Outer Limits 4x4 Board

G'day all,

I have been searching around for some details on turning a kingswood into a 4x4. Having looked at most of the internet stuff I couls, it would appear that nearly all have been done on toyota leaf sprung chasis.

Does anyone know of, or tried, shucking a Kingswood onto a patrol chasis?

I am familliar with the work Overlander did way back when, but not too much info on the coiled chasis.

Cheers,
GFN

No one had done it to Kingswoods since the let 70's to early 80's & all were done on Criser chassis.

The odd vehicle pops up occaisionaly, I remember a Commodore & Val (on Patrol chassis I think) & a Corolla on a Zook chassis.

Why wouldnt you use a later model body like a Commodore? Everything works better than an old Kingy.

I am going to travel around Australia and document the entire trip using pen, plate, motion picture! Essentially I want a vehicle that is different and will spark conversation - an ice breaker if you will. There is just something absolute about a kingswood. Pre commodore (or common whore as it is aptly reffered to) Australia was know as Kingswood country. There was a show about it - in facte, titled. And, indeed, Overlander made their 4x4 Kingswoods on the basis of Australia being Kingswood Country.

The idea is to travel Australia the way it wants to be travelled: By Kingswood. However, some of the best places in Oz are only accesible via 4x4, and it just wouldn't be right hiring one or going on a paid tour.

At them moment this is only a dream, at least 10 to 15 years away. In essence, it shall be a planned mid life crisis!

Here's to the Kingswood country,
GFN

OK,that is cool.

Why dont you look out for one already converted.

I posted one on a couple of months back with a supercharged Chev in it on Ebay.

I saw a panelvan at the Queenbean 4WD show year before last so they are still about, like the XY 4x4.

I don't think there is merrit enough driving around Australia in the midst of your midlife crisis in someone else's handy work. It must be your blood, sweat and hard hearned dollars sunk into something akin to a masterful artwork that will renturn almost nothing near what it was worth if it were to be sold. Appreciation is something heightened by achieving something, as much as you can, on your own, or part of an intimate team.

Might sound a tad whimsical and perhaps soppy, but, after all, it is a dream!

GFN

mkpatrol wrote:OK,that is cool.

Why dont you look out for one already converted.

I posted one on a couple of months back with a supercharged Chev in it on Ebay.

I saw a panelvan at the Queenbean 4WD show year before last so they are still about, like the XY 4x4.

im kicking myself because i missed out on a overlander hq panelvan a few years back for 1500$ :(

jessie928 wrote:

mkpatrol wrote:OK,that is cool.

Why dont you look out for one already converted.

I posted one on a couple of months back with a supercharged Chev in it on Ebay.

I saw a panelvan at the Queenbean 4WD show year before last so they are still about, like the XY 4x4.

im kicking myself because i missed out on a overlander hq panelvan a few years back for 1500$ :(

I would to, fark thats cheap, even if it needed heaps of work.

As good as it gets....



http://www.exploroz.com/Trader/Vehicles.aspx?id=9192


http://www.exploroz.com/Uploads/Trader/ ... 0.jpg?8346

I tell a lie in my OP, Overlander didnt put them all on a Cruiser chassis, some also kept the original chassis and they added leaf springs to the front & dana diffs.

Some pics here Guy for some ideas:

http://australianmusclecarsales.com.au/ ... iew/102598

What bout the SWEEEEEEEEEEETTTTTTTTTTT blue one in Outback Challenge few yrs ago, on rangie chassis from memory

was rolled and fucked up after the event on the way home if memory serves me correct...

this was on ebay a while ago
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Holden-HQ-HZ-HX- ... 2|294%3A50

Guy From Nowhere wrote:G'day all,

I have been searching around for some details on turning a kingswood into a 4x4. Having looked at most of the internet stuff I couls, it would appear that nearly all have been done on toyota leaf sprung chasis.

Does anyone know of, or tried, shucking a Kingswood onto a patrol chasis?

I am familliar with the work Overlander did way back when, but not too much info on the coiled chasis.

Cheers,
GFN

you know what woudl turn heads?

an early porsche 928 on a SWB GQ chassis

Jes

A mate sold one 18mths back for about $500. (at least I think it sold)

UGLY, but legal and running.

I'll check with him.

Why not put good offroad tyres on a stock Kingy, and decent set of springs and shocks. I bet you'll be amazed at where it will go if you can keep the weight down (may not be feasible for a round Au trip)

I know where we have taken them - and plenty were "4wd only" signed tracks.

Paul

After Hayward stopped building the overlanders a crowd called Molecraft engineering i think in WA starting doing them in about mid /late 80's, i had some brochures from them i got in 1988 as i wanted to convert a HZ wagon.
Their conversions kept the front subframe adapting them to leaf springs and fitting a subframe to the rear, no cruiser/patrol chassis's were ever used. A good candidate would be a GQ chassis and running gear with a marks 5ltr /T400/T700 to GQ t/c adapter kit.

there's a bloke up maryborough way who has been putting commodores on gq chassis, all mod plated/legal. they looked very cool. he might be able to help
i don't have a contact 4 him(i met him at the toowoomba swap meet)


cheers steve

A company in Perth " Molecraft" used to do the conversions, probably still does, they used Dana front axle and transfer and had a fabricated front subframe/ K frame that provided mounts for leaf springs.
This allowed a easy conversion to the non chassied holdens ie: not the 1 tonners.
The sweetest one i seen was a late 60's valiant safari wagon on a rangie chassis and there's a VH commodore on the same that gets around here too.

jessie928 wrote:
im kicking myself because i missed out on a overlander hq panelvan a few years back for 1500$ :(

If it was a HQ it wasn't a genuine Overlander. It must have been a rebody or a copy..
Overlanders started with HJ..

me3@neuralfibre.com wrote:Why not put good offroad tyres on a stock Kingy, and decent set of springs and shocks. I bet you'll be amazed at where it will go if you can keep the weight down (may not be feasible for a round Au trip)

couldnt agree more... we went some nuts places in old HTs yrs ago, before everyone had 4wds...

me3@neuralfibre.com wrote:
Why not put good offroad tyres on a stock Kingy, and decent set of springs and shocks. I bet you'll be amazed at where it will go if you can keep the weight down (may not be feasible for a round Au trip)

I know where we have taken them - and plenty were "4wd only" signed tracks.

Paul

My thoughts too. You could go to detroit locker type diff, they are available for Q/J/X/Z or even modify Cruiser/Patrol diff to fit and shove an on demand (arb?) locker of some sort in it. Go +2" springs/shocks all round and a bit more tyre. Bullbar with electric winch and some undercar protection. If you really want to go crazy, shove a diesel in of your choice, tho Toy/Nis would probably be best for availability. Now that would get heads turnin'.

Would go a fair few places especially if you run lowish diff gearing and a 6 speed out of later model Commodore, 5th and 6th are both actually overdriven. PM me if you want more info, I have some of the bits required.

This is a GQ with a Holden wagon body grafted on. I haven't got any finished pics but it is fully engineered in Vic and on the road.
Details
Holden 308 V8
Nissan GQ chassis and running gear
on gas
I think he may be running 35's

Did I see that parked in Barry St Bayswater for a while..?

Guy From Nowhere wrote:Does anyone know of, or tried, shucking a Kingswood onto a patrol chasis?

A fairly easy conversion as long as the wheelbase of the chassis and body are reasonably close to start with.

The resulting vehicle will be registered as a Patrol, as the chassis defines what the vehicle is. If the chassis is newer than the body, the whole vehicle has to come up to the ADRs applicable to the year of the chassis. If the body is newer than the chassis, the body has to meet its original rules and the chassis has to meet its original rules. The engine has to meet the year of chassis rules or year of engine rules, whichever is newer.

To keep up with pollution requirements, you should fit a later model engine, hmm the Chev 572 big block comes to mind...

PJ.zook wrote:To keep up with pollution requirements, you should fit a later model engine, hmm the Chev 572 big block comes to mind...

Perfect for an Oz-wide tour of the outback, provided you have enough jerry cans.

The Kingswood....YOUR NOT taking the Kingswood......Ive just ironed the mudflaps.

Mate
GO FOR IT!!

mid life crisis is what life is about!

Build the thing and I hope ya can tell the grand kids about the trip!

For gods sake Im thinking about do the OZ trip in a Stocko Sierra!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PJ.zook wrote:To keep up with pollution requirements, you should fit a later model engine, hmm the Chev 572 big block comes to mind...

I think it has to match whichever is the newer , chassis or body ? So an 88-92 carby GQ chassis can have a carby V8.

scuba steve 22 wrote:there's a bloke up maryborough way who has been putting commodores on gq chassis, all mod plated/legal. they looked very cool. he might be able to help
i don't have a contact 4 him(i met him at the toowoomba swap meet)


cheers steve

Lyn Houston is his name. He lives in Granville Maryborough, Has done a few, with his first one was a Kingswood wagon on a 55 series chassis with a v6 auto, then VN wagon on Hilux chassis, then VS Commodore dual cab on Patrol chassis running supercharged V6 auto and then VS xtra cab running a 5 litre manual on GQ chassis.

I like the idea. I think you should stick with "legendary" components, so the Kingswood gets a tick, but I'm not sure a GQ chassis would have the same "cred" as a LandCruiser chassis.

If you're serious about the touring I believe Diesel is the only way to go. However, a 308 with TH400 would probably fit the theme a little better.

Or make it a real bitsa? HZ Kingswood body, GQ chassis & LS3?

If you go out to outback communities they all drive commo's and that out there anyways as the tracks aren't really that bad and petrol isn't hard to come by as everyone makes out. A mate of mine had VH commo he got for $400 and we couldn't break anything doing jumps and rally driving down really rough 4wd tracks(even sucked in large amounts of water doing river crossings and bog holes and it just wouldn't die). Also the Great central road we did recently had old holden/falcon/commo wrecks every 500m so there is a huge amount of spares out there! I'd stick with a standard kingswood with a 253/308 and rear difflock of some description and you'd be set!