Froze my ass off all weekend, Saturday was 19 and I took the Ford to work. I just got in with it, went food shopping and its 24. Took my Ford over to my friend's shop and swapped out the mufflers, much better now to drive around.
I'm happy, the Steelback shell is in the center of the basement work area, and I have enough room to walk around it. Time to fit the cowl sheetmetal. Bob
I didn't do any car stuff today, this weather is starting to get me into a funk. Normally, we are getting excited and ramping up for the car season about now, when it snows 3" on a Sunday morning and follows that with slush and freezing rain all day, it may as well be a million years away. This crap is really starting to get me down...
Extension cord to run the lights, there is a pull chain on the one over the Roadster table. I started the day thinking about wiring the projects, and it took the better part of the day to block out the thought and get happy again. Bob
2 Saturdays ago it was 68 and I worked on the car out on the driveway. We had 2 weeks of + 55 weather going, like it was waiting for me to sort the car out and then take a shit and drop 45 degrees overnight. Lucky we had the 2 storms of 8" and 12" and more predicted for next Sunday, 1-3". Getting to me too and the locals are getting antsy, I see a lot of cars out even on cold days. I've been driving my Ford almost every day now and had it out all weekend. As long as the roads are dry and the salt is washed off.
I started working on the new project,I removed the seat and used up my allotment of foul words for this year,it seem that Ron must have stock in a metric nut and bolt company,several different sizes and a couple of standard sizes. I still need to make new brackets for the seat but I sis make a new off set mount for the brake pedal. The Texas tag is larger than the S.C. so I had to re-position it I figured out how to mount the tag on the spreader bar,lined it up,marked it,found the correct tap & drill bit and grabbed my drill and battery...the battery was deader than disco,both of them! I'm gonna buy a corded drill today and finish that small project. So some things were accomplished others will have to wait.HRP
We have had the worst winter I can ever remember in my 56 years. It was so bad, it was the kind of winter Americans THINK Canadian winters are like!
When we bought this place 8 years ago, I planted a rosemary bust in the front yard, its HUGE now. Normally, I would be able to go outside and get fresh rosemary for seasoning the Christmas bird. This year it DIED. Normally, it doesn't even stop growing!
The way people drive we took our lives in our own hands early yesterday morning and damn near got ran over,it's not worth me or Brenda getting hurt. HRP
I have a cat that forecasts how bad our winters will be. She has sort of a coarse coat on her, almost a brindle in texture. If the fur on her back darkens up and gets more coarse, we're in for a bad winter. This season its on the light side and not thickened up, we're having a relatively mild winter. We have had no extended cold snap until a week ago Sunday. A couple of isolated days here and there.
Wife Joey helped me uncrate the Harbor Freight 'Dust Separator' and engineer its mounting in the shop. This machine ordinarily hangs on a bead blast cabinet, but my cabinet is 40" wide...This separator is 32" high, weighs 40 lbs. and hangs on two saddle brackets. Wife's slender frame and catlike agility made quick work of installation, so today I get to blast my nice '28 Model A front crossmember, hang it in my '32 rails which are under my 'glass '27 roadster body. Roadster body will go on my '28 Chevy rails, and the steel '27 tub lifted onto the Deuce frame. Tub's been sitting on a '30 'A' frame, would be 'justified' with a 'banger... .040" over 59AB is ready to assemble, nice '39 box, '40 rear. Finally, I can bead blast this wonderful stuff!
Our Rat terrier grows coats like that, normally...even here in California! Last October, she fooled us...but redeemed herself coming back thru the fence with the neighbor's old faux-Mink stoll! We were glad for the warning...
Well, the flathead is done (59AB 3 5/16 x 4") waiting on paint, transmission is done, waiting on the same paint. RePurposed an old engine stand that came with some motor I bought to do my banjo rearend, worked mint so I got the 3.54 gear set swapped in and it's together, waiting on paint (there's a patter here I'm starting to see) Front end is mocked up, need to do the rear crossmember and kickup next. Cliff Ramsdell
Looking good Cliff and a great alternate use for the engine stand. Will tuck that one away for future use! Have been stalled on my avatar AV8 due to current lack of funds and although I have had a set of useable front fenders (which, if used, would finally finish my sixteen year marathon mock-up) I have been hesitant to use them due to the many corrective surgeries they need to restore them. So last weekend, I finally kicked myself in the ass and said, "Get on with it you dumb shit! Nothing you can't handle and you can't afford new ones anyway!". So I bundled up and took one out to the backyard and went at it with my mini grinder and wire wheel cup brush. Then came enough mounting flange straightening to be able to test mount it and "VIOLA!!!" After all the repairs to this one, it's on to the driver's side: Regards, Dave.
Dave, Good to hear from you, it's been a few years. You helped me with a few things like the F1 crossmember, worked out great. We put a few thousand miles on the car and blew it apart this winter to make some changes and improvements and I'm moving right along, hoping to get paint on it this time. Good looking car and glad your getting some things done. Cliff Ramsdell
Right on Cliff! Glad I could help you out and that you've been able to get her done and put some miles on her! Thanks and yes, I'm slowly getting there. Repair and fit the fenders, hood shelves and two additional front bumper irons and I can pretty much blow it apart and finish weld, paint and reassemble. And get the machining done on the engine and put it together. Good luck with your changes, improvements and paint! Regards, Dave.
No plans this weekend, time change Sunday so we get more sunshine to work in. Nice to know the digital clock in my daily driver will be on time until the change in the fall. Bob
Worked on getting 1960 Pontiac back together- parts finally in paint- couldn't get the big heater to stay lit- It was 20 degrees but I decided to worke out there- had a couple smaller propane heaters and one electric and got them all going and temp hit 36 or so- so not too bad- Laid out stuff and then got the grill all put back together- as I took it apart I fixed bent or damaged parts using stuff from damaged the part and new part I purchased- got it back together in a couple hours- Kathy came out and held up one end and I the other and got part back on car- looks better already- Fender tomorrow after Church and brunch- Nuts and bolts all put in bags and labeled at disassembly so just had to read the label and then figure out where they went- took many pictures at disassembly as well- no parts left over yet- but still tomorrow- Color a decent match- looks richer somehow- it'll be better than bent parts-
Snowed 4" on Friday... great. More on the way next week, maybe 12" or more. Getting ready to pull the trigger on my rear leaf springs, posi rear, valve covers (stamped ones leak...), flex fan and door seals. Gonna be at least a few weeks before things thaw and the salt on the roads wash off.
Spent this afternoon in the garage. Got most of the way through installing the TCC lockup kit in the 700r4. Probably finish modifying things to fit and running the wiring and vacuum lines tomorrow. Can't drive until April, so redoing the brakes and front springs are next. Hoping for a bit warmer weather, though. 35F today. Warm enough in my coveralls, but the wrenches are cold on the hands. Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app