A While ago I posted a progress report of my VL Calais Turbo in the South Australian section but thought id would put up its journey so far in here for everyone to see. I purchesed the car off of its original owner about 5-6 years ago ago it was absolutely stock apart from the 17" wheels, steering wheel, turbo timer and boost gauge. Although it was tidy it wasn't up to my picky standards but I was studying and only working part time at the time so it stayed they way I bought it for the first year or so I had it. I then got a 3" exhaust from turbo back, a hiflow t3 turbo, intercooler kit and upped the boost to 12psi and it made a reasonable 170rwkw through the auto where the injectors stared maxing out. Not long after making these modifications I was defected for the steering wheel, BOV and turbo timer at a "random vehicle checking station" so was forced to take the car for a trip through Regency. So I put the stock steering wheel back on, took the BOV off and removed the turbo timer and took it down for an inspection. When I took the car in for the inspection I returned with a long list of other things that needed doing to get the car roadworthy, the worst being getting the minimal rust under the front and rear windscreens repaired. I got a few quotes to get the rust fixed but ended up deciding to spend a bit extra and get the whole outside of the car resprayed. This is how the car looked the day I took it down to the paint shop. After a couple of months the paint shop gave me a call and told me it was all ready so I went down and picked the freshly painted car up and was quite happy with the job they had done. I then fixed the remainder of the odds and ends to get the car roadworthy and the car then cleared the defect on the second inspection with flying colours. Now with a fresh paint job I was fairly content with the car except I now wanted the "Go to match the show" so started saving my pennys for some engine mods. I eventually decided on a himount with a t3/t4 turbo, haltech e6x, forward facing n/a plenum with xf throttlebody, some rx7 injectors on a custom rail and a few other bits and pieces. After fitting all of the modifications and getting the trans rebuilt and fitting an LSD I took it down to my tuner and it made 215rwkw on 13psi. Not long after that was done I was sick of the 17's and a set of 18" CV8Z rims came up off a mate for a good price so I decided to buy and fit them. I was content with for a few weeks but then when on my way home from work one day got pulled into a breatho where I was defected once again but for a long list of things this time. This time it was going to be a lot of work to get it to a position where it would pass the defect so decieded it would be easier to pull the motor out and drop in an n/a to get the defect cleared. So I bought a cheap n/a motor and dropped it in one weekend along with putting a smaller exhaust on it and taking the 18's off and putting on a set of chasers. It cleared the defect on its first inspection and thought whilst the motor was out I would get the engine bay smoothed and repainted so it was off to the paint shop again. This time whilst it was at the paint shop there was a few problems and as I was getting it done mates rates the time frame blew out and it took nearly 2 years until I got the car back. In that time I had a long time to think about what I was going to do to the car and the budget for it ended up blowing way out as I got more and more carried away with what I wanted. Once I had the car back home I removed the K frame and steering rack and took them down to get powdercoated black and refitted them. I then dropped in the motor which I had assembled on a stand. When I had done this I decided to start fitting the suspension and brakes to the front and rear of the car so it would no longer handle like a VL and the brake pedal would be nice and firm. I decieded on... -Whiteline swaybars -Adjustable radius rods, -New front control arms -Adjustable panhard rod -New rear lower control arms -Adjustable rear upper control arms -Koni adjustable rear shocks with adjustable spring seats -Adjustable coilovers in the front with Koni adjustable inserts -Adjustable strut tops -Strut brace After all this was fitting I moved back onto dressing up and finish working on the engine bay. The goodies under there consisted of... -garrett GT 30/40 turbo -ETM himount manifold and dump pipe -48mm Turbosmart progate -3" Stainless exhaust turbo back -CPC plenum -80mm throttlebody -590cc bosch injectors with custom rail -Sard fuel regulator -Surge tank with 044 and 040 internal pump -Aussie desert cooler radiator with twin thermo fans -Haltech E6X -ICE leads, coil, and ignition system -Replacedment alloy power steering, overflow and catchcan -Braided lines and alloy dress pieces throughout -Oversized solid fuel lines under the car and hidden solid brake lines -Trans and Oil coolers -All wiring hidden and fusebox in glovebox by Stef from 12Volt Customs -Chrome alternator and new starter and power steering pump I then proceeded to refit the guards, nosecone, bonnet, bumper and all other bits of bodywork I had removed and finished the outside off with a set of 19" VY GTS rims. Unfortunately I had a working holiday organised in the UK and that was as far as I got before I left and am still here now. Whilst I am gone all of the fabrication work is getting finished off such as cooler pipes and all the little finishing off odds and ends so when I return I can finish putting the interior back in or get a custom interior made for it. Im considering a cream leather interior with some VX coulson seats front and rear trimmed to match. Stef also made my gauges cluster and gauge pod for me before I left which will be added to the interior. Some original photos have not been recovered yet.

nice write up man and awesome Calais top stuff.

awesome detailed write up mate, cant believe u waited 2 years just to have an engine bay painted!! even if was mates rates.. looks like the wait has all paid off now..

I remember seeing this getting defected on the port river expressway a few years back! It has come a long way since then, very well done! I say if You do decide to do a custom trim, keep it grey. Some original photos have not been recovered yet.

insane love dash man. would like to know how much that set you back. :P keep it up good as Some original photos have not been recovered yet.

Quote: Originally Posted by TUXEDO [View Post] I remember seeing this getting defected on the port river expressway a few years back! It has come a long way since then, very well done! I say if You do decide to do a custom trim, keep it grey. agreed, if ur goin to do a coulsen setup do it like gas 747's old setup, looked freakn amazing Some original photos have not been recovered yet.

vlwagz - cheers mate, must say I love your wagon. leb vlt - Yer it was a long process for a few reasons, but in the end may be a blessing in disguise as it has meant ive been able to save whilst its been there and do everything properly all at once. TUXEDO - That was pretty much the last time I drove the car, that was a redefect as they stuffed up the paperwork for the defect a month or so prior (wrote the wrong plate number down) so I took the sticker off as it wasnt defected according to motor reg when I called them. Unfortunately caught up with me eventually though Still not totally decided on the trim, its currently series 2 blue but ive got 6-12 months to think about it while im overseas. SELO XST 045 - I purchased all of the cobalt gauges about ($2000 for all 9) and then sent them to 12 Volt Customs off the forums (in the advertiser section) and he supplied the backing plate and wired them all in with indicators etc so its a direct plug and play for $585 Some original photos have not been recovered yet.

love the effort into handling before power... wish i had done that! how does it handle/pull up? i'm most interested in the brakes, the 1 and 1/4 brake master big enough for 4 pots all round? and you put bigger lines throughout yeah?

Quote: Originally Posted by TheChad [View Post] love the effort into handling before power... wish i had done that! how does it handle/pull up? i'm most interested in the brakes, the 1 and 1/4 brake master big enough for 4 pots all round? and you put bigger lines throughout yeah? Havnt driven it yet man, wasnt quite finished before I left to go overseas for 12 months but should be close when I get back as the cooler pipes are being made while im gone aswell as a lot of the odds and sods. The 4 spots are off of a VX GTS and so is the master cylinder so it should be fine I reckon... brake lines are all new and slightly bigger than the factory VL lines. Should still make 280ish rwkw but yer wanted to not only focus on power but on handling and stopping aswell as I want it to go round corners quick aswell as in a straight line and also in case one day if I decide to try and get it engineered.

So much detail. Awesome looking rig mate. Keen to see this finished. Just hope it wasn't in a shed where Thoses pics were taken cos that's an empty block now lol

Quote: Originally Posted by XCHASE [View Post] So much detail. Awesome looking rig mate. Keen to see this finished. Just hope it wasn't in a shed where Rhodes pics were taken cos that's an empty block now lol Cheers mate... will hopefully have it finished and out cruising early in the new year I reckon. Nah I was only renting there for 6 months and moved it before I left to come overseas so it wasn't left in the shed lol

Bit of an update... I got it back from BTR Performance on Friday where the cooler pipes were made, a few bits for the exhaust were made (I lost them), window washer bottle was made, 3/8" bundy fuel lines made, Quiksilver B&M fitted under the console and a few other brackets and bits and pieces were also made there. Hopefully only a couple of months away from being finished now. Just gotta pull the dash and interior back out of it and drill a hole in the fire wall and run all the wiring properly. Also need to get bundy brake lines made up as well as braided lines for the HSV calipers, get the speedo sender wired in and shifter tweaked and adjusted. Needs to also go to a suspension place and get all that set up and just lots of over all finishing off things. Cooler Piping Exhaust Bundy Fuel Lines Washer Bottle Shifter Some original photos have not been recovered yet.

Nice work. Lots of attention to detail. Is this gonna be a static show pony? Or You gonna enter nats events with it too?

awsome build mate.

Quote: Originally Posted by TUXEDO [View Post] Nice work. Lots of attention to detail. Is this gonna be a static show pony? Or You gonna enter nats events with it too? Don't know if it is up to standard for shows or nats but I guess time will tell. I will be solely happy just to drive it for the first time in close to 5 years. It will just be a bit of a weekend cruiser to start with and if it sees to much unwanted attention I may rip out the auto and put in an R33 box and use it as a track car

any updates? im doing track days atm heap of fun were did u get the oil re locator/ cooler kit from?

Quote: Originally Posted by group3t [View Post] any updates? im doing track days atm heap of fun were did u get the oil re locator/ cooler kit from? The only update at the moment is I ripped all the dash, seats and carpet out and ran the modified engine and body looms on the weekend that 12 Volt Customs did for me before I left for overseas. I will take some photos later on in the week. Also on the weekend while the carpet and seats are out I ran the speaker/tweeter wires and rcas to the back of the car from the centre of the dash. Cant remember where I picked the oil relocater/cooler kit from. Got it before I went overseas over a year ago.

Awesome car and really good writeup!

Quote: Originally Posted by Sin [View Post] Awesome car and really good writeup! Thanks mate, a few more updates... most of the wiring is all run and all electrical accessories mounted and wired in etc. Just waiting on a new yellow top optima battery so I can test all the accessories work such as stereo, turbo timer, gauges etc. Aircraft style quick release plug so you can twist and release with the engine loom still attached Silicon board fuse box relocated to glovebox and Haltech mounted in factory ECU position. IC&E Ignition gear mounted up under the dash where the jeater core usually mounts. Base plate I made under the dash behind where the centre console meets it for map sensors etc. RCA's, speaker wire for stereo, fuel pump wire, alarm wire for boot etc neatly cable tied and screwed into position Some original photos have not been recovered yet.

u animal