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The "What Did You Work On Today" thread

3M views 36K replies 388 participants last post by  cerial 
#1 ·
4 hour work day for me at the shop. Used the time to do a valve body swap on a '01 Jetta 1.8t auto .... I successfully installed a transbrake on the car .... that however wasn't my intention.

Its in 2 gears at once in park, all other gears (R/N/D/2/1) are forward gears.... they all seam to be first gear.

I have it torn back down most of the way. Tuesday I'll actually get the VB back out and see whats up.... but part of me wants to take it out for a test drive the way it is just for the fun of it.
 
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#25,422 ·
frame horns fab.

A friend is a pro welder and I took 4 5 ft pieces of 2 X 6 188 tubing to his shop to start the fab of the fire wall forward section. I copied the patterns from the HAMB of a a32 ford frame, MY 32 glass roadster and the Nash do not have a floor or firewall and I will channel the body, to have more interior room the frame from the firewall rear will be 2 X 4 188, We will also build a frame for the 31 Nash roadster similar size and shape, As soon as I get the pieces ground and flat we will plasma the curved shapes and He will start tigging them together. My friends father and I were in college at the same time, both in Automotive, His dad got his Engineering degree 2 years before I did. He said we both got infected with the car collecting bug. will post some pictures when we make some real progress
 
#25,423 ·
More wood working

123 pugsy . the honey-do projects never end. My wife has plans for me to build some glass door book cases, bathroom storage cabinets for the other unit, Daughter is remodeling an office building to house foster kids that need a temp or permanent place to live when they get put into the system, I will modify some office cabinetry to make an 8 X 12 island, 2 sinks, 2 dishwashers. Adding 5 toilets 4 showers, 2 3 sink wall hung tops. ADA requirements. She was having trouble getting work done so I renewed my Gen contractors Lic. A guy told me the only way you can retire is to sell all the tools and buy a boat,.
 
#25,424 ·
123 pugsy . the honey-do projects never end. My wife has plans for me to build some glass door book cases, bathroom storage cabinets for the other unit, Daughter is remodeling an office building to house foster kids that need a temp or permanent place to live when they get put into the system, I will modify some office cabinetry to make an 8 X 12 island, 2 sinks, 2 dishwashers. Adding 5 toilets 4 showers, 2 3 sink wall hung tops. ADA requirements. She was having trouble getting work done so I renewed my Gen contractors Lic. A guy told me the only way you can retire is to sell all the tools and buy a boat,.

Wow, the end of my tunnel appears to be shorter than yours.
 
#25,425 ·
Yesterday after being up about 20 hours with the hospital trip I was still able to get out there for about 1 minute. LOL I was very happy to find that a measurement someone gave me on the Chevy truck site gave me the great news that my running board brackets aren't bent. The rear ones look like they are bent forward badly, but they did look symmetrical which seemed odd. They measured out perfect, one with the plans.

Brian
 
#25,426 ·
Yesterday after being up about 20 hours with the hospital trip I was still able to get out there for about 1 minute. LOL I was very happy to find that a measurement someone gave me on the Chevy truck site gave me the great news that my running board brackets aren't bent. The rear ones look like they are bent forward badly, but they did look symmetrical which seemed odd. They measured out perfect, one with the plans.

Brian
If you or John would like an inspirational imaginary image of your finished projects, now is a good time to toss out info tidbits such as wheels. I might have a minute today after I wade through bills which is always a good time for diversions /distractions.:) Just say OK and I'll play with em.
 
#25,427 ·
OMG! Ok, remember, it's chopped 3.5 inches, sectioned 2.5 inches.

Four inches lowered, probably mildly reshaped wheel wells so that nothing of the tire is hidden, very 56 Corvette looking. Mid 50's Corvette red in color. 53 Corvette front park lamps, and tail lamps, (high one quarters?) with the Corvette wire grill over stock truck Headlamps. Everything else stock AD truck, grille, running boards, etc.

White walls with 53 or 54 Belair wheel covers.

Oh, and Buddy Holly playing on the stereo. :D

Brian
 
#25,428 ·
OMG! Ok, remember, it's chopped 3.5 inches, sectioned 2.5 inches.

Four inches lowered, probably mildly reshaped wheel wells so that nothing of the tire is hidden, very 56 Corvette looking. Mid 50's Corvette red in color. 53 Corvette front park lamps, and tail lamps, (high one quarters?) with the Corvette wire grill over stock truck Headlamps. Everything else stock AD truck, grille, running boards, etc.

White walls with 53 or 54 Belair wheel covers.

Oh, and Buddy Holly playing on the stereo. :D

Brian
That kinda info will get you somewhere. Can you say where the cut is? I think I got the cab pic to figure where you sectioned at and where the hood gets it. Ha, I was jammin Buddy, Holly Chuck Berry and such last night. Been letting Pandora rip on Glenn Miller today and catching up two months of file transfers of pics. Hang good and loose.
 
#25,429 ·
Wow, Brian, I'm sorry you had to get that news too. When I read where Nick was changing suspension, wheels, tires and going for more road handling, I said to myself, I HOPE he doesn't push this too far. Seems, maybe, he did. Was there other vehicles involved ? Very fortunate he wasn't more seriously injured. I can't believe they are making him wait for surgery, is it because of swelling ?
The Falcon project just got moved up the priority list...

As for trailer pulling questions... The trans temp stays quite low, as long as I can keep the converter in lock mode. That may be an issue at certain speeds. 3rd gear locked, I'm limited to 60 mph and that is at 2600 rpm. Not a good combination. OD locked is only 2000 rpm at 65, again, not ideal, I'd like another 200 rpm to feel I wasn't lugging the engine. 70-75 will put the rpm in a good range, but I'm not going to feel comfortable going that fast in most conditions.

I had a myriad of issues on the first run, but most of them were due to backfeed into my fan controller from the trailer battery. I have since rewired the trailer feed, fan feed, controller feed, etc. to separate them all and isolate them from getting confused. It's been one HELL of an ordeal getting all this to work together, when the PO installed the smallest fuse panel with the least amount of circuits he could buy. I've doubled the circuits and load with all the stuff I've installed, so it's been "fun".
 
#25,430 ·
OMG I should have SHUT MY MOUTH about the no drama! I have been up since 1 am when we got a text from our son that he was in the ER in a hospital about 40 miles from here after a car accident! It was a very bad accident apparently testing his roll bar and though he has a serious breakage to one of his feet and his face is all swollen the car looks like his injuries would be much worse. We just got home with him and it's going to be rough going the next number of days before he goes in for surgery. I wish I had a copy of the xray, holy crap, four bones broke in his food with one of them looking like a piece of ice hit with a hammer, CRAP! Our house is now a rehab center with wheel chair and walker and all, geeez.

Brian

Jeez. Sorry to hear this Brian.


Give my best to Nick and hoping for a speedy recovery.
 
#25,434 ·
Hey speaking of cool, John... I thought you might appreciate this also: I had mentioned bills. Last two electric bills were $52.63 and $52.39 at my house. Hows that for a frugal routine?:mwink: Costs about that much a for DD gas per week though.:rolleyes:
 
#25,435 ·
you are doing something right.my power runs $250 -270 per month year round in my tiny house dont seem to matter what. I do..turned off gig security lighr and took down the pool so no more filter or pump running ,,no change,,but my shop bill only rund mig 50,s with air compressor,mig ,plazma cutter and air cond,so I am afraid to have them come check the house,
:confused:
 
#25,436 ·
you are doing something right.my power runs $250 -270 per month year round in my tiny house dont seem to matter what. I do..turned off gig security lighr and took down the pool so no more filter or pump running ,,no change,,but my shop bill only rund mig 50,s with air compressor,mig ,plazma cutter and air cond,so I am afraid to have them come check the house,
:confused:
I had a heat pump installed and now my last bill was 65$ with the A/C running full time in the 90-95 degree heat we have been having..
Our electric utility has a rebate program when energy saving appliances are installed. Might check into that but it still put a real dent in the hot rod parts budget..

Sam
 
#25,437 ·
That kinda info will get you somewhere. Can you say where the cut is? I think I got the cab pic to figure where you sectioned at and where the hood gets it. Ha, I was jammin Buddy, Holly Chuck Berry and such last night. Been letting Pandora rip on Glenn Miller today and catching up two months of file transfers of pics. Hang good and loose.
Cut in the center of the pillars pretty much, with the roof lengthened only half the way and then the A pillars leaned back to match the lowered roof the rest of the way. So understand, I didn't lengthen the top to fit or rack the posts to fit the lowered roof, I did both, so it's a smooth A pillar roof line looking like GM made it that way.

Brian
 
#25,438 · (Edited)
No telling how many refinements it needs but this one wasn't very hard and looks decent.:)
Daaaaamn, that is awesome! WHOO HOOO that is friggin awesome! Thanks so much!

Thank you soooo SOOOO much, I REALLY needed that, I am fired up more than ever! I am going to put that on my tool box at work, and in the garage, that is some BIG TIME inspiration!

Brian
 
#25,439 ·
Wow, Brian, I'm sorry you had to get that news too. When I read where Nick was changing suspension, wheels, tires and going for more road handling, I said to myself, I HOPE he doesn't push this too far. Seems, maybe, he did. Was there other vehicles involved ? Very fortunate he wasn't more seriously injured. I can't believe they are making him wait for surgery, is it because of swelling ?
The Falcon project just got moved up the priority list...


As for trailer pulling questions... The trans temp stays quite low, as long as I can keep the converter in lock mode. That may be an issue at certain speeds. 3rd gear locked, I'm limited to 60 mph and that is at 2600 rpm. Not a good combination. OD locked is only 2000 rpm at 65, again, not ideal, I'd like another 200 rpm to feel I wasn't lugging the engine. 70-75 will put the rpm in a good range, but I'm not going to feel comfortable going that fast in most conditions.

I had a myriad of issues on the first run, but most of them were due to backfeed into my fan controller from the trailer battery. I have since rewired the trailer feed, fan feed, controller feed, etc. to separate them all and isolate them from getting confused. It's been one HELL of an ordeal getting all this to work together, when the PO installed the smallest fuse panel with the least amount of circuits he could buy. I've doubled the circuits and load with all the stuff I've installed, so it's been "fun".
No other cars involved, just a tree. I am telling you, he doesn't want me to post photos so he isn't sending me any of them but HOLY CRAP you should see these photos, the floor is WAY up we are talking the CONSOLE is bent in half going up! The cowl looks to be a few inches up with the drivers door being at an angle going up in the front a few inches. The steering wheel is bent over, the floor is coming up smashing the pedals together!

He is so damn lucky it's crazy! And yeah, his foot is very swollen.

Brian
 
#25,440 ·
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