Damaged Vehicle Auction Option

[jcraigau]

Hi all, being a newby and just starting the exciting journey of building my first cobra the two biggest decisions (IMHO) is which kit and what to run in it.

I'm leaning towards RMC here in Perth, they are local and I've been out to meet Kim and it looks like a good operation.

Secondly, I'm looking at a reposessed/damaged HSV/SS vehicle for the running gear. There are several at Pickles this week - must be the wet weather...

Any one have any experience in going down this path. Happy to take advice before throwing my hard earned readies down the drain.

--JC

[paul68]

Hi, I just purchased a donor car from an car auction,try and by the latest model possible and check the chassis and engine numbers match the information supplied when you have purchased the vehicle.Errors have been made as i found out recently.Happy hunting on your chose of kit,looked at the gforce cobra yet?
Paul

[jcraigau]

No I haven't checked out G-Force yet but I found them on the web. They still around? The website has a spinning new for 2004 !!!

Looks like I'll make a trip down to O'Connor to check Rob out...

I'd be interested in hearing how much of a donor car can be canabilised? The obvious stuff like engine and gearbox are a given but how about brakes, diff, suspension components, seats etc?

[stephen low]

To an extent it depends on how hard you want to try and fit the donor items. For example a fellow near me building his 2nd GForce bought an SS ute VY I think, and managed to fit the fuel tank, still half full of fuel too.

He also remodelled the heater outer body with thin walled aluminium, as knowing these cars need a good demisting system. This downsized the box and he fitted it into the passenger footwell. And if you turn his heater on full it just about blows you out of the cabin.

Getting a ute better matches the balance of a cobra so if you use the brake system you are more likely to get better bias. And if you buy a wreck don't get rid of anything you half think might fit until you have properly discounted the part from use in the cobra.

If I was to build again I would buy a whole wreck, it's amazing what parts can be transfered over.

You'll find the RMC and GForce very similar, one is an effective clone of the other, either as a local option would be ok.

Good luck.

[gjkrv8]

Originally Posted by jcraigau

I'd be interested in hearing how much of a donor car can be canabilised? The obvious stuff like engine and gearbox are a given but how about brakes, diff, suspension components, seats etc?

Hi JC, my Classic Revival has quite a few Commodore bits in it, but the chassis was made for this, i.e. VE Diff and lower suspension arms, VZ hubs, LS1 with T56, all just bolted in. No idea on the RMC or G-Force with regards to donor vehicle bolt-ons.

One of the guys over there (Plums I think) used the whole Commodore wiring loom (maybe even including the instrument cluster as well I think), which is a good idea. With this option you can then use the body computers etc and maybe put in ABS etc.

Good hunting

Rgds

Gregg

[jcraigau]

I guess the old adage "suck it and see" will come in to play. Again I'm looking at the chicken and egg scenario. I need to know what donor parts I'm going to have (XR8 vs SS) before knowing how it will affect what I can use in the kit.

It would be interesting to know if the chassis manufacturers are willing to accommodate the suspension mounting points to suit during the build and if that affects the ability to engineer or license such a change.

[stephen low]

Most manufacturers are set up for only a few suspension choices. Drastic changes will cost more money if made after the chassis production stage than during but there may also be some questions on compliance.

RMC and GForce set for Jag gear, Classic Revival uses Jag front I think and Ford BTR rear, Harrisons have a few variables I believe Skyline or Commodore, so your kit choice can dictate these options too.

Unless you can run an AU XR8 donor engine ie windsor, the modular motors are larger and certain kits struggle to accomodate, even if permissable. This why the growth of the Chebby parade for engine options.

There are noises about of ADR repeal in this department though and regressing enough to bring back the venerable 302 (5L) option.

Do plenty of homework before you jump. Catch up with your WA bretheren as to what they believe is currently allowed via WA engineering and your options and choices.

And I did also mean to say my mate also plugged and played with the whole wiring loom, to simplify the wiring phase, though it makes for bulky loom placement. Only thing he couldn't overcome to date is the cruise control, as he went the standard cobra dash look and is missing a warning light or something that activates the CC.

Good luck.

[jcraigau]

I've now found a slection of Jag series 3 suspension parts so the list to be ticked off is shrinking. Looks like there is a bit of work around getting the geometry right and there is no such thing as bolt in and go.

I'm off to the auction tomorrow so we'll see what the prices are like.

[sideshow]

just be carefull of the laws
in nsw i have seen afew guys buy writen off cars at the auctions
by the time they get car running the engine is too old
the last of the ls1s are borederline of being able to be engineneered in nsw
now the laws might be changing but u need to research the laws now and even what they might be in the future

anyway if u use the factory wiring and dash wil make life easier in the end
a pain to strip and neaten at start but u can keep the factory immobiliser as
these are much better than most alarms out there
plus if u use the factory dash its a apin to fit and mould but wiring will be easier
especially with a ford v8 as the ford v8 quad cam has no tacho signal from ecu
the dash works on a canbus system

[AC COB]

I went down this path with my Harrison. Bought a complete VY SS for the engine, 6 speed, wiring harness etc. But for me it's all the little things you don't think of at the time, I also used the fuel pump/sender unit, fuel line connectors, front brake rotors and calipers and as a bonus I was able to sell the leather seats, gauge cluster, exhaust sytem, lowered springs and shocks, rear calipers, LSD diff centre and a few other bits and pieces that people bought when they came around to get something I had advertised. Unfortunately there wasn't a sellable panel left but if you got one that had only some damage you may be able to sell panels too. All up everything that I needed cost me a bit over $3k. Oh, and half a tank of go juice now in the wifes Berlina. The only thing is you have to be prepared to strip all the parts and advertise them. Be careful at Damaged Vehicle Auctions if the car has front end damage suspect to engine condition as they won't often let you start them to see if they run.

[jcraigau]

I avoided the big front impacts where anything was pushed back touching the engine. There were a few rollovers but the the trouble is they had them as repairable writeoffs whereas the statutory writeoffs were a lot cheaper.

Results were;
VX-HSV 5.7 auto $3500
VX-SS 5.7 auto $3400
VY-SS 5.7 man $7000
VZ-SS Ute 5.7 man $8750
VE-SS 6.0L man $16500

So I'll keep an eye out for others that are coming up...

[stephen low]

Not up with the commode series but a manual ute would be the suggested pick.

This gives you time to do more research (talking and drinking) with the local cobra guys for guidance at least.

Cheers

[martrogers]

I bought a Commodore un-reregisterable at auction. Worked a treat.

In NSW you have 3 years to "complete" the build after the build date of the donor car, so get one as recent as poss.

I made the decision to use as much as possible including drive train, rear suspension, fuel tank, steering wheel, CD, all wiring loom and computers, aircon and heater components, even the wiper motor. Modern cars are dominated by their sensors and computers so dont leave anything out unless you know what you're doing.

For an alloy block I was told to check whether the battery has been damaged spilling acid on the ally.

[jcraigau]

Back to the auctions again today with a little more knowledge. There are a lot of vehicles that look OK until you scratch the surface, excure the pun.

I steered clear of anything that had a front on and picked up a very nice VU SS Ute with 5.7L 6 speed. So now the fun begins, with the strip down.

Next stop - pick a kit!

[sideshow]

i guess in wa they dont haver the 3 year rule

im not sur ebut i think 5.7 vz will be illegal at end of the year

but are rumours bout they trying to allow all ls1s not just the 3 year old ones

[jcraigau]

rules, we don't need no stinkin' rules!

[albanycobra]

im not sur ebut i think 5.7 vz will be illegal at end of the year

Nah that motor will be fine in WA, you can still license a Cobra with 302 EFI from an AU falcon. All you need for WA is that the engine is ADR37/01 compliant.

[jcraigau]

They don't call it the wild west for nothing...

[Zedn]

Is there anyone rallying for changes in legislation for ICV's. I have heard that there are rumours about lightening the rules for engines, but this is not going to happen without noise.
Seems to me that a lot of it is interpereted anyway as the majority of ADR's i have read so far specify destructive testing.

Is there a group that makes noise about this stuff either in the hot rod world or kit car world?

[jcraigau]

Without a WIFM the only people to care about this is the ICV crowd. Which is all of us - what percentage of the driving public would that make up?

IMHO the rules are only going to get worse not better as the pollies all go for the next attention grabber. Would noise help or hinder our cause?

I can see it now: "Coming up next on Tomorrow Tonight, deathtraps are being assembled in backyards by unqualified people and are these hoons are flouting the laws of society, do you know of one of these?, send us an email or go to our website..."