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17th December 2011.....I had a whole uninterrupted day in the garage today. Not one visitor, not one call for help from Joanne. Just me, the radio and my cars. Bliss! I wanted to get the crossmember in place and finished today and was overjoyed to see the postman had brought my spacers Tony had kindly made for me. I hadn't asked him too, but a misinterpretation of an email meant I didn't have to do them. (I must remember to word more mails like that). I started by drilling the chassis rails and floor, then reamed the holes to the correct size. With the tubes cut to length they were welded in place in no time. I then tried to fit the spacers...bugger! The centre hole was too small. Now I have hundreds of drill bits but do you think I could find one that was the correct size or sharp enough, no. I then found some block spacers Spot had given me and they turned out to be the correct size so I used them until I can sort Tony's ones. (I have now bought a drill that is sharp and the correct size). With the crossmember in place and the supports removed I checked and double checked the engine position. After a few tweaks it was just how I was told it should be. With the car level the engine was just fractionally lower at the back end by the carb mounting point. This means the slope is towards the rear. Perfect. Next I wanted to fill the bulkhead hole where the original GT pedalbox sits. This had a large bit of metal made to fit then welded in place. The welding was okay and I must be getting better as I didn't have to grind it down for half an hour before it looks passable. I then still had some time so started on the top of the tunnel. I needed to make the second hole to make access to the top two gearbox bolts easier. A slot was cut out then a half cylinder of metal welded in and ground down. I then made a template for the flat rise and cut the two hole out. This was then welded in place. All in a one of my better days. Tomorrow is my first Christmas of the year up in Milton Keynes so no garage time. Four grandkids together in one house...chaos! Pictures here.
11th December 2011.....I was up the garage after getting all the decoration out of the loft for Joanne. (Back in good books as I cooked a cracking meal last night). I wanted to get the gearbox crossmember in place today and still being in Tony mode I even phoned the dark lord, (Spot), for advice before I started. (He was very shocked). First I made sure the car was level on the stands which meant raising the back end. Next I fitted the crossmember to the centre bolts on the gearbox mounts. I then raised the gearbox so I could mark the chassis rails. About this time I got a call from my son David to ask if he could come round and help! After checking and double checking he wasn't after money I said okay. He enjoyed helping last week so wanted to help again. This is the first time he's ever showed any interest in cars. When he got there I told him what I was doing and said he could sort the second hole out. First we drilled through the chassis rail and on through the floor. Next we reamed out, (notice I'm even using words Tony would use), the top hole to take my anti-crush tube. This was cut to size and placed in the hole from the top. (It couldn't come out the chassis rail as that was left bolt size). Once in place it was welded round aiming the weld into the small gap between floor and tube. The top was then ground down flush. Next we made a spreader plate for the bolts to go through and tested it with the crossmember. All went well apart from David cutting his first attempt short. I also let him loose on some scrap metal with the welder. He had a very enjoyable day. Only one side was completed but I know it will work. What I now need to 'plan' is making some spacers to fit between crossmember and chassis rail. I can't find the original ones but that was before I was in Tony mode! Click here for pictures.
10th December 2011.....Bah humbug! Christmas always spoils garage time. My favorite pastime, shopping reared it very ugly head again in the afternoon. Last week I'd gone into town by myself on instructions from 'her indoors' to collect two pressie for the grandkids from Argos. My cunning plan, while I was there, was to buy my wife her Christmas card which I did and a very well spent 99p it was. A few days later I couldn't find the card and realised I'd left in on the counter in Argos. So being the gent I am I told Joanne that I would show her the card I bought her last week in the shop and she could see what she would have got if I hadn't lost it. I even offered to take a picture of her holding the card in the shop. I wasn't spending another 99p! We walked quite a way into town in silence. Anyway when I got to the shop I told her I couldn't remember which card it was so she'd just have to believe me. On the way home I popped into Argos and after disrupting the Christmas shoppers in there they did find my card which I took home feeling very pleased with myself. Joanne still isn't talking to me! But I did get the morning in the garage and cut the extra bit from the tunnel to fit the rear end of the gearbox. This was then welded to the last bit and a hole cut in it for the gear stick. It all went well and I remembered that I was now in Tony mode so thought about everything. (Pity I wasn't in Tony mode when I bought the card!).
5th December 2011.....I knew someone would come up with an idea. I've been told by an overseas friend, (a German and you know how accurate they are), that a Rover 25 one will do the job and it's shorter than a Viva handbrake. Another trip to the breakers to take some measurements me thinks.
4th December 2011.....Sunday morning and most of the afternoon was taken up with fixing Derek's computer and cutting the hedge while it was dry. I can't really complain about the hedge because I stupidly mentioned that it needed cutting. Needless to say Joanne thought it was a good idea too and while it was dry etc. etc. etc. David came round after lunch and helped with the hedge then after a break and a play with the grand kids he helped me get the gearbox in the car, which really was a great help. The pictures you can see here show the gear stick in 2nd gear position and it will just touch the handbrake. Mike from New Zealand only mailed me last week to say when doing something like this you fix one problem and make another. I have a few ideas...I could move the handbrake slightly left, I could move the handbrake back a couple of inches, I could move the whole engine forward two inches or wait for someone to come up with a much better idea. Anyway pictures here. Another idea I've just had is never to use 2nd or fourth.
3rd December 2011.....So much for having all weekend. Saturday morning I managed to get the drivers side floor section in plus the first bulge around the starter motor. Before I could do this I had to scrape the underseal off the floorpan of the bulkhead and the floor under the accelerator. This took time but it was nice and warm. At one I had to cycle to Berkhamsted with the girls to buy a Christmas present for my Mum. Joanne thought it would be a good idea, that was before she hit the fourth mile on the bike when she started to regret it. They were riding much slower than I normally go when I cycle home from work along the canal. It was very wet and muddy and my bike was the only one with mudguards. They were covered in mud, it was great! The funny thing about this was the fact that when we got to Berkhamsted they didn't have what we wanted. Brilliant! Still at least Joanne won't be able to take the mick when I get home after cycling and bleat on about why it took me so long. I just wish I'd taken my camera.
2nd December 2011.....Tony came to work and dropped off my SD1, LT77 gearbox. It is so much better than the pictures, you wouldn't believe. The stick is exactly where I wanted it and the work top class. Everything is new and I have a tutorial DVD telling me how to put it together should I ever need to take it apart. I can even adjust how tight the stick feels. He has also made the whole stick removable and added extra strengthening to the balljoint cup cover. I have now decided that I am going to be more like Tony and make a better fist of my work. For now on I will think before I act and take my time to get things right. That is my early new years resolution.
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