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 Post subject: Daily Driver
PostPosted: Fri Apr 17, 2015 7:52 pm 
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Hey there folks,
It's been a while since I've posted anything, the LUV build is getting there slowly, chasing some engine parts for the 4zd1 conversion, but over the last 12 months I've been giving the daily driver a tidy up..

This here is my 1990 Holden Statesman V8

I bought it about 4 years back as a donor car for the driveline to get slotted into my 1953 sedan, but modification laws nolonger allow the 5 litre V8 to be fitted :(
So I've given the Statesman a new paint job, added a Group A front & rear bar, lots of modifying to make them fit, plus swapped the Turbo700 for a Borgwarner T5 manual. She's also had the ride height dropped 2 & 1/2" 18" wheels, 2 &1/2" twin exhaust and stage 3 ecu upgrade. Lots of little things for improving power gains & handling :)

It's a bit of a beast, fun to drive & turns heads

She's still not quite there, but I'm pretty happy with the results so far (photos getting posted)

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 Post subject: Re: Daily Driver
PostPosted: Sat Apr 18, 2015 8:57 am 
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Here's a couple of photos of the Statesman almost 12 months ago to the day prior to giving it an overhaul & fully pimping it out :P
The paint had lost the clear coat & had gone all chalky,,, every time it rained it was like somebody tipping a bottle of milk all over the windows,,, minor dints in pretty much every panel, bumpers were cracked and broken mounts,,, she'd had a pretty rough 23 years of service from previous owners and my daughter learnt to drive in it for her first 6 months. Hmm was a POS!!! :lol:

Image

Image

There was a tonne of work involved, but here she is now. I'll need to take the front bar off at some stage and repaint it, coz when I was blocking it down I rubbed through the clear in a couple of spots, plus it got some chips when we had it off to do the minor fresh up of the 5 litre V8 engine & gearbox swap. Since this photo was taken a couple of weeks ago, I've re fitted the side skirts with Sikaflex as the 3M body tape didn't hold.

Image

The T700 4 speed Automatic transmission died, so I tracked down a BorgWarner T5 manual, much nicer to drive & I also fitted a 13.5" sports steering wheel that's wrapped in suede. Now that the exterior is almost completed, I've started on the interior,,, nothing major happening here coz it's still in great condition & the rare 'Mulberry' colour scheme. But there's a few places like scuff plates, general wear & tear in the trim plastics that are showing their age from 23 years of service. The center console compartment lid got sent off to be re-upholstered because the leather wrap was cracking in places, they did a nice job, but even after supplying the original, they never bothered to do it in the right colour,,, so no they won't be getting any more work from me :roll:

Image

A tidy up of the engine bay included removing the injector covers & throttle body covers, valve covers & stripping them back before coating in high temp red, plus the bunch of bananas' manifold got a coat of high temp satin black. All the wiring harness in the engine bay was completely rebuilt as there were lots of little electrical issues,,, turned out quite a bit of the original wiring had deteriorated & I'm surprised it didn't short out & catch fire. The brake booster got reconditioned & I fitted a new heater tap, and full set of silicone coolant hoses. It was actually cheaper to buy a kit that has every hose in silicone than it would have been to replace just the upper and lower radiator hoses with the genuine factory hoses?

Image

Lots and lots of blocking got the panels looking sweet :D

Image

The roof was a nightmare being jet black with a 1/4 blend of the gunmetal metallic, that was also tinted in crimson & blue pearls,,, but the hard work seems to have paid off.

Image



And for those who want to hear it,,, this short clip is how she sounds :D :D :D :D

http://vid1344.photobucket.com/albums/p ... tyv7qs.mp4

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 Post subject: Re: Daily Driver
PostPosted: Sat Apr 18, 2015 9:57 am 
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That is a good looking car
Looks like they took one of our Chevrolet caprices and threw a little bit of Cadillac on it. Came together well

I like the new paint color and wheel choice. Makes it look real slick and new without being flashy

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 Post subject: Re: Daily Driver
PostPosted: Sat Apr 18, 2015 12:31 pm 
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Cheers,,, I forgot to mention that there was a motorised antenna for the radio in the top of the right front fender, but to keep the lines clean I deleted it and plugged the hole with fresh sheet metal, the antenna was replaced with a stealth receiver and I also added a set of side repeater turn signals from a later model Commodore (none were fitted until 1992)
I thought there was something in the GM stables in the US that is very similar to the Commodore & Statesman we have here. Both are based on the same platform, but the Statesman is around 3-4" longer and around 2" wider than the Commodore. Both were optioned with either a 3.8 litre Buick style V6 or the Australian built 5 litre 90 degree V8. It was available in Statesman & Statesman 'Caprice' versions,, plus HSV (Holden Special Vehicles) had the sporty SV90-91-92, then there was the flagship in luxury with all the bells & whistles in the Statesman HSV 'Grange'

Front & rear bumpers were copies of a 1988-1992 Holden VN Commodore SS Group A Sedan, which needed quite extensive reworking to allow the Statesman grille to fit and I still need to finish off the 'ticks' or half flares that mount on the front fenders. The recessed licence plate holder in the rear bar has a different profile than the SS bar, so that also needed quite a bit to look right. I sourced a genuine set of HSV SV90 side skirts, they were easy except the 3M body tape that was recommended just would not hold them for more than a week?

The rear wheel arches are supposed to have 'spats' but they have a completely different profile to they meet with the rear bar, so I'll be forming up a new set from styrene to pull a plug from, then make a set from fibreglass. The original door bumper strips are still in good condition, but they nolonger suit, so I managed to pick up a set of colour matched SS side molds that have red & black stripe (same as what was used on HSV Commodore SS-LE.

So I've pretty much taken styling from the VN-VP Commodore SS muscle cars, Statesman sports saloon and luxury tourer's that were on offer from Holden from 1988-1993, wheels are aftermarket, (but I've used 2012 Statesman wheel center caps on them)

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 Post subject: Re: Daily Driver
PostPosted: Sat Apr 18, 2015 1:04 pm 
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Sounds like a heck of a cool project. And yeah it is basically a more stylish usdm caprice. I think ours had either the 3.8 or a 5.7 but I don't know a lot about them. I know their was a hopped up police version available at some point

What else does that Holden 5.0 come in? Looks basically the same as the usual LS Chevy v8. But I think ours are 4.8 5.3 5.7 6.0 6.2 and 7.0

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 Post subject: Re: Daily Driver
PostPosted: Sun Apr 19, 2015 3:47 am 
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Looks a lot better now than in the first picture! a lot of work has gone into it and it looks real nice!

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 Post subject: Re: Daily Driver
PostPosted: Sun Apr 19, 2015 6:23 am 
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Cheers MrFibbles,,, you'd know what the good 'ol VQ Stato would be normally looking like. Most now are for the upper class bogans LOL

Luvthe,,, the Holden V8 is a locally designed & manufactured engine. 90 degree cast iron block & they were fist introduced in the early 1970's with HQ through to WB,,, similar to your Camaro's but both 2 door coupes & 4 door sedans, 5 door wagons, panel vans (like a delivery) plus 2 door coupe utility and flat bed 2 door utilities (pick-up). Back then they were available in 253ci and 308ci
The same engine continued through to the opal based Commodores,,, Commodore range was larger than the opal though and the engine had several revamps over the years. The small block Chevy was available in assorted capacity in the higher end sports coupes and sedans etc right through to 1979, then all v8 versions had either the 253ci or 308ci. A 202ci inline six was also on offer.
In around 1987 the started introducing efi systems and an extensive revamp of the block and heads and dual plane vortex style manifolds, single and twin throttle configurations until 2000 when the Gen 2 Chev 350 V8 was brought into service.

Now they run all sorts of US V8 sourced engines

A mate of mine here is from Portland, Oregon & just bought himself an brand new Walkinshaw spec HSV 'Maloo' sports coupe utility running the 7 litre monster with twin turbo. I think it'd be something like the new Pontiac GTO but as a sports coupe/utility,,, punching out more than 1000hp at the flywheel :P
It'd be nice to have the AU$93500.00 plus on-road costs he laid down for the beast.

He reckons when the time comes to head back to the US that he'll see about getting it imported, but he just got permanent residency status approved, so it could be a while yet

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 Post subject: Re: Daily Driver
PostPosted: Sun Apr 19, 2015 11:18 am 
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Well I am only about 10 mins from Portland so if I see an extremely fast gto pickup go ripping by in will know why :lol: I think I a actually saw that car on the British top gear Australia special where they did the ridiculous head to head stuff. They used one in a drag race against a van. Has the same 7 liter ls7 as a corvette. We don't really have the equivalent of that car here

Sounds like your engine generation curve was similar to ours. Around 86-87 efi became standard. 96 we got the vortec heads and the ls engines came for the corvette and then the camaro the following year. Do any of those Holden engines have an aluminum block?

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2004 Yamaha WR250F my new love in life
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 Post subject: Re: Daily Driver
PostPosted: Sun Apr 19, 2015 5:18 pm 
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all the holden v8's were cast as far as I know.
Sherro not to many of the early stato's left in good nick down here, we have an old guy down the road with an immaculate one. most of the younger guys round here now run the later model chevy engine stato's and they are starting to look pretty ordinary (read thrashed and abused!)
Gotta say the early ones were not really one that I liked the styling of, but you have managed to make it look pretty good in my books!

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1980 Isuzu kb 4x4
1976-1980 Isuzu tub for the luv or kb
Nissan GU Patrol
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 Post subject: Re: Daily Driver
PostPosted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 1:47 am 
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love4theluv wrote:
Well I am only about 10 mins from Portland so if I see an extremely fast gto pickup go ripping by in will know why :lol: I think I a actually saw that car on the British top gear Australia special where they did the ridiculous head to head stuff. They used one in a drag race against a van. Has the same 7 liter ls7 as a corvette. We don't really have the equivalent of that car here

Sounds like your engine generation curve was similar to ours. Around 86-87 efi became standard. 96 we got the vortec heads and the ls engines came for the corvette and then the camaro the following year. Do any of those Holden engines have an aluminum block?


LOL,,, He brought it around the weekend after he picked it up, plus sent me a couple of photos,,, I'll see if I can post a pic of it so you know what I'm talking about :D

If he does head back, I don't think it'll be for a couple of years yet?

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 Post subject: Re: Daily Driver
PostPosted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 2:05 am 
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mrflibbles wrote:
all the holden v8's were cast as far as I know.
Sherro not to many of the early stato's left in good nick down here, we have an old guy down the road with an immaculate one. most of the younger guys round here now run the later model chevy engine stato's and they are starting to look pretty ordinary (read thrashed and abused!)
Gotta say the early ones were not really one that I liked the styling of, but you have managed to make it look pretty good in my books!


Yep all the Aussie V8's were cast iron with the 90 degree V whereas the Chevy V8's had about a 76 degree V from memory?

We had pretty much all the small block options, and big blocks were available but nothing locally produced as a factory fit.
All alloy blocks started here in around 2001 in the Gen 3 350 SBC with Vortec

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 Post subject: Re: Daily Driver
PostPosted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 2:22 am 
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As far as I know the common GM v8s are all 90* in the states. There were/are 60* v6s but I think all the small block and Gen 3 ls engines are 90*

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 Post subject: Re: Daily Driver
PostPosted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 2:24 am 
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Actually the happy birthday Chevy small block v8 post in the luv lounge section covers a lot of it

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 Post subject: Re: Daily Driver
PostPosted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 5:17 am 
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the chevy v8 is a narrower v than the holden v8, I have wheel aligned hq holdens with the 253/308and there is less room than the same car with a chevy v8. (even a 454 with a/c and power steer in a hq holden is easier to align than the ones with a holden v8)

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1969 Isuzu Florian (blood relative of the LUV)
1976 Luv
1980 Isuzu kb 4x4
1976-1980 Isuzu tub for the luv or kb
Nissan GU Patrol
Ford Falcon AU ute

Never buy a car you cant push.


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 Post subject: Re: Daily Driver
PostPosted: Sat Apr 25, 2015 5:58 pm 
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mrflibbles wrote:
the chevy v8 is a narrower v than the holden v8, I have wheel aligned hq holdens with the 253/308and there is less room than the same car with a chevy v8. (even a 454 with a/c and power steer in a hq holden is easier to align than the ones with a holden v8)


Yep,,, the Holden 253/304/308 is a pretty chunky engine
I was shocked at how much more room there was when I swapped my '74 HQ ute from a Holden 253 to a Chevy 350

Oh and I've refitted the side skirts on the Statesman coz the recommended adhesive tape didn't hold :roll: ,,, I used Sikaflex this time
Plus I've bought a set of VN SS Le Wagon door strips (thin black with red stripe) that are NOS and just happened to have the main colour in gunmetal grey :D

They were shipped off on Wednesday, so hopefully they'll be at my door tomorrow after I get home from work,,, I'll flick a couple more photos after they're fitted

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 Post subject: Re: Daily Driver
PostPosted: Sun Apr 26, 2015 12:14 pm 
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Really weird that the Holden engine is more bulky the SBC is a 90* V, maybe there is more material in the Holden casting? How big of a weight difference is there?

You are gonna have to add some more pics of that car and the engine! It is weird it looks like our caprice but the grill and front looks a bit more like the Cadillacs of that year range.

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 Post subject: Re: Daily Driver
PostPosted: Sat May 02, 2015 9:49 am 
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love4theluv wrote:
Really weird that the Holden engine is more bulky the SBC is a 90* V, maybe there is more material in the Holden casting? How big of a weight difference is there?

You are gonna have to add some more pics of that car and the engine! It is weird it looks like our caprice but the grill and front looks a bit more like the Cadillacs of that year range.


I'll get some more pix up for sure,,, I found some SS-LE external door mouldings a couple of weeks ago and fitted them up, so she looks a little more finished off now. But yep, I'll see about tracking down some photos' of a standard Statesman as they were released from the factory aswel for you.

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Last edited by Sherro57 on Sat May 02, 2015 9:51 am, edited 1 time in total.

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 Post subject: Re: Daily Driver
PostPosted: Sat May 02, 2015 9:49 am 
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love4theluv wrote:
Really weird that the Holden engine is more bulky the SBC is a 90* V, maybe there is more material in the Holden casting? How big of a weight difference is there?

You are gonna have to add some more pics of that car and the engine! It is weird it looks like our caprice but the grill and front looks a bit more like the Cadillacs of that year range.


I'll get some more pix up for sure,,, I found some SLE external door mouldings a couple of weeks ago and fitted them up, so she looks a little more finished off now. But yep, I'll see about tracking down some photos' of a standard Statesman as they were released from the factory as well for you.

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