8 replies to this topic

[Tritty]

Hi all,
Thought id share with you one of my 2 Torana projects, My 1968 HB Torana S - series 1, which for now I have Nick named Bell (Because she is blue - and I thought of Blue Bell, so Bell for short).
For those interested in a read about the HB see this here CLICKY
Bell was a second wedding anniversary present from my lovely hubby Brett. What do you get a girl that has everything???? I know.... a Torana! Personally I think it was just the perfect excuse to bring another stray car home, and after my initial reactions of, oh my god, not another car, how much did it cost, what sort of rust bucket is it this time, I fell in love.
Brett knows how to spot a good car and he didnt fail this time. The body has next to no rust, only a small section on the left rear mud guard area. All the other common rust areas are in very good condition. She was already mostly stripped out interior wise and contained many other spare parts that have been collected over the years. There are a few things missing though. Apparently someone stole the chrome stripping from the outside of the car around the windows and along the centre body, and they stole the steering wheel. The front seats are also missing, as is the raio and a few other small parts which I probably havent even noticed yet.
The motor is apparently reconditioned to Brabham spec, but has no Brabham options, so Im guessing it was just made to take the additional parts like side draft and twin carbies etc. On one lazy Sunday arvo we decided to put a battery and fuel in her and see what happens if we try to start her. She jumped to life and purred like a kitten with a ball of string. No smoke what so ever, so the stories of her being recond must be correct.

Plans for the car are to restore her to as close to origional as I can get. NO I WILL NOT BE DROPPING SOME MONSTER V8 in her. I believe that sometimes if the car is mostly complete and the engine is good, keeping a car stock is more valuable, maybe not money wise in the short term but historical wise - deffinately. The car has history and I plan to let that shine.

So, my first mission is to chase up the parts I require to restore her. I constantly keep an eye on ebay and also recently on gumtree too for people selling parts, they dont apprear for sale often. there really doesnt seem to be much HB stuff floating around like there is for other Torana models. Mostly I come across whole cars that have the parts I need hanging of them and I then have a little cry at the fact they are over east and would be to costly to transport here. So far I have picked up a door handle which was needed and a spare petrol inlet rubber surround. I have also recently bought a donor parts car along with another HB which I will do another thread for. The donor car has a steering wheel but not an S model one, it will do if I cant find the one Im looking for though. It has the chrome for around the windows but not along the sides, it has a drivers side door window which on Bell was smashed, and it has a complete dash, although it is a series 2, it is mostly the same. Still no front seats, where have all the seats gone?? The body on the donor car is very rusted and really not of any use, I dont think anyone would be interested in it as a shell so it will most likely end up at the crushers after I strip it bare.
So my hunt for parts still continues.

Here are a few photos of Bell when she arrived home.
 IMG_0041.jpg   135.38KB   10 downloads
 IMG_0039.jpg   123.72KB   11 downloads

[Mally]

i think its brave going the original route, cause itll end up taking a big pinch out of your pocket.

but in the end it will be well worth it to see a car in it as it was off the show room floor.

(then you can park a rb powered one next to it )

[NA_Goodness]

Definately a good project you have there! When you say "100% standard" do you mean every part MUST be a Holden part and in good nick? Or use parts that still look standard may not be actually be off an HB? Cos that can save you a fair bit of money and heartache. Other then that, I'm looking forward to seeing this project start, as I have been since seeing it in the flesh for the first time

[Tritty]

Yeah keeping it stock origional might be a more expensive path.

I want to try and use origional genuine parts as much as possible. Some things like speakers most likely wont be, But I will try and source an origional push button radio for it. I have got one, and I have an old casette tape deck out of the other one, so one of the cars at this stage will have an origional radio the other will have a tape deck.

It will be hard to find some things and most likely I will have to buy whole cars with the parts I need. Eventually I will get everything, im sure of it.

If there are things I just cant get a hold of I will either buy aftermarket replicas or get them manufactured.

[Socrates]

If u need tape deck serviced, i know a place in osborne park that did mine, good job

[V8EATER]

So far this car has cost stuff all. I purchased the car for $600 and now that we have a donor car, there is not much more to find parts wise to cost so much.

This car is in excellent condition rust wise as i have never seen another HB in better nick like it.

I don't honestly think it will cost much to have it complete and running. Theres not alot needed for the project.

BTW all holden parts, yes for sure. Keep it original.

[Socrates]

Refreshing the engine?

[NA_Goodness]

I wouldnt have thought there would be any point if it has just been rebuilt. Not like it'll be driven hard, anyway.

My mate has a crazy clean Celica he's been working on for a few years. He bought another one for $600 cos it had a button he needed for his dash But he'll make a few $k parting it out, and I'm sure you will two with all the parts left over.

[Tritty]

Yeah its a bugger trying to get those one or two parts left that are needed, I will most likely have to get another donor car with the parts needed. Yep I sould get most the money back from parting it out.
As Brett said it is in pretty good nick and we have not spent a lot so far. The Motor runs perfect, I wont be doing anything to it for the time being.