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30th September 2009.....I have my first grandson. Riley was born on the 28th, weighing in at 8lbs 5oz. They've even named him after a car I like a lot, the Riley RM . We'll have to call the next one Viva though. I've been to see him and he's great. He's not even all crinkled like most babies. You know how their skin is all scrunched up like one of those pot bellied pigs or Winston Churchill's face, well his isn't, it's nice and smooth. Must take after me. Thinking about it, he must take after me because Vikki said all he does all day is poo, eat and sleep.
27th September 2009.....Sunday morning I went to meet Paul Angel who had some bits for me. Paul was waiting for me when I got there and come straight out to look at DHR. He told me he use to have a blue GT but couldn't remember the registration. He still has two HC estates. Not ordinary estates. One has been jacked up with extremely large wheels. It's complete, has had all it's bits welded and just needs putting together again, (interior etc.). This has a 2.3 in it. He said he hasn't messed with Viva's for a while and has moved on to Range Rovers. I'd guessed this by the five Range Rovers sitting on his drive, lawn and under the car port. He only got into them because he wanted a V8 in an HC estate, but now has a better plan, as I found out when I went round to his back garden. He is grafting an HC estate body shell on a Range Rove chassis. It looks a bit like one of those monster trucks. I hope he finds time to do this as it would look great. As with most of us it's time he needs. Still one day! Anyway I collect 3 flywheels, (two of which were lightened), a clutch plate, a clutch cover plate and a rostyle wheel so I now have a set of five. Brilliant! I drive home a very happy bunny. At home the family come round one by one and we end up sitting in the garden all afternoon drinking, talking and finally having a nice Ruby Murray. In the evening I get a call telling me that Vikki my daughter has gone into labour so I'm awaiting news of my second grandchild. (I was a child bride).
 26th September 2009.....Well boys and girls I don't know about you but I had a great weekend. The weather was the best we've had this year. I don't know about global warming but I could put up with this for another couple of months. I started to clean up the rostyle wheels I bought at Billing this year. I want to be able to give Flod his back when I see him in December so thought I'd better make a start. (I'm going to do loads of wheel spins before I give them back). I'd set-up my walk in blaster booth agai n for the  purpose. Now for anyone who hasn't read my book, (don't all rush at once), this is two old bed sheets hung from the garage joists with a metal tray at the bottom. (Do not use your wife's good sheets). With health and safety in mind I also dress in the correct gear. This consists of overalls, goggles, ear protectors, bobble hat, elastic bands around feet and hands and welly's. I looked gorgeous ...stunning in fact. Now, however daft you think I might look, it's better than  having 3 ton of sand in your orifices. The first time I did this I found sand in places you couldn't imagine and left a trail of sand wherever I went the following week. With the compressor going like the clappers I blasted away .....until the fuse blew and everything went off. Bugger! The compressor was really hot so I finished the wheel by hand. Next I wiped it over with thinners, then gave it a coat of etch-primer. After that three coats of silver wheel paint and then painted the black inserts using a very tiny brush. The before and after pictures are here and I'm quite pleased with the outcome. I also managed to service the estate again while I was waiting for the paint to dry. Clean of the plugs and points, followed by adjusting the timing. I also changed the silly little chrome air filter for an original one.
20th September 2009.....Click here for the Croxley Green report.
19th September 2009.....The afternoon spent polishing. I'd promised Joanne that I'd give the Focus a clean then I wanted to do the two Viva's. I only had half a day but I was going to give it a go. Tomorrow I'm going to Croxley Green and can't make up my mind which car to take. I've never taken the estate to a show before so thought she was due a nice outing. Trouble is I'm always torn to taking DHR because I love her so much! Anyway I wash and T-cut the Focus only to find out I only had enough polish to do the bonnet and one wing. I'll do the rest in the week. I then give DHR a wipe over. Now she has enough polish on her to do all three cars and every bit of furniture we have in the house, so just a wash is all she gets. I take the estate to the garage and jetwash her down then Jason over the road said he had some polish if I wanted it. Brilliant! I give the estate a quick going over and she looks much better. I'm still taking DHR tomorrow. I'll take the estate to the last show I'm doing this year at Leighton Buzzard.
13th September 2009.....I've made a great patch up and welded it onto the 'A' post where the door opener bolts too! No not on any of my cars, on my next door neighbours, daughter's Corsa. The 'A' post had been ripped open because the bit that stops the door flying open had siezed in the door and ripped the bracket and part of the post off. I will say I made a GREAT job of this. I patched the 'A' post first then welded the bracket onto the new metal. The hinge thing that had seized was stripped, greased and put back together again then bolted back into place. A quick spray with red primer and I took the car back. Now believe it or believe it not I was paid in roast potatoes. Geraldine, my neighbour, makes great roast potatoes and she gave me nine in the afternoon. I love roast potatoes. The reason there is no pictorial evidence of this great bit of repair isn't because it was crap, just lack of fully charged batteries.
12th September 2009.....I was suppose to have started taking DHR apart by now but haven't. I used her everyday last week as the weather was so nice and I enjoy driving her. I haven't got any rope seals so have held off with the engine strip down. But today I did start cleaning up and getting the big valve head ready for when I do take the engine out. The head was cleaned up well and I've ground the valves in. I've also 'ported' the head a bit. Now when Spot reads this he will be kacking himself. He doesn't think I'm competent enough to do such a thing. But I have! All I've really done is make the area where the valves sit match DHR's original big valve head. This one had more metal in it, so I smoothed it all to roughly the same shape as DHR's. And a bloody good job I've done to.
5th September 2009.....Spent a lot of time on the estate today. I want to make sure she's all okay before I take the engine out of DHR. I always feel safe in the knowledge that I have two working cars, so if one morning the estate plays up I can simply jump in DHR. You can bet your bottom dollar that as soon as I take DHR off the road the estate will play silly buggers. Anyway I gave her a good check over and even an oil change, so she should be all systems go!
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