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That looks brilliant. I'm banned from getting canvas prints as the last one I got I mixed up my sizes and got one that's more than half the size of a door... It's from my trip to San Francisco - Pier 7 at 7.30am. I saw it, loved it and took this: Good work on the hatchet and for adding the handle.
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Jun 28, 2021 15:52:45 GMT
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Well, as I was due a bit of long-awaited luck, I managed to make the magic metal sparkly stick work. I'll be honest, my welding is pretty poor (as is the machine I have - however it is mainly the user) but it was enough to solidly make the mounting I needed. I will do a tidier job if I ever have to replace it. For now, thought it's done. I fitted it, tightened everything and it is not going anywhere. My neck now aches from being in unusual contorted positions for too long. But I don't really care. Because my exhaust is now on, and I don't have to do it again (famous last words). A weight has been lifted from my shoulders! I made two bits of metal stick together. Don't look too closely - lots of penetration and it's strong but man it's ugly! But it's on. And it isn't falling off.
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Jun 27, 2021 20:06:34 GMT
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I'll be honest. I find exhausts hateful things - mainly because I am working on my own and don't have access to a lift or similar. That said, the exhaust is ON. It is clamped together, the LCB is anchored to the gearbox, and the only thing that wasn't quite right was the centre hanger I had made. It was putting unnecessary load on the centre bobbin - because of the way the exhaust bends the clamp which was welded to the hanger couldn't sit straight. Using it like that would make it go through bobbins every 5 miles or so, even the reinforced ones. I had a re-think. As I do not want to weld my nicely-coated exhaust (you wouldn't either if it had cost THAT much), I have thought laterally. A while back my initial thought on hanging the centre pipe to the beam was to use a bit of metal bar welded to the exhaust and a late-model Mini rear rubber mount (see picture below). Instead of welding it to the expensive exhaust, I figured welding it to the clamp instead would be a better idea. At least it would if the welder wasn't playing up. So although the exhaust is "on", there is a bit of wood holding up the centre section whilst I figure out what's wrong with the welder. In the meantime, here's a pic of what it will look like once fully done!
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Last Edit: Jul 26, 2021 20:38:28 GMT by mrbounce
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Jun 24, 2021 21:22:36 GMT
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I remember a trip with the local Mini Club to watch classic Minis being built at Longbridge and there was a guy with a huge wooden hammer smacking the door aperture to make the doors fit properly!
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Jun 24, 2021 19:52:02 GMT
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As far as I am aware they only came from the factory with the Mercedes V6 3.2, either normally aspirated or supercharged in the SRT-6.
I think any V8 would be a conversion.
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Jun 23, 2021 21:09:53 GMT
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But the Michael Jackson CD has Thriller on it - surely you've got to rock out to Vincent Price's rap?
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Jun 22, 2021 19:45:07 GMT
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Looking at your work on this I am glad that I started with my fibreglass Midas all those years ago!! I couldn't weld at the time (I can a bit now, but it's Pigeon-plop in comparison to your fabulous welds!!) and although I know a fair bit about repairing fibreglass now, it takes a special amount of skill to repair something to the standard that you have Dan.
I love following the progress of Lloyd - looking forward to the next installment!
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Jun 20, 2021 20:58:16 GMT
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Sorry I haven't updated for a while. My Dad has been ill in hospital (I don't like this year much - but thankfully it's not Covid related) so I have been dealing with that whilst the discharge team are busy not doing their jobs properly and making everyone wait whilst they don't let him go home (he's medically fine now thankfully). I can't say that it's been good for my mental health. I had a little time this afternoon so I figured that I would sort something that's been bugging me since I got the exhaust. Where the front to rear brake pipe heads towards the middle of the car at the front, it passes very close to the manifold's Y-piece connecting pipe. I don't fancy the idea of boiling my brake fluid, so I decided to construct a small heat shield. Out came one of the most valuable items to have in a garage: the Jaffa Cake box for CAD (cardboard-aided design). I made a rough template of what I needed which I then cut out of a spare bit of aluminium I had - actually part of the old glove box... Then followed some of my exercise for the day - I lost count of the number of times I crawled underneath to check, fit, remove, amend, try again and repeat until it fitted properly. Once I was happy with what I had I covered it in heat resistant tape, then fitted it using a couple of nuts on to the bolts that secure the P clips for the brake line. It's only a little thing but it was one of those ones that seemingly takes forever to sort. I somehow doubt that I will take it off now!! Hopefully be able to give you a better update soon. CAD in its raw form. All taped up - sorry for the awful photo - the flash went off and because the tape's highly reflective, it bounced back! And fitted to the car. Although it looks like it's touching, there's actually a bit of clearance. It's camera trickery. At least that's my story...
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Jun 16, 2021 16:54:17 GMT
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When I had my Bora, the local VW/Audi specialist had a TDi estate which had belonged to a customer which they bought from him and used as a courtesy car.
Well serviced examples do last, because this one had 330k on it.
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Jun 16, 2021 15:56:56 GMT
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Although it's a dirty horrible job it's extremely satisfying to reorganise the garage. I found that when I moved my big red cupboard I was able to put in new shelving and made a whole load more space. I like to be able to give everything an easily accessible place if I can. Yours is looking really good already.
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Jun 16, 2021 15:04:05 GMT
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I don't care if you can only fit 3 shopping bags and a case of beer in it. I WANT one of these to go shopping in at Tescos! It was actually not registered until 2002 but LOOK AT IT!
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Saw this wonderful bad-boy creation a few days ago getting the weekly shop. Looked to be LR/RR-based. Great bit of kit! NCF Blitz? Having just looked that up, I would say so. Never seen one before. Like it.
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And as per my last post, I saw a New Mexico plate and had to have it. My reason? It has my late Mum's initials on it. And that makes it a worthwhile addition in my eyes. When I was a boy, I collected key-rings and Mum always did her best to find obscure and random ones for the collection, so I felt a US plate with her initials on it would be a fun thing to have. A bit random, and not a key-ring, but I guess it's what I collect now, so in a way it's her personalised plate, even though she never drove. Here's to you Mumsie.
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You may find it becomes a bit of an obsession too. But it is educational I cannot confirm or deny the purchase just now of another plate, for sentimental reasons.
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You have unknowingly managed to gather some pretty cool American license plates. National guard, DV etc are the route I went once I had enough regular plates. I figured that after a few of the "regulars" I would start investigating "others". So far I have a National Guard, Disabled Veteran, a Truck plate and a Dealer's Plate. Plenty more oddball ones to follow, no doubt such as RV, Judge's Plates and Diplomatic - they are out there. I think the more difficult (and therefore not quite so cheap) ones to get appear to be Rhode Island, Alaska and Hawaii. Anyway, here's the next 3 which arrived this week: Indiana - I got an older plate, simply because of its patina. New York, again, because it looked like it's seen a bit of action. And a rather dirty Nevada. It's not up in the rafters yet because I can't reach - there's a Midas in the way.
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Some cracking pictures - thank you!
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That 230CE is begging for some SLK 230 running gear
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Saw this wonderful bad-boy creation a few days ago getting the weekly shop. Looked to be LR/RR-based. Great bit of kit!
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Last Edit: Jun 5, 2021 16:04:42 GMT by mrbounce
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Dax Rush with a Gas Turbine engine?
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May 30, 2021 21:36:59 GMT
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I was going through my list of US States and thought something didn't quite look right. Yup, 49 states. I don't know why, but for some strange reason I had left left poor Connecticut out. Sorry Connecticut. Thought I would get a Connecticut plate next, but couldn't find one I particularly liked. So some others are due for delivery next week instead. I managed to meet up with my brother for the first time in over a year last week. He has been rebuilding one of his sheds (he has 3) as it was in a bad state of disrepair. It's now looking much more usable apparently. I figured that he could do with some regalia for it. Suitable warning sign obtained from eBay:
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