|
27th March 2010.....I went to Caroline house for 11:30 and Caroline and her Dad managed to fit in...just. Not being able to move the driver's seat forward is a bind. Anyway I got her there in plenty of time and DHR didn't play up. I was not then needed until quarter to six. We returned at quarter to six to meet Richard, the newly married one. He seemed very pleased with DHR as his parents had had one many years ago. They then had some photos taken with DHR and Caroline has said I can have some for the website. Now the bit which went wrong! Richard got in the driver's side and I went round to lift Caroline's dress up so she could get in. As I bent down to lift the dress, I heard a huge ripping noise and realised that, no it wasn't her dress, but my trouser seam had ripped apart. Luckily at this moment Caroline was talking so didn't hear and there was only one bloke standing behind me watching. I'm not sure if he saw or not. He didn't immediately roll around on the floor laughing so I guess not. With Caroline in I walked slowly around the back of the car, trying to feel how big the hole was. It was huge, top to bottom, you might say. I drove them both to the hall trying to think what I was going to do at the other end. Everyone would be there, looking! As I pulled into the car park luck was on my side. The hall was on the nearside. Cunningly I first let Richard out so he could help Caroline out and I wouldn't be 'mooning' at 150 guests. Before she could get out people wanted photos, so this helped me again. Walking sideways, I walked away from the car so I didn't ruin any photos. When Caroline called for help getting out of the  car I left it  for Richard to do, well he will have to get used to it sooner or later. He helped her out and shut the door so I didn't have to go round that side at all...until Caroline called me over to give me a kiss and thank me for the use of DHR. Walking crab like I managed to manoeuvre myself so my dignity was preserved. Once in the drivers seat I was safe. I waved a glad farewell and drove off into the sunset. The pictures here are the ones I took, but hopefully I'll get some better ones later. They gave me a great personalised mug and some vouchers which was really kind....thank you both and all the very best for the future. Good luck with restoring the ambulance and I'll have some ambulance pictures for the website please.
26th March 2010.....Spent from 8 until 3 cleaning DHR. Tomorrow I'm doing a wedding in her. About 18 months ago a lady at work, Caroline, asked if she could have DHR as her wedding car. I thought she was only joking so didn't take to much notice. Just before Christmas she gave me the itinerary so I knew she was serious. It's only about 6 miles or so away, so not too bad. My only reservations were, would she fit. Now I don't mean that Caroline is large, far from it, but at weddings women do seem to wear rather large dresses. We decided to remove the front passenger seat to make things easier. Anyway I gave DHR a good clean inside and out, removed the seat, fixed the ribbons on the front and did my flower arranging bit on the rear parcel shelf. She looked good. This next bit might sound a bit funny but here goes. I've always thought of DHR as a girl okay. But she looked a bit to 'feminine' with the ribbons on and the flowers in the back, which doesn't really make sense does it. Put it this way, I want DHR to be more 'butch girly' if you get my drift.
25th March 2010.....Managed an afternoon in the garage working on SHW. I had a 4 day holiday from work to decorate the living room. I was really up for it! NOT! I managed to knock it out in two and a half days, so not bad. More pictures added to SHW's gallery, click here.
21st March 2010.....Sunday I woke to the sun streaming in the window. Bugger! I knew today the battle would begin, me against the frogs! There wasn’t that much spawn in the pond at the moment but I did shift about 100 frogs to their new home in a pond by the canal. (Now before anybody says, I know I’m not supposed to do this, but if I didn’t, they would have to be flattened with a spade. I think the frogs would prefer a new home). I did get in the garage about two and managed to shape and weld the arch top in place which went really well. I must be getting better. The only cock-ups were holding a bracket in place whilst welding it. I now have a burnt finger but it does prove I’m getting penetration! And setting light to some rags. But this happens all the time so I’m used to it. I’m really pleased with the outcome of the arch and screen so will be removing some more metal from the other side again now. What a good weekend, a frog proof pond and a good offside wheel arch. Click here for pictures of the weekend.
20th March 2010..... Saturday came and so did the rain. Bloody marvellous! This weekend I was asked to make the garden pond ‘frog proof’. Don’t ask! I may have mentioned this last year but Joanne hates frogs. Well not just frogs, basically anything which has four legs, or fur, or feathers, or reptiles, or any wildlife actually. One of our close neighbours is into ‘wildlife’ and they created a bog garden. When I say bog garden it should really be called a ‘frog garden’. The top of his garden looks like the earth is moving up and down. It’s a mass of frogs and spawn. Last year, for the first time ever, I removed over 250 frogs and 3, 10 litre buckets of frog spawn. (Gave one bucket load to my Mum. I do come up with unusual presents!). It gets to the stage where coming out of my garage at night, you have to pick your way down the garden around the double decker frogs. We don’t mind the odd frog but this really is ridiculous. Anyway this year I’ve been told to, and I quote, ‘frog proof’ the pond before they start their nookie. I can’t do it in the rain, so garage it is today. I started by cutting out the top of the wheel arch under the old box section. After doing this I had what can only be described as a mad moment and decided to cut everything out. This included the top slope rear shelf section that I said I wasn’t going to do. I then attacked the rear offside screen bottom corner. Standing back pleased with myself it looked a lot of work. I could now cover everything in rust remover so that was good. Next I cut and welded in the rear screen corner section I had. Now this went really well. I then made new sections which butted up against it along the inside edge. After a little filler and a spray with primer it looked like new. This gave me a big boost so I made a template out of cardboard for the arch top and transferred it to metal. The day just flew by and before I knew it, it was time for Indian and beer.
18th March 2010.....Spent more time up the garage last night, either these warmer nights have put a spring in my step, or I want away from the missus! I cut the rear parcel shelf off last night. It was impulse! But what a good idea it turned out to be. It gives me so much more room to get into the hard to reach boot spaces. It had to come out sometime so why not now? (Spot will find a reason). The room it gives me to get right into the top corners of the wheel arch on each side is great. It will also make the floor pan installation so much easier so I won't put the new one in until the boot is complete. Pictures here.
17th March 2010.....I went up the garage last night with the sole intention of clearing the back shelf of SHW/Kara, to have a look at what's needed on the off-side pillar. I did this and even put all the tools away again. (That was one of my new years resolutions. Put things away at the end of the day and work in a tidy manner. It hasn't happened!). I then cut out the inner skin to the size of my repair piece. This happened to be in the worse part of the rust as luck would have it. The slope section on this side is in reasonable condition and will only require one patch....hopefully! On the underside in the boot, I then removed the box section that sits on top of the wheel arch. This came away very easily. I won't have to replace the whole side panel on this side, again it looks like it will need one patch. So a successful night and I even found the new box section I made for the nearside, which I'd lost when the car went to the theatre for the show. A good night all round. Click here for the pictures.
16th March 2010.....I have taken and up-loaded some pictures to SHW's gallery from Sunday's metal bashing session. To view click here. I'd like to state here and now, for all the world to know, that my wife is wonderful. I also now have to be very careful what I write here as my wife informed me last night that she reads this drivel. I didn't know! She happen to mention that January's old news wasn't working. I said "do you read my website then" and she said yes fairly regularly. Is nothing safe? Is there nowhere I can vent my spleen? Lucky I haven't put down here what my new intentions are for SHW or I'd be in big trouble. Just one other thing....someone asked who Kara is? Well I named SHW after my first granddaughter, Kara. So SHW is Kara. I still call SHW, SHW not Kara so it can get confusing. As I now have a grandson I think I should get another Viva and call it Riley! That probably doesn't work, I'd have to buy a Riley and call it Riley!!!!!
14th March 2010.....Had a whole day in the garage today, it was great. Music blaring, sun shining, me singing, what more could you want. Saturday we had a family day so the garage was a no, no unless I was looking for a divorce. I set about the inner nearside rear pillar on SHW. I had decided to make a totally new slope section that runs from the top of the rear parcel shelf to the rear pillar. Now this was harder than it should have been because I'd made the inner rear pillar which wasn't exactly to the tolarances set by Vauxhall, (even in 1968). I finally managed to get a cardboard template as near as possible to the shape and transfered that to metal. After cutting it out I shaped it the best I could. (I've been watching American Hotrod on 'Quest TV' and they make it look a lot easier than this!). It took ages and then even longer to set into the correct position. Once I was happy I tack welded it before welding it in place for good. It looks okay. (You won't be able to see it just yet because I left my camera at work again so no pictures). After a tidy up with the grinder I sprayed some etch primer on it. This side is now done so its on to the offside inner pillar next.
7th March 2010.....Didn't get chance to do much car stuff today as I was hijacked by the wife for gardening duties. I think by three o'clock she realised my heart wasn't in it so I was given my marching orders. I then removed and covered the air vents in the estate with cling film. The wind blowing through these at the moment was beating any heat I had coming out of the front screen vents. I'd been meaning to do it for ages but kept forgetting. I then had the brainwave of putting the front seats from SHW in her as I will be getting some buckets for her. I tried one floor bolt which sheared off and gave up. Not because I can't be bothered, but because it was late and I could guess that I wouldn't have a seat to sit on for work in the morning. It'll have to wait for a full weekend for that.
6th March 2010.....Finally, after 4 weekends fiddling, the estate is running lovely. Today I was determined to get her running well and for a change I surpassed myself. First I set the timing to about 18 degrees before TDC, (this is because of the sporty cam in it). Next I checked the plugs which were black again, so she is running very rich. Which I already know due to the fuel consumption. Next I went to strip down the carb but before I did I made a new throttle bracket. The original one has always been held together with a cable tie since I had her. It also wasn't at 90 degrees to the linkage. With my new bracket in place and to get the 90 degree angle I had to extend the linkage rod by welding an extension on. With this done and without burning down the garage, I drilled a hole in the rod so I could put a split pin through to hold it in place, thus negating the need for cable ties. Next I cleaned the carb to within an inch of its life. Using the air line I blew it out from every conceivable angle and did all the jets etc. With this nailed back on I remembered I hadn't done the points. While doing this I did notice that the vacuum advance link wasn't sitting in the baseplate in the distributor. After correcting this and setting up the points, I re-adjusted the timing. I gave her a decent run out and she had her old go back. Since then I've also noticed that I need the choke to start her from cold in the mornings, which hadn't been the case for the last few weeks. Only time will tell now, but hopefully she's back to her best.
Back to top |
|
