Practically Classics Forum

Food shopping to give the guys at Faster Law Fabrication a chance to cut me a bit of box tubing.
The box tubing which will be for the mount for the TCU and fuse box replacing the old set up. In
replacing the setup, it will look neater, give more space for the cabling to run through it, and raise
the fuse box where it needs to be.

I also picked up some angle iron which will be used for modifying the runners on the volvo
passenger seat later.

Shopping had put a strain on my back lifting, and carrying the metal to mother's car, and putting
it in the boot was the final straw for my back for the day!

I will be making a start on the box tubing tomorrow, but not with an electric grinder as I have yet to
replace the old one(lack of funds) I do have a smaller air compressor driven grinder which I have
never used before so I will give that a go!

New dvd drive and keyboard from ebuyer (ordered monday morning) I had a fall and totalled the
keyboard after landing on it The dvd drive in and one hard drive Windows 7 said it wasn't there
and the other couldn't access or formate or just didn't want to know

Alternative usb to sata data and power cable ordered £2.50

Last nights pc trials








New box tubing along with the part it will replace






Yes it's still rough as a badgers arse, but the next stage will be drilling holes
and going over with a file or the dremel







And the test fit




The air driven grinder will be binned after I have stripped it for connector and bolts.
It needed the compressor at it's highest pressure and higher something the old
compressor could not do!

Added to which it needed the operator to spin the disc to get it going, not safe!

I got 1/3 of the cuts done with a electric jig saw before it went and was thrown in the
bin. Lets just say I got hold of a grinder did the necessary!

After the tidying up it will get a coat of red and I will get back to wiring while it drys.

Just a little work done as I could barely hold a cuppa tea let alone medium to large power tools!
Using the extension so I wasn't holding the dremel but the end which is powered by it, I managed
to use the small grinding discs to remove all the sharp edges from any cuts I had made plus what
had been made in the manufacturing process of the box tubing. I don't want any cables damaged!

Luckily for me my father has a pillar drill so I didn't need to hold anything, just clap it and put a little
weight on the lever. So all relevant holes drilled and sharp edges removed. And a test fitting.




It has jad 2 coats of primer and a coat of red. I will give it another 2 coats tomorrow.

After having a bit of a fall in my father's garage I said enough was enough, and my mother
agreed with me something had to be done about the light in the garage!
So I have been hauling myself up a ladder and replaceing the strip fluorescent lights with
standard house battern light fittings to take household light bulbs. This will mean it will be
easier to change a blown bulb and at a fraction of the cost. It also means that I have not
been able to work on my neon but these lights need doing as I might not get the chance
as there will be a boat in the way as it is being brought back from the marina this weekend.

I have missed the local 'OK' Diner meet for a few months so I popped up there and this bad
weather ment a poor turnout so only a few cars went, and I missed a couple as they went
before I stepped foot out of the dry warm diner!












I should be receiving a few Voyager parts for the alternative bigger brake upgrade in the
next few days. I am trying to do what I can about the dash modifications for the datsun
gauges but I need the lights fixed in the garage as there is no way I will be bring the filler
or fiberglassing stuff in the house!

Oh! and nobody here will be getting decent nights sleep this side of Christmas.
Why? Because the rail network company has decided it is our turn to have major repairs
done before the winter hits and causes more damage.And as the line is used during the
day, the work is being carried out between 11pm and 5am(that is what it shows on the
letter they sent us but they aren't sticking to it or the days).

Then there is the fact the main road is up on one way into Blackhall as they are replacing
50+ drainage. While on the other side of Blackhall on the same road has not been touched
since the land it is on slipped and is reduced down to one lane total. So If the bad weather
hits and someone need to get to Hospital I hope the air ambulance isn't busy!!

Sorry I am rambling on.

I had seen one of these dual smiths gauges on ebay but have been umming and ahhing about
whither or not if it would fit or suit the dash as an alternative to the datsun dual gages. And
as they are smiths the gauges that go into the units are easier to get.

So for the price of 2 car magazines I bought it at the Ryhope Vehicle Ralley which had some
auto jumble stalls. Although this has only one gauge fitted it has a removable blank.






I squeezed into the vent holr and it pushed the centre devider to one side so just a touch too
big but worth a shot!



The below link is to a thread with photos of the Ryhope Vehicle rally.

http://practicallyclassics.phpbbhosts.c ... 981#p56981

Sorry to litter my own build thread!

err as I was searching for a car for the "What's This?" thread I came across this. It's
supposedly a picture of the upcoming Lincoln MKZ Mark II. Yes white wall tyres and
dog dish hub caps and fender skirts!



Have they been raiding my threads or brain for Ideas or am I actually ahead of the
curve on car design

I have dug out the Atiker V6 LPG wiring loom for a little work. The combined LPG change over
switch and led fuel level indicator(won't call it a fuel gauge as only 4 led's for that and a led to
indicate lpg or petrol!) The button is a contact montory switch which the metal contact is stuck
to the sticky plastic cover, which as the cover had lost it's stickiness been separated from the
cover and lost.

As I never liked these switches, but it is still needed in the setup, I need a better switch!
That was easly done from the local electronics store. I have soldered ywo wires to the contact
face on the circuit board of the switch/display and tinned all of the wires for batter connection
later. Oh and I placed the old switch/display in a screw top plastic little tub so I can see inside
while installing it in the car for fault finding and to stap the connections being damaged!






I will be looking at getting a new stereo adapter plate organised before Christmas so the push
button and toggle switches can be fitted better above the stereo on the car. I have yet to figure
out where best to place the LPG ecu due to the limited space under the bonnet.

There will be more work being done on the LPG wiring loom during the bad weather. I am still
waiting on a reply regarding car spares for a spare dash panel before I go further with the old
one.

Well one of the reasons I haven't been able to touch the car is the weather the other is this
little nut job!! She is a cross but we don't know what, and is hyper at the moment, and easily
scared. Yes she is a rescue dog, we thought it best to get another as Rocky has been looking
lonely, heaven help the poor sod now!






Before I go to the Whitby Kustom Car Show on Saturday, I thought it best to do the basics on
Mother's astra. The oil level fine, no mayonase on the dip stick but oil looked a little black.
I don't know why but I lifted the filler cap!








The coolant looks okay, but I knew this car was going to be trouble, but they never listen!
So far that thing delays me putting my car back on the road as it drains the money I need.

It's had clutch, gearbox, rear struts and springs, brake discs pads and front hoses, filter box,
mid section of exhaust and tyres, ans a service!

It needs, head gasket doing(possibly water pump and more), rear wheel bearing(s?) New tyres
and wheels(alloys showing it!) tracking(again)

Heading down is one thing, how I get back is another!!!!!!!!!!
I will be taking it easy but I will be driving it down to Whitby, I have road side assistance, & an
Android tablet will loads of movies to watch for while waiting around for the RAC to turn up!


Back on topic

I have stripped down the old Voyager fusebox the connectors in the fusebox I can modify to work
in the mk1 neon's structure. I have decreased them using white spirit and will tin the ready for
working on the car so less time needed outside. Shame I couldn't do the same with the rest but
the car won't fit in the bedroom.

Is that not just condensation in the Ashtray engine? They do that if they don't get spanked hard enough and often!

She is a cross but we don't know what

I'm no zoologist, but my guess is that she won't know either. She's a canny looking beast.

+1 on the mayonnaise problem - it's often the result of lots of short journeys where the engine doesn't get enough heat to boil the condensation away. A good long trip to Whitby should improve matters somewhat if you get the chance to give it some welly.

Not sure about those push-button switches - they don't seem to like a lot of current going through them. I used to use a few on the model railways (few as in hundreds) and had quite a high fail rate.

I suspect the boy dogs won't mind too much if the new arrival is a cross-breed or not - they certainly like my old dear (half Collie, half Springer who now lacks the spring). Mind you she's an old tart - and still likes the boys as much as they like her (even though she's spayed).

Over the weekend I purchased off ebay a new stereo face plate which has the opening lower
down which is in a similar place to where mine is after I adapted it. And it saves me having to
modify another one and all the mess that comes with having to do that. (the one in the
picture below is upside down)


http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/151015500526? ... EBIDX%3AIT

Monday was spent getting the other switches ready for fitting into the new stereo face plate
when it arrives. I wrecked 2 toggle switches and 3 momentary push button switches just to get
these done.




With it being the 2nd Tiesday of the month it ment the local meet at the OK Diner at Elwick on
the A19. There were only a few classic/custom cars there tonight, so enjoy the photos.


















I will be doing a little work on the LPG wiring loom but considering I have not been able to put it
on the car to see where things will go makes it far harder to do.