Practically Classics Forum

I won't be participating in the sweepstake as I don't think I'll be around when it's finished! OK, I'm not 60 - YET - but have a feeling that I won't make it much past 70!

Without sounding unkind, I suspect that the rebuild is more a therapy than an "must get the car finished tomorrow" project. As such, the time it takes isn't the important thing, it's the interest and motivation to go outside and do something, while having something to be able to plan and discuss when you can't actually do something physical. I had a similar "project" when I was ill (in 1978/9) and it never made it onto the road! Mind you, that was a '69 Rapier with terminal rot and a badly rebuilt engine! My father bought it so I could rebuild it and he would use it in the winter (when he wasn't allowed to ride his motorbike). It was only with hindsight that I realised what he was doing!

i have faith in the man.

Yes this car is therapy I have stated that a few times through this thread
and I am not denying that the build has taken a little longer than I
thought (about 2 years longer than I thought ).
My new goal for having the old girl running and an attempt at an MOT is
my birthday in July(health and weather permitting)

I have not worked directly on the car with my parents being busy,
however I had to do some work on my winch to make it usable again.
The hole which the cable slides into had rough edges which could have
damaged the cable, alo the screw which holds the cable in place was
unusable. So I have had to drill and tap the treads and make a suitable
new screw, then file and sand the drum with various dremmel
attachments.

That done a slightly larger cable has been fitted and is 15 meters long
which is the maximum length of cable the drum can handle. The hook
was cut off the old cable and fitted to the new one by a cable clap from
Hartlepool Marine Supplies. I am unhappy with the way I have fitted it
so I will redo it as I forgot to put the cable through the fairleed first!



I will make the farleed bracket tomorrow, but I need to replace the
spring which holds the cable against the drum so it winds mice and
tightly. (the spring from a rat trap perhaps unused of course)

I need to get the winch finished off and mounted on it's bracket so I
can pull the car off the pit to properly sort the brackes out and fit the
rear coilovers and level the old girl off.

Okay need to get the winch sorted so I can move the car as my legs aren't
fit for me let alone to push the car!!
Dad is not going to push it as the last time he did I was beating out the
dents for weeks afterwards!!

I have used carriage bolts because of their rounded and smooth heads so that
there is nothing for the cable to snag on!












Only the spring loaded cable tensioner to make now, so that is tomorrows
job before I wined the cable back on the winch and refit the hook.

And here is a view up the coast from the garden fence on Saturday night.
Enjoy!

I bought 2 different rat traps to try out different springs and arms.
After a bit of trial and error I used the arm off the wooden one with
one of the springs off the metal one. Plus the pastry was my supper.





The tubing may be a bit rough but I was using needle nose pliers and
trying to put it over threaded bar. The tension plus the bar being
threaded should be enough to hold it in place.



My fingers were in pain off my arthritis before messing around with
the springs! A new larger cable loop has been ordered along with a
winch cable stopper to protect the fairlead from the cable clamp.

Both should arrive by friday ready for cable fitting in good weather as
Thursday is supposed to be a washout like today.

have you thought about patenting that idea?

"Pimp my rat trap," I'm sure that Nat Geo would be up for making a series about that. Failing that, this guy might take it on:

If I can make one out of odds and sods, then I can make another if
this one gets damaged. Even the cheap versions of the winch cable
tensioner are start at $41.90 with $57.25 postage of from the states.
And even then the spring isn't as strong as the on I've fitted to mine!


http://www.ebay.com/itm/Superwinch-90-1 ... 82&vxp=mtr

There are others but they are priced insanely
So for the price of a car mag, and a bit of work, I have a something
that works. Imagine the above picture without spacers or plate to go
agaisnt the cable and that is what was in the winch when I got it in
very bad shape and the same as what was available from the
manufacturer which didn't look strong enough or fit for the job!

did you lose many fingers during manufacture of this part?

I have bruises and blisters on my fingers, along with a slightly
sprained wrist from grabbing the winch as it fell to stop it hitting
my legs and feet. I didn't want a broken foot, I've enough problems
with walking as it is!

When the last part I have ordered which is similar to the picture
below, I can put the cable on the winch. I have purchased a rubber
winch cable stopper to protect the fairlead from the cable clamp.



And it will all need to be done wrong-handed as not to make my wrist
any worse than it is!