Yeah I know all that dude but it's going all back to orig besides orig paint! Still absolutely love it

Fair point!

Quote: Originally Posted by deanoVLCT [View Post] That's fantastic Craig! How did you find out the car was 2 tone and not single solid tuxedo? ---------- Post added 18-03-15 at 20:46 ---------- Plus your going full original, any reason why you went 2pack then and not orig acrylic? I'm still in touch with the original owner and he only had the bumpers done in black when the car was repainted in 1991 or so. He's still looking for a photo for me of when he bought it new. Trying to find good people spraying acrylic these days is next to impossible, most seem to have made the move to 2 pack. It's come up glossy, but with that hint of orange peel left in it almost looks right. Doesn't quite have that soft acrylic lacquer look to it but I'm happy to trade that off for the durability. I'm more worried about the bumpers. One car that did stand out is that Walky #001 in the latest Unique Cars mag. It has the most ridiculous shine to it after it's resto. Very glad I didn't go that way.

Ah ok sweet mate, that's bloody lucky that you can date the car back to 91, my tuxedo calais is solid black and im trying to find out how to know if it was single or solid! Guess I gotta pull carpet too like you did but mines been tampered with aswell! Don't stress about bumpers that's a easy fix! Pm me if you want any of this thread cleaned up! Keep on pumping pics and info out dude!

Quote: Originally Posted by deanoVLCT [View Post] Ah ok sweet mate, that's bloody lucky that you can date the car back to 91, my tuxedo calais is solid black and im trying to find out how to know if it was single or solid! Guess I gotta pull carpet too like you did but mines been tampered with aswell! Don't stress about bumpers that's a easy fix! Pm me if you want any of this thread cleaned up! Keep on pumping pics and info out dude! Shall do. Thanks. I'm hoping the photo will be from March 1987 when Greg first bought the car. I asked him how he came to pick up a black one. He said he was really looking for a blue VL but walked into the showroom and the salesman showed him this one saying that it was a special order that was cancelled and now they were stuck with it. The guy that originally ordered it gave up waiting for Holden to make it. Being a special order colour your bumpers may have been done at the factory, but most look to have been done at dealer level. I've got about 350 build sheets here, spread pretty evenly over all three years of production, and the only time factory painted body coloured bumpers appear on the sheets was very early in 1986. All the others after that just show AST for Asteroid Trim on the Calais. As all Calais were built in Adelaide there should be a good chance of your build sheet being under the carpet. That'll only tell you what it left the factory with though, not what it was sold with. Never easy is it. Some original photos have not been recovered yet.

Mines a September 86! I know it should be under passenger side front carpet yeah? I'd bloody love to know what it should have been!

This is probably one of the best threads on the site. Love it.

Wiring repaired, soldered, heatshrink used and retaped. Same for the boot wiring and door switch wiring. Still a few under the bonnet to tackle. (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/NewVLT/media/2012-051_zpspswiko4m.jpg.html) (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/NewVLT/media/2014-029_zpsj86jdd0m.jpg.html) Some original photos have not been recovered yet.

I still can't believe your attention to detail thus is turning out amazing like the rest of your vls

Quote: Originally Posted by 88wagon [View Post] I still can't believe your attention to detail thus is turning out amazing like the rest of your vls Thanks. I'm probably going a little over the top but I reckon if I do it once and do it right I shouldn't have to touch it again any time soon. Some original photos have not been recovered yet.

Boot carpet was pretty horrible, so I beat out the sand and rubbish that was in it over the clothesline, scraped the underlay off the back, soaked it overnight in NappiSan and then ran it though the washing machine. After it was completely dry I got some similar cotton waste sheet from the auto trimmers and cut to fit... (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/NewVLT/media/2012-232_zpscd0riwjy.jpg.html) (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/NewVLT/media/2012-233_zpsk14jssjy.jpg.html) (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/NewVLT/media/2012-233a_zpspb4ztcnl.jpg.html) Console top was pretty soft, worn and horrible... (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/NewVLT/media/2012-231_zps9fsvvytm.jpg.html) If you happen to have any old Calais lids laying around, unscrew the black plastic plate on the underside, unstaple the Calais fabric and, hey presto, a perfectly formed, untouched vinyl lid underneath... (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/NewVLT/media/2014-049_zpsssq6iozs.jpg.html) It was still a little soft so using the foam injection holes underneath I worked in some foaming polyurethane to firm it all up a bit. Worked a treat. (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/NewVLT/media/2014-051_zps3vuyxfnh.jpg.html) Finished and reassembled... (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/NewVLT/media/2015-033_zpskyhfzzwp.jpg.html) ---------- Post added 26-03-15 at 21:34 ---------- Interior pieces gathered together. All busted, scored, drilled or worn items replaced with what I could find. Colour didn't matter as they were all being painted. (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/NewVLT/media/2015-007_zpszodrw060.jpg.html) The finished result after a good scrub and painted with colour matched SEM vinyl paint. Two colours were used. One for the rear quarter window A-frames and door armrests, and another for everything else. I could have gone for more but I really don't remember anything chronically mismatched standing out when I bought my white car new. Dash pads, steering wheels and especially ashtrays do tend to change colour much more as they age than do the harder plastics. Only items not painted were the seat belts fairings and the front kick panels. They have quite a different look to the harder plastics and the existing ones I had were pretty good. (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/NewVLT/media/2015-008_zps0v6ziro2.jpg.html) New foam added to the rear parcel shelf as the old stuff always turns to dust... (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/NewVLT/media/2015-010_zpsykqw26kx.jpg.html) Even washed and reglued the original speaker cover fabric pieces... (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/NewVLT/media/2015-032_zpsqxi2gpci.jpg.html) Some original photos have not been recovered yet.

Kind of getting bored with all this tedious interior stuff by now so got stuck into fixing a really bad fuel smell this car had always had. Breather hoses were shot... (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/NewVLT/media/2015-014_zpsmjqmtm8o.jpg.html) Now no more fuel smell... (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/NewVLT/media/2015-028_zpsf9n22k1c.jpg.html) While in there I gave it all a bit of a high pressure wash, touched up the underbody sealer where it had fallen off and attached the best of the rear mudflaps I had. Before... (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/NewVLT/media/2015-016_zpsuykgrme2.jpg.html) After... (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/NewVLT/media/2015-023_zpssoys8p1c.jpg.html) ---------- Post added 01-04-15 at 20:55 ---------- Headlining was given a good scrub with some Nifti and a small nail brush... (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/NewVLT/media/2015-042_zpssufeqx2s.jpg.html) All the exterior glass had some weird kind of water shadow left on it (you can see it on the right half of the rear screen). Nothing I tried would shift it, even 0000 grade steel wool. A mate suggested my most vicious Meguiars #1 cutting compound and it worked a treat. No idea what cased it. The marks were exactly the same on each window suggesting maybe some highly chlorinated water from a car wash years ago maybe. Who knows. Another little thing that made a big different when done... (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/NewVLT/media/2015-051_zpsn2u2glqa.jpg.html) An original radio scrubbed up and ready to go in... (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/NewVLT/media/2015-031_zpsqdxh9qyw.jpg.html) New pieces of vinyl cut that fit on the inside rear wheel arches... (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/NewVLT/media/2015-054_zpsaukh8oiw.jpg.html) Seatbelt fairings also given a going over with Meguiars Plast-X... (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/NewVLT/media/2015-061_zpsnos1xtwu.jpg.html) Even the rear seat belt guides got a going over. Air must breathe through these as they were disgusting... (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/NewVLT/media/2015-062_zpsbs8hytqe.jpg.html) And everything back in place... (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/NewVLT/media/2015-064_zps8pjsmwdu.jpg.html) ---------- Post added 01-04-15 at 21:08 ---------- So much perished foam in these things. C-pillars are supposed to have foam inside them. Without this you'll have quite a rushing air sound from inside the car at speed. (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/NewVLT/media/2015-044_zpsaohnmlqe.jpg.html) Also managed to find some original mastic material (like a plasticine sort of stuff) to replace the rock hard original used on these A-frames as an anti-chatter fix. They're the four little strips around the inner edges. You'll also find this stuff on original windscreen trims, sealing the A-frame screw in the boot, around the tail light eyebrow nuts and the rear bumper side trim clips. (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/NewVLT/media/2015-055_zpsbao3mmva.jpg.html) Ever wondered why your exterior door handles rattle or don't quite sit properly? One end of the handle has a stud, the other end has a post where originally a little rubber pad used to be. Like the fuel filler cap, these little rubber pads make the handle sit properly and also stop it rattling. Only took me 20-odd years to work this one out. This is a brand new spare that I have that has my fix attached to it. (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/NewVLT/media/2015-053_zpshlyieheb.jpg.html) Don't bother trying to find any, or remove any at the wreckers. They've usually had it and if they are intact I've never been able to remove them without breaking them. My fix was to rob a bunch of glovebox bumpers from various Commodore models (VB through VS have them at least), cut them in half and gouged out the inside with a Dremel tool. Then I just attached them like above with some windscreen sealant. (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/NewVLT/media/2015-052_zpslidebrxk.jpg.html) Some original photos have not been recovered yet.

Absolutely love this thread.

Attention to detail holy crap!

What was the SEM interior paint called (the color) or was it a custom mixed up at the shop to match a piece you had brought in to show them ?

Quote: Originally Posted by Geniee [View Post] What was the SEM interior paint called (the color) or was it a custom mixed up at the shop to match a piece you had brought in to show them ? It was a custom mix. I took in the pop out panel on the lower right side of the dash for one colour and a rear quarter window A-frame for those and the door armrests. They dot/eye matched it and I went from there. I went with the lowest (ie, out of the sun) panel I could find as the soft plastics at least (main dash pad etc) fade off quite badly. Another car I have with a Sandalwood interior had it's dash pad fade off to a horrible brown/purple sort of colour.

Wow Craig ,I love your work & attention to detail. Good on you Some original photos have not been recovered yet.

Thread needs more updates please.

No worries. I've been trying to get to it this week but Photobucket seems to hate me and keeps jamming up. Let's see how we go tonight... More new foam... (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/NewVLT/media/2015-070_zpsa2rwycgi.jpg.html) ...and yet more new foam needed... (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/NewVLT/media/2015-067_zpsvy3arbyg.jpg.html) (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/NewVLT/media/2015-068_zpsyo8pnvtj.jpg.html) (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/NewVLT/media/2015-071_zpsdvjyeqnl.jpg.html) Back seat in... (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/NewVLT/media/2015-074_zpsye8xptvz.jpg.html) Bonnet grilles polished up with Meguairs Plast-X again. One done and one to do here. Rare Spares does new replacements, but as usual with them, they're crap. The moulds have corroded so you have little raised bits of plastic all over them and they're made in a softer, not quite as black plastic. 3000 cotton buds later I stuck with the originals... (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/NewVLT/media/2015-073_zpsl5ybkbrq.jpg.html) ---------- Post added 02-05-15 at 17:51 ---------- Headlining back in place. Taking a little acrylic mallet and sliding it along the windscreen to bash the attachment strip into the windscreen lacing takes a couple of deep breaths... (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/NewVLT/media/2015-075_zpsqgk7apxh.jpg.html) Boot done... (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/NewVLT/media/2015-076_zpspku18oit.jpg.html) Does the new foam needed never end?!... (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/NewVLT/media/2015-080_zpstlwsxpom.jpg.html) Obviously not... (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/NewVLT/media/2015-090_zpssvrzfanl.jpg.html) NOS clutch and brake rubbers... (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/NewVLT/media/2015-089_zpsbgjvshj3.jpg.html) ---------- Post added 02-05-15 at 17:55 ---------- Not only Rare Spares annoying me these days. Recent NOS gear from Holden hasn't been the best either. Both of these are Holden NOS parts. In their wisdom someone decided that a grey housing would be better than black...so I masked and repainted it. (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/NewVLT/media/2015-093_zpsn9hseane.jpg.html) (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/NewVLT/media/2015-094_zpscaa1vqyc.jpg.html) Door hardware sets ready to go in... (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/NewVLT/media/2015-083_zpsustzjo7v.jpg.html) ---------- Post added 02-05-15 at 18:05 ---------- Doors as they were when trims removed... (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/NewVLT/media/2012-062_zpsyb3shkpi.jpg.html) I've been collecting the earlier style opaque door sheets as they don't shrink like the later clear type that the car had. Strangely the front one were clear, the rear opaque. After a good scrub and all the old sealant scraped and wiped off, it was time for some new non-hardening sealant. The stuff I found is a little softer out of the gun than I would like so I just set the sheets aside for a week or so and after some exposure to the air the sealant hardened to exactly what I wanted... (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/NewVLT/media/2015-066_zpsbtnfciia.jpg.html) ...and still more foam pieces cut to suit... (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/NewVLT/media/2015-085_zpsymym2msa.jpg.html) Ta-da... (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/NewVLT/media/2015-088_zpso4eujwx9.jpg.html) Rear door sheets attached with, yep, more foam pieces. Another type also required, fitting just under the top of the door trim which had also disintegrated... (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/NewVLT/media/2015-084_zpsjwnsk0hf.jpg.html) ---------- Post added 02-05-15 at 18:06 ---------- That about brings me up to date. Painting up some badges and wiper arms as we speak. I might even have it on the road next week. Stay tuned. Some original photos have not been recovered yet.

Bet your looking forward in taking it for a spin. Definitely agreed, in relation to rare spares. If the quality is not there, I'd rather fit a refurbished genuine part. Thanks again for sharing the progress, it gives great insight into restoration.