thebaron
Europe
Over the river, heading out of town
Posts: 1,658
Member is Online
|
|
|
As I mentioned previously, when I was unsuccessful renting a bit of retro fodder I decided to go full cliché instead. It almost a full house for rental specs: Mustang - Check, Convertible - Check, Automatic - Check, V6 - Miss, it's the Turbo 4. I'm staying in my uncle's house in Scituate. Pretty epic location:
|
|
Last Edit: Apr 6, 2022 19:57:33 GMT by thebaron
|
|
|
thebaron
Europe
Over the river, heading out of town
Posts: 1,658
Member is Online
|
|
|
I'm back in Switzerland so a quick wrap up on the America trip. This is less about cars and more a social commentary. It's been 21 years since I was last in New York and I was struck with the same thing this time as back then. The size and density (of Manhattan at least) creates that vibrancy and feeling of perpetual motion for sure, but, it's just not for me. There is a real sense of fragility and decay sitting on the shoulder of the place. It's heightened for sure by the disrepair and damage of all the vehicles, buildings seen from the rear in alleys and the streets. Not to mention the clear and obvious social problems. I don't claim to have immersed myself fully in NY life with a couple of short visits two decades apart. It's just a personal reflection and preference undoubtedly. On the flip side, I still love Boston. I have a feeling of ease when I get there. The level of overt Irish presence surely contributes to this but it has a more manageable vibe and you also see further back into US History in the architecture straight away. Don't get me wrong, the people can be a lot to deal with. I'll say this as a guy with a lot of 2nd and 3rd generation family from the area, the Masshole tag did not spring out of the ground. It's direct, loud and often close to (if not straight up) confrontational. To the car scene. I'm sure there is one but it must be heavily seasonal. Outside of the enormous pick ups the only things I saw of retro note were a couple of Miatas nicely modified. To expand on the pick ups. I have to share a picture of the Silverado. The sheer size and height of the front on these things was extraordinary!! So the Mustang. What a disappointment. The stupid artificial dump valve did not help but the brittle ride and the scuttle shake were straight up bad. I'd like to try a V8 coupe to see if I'd feel different but this version was rubbish. Still looks great though. Finally back to Scituate. Beautiful coastline with an undoubted whiff of danger with wild seas and storms having nothing to stop the houses getting battered. The term wild beauty gets bandied about and this is one of those places. I am fascinated with the construction of the beachfront houses as well.
|
|
Last Edit: Apr 13, 2022 8:21:56 GMT by thebaron
|
|
jamesd1972
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,916
Club RR Member Number: 40
|
|
Apr 13, 2022 14:22:12 GMT
|
Had a V8 ‘stang convertible hire car in San Fran a couple of years ago. Was plain stupid fast, didn’t notice any scuttle shake as was too busy hanging on ! Quite why it needs a 10 speed auto though is beyond me. Would choose again but on the companies dime for fuel. Not visited the east coast but sounds like the west in terms of obvious social issues. James
|
|
|
|
brc76
RR Helper
Posts: 1,108
|
|
Apr 14, 2022 13:43:44 GMT
|
I live outside Boston, it is very seasonal for old cars (and bikes). I've been shouted at when driving my w108 in winter, something akin to I'm going to kill that car and that don't deserve to own something like that. That said, most car dealers here have a bunch of spare chassis parts in stock for the 7 year old pickups that have split in two from rust.
Massholes? Yeah, they do exist, but I (and this may be in my head) think that NY is far worse!
|
|
|
|
thebaron
Europe
Over the river, heading out of town
Posts: 1,658
Member is Online
|
|
Apr 14, 2022 19:01:12 GMT
|
I live outside Boston, it is very seasonal for old cars (and bikes). I've been shouted at when driving my w108 in winter, something akin to I'm going to kill that car and that don't deserve to own something like that. That said, most car dealers here have a bunch of spare chassis parts in stock for the 7 year old pickups that have split in two from rust. Massholes? Yeah, they do exist, but I (and this may be in my head) think that NY is far worse! Whereabouts are you based? I mean your point about Winter driving the W108 kind of backs up my point about the confrontationality Look, I'm also a little more sensitive having lived in Switzerland for the last 10 years where people are restrained and not massively forthcoming until you really get to know them. I would still love to live in the Boston Area. It's one of the few places I'd really consider leaving here to go.
|
|
|
|
brc76
RR Helper
Posts: 1,108
|
|
Apr 14, 2022 19:54:10 GMT
|
Whereabouts are you based? I mean your point about Winter driving the W108 kind of backs up my point about the confrontationality Look, I'm also a little more sensitive having lived in Switzerland for the last 10 years where people are restrained and not massively forthcoming until you really get to know them. I would still love to live in the Boston Area. It's one of the few places I'd really consider leaving here to go. Westford, NW of Boston near the NH border. Rural enough to have bears and other wildlife but close enough to actual civilization. New England has 4 actual seasons, which depending on your point of view, can be either a great thing or a pointless need for 4 seasons worth of clothes and gear!
|
|
|
|
thebaron
Europe
Over the river, heading out of town
Posts: 1,658
Member is Online
|
|
Apr 15, 2022 18:31:28 GMT
|
Had a V8 ‘stang convertible hire car in San Fran a couple of years ago. Was plain stupid fast, didn’t notice any scuttle shake as was too busy hanging on ! Quite why it needs a 10 speed auto though is beyond me. Would choose again but on the companies dime for fuel. Not visited the east coast but sounds like the west in terms of obvious social issues. James It could have been that this particular one was a turd. Most people I've spoken to who owned or drove a V8 loved it.
|
|
|
|
thebaron
Europe
Over the river, heading out of town
Posts: 1,658
Member is Online
|
|
Apr 15, 2022 18:34:23 GMT
|
Whereabouts are you based? I mean your point about Winter driving the W108 kind of backs up my point about the confrontationality Look, I'm also a little more sensitive having lived in Switzerland for the last 10 years where people are restrained and not massively forthcoming until you really get to know them. I would still love to live in the Boston Area. It's one of the few places I'd really consider leaving here to go. Westford, NW of Boston near the NH border. Rural enough to have bears and other wildlife but close enough to actual civilization. New England has 4 actual seasons, which depending on your point of view, can be either a great thing or a pointless need for 4 seasons worth of clothes and gear! I guess I passed within 10 miles of you last week as I was in Nashua New Hampshire. One of the guys I was meeting also showed me video capture of bears in his backyard!
|
|
|
|
thebaron
Europe
Over the river, heading out of town
Posts: 1,658
Member is Online
|
|
Apr 15, 2022 18:59:05 GMT
|
I cleaned up the 528iX today and it is looking great. This prompted me to go open the other garage and start back on the Speedster. I have a several small jobs left over from the reassembly. First up was the headrests. Pretty unsightly. I have an idea that I will fit temporary headrests for the MFK(MOT) time just to try and keep things looking as standard as possible. I dug out some wheel rim protection tape and cut it to fit. Better already. So one of the headrests was broken and it gave me the idea so trim and shape it a little. I'm happy that this will work. A little dab of black paint and that's a step closer. The gearknob was tightening to a 90 degree orientation so I tried a bit of filing initially. That did not work so I solved it with a little fabric spacer inserted into the knob. Correct. Last up was the radio blanking tape flapping about. Just a bit of double side tape to solve this.
|
|
|
|
thebaron
Europe
Over the river, heading out of town
Posts: 1,658
Member is Online
|
|
Apr 16, 2022 20:52:30 GMT
|
Jumped into the wrapping at last this afternoon. I’m on the phone at the moment so no pictures but a start (slow and with some learnings) has been made.
|
|
|
|
|
thebaron
Europe
Over the river, heading out of town
Posts: 1,658
Member is Online
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
thebaron
Europe
Over the river, heading out of town
Posts: 1,658
Member is Online
|
|
Apr 17, 2022 17:18:37 GMT
|
I’ve done a side. Well by done I mean applied but not finessed and finished. I made some mistakes for sure and I ripped a section that meant a patch.
I’m treating this as a learning experience so I completed the side with a patch. I’ll keep going and see how it ends up. At the moment it’s probably a like for like with the existing paint. Good from 10 ft 😵💫
|
|
|
|
|
|
Apr 17, 2022 20:11:22 GMT
|
|
|
Last Edit: Apr 17, 2022 20:11:47 GMT by mr2fc
|
|
thebaron
Europe
Over the river, heading out of town
Posts: 1,658
Member is Online
|
|
|
Not too bad but get a bit closer and... Like I mentioned earlier. I'll probably redo the door as I did rip it and needed a patch but I kept going just to get the experience in.
|
|
|
|
thebaron
Europe
Over the river, heading out of town
Posts: 1,658
Member is Online
|
|
|
Learnings: As it's a fibreglass car and I cannot use the magnets for placement I need to make the smallest workable sections.
When you pull the trigger and place it just start working it from there rather that peel it off if it's not right. Less chance of tears.
|
|
|
|
thebaron
Europe
Over the river, heading out of town
Posts: 1,658
Member is Online
|
|
|
It still looks messy for sure but I'm off work tomorrow so I'll do the other side and also tidy up this side and then see how we stand at that stage.
I need to order more wrap.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
It still looks messy for sure but I'm off work tomorrow so I'll do the other side and also tidy up this side and then see how we stand at that stage. I need to order more wrap. a bit more practice and I'm sure you'll get there looking forward to seeing it done
|
|
|
|
Paul
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,963
|
|
Apr 19, 2022 12:48:57 GMT
|
Well done on your first go...it's a very difficult thing to get right...too little heat and it won't flex enough, too much and you risk stretching and tearing.
I wouldn't be afraid of pulling up a section and relaying it a few times tbh...although not right now obviously 🙂
A super sharp scalpel and really good squeegee can go a long way...as well as a second pair of hands.
|
|
|
|
thebaron
Europe
Over the river, heading out of town
Posts: 1,658
Member is Online
|
|
Apr 21, 2022 20:36:51 GMT
|
Didn’t manage to get to the car yesterday and I’m heading off for a couple of days to Germany tomorrow.
I did order the next set of wrap so some progress.
As an aside, I’m observing with interest the 40 minute sell out rate of the GR86 in the UK. People are very annoyed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Apr 21, 2022 20:53:45 GMT
|
I knew it must have been quick as a few guys on the GR Yaris page managed to get one ordered. Didnt know it was 40 mins though!
Doing well with the wrap, have wrapped a couple of awkward non car things & the only tip I learnt (after) was if you need to do a drastic curve - you pre heat & stretch the wrap & when you re-heat it, it shrinks around the thing. I havent put it into practice though!
|
|
|
|
|