Its really happening

Captain there be white

I can't really believe that it is happening. Today I dropped off more parts for Jason, well that's my story and I am sticken t't't'to it. The Old English White is on the car and looking just as I had hoped. Shawn is starting to mask for the Florida Green all those bits and pieces to mask off and make sure no paint will over spray.Shawn is hoping to have it painted by tomorrow afternoon so he can move on to the '52  Bentley then on to my brothers metallic blue BN7.

Shawn Doing his masking thing.

Painting has started

Door inside painted

A visit to the paint shop reveled that the inside of the fenders and shroud were painted and that the front shroud and the fenders were on the car. Shawn and his helper were installing the doors and loosely fitting the fenders readying it for the outside paint. The Old English White will go on the coves first then more masking and the rest of the Florida Green. The car then will look like an real Austin Healey.

 

Looking almost like a Healey

Moving on

Yesterday I arranged and dropped the car off at Jason's again for the rest of the body work.

As I left the house there was a truck that came out of the Coop gas station and followed us all the 20 km. to Jason's. Once there he asked questions about the Healey then said he had a late 20's Rolls. Since Jason has a 34  Rolls in the shop it was  perfect timing, Jason showed him around, the Rolls the Camaro and the Model A  I hope he comes back for body work and or paint.

I will keep an eye on things and keep the posts up to date.

2011 time to get going again

Its late January 2011 and not much happened since mid November. We had holidays then Christmas and then out trip to the Caribbean (our travel blog aaronandlaurasholiday.blogspot.com). It is all over for several months so it is time to start planning the finishing the car. I have the wiring ready to check and the engine ready to turn over, all I  have to do is static time then the engine is ready to start.

I have been out to see Jason a couple of times and it looks like the week of Feb 1 will be a good week to take the car back to him to finish assembly and painting. I will arrange it the best I can assuming the weather cooperates.

Trials of the exhaust system

A couple of days ago my friend Roy came over to bend up fuel pipe for my brothers BN7. After removing the line we bent one for the car and Roy offered to help install the rest of the exhaust system. After a couple of hours it was all done and ready to breath. The biggest problem was to install the bolt that holds the muffler on, only in England would someone design a system like that, no matter what you do it is going to be tough to install. I needed 4 extensions with a 14 mill socket to get it tight, it is all sealed with Ultra Copper so there is no blow by ( there was a little blue air also and it wasn't engine generated).

While I had the car on stands I finished installing the rear transmission mount and manifold bolts.

Year end comments

Seeker is ready for a ride

It is nearing the end of 2010 and I am going to reflect on the year. Looking back I can see the progress I have made since January of this year.

I started the year with a chassis on a rotisserie and a few bits and pieces on it. I assembled most of the car on the rotisserie for the ease of being able to rotate the car and install pieces standing up. Installing the battery cable and fuel line, to name a couple, were a snap with the car rotated on its side. If any one is thinking of doing a car seriously consider using a rotisserie.

Assembling the car has been fun, interesting , educational, and occasionally frustrating. The manuals and repair information is sparse on some details, I have been using a lot of pictures to confirm the placement, orientation and routing of the bits. One of the best resources is the before pictures and I have found that the most important picture is the one you didn't take. The other one is what you are looking for is just outside of your picture. I have become friends with a gentleman in Italy who has a wealth of pictures and hand drawn diagrams that I have been lucky enough to have access to. Andreas's photo album which has several hundred photos of many projects around the world. I have been very interested in how others have done there cars, and see the same issues with deconstruction and rebuild problems. I have to say thanks to Andreas for making the info available to me.

The end of the year brings me to the point where the car is on the ground with engine almost ready to start, I still have to check all the wiring. Once this is done a couple of small parts need to be installed then time to go vrooooom vrooooom. I doubt that it will happen before the new year so late Jan 2011 might be the time. At that point the car will be able to return to Jason for final assembly.

So in short Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all. I will start posting again late January

Aaron