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LoTech Shed
Registrace 1. 06. 2017
Low tech + Low budget × low ceiling = low problem
NZ C3 Corvette Pacecar - time to replace the rear strut rod bushes.
Getting down to the last job's on the rear of this 1978 Pacecar, before moving back to front end. Another necessexy job ticked off!
zhlédnutí: 355
Video
NZ C3 Corvette Pacecar - time to replace the body mount bushings!
zhlédnutí 1,6KPřed 6 měsíci
Another episode of replacing worn bushes. This time it's the body mounts. It ain't sexy, but it's necessary. It's necessexy!
NZ C3 Corvette Pacecar - time to clean up and transform the underside of the car.
zhlédnutí 1,1KPřed 6 měsíci
In this episode I tackle the unsightly surface rust under the car and transform the look over a 2 day process that you can do too!
NZ C3 Corvette Pacecar - EVAP Canister & windshield washer serviced. EXCITING!
zhlédnutí 381Před 7 měsíci
In this episode, I service the smelly EVAP canister, and also get the windshield washer working. It ain't sexy, but it is necessary!
NZ C3 Corvette Pacecar - new heater core installation, and CB radio!
zhlédnutí 202Před 11 měsíci
In this episode, work continues on the interior as I replace the heater core, which hasn't been usable for years! I also refurbish the rare factory optioned CB radio.
NZ C3 Corvette Pacecar. This episode, adding remote central locking, and making things new (ish).
zhlédnutí 297Před 11 měsíci
Buckle in! It's an extended video as I pull the doors apart to fix the locks, add remote central locking, and make my own vapor barriers.
NZ C3 Corvette Pacecar gets a replacement exhaust manifold installed.
zhlédnutí 597Před rokem
Work continues on the Corvette Pacecar. In this episode, I tackle a broken exhaust manifold that was damaged during transit from the US. It goes from riot, to quiet!
The C3 Corvette Pacecar seats get a makeover & upgrade.
zhlédnutí 427Před rokem
Work continues on the interior, with the seats to my NZ based Corvette Pacecar getting some attention. @lotechshed4346
C3 Corvette Pacecar in NZ. Work continues on the interior.
zhlédnutí 129Před rokem
The 1978 Corvette Pacecar work continues. This episode sees work to the interior, including the horn, dash, console and lights.
C3 Corvette Pacecar - in NZ!
zhlédnutí 83Před rokem
Follow along as I prepare a genuine limited edition 1978 Corvette Indy 500 Pacecar for NZ roads.
The Firenza HPF finally gets some (unneeded) attention!
zhlédnutí 1,1KPřed rokem
Vauxhall Firenza HPF Lotus 912 project.
My 1978 Corvette Indy 500 Pacecar first wash and detail.
zhlédnutí 408Před rokem
Finally time to get started on the Pacecar. First things first, clean up time!
LoTech Shed gets a new arrival!
zhlédnutí 205Před rokem
It's been a long time coming, but it's finally @lotechshed4346
LoTech Shed visits a classic car museum. Father's Day Special.
zhlédnutí 164Před 2 lety
LoTech Shed visits a classic car museum. Father's Day Special.
Vauxhall Firenza HPF - Lotus conversion - Ep.14
zhlédnutí 382Před 2 lety
Vauxhall Firenza HPF - Lotus conversion - Ep.14
Vauxhall Firenza HPF - Lotus conversion - Episode 13
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Vauxhall Firenza HPF - Lotus conversion - Episode 13
Vauxhall Firenza HPF - Lotus conversion - FIRST DRIVE - Episode 12
zhlédnutí 12KPřed 2 lety
Vauxhall Firenza HPF - Lotus conversion - FIRST DRIVE - Episode 12
Vauxhall Firenza HPF - Lotus conversion - Episode 11
zhlédnutí 167Před 2 lety
Vauxhall Firenza HPF - Lotus conversion - Episode 11
Vauxhall Firenza HPF - Lotus conversion - Episode 10
zhlédnutí 147Před 2 lety
Vauxhall Firenza HPF - Lotus conversion - Episode 10
Vauxhall Firenza HPF - Lotus conversion - IT'S ALIVE! - Episode 9
zhlédnutí 244Před 2 lety
Vauxhall Firenza HPF - Lotus conversion - IT'S ALIVE! - Episode 9
Vauxhall Firenza HPF - Lotus conversion - Episode 8
zhlédnutí 177Před 2 lety
Vauxhall Firenza HPF - Lotus conversion - Episode 8
Vauxhall Firenza HPF - Lotus conversion - Episode 4
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Vauxhall Firenza HPF - Lotus conversion - Episode 4
Vauxhall Firenza HPF - Lotus conversion - Episode 3
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Vauxhall Firenza HPF - Lotus conversion - Episode 3
Vauxhall Firenza HPF - Lotus conversion - Episode 7
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Vauxhall Firenza HPF - Lotus conversion - Episode 7
Vauxhall Firenza HPF - Lotus conversion - Episode 6
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Vauxhall Firenza HPF - Lotus conversion - Episode 6
Vauxhall Firenza HPF - Lotus conversion - Episode 5
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Vauxhall Firenza HPF - Lotus conversion - Episode 5
Vauxhall Firenza HPF - Lotus conversion - Episode 2
zhlédnutí 534Před 3 lety
Vauxhall Firenza HPF - Lotus conversion - Episode 2
Vauxhall Firenza HPF - Lotus 912 conversion - Episode 1
zhlédnutí 1,8KPřed 3 lety
Vauxhall Firenza HPF - Lotus 912 conversion - Episode 1
Those Carbs take me back to when I was 19, I rebuilt a 2.3 Firenza engine from scratch, stage three head, 48 delortos, it was a beautiful sound just like yours. You really have a fantastic looking car there mate, look after it, you won’t get another like that one. Cheers.
@@richardlove4287 thanks for watching and commenting. I'll be posting more on this car soon.
Amazing car. We used to have Vauxhalls brought into Australia a LONG TIME AGO. I had / borrowed several! PA Velox 1959, FB-Y Victor Super 1962, FB30 1963 Victor Super 1600, FB31 VX-4/90 1964. We got HB's and FC's after that. The closest we had to your car was an evolution of the HB Viva that became our LC and LJ Toranas - and in particular, the ultimate performance version: the Torana XU-1 3300 with factory triple single-barrel carbs and cam lift you couldn't jump over:). It did 16-flat quarter miles and topped out at 120mph. And that was on a platform still based on the tiny HB Viva!
@@rosskelly8268 Thanks for your comment. You may see in my other videos my HB Viva GT, which runs a worked 2.3 slant 4. It also ran a 16 flat 1/4 mile a few years back. It ran out of leg's at the end due to low gearing.
Right there with ya buddy on age issues. Good hanging out with you. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for all the Corvette videos. I'll be using your experiences to hopefully make my Corvette fixes go quicker/smoother.
It's jobs like this that make you really want an inspection pit or a vehicle lift. I used to do this a lot in my younger years but I'm well past the age of being able to clamber about under a car on axle stands so well done to you, even if you did get a few aches & pains for your trouble.
I also received my 78 Pace Car as a gift from dad and shipped to Germany where it gets a lot of attention! I now have C3 Corvette FEVER! Thank you for the great 78 Pace Car content!
That's really cool. I am guessing there aren't many Pace Cars in Germany.? I think you'll find that working on it is not too difficult, and new parts are plentiful. More content coming soon!
Thank you so much for posting this process, I need to complete the replacement of my body mount bushings on my 78 Pace Car too but was not sure how to get started, now I have the know-how to complete the job - Thanks again!
Thanks for your comment and subscribing! Glad the video was helpful, all the best with getting yours changed out. Remember to give all the bolts a good spray down with penetrant before trying to remove. Cheers.
Remember these back in the 70s when the Firenza 2300cc Magnum was about always wanted one but could not afford one, had to put up with my HB Viva GT
Nothing wrong with a Viva GT, I'm still putting up with one of those myself! Have a browse through my other videos for a look at that. Thanks for watching.
I had a 78 pace car in Germany. It was a blast to drive around. I was in Nuremberg. In the Army in the 80's, and had a blast.
I wish I lived in Australia!!! I'd fix those carbs for you...
Thanks. You would then have to catch a flight to NZ! 😉👍
no power sterring 😁
Power steering would be nice!
Scary car...
two Webber carbs with "horns" possibly 40's, unlikely to be 45's, but possible...
They are actually 45 Dellorto's, as standard on the Lotus Excel that the engine came from. Thanks for watching.
beautiful car, great sound. In the 1970s my father, brother and my husband also drove various Vauxhall models. unfortunately sales in Belgium later stopped.
Thanks for your comment. Keep an eye out for an update on this car coming soon.
It's amazing the difference you feel in the ride after replacing the body mount bushings. Wouldn't think that much difference, but there is.
Every little bit helps I'm sure to the overall ride quality, and feels good to know it's done. Thanks for your comment.
Did you use rubber bushings??? Brand??
@@JulioDiaz-eq4nz yes, rubber mounts for originality, but also quieter ride. Don't recall the brand, but there are lots of kits available on eBay, look for USA made, and includes new bolts and shims.
What did you use to remove the rust?
Hydrochloric acid, also known as muriatic acid or spirits of salt. Do your research if you decide to use it regarding clean-up. Thanks for watching.
Hey M8. Enjoying the content. Like you I used to race a Viva GT (2300 on twin 48's replica) and now also trying to get a C3 on the road (1981) for compliance. Just a heads up re undercoating, I have been told that this is sometimes frowned upon by the some inspectors. You should check it out in your area. Alternatively CRC Rust convertor, wire brush it then spray, it changes the rust structure and finishes as a matt black primer. This is what I have used and once complied I will then go through it and repaint the chassis and suspension components to make it pretty again. Keep up the great work and enjoy the experience. I don't know about you but after working on English and JDM cars, I cant believe this car with so much real estate, is so cramped to work on. Also some of the questionable engineering design(?) also makes you think the "Moon landing" conspiracy might have some merit! LOL Looking forward to more content. Also You tuber C376 is a great source of knowledge and reference. G
Hi, appreciate your comments & tips. I've had varying success with rust converter, may be down to prep though. I've covered most of my chassis, but I suspect I'll be revisiting parts of it in the future. Spoiler alert, I had no issue regarding this from my inspector. Keep an eye out for more regular updates, I'm months behind with editing, but trying to get it all up on the channel soon. Where are you commenting from?
I'm in Whangaparaoa just North of Auckland. Where are you based? We have had LVV inspectors up here instructing undersides to be stripped back to bare metal when they were even just painted with chassis paint to prove they arent structurally rusty. As if paint hides structural rust! LOL Still give someone a little power and all that! Cheers G
@@grantwatson9232 I'm in Nelson. I've got to say that I found the compliance process very straightforward, essentially an in-depth WOF. Mind you, there is not much on the car that I didn't go over and recondition or replace, which must have shown. So much easier to restore these cars when you can buy almost any part you need, unlike the Vauxhalls. Be interested to hear how you get on with your C3.
Lovely car, I had a 1972 in red but with the 1256 engine. The motor must have been a different spec to the viva as it had a 10.75 to 1 compression and a different carb. I fitted the 7 dial magnum dash like your car has. When i was 20 i sold the car when i was having a bad time unfortunately, in 1986.
Thanks for your comment. Keep an eye out for an update coming on this car soon.
You did a great job. I want to do this to my seats. I’m going to search on Amazon. Do you know the size of the rubber u channel that you used. I know you said it was hanging around…. Thanks
Thanks for your feedback, and glad to hear you're going to try it. The profile I used is unequal width, being 6mm x 10mm (1/4 x 3/8), and it did work well, but you could use equal width also. I'm a little lucky in that my local shop are willing to cut off a small length for a sample to test fit first. Get yourself some good glue fit for purpose while you're at it. Hope it works out for you.
He would be thrilled. It wouldn’t stay clean for 5 minutes. Lol. Great video brother. Thank you for sharing the experience. Early in the video you said wind screen. I think you meant wind shield. I see it written down and it was much funnier in my head.
Yeah, thanks, I'm enjoying the thought of making this car how Pop would have wanted it. It's funny, I'm generally fairly conscious of doing the translation of different words for various parts, "hood/bonnet" for instance, but the windscreen/windshield one slipped right by me! Thanks for watching, I'm months behind on posting updates, not making enough time for editing..but get'n er done!
Mad Max.
"As the world fell, each of us in our own way was broken. It was hard to know who was more crazy: me, or everyone else."
Ah, that sound. Must be 30 + years ago I sold my Chevette HSR. Not a rally car, only for fun road use, just180 bhp. Hope the Firenza is sorted now inc some air filters, just to quieten the bark a little.
An air filter is still on the joblist, planning to use the original from the Lotus Excel. Glad you like it, thanks for leaving a comment.
I can't put into words how much I want this car. This video really shows off just how pretty the Firenza is. The teardrop side window with slim c-pillar.
Thanks for watching.
Sounds way better than before. Pops loved the car just hated to work on it 😂. Good job bro, you’re doing a great job
Those seats look great. They don’t give you a lot of room to work in 😂
Yeah mate, I almost got myself wedged permanently under the dash a couple of times before finally taking them out..
Looking good bro, little by little. 👍
Cheers. I'm enjoying it.
That’s a pretty cool project! Looks a bit like a shrunk Superbird, I love it! Is it gonna stay silver?
Thanks for your comment. The car designer was Wayne Cherry, who later worked for GM in US and was responsible for similar designs with them. No plans to change the colour.
@@lotechshed4346 First I thought it’s a rather dull color choice. But the longer I look at it the more I actually like this specific silver! And the finish is awesome.
I have to say it does sound a bit agricultural on tickover with that dodgy exhaust. Are those rear pipes stock? They don't look it. I seem to remember some Corvettes had Thrush type side pipes. Oh for a home lift / hoist or an inspection pit. I remember many a weekend under my old cars chocked up on blocks of wood. And your right, there is always one bolt that doesn't want to play ball.
I doubt that the rear pipes are original, but I like the look of the quad outlets. The dealers in the US would offer all sorts of add-ons and upgrades to make a sale. Eventually I plan to replace the entire system with stainless.
Thats my incredible nephew/broinlaw andre'.😊
Great work. Love the battery terminal knob idea.
Nice hearing from you NHRAStock.
Where was this built ?
I'm in New Zealand.
Looking good brother. It’s the details that make the difference. Great work 👍
Great car, I love the droopsnoot firenzas, I'd definitely put some filters on those carbs, you'd be amazed how much crap is in the air that's been sucked into your engine, I use either a K&N or ITG filter for the weber 45 on my classic mini.
Thanks for watching. I do have the original airbox that came with the motor, which I need to finish modifying to fit between the carbs and brake booster. I can then also draw in cool air. 😎
Hi I am a newbie to your channel I have just found it I once owned one that belonged to the infamous Stuart Hall it was a great car that I sold and regretted selling it to this day
Thanks for watching and your comments. I'm hearing from a lot of people who once owned one of these cars, or something similar, and have interesting stories like yours. Great to hear, cheers.
This is the droop Snoot I once owned czcams.com/video/YBkM3OFDBv0/video.html
Wow! That Viva GT is mighty pretty! Do you take them to some good shows?
Thanks. I've not had the GT out for a long time unfortunately, but when I do it's usually for a car show.
@@lotechshed4346 it sure is a beauty! 👍
If you have a locked brake just quickly feel the temperature of each one immediately after your test drive. That should tell you which one it is (or might be) maybe a seized calliper piston…
My Dad bought a new Victor Estate back in ‘72 same colour as your Firenza. (Just a 2.0 so not fast but beautifully smooth and quiet). I was just 18 but he let me drive it occasionally. He was nice.
Could you fit an electric power steering rack if you wanted to?
It's been done before. I've considered it, but not seriously. If set up properly it shouldn't really be necessary.
Takes me back to circa 1973 when I put Blydenstein neg camber wishbones, springs & Spax adjustable dampers all round on my old Viva GT. The front end was a mare with seized bolts etc. Like you I was working on the ground with the car on stands. Not sure my joints now could handle the kneeling down & acrobatics you are having to do there & I can assure you I was cursing & swearing just as much at 17 years old so it's not a grumpy old man syndrome although I do know where you are coming from. She made you work to get her started but once going she sounds sweet & free revving. A bit of summer bare foot🦶 driving as well. I hope you avoid the ticket. You'd think they would have better things to do.
Thanks for your comment. I don't mind working on the ground during summer months, but come winter I'm not so keen, which is just around the corner for us. There is definitely a procedure for assembling the front end of these cars, which once you've done it seems simple, but it never is the case. More work on the front end to come. Thanks for watching.
No ticket, thankfully.
She’s alive, sounds great bruddah. She seems to be zippy.
Yeah mate, she goes down the road pretty good, just not enough road and too many smokies where I am!
What did you spray down the engine compartment with? I'm assuming it wasn't just brake clean? And sorry about your loss.
Thanks for your comment. No, definitely not brake cleaner, just a degreaser designed to wash off with water. Like Simple Green, but better. Quite handy for concrete floors when you own old English cars too...
A clean car always seems to run better than a dirty one but in this case that exhaust does not sound so good. Looking forward to more vids on the Corvette.
Really like both cars as I worked for Vauxhall ( luton parts warehouse) for 44 years! My first car was a 1969 laurel green viva hb sl ( VXD119H) which u never forget ! We had parts stacked to the roof! Hard to believe we sold thousands. Great video and thanks for sharing.
I had a standard 2.3 Firenza coupe that I also modded a fair bit back in the 80s and early 90s - genuine nosecone and some Capri Zakspeed arches with a big valve head (8 x 13s all round with 225s on the back and 205s on the front - 225s on the front were a tad too large as I recall), Kent VF2 cam and twin 48s. I did have an original snoot ZF box (and linkage that was made by a guy for the UK DSG), but later changed it for a Lotus ZF which had different ratios - I found them far better for street use. I think the first gear gave a bit more acceleration but was a little further spaced from 2nd so not as close ratio overall. I also had a 3.1 LSD back axle that was from a 3ltr Capri - it had been rejigged to fit the Vauxhall. I had a great time with that car. I bought the lower rear springs from a company here (last century), but the fronts just had a coil removed from the existing springs, and reheated the top cut coil to flatten it out (while it was in a bucket of cold water so it didn't effect the rest of the spring). That seemed to work well. There's currently a guy here fixing up a standard 1.3 HC viva and is going through some alternative springs so might be of some use maybe: czcams.com/video/IxiYTlNTgyU/video.html
Thanks for your comment. Sounds like you got into it deep back in the day. I've got some springs back in the front now, we'll see if they pass cert. Also installed new GAZ shocks. Still to spend more than a few minutes behind the wheel to see how I like it. It's quite firm for a road car, but kinda needs to be. I will be posting an update soon, been a little distracted with the 'Vette!
@@lotechshed4346 Looking forward to any updates - I've subscribed to make sure I see them! I remember doing something a little similar to you after I'd rebuilt the engine (big valve head, reground crank, lightened and balanced etc) with the gearbox attached - I test ran the engine just sat on the new front suspension (Ventora big disks and callipers) to make sure the engine worked etc, then unbolted and disconnected the old engine and box and wheeled it all out on the front suspension, then wheeled the rebuilt engineand suspension into the car and connected everything back up - had a couple of mates help to lift the car body up to do it all. Then I drove it home lol. I can't believe the stuff I was doing then - must have been around the mid 80s. Later I ripped it all out to fit a Ford 302 V8 with Cosworth T5 gearbox. I love the vette - I think it's my favourite shaped vette so I'll be catching up on that when I get through the rest of the Firenza content. Hope it passes certification.
@@lotechshed4346 Looking forward to any updates - I've subscribed to make sure I see them! I remember doing something a little similar to you after I'd rebuilt the engine (big valve head, reground crank, lightened and balanced etc) with the gearbox attached - I test ran the engine just sat on the new front suspension (Ventora big disks and callipers) to make sure the engine worked etc, then unbolted and disconnected the old engine and box and wheeled it all out on the front suspension, then wheeled the rebuilt engineand suspension into the car and connected everything back up - had a couple of mates help to lift the car body up to do it all. Then I drove it home lol. I can't believe the stuff I was doing then - must have been around the mid 80s. Later I ripped it all out to fit a Ford 302 V8 with Cosworth T5 gearbox. I love the vette - I think it's my favourite shaped vette so I'll be catching up on that when I get through the rest of the Firenza content. Hope it passes certification.
I was never a fan of the Viva HC back in its day but what you guys are doing with them these days is very tasteful and has made them very stylish. dropping the Lotus engine in is the perfect logical move because that generation of Lotus engine was a development of the Vauxhall slant-4. superb
Thanks for your comment. Yeah the Lotus swap made sense to me too. Toyed with the idea of swapping just the TC head into the Vauxhall block, would have made life easier in some respects, but more difficult in others. Overall though, the reduction in weight over the front wheels won me over.
@@lotechshed4346Did this engine have the Vauxhall cylinder head ‘O’ ring problem ?
@@DMJ52 this engine is all Lotus 912, much improved over the Vauxhall and even the Lotus 907. Doesn't leak a drop of oil.
Wow what two incredible cars , if I had all the money in the world I would not buy a super car,I would try and buy yours, what am I saying they are super cars, my doctor said he thought I needed to up my medication ! however I am not a huge fan of the slant four engine having had a few, one was in a VX490 with a Blydenstien stage three head and other mods also had the reg LVX490X plus later I had a 2600cc single cam HS Chevette one DTV had taken the twin cam engine from and put a 2.6 back as a replacement, both beautiful cars but lacked something, not sure what it was, but they both had a good appetite for petrol! incidentally Colin my dad worked for Frigidaire for years, small world!
Thanks for your comment. You might have an opportunity to buy this car soon...watch this space.
What a shame,I hoped it was gonna be another old Vauxhall.
Enough Vauxhalls already! The 'Vette is pretty special too, update on that coming soon!
I don't know how much has been achieved in 7 months, being new to your channel. Scraping underseal off must only be like scrapping barnacles off a yacht or boat hull. Get plenty of pictures 📸 📷, hope it all goes well. The Firenza looks good, much like the ones in the 🇬🇧 UK. A V8 version was assembled locally in South Africa using the Camaro engine and Muncie gearbox both from the US. Look forward to spotting your Firenza & GT in the near future, take care & happy new year 2023.
Hello, are you struggling to get a coil spring still? I needed new ones for the rear of my 1998 A6 Avant with super sport suspension but they area obsolete. I found a place in Sheffield UK SpringCoil, I sent them the good coil and they made me 2 new ones for about the same price as off the aftermarket cheap shelf. Didn't realise that it is pretty easy to get a clone, you may be able to get some in NZ, but given how long you have waited you could have pushed it to Sheffield by now.. Best of luck..
Nice car, what gearbox is used?
Thanks. It's running a 5spd Toyota W58 and hydraulic clutch, as standard on these engines in the Lotus Excel.
@@lotechshed4346 Thanks.