Newbee's 52 Mainline Ute

[Sly Fox]

Good to see your making progress Newbee, keep the updates coming mate.

[Newbee]

Making some progress on the gear shift mounting, unfortunately my seats are still at the upholsters
so I can't put them in to check the size and height.

Made a small template of the shape I think will work and flow into a centre console.



Folded and rolled this piece the size to accommodate the gear shift.



Drilled and added nut certs.









Rod we won't be in Canada very long, a 7 day Inside Passage cruise and a few days to acclimatize, hopefully
I won't bump into their wonderful PM Justin Castro.

All for now.

Regards Newbee

[Newbee]

Don't know where that time went but it's been a while since posting. I've been doing plenty but I can't see my photos so I'll put up a few new ones.

Decided to re do the gear shift mounting, keep it simple and removable, I'll build a centre console around it when the time comes, this redesigned one will also allow me access to the VSS that would be impossible to get to otherwise.

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Regards Newbee

[Newbee]

I have made a mounting for the accelerator pedal and cable from the donor Fairlane, it fits around the brake cable and lever.
The leaver mechanism was mounted to the firewall with bolts into captive nuts but the cable itself was tech screwed through
the floor, luckily this part of the floor is sound and doesn't need replacing.

I have used Nutserts to mount the bracket and also the cable, alongside this the old steering column/clutch plate is being replaced
with the new one to hold the bottom bearing of the EL steering column, this will be welded in.

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Regards Newbee

[zuffen]

It's all progress and has to be done to take that first drive.

We're looking into the photo issue.

[Newbee]

Thanks Rod, I have copied my build pages, most of the links to the photos are still good (they are not displaying the photos though) but there are a few missing for some unknown reason.

I'll email you some more info.

Regards Newbee

[Sly Fox]

Good to see you're making progress Newbee.

[Newbee]

Some jobs I have done over the last couple of years, but never posted.

Wiper/washer switch with intermittent that came from Newport.

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[Newbee]

This is an original radio, I removed the valve body, the "Black Box" is a Gravel Rash Bluetooth unit that connects to you phone.

I used the original On/Off switch to power it and upgraded the backlights and the Red on light to LED. Also fitted a tacho into the
clock opening.

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[Newbee]

Pulled out the instrument cluster to get the bezel re chromed and to clean it all up, started checking if the gauges would work with
new senders from the 5.0 L Windsor, worked out the temp and oil senders from the Flathead worked in the 5.0 L. (I used a 12v to 6v reducer).

The fuel sender from the XH Ute tank with electric pump made the gauge work backwards, took the whole set up to the instrument guy,
he rewired the sender for the correct ohm range, calibrate them all and put a Volt gauge behind the "Amps" face so that will read + when charging.

I made a new hole & connected a Red LED for the brake fail light, High beam was changed to blue, and I put globe sockets in for the LH & RH
indicators that were already there but never used on Aussie 52 models.

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Regards Newbee

[FRANK BASILE]

Nice work Newbee. Been at it now for some years and persisting. Some nice little bits of innovation going on as well.

[zuffen]

Looks like you also zeroed the speedo. I see you kept it MPH.

Nice touch keeping the radio and adding the BT unit.

Always good to have items ready install on the shelf.

[Gojeep]

Instrument cluster came up a treat.

[Sly Fox]

Sweet looking instrument cluster Newbee, good to see your ticking jobs off the list.

[Newbee]

Time for an update on the Mainline, amazing how life gets in the way of your projects.

Thought I may as well install the Restomod AC/Heater unit, I brought back in a suitcase from the USA last year (saved me $1 K in freight).

They make a RH drive unit that helps with locating pipe work to the passenger side. I purchased a firewall bulkhead but with the Mainline firewall design the front body mounts and the air duct/bonnet hinge take up lots of the space, I ended cutting it in half and sent the AC lines out of the side of the A pillar and the heater hoses out the firewall.

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Regards Newbee