Grizz's Redneck Express 1966 Chevy Short Fleetside RESTO-GO!

[Palf70Step]

Cool looking time Rian

[flashed]

Im still in .

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by Palf70Step

Cool looking time Rian

Originally Posted by flashed

Im still in .

Thanks guys.


For anyone puzzled about the car on the back of the boat........

Amphicar.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amphicar


The Amphicar Model 770 is an amphibious automobile, launched at the 1961 New York Auto Show,[2] manufactured in West Germany and marketed in the United States from 1961-1967, with production having ended in 1965.

Designed by Hanns Trippel, the amphibious vehicle was manufactured by the Quandt Group at Lübeck and at Berlin-Borsigwalde, with a total of 3,878[2] manufactured in a single generation.

[Palf70Step]

Rian, I rode in one as a kid....but never again!! (well at least not in the water part)

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by Palf70Step

Rian, I rode in one as a kid....but never again!! (well at least not in the water part)

You make me laugh Bill.

I suspect they are an acquired taste.


One of the newer things to do in Paris, is for lovers to write a message or initials etc onto a lock, and then locking it to this bridge, tossing the keys into the Seine river.

Interesting observation........


The flag on the lock packaging where for sale, is the South African flag.



1000's of locks.

And the council,had removed them all before as the sheer weight of them are impacting the bridge.



Then off to the Louvre.





Monsieur Vice and his Pancake van.



Remember the ban on older cars in Paris?

I think these horrible things have come into use now, maybe a French member can shed more light on them.

Funny how the pollution needed to generate electricity for these bastardd things never gets mentioned in reports.



Eventually we gave up on the day, my feet throbbing and back hurting from cold.

So we took one of the very efficient Metro underground trains.



Reaching ground level right next to the Arc de Triomphe.






Followed by dinner in an Italian restaurant.



When we got in there, there were bread sticks on the table.

Katy has been looking for some of these breadsticks to buy for her Christmas table. Unsuccessfully.

I asked the proprietor where we could buy some for her and he replied "Italy, these come,from Italy"

Upon which he stepped over to a cabinet at his tide and pulled this bag of them out and gave them to me.

I,asked how much as Imwas totally happy to buy them for Katy.

His reply was: "It is Christmas, you can have some Christmas joy"

At this point we had not even committed to having dinner there.

But of course, attitude can often dictate behaviour.

So we decided it was a perfect venue to have dinner.

The chef and head waiter came and chatted to us.

Turns out this is a family run business, and that the head waiter is actually a coded welder too.




I have said this before, life certainly is good.

And when people like here in France are as friendly, helpful and generous emotionally as they are, I will be back.

[Palf70Step]

Sounds like a very good day. It is always great to run into folks like you two did today.

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by Palf70Step

Sounds like a very good day. It is always great to run into folks like you two did today.

Life is great Bill.

Sometimes we just need to notice it.


Some more random Paris pics.

The Metro or underground here is very simple to understand.

People are friendly and the tickets are both cheap and when sold the sellers will explain to you in their best English how to find your way and where to change.

The trains are clean and stations larger and more spacious than in tthe UK in my experience. Even the older rolling stock seems well maintained.

So a short 6 minute walk from the hotel was Ternes station and 78 minutes got you Charles De Gaulle - Etoille. Which is next to Arc de Triomphe.

Stations are also well marked and signed for exits and other attractions.

On the trains your progress and next station is marked on a linear map above the door with next station light flashing and those ahead still on.









Brunch at Quasimodos around the corner from Notre Dame was good.



Then into the Notre Dame.

It was heaving with tourists. From around the world.

Selfie sticks everywhere and selfies.

It was cold outside and we saw what appeared to be a Japanese newlywed couple being photographed by two photographers.
Both clearly dying of cold but the skinny little bride dressed in a beautiful dress that would be perfect for a mid summers day.

WHY ???

Then into the building.

Beautiful. Really lovely inside. It does take a pretty good business man to generate the kind of funds to build and decorate a structure like that.











Then on to Galleries Lafayette.

Katy had to go there and bought three expensive Christmas tree baubles.

This shop is magnificent. Spread over multiple floors, it caters for every taste.

Expensive etc but just beautiful.

QUICK VIDEO.

CLICK LINK.

Galleries Lafayette. - YouTube

The kind of place where I lose the will to live.

I did like this electrically assisted folding bike though.



More later.

[Bomp]

Popped in. Mind blown.

[clemdaddy]

Rian, you get to do the coolest stuff… big time jealous. I love old buildings and i've never seen buildings that old, beautiful architecture and details. the craftsmen that built like that in those times… mind also blown.

have you tried the fries over there?
sorry, bomp made me say it...

looking towards the next chapter…..

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by Bomp

Popped in. Mind blown.

That's good.

Mission accomplished

Originally Posted by clemdaddy

Rian, you get to do the coolest stuff… big time jealous. I love old buildings and i've never seen buildings that old, beautiful architecture and details. the craftsmen that built like that in those times… mind also blown.

have you tried the fries over there?
sorry, bomp made me say it...

looking towards the next chapter…..

Clem,

The architecture is incredible.

The French have a unique style.

Even 80 year old ladies look classy, smart and just have a presence.

I suspect your Kim will love it.

Biggest thing is taking enough time.

My three night three day trip is too short.

[Grizz1963]

Tuesday was a slow start.

Last day.

Packing up, the hotel is really good. Great service and staff.
They also offer to keep baggage till the evening if you need to go enjoy your day unencumbered before departing.

So we left our bags and did the usual walk to the Metro and got guidance on getting to Sacre Coeur and also how to get back to the Gare du Nord station by bus for our Eurostar train in the evening.

Tickets again silly cheap.

Getting us here in no time.




We took a walk around the area.

Then checked out this cookie shop followed by coffee in a coffee shop where the "hostess" waitress invited us from outside.
Originally from Ethiopia, she came to France 7 years ago and is very good at her job. All 5' of her.



Then the long climb up to Sacre Coeur.

The Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris, commonly known as Sacré-Cœur Basilica and often simply Sacré-Cœur (French: Basilique du Sacré-Cœur, pronounced [sakʁe kœʁ]), is a Roman Catholic church and minor basilica, dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in Paris, France. A popular landmark, the basilica is located at the summit of the butte Montmartre, the highest point in the city. Sacré-Cœur is a double monument, political and cultural, both a national penance for the defeat of France in the 1871 Franco-Prussian War and the socialist Paris Commune of 1871[1] crowning its most rebellious neighborhood, and an embodiment of conservative moral order, publicly dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which was an increasingly popular vision of a loving and sympathetic Christ.[2]

The Sacré-Cœur Basilica was designed by Paul Abadie. Construction began in 1875 and was finished in 1914. It was consecrated after the end of World War I in 1919.









Of course you should not take photos.

But I did.

Could not, not do it.

These places of worship are magnificent.





And here I saw what is probably one of my life mottos.



Back outside I did one quick panorama shot.



Lastly. A quick video.

CLICK LINK.

Sacre Coeur Harp player. - YouTube

Back in a bit.

Part two uploading.

[Grizz1963]

Finale.....

Came out and enjoyed the view, are some snacks in the form of Aldi fudge and peanuts with cashews mixed in.........

Mistake.

Minutes later............




Then a walk to look for a knife shop I had been told about.

Passed these guys, artisans for sure.

I love old skool skills like this.



We found the knife shop.

Prices were steep, stunning stuff but way out of my league at £150.00 for a folding knife.

Google Laguiole. Hand made art.



Then off to find a late lunch by 3pm.

While sitting there, on a large roundabout, I saw a few cars that seemed out of place in the new Paris rules.



Graffiti van....?



Paris seems to have a lot of small 125cc bikes, all built to look like famous bigger bikes, Harley lookalikes, TriTon, etc.



After lunch we walked some distance from the Sacre Coeur toward Moulin Rouge, and passed these shops.



Making it there in the end.



After this we took the Metro back to the hotel, picked up our stuff and then went to Carefour to pick up some nice French groceries. Before taking a bus to the station.

Onto Eurostar and home by 22.45



It was a great trip, but I was sorely disappointed by the lack of quirky retro Frnch cars as we knew them.

I would probably avoid Paris for that reason a next time and rather go more rural and get to enjoy local cuisine, transportation and architecture.

The French architecture is worth travelling for.

Back to work tomorrow for two,days, then somemtruck and yard time booked.

Thanks for looking in.

[Palf70Step]

Kewl trip

Glad yinz had a good time.

[flashed]

Very nice trip ,loved it all.

[northern 85]

WOW!!!! You get around!!! Thanks for all the pics!!

[aggie91]

Great pics, I agree the architecture is wonderful.

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by Palf70Step

Kewl trip

Glad yinz had a good time.

As always, travel to me is great as it expands my mind and fixes my heart.

Originally Posted by flashed

Very nice trip ,loved it all.

Glad you enjoyed the trip John.

Watch this space.

Originally Posted by northern 85

WOW!!!! You get around!!! Thanks for all the pics!!

An absolute pleasure mate.

I always hope you guys will do the same, even if it is just a trip to the local feed store in your truck or a spot at a local drive through.

Originally Posted by aggie91

Great pics, I agree the architecture is wonderful.

Amazing architecture for sure, I often just stand there gobsmacked at the beauty and detail.

Certainly feel privileged

[Grizz1963]

Monday 19 December........ it's almost two years since I pulled the truck off the road.

My life has hit a few speed humps that have certainly slowed me down this year.

Anyway, today I took a day leave, as did my mate CraigRK of 47 and 49 Chevy fame.
His car: http://retrorides.proboards.com/thre...stoppers-paint
His Wife's car: (Well, Truck) http://retrorides.proboards.com/thre...rprise-arrival

The plan was to wrap up on the rebuild with new parts of my trucks four corners and brakes.
After getting the new shoes brought in from the USA via Ireland.


So we had cofffee and a chat when he got here at 10.00 as he needed to avoid the M25 morning rush, he had also brought fresh cheese rolls, three meats and and some spreading cheese to have for lunch.

After this we went to the garage, pulled the truck out, onto axle stands and took off the wheels and hubs again.

Multiple photos of the brakes from all angles to use as reference for reassembly.

The other clever thing to do is only one side at a time, keeping the other side as a reference.



Dismantled.



Next up wire brushes, petrol and more brushes to the internals and all the bits that get reused.



One of the reasons Craig came over was that he had this special tool that his dad had given him........

Perfect for pulling and removing as well,as refitting all the highly sprung, springs in the brake system.

There are a total of 9 springs per corner on the rear brakes to disassemble and then get back together, so some logic and some photos does help.



After two relatively easy changes of the rear, it was all done.

New, new new and more new brakes.

Very pleased.



Looking at the brake shoes that I have removed, it again reiterated the fact that one needs to sometimes just get on and spend some money and get stuff replaced.



Then dropped the rear and started on the front end after rolling the chassis back into the garage.

Once the front was done, I started to reassemble it and tightened the wheel down again.............

Just then C wig came around and said to me "Do you thnk you will be needing the brake drum for the new shoes to kick into to stop the truck?"

Aaaaaaarrrrrgghhh!!

Disassemble, refit brake drum and back on with the wheel. Nuts tightened.

Then Craig laughed historically again...... and I knew that something had gone amiss again.

Bugggeerrrrr....!!

There is a little kickback spring on the outer periphery that pushes a plate back once you hit the brake, to release the brake shoe.

He had it n his hand.

Guess what? Yup, on reassembly it had ended up in the box with the old springs.

One more time and we were done.

The rest all went fine and the truck was back on its wheels, all four corners now with me brake parts, brake lines and fuel line.





Last job before shutting shop and heading back indoors at 2.30 was to add in the new part I had made up a couple of weeks ago for the rear brake line.

Using a screwdriver handle, I bent the adapter into a 90' bend to join the chassis joint of the brake line.



This wrapped up the brakes.

To me the chassis and wheels are now done. Only needs the new wheels and tyres once the body work is done.

In closing, a photo took on the Paris Metro over the weekend.

Can you see what is wrong?





Thank you for checking in.

[clemdaddy]

4 fingers and 2 thumbs…

ha, good report buddy, and progress.

[flashed]

Great progress ,you know Im staying tuned in for more .

[Palf70Step]

Nice work Rian. Drums always bring out the best in oooooops in all of us.

Good to see progress being made on the truck.

[shp4man]

If the forum moderators had any clue what "Bugggeerrrrr....!!" actually meant there would be a bunch of asterisks in it's place.

[Ta2Don]

Thanks to contact we keep via other methods I finally checked in here...Great trip and glad to see the progress you are making... and having a good mate help with the fun of brakes, especially with the proper spring tool... priceless

Cheers mate!

[aggie91]

Glad to see that I am not the only one that ends up with parts in a box that should have been on the truck...lol.

Great to have buddies to come over and help out.

[65sub]

Hi Rian. It's good to see some progress on the truck. Always nice to get another job checked off the list. I really enjoyed your Paris trip too. Certainly a lot of history in that city