oldie

Well,I'm not going to put any pics up for a while until I get this thing a bit more sorted! Talk about rust,so far I have had to replace about 80% of the drivers side floor,all out of hand made 1.0mm zinc panel,still have to do about 50% on the passenger side,have to replace both sill panels and a sh#t load more,panel under the battery and chassis frame under the radiator,couple of holes in the frame,also welded a repair section to the lower front guard,an absolute rust bucket,at least then I can get on to proper body work. Also,while I have the sills off I am going to run a length of 50 x 25 x 3 hollow section down the length of the car to try and stiffen it up a little,also because it looks like it has had a cut n shut so think it a good idea to add some more strength. Had to take the side panel van windows out as they were too rusty so will probably fit new hand made flat panels in there but need to find someone with a bead roller locally to give it a bit of profile and added strength,will probably stick them in with sikaflex or similiar.May have to build a custom dash also as the plastics are quite heat distorted and the pad is cracked to buggery and back,so no way it will be original now. What the "F" did I get myself into,a free car,he should of paid me to take it BUT it will get done......

Enjoyed reading your build on this as I just recently picked up a ke26 panel van.Unfortunately rust got the better part of the rear window panels and lots of other stuff as it had been sitting out in a field for 15 yrs so it wont be original but I'm working away at it.Have to do both sills,rear floor drivers side,drivers front seat support etc etc,it had been sitting in the paddock with no glass in the drivers window so all the rain etc just kept going in,anyway,a lot of work ahead.

Adjust your seating position or change the seats again seems the only answer to me! That is of course unless you can change the mounting point to higher up the pillar where there is more clearance.

This comment regards the centre hub has often been made before,especially on this forum but personally I don't believe it to be correct.It is my understanding that the reason for the interference fit of the hub to the wheel centre is that it is the hub that is supposed to bear the weight and stress transfer associated with the wheel operation while the studs are there to hold it in place flat against the drum/disc.If you use a wheel with an oversized centre hole then all the road and operational stress is placed on the wheel studs which are quite able to flex causing stress fatique and/or fracture.Some will say that this is not an issue in daily driving,maybe,maybe not but if you have an option,I know what I would prefer.

Well,this thing is certainly throwing up some surprises,glad I didnt pay for it. Drivers side front and rear floors holed with rust,hole under battery tray,2 holes in chassis rail drivers side in engine bay,sills rusted and its had a cut and shut straight through the middle of the car.Almost got to question whether its worth fixing up really but Ive started the work anyway.Have removed the battery tray,cut out the drivers side sill and repaired the front most section of the sill,the bit with the rounded edge that sits at the bottom behind the rear of the front guard.Biggest surprise was a funnel web spider under the floor mats. Does anyone know,do they make rust repair floor sections for a ke26 or does anyone have a floor section they can cut out of a shell,rear floor drivers side.

especially under the lower radiator support crossmember,rust on bottom rear of front guards will sugest rust also on chassis behind this section of guard,rear wheel guard lips,lower rear quarters etc etc ,as said,go over it really well and take your time as they are pretty prone to rust all over.

Still no pics but I have done a bit,stripped all the front panels of,passenger side is good behind the guards etc but drivers side has some small holes on the round bit down the bottom at the front of the sills,will have to plate them,also hole needs repair under the battery tray and the underside of the lower chassis/radiator support area,the sills will need work too,not rusty but pretty dented.Have also pulled out the 2 rear van window panels,left and right sides,now have to do the bigger ones near the doors,some small repair needed but no holes yet.I could replace these with wagon windows if I could get some or make up replacements of some type,undecided at present but not urgent yet.The guards that I removed,passenger side is good but drivers side rusty and holed at bottom but I see that you can buy NOS guard on ebay so may go that route but at $240 probably better to just fix what I have.Can aslo get a replacement drivers side window for $45 plus free postage from ebay too so another thing to buy..so,really,I guess that for sitting in a paddock for 10 years and being pretty knocked around before that as a mechanics service vehicle its not too bad,maybe!

Ok,so I'm home after a long day on the road with a trailer that was twice as big as it needed to be but you take what you can get at short notice. Have'nt had much of a chance to check it out as it was near dark when I finished unloading it but yes there is rust around all the van windows,rust on the chassis rails in the enginge bay but appears to be only surface so hopefully a good clean up and paint will sort that.Tags say KE26,it starts,it drives and it stops,sort of and clutch is pretty shit but at least it does work so I can move it around.Floors appear good,a number of small dents all over the place but nothing to serious and rear half of the headlining is ripped,door cards are pretty shagged too,dash is not too bad but drivers window is broken and dash pad is stuffed big time so will be looking for the odd part or two,or three.Grille appears good but trim across front of bonnet has lost all its chrome but not rusted.All window rubbers will need replacing but I am going to try and return it to a windowless van,have some ideas in mind,not 100% original but think it will look ok asd I know someone with a bead roller.The seats are due for the tip big time,totally shagged but that suits me as I need something really supportive and confortable. Now,the interesting thing here is that in general the car looks really crook but the engine starts first go,its pretty quiet when running,very little tappet noise if any,at the moment anyway,no smoke and the speedo only reads 60,000 K's so will have to try and do some investigation to see if it is original,a change over or what!Thats all I've got for the moment,will get some pics up in the next day or two so just hang on for a bit,see ya then!

So its getting closer,got a call from the uncle,car has been dragged in from the paddock,fitted with wheels that hold air and he was going to try and see if he could get it started before I get there,was running when it was parked up.Hopefully,will get up there this week then I can drag it home,post some pics and get on with a bit of this and a bit of that,holding my breath until I pull it apart a little to see how bad,or good it is after being in the paddock for a while.However,if anyone has a drivers door window for sale,could they help me out!

you read the post the wrong way round,2.5 carbed,2.1njected

Yeh,I'm keen as to get it home now but not quite sure how I will attack the rust in the window frames yet.Wish the uncle would pull his finger out so I can go get it.It is certainly not pristine by any stretch of the imagination but I don't think it was to bad a deal for free,he was feeling guilty because he sold an old car at his place that was mine,he had forgotten who owned it,I left it there a looooongtime ago and when I rang up about it 2 or so weeks ago he was like, umm,was that yours,I couldn't remember and I sold it!I was a little pissed off.

went to the local bolt shop and bought plugs direct over the counter,approx 15mm depth and hex key heads,got 7 of them because I have 2 heads and only 1 plug.cost me $25 for the seven plugs and a bottle of permatex high temp thread seal cement so we're ready to get busy again.

Thanks guys,blocking on the way,will see if I can get some threaded bolts,cut to length and slot them so I can screw them in,then just use a heap of thread seal or similiar to make sure they don't leak through the thread. Pete.

Funny isnt it how you get rid of one project,say thats the end of it for the moment and then you suddenly have another one about to enter the driveway,almost! Afraid there are no pics yet but went to visit an uncle last week and what does he have sitting in his paddock (literally) but what I believe is a KE26 2 door van,only disappointing thing really is that windows have been added to the side van panels and the fact that they are rusting around the panel edges. I can't really confirm a lot until I get it home but its a 3k 4 spd manual,complete and suppossed to run,was running when parked up many years ago.It does of course have other rust but I don't think it is too bad but obviously have'nt got into it yet.I'm not sure but I assume that they may be a little bit rare as I have'nt found a lot of information on them to date. Plans are very basic,I'm hoping for more of a very clean restoration as far as the eye is concerned but will upgrade the suspension,seating and other interior features.Undecided about the engine at present but it will remain a K series and manual,probably just the usual cam,carb and exhaust as it will have to be drivable and reliable as I do a lot of distance when I hit the road and am looking forward to something a little different to travel in,therefore will have to look into seating to.Other thing is that I can't be bothered with the whole engineering thing a present so will have to look as standard as posible,if possible,time will tell. Anyway,I don't know when its coming home,waiting on confirmation of time to pickup from the uncle but will put pics up when it happens

Hey guys, My problem isnt specifically KE but didnt know where else to ask,hope someone can help. We are fitting a set of extractors to a 2T engine and they will not go back to the head because there are these strange plugs that come out of the head at about 45 degree under each exhaust port and they are interfering with the extractor flange. The one directly under the front port has a small plug in it and is screwed flush with the head,the othe 3 are like a piece of holloe section pipe but threaded inside and out,they extend approx. 10 to 15 mm beyond the face of the head,at 45 degree,it is these 3 that are interfering with the extractors. We removed one to have a look and the was a small bolt reverse fitted into the hole,not screwed in but just sitting there so that when the plug was screwed in it would be jammed up tight against some internal part of the head,blocking the pathway.When these plugs are out there is a passage through into the exhaust port. Am I correct in assuming that these were for some sort of access to drill the head or something. Anyway,if these remain we cannot fit the extractors without grinding the flanges,don't want to do this so they need to go and be changed to like the front one.Has anyone got any advice,can tell me their purpose or can they supply plugs for the other holes,I would need 3. Thanks,Pete

Looks great with the wheels/tyres combination,love it!

Mate,this is so"way cool"!!!! Wonder if you could ever get something like this on the road without all the cage bracing,guess you would need a friendly engineer!

how about some engine bay pics!

Went to have a look see and test drive,couldnt even get into the seat properly to give it a go,I'm 5foot 8inches and 80kg but really broad shoulders so just walked away,not interested in having to change the seats in a brand new car and if I'm not comfortable I'm not interested but apart from that,initial impressions were positive.

Hi,guess it really depends on what you want from the car,if your into road trips,cruising,comfort etc guess Id keep the VL.If you want classic,rusty, noisy,small and often needing work (maybe),then the corolla.Stuff it,keep them both and just enjoy them for what they are!

I thought they were cable operated,have you looked up under the dash behind the selector levers to see if they are cables and then trace their route as they may have come loose from their fixings.I will have a look at my KE70 later and see what I can see.

sticker bombing,yuk! just my opinion of course but it makes it look like a "girly" car,never been a fan,but as I said,its YOUR car!!

Yeh,I was actually reading his posts regarding that last night.Personally I don't think his ever really looked quite right but I know that it wasnt finished,maybe it would have looked better when finished.

I actually like the red 2 door in the photo shop!As you say,its all about the rear window,thats what will make or break it!

Reckon you still need a multimeter-set to DC voltage,low scale up to about 20volt or similiar,make sure you have the leads in the correct plugs for dc operation,start the car and put the meter over the positive and negative terminals of battery,red lead to +,black to - should read about 13.5 to 14 volts dc,if it does then your battery charge circuit is probably ok but you have a faulty circuit for the warning lamp,if it doesnt,then you probably have a faulty battery.This is a very general comment but it should give you somewhere to start looking.Stand to be corrected if anyone disagrees!