

Put latches, electric locks, window assemblies in.

Speakers and lights under dash.

Bung glass in.

EDIT: PUT SEATS IN DUMB BUM! And upholstery.

Weatherstripping, gear stick, handbrake, chrome bits, etc.

Engine (with gearbox and clutch), radiator, condensor, overflow bottles, hook up power steering, air con, fuel, electronic ignition, clutch, altenator, electric fan.

EDIT: Also, along the way I thought I'd write down loose ends, like if I install fuel lines without the motor in, write down hook up fuel to motor, etc., and tick them off when they get tied up.

okey dokey, anything missing, that won't be picked up under something else, like fuel pump along with fuel cell and electrics? Anything anyone would do in a different order and why? The main idea behind the plan of attack is so the body gets chopped, welded, drilled, etc, then painted, and that's it. No more modification after it is painted. (or as little as possible).

Oh, and is there anything wrong with mounting things over insulation? I know the holes will be hard to find, but insulation would be best, and vibrations may also be damped?

Any comments and discussion about reconstruction welcome.
 
First there was "The Plan" and then came the assumptions..........

Unless you have the $$$$$$$ and skill to accomplish this, the plan is void and without form. A right hand drive conversion alone would be a challenge,
 
yep I realised years ago this was going to cost money.

As for skills, I grew up tearing motors apart, with instruction from my dad, the mechanic from the 60s, and taking parts off cars is easy, putting it back on is the real trick, but if I take it off, I know how it goes back on, so bolting the thing together shouldn't be a big struggle.

As for the plan being void if I don't have the money or skills, well, if I just started without a plan, that'd be a more stupid idea.

RHD will be done by the importer, for a fee, but it is a reasonable cost, 6k to pull motor, interior, swap dash over, swap wipers over to a falcon unit (I think, in any ways, its rhd style), chop up the firewall and mix it up so it is rhd, and repaint it and put it back together. I figure if I can persuade him not to do a nice paint job, and not put the engine and interior back and keep it then the price will decrease. I may even just get the wipers converted, and do the firewall myself, I know how it is done.

With regards to the rollbar, I was thinking of building it and bolting it in. Possible? Not Possible? It depends on how I make it I suppose.
 
rbohm said:
i would wait to convert to rhd untill you actually started putting the car back together. that way you dont do things twice.

Ok, I don't really get what you've said. I just meant change the firewall around, wipers, and dash. I didn't mean steering rack and stuff as well. I'd wait to put the rack, etc in, after the test fit of course, but I wouldn't wait until after it's painted to hack the firewall up! :nice: