grizz

Thought, I would post one of my fave photos, taken when the traffic came to a standstill on the Dartford bridge, I looked in the rear view mirror to see if the traffic was slowing down and saw this..... grabbed the camera while stationary , pointed with no focus and got lucky. Kinda nice pic to get on the way home.

Thanks everyone. It was a great feeling once I got the galley hatch skinned and fitted. I did not realise how big the job was till I finished and looked back. And I did and continue to appologise to Nicola for the time I made her a "Teardrop Widow" The outcome did exceed my expectations.... Pipster, the next biggie is the body and paint on the Transit, another make it up as you go along type job.

Of course the tow vehicle is almost back on the road, has MOT, tax etc, the Zetec just getting final fettling. This is why I built the trailer, so that we do not need to sleep in the van anymore on a blow up mattress. Back to my Transit..... Engine fits well. Edd and Nicola in the same pic.... ? Stuyizz's beauty, on fresh Banded steels.

I know a few of you know about the trailer I built for Nicola and I. Thread link. http://www.retrorides.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=othrmod&action=display&thread=67389 There is a long story to it..... Started with this from Essex for £20 after it had stood in a hedge for 6 years. Drew a plan based on measurements, and built it till it looked right. First road test. Cutting the roof for the vent. At Santa Pod raceway after its maiden run. Nicola got some fabric from the USA and made these. A lot of this did hamper progress at one point. Rear galley.... Interior cabinets. Put in perspective with a "See through" pic. A good mate in Nevada sent me the number plate for the rear, but decided to mount it inside as scrotes will tear it off. Read the tread, or look at the pics to see the rest of the build from the ground up. Most of it single handedly, with the camera set on 10 second timer. I used 4mm ply on the interior, 6mm ply on the roof sheets, and the outer walls were 12mm 5x10 foot marine ply. The plan was to paint the sides, but we have fallen in love with the wood look, but next year may see paint. 99% of what I built was made up as I went along. Nicola can vouch for that, she kept on asking me where the plans were..... told her they were in my head. Frame of Hatch was another bastard to skin in 6mm ply, as it does not like bending lengthways. The front curve of the body took 5 days with wet sheets and increasing pressure with a primitive bender, made up of spare wheels, wooden stumps and offcuts from the build. Again, look in the thread. There were days I wondered and there were days when Nicola wanted to set fire to it with me on the inside. However when it got to certain point where she could see it in 3D and understand the weeks of preperation, she fell in love with it and started doing things for it. She imported this fabric from the USA and made the cushions for us. Got these off Ebay. She even tried it for size..... Lastly, just before we left for Santa Pod, she said I was mad, she loved me, and that she was proud of what I had gotten right. Then she slipped this sticker into my hand..... Man, did that melt my heart ?? Hope you guys and girls like, just thought I would post up what I did while my bikes MOT and battery expired. No plans for production :aidan

Well, after 2 weeks delay (think they forgot the order) during which RRG '09 and my anual leave happened, the top hose for the radiator came today, and more importantly, a new coil, after breaking and bodging the last one, the bodge seems not to really have worked..... ??? I will fit the new coil tonight when I get to Nicola's place, and hopefully that will be the last thing to fix, just in time for the car to go into hibernation for winter..... I so wanted her to drive it every day , with reliability thrown in. Anyway, here goes to hoping it was the bodged coil that let her down the last two times.

Took out the radiator after work on Monday afternoon before shooting down to Brighton for 2 days. Nicola has taken it in to be recored, along with 12mth guarantee. I also ordered new rad hoses and heater hoses this morning as the heater hoses look very suspect, and the bottom radiator hose felt quite hard. So old ones for spare, and fresh hoses alround. Not the best clothes for removing any car parts, but I am just like that. Hole in the belly.

Today started good, with the Anglia passing it's MOT test with flying colours. I then came home had brekkie and proceeded to clean the car with some industrial sized paper roll, cleaning some of the Waxoyl off the flat paint surfaces etc, starting with the engine bay. I fitted a new Ignition Coil last week, bought for £27, and proceeded to crack one of the terminals while tightening the small nut holding the negative cable. Today, i managed to break it off completely, The following pics will show just what a flawed and weak design it is, and made me wonder how many people have paid for a second coil because they broke the first one. Anyway, at 12.45, I tried to call Small Ford spares who supplied the one I managed to break.... no reply Called Colin, my local factor, No he said, none in stock, £27 was a good price, he could not match it. Being who I am, I thought "Sod it I can try fix it" ...... pics show it not as easy to do.... but I figured out the terminal was hollow and held the wire from inside the coil in place with a drop of solder from the top..... so I warmed up the soldering iron, melted the solder and pulled the wite out, next I cleaned the hole, straigtened the tip of the wire poking out, and trid to solder a drop onto it, or even to unite it with the broken bit.... no luck. I then prayed and filled the terminal with solder, melted it, and pushed it over the little tip, holding it long enough to set,and checked the resistance ( I know nothing about auto electrics) and found there was still something happening. Lastly, I cut up the packaging of the new soldering iron, and taped it around the body of the coil and created a box around the terminal and filled it all with fast setting epoxy resin..... gets hot man. I also protected the thread of the terminal and then filled it, next up I did the rest of it. Lastly, cleaned and re-fitted it all to the car, and drove it back to Nicola's place. The car has been called into wedding service for next weekend.... do not ask me, ask Nicola. Thank goodness for patience and wanting to use the money elsewhere. Pics: Broken the initial view. Resin cast. All the resin done. Re-fitted. Started alright too.

Update time. Got lucky this week. CortinaDale offered me a set of decent Capri Laser steels, without tyres for decent money. Oldbus was here again on a roadtrip, and hapened to be just down the road from Santa Pod, so Dale kindly dropped the wheels off, and Dave delivered them to my place. Now the next trick will be to remove just the steel hoops form the Capri steels, and then the hoops from the original set of 100E wheels, after which the old centres and new hoops have to be united and welded up by myself, or a coded welder.... erm, coded it is then this time. After which I will add some decent 165 or even 175 rubber to them and then onto Myrtle. Progress is progress after all. Next to the old steels, gives an idea of the difference. Look at the dish potential.

Hey Howzit Bob, PE is my home town !! Left there almost 7 years ago. I like the fact that your car has what some people call patina..... Will keep an eye on your car. Just going down to the bus again to fit the new 2008 Fiesta seats I made fit for it. Cheers, Rian

Well, after a marathon session , fetching various cars, engines etc, starting out in Wales, Kev from Wales dropped in at my place tonight, to drop off the set of 100e steels I had bought off him some time ago. I now need to find a set of Capri "Mexico" steels so that I can cut the centres off them, and then add them to the 100e centres. Nearly snagged a set for £5 recently, but then the tawt removed my bid and relisted with a 50quid starting price for 5 wheels. Anyway, that will be a job that should make a difference to the looks and handling of the car. Stashed in the shed (well, piled up inside it )

Well, she did it !! Myrtle went to her first old car meeting at the www.medwaymonkeys.co.uk meeting last night. She got a load of attention, and compliments. Which is kinda nice. There were some real nice cars, and I did not take many pics as the sun was playing havoc at the angle it came in. Ready to roll..... About 17 cars came out to play, mostly Ford, but this is not a Ford only group Corsair is a beauty. Fat Bottomed girls ?? I again missed out on photo opportunities here... chatting too much.

Who remebers the suitcase we got for a quid at the bootfair a few weeks ago ? Loads of markings on it. Printed off some old airline tickets and labels, and pasted them on with wood glue, left in the sun to dry, then 3 coats of clear lacquer. I also bought 2 size 42 inch belts at the Pound shop yesterday. Cut them in 2 and drilled and screwed them into the suitcase, so that they will create the illusion of being strapped to the boot carrier when it gets here from Essex. Whatcha think ?

Last night, some of the Medway Monkeys (4 of them ) led by Jimbob Squarepants AKA Jim cam over to give Myrtle a once over and see what was amis. After lots of poking, changing parts, etc, the fault was traced to a dead Condenser. The car now has new everyting electronic, excluding a coil, which is on my to find list. Much fun and merriment later, with Jim at the centre of Noodles, Nettles and Frenchy's attention, with me stuck between taking Jims side and helping them give him a kicking (he seems used to it ) the were off at 10pm, to go to their secret bunker to go cut up cars and build streetrods. A public thank you to all, and to Nicola for keeping the tea flowing. We were joined at 9.50 by Dale and his lovely lady from Poddington (Santa Pod) who had brought me some sexy tools I had bought from him some weeks ago. Few pics of the proceedings, which saw Jim drive Myrtle up the street, returning with a verdict of "Fit and Well " Jim being helped by Rodeo Cowboy Nettles. Frenchy and Nettles helping again, with Noodles cranking the power.

More than 2 hours of polishing with Wenol netts you this. Next up the trim clips, and swop around the hubcaps to get the best set of 4 out of these and the ones on Myrtle.

Well done matey, she'salooker. See you at the Pod.

While the cats away and all that.... Got in tonight and found this.... 1956 Magazine and glasses to go with Myrtle.

Good news it seems..... I have posted on various sites, and on the www.ford100e.co.uk site, I have had an offer for what I believe will be a full set of side trims..... subject to them getting packed and posted here..... FREE !! I will be covering the Postage and Packaging. I got the offer less than an hour from posting a wanted ad.... Power of the internet, and Peoples generosity. Thanks. If it all comes together and they get here in one piece , which I believe can be done.... then it is a MASSIVE result. Grunty made Nicola some stickers, as well as for the bus. BodieandDoyle (Edd) has also given free of charge (well we are trading Wartburg headrests from Ebay.de ) a boot carrier, which along with a sunvisor will be period accessories to the car. Nicola bought an old case to go with it for £1.00 at the bootfair Sunday morning. There is also a 50p toolbox which again is a functional add-on for the car. Lastly I may get me grubby mitts on a period radio with valve system .... Ecko 152 for the car, converted to play an I-pod through it. Needs a drop down front face, but works perfectly. Last pic, Myrtle all tucked up where she will be living , in her own bedroom ;D ;D ;D Problem is the garage slopes dowwn quite a bit, and the petrol tank on these are higher than the carb for starters, so reverse parking is the only option, or else she will be permanently flooded :'(

Thanks guys, not bad for a 53 year old car. Now just to find a few choice period bits.... AND a complete set of side trim.

Right...The story as it is.... Up at 4am, after going to bed at 1am, Oldbus, Alex and I went up to Branston to fetch the Anglia. Based on 2002Gimps 2 viewings, it was worth the asking money. We were there at 07.05am, viewd it, and while Dave and Alex loaded, I did the payment and paperwork. That done, we hit the road, had a great Full English brekkie on the M42 , a some services, and got home to my place by 11.30. Offloaded the Anglia, drove it around the block while Dave loaded the car he had fetched, At this time Nicola just got there, after fetching Dave a pair of lower suspension arms and ball joints for the Capri I had got him over in Hoo. She was straight into Myrtle, and around the block, after which we all had a brew, chat, relaxed for 10 minutes, before Dave and Alex shot off to Dover, and the texted me from Osnabruck b 9.30pm, home, safe and sound ONCE AGAIN, A public thank youto Dave and Alex fopr helping me out getting Nicola's car home fast. The car has done less than 20 miles in the last 3 years Yesterday we took it for a 30 mile drive, and I have to say,she drives like a dream. Today we spent over 8 hours valeting and T-cutting her. Let the pics tell the story. Note the rubber mats, cleaned in place, as they are soooo perished and hardened, half and half before and after. Contortionists heaven. Inside the boot.... how clean is that ? Engine bay, cleaned up nicely. I just love this dash. Like a kid, all day. The saddest part of the car, is that the chrome side trim is missing, seller thought he had them, when I got there he said no Electrical tape over the holes, removed, cleaned, and awaiting new tape with different design. Anyone got a full set of trim to sell ? T-cut on the front fender.... at this point it became apparant just how dirty and dull the paint was.... 8.30pm, getting dark... just finished. Note new "side trim" stickers. HAPPY..... VERY HAPPY...

Oldbus lands here at midnight from Germany, then bed at 01.00am, then we are up at 04.00 to go fetch her..... Somewhat excited.

Interior

Rian and Nicola (alias Grizz and Myrtle) are pleased to announce the arrival of their latest baby! Myrtle is a gorgeous bouncing 1956 100E. We are very excited and hope to welcome her home over this weekend!. - Reported by Nicola on : www.medwaymonkeys.co.uk Well, I guess virtual cigars and beers allround are on me then ?? Nicola has a Car she wanted a while now. Yep, must have looked at up to 10 cars, none in the flesh, realised these are rising in price, and found one for possibly more than hotrod money, but made the call, as they seem to sell as fast as they come to market. Had a friend (2002Gimp) go around yesterday and today to poke about, smell, taste, hear the car in the flesh. Made the decision to buy based on condition. Paid the man. Collection Saturday 7am. Dave (Oldbus) is coming over from Osnabruck in Germany on Friday night, hope to offload the car he is fetching by 12.30am, then sleep to 4.00am, up and on the road, load by 7.30am, back here by 11.30 - 12.00 midday at the latest, and Oldbus back at Dover by 13.00 for his Ferry back, then up to Osnabruck by late dinner time. Owned, garaged all its life etc, current owner since 2000. Not perfect, but pretty decent . Done about 39000miles. Pics. UNDER BOOT Hope to have her out at Classic Ford at Santa Pod next weekend.

Great stuff Thorsten. Looking forward to seeing you and the wheel adaptors at RR'08.

Absolutely deserved Dave, and the www.busraser.de FoMoCo Wrecking Crew. You guys truly rock and are the personification of what this hobby is alll about. For those that do not know, I do have a Taunus Transit, down here in Kent, and at some point it will start making more noise on here, and out there. Dave has on occasion come over here from Germany to help me work on my bus too....We dropped the suspension by about 6inches, so more reasons to say the award was appropriate. For those who want to take a peek. http://retrorides.proboards86.com/index ... 192&page=1 A true Gentleman - Dave

I see more toys in the background. Hallo "A-Team "