55 oval now a southerner

Hi guys, got some new wheels. The old girl had her first long drive in a while on the back of a flat-bed down to her new home in sunny Victoria. Thanks again to Calcool for making the deal so much easier, it was nice to talk to someone so friendly and helpful. Not much action since I got it home, just some cleaning and a RWC check last week that has given me a list of jobs to do. What do we think? (Excuse photos)

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looks great mate, much to do for roadworthy? congrats on your purchase!

Great buy, that one. Only shame is, it's gone to Victoria..... 😂 Enjoy. Have you any plans for it?

Bob down wrote:looks great mate, much to do for roadworthy? congrats on your purchase!

Thanks mate. A bit to do, the list sounds long but nothing too major. Windscreen is scratched, speedo not working, rear drums are over-sized, 3 leaking wheel cylinders, there is a rust repair under battery which needs tidying or replacing, some minor rust in rear bumper mounts, r/h/r axle seal leaking, movement in l/h + r/h kingpin bushes, 60mm difference between front and rear tyres.

matberry wrote:Great buy, that one. Only shame is, it's gone to Victoria..... 😂 Enjoy. Have you any plans for it?

Haha thanks matt, I have to head north to find all the good ones 😂 Not totally sure yet, was thinking maybe some minor body work to keep her tidy and a wheel change - BRM replicas or sprintstars maybe. Apart from that, just a good clean-up and keep improving her hopefully.

awesome, great project

This car has great potential without even having to repaint it. First things first ditch the horrific indicators. I never understnad why dealers and later people fitted these most ugly indicators.

Enjoy this car its a great year and colour 🙂

Nice buy mate,i wanted 2 buy that but had bought a 65 bug before that came up for sale.looks great enjoy.

Mr Bubble Head wrote:This car has great potential without even having to repaint it. First things first ditch the horrific indicators. I never understnad why dealers and later people fitted these most ugly indicators.

Enjoy this car its a great year and colour 🙂

Ditching those indicators is definately a high priority mate! As for the paint, I agree. Just the roof I want to attend to cos it's flaking off and rusty underneath.

Cheers

beetle_nut wrote:Nice buy mate,i wanted 2 buy that but had bought a 65 bug before that came up for sale.looks great enjoy.

Thanks mate, I'm sure you're enjoying the 65 👍

Nice ride, glad to see it come down ere to Mexico (Victoria!) where it will be loved and slammed!!!

All I can say is that is nice! Planning on having it lower? Or are you going to stick with that height?

Rusty.

empi wrote:Nice ride, glad to see it come down ere to Mexico (Victoria!) where it will be loved and slammed!!!

Hahaha that's the plan 👍

Rusty AKA my 76 bay wrote:All I can say is that is nice! Planning on having it lower? Or are you going to stick with that height?

Rusty.

Thanks mate. It was low when calcool had it but had to raise it to get it on the truck! Planning on bringing her back down but I gotta get thru RWC first...Must admit it has been nice driving around and not scraping tho haha

Car looks great! Can't wait to see it in the flesh.

JohnnyMac wrote:60mm difference between front and rear tyres.

What size tyres are on it?

Thanks phat bug, should be on the road soon. Fronts are 135/75 and rears 195/65 (15's). I like the look of the tyre combination so once she's through a roady, they will be back on.

I'm suprised you got knocked for that as your right on the 70% ratio that is allowed. If you put a 185/65 on the rear you'd be right 😉

PHAT BUG wrote:I'm suprised you got knocked for that as your right on the 70% ratio that is allowed. If you put a 185/65 on the rear you'd be right 😉

Oh ok, they told me 10mm or something was the limit but I reckon if I took it to ten different places I would get ten different reports! There doesn't seem to be much consistency sometimes. Thanks for the advice 🙂

JohnnyMac wrote:

Bob down wrote:looks great mate, much to do for roadworthy? congrats on your purchase!

Thanks mate. A bit to do, the list sounds long but nothing too major. Windscreen is scratched, speedo not working, rear drums are over-sized, 3 leaking wheel cylinders, there is a rust repair under battery which needs tidying or replacing, some minor rust in rear bumper mounts, r/h/r axle seal leaking, movement in l/h + r/h kingpin bushes, 60mm difference between front and rear tyres.

Can someone explain to me what 'rear drums over-sized' means??

A mate got pulled up for the same exact thing on the RWC of his '62 and i'd never heard of it before?? Does that mean they are too big?? 🤪

Means they have had the braking surface machined too many times and have become too thin for strength/heat dissapation. Oversize shoes are required as the drum diameter gets larger.

matberry wrote:Means they have had the braking surface machined too many times and have become too thin for strength/heat dissapation. Oversize shoes are required as the drum diameter gets larger.

so they must pull wheels etc off your car to find drums worn?? we dont put a spanner on cars checking them in nsw.
I Liked that car , but i already hae two ovals🤪
good that it will be back on the road soon.
ps . go to a motor bike shop and get the blinker and bolt them onto the bumper brackes.

ian.mezz wrote:

matberry wrote:Means they have had the braking surface machined too many times and have become too thin for strength/heat dissapation. Oversize shoes are required as the drum diameter gets larger.

so they must pull wheels etc off your car to find drums worn?? we dont put a spanner on cars checking them in nsw.
I Liked that car , but i already hae two ovals🤪
good that it will be back on the road soon.
ps . go to a motor bike shop and get the blinker and bolt them onto the bumper brackes.

Yeah must have, they were very thorough which I spose they have to be these days. About the indicators, that's exactly what I'm planning 🙂

JohnnyMac wrote:

ian.mezz wrote:

matberry wrote:Means they have had the braking surface machined too many times and have become too thin for strength/heat dissapation. Oversize shoes are required as the drum diameter gets larger.

so they must pull wheels etc off your car to find drums worn?? we dont put a spanner on cars checking them in nsw.
I Liked that car , but i already hae two ovals🤪
good that it will be back on the road soon.
ps . go to a motor bike shop and get the blinker and bolt them onto the bumper brackes.

Yeah must have, they were very thorough which I spose they have to be these days. About the indicators, that's exactly what I'm planning 🙂

blinkers

Much better 👍

Ok after some opinions. I wanna change the twin pipe muffler as someone has damaged the beaver panel (no cut-outs) to make it fit and I plan to have it repaired soon. Any suggestions on a replacement? I don't want an original setup, just something neat with a bit of a note to suit the old 36er. Most of those I have seen are for later stuff.

Well finally some progress on the old girl. Some time at the panel shop to have a new battery tray welded in to replace the previous ugly repair. Also had some minor rust in the rear bumper mounts welded, removed lap-sash belts and had holes thru b posts welded and removed all the glass to repaint the roof and a rear guard. WW headliner fitted, new screen fitted with new WW rubber and trim and the same for the rear window. Then it was off to avwpc for brake rebuild, pop-outs fitted, WW complete door rubber kit fitted (door rubbers, bailey channel, inner/outter scrapers, qtr vent rubbers etc.), service, tune + rwc which required new axle seals, rear shockers, rebuilt headlight assemblies and a few other bits and pieces. Finally, to bus n bug to have a TMI carpet kit fitted and I'm ready for rego!

a few pics

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after roof repair...don't mind the dirt

a couple out and about

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Awesome score. Look how clean those heater channels and A pillars are. Needs lowering and some sweet mags 😉
Too job on the interior too!

Thanks mate. Yeh it's very solid which is a good start. I can't decide on wheels yet, change my mind just about weekly!

looking good
thanks for the pics

lookin good.
you should try one of these , they give a nice short shift
with keeping a old school look.
http://store.vintagespeed.com.tw/index.php?page=shop.product_details&category_id=9&flypage=garden_flypage.tpl&product_id=51&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=80&vmcchk=1&Itemid=80
.

Davids(calcool) old oval,i always liked this one,where did you get your carpet kit from ???
cheers shane.

ian.mezz wrote:lookin good.
you should try one of these , they give a nice short shift
with keeping a old school look.
http://store.vintagespeed.com.tw/index.php?page=shop.product_details&category_id=9&flypage=garden_flypage.tpl&product_id=51&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=80&vmcchk=1&Itemid=80
.

Thanks. One of those shifters is definately on the shopping list!

Pumba wrote:Davids(calcool) old oval,i always liked this one,where did you get your carpet kit from ???
cheers shane.

Hi Shane, the kit is a TMI item, although lots of credit has to go to brad and the guys at Bus n Bug who altered it and got it to fit so well. Sounded like it took a bit of tweaking.

Cheers, John.

Do you know who they got the kit from,was it a right hand drive kit
cheers shane.

Pumba wrote:Do you know who they got the kit from,was it a right hand drive kit
cheers shane.

I think they got it direct from TMI in the states (CA). I believe it was a RHD one mate but I couldn't say for sure sorry.

Thanks for that,i will look into it.