What Pleased You Today!

[Tom Geiger]

Chuckle of the day- Actually yesterday. A guy on Facebook was very interested in the weathering processes on my 1950 Chevy pickups. He was quite complimentary and said he wanted to learn just how it was done.

So I sent him a long private message with my layering / wet sanding technique and my pastel chalk rusting process.

He responded that it was too much work!  Wasn’t there a spray he could just use on the bare plastic body they would come out just like it?

I guess it’s not for everyone!

[Ace-Garageguy]

23 hours ago, porschercr said:

Good luck with the project. Glad you got it home...

Thanks.

Fixed the hose at first light, drove to work, home, then around for a couple hours this evening.

He's a car again.    

Edited August 12, 2020 by Ace-Garageguy

[porschercr]

27 minutes ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

Thanks.

Fixed the hose at first light, drove to work, home, then around for a couple hours this evening.

He's a car again.    

?

[Dave Ambrose]

I got a little note from the DMV. Normally, they want money. Today, it was the title for our Nissan Frontier. The loan was paid off last month. 

[Rodent]

27 minutes ago, Dave Ambrose said:

I got a little note from the DMV. Normally, they want money. Today, it was the title for our Nissan Frontier. The loan was paid off last month. 

Time to get a new one....

[Dave Ambrose]

15 minutes ago, Rodent said:

Time to get a new one....

Not just yet. It only has 101K on it and is running well. Besides, new Frontiers look pretty much like the old Frontiers. Besides, after all the bucolic bovine byproduct we had to go through to get the model, trim, and color we wanted, we're going to get as many miles out of this as we can. We got 326K out of our 2001 Xterra. Still lots of life left in this one. 

[DonW]

On 8/10/2020 at 9:00 PM, Ace-Garageguy said:

Brought another little car back from the dead. '05 Neon 2-liter I got for almost nothing after a Chinee-special radiator tank split, and the owner overheated it pretty badly while getting it safely off the interstate. Even though I explained he was probably fixable relatively inexpensively, she just didn't want to put any more money in him, and was ready to send him to the crusher.

Put in a new rad on Saturday, fixed a few "engine light" issues, test-drove him, and was pleasantly surprised that incredibly, the head gasket isn't blown...yet.

I have a used head coming to build on the bench, as the last wizard to put a cam belt on him bent a valve slightly, so there's a low-compression miss at idle...and a "cylinder one misfire" code.

I REALLY like Neons. They're fun to drive, are one of the best handling little cars out there, and this one, getting around 30 MPG or better on the highway, will save me some serious gas money while I re-engine the 10 MPG '89 GMC.

I think this little guy is eventually going to get Webers (will need to blister the hood for clearance), a cam, and a set of headers.

Happiness is a pair of 45DCOEs on open trumpets and a 300 degree cam. Works on a 2002 BMW anyway! 

Edited August 12, 2020 by DonW

[Ace-Garageguy]

1 hour ago, DonW said:

Happiness is a pair of 45DCOEs on open trumpets and a 300 degree cam. Works on a 2002 BMW anyway! 

Yessir.      One of my first forays into racing had to do with a Chevron B-16 running a BMW 4-cylinder.

To the best of my knowledge, nobody's put Webers on a 2-liter Neon yet. They will face forward and require a significant hood blister, plus a cold air box, but that's not too hard.

A tricky bit is getting a distributor on it, as the coil packs are fired by the engine management computer as-is...but there's a mounting point where the cam position sensor lives on the LH end of the head, and I can machine a drive dog to run off the end of the cam. Something like an AccuSpark or Pertronix conversion in an old Bosch 019 distributor ought to do the job, maybe firing an MSD box...or not. Just about any junkyard magnetic-trigger distributor could work.

[espo]

20 hours ago, Tom Geiger said:

Chuckle of the day- Actually yesterday. A guy on Facebook was very interested in the weathering processes on my 1950 Chevy pickups. He was quite complimentary and said he wanted to learn just how it was done.

So I sent him a long private message with my layering / wet sanding technique and my pastel chalk rusting process.

He responded that it was too much work!  Wasn’t there a spray he could just use on the bare plastic body they would come out just like it?

I guess it’s not for everyone!

Ya tell him there is a special paint for that, it's called "Time in a bottle". 

[Rodent]

1 hour ago, espo said:

Ya tell him there is a special paint for that, it's called "Time in a bottle". 

I have thyme in a bottle....

[Ace-Garageguy]

On 8/11/2020 at 9:37 PM, Tom Geiger said:

...He responded that it was too much work!  Wasn’t there a spray he could just use on the bare plastic body they would come out just like it?

Tell him there's soon gonna be an app for it. That should make him happy.

[Deuces ll]

13 hours ago, espo said:

Ya tell him there is a special paint for that, it's called "Time in a bottle". 

That's a good song... Too bad we don't hear it anymore on the radio....??

[HomerS]

One of my furry foursome.  Brian Griffin (the teenager named him!) looked like one of his K9 teeth had broken off so made an appointment to get his teeth cleaned.  He had two chips (neither current when I adopted him) and the big guy had little if any care before he came here four years ago.  Three beds, two cushions on the couch and a chair...he picks the smallest bed as apparently the pain meds were working well.  He did have two teeth extracted (K9 tooth was broken off when I first met him and vet said it's not any worse).

No chew toys for three weeks.  Seriously?  He is a nine year old 'puppy'!  As long as he's happy and healthy....

[crazyjim]

Pressured washed 2/3 of the shop driveway and didn't get any streaks like I used to.  I tried a different method this time.  Hope to complete the last of it this morning if the weather cooperates.

[Ace-Garageguy]

There seem to be more and more instances of sloppy business practices and general incompetence with each passing day, and it can be costly and maddeningly frustrating when you're trying to make a living but have to be constantly cleaning up other people's messes to get anything done.

But sometimes, you get a pleasant surprise: happy ending to my "irked" rant...I got a great customer service guy on the horn at Jeg's who went well out of his way to get the issue resolved, even calling the warehouse while I was on hold to make sure a human was aware of the problem with the order, and then sent me a pre-paid FedEx label to ship the wrong stuff back. Everything's looking good...and two sticks of the right stuff came in yesterday, which lets me move forward with the build while I wait for the rest.

[Khils]

12 minutes ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

...I got a great customer service guy

An elder gentleman told me years ago......"every now & then, even a blind squirrel can find a nut to eat".     Carry on Ace!

Edited August 20, 2020 by Khils

[crazyjim]

Finished pressure washing the last third of the shop driveway.  Now to get cleaned up and go out for gas, pool water test, Taco Bell, and hopefully a haircut.

[Tom Geiger]

8 hours ago, crazyjim said:

 and hopefully a haircut.

During the pandemic I was desperate and figured I wasn’t gonna be seen anyway so I put the 1/2” attachment on my electric razor and did my entire head. I determined it looked good enuf and I don’t see myself paying for a haircut again!

[HomerS]

My sons wanted to know where the door handle was on the 2020 Corvette.  I presume it was part of the door vent but I told him to ask the gentleman who owns it.  The guy went over and opened the door to show him....then asked if the 13 year old (both my sons are above the norm on the growth chart....my oldest is 6'5") if wanted to get behind the wheel.  Then the owner fired it up.  

I passed on the opportunity as I didn't to have to crawl out of it.  I got behind the wheel of a Mercedes AMG GT and thought the dealership was going to need the Jaws of Life to get me out as my knees wouldn't bend enough to get out.

[OldNYJim]

Moved into our new place today.  Enjoying having a pool right outside, and a dedicated workshop for the first time...and seeing nature from the bench!  Saw hummingbirds flying outside the window as I was assembling the workbench today!

 

[High octane]

Survived attending a car show today in this HOT weather. My poor body is showing it's age and this heat and humidity didn't help matters at all. Was beat when I got home after wading through Saturday traffic as well.

[slusher]

1 hour ago, CabDriver said:

Moved into our new place today.  Enjoying having a pool right outside, and a dedicated workshop for the first time...and seeing nature from the bench!  Saw hummingbirds flying outside the window as I was assembling the workbench today!

 

Looks great Jim, wish you and your wife nothing but happiness after your last situation...

[slusher]

1 hour ago, High octane said:

Survived attending a car show today in this HOT weather. My poor body is showing it's age and this heat and humidity didn't help matters at all. Was beat when I got home after wading through Saturday traffic as well.

I know the feeling, my oxygen dropped today. Keeping an eye on it and taking my copd meds..

[High octane]

8 hours ago, slusher said:

I know the feeling, my oxygen dropped today. Keeping an eye on it and taking my copd meds..

I didn't know that getting older would be this tough???

[espo]

10 hours ago, CabDriver said:

Moved into our new place today.  Enjoying having a pool right outside, and a dedicated workshop for the first time...and seeing nature from the bench!  Saw hummingbirds flying outside the window as I was assembling the workbench today!

 

You having to move may have been a blessing after all. Good luck to you, your new place looks very nice.