Back in the saddle again

[Cosmo Dude]

It's been 2 1/2 years since I had to give up my ol' 'stina (don't ask) and I made a promise to myself that when I was ready I would have another.
Well a few months ago I started looking and despite a few setbacks recently I found the one, a 1994 V6 auto hardtop.
OK it was cheap and the previous owner was a stinky smoker who couldn't reverse but so far a little work has gone a long way, many of the old mods have a new home and some of the old ideas now have a new home.

The biggest differences I've noticed are the extra torque that the V6 offers brings the car up to speed with little fuss and the sweet sound of the V6 at high revs, an open rear muffler is on the cards.


Keep an eye on the readers rides (http://www.astinagt.com/forums/vbgarage.php?do=view&id=156) for progress.

[Melbastina]

Congrats!

[SehnKhan]

What happened to the 2?

BTW, congrats on the Astina purchase.

[chicaboo]

What happened to the 929?

V6 sounds very nice indeed.

[KittyKatSmack]

WooooooooooooooooooooooHoooooooooooooooooooooo

Go Cosmo!!!!

So will you bring the new 'stina to Dorrigo at Easter time?

Hope to see you there and congrats again
*sitting here with HUGE grin on my face*

[Cosmo Dude]

Thanx
Still have the 2, once the body is straight again it will be daily driver.
The 929s were great cars, mine has had its day.
The V6 would enjoy an Easter cruise, I have to convince the fuel tank though (shouldn't be difficult).

[Rupewrecht]

About time you let the cat out of the bag! :)

[chipa]

Nice to see. A few posts recently gave me this idea, good to see I was right!

[boostedbatman]

Well done Rob
Your back on my nice guy list
Im just glad you finally came to your senses and bought a real car :p
will be nice to cruise the burbs with you one day , maybe Easter hey

[mrpayner]

Hey Rod.. glad to hear that you've got the Astina back in the garage.. [albiet a V6!].. Been away for a month so it's pleasing to know that you've bought her.. Looking forawrd to what you do with it! :)

[Cosmo Dude]

The next step is to install the Eibach pro-kit (hopefully on Saturday) and sit the body closer to the road. Then I'll be taking a look at an electrical gremlin in the A/C.

[boostedbatman]

Rod thats a ZE engine by the looks of it or at least the intake manifold but has the Aus delivered front end *strange*
Good stuff anyway
Now dump that thing on its ass :)

[Cosmo Dude]

Rod thats a ZE engine by the looks of it or at least the intake manifold but has the Aus delivered front end *strange*
Good stuff anyway
Now dump that thing on its ass :)
The front has had some cosmetic work. Any tips on identifying a ZE would be nice.

[boostedbatman]

Square runners on the intake manifold oval on the DE
Shine a light down the plug holes and look for a flattop piston
Cams if 'Lantis' ZE should read KF01 not KL01
KF33 ecu
If the top 3 match but ecu doesnt match then you arent using top 1000rpm of rev range due to VRIS activation points and may need to get that rectified, makes a big difference in the top end

[Cosmo Dude]

Intake cam reads KL01:(
Heads read K81O1 and K81A1
Throttlebody is stamped KF33
Distributor is labled KF34

[boostedbatman]

Bugger
thats a shame but I know where my old engine sits and its in peices if down the track you might wish to push the buttons of your engine a bit

[MAztinA 323]

ohh auto :(

[Cosmo Dude]

ohh auto :(
For now.
Once I upgrade to a KL I'll have a use for an auto KF.

[KittyKatSmack]

We all know what Jynx says about auto's........ :p

[Beckie]

ohh auto :(

hey autos aren't ALL bad!!!!!!!!

[bourbon]

hey autos aren't ALL bad!!!!!!!!

sure they are...go manual!

[Beckie]

sure they are...go manual!

but i like my baby the way she is....
well, maybe a few mods to come but no manual conversion... FFS u see how i drive with an auto :p

[Sp33dY]

HI Rod, im Mike... you may me remember me from such cruises as Teamazm where i had a Black Echo. Now driving a 2.4L Mivec MT Lancer wagon .... yet Rupey is fast convincing me to move to the dark side of Mazda 2.0L v6 land. (im bored of the wagon after 6 months and 14k of ownership ...).

Nice find on the sedan :) I respect the auto thing .... ure gettin old, and arthritus may be setting into your left leg / foot :P

[bourbon]

FFS u see how i drive with an auto :p

and you saw how i drove my auto and how long she lasted :p now lets put the same test to you!!! :D

[Beckie]

and you saw how i drove my auto and how long she lasted :p now lets put the same test to you!!! :D

lol fair point fair point...

well i know mine's doing well for now.. ;)

If i ever need to go to manual - i'll be getting a new car..but i'll have to get my manual licence first ;)

[KittyKatSmack]

:O
no manual license
:O

Don't tell Jynx!

I'm sure there are plenty of QLD folks that would be willing to teach you to drive a manual....... ;)

[Beckie]

:O
no manual license
:O

Don't tell Jynx!

I'm sure there are plenty of QLD folks that would be willing to teach you to drive a manual....... ;)

lol yea lots of people want me to go manual... i wanted to go for my manual opens later on this year...
but at the time of getting my licence it was kind of safer for me to go auto until i became more comfortable with cars (and now look at me tehe...comfortable as ever!)

[KittyKatSmack]

LOL!!!

Anyway, back on topic, Cosmo's Astina :)

Can you tell us if you will be bringing it to Dorrigo?
You can stay here with us for a night to break the travelling over 2 days, it's a long way from Melbourne to Dorrigo, and you're south of Melbourne too!!
Are you able to get an extra day off either side of the Easter weekend?
ie/ leave Melbourne on Thursday (although Wed is better) drive to Canberra and stay here with us, then the next day we all go to Dorrigo. And reverse for return trip?
It'd be nice to be able to stay until Monday before driving back with all the other holiday makers around Australia ;)

[Cosmo Dude]

HI Rod, im Mike... you may me remember me from such cruises as Teamazm where i had a Black Echo. Now driving a 2.4L Mivec MT Lancer wagon .... yet Rupey is fast convincing me to move to the dark side of Mazda 2.0L v6 land. (im bored of the wagon after 6 months and 14k of ownership ...).

Nice find on the sedan :) I respect the auto thing .... ure gettin old, and arthritus may be setting into your left leg / foot :P
Yep, I remember you and the Echo.
The V6 has a good singing voice, the auto was a compromise and the osteo-arthritus is in my right hip. The cramped cabin in the Astina is helping the hip :confused: , the 2 is a cavern in comparison.
Hope you can come out to play at Easter.

[Cosmo Dude]

Don't tell Jynx!
Me thinks that Jynx protest too much ;)

[chicaboo]

:O
no manual license
:O

Don't tell Jynx!Beckie's 70kW ATW refutes gay claims! :p

[Nate]

good work cosmo ... good to see you back in the fold ... btw do you have a rear left door window for a hb sedan???

[Cosmo Dude]

good work cosmo ... good to see you back in the fold ... btw do you have a rear left door window for a hb sedan???
HB sedan no. I've only bothered with the 2 door variety.
I do have a complete rust free passengers side rear door for a Datsun P510 with a little cosmetic damage.

[Plutonus]

A bit off topic, see how in your interior on the dash it has all the gears listed downwards in that spot, how come my automatic doesn't have that? Because its a hatch? Just in dark car parks sometimes I can't see what I've put it into.

[chicaboo]

A bit off topic, see how in your interior on the dash it has all the gears listed downwards in that spot, how come my automatic doesn't have that? Because its a hatch? Just in dark car parks sometimes I can't see what I've put it into.One of the perks of having a V6 maybe?

[Cosmo Dude]

It could be a V6 thing or it could be that it's a '94 model. By '96 the courtesy lights in the doors had disappeared as well as some other small things had gone by the wayside.
Personally I'm not a fan and will be removing the bulb from behind the 'D' when I can be bothered pulling the dash apart.

[Plutonus]

Mines a '95 model. That's odd... I have the... oval?? shape there, just nothing in it. Completely black.

[Cosmo Dude]

Well today the Eibach springs, Whiteline rear swaybar and the new A/C compressor went in. I wasn't expecting to replace the compressor so that blew the budget out so much that it still needs to be gassed, all the shocks are stuffed and as it's a BA the 30mm lower makes doesn't make much difference visualy.
Oh well, money is for spending, the A/C will be gassed before the Dorrigo trip and maybe the Climate System as well.

[Rupewrecht]

Well there might be a set of konis coming up for sale soon so talk to me before you buy anything.

[boostedbatman]

what do you mean might be they wont be any use to you anymore mr D

[Rupewrecht]

maybe, maybe not.