Hi People I'm new on this Forum
Its been a long time since my checked Avenger days .
It Started when I was 17 yeas old ( that was last century) An older friend had an avenger with a 3 ltr Ford Essex and 4 speed dropped into it.
Back in the day before certification was required. All that required was a basic W.O.F usually purchased from a guy at the pub who had a book of tickets in his top pocket for $20.00 (Before the system was computerized) OH.... simpler times !!
Unfortunately his Avenger meet an untimely demise (from memory he rear ended someone or something) Probably due to the big cast Iron Lump of Ford V6 and standard Avenger disk brakes.
For Some reason I loved the idea of this Hybrid deathtrap 8) so I purchased the wreck off him for around $600. then purchased a body shell off a local Wrecker. I was 17 straight out of school had no skills or tools and My Dad banned me from bringing the car home once he found out about it !
The transmission tunnel had been cut and enlarged to fit the Zephyr 4 Speed and a strengthening hoop and new G/B cross member had been fabricated. So I cut the modified Tunnel out of the wreck using a small Angle grinder. I cut out the tunnel of my new shell and tacked it in using some self tappers.
Luckily for me I had a friend who had fabricated a new firewall and tunnel for his HB Viva 202 Holden/Toyota 5 Speed conversion (that was a burn out machine :D ) he had a Mig welder so he managed to Fab up a pretty good looking Trans tunnel and I dropped the V6 on the Avenger cross member using RX7 rubber mounts. Then the fun started ! Like getting booked for doing 97ks in a 50 Zone ! With a spare diff in the garage I decided to see how much punishment the standard avenger Diff could handle. Burnouts claimed 2 Standard Avenger Diffs. I managed to find a shortened MK3 Zepher diff at a wrecking yard for $150 and by this time Dad had come around so he helped me chop the Avenger bottom arm brackets off and he got some 1 in thick plate profile cut for top arm mounts and welded them on. The old girl went like trooper in a straight line with that toquey Ford V6, loved climbing hills
But due to shortage of knowledge, money and common sense the biggest weakness was the standard braking system ! after about 3 hard stops the brake fade was so bad applying the brake pedal was futile. The first time I experienced the share horror of a non existent brake pedal was racing my friend in his Mk1 1300 GT Escort though town one Friday night. He raced through an Orange light, it was Red by the time I got there and I sailed right through, all my force on the middle pedal had no impact at all on the speed of my little Avenger rocketing straight though the intersection. Time for a set of Metal Kings ! the end result wasn't much better. That particular incarnation Finally meet its match one Sunday night on a very high speed sweeping corner. Being Young (stupid) and not very experienced I realized on the Apex I was caring way to much speed and like a boss I hit the anchors, the big Zephyr drum brakes locked up the rear end and it spun off the road backwards into a pump house. End of that particular incarnation and the end of my licence for 18 months. This gave me time to take stock of my life while I spent the next year and 1/2 push-biking to work. V6 Avenger Mk3 was a tidy rust free shell (again from a local wrecker) By this time my welding and painting skills where improving to the point I actually had a tidy and presentable car. In an act of self preservation I sold the little hot rod to a work mate. Who promptly drove it backwards through a neighboring shop window. Trying to show off his high speed reversing skills. Who knows if that car still exists today ?
Now I'm on the look out for a tidy Avenger to restore to original Condition..(well maybe with a few performance tweaks...lol)
Funny how the older you get somethings still remain the same.
I've thought about an SR20 conversion ....Hang on hand me that gas torch.....
Incidentally the friend with the Holden/Toyota powered HB Viva now owns a couple mint original HB Vivas.......
Old School :)
LOL / not lol at parts & yeah I started @ 17 too also last century hah into avenger/s
Welcome!
I started at around 17 also, which was last century :)
Avengers with big engines are fun. I have a 4ltr Toyota 1UZ V8 in my avenger wagon :) I have some good wilwood brakes on it though.
I have a friend who is selling one of his Avengers, I'll give him a text tomorrow and see if I can get some photos of it. What part of the country are you from?
Me too - 17 seems to be a common age!! Although I'm only 20 now but that's beside the point
Welcome to the forum!
Quote from: avenga on October 31, 2018, 01:19:07 AM
I started at around 17 also, which was last century :)
Avengers with big engines are fun. I have a 4ltr Toyota 1UZ V8 in my avenger wagon :) I have some good wilwood brakes on it though.
I have a friend who is selling one of his Avengers, I'll give him a text tomorrow and see if I can get some photos of it. What part of the country are you from?
Oh I was checking out your build last night. You've put a lot into that machine. .
Very cool. I'm in chch hopefully Ill be doing a deal on 3 cars in the next few days .one good one genuine 40,000ks Auto GLS and two rusty parts cars.. fingers crossed
so only once around the clock then :P My Auto GLS ticked over last year hah!