Thanks for the comments, appreciate that
Next instalment while I am waiting for #3 son to cook my supper. Chicken Bhuna
My 1993 Vogue, with the rear crossmember, or what was left of it pulled away I found somewhat alarmingly that the body frame had dropped an inch or so. There was a clear crease on the boot floor near the LH inner arch. I was able to jack it back up and into place but that is not the end of this debacle. I might have overloaded the old duchess a tad
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As the lower sections of the rear goalposts (uprights ether side of the rear tailgates) had rotted away I chopped it out and reconstructed using 18 gauge steel. 1.2mm for a bit of extra beef over the factory standard 20 gauge steel
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The construction is a little more complex as there is a relief that the lower tailgate swings into. once flapped back and painted this will look factory again.
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The final check before going berserk with the welder is to refit the lower tailgate and check that it aligns with the lock pins. Also essential at this stage to check that the top tailgate, which locks in the lower tailgate, closes properly. With a little care and a lot of pissing around I am also able to manipulate the gaps between the lower tailgate and the rear light surrounds. And then I was out of time! Back to paid work again
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Customer B-Suffix 1973 Range Rover that is in for me to assemble had the worst steering ever. I stripped down the RH hub and swivel to rebuild with new gaskets and shim it out correctly.
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Then I started on the steering box, after pouring the best part of a pint of muddy water out of it I was able to disassemble. Two big bearing races on the input shaft had completely disintegrated. The roller that goes into the upright worm is also seized solid. A shame because the box looked like it might have been a refurb unit from a few decades ago that had been otherwise unused. Jury is out as to whether it is a boat anchor or not.
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Back onto that Lincoln Green 1976 car, the engine has had lots of gimmicky "upgrades" that I cannot understand but anyway. because of these mods and the lack of concourse potential I persuaded the customer to head down the route of a pair of EFI dual port exhaust manifolds, rather than expensive stainless headers. Part of the service I provide is to use experience to advise where improvements can be made. Low compression 3.5 V8 really doesn't need stainless headers.
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The y-pipe supplied was a mild steel efi job, which mated up nicely to EFI steel front pipes. The middle box is stainless and no idea what is going on at the back end. However manifold to centre silencer is now in place
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Now onto the big news, Dad is selling up his home in Devon. This presents me with an issue because his barn is half full of my stuff and I have 4 cars waiting in his field. Bugger. lots of road trips to pick up stuff
Sandy the Landy waiting patiently for me to drag it's arse 200 miles to my workshop.
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But first piles of gearboxes, tools, spares, engines etc need to be shifted
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More to come
"The Dark Wob. You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious."
