Monday, January 30, 2006

When sparks fly



Well what a productive weekend. Well only Saturday actually.
After spending what seemed like ages without so much as lifting the Poly cover something actually happened according to plan...........almost.
Full of the joys of spring and having a Saturday not P***ing it down with rain I set about tackling the wing with gusto. Gusto may not be the right word as I was planning to use my new grinding machine. ( Thanks Ma, great x-mas prezzie)
I was petrified, I had visions of me in Casualty with it wedged in the middle of my forehead, or worse still the whole car going up in a fireball as I determinedly ground down the fuel filler spout.
Logic dictates that the Interior and seats should be removed but I still have no garage
in which to work or store said items, so they stayed put.
Donned in a XL disposable white paper suit I looked the strangest mechanic/repairman ever.
It is only as I write this I realise I was wearing a paper suit and would have made an excellent piece of tinder. As a practice I started on a screw on the lower valance.
He hehee....................................What sparks and noise !!!!!!!!
Positioned awkwardly under passenger footwell with grinder ready. Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
Nothing touched. The handle of the grinder fouled on the tie rod of the dash.
Remove handle and start again. He he heeee..........................
Sparks everywhere, heart pounding, mouth dry, very loud grinding noise.
I was actually grinding something.Exactly what I could not be sure but this was a sign that serious stuff was actually going to happen. Hope its to the car and not me.
Fed up upside down, I repositioned to the valance again. Still rather awkward to get behind the
headlight under the wing, so a moment of common sense hit me. Jack the bloody car up full tilt
and access will be better. And so it was, the two frozen nuts mentioned last year disappeared into a mass of sparks and blood red molten metal.
I have a feeling this car is going to be very much like a good woman.
Since I was highly delighted with the removal of two very rusty and awkward nut cages in a very inaccessible place it was then I noticed.........Horror.
I had accidentally ground a disc shaped hole of about 1" long into the front of the radiator support frame. Pants.........just when I thought I thought I was doing well. Still It can easily be repaired, sometime.
Then I realised all the wing bolts were free. I tugged the wing but it seemed still fastened somewhere. Tugged, tugged, no it must be fastened somewhere. I've missed a bolt.
Further check. Much tugging, some pushing then a quick jerk upwards and success.
I'm free....I'm Free.
Well not actually, the wiring was still attached to the headlight. Quick label job then it was well and truly free.
Only prob now is where to put it. Its only rusty on its bottom edge. Its actually wedged under a giant kids slide down the side of the shed at garden bottom.
Inspection of the new area and now exposed sill showed much rust. Only remnants of a sill visible, still the inner wing area is in sound condition.
The valance was unscrewed partially and ground down partially and it came away easily
again with only minimal rust, although it was a bit bent in one area.
I even had time to remove the other wings bonnet bolts and squirt my old friend penetrating fluid on the passenger footwell bolts. It would appear the right side is not as difficult as the left.
Hopefully.

Tuesday, January 17, 2006

Well...same old same old... nufin new there then

A new year dawns and time for some light reflection.

Yes its still raining each Saturday and not a jot has been done to the poor old MG.
All she can do is flap her makeshift polythene cover listlessly in the wind.
I can't even be bothered to re-tie down the noisy thing. I just peer at her each morning and pray for summer and cash.
The new year started like the old one finished, seamless and without fuss.
I fact I think I was first into bed before the missus, and asleep and snoring soundly before the appointed hour.
Made me laugh later on though recalling last new years eve to wifey.
We had ma- in- law staying overnight.
A fine woman and in full control of all her marbles. But..................
of all the towns etc. She decides that at 10.30 her waterworks are not functioning as they should. By 11.15 it was time for immediate action so off goes wifey an said ma-in law to local clinic/casualty..............credit to our good old NHS. They had her sorted and back ensconced in front of TV by 11.45.
I was Incumbent on sofa with leg in plaster, so that's a fair excuse. Besides, I needed lots of whisky to dull my pain. One visit up 15 steps with leg in full cast is enough to make anyone grumpy.
Work seems to have taken priority since the hols with my area almost doubling.... not the pay though. Still, I imagine I'll get more nights away and see a lot more of this fair and sceptered Isle.
I have seen more cardboard boxes though this year already!