Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[pigtin]

Sprite needed an oil change: bought the bits and bobs and disappeared into the garage, telling the memsahib that I would be finished and back in for coffee in about 30 min.
As they say… ‘The best laid plans’
The last time the oil and filter were changed the engine was OUT… it’s IN now and we have a whole new ball game.
I consulted my trusty ‘Autobooks’ workshop manual, a weighty tome that has served me well in the past. Turning to the correct section I was instructed to: stop the engine “Duh!” and remove the cable from the starter motor—just like that.
No mention about the fact that it was all hidden behind the fresh-air duct pipe, and the dynamo. Even upon removing these it was impossible to replace the paper element and be sure that the sealing ring was located correctly without removing the entire filter body and pipe.
Did I say paper element? Upon opening the box… I discovered a “screw-on” cartridge meant for a later model. Break off job and go into town and back for correct part.
‘Moss’ catalogue showed a dished washer aligning the element at the bottom… Oh S***! haven’t got one of those, never mind… I’ll turn one up on the lathe…another half hour wasted. Have lunch: with memsahib chatting idly about the length of half-hours these days.
Return to garage in bad mood and struggle to reassemble car, drop dynamo nut and it can’t be found anywhere, pour in some oil… then remember the ‘Wynn’s’ (which is the viscosity of treacle). Try to pour in the rest of the oil in after the ‘Wynn’s’ but it has bunged up all of the transfer passages the crankcase and a large funnel of oil anoints the engine and exhaust system.
Finish assembly and start engine… seems fine, but charging light on: ponder on this for a while until large plume of smoke rises from the front of the engine and the evil reek of burnt rubber signifies that fan belt is not turning, and has just destroyed itself. Eureka! I’ve found that missing 5/16” UNF nut…

[buzzy bee]

Hi

I have had a bad day too! More of that in a minute!

Reading your stories really cheers me up, not that I should be laughing at your bad day etc, just the way you write it!

Cheers

Dave

Oh, my bad day.

I go to Burgess ot buy some Grey oxide primer, they only have red, so buy a big tin of it, knowing it will come in handy, so about £30.

Get back to the car and notice it is Gloss? Go back, what a surprise no matt, so thought would try the gloss.

Went to B&Q for some sanding wheels for the grinder, "sorry sir, everythign we have is on the shelf" says the chap, facing the other way, how rude! Shaking my head, getting into the car to go to yet another shop, Damn, forgotten the brushes!

Well I will give the brushes a miss, right onwards! Then get stuck in a traffic Jam for about 30mins! Really starting to test my patience now!

Decide to pull up and walk the rest of the way, get to the shop, buy my sanding wheels, and a dust mask, which the chap said I can have, now that chears me up, not alot, but the thought was there. Walk back to my car, and drive back to my garage, having to stop at the chippy, as it was dinner already!

Get back and strip one side of the Ford back, wearing my mask, and have a problem, read the instructons, "Mask only suitable for paint vapours" or something, so no good for dust.. Great I can't breath now!

Right, I will do some painting, go slowly, and relax, only to open the tin, mix it and start painting, What crap paint! It is like water, to get any colour, to cover the shiny metal, which I thought primer was designed for, needed lots of paint, which then meant lots of runs. I ended up painting it, with see through primer, knowing I will need to buy another £10 or sanding wheels, and a new tin of paint, another £50 with Vat!

Not too impressed!

[pigtin]

Things may get better in the new year--used the have a great tin of red lead. Nice thick stuff that's totally illegal these days, by the weight it must have had real lead in it.
I loaned the tin to a mate a few years ago and now he's totally convinced that it belongs to him.

Have to decide if I dare use the Sprite tomorrow for our Fish-and-chip lunch run to Dungeness... can't face changing the fanbelt, even if I've got one.

Don.

[buzzy bee]

Hi

Yeah, Proper lead paint is good, I have some white lead in the garage.

Cheers and hapy new year everyone!

Dave

[Rick]

I feel I got off lightly today then, I managed to buy a face mask thing that copes with grinding dust, plus a couple of grinding discs, and spent a happy hour or so in the garage welding in a little more fresh metal into the pickup. Not exactly a masterpiece of welding re-construction, but solid and serviceable so that'll do for now.

After reading your stories I'm glad I stopped when I did, before something could go really really wrong...no doubt this will occur when I re-start garage proceedings..

RJ
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[62rebel]

it must have been a day for it; Monday afternoon we let off early so i spent the remaining sunlight letting in patches to the floor of my '52; later in the evening my eyes are burning and i realise i've gotten flashburn from my welder.... this morning i wake to my face very sore form burn...
and pitch into replacing needles and seats in my '59 Galaxie, whereupon i awaken a black widow spider and chase her off the carby. that job completed successfully, the engine starts readily and doesn't flood over with petrol.
that done, i laid some paint on floor patches in the Torino and decided enough was enough, came inside and fettled with some models i've been working on. towards dark i felt very poorly and laid down for a bit.... which turned into 2 and a half hours.

the pity is, that i didn't celebrate New Years last night and there's no reason for "hangoverish" feebleness.

[buzzy bee]

[buzzy bee]

[Rick]

[62rebel]

i had intended to form my own rocker panels (sills?) for the '52 Plymouth but the stock i was using just refused to follow my guidance...
so i went for a different tack and rebuilt the hinge pillar base and floor-to-sill area with several small pieces of metal, fitted and welded up tight. the amount of spot welds that held this area together seems alarmingly small to me... i seam welded every patch i let in! now, at least, there's no deflection of the floor when i get into the driver's seat, although i still have no outer rockers in place.
and the "arc eye" and accompanying sore face have gone now.... thankfully! won't soon make that mistake again!

[Rick]

[62rebel]

to be quite honest i was only using the black glass lens (ah stupid manny nae wonder yer blind) due to tight confines under the car.... and also quite honestly NOT the first time i've done this (harebrained amadan) and quite surely not the last sadly enough.

i really MUST invest in an auto-darkening hood soon..... or stop welding.

[buzzy bee]

Hi

The auto darkening solar ones are good, I did alot of welding last year, i.e every day, and I had a mask that cost about £30 of ebay, it lasted a year, money well spent in my eyes, (my eyes, get it! hehe (Sorry)) but if you didn't use it every day probably last for ages! If you do get it of ebay, make sure you get the right one, as some are meant to be poor quality, and take to long to arken, hence giving you ark eye anyway!

Cheers

Dave

[pigtin]

I have one of these Auto-darkening solar shields and it's ruddy marvellous. I also bought a small book on Mig welding at the same time which tells me that they are useful for grinding jobs... I tried it, and if one could grind without making sparks it certainly would be.

[buzzy bee]

Hi

I have tried grinding, utter nonsense! You cannot see a thing!

Cheers

Dave