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25th October 2009.....Using what I had left of the funny box bit I made up a  cardboard template then transferred that onto metal. After much faffing about and cuts to my hands I made a reasonable new funny box section. I then moved onto a new side panel template which was slightly more difficult as I wanted a stronger, bigger bit of metal than the original. I ended up sticking three bits of cardboard together for this bit. Again I then cut the shape from metal and filed it down to match the template. With this done I would like to say I gen tly lined up all the bits, but that's not true. What is true, is that a large hammer  was used to gently line up all the bits! I wedge a bit of wood in place so I could see what it will look like when it's expertly welded in place and I think it's okay. (The wood will obviously be removed). I have decided that all the rear shelf will be replaced with 'shorty's' shelf as that is in good nick and SHW's isn't. There will be some shocking and extraordinary news soon on SHW but at present I'm sworn to secrecy. Something that a Viva has never done before! Watch this space.
24th October 2009.....I went up the garage this morning with no plan in mind at all, but what it good weekend it turned out to be. I stood and stared at SHW for a bit then  got myself in the boot area and started cutting and grinding. As you can see from picture the original arch needed a little bit of attention. By late afternoon I'd managed to remove the funny little box bit on top of the wheel arch, the panel that it's connected to which goes into the rear parcel shelf area and the sloping end part of the shelf. Using a wire brush I removed as much rust as I could get to from the remaining area then covered it in rust remover, which I got free from Spot. God knows what it is but it's very strong. I think  it's farm industrial stuff. It burnt your hand if it landed on you. I left that to do it's stuff then, as gently as I could I removed the sloping rear shelf bit from shorty, the half a Viva I have. This was in better nick but still needed some metal put into it, which I also did successfully. After that I washed off the rust remover and dried it all thoroughly. Then it was Indian and wine time because I was absolutely shattered and my knee's weren't working properly.
18th October 2009.....The Outlaws Santa Pod day had arrived as did Spot on time at nine. Edd, because it's Edd, arrived late as usual. There were five of us leaving from my house and we were to meet Martin, Gary and Paul at the Pod. The four Viva's sailed up the M1 in a nice line, Edd's V6 HB, Spot's V8 HB, Steve's pinto HB and DHR. Paul turned up at the Pod but we didn't meet Gary or Matin. The place was packed. It had been a two day thing so we thought we would leave it till later to see if some people went home but they didn't. At £25 for one run, two at best we all decided not to run. The Outlaws take after their leader in this respect, all being as tight as a camel's bum in a sandstorm. We had a good wander around, chatting to anyone who'd talk to us and checked out any old car that we saw. To be fair there were more old cars there than last time, the Escort boys being well represented on this front. There was also a couple of nice Dodge Chargers which I like and one did a 9 second run. We all went back to mine for tea and Edd stayed on till about seven because young Mark wanted to watch Man. City on the box. Edd and I chatted and talked Viva up the garage. Click here to see the few pictures I took.
17th October 2009.....Had a good weekend, not perfect, but good. On Saturday I managed to clean up the two remaining rostyle wheels I had and give them three coats of etch-weld primer before three coats of silver wheel paint. This was all done in between giving DHR a bloody good clean and polish. The evening was finished off as usual with a wonderful curry with the in-laws and a nice bottle of merlot.
14th October 2009.....I broke down in the estate this morning coming to work. As luck would have it I managed to roll into a big lay-by so I was off the road. Now because I'm me, I was nearly out of petrol, so just assumed it was that. I always carry a can in the back so poured that in. I'd lost the hose thing you screw on the end so watched £1.50 fall down the back of the car onto the floor. She still wouldn't start! So I poured a little petrol down the carb because I was on a steep hill and thought the petrol must be having trouble being pulled through. She still wouldn't start! I went to ring work to let them know I would be a little late. After finally finding my phone in the bottom of my 'man bag', it was out of battery. She still wouldn't start! I turned off Santana on the CD player knowing it would make no difference and tried again. She still wouldn't start! I the checked all the leads that I could see and they were all on tight. I then removed the dissy cap and spot a wire hanging in space, not connected to anything. Got you you bugger! It was the one from the coil, it must have worked it's way loose. Put it back on, started her up and she burst into life, roaring like a lion. Okay it's a 1256 so I might be exagerating a bit there, but it sounded like a lion to me. The rest of the journey went without a hitch. I'm sitting here at work typing this up whilst my phone is on charge. Mike 'Dangerous' Hutchinson, news at 8.
11th October 2009.....Went up the garage after a lay-in. We are normally up early but not this morning. I then made and attached my best patch yet on SHW. There was hardly any mass grinding and I didn't need to keep welding up blown holes. On all of the other patches I've done so far I've also needed to weld the reverse side a bit as well. Not on this one. By the evening I was quite pleased with myself and told anyone who'd listen. I forgot to say that I did get some car related birthday presents...the last part of my stainless DHR exhaust, (put on a few months back), some welding wire and some gas.
10th October 2009.....My birthday and I get no time up the garage. Reason one is because I feel lousy, I've caught a cold. Reason two is because we go out to see both my grandchildren and then for a pub lunch which goes from two thirty until nine thirty at night. Now that's what I call a lunch! I didn't get a birthday cake this year because I don't really eat cake, so my Mum made me a huge great spotted dick and even supplied the custard and Jo's Mum gave me three chunks of chesse with candles stuck in them and they all sang happy birthday. Much better than cake.
4th October 2009.....After plying me with drink last night, this morning I went to Derek, my father-in-law's, house to help him rebuild a garden wall that was knocked down while he was on holiday recently. Hopefully the bugger that did it has a lot of damage on their car. We did this, fixed some broken crazy paving and I then went up his apple tree and removed all but one apple, ready for some pies. Couldn't reach the bugger and it overhung next doors garden. After payment of a nice lunch and a beer I went back to the garage and welded on the patch I made yesterday. I can now say my welding IS getting better and it's not just delusions on my part either. The weld now seems to run and I'm grinding a lot less off than before. In the evening I bid on the Lotus 907 head Justin Yardley was selling but missed out on it. I really wanted that for SHW. That was the only down side of a very good weekend.
3rd October 2009.....Had a good day in the garage today. Got through some of the jobs that had been laying around unfinished for some time now. First I put the big Ventora starter motor back together. This had been in bits on the bench for a good 2/3 months. All the interior has had a good clean and a new spring retainer fitted for the broken one, which holds the brushes in place. Next the spare rear door for the estate was tackled. I was given this from Flod and told it needed the surface rust rubbed off and a coat of primer on it. I did it today. Only 10 months late! First I removed the rear screen without breaking it! Then rubbed down the bare metal which had a coat of rust all over it. After that I fired up the compressor and put a few coats of etch weld primer on it. This will hopefully keep it in reasonable condition until I get round to restoring the estate in two years time. (After the blue GT is done. Don't laugh, I will). Next I started to clean up the rear arch hole I'd made in SHW on the nearside and then also cut the rust out from where the seat belt bolt is, was, no-more. With these two areas cut out I started to make a template from cardboard of the seatbelt hole. I then cut the metal from the template and filed to fit the hole. By this time it was nearly six and the father-in-law was round ready for our regular Saturday night Indian, so I called it a day.
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