History
I first obtained this ute as a HJ premier with the twin head light from end, after it was rear ended whist parked. It was repaired and rebuilt over time by my friend who is no longer with us. I'll never part with the car to me it's a tribute of what he had done and done for me.
I smashed this car a few times and every time I learnt a lesson. The lesson of money and not to predict others on the road. Each time is was told off by my mate but after he repaired it, I noticed it never looked the same. From a twin head light premier front end, It grew to a HQ GTS twin head light front and added the GTS guards too boot.
She stayed as a HQ GTS front for along time, until the paint was all chipped and faded. Maybe my mate must of thought i was ready for and upgrade or something. Maybe it was that I showed him i could keep it in one peace for such a long time and he rewarded me?
So one day out of the blue he drove me to a car yard where we looked at this Statesman, may mate left me looking at car while he went into the office. He came back out and said "Did you want to follow me in this or I'll follow you in yours? Thinking he just got himself a new car i said that I'll follow him in my own car. We got back to his workshop and said "Well how about it?" I told him that i was please he got himself a new car and a WB statesman at that. As i was checking his new car out, i noticed he was chuckling.
"What are you laughing at!" I said to him.
He said "It's for you, were going to upgrade your Ute"
I could not believe it. :Your mad!" I said.
How much do I owe your for this one. Mind you he always did things on the cheap and especially for his mates.
He negotiated with the car yard to buy the Statesman for the cost on what they traded it for so it was god dam cheap. He told them that we were going to wreck it, drive it home and pull it apart. Of course that did not actually happen like that, he had to use it until the rego expired :)
It took at least 1 year or more to build, we striped it down to it's bear bones. Black 2 pack paint was applied to the chassis and he built it up from there.
I would help after work and an weekends mainly cleaning and polishing stuff.
I am so proud of all of his work that we used the ute at his funeral and to ensure he would be around the ute was also used at my wedding.
I am sure as long as I own the ute he'll be around me, as a lot of blood sweat and tears went into this build from both of us.
Modifications
From a 202 HJ Ute with an aluminum tray to a 308 V8 WB Statesman and a custom tray.
Even the seal panel was cut out and replaced so the WB bonnet did not look out of place.
Every hole in the dash mount had to be re drilled to fit the dash and a bracket welded in for the glove box to operate.
We even knocked out the angle on the rear wall and welded a C channel in to create a parcel shelf behind the seats.
The placement of the tire hanger so i could have chevy drop pipes to the custom made exhaust
