2023: What are you doing today?

[Crosley.In.AZ]

Took wheel off the Goldwing.  Removed the tire from the wheel while the HF tire tool held the wheel. It was more work than I liked , but I got it done.

Saturday I will replace the battery in the TPMS sensor on the wheel... then install the new tire

[idrivejunk]

Don't know how many of you might be Gilligan fans but I watched that show every day after grade school. If you are one, on any level, search youtube or elsewhere for the "Dusty's Trail" tv show and tell me if you spot any similarities. 


56 paint was getting polished all this week. Chassis not yet present but due back anytime and its me who will assemble body panels.

When is the last time I put something painted together? Don't know if that would still be in living memory.

Mustang got put on roto, awaits blasting.

Got left side rust parts all screwed in place on the 68 Chevy cab.

[Crosley.In.AZ]

Replaced the battery in my Honda Goldwing TPMS sensor.  CR2032 battery with tabs is close to correct design. I bent the tabs a bit and solder the unit in. Old battery had zero volt reading.  New battery has 3 volts.

This sensor is $200+ dollars for a new one. Most shops telll you they are not serviceable.



The TPMS on the bike is happy now. No TPMS fault is set now.

     

[Crosley.In.AZ]

Goldwing front tire replacement  is finished ... I took the bike for a short ride.  Will need to take for longer ride and run into the triple digits looking for vibrations

  

[enjenjo]

Josh and I went to the Coldwater MI car show/ swap meet today in his Buick wagon. I saw Charlie up there but no one else. First long trip in the Buick and it didn't miss a lick

[chimp koose]

put my fish in the pond today. put some flower buckets out . Man have flowers got expensive.

[Crosley.In.AZ]

Josh and I went to the Coldwater MI car show/ swap meet today in his Buick wagon. I saw Charlie up there but no one else. First long trip in the Buick and it didn't miss a lick

Alright.. Better than when the cruise control quit 16 years ago. 

[Crosley.In.AZ]

Picked up a phree 2 wheel  project.. As we all know, its the phree stuff that is the most expensive?    It is a budget bike even when new. The bones of it seem is decent shape .. Its 21 speeds. The chain derailers seem to operate.

It needs a few parts. Seat mounting is shot, it has tek screws in it to hold position. Rear tire does not hold air very well.  Which brings up a point.  I have not messed with bicycles in decades (4 or 5).. Tire sizes on this thing is: 40-622 ?  Or optional tire is : 700-38c ?  What happened to the wheel diameter included in tire size?

 

[idrivejunk]

So far, so good putting the 56 together.   Showing a spot where there was lots of gap work. Filler was done with vehicle apart.

[WZ JUNK]

Tony, looks like the tires are available on Amazon.  The tires I bought for my Schwin twin cost more than I gave for the bike.

[Crosley.In.AZ]

Tony, looks like the tires are available on Amazon.  The tires I bought for my Schwin twin cost more than I gave for the bike.

thanks John... I found tires on amazon..  When we return to the valley in a few months, I will tackle this bike project. For now the bike is in storage.

 

[Crosley.In.AZ]

Found this VW 411 car in storage parking lot we use...  I have not seen one of these for a few years.  Must be in the 1970s model yrs  when those great looking safety bumpers were required?

 

[idrivejunk]

One pic is what a terrorist on an above-the-law lunatic intercounty rampage looks like. I hope they stopped lead eventually. Almost got me by ramming but my junk is blown. All us other motorists enjoyed the free nose and windshield pebble showers like in pic.

Other pic shows how the Honda color on the 56 acts like a civil war spy... blue or grey depending vantage point.

Yesterday was a prime example of typical stupor. New just bought and painted door handles don't fit new custom fitted painted and polished doors. Why create extra and unduly painstaking labor by delaying handle purchase until after paint?

That ain't all. The bear claws are after me too. Every time I do a swap, the little penny-ante striker depth is an issue. Its peculiar that so much range of up down in out adjustment is provided while the absolutely critical placement of striker head in closed latch gets none. Big problem every time. First off, none of the parts are anywhere near beefy enough. Then the stupid pins have hex heads. Nothing could be less intelligent. In this case, after paint was added, the heads line up with latch body and just go bang trying to close. Requiring machining away a couple sharpie line widths of bolt shoulder with a cutoff wheel to make it clear. All that trouble for maybe a quarter inch diameter striker pin which is a joke on a 50s truck.

If that ain't funny enough, how about expecting black paint not to chip on the face of a lock cylinder when key is inserted.

If I may borrow a Steely Dan line... Things that pass for knowledge, I can't understand. Others just slice through life like a kid with a boxcutter in a train station.

[idrivejunk]

Having a pretty good laugh at myself now, having made that grumpy but metered pre-med rant. Fattest raise ever, on my check today.



I'll never learn. May as well make the best of it. I can now put a number on the years of career penalty the switch to old cars got me. 14. I believe this is calmer than I'd be had I stuck with collision work all that time.    Mighta done cashed in my chips if that.

Living out my theory about 56 grille install and having anticipated results. Put the grille and upper and lower filler panels together in a stack and stab the assembly with one fender on then hang other fender last. Well I came away with one easy fix scrape visible on the blue grey green. Last fender to go, then hood. Luck seems with me but I'd take any extra you got.

[idrivejunk]

Heres what I was talking about. The striker mounts on a conversion bracket which could be bent to compensate instead but then it would look bent.


Pix are jumbled up.

First is my precision machining station

Second is uncut striker

Third is striker latched proper with head between claw and back wall of latch. This third dimension can haunt ya. Shuts like a bank vault now.

Fourth is a Stude chassis under construction with builder hiding hunched over a chop saw. Bonus. Dig that crazy bed!

Fifth is under the seat. No wait, thats where the striker head sat. Get too far in and bang bang going down the road. Strikers are an infernally finicky thing ain't they?

Sixth shows the stunning machine work. 

Technical post accomplished. Figured I better work out all door issues before last fender. I have yet to try door rubbers on it so thats a bit of a nailbiter.