bobss396

I have been giving HL a rest for a while. Like I need another kit and I have a lot of primer stocked up. I will check their site for the 40% off notice and go soon just to look around.

The Revell '48 Ford has a great flathead. VCG Resins makes a nice one with ordering options, IIRC, Iceman Collections has a bunch too.

I find that it is hard to do all the polishing in a single sitting. I'll break it up so I don't rush it if I'm tired. I use mostly lacquers, some nail polish. With those, I have had to start with 1500-1800 grit to get it going. Most of the time I start with 2400-3200. Let the cloths do the work. I dip the cloths in water with a couple drops of dishwashing soap in it. You need to keep the cloths clean, once they pick up paint, time to toss it. I cut the DM cloths into 4 parts and mark the grit on the back with a Sharpie. I rarely go past 6000 grit. I then switch to Meguiars Show Car Glaze, I apply that with a damp piece of flannel or t-shirt material. Also don't be afraid to go back to a lower grit for problem areas. I learned this the hard way, make sure there is enough paint on the body. When polishing, I stay away from the edges. I'll put down a piece of tape if I have to mask something off so I don't blow through it.

The flattie looks good. The last AMT kit I did, I used the Chrysler engine.

I may have done too much yesterday. I jacked up the back of the Belair, took the tires off and adjusted the new brakes. My buddy came over around 5 and helped bleed them. He never even got dirty. The car stops well. I will take it in for the inspection later today, maybe tomorrow. I also took some weeds and vines out of my front and side beds. I washed with poison ivy soap just in case. It was pretty cool and I like to work in the shade, I take pool breaks too. My yard always looks nice. I have a lawn service come in and do the weekly cutting. So I'll take it easy for the next few days, give the body a chance to heal. My lower back is a little stiff, no bad pains. I see my heart doctor on Friday, he calls me one of his "miracle" babies. He was the attending heart doctor when I coded in the ER back in 2016.

This is Ivan at 8 weeks, just after he had his shots, etc. The vet said he was in great health considering he was born in a feral community.

I was working on the Belair over the long weekend almost 3 weeks ago. At the height of my back and knee pain. I was finishing up the back brakes and my son walks up. He sees me having a hard time getting up off the driveway. His advice.. maybe you need to give it a rest for a while. He was not wrong. I just took a break, I have the rear wheels off the Belair. I'm waiting for it to get shady so I can adjust the shoes. My buddy is coming over after 5 and will help me bleed the brakes again. It stops but the pedal should be better.

A couple of Ivan recent pix. He comes out of the woodwork after 8 pm and wants to sit with me.

The 1st is my son's girlfriend's cat Socks. The rest are Brie from the other day.

1959 Edsel I saw while cutting through an area on my way home. It was for sale maybe 4 years ago locally. It seems to be quite solid.

I will be 70 in exactly 8 months. I'm in decent shape despite a bypass in 2016 and a few other things. I take a bunch of pills every day to keep things in check. My girlfriend is 4 months older than me and still looks good and is still working. I was hurt in a 2011 car accident, have had many ESI injections to battle pain issues. My lower back, I hurt that now and then. I had a tough spring with spasms. I see my heart doctor on Friday, he checks me out every 3-4 months. So far this year, I have gotten my veggie garden planted, also my patio pots and flowers. I made a new pool filter platform a month ago that was hard work. I bought a "new" 1966 Belair that I am working on, got that registered yesterday. I still own and drive a '59 Ford with a 355 Chevy and a 4-speed in it, worth about 425 HP. I just keep moving, I'm up most mornings by 6.... I have a 4-legged alarm clock, an 8 year old feral kitten-cat rescue. I avoid the day time TV trap like the plague. I retired in 2020, lost about 40 lbs and feel pretty good aside from chronic pain. Before the driveway gets too much sun, I have to stumble out to do some work on the Belair.

I approve. I'm a '49 Merc junkie at heart.

Someone used to make a 3/32" styrene rod with a filler (possibly mild steel) inside of it, quite good for headers. My supply is long gone, it may even been .080".

As local surfer kids, we lived for that movie to come on TV, maybe around 1967 or 1968 was the 1st time I saw it. I still watch it when I see it, the music was a key element to the enjoyment.

I will likely sit out the 1st wave of these, but will watch on eBay. My one local shop will be hit or miss with these I'm sure. The under $40 price is pretty good.

Josh at VCG does some amazing stuff. I'm planning on picking up that chassis to use with a '30 Ford resin coupe body I have. I like the use of the 6, he has a few of the Fords that are well detailed.

When in doubt, crack open a '40... I'll be watching this one.

The blue one with the white stripe belongs to a lady I used to work with, it was a wedding present from her husband. I asked him if he was looking for a side chick... Newins Ford in Bay Shore had a nice show in 2022, also a drizzly day and I had my '20 entered. I'll have to see if this is a yearly thing, right after Labor Day. The senior Andrew Siben (local lawyer) had a green '59 Edsel rag top entered, a one-off. It was amazing.

I got a pair of Harbor Fright ones, $3.99 and I soon broke them. Of course cutting some stout wire. I was disgusted and threw them in the trash.

TS-14 for sure, make sure you lay down enough coats if you plan to color-sand it. The day that Earnhardt got killed at Daytona, I was helping a kid my kids knew, he had an Earnhardt car going and his mom asked me to paint it for him. I used of all things a Rustoleum spray can. I gave the kid 10 minutes of free body work... damn... that came out great and needed no polishing.

I have not had much luck bending 3D printed headers. I have busted off a couple of tubes trying. I did graft some styrene rod onto a set I'm doing for a modified stock car.

When I was growing up, the kid next door found one that must have fallen from a nest. He was about 10 (the kid...) and took good care of the critter. He had it in a bird cage in his room. Eventually he let it outside, but it came up to him whenever he went out. Some of my smaller ones will get close to me to pick up nuts I drop for them.

Try Daytona Racing Souvenirs on 92, just west of the Speedway on the same side of the highway. I always stopped in there when I was in the area. They had some aftermarket stock car items. I haven't been there since 2011.

I'm doing well... not starting anything new. I'll see how long I can hold out....

I've bee a hot mess since March, lower back issues, mainly muscle spasms. My pain doctor shot me up with cortisone in March and it helped. I had to walk around the house holding onto things, lol. Lately the other side has been really bad, plus my one knee since I have been walking funny. That has improved and I'm now pretty functional. I have been working on a '66 Belair I picked up. I had the front end apart, also did brakes all around despite terrible pain.