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31st May 2010.....Back to the barn but not much was done by Spot and me. Spot needed to be away to beat the traffic and I stayed until 2. All I did was clear up a bit, move the cars around and put a number plate back on one of Edd's HB's. Edd did explain how to change my dynamo over to an alternator and found on in his barn for me. When I got home Joanne had collected Vikki, my other daughter and my grandson Riley, so I made strange noises and pulled funny faces for a few hours. Later in the evening I did swap the dynamo and alternator out and only had to phone Edd once for instruction. Not bad for me! I know I always say it but I do think this was one of the best weekends. Great laugh, good company and plenty of Viva time. Latest pictures of SHW with her new rear here.
30th May 2010.....I shouldn't drink so much nowadays! I say this all the time but seem to forget in the evenings. I got up at eight and took Spot and Edd tea in bed. We went up the garage at about 9. The only thing we did was rub down the filler on SHW just to see what it looked like. It looked good! We set off for Thame just a little later than planned. Flod was meeting us at Edd's barn at 11, we arrived just in time. Edd wanted to cut up the rotten HC as it was in the way. We saved anything worth saving which included the two front chassis rails which I might try and adapt for SHW. Steve Coote is lending me an HB chassis rail as a pattern so I might be able to use the majority of the HC ones. As SHW's bulkhead will need cutting for the V8, the HC rails could be made to fit. The four front suspension mounting points must be the same on the HB and HC as they are interchangeable. Edd has kept the engine and gearbox, (auto) and anything else that may be of use. The rest was cut up and moved over to the metal bin. Flod left around 5 with some HC parts for Martin and we finished up about 8. By the time we had got to the motel, checked in, washed and got ready to go out, it was quarter to ten. We didn't want curry so we thought we'd try the Little Chef. Nope! They were closing at ten so that was out. Even in Burger King next door Edd was told to hurry up as she wasn't cooking after 10. Don't you just love the friendly culture in good old England. After that we went into Thame and found a pub. Anyone looking at us in the pub would realise we are now old men who just needed to go home to sleep. Sad ain't it!
29th May 2010.....I was up the garage just after 8 and got ready for the Royal visit. It was Enfield weekend but Spot decided that as Edd and myself had loads to do on our Viva's, we would have a weekend on the cars instead, plus I think he thought I'd weld the back end on SHW upside down or something! Spot arrived on time at 9, as always...Edd didn't! We had a cuppa while he checked and told me all the things I hadn't done yet, so nothing unusual there. Edd did arrive about 9:40 I think, so another cuppa and chat was order of the day. Spot had arrived in 'Rova', his V8 Viva and Edd turned up in 'Ermintrude', his V6 Viva. Spot cleaned up all the edges of the two halves, including the paint I'd missed, while I cut out the last of the spare wheel well. Edd set to work on the V6 starter motors which were stopping Ermintrude from working properly. Next we tried to put the two cars together. All went well apart from the chassis rail bracing which interfered with the new floor pan, so that had to be cut off and the fact that I'd cut the offside on 'Shorty' 5mm to short. Spot then designed the new boot bracing so the one I'd put on could be cut off, to enable a boot to be tested before we welded the two together. After lunch we finished the welding inside and out, then set about rubbing the outside edge down. Spot also welded the chassis rails together and plug welded to the new 'U' shape insert. The chassis rails were a nice fit. By the evening it was all in place and looking good. We even ran a small amount of filler down the outer seam just for fun. After a wash and brush up we went down the Raja to collect an Indian. Janet and Derek came round as usual, so plenty of wine and laughs were had by all.
28th May 2010.....Friday and I'm off work. I was supposed to spend the morning in the garage and the afternoon clearing out a local motor factors of anything Viva related. Joanne's new Astra was the problem. We bought it on Wednesday but because it kept overheating we have to keep taking it back. On the test run I told them it was overheating but they told me it was the cat! In the end, when we had no water in the tank, they had to believe me. Anyway I got to the shop at 2:30 and hid myself away up on his mezzine floor for 3 hours. He has all the old books to check which numbers I needed and Alan, who owns the shop, kindly photocopied the pages for me. I bought 5 Victor water pumps, 2 baby Viva water pumps, 3 GT cam belts, 3 sets of wheel bearings, 5 upper ball joints, 2 lower ball joints and an HPF wheel cylinder.
24th May 2010.....The final cut has been done. Tonight I cut 'Shorty' to the finished lenght...well I hope I have. I can't tell for sure because I still need to cut the chassis rail so I can line everything up. Still there's no going back now. Click here and scroll down to the last 8 pictures.
23rd May 2010.....Conservatory work today took a good slice of the day up. I did get time in the afternoon to look at 'Shorty' and I don't think the cut lines are in the right place. What I did was cut out the rear wing section from the panel I'd cut off SHW. I then placed this over the same part of 'Shorty' to find that I was right. So this has now been re-marked and I'll cut when I have some confidence. It was so hot I called it a day at 6 which is not like me at all. It might have been something to do with the drink the night before.
22nd May 2010.....Today didn't go as planned! The plan was a garage day but I was up with the lark because Joanne couldn't sleep and decided we were going to look for a new car. And no she didn't want a Viva, I asked. She wanted another Focus so of course we bought an Astra! Actually it is a nice car. 15000 miles, lots of extras and an auto. The best news is it has parking sensors so she will get a nice continuous tone as she hits walls and things! I then took the Focus for an MOT and changed my new wellies to a size that fitted me. I was in the garage for about 2 I think and Tony came over to try and get the big welder working, so I had some company for a couple of hours. I was out in the evening for a meal for our anniversary. A good night, steak, red wine, Guinness, Newcastle brown and port.
20th May 2010.....Managed to finish the bottom part of the nearside outer rear wheel tub. This is okay by me but not quite as exact as I maybe could've done.
16th May 2010.....Aston Clinton SHow today. I loaded the car with the cooker and kettle stuff and am having the pleasure of my daughter's company today. It was really good. We met Stuart and Ron from work there and spent the day together so I didn't get much time to talk to the usual gang. I also met farmer Ron, who found my lost wedding ring a few years ago in his field. (A long story). We left just as the rain started because I had to sort the brakes on Joanne's Focus ready for the MOT next Saturday. We had a good day but I only bought a radiator cap for the estate, but Steve Walton did give me a viscious fan from his stall. Pictures here.
15th May 2010.....Saturday and I get a full garage day. I finish the bracing in the rear of SHW by making a triangular brace shape to the boot floor and the boot catch. This is connected to the plate which fits to the two bolts that usually hold the catch pin. Next I clean up both sides and re-check/mark-up the cut lines on both SHW and 'Shorty'. Next I mark and cut the rear wing lower section both sides. This is the bit from the rear arch to the back below the swage line. The spare wheel well is next out. I wanted to get this out in one piece if I could to take measurements from. I do the same to the opposite side. It was getting on when I thought, "why not". So cut the back end off SHW. I don't know what made me do it but I did. Everything went to plan and the bracing also held the cut off rear section until I unbolted it. Latest pictures click here.
10th May 2010.....I've added 5 new pictures showing the new panel primed and tacked in postion. Click here.
9th May 2010.....The day was to be divide up between gardening, conservatory repair and garage. Somehow the garage came out on top, although I did get the other jobs done. This wasn't my idea you understand, it was a 'joint' decision! I managed to finish the inner rear valance and I'm fairly pleased with the outcome. Luckily you won't see this panel, unless I run you over and you get stuck under the petrol tank of SHW. It looks okay and it even fits. I hadn't realised the top edge isn't the same level all along because its spot welded to the petrol tank rim in the middle, so I did do a lot of measuring, which isn't my forte. All in all I'm happy with the outcome. I am attempting to have a clearer garage so am forcing myself to put tools away once I've used them. It did sort of work on Sunday. See the latest pictures here.
8th May 2010.....I started the day working on the estate. I fitted a new fuel filter, cleaned out the carb and re-did the vacuum gauge. Next I stuck DHR up on ramps and tried to sort out the high clutch pedal. I removed the drivers seat in the end to make access easier. After about 4 hours working on it, I'd made no difference at all. Back to the drawing board. I then tried to make a rear spring holder, only because one of Tony's 'press making thingy's' looked the correct size dish to make one and it was. That was another hour wasted for no real reason. I do get distracted easily. Late afternoon, after a bit of gardening, I carried on with the rear inner valance for SHW. Using Tony's press is so much easier and I've finally secured my big vice to the bench which makes it easier still. (As it's Saturday I finished, as always, with a bottle of red and a curry. I'm a creature of habit).
7th May 2010.....Last night I had, what can only be described, as a perfect evening. No I did not spend the evening with Liz Hurley, but I did spend it in my garage and completed my first real bit of metal fabrication. Do you remember that episode of Top Gear where Richard Hammond shouts, "I am a driving god". Well I did the same last night, except I shouted, "I am a welding and sheet metal working god". For me moments like this don't happen often, so I intend to enjoy them when they do. Using Tony's 'swage press making thingy', (I'll have to think of a proper name for it), I made a nice swage section. I then cut it to size and marked and turned the lip. I then cut out the next section of the rear inner valance, sand blasted it and welded it to the new bit I'd just made. All this without making a mistake, without swearing, without injuring myself and without setting light to, or burning something. This is not only a first but also a miracle.
5th May 2010.....Went to the Compasses last night to meet the Viva lads. It's about 20 plus miles from me and the estate is starting to 'jerk' again. Last time it was crap in the carb, so this weekend I WILL be fitting one of the three fuel filters I have sitting in the garage. Spot told me to do it months ago but what does he know! Tony came to my rescue again with a load of swage making press thingy's and templates for the rear end build. These are brilliantly engineered and just a little bit better than the one I made, (which didn't work). It's to hard to explain so when I use them at the weekend I'll take some pictures and you'll understand what I mean. I have conservatory work to do offically at the weekend but it's hopefully supposed to rain. Here's hopeing!
4th May 2010.....Spent most of the evening jumping up and down on Paul's arbor press. Even using both feet I couldn't get a decent swage shape in the metal. I'm meeting Tony at the Compasses pub tomorrow night so will wait and see what his swage maker looks like. Hopefully better than mine.
3rd May 2010.....Don't you just love Bank holiday's? I spent the morning making and welding on a section of the boot floor that was missing from 'Shorty'. It was the bit that touches the wheel arch. I cut out the worst of the rust and made a cardboard template up to match. After transferring this to metal, which was then cut using my new shear, I welded it in place. (I used my old welder as I still can't get the big bugger to work). I was grinding the welds back when a dark shadow was cast over me. I thought it would be my Dad but when I looked up it was Spot. The dark lord had arrived unannounced. What an unexpected surprise. I'm sure he dropped in to see if I was taking things easy and not working on the car. He'd been to a show in his Crayford at Woburn and called in on the way home. Anyway we discussed how to mark up the rear end for cutting and how to brace the shell. We talked about alternators, clocks, rear axle, infact all things Viva then he left for home. I sorted out the template and bracing after he left then went in for a roast. Latest SHW pictures are here.
2nd May 2010.....Still working on the conservatory but had the afternoon in the garage. I removed the inner rear valance on 'shorty' without damaging it by removing all the spot welds. I then cleaned 'shorty' up as best I could. I spent ages making a swage making press thingy which I think will amaze people because it sort of worked when I tested it on a bit of tin. I tried it on some proper metal and it didn't work. But never fear I will ask Paul if I can borrow his arbor press.
1st May 2010.....Most of the day was spent fixing a small leak on the conservatory, which I did manage to do, so got some brownie points there. Spent the evening trying to work the welder Tony has lent me. This didn't work and no brownie points. Can't get gas from it, but I know the gas is going somewhere and all the dials are just making my head explode.
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