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Mar 29, 2024 16:16:26 GMT
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So, having started to sort the doors, I had a closer look at lining things up and actually locating the parts I took out about 12 years ago... I noticed that the door card had a screw hole in it, which was for mounting it. There was no corresponding hole in the door itself (presumably it was missed when the car was built). This was easily sorted with a new hole. I then did a test fit of the frame. It's gone together quite easily, although I do need to add another bit of soundproofing as I can see the frame vibrating on the door itself at some point. Annoyingly there's a couple of holes in both the door card and the frame where a couple of big screws held on the "door pull". I have always wanted to replace this as it's a set-up that can be best described as garbage. I shall fill in the hole on the door card and will look to somehow create a better option - maybe a spreader plate on the back of the door card with some Rivnuts to mount a small handle, as there's nowhere else to mount a handle due to there being no framework in the door's shell. Everything I have come across in the boxes is a bit dirty and needs cleaning and/or re-greasing. I also need to figure out exactly where everything goes so I will need to refer to the old photos I have. I also found 2 short pieces of window channel. These are what the fixed quarterlights slot into. I remember taking them off the car with a view to cleaning and painting them. I did no such thing - just bunged them in a box... They were faded and still had the remains of their rubber glass channel in them. These were definitely the original - how do I know? They had some sort of vegetation growing in them! I popped them into the wooden bench vice and gently tapped the rubber out. Then I cleaned the channels up and gave them a shot of satin black. The mystery of the missing screw hole. This has been rectified. Stupid holes for "door pull". I shall deal with these as they're no use to me. Laying some of the parts out. Quarterlight channels with things growing in them. A visit to the wooden bench vice... ...saw all the old stuff removed, which actually came out really easily. Paint! It makes things tidier!
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Last Edit: Mar 29, 2024 16:18:23 GMT by mrbounce
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Mar 29, 2024 15:02:54 GMT
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Started doing little things on the Midas again. Started doing little things with the door and have realised that I need to look up the old pictures of how it all went together. Being older than when I took them apart, I can't remember...
I am also casually looking at C10 Square Body Chevy/GMC pick-ups. I have no need for one, and Mrs B has made it very clear that any new project can only be acquired once the Midas is finished and/or sold. However, that itch has started. A 40+ year old pick up that probably does less than 15mpg is a totally sensible idea, right?
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Everything about this is wonderful excess!!
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Mar 28, 2024 23:43:54 GMT
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I would love to have a go in a De Tomaso Mangusta - they're utterly bonkers-looking, have an amazing soundtrack, they turn heads everywhere and only petrolheads know what it is. I found something out the other week that I didn't know - my friend's Dad actually has one. He's going to try to get his Dad to take me out in it. If I am lucky enough to do this, I will take ALL the photos and show them here. This is not his car... A 69 Charger. Just to see how rubbish they really are to drive, and to shatter the dreams of 9-year old me thinking that one day I'd be Bo Duke... And something HUGE and early 70s like an enormous Ford LTD or similar, just so I can pull up at the kerbside and watch as the car bounces back and forth on its super-soft springs whilst I delight in 7 1/2 litres of excess and the sea of vinyl inside. And finally a Ferrari 365 GTS/4 - known in most circles as the Daytona Spyder, so I can see what all the fuss is about for a 7-figure car.
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Last Edit: Mar 28, 2024 23:50:44 GMT by mrbounce
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Mar 24, 2024 14:28:55 GMT
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Boot sale this morning revealed this French delight. Also saw a Mad Max style 90s Mustang on the way home, but I don't have a dash cam so you'll have to take my word for it...
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Mar 23, 2024 22:27:04 GMT
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I am fed up with soundproofing, so I did a tiny bit more of it. However, I was not climbing around inside the tiny cabin this time. I shall simply mention the word "doors". The last time the car was outside, I'd gone up into the rafters and brought down the fibreglass shells of the the doors. These were filthy dirty, as well as having picked up a couple of flecks of dark overspray (really not sure how). So I took them outside and gave them a good hosing down before a good clean. The dust and dirt was literally caked on so I had to get quite creative and ended up using some "Quick-Detail" spray, which was quite effective. They have picked up numerous chips and imperfections (couple of scratches) so will need some attention before they're fitted. I added a couple of soundproofing pads (for anti-drumming) to each door, then started having a look at how everything goes together (it's been a LOOOOOOOOOOOONG time since I took them apart!). The metal plates which hold the door opening mechanisms had the bottom 3-4 inches replaced all those years ago, and should prove no big deal to fit. They were rivetted in, so I shall do the same again. The aluminium door frames will need a further coat of satin black, but are also in excellent condition, and a quick check on the driver's door showed it still fitted perfectly. I need to fit numerous pieces of hardware in a specific order to put the lock and window mechanisms back together, but it seems quite straightforward. I just need to make sure that each bit is where I THINK I left it! Finally, I decided to fit the door pockets to the door cards, as otherwise I might accidently end up treading on one of them and breaking it, which would obviously ruin a good day. This was fine with the passenger door card (4 screws), but the drivers' side showed that not only was one of the screw holes about 7mm in diameter as opposed to about 3mm, but it was also quite a way out. By the looks of things, it had been very badly done when the car was put together, and was then never fixed. Not sure if it had been accidently made oversized by someone accidently kicking the door pocket? Anyway, it needed fixing, so I folded over some parcel tape, and then used masking tape to fix this to the underside of the hole. I then filled said hole with epoxy resin, and once this was dry, I removed the back tape and sanded the top flat, before giving it a shot of textured paint. It's a bit of a quick and easy job, but you won't see it as a) it's black, b) it's in a bit of an unaccessible place and c) it will be mostly covered by the door pocket. Once dry, I fitted the door pocket with three of the screws before drilling a new hole for the final screw. The final picture shows just how far out it was... Couple of pads for anti-drumming. Sticky! A brief preliminary "will it fit?" positioning of the door plate. Yup, that will work. Door card mock-up Pocket on the passenger side Difference between screw hole sizes at 6 o'clock and 11 o'clock in this picture. This will just not do! And the difference in position of the original hole and the new one (where the screw is). It's about 8mm... I *could* have made the pocket fit, but this was WAY easier!
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Mar 21, 2024 11:12:34 GMT
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Shut the door, walk away for a few days. Have a creamy bun (maybe a custard slice?) and procrastinate.
Come back to it in a few days.
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Mar 19, 2024 20:49:06 GMT
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Sorry to hear your news! Have dropped you a PM.
Despite everything that's going on, glad to see you back on the Lotus.
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That's way better than I expected.
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Mar 18, 2024 22:57:14 GMT
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Sold Mrs B's Yaris at the weekend (to her sister - easiest transaction in the world!). We'd done less than 400 miles in a year in it, so it wasn't cost effective to keep, even with just £35 per year tax. That leaves us with the Merc, and the Midas - which at the moment is still a static display item. I enjoyed working on it again though, so I will do some more this week. I also *might* have potentially acquired some time with my friend who is excellent at electrics to come in and connect wires to things (I am hopeless at electrics). Not sure what I will be doing in the garage. Probably nothing in the inside of the car. "Why?" I hear you ask? Well, my efforts at contorting myself into a Midas footwell in a small single garage has somehow left me with a pulled muscle. In my groin of all places (awaits usual smutty jokes). I have no option but to treat myself more gently this week!
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Mar 17, 2024 19:58:53 GMT
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A very short update. I have had a very busy time recently and although I have had ideas, I have not gone into the garage other than to move stuff about. Today Mrs B had a couple of friends over, so I took this as my cue to get back on it. I have done some more sound-deadening using the new stuff. Fitting this is time-consuming, fiddly and uncomfortable, especially given the size difference between me (bit of a chunker) and the Midas (a family-sized crisp packet). The passenger side is done at the front. I think when I do the rear of the car, I will make a point of pushing it outside so I get a whole load more space around it. Doing this in a single garage with workbenches is a big bag of no. You do, however, get a pretty picture of my handiwork. More soon, I promise!
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Mar 17, 2024 19:43:22 GMT
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Superb work. This is going to be unbelievably amazing when finished. It's amazing now!
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Mar 17, 2024 19:32:53 GMT
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Wasn't sure whether this sits in the "Spotted" or "Abandoned" threads... noting its untaxed since July, deflated tyres and missing fuel cap.. Caught my eye as it's pretty much the same body(bulkhead back) as my Dodge at first glance. This one's also RHD. That looks like the one in Clacton next to the seafront?
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Mar 16, 2024 10:21:26 GMT
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Poah!! Massive want!! 450 SEL 6.9 Wagon!! One of 2 ever built by Pollmann in Bremen And they painted it brown!! Still, I'd have it in any colour!
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Mar 14, 2024 11:21:37 GMT
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Brilliant.
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Mar 12, 2024 21:48:27 GMT
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Not sure where Looks like Piccadilly Circus in London, 1960s.
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Didn't about that site, I've just checked and my new form was issued a week ago. (still a long time after the sale though) *UPDATE!* On a related note I've just had a speeding fine notice for my old car that the same dealer took in part exchange. Obviously I've passed their details on to the plod but the DVLA is still showing the V5c last issued in Aug '22 That car was on their website but isn't now so it must have been sold, presumably to the person who was speeding. This leaves me with two possibilities:- 1. The dealer is really curse word with their admin regarding change of ownership, or 2. The DVLA need to stop WFH and actually do what they're paid for. Having dealt with "the other side of this" i.e speeding tickets, i can state that what would normally happen was that if the details showed the car as "in trade", we'd send an accompanying letter to the previous owner advising that it was known that they no longer owned the vehicle, but please could they advise who it was sold to so enquiries could begin. My guess is that the car could still be in the trade, and simply passed to a different dealer, or, like you say, they're dreadful with paperwork!
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Been scanning some pictures of our old house when the builders were in, back in 1977/78. Here's a few pics of the vehicles used at the time. Hiace pick-up Dropside Mk1 Transit and next door's Victor Escort Van (think it was the Sparky's) plus the front end of Dad's Saab 96 And as a bonus, here's a P5B that Dad saw in London around the same time as well as possibly a beautifully presented Ital from 1984!
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Feb 29, 2024 16:41:47 GMT
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I know this is probably of little use but I've found (off ebay) that the brown ones are rubbish, but the blue (zirconium ??) are quite good and last well, Nigel Isn't it brown for wood and blue for metal?
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