Project Car / Motorbike thread. Let's see 'em.

rextheute

Likes Bikes and Dirt
@MasterOfReality contact Mullins Wheels in Campbellfield - they are knowledgeable and im fairly sure hold the licence for Simmons wheels .
Also - and in dunno how many are still going in Qld - Swap meets are coming back to Victoria ….start at the end of April .
Bendigo or Ballarat are the biggies .
 

Dales Cannon

lightbrain about 4pm
Staff member
@MasterOfReality contact Mullins Wheels in Campbellfield - they are knowledgeable and im fairly sure hold the licence for Simmons wheels .
Also - and in dunno how many are still going in Qld - Swap meets are coming back to Victoria ….start at the end of April .
Bendigo or Ballarat are the biggies .
Just be aware the 'new' Simmons are a cast wheel and the rims are not spun. They are crazy heavy compared to the originals which were only up to 16".

VP Calais wheels were P31 or thereabouts from memory. The HSVs ran different offset because they are a wider rim. Or it could be the HSVs that ran P31... Again from memory running these would nominally make the Calais unroadworthy as they reduce the track despite running wider tyres and are wider outside to outside. I remember seeing a GTS run 285s on P30 ok but not sure of the width of the wheel. Give the guys are ASV a call, they will have all the data for the HSVs. Tell them you are looking at buying a used GTS and it has some aftermarket wheels on and you want to check what was standard.

EDIT: was wrong, looks like P26 with IRS and ABS, 31 might be HSV?????

VP = 43 + optional offset is 42 + or 31 + for V8 Exec sedan
VP Berlina = 26 +
VP ABS IRS = 26 +

VR Executive = 43 +
VR Executive wagon = 40 + or 43 +
VR Berlina sedan = 43 +
VR ABS IRS = 26 +
 
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MasterOfReality

After forever
You're fighting against the Bogan Retirement System. I'm really not looking forward to finding anything with a Holden part number. Back in the day, the grand plan was to buy a VR 5L wreck and transplant the drivetrian and necessary supporting pieces into a HZ. I am too scared to look at the prices now.
Yeah, some of the ads on Facebook, I can almost smell the dogshit through the screen and visualise rooms with Brocky and WWE wrestling posters and Mum's cabinets full of shit from the Franklin Mint.........

The mechanical stuff seems to be ok pricewise. If you don't count the VN Group A manifold up for $22k the other day!

@MasterOfReality contact Mullins Wheels in Campbellfield - they are knowledgeable and im fairly sure hold the licence for Simmons wheels .
Also - and in dunno how many are still going in Qld - Swap meets are coming back to Victoria ….start at the end of April .
Bendigo or Ballarat are the biggies .
I think they are Tempe Tyres now. I emailed Simmons and got a reply from Tempe.

Just be aware the 'new' Simmons are a cast wheel and the rims are not spun. They are crazy heavy compared to the originals which were only up to 16".

VP Calais wheels were P31 or thereabouts from memory. The HSVs ran different offset because they are a wider rim. Or it could be the HSVs that ran P31... Again from memory running these would nominally make the Calais unroadworthy as they reduce the track despite running wider tyres and are wider outside to outside. I remember seeing a GTS run 285s on P30 ok but not sure of the width of the wheel. Give the guys are ASV a call, they will have all the data for the HSVs. Tell them you are looking at buying a used GTS and it has some aftermarket wheels on and you want to check what was standard.

EDIT: was wrong, looks like P26 with IRS and ABS, 31 might be HSV?????

VP = 43 + optional offset is 42 + or 31 + for V8 Exec sedan
VP Berlina = 26 +
VP ABS IRS = 26 +

VR Executive = 43 +
VR Executive wagon = 40 + or 43 +
VR Berlina sedan = 43 +
VR ABS IRS = 26 +
Close! The HSV Family wheels which mine came with are 16x8 and 30p offset. They are the same as the SV5000 wheels but different offset to suit the IRS which my car has, but the VN didn't have.

The guy selling a set of VP GTS wheels was making a big song and dance about the 30p offset and how rare it is. I think he was using that to justify the $3200 asking price, minus tyres.
 

Dales Cannon

lightbrain about 4pm
Staff member
I had a VN Clubbie, last batch and had a VP interior. A mate had the VP GTS and preferred the Clubbie wheels. They didn't fit. Personally I would have swapped in a trice even though the VN wheels were nice the GTS wheels were the best HSV ever offered. In my opinion of course. Sadly don't scale up to 19s or 20s.
 

Haakon

Keeps on digging
Threw out my failing shitty supercrap special trolley jacks in the move, so need a new one.

Anyone got a recommendation? Something that will last a decade or two would be nice…

Doesn’t need to be a monster, but does need to deal with moderately lowered cars.
 

Mr Crudley

Glock in your sock
Doesn’t need to be a monster, but does need to deal with moderately lowered cars.
How low? I am thinking of getting ramps since I have use the trolley jack and scissor jacks just to get it high enough to change the oil is a headache.

I am not sure if the 'standard' ramps with about 120mm height will also remove the front fairing while driving up it :)

There has to be a better way and I might be a loooooong ramp.
 

Haakon

Keeps on digging
How low? I am thinking of getting ramps since I have use the trolley jack and scissor jacks just to get it high enough to change the oil is a headache.

I am not sure if the 'standard' ramps with about 120mm height will also remove the front fairing while driving up it :)

There has to be a better way and I might be a loooooong ramp.
I always use ramps for oil changes etc. Feels a lot safer going under it rather on jackstands.
 

Dales Cannon

lightbrain about 4pm
Staff member
Threw out my failing shitty supercrap special trolley jacks in the move, so need a new one.

Anyone got a recommendation? Something that will last a decade or two would be nice…

Doesn’t need to be a monster, but does need to deal with moderately lowered cars.
I have a bluepoint 3t. It is about 17 years old. Heavy though. Would get the alloy version.
 

Mr Crudley

Glock in your sock
I always use ramps for oil changes etc. Feels a lot safer going under it rather on jackstands.
Just what I was thinking. I don't want to be a future Darwin awards winner.

Do you have any problems with your ramps and getting a lowish car up it?
 

MasterOfReality

After forever
I had a VN Clubbie, last batch and had a VP interior. A mate had the VP GTS and preferred the Clubbie wheels. They didn't fit. Personally I would have swapped in a trice even though the VN wheels were nice the GTS wheels were the best HSV ever offered. In my opinion of course. Sadly don't scale up to 19s or 20s.
Agree, the VP GTS were the best looking. Impossible to find a set these days.

A bit more research on the Simmons FR19 suggest that to keep the rolling diameter the same, I need a 30 profile tyre. Problem is the 30 profile tyres are not load rated. Can step up to 35 profile but that will throw speedo out and increase ride height. Haven't worked out if its beyond the max allowance increase in rolling diameter yet. But that might be all a moot point if these wheels are not roadworthy anyway. This isn't a daily driver (under 1,000km a year if I'm lucky) so I'm thinking about taking my chances............

My kickdown cable snapped the other week - put it into drive and it dropped in with a massive clunk (makes the IRS squat even more noticeable) and the 1st/2nd change is rough as hell too, chirps the rears. Won't change up past 2nd though. Investigated, saw where the cable goes into the box behind the servo and went yeah nah. If I had my hoist I would have attempted it. That'll teach me for procrastinating on the hoist.

Have contacted mechanic, will book it in for a full going over plus a shift kit and set of 3.9 or 4.1 diff gears to pep the old girl up.
 

beeb

Dr. Beebenson, PhD HA, ST, Offset (hons)
This isn't a daily driver (under 1,000km a year if I'm lucky) so I'm thinking about taking my chances............
I always err on the side of caution with stuff like this, but just for the sake of the argument:

If you had a prang, and insurance investigated and voided the claim because wheels were 1" oversize - where would you be at? I imagine the car's worth a pretty penny these days, 18's still look great on early 90's models (arguably more proportional), and might just save/gain you a bunch of cash if the worst occured.
 
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