Its the weekend are you gonna do anything?

[Charlie Chops 1940]

I got the pass. side rocker and back side fit and welded into the '40 yesterday and today. Hope to button up the last body mount and outer edge of the floor tomorrow. Then on to the drivers side. These little jobs sure take a long time.

At the rate I'm going I'll be out be August....maybe.

Charlie

[sirstude]

Finished up the exhaust except for the tips on the Olds, installed the new axles and brakes, and pretty much got the underneath done.  Then went over to a friends and wired up his new compressor.  

Oh yea, got the Impala out of storage yesterday afternoon late.

Doug

[enjenjo]

There has been a small exhaust leak on my van since I bough it, but lately it was worse. So I decided to fix it. Big mistake. Yesterday, I pulled out the engine cover, and found it was leaking at the rear port on the right side, between the manifold and head.  So, I tried to tighten the bolts, they wouldn't move. I tried to remove the rear bolt, and it broke off. That's what you call commited.  At this point, the only way to fix it was to remove the manifold, in the process, I broke off 4 more bolts. This is a 351 W, and breaking the bolts is typical. I worked 5 hours today, and got 4 of the bolts out. The 5th one is at the front of the head, and I can't get too it because of AC lines in the way. So I have to get a short carbide burr to grind it out.  On the bright side, the manifold has been resurfaced, and cleaned up with only .070 removed.

[Carps]

I found this old body out in the bush, I figure it can be saved, so I dragged it home.

[phat rat]

Boy talk about faux patina

[purplepickup]

I found this old body out in the bush, I figure it can be saved, so I dragged it home.

Don should have you do the body work and paint on his roadster.  

Thanks for another visit to your little fantasy world.  Amazing.

[Carps]

You didn't notice that's Dons A coupe in pieces on the other side of the shed?

I think it's taking me a lot longer to do the little one than he took for real.          

[compact]

geez it looks pretty rough carps...but im confident that a man of your skills can fix it        

good to see you still around

cheers  Darren

[Carps]

Boy talk about faux patina

No fauxes anywhere but it did have a few rats nesting in it, so I guess that could mean it's a bonafide rat rod.

FWIW, the rust is real.

Step one is to paint a wet/thinned base coat of my special rust coloured enamel.

Step 2 is the trick.  I have a large container filled with real rust scraped from the hotplate of my BBQ and a few other places (that gives colour variation).  The body whilst still 'wet' is paced into the container of rust, the lid sealed shut and the whole deal shaken vigourosly.

The rust dust sticks to the paint.

Then I apply various 'washes' plus a little more different coloured rust (created from leaving steel nails in a container of water which over time evaporates and the nails rust).

The rust holes are made by grinding away the plastic from the inside until it's so thin you can see thru it.  Then I just pick away with a probe or small screwdriver intil the hole looks like a rust hole.

The dings and dents are made by using a match to heat the plastic then the soft plastic is belted with various implement to create the desired damage.

Another method I use to make real rust is to use a special 'Iron Paint' brew from the hobby store.  Paint it on and allow to dry, then apply the rust 'activator' and within minutes you have a genuine rusty metal model.  I find mixing some of the rust dust from my various containers of rust, with the iron paint, gives different colours and textures of rust using this method.

[enjenjo]

Finally got the van done today, the last broken bolt took me 5 hours to get out with a carbide burr, a die grinder, and a mirror.

[Charlie Chops 1940]

Frank, you are a better man than me...I think I'd have torched the whole rig.

I finally got the drivers side rocker panel outer tacked in today. 3 sick days have slowed me down.

Charlie

[Dave]

Hey its Friday    We rode the Harley in to work today :ha)  :ha)  :ha)  :ha)  );b(  );b(  );b( ... I have no real plans other than still trying to make the usac show in Winchester,Indiana Sunday. The car ran good on the way home also last night. I need to recheck the steering box center as it feels loose. Other than that some rattles and look at the front brakes some more cause I still have one side acting funny :?:  It seems like it almost has too much front brake.. Other than that nothing fell off and no leaks.. makes me happy     .. Now come on 3:30 its gonna be 78 degrees today and that harley  in the parking lot is calling me already ..
Dave  

[purplepickup]

I rode to work this morning too.

This weekend we're setting up for a huge garage sale next week for all my mom and dad's stuff.  Mom had to move out of the family home and it's amazing how much stuff they accumulated over the years.  That's probably where I got my packrat tendencies.

In my spare time I'm moving a chain link fence in my yard to include a new 40' building I put up last summer.

It sure is good to have spring weather finally.

Frank, don't you just love those jobs that start out like they'll be just a quick fix and then they turn into a major cluster ****.

Charlie, hope you're feeling better.  It sounds like you're knee deep in stuff too.

[Charlie Chops 1940]

Thanks George, just a bug of some sort.

I've got so much to do that the Big Guy says I'm good to go. I'd be bored to tears otherwise. This old '40 Chevy was in rough shape when it got rodded and I've worn the poor girl out twice. About time for some TLC.

Charlie

[Carps]

I've worn the poor girl out twice. About time for some TLC.

Could it be all the TLC that wore her out in the first place, maybe she just needs a rest.