MadaboutKitcars

Davcymru said: "wondering if i could get more inventive"

You mean like WCA, and go the 4 x 2 route? :-)

Powered bonnet lifters?

Monday morning

I have had another minor setback, I posted earlier about the hidden stereo not working correctly, and having to remove it to sort it out.

Well I did get it going and replaced it back in the car, , but when I came to try it out yesterday, a sort of spot check if you like, it did not work, so I left it, with the idea of retuning later.

When I came back to it, it had actually started working, and was blaring out music very loudly.

Not really what I want, so at the price I paid, its not even worth sending it back under guarantee, so I have ordered another one.

This has to be done at this stage because of the constricted space problem.
I cannot start paneling around it until it is working okay.
Its bad enough trying to get it out and putting another one in now!So watch this space.........

Scottie - I don't want to be the merchant of doom, but...

If this first radio has been so unreliable, will a second one be any better?

It sounds like access to the radio will be even harder when the car is finished, so it might be a false economy using a "cheap" radio.

Just a thought.

Good luck, Paul.

PS
I liked how you made your new bonnet stay.

Paul, when I fitted the stereo unit in the car, I also fitted one in the wall next to my bed.
Every night when I go to bed I play music on the unit, and it has always been perfect, so I have no reason to think that another unit would not be the same regardless of price.

When it arrives in the post, I will test and fit it in the car, I have no worries on that issue.

You are right about the access, but a friend of mine came up with a good idea.

I was explaining how hard it was to get the bolts and nuts in place on the unit, and he suggested that because it was hidden out of sight, I should fix it in place with cable ties, then if it had to come out it could be snipped out.
Much easier than fiddly nuts and bolts, so that is what I will end up doing I think.

I will bear the cable tie routine in mind for future awkward tasks that are not visual or structural.

Fair enough Scottie.

Perhaps you could use the "tested" bedroom radio in the car & put the new one in the bedroom?

Cheers, Paul.

That thought had occurred to me, but being basically lazy there is too much work involved, so I will just test and fit the new one Paul.

Tuesday

So, the new stereo arrived in the post today, which I thought was good, as I only ordered it on Saturday.

I went out to the car and had the faulty unit out in about 2 minutes!
I have got slick at this operation now.

The new unit which I tested extensively first, went in the car, but took a little longer to fit.

I did use cable ties, and that proved to be a good idea, which I will keep in mind for future projects. It was certainly easier and faster than fiddly nuts and bolts.

I have the "faulty" unit on the bench rigged up, and it seems to be working correctly, which to me is really fu**ing irritating to say the least.

However, what is most important is that the replacement unit in the car works correctly every time, as it should, so that result as left me a happy bunny.


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I love your a tension to detail Scotty. Very impresssed with your build so far, when r u hoping to b on the road?

Good question Barry!

As you may know, I am building the car out in my front garden, albeit in a tent for protection, but with the weather like it is at present, I am finding it hard to gather enough enthusiasm to work out in the cold for long periods.

Hopefully when the weather improves, so will my work-rate.

Stoneliegh isn't until May 3/4 so relax. :-)

What I need is stronger motivation!!

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But you have ambition Scottie, never forget that




You know that means you are going back to the...

...your journey continues to ....


...the tent of frostbite

How about ...

Get back in the tent do some work on your car, or this guy will pay you a visit.

So don't do that- I got myself a mechanical one hour timer- I now do things for only an hour at a time outside then do something else for an hour indoors before returning...

I built mine outside on my driveway , took took 3 months.
So its possible.
Keep going

If that works for you Ian, it is a good idea, but to be really honest, I also find it difficult to work on the car for short periods too!!

I try to find small stuff that is time consuming that I can do inside, like soldering connections to switches, and bits of wiring loom which I can fit to the car later.

As long as I do something, I am moving forwards to completion however slow.

I hate the winter! It must be the car builders biggest enemy,
apart from the DVLA that is!

Haha Scottie I completely agree, although I have been going out just to have an hour or so on the car and 5hrs later the light is going and my wife stopped bringing me cups of tea so i have to stop. I am contemplatingdoing an hour or so today - but no shelter and what feels like 1 degree out there is not the motivation I needed. A quick visit to this forum should inspire me to embrace the winter chill

Winter Building Motivation

Is an oxymoron!

I've hardly been out to mine at all for a month or so. The only job I've managed lately is to fit the blue pre-distressed Luke harness to the driver's side. The shoulder straps were too short to reach my transverse mounting bar fitted between the existing upper mounting points in the wheel arches, so I bought and fitted Securon Seat Belt Extension Universal 227 x 2 - perfect!

I made an aluminium plate and tacked it to the end of one of my shelves in the building area where it catches the light and my eye. Stamped into it, using my 6mm letter stamps, is the motto:- STOP BEING SO F*CKING FEEBLE! This somewhat kick-starts me when I'm standing there with my hands in my pockets wondering which displacement activity to indulge in.

Still, the darkest two months are over, Stoneleigh beckons and the bullet now needs biting.

Thanks for that update Mick!

At least its not just me, but over on the "other side" Paul is working his goolies off putting us all to shame! His work-load is awesome!

TBH- that's why I got Chris to build mine to a drivable state. The cost was out of all proportion to the hassle I would have had doing it myself- outside and on my own. The (few) compromises I made for a quick result have been worth it as well. I can drive it at anytime and the DVLA and first MOT are behind me now.

My problem with the cold, damp weather is that I need to fill some of the edges to clean up the shut lines before it gets painted. However, even if that doesn't get done before Stoneleigh- I can still drive it there.

Monday

Well here we are on Monday morning again.
I knew I had to bight the bullet, so this morning the bullet was bitten.

I started by removing the "Christmas" table cloth I had put on my conservatory table just before the festivities.

This was not much in the physical sense, but a big psychological step forward!

Christmas had now disappeared, and it was time to get on with 2015!

The dreaded Stoneleigh looms ominously on the horizon like an approaching storm........... Gotta get on, gotta get on.

I started work on the drivers door (which had to be extended to fit with decent shut lines), it was very uneven and lumpy looking and needed lots of work, which was why I put it off in the first place.

I sprayed it with green paint as a guide, then sanded it down, filled it, sanded again, then etch primed it ready for the proper filler- priming.

This work was interrupted by running out of sanding roll, and having to troll round the factors in town to get what I needed to carry on.
( covered in dust and crap, complete with filthy clothes, not fit to be seen out in, but I didn't care, as I could not be bothered to change)

By the time I had eaten some lunch, and finished the job (outside for the sanding) my fingers were numb with cold, and I was pleased to come inside
and clean up a bit.

So several more hours have gone into the car, and we are moving forward once again thank goodness.

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Glad you have got your mojo back.

More working and less whining means you get jobs done!

Surely you mean wining? (As in Dining)

Scottie - Got to love the healing power of a single coat of etch primer.

Can't wait to see that in BRG, but stop calling WCA Shirley.



Good luck, Paul.