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

[Grizz1963]

Very slow day at the bootfair.



Best part may have been unused, enamel lamp shade for £1.00
Another star for a newly hatched plan, 50p
Little stuffed heart, unused, £1.00
Two wind up Coke items for @craigrk for £1.50
Florida vanity plate off a 50p per item table



Also seen at the bootfair was this VW on Bentley wheels.



And a meat deterrent at a guy with a load of cammo and military stuff for sale.

I did not ask the price, as it would be expensive and of course in England every jobsworth and his aunty would poop themselves if I had it on display somewhere.

Just in case I held up a kid for his sandwiches.





And in Missouri Dennis sold the 1963 GMC Grain truck he bought as yard art 5 years ago for $800.00

He reckons he could have sold it 20 times over with the response he got, and had people offering over his asking price, just to be able to get to it.

He drove the truck there 5 years ago and only moved it when mowing the grass around the pond.

With the wet season last year, and living under a tree, it did start to grow some green algae/moss.



Loaded



Headed out of the bottom pasture.



And headed to its new home, passing the gas station and some more trucks........



Today should be a resting day for me.....

What can I go out and do?

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by LT7A

Your boot fairs are neat. We don't really have the equivalent. Similar to what we call a flea market, but less structured. I like the little front garden area of your house. Good work with all the hedge trimming. That's a really neat old GMC. Looks to me like more than $800 worth of rig. Might be a giant old V6 torque monster motor in there.

Bootfairs are not everyones thing, but I love saving money. And they allow that.

I personally love the fact that there is very little space to the front, enough for three European size cars, mine is a Ford Focus Estate (not available in USA ) but VW Golf etc.
Then a narrow side entrance and all the space, private, and to the rear.

Dennis could have more a lot more from that GMC but he is a fair guy.


You would park a GMC Dually on the right side of my car, with its rear, just off the street.

A weird thing in this country, I own the sidewalk up to the kerb as well, as I have maintained it over 7 years, and the local council/municipality do zero around here.

A lot of neighbours, including Mickey next door, concrete, or block pave their sidewalk to increase hard standing parking.

I prefer green and grass.





Sally caught me extending my extension cord on Sunday.

I did try to explain that all the joins were stripped, twisted, soldered, heat shrunk, insulation taped, then folded back gently in an S and then ducktape over it all.

It was as safe and secure as I need it to be.

[Grizz1963]

Last two weeks have been a bit hectic.

Nice stuff out there.



But in between stuff has happened.

New farmer is really pulling every penny out of the farm, bigger tractors etc.








I also managed to finish and mount the V8 Hubcap that Chris “GrumpyNorthener” had sent me a few years ago.



And hung up, it may move some time.




Bootfair in the morning.


.

[Grizz1963]

So, what’s £2.00 buy at a bootfair?

Unopened, like new.



Or one of these.

Dirty, used.



Cleaned up a bit.



And for £5.00 this vintage piece was not cheap, but at £4.00 I bought it.

1965 vintage. Great to add to my collection.



Makers mark.




Like New, unused Aluminium rear wing…..

Anyone got any idea what they would cost to buy ?

I thought a good addition for the Rezin Rockit, keeping in mind it is all tongue in cheek, and I have yet to figure just where to mount it.



And the last was a few real thick, super sized American T-shirts, two for @pauly and one for me.

Again, at £5.00 each, too good to walk away from.



My favourite piece today?

Certainly the ally rear wing for the Rezin Rockit.

[Grizz1963]

So, what do we have to show for the weekend?

A tiny bit of sunburn

A small, but cool boorfair win or two.

And then after a slow start, I did some small jobs as my back kicked off on Friday after the osteopath.

Blockpaving and weeds, best of friends.

Roundup.



Later I looked at the dentists lamp friend Paul “Oblertone” had sent up to be collected when I collected the mini motos.

Plan is to mount it up in the rafters of the carport to be adjustable and useable for all sorts of jobs out on the drive.







Business end.

This thing has some serious power.




Late afternoon I also cut the last few bits of wood mate Kevin had dropped off, and the 400mm offcuts from the carport build down to create a part step, part pot plant stand.



Painted, I still want to do some darker tone on the top of the step and potplant rest.



Weekend over.

Busy week ahead.

[Grizz1963]

One more little touch on the trucks customisation.

I knew I wanted to do something silly to the number plates.

Put this to a maker and he came back with various design options.

Now the thing is, I know what my first choice was, I ordered it, then 20 minutes later ordered another design too.

So my question to the regular readers and contributors (thank you for taking the time to post replies) is…….


Straight or diagonal. Think carefully.

Space and placement planned when ordering plates.







Thank you for your contributions.

[Grizz1963]

Done.





HappyMorning

[Grizz1963]

Three parcels in the post today.

A nice Union Jack snoody thing for shopping.

A parcel from Michigan containing traded license plates and some cool stickers.



And a fascinating and ultimately mind blowing parcel addressed tus:



Contents to be revealed later.

Now to figure out who sent it.


.

[Grizz1963]

So back to the random acts of kindness that crosses our paths daily.

Once I opened the parcel, it turned out that the contents put a big grin on my face.

Made in Japan, it does need a head.

I tried fitting some new batteries, and tried the power and siren buttons, none worked.






So, who was the benefactor?

Fil who did all the hard work, driving to fetch the Rezin Rockit for me was the man.



Once again, I can say that life is good.

[Grizz1963]

Well, sweltering heat this week, followed by a lot of rain.

Woken at 2.30am on Friday with some water dripping furiously outside my bedroom……. Rain was hammering down outside.

Found this…….



Put out some plastic buckets and towels and kinda went back to sleep.


Up by 5.30 when the first lodger got up and started opening and closing doors, he is not good at just leaving his bedroom door open when he goes to pee and when in the bathroom, the door has to be shut noisily and locked every time. Seriously.

Greeted by a load of plaster on the floor and bucket half full of water.






So I cleaned up the mess as much as I could and did some day job work.

Later I called One Call Insurance (underwritten by Legal and General) and was told that there were no storms reported in the area, somI could not get any “emergency response “ to secure the roof or inspect what had caused the leak.
I was put on to hold on for a different department, eventually the phone was answered by some random person, who took my details, to be called back later.
24 hours later I am still waiting for a call back.

Later I went to ask Mickey if I could use his extending ladders, and he said no……
He would come and go up instead of me, as he did not want to call the ambulance if I landed on my head.

Typically, he came at about 1.00pm just about the time I get ready to go to my weekly osteopath appointment.

Up he went and the reply was that there were broken tiles and a load of moss in the gulley of the roof.



So he came down, we got 4 spare tiles stolen from Stuarts pile two houses down’s stock for his extension build.

Tiles went up, then a bucket, grinder extension cord and Mickey.

I had to leave, filled with fear that he was working alone up there.





When I got back the ladder and tools were gone, and Mickey was sitting inside my place, waiting for his cuppa tea.

He said he had removed a half bucket of moss from the gulley, and replaced 4 tiles.



Wet and dirty Mickey. Also happy with some pocket money he gets to earn.




So after that it rained hard a few more times and overnight, not a drop of rain inside.


In the mean time I wonder if the insurance company will actually make contact with me……..


Or do I just get on with having the repairs done and get on with my life.

[Grizz1963]

So when I go walk, ostensibly for my back, but also to get out the house, I take loads of pics, sharing some with a good ceramicist friend in Tulsa Oklahoma

She draws, paints and sculpts too.

This time of year the Poppies are doing really well.

Up at the farm, this is especially true.





So Linda prints out a load of the pics and takes themalong to paint when she and her husband go travelling and camping.

This one took her an hour to do from start to finish,

I do admire talented people.







While out walking I invariably collect some hedgerow asparagus

Pan fried with a bit of garlic and a dash of olive oil……..

Magic.



All kinds of sizes, and even the longest ones are super tender.



Yesterday Sally and I went out in the truck for some shopping and our first “meal out” since lockdown.

Parking the truck up and walking over to pay for the parking for GRZ733 ( foundmyself looking back at it, grin ing and then taking a pic.

It has to be the right car if you get that feeling.




Lunch was predictable, but brilliant.



When the bill came, I noticed the coffees had doubled in price since March 2020 and the Lamachun had gone up by 40p each.

At the new prices, it is still a bargain imho and considering the hardship the hospitality industry has had to face recently, not something that would stop me supporting them



Rain again today, but a few things to do.

No bootfair sadly.

[Grizz1963]

And then a head was found.

[Grizz1963]

Had my midyear review on Tuesday.

Seems the bosses are happy with what I am doing at the moment, going by the feedback email.

Yesterday was one of those days where I had been working in the morning and by 13.00 it just felt like nothing was happening, so I called the boss and asked to sign a half day leave or just have the afternoon off, he thought about it for a moment, and said to just take the rest of the day off. I actually carried on working till 13.45 and then headed out to mate Darrens engineering shop Unit Engineering for some mental health recharging.

So I took the truck out and headed over to Sheppey.

Always good to see him, catch up with the stuff he is always doing, both cars and engineering and making a living.



Slow but constant progress on his V8 Beetle build.





After two hours of coffee and chat, both of us felt a lot better, as even the therapist sometimes needs therapy.

I scavenged some round and flat bar from the scrap bin, to be used in my driveway changes.



Headed home by 4.30 for dinner that was being made for me by Sally.

Truck making me grin all afternoon.

[Indian113]

Rian, Eve and I eat a lot of Asparagus but I wrap it with Bacon and sprinkle garlic salt on it then I throw it on the Grill! Everything is better with Bacon!!!

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by Indian113

Rian, Eve and I eat a lot of Asparagus but I wrap it with Bacon and sprinkle garlic salt on it then I throw it on the Grill! Everything is better with Bacon!!!

You know I love bacon.

But mainly American bacon.

Sounds great.

[Grizz1963]

Looking out the kitchen window last night as I do, often, at the truck, I noticed something was wrong.


Poop.




Mounting spot.




So the job will be to either find someone to repair it, as an autoglass company, if I can find that, or buy some specialised glue and fixing system.

Dennis uses this in the USA in his bodyshop.

May be available on Amazon though.






At least I have the day off a a vacation day, so able to do my own stuff.

Rain forecast for the weekend too.

[Grizz1963]

Bootfair today was small.

Sally panicked when we stopped and only 1/4 of the field was taken up and likewise parking are nearer 20%

I told her, often when these quiet days have happened, with less people milling around, I have had great days.

Less people also meant less pushing and shoving, and rude non English speakers, thus a chance to look and find stuff in the typical piles made up by spring cleaning or house clearances.

Mate Craig and us got lucky today, with a few great pieces from one guy, everything was £1.00 or less..

Medium sized Crowbar £1.00



Grubby, rusty hatchet, £1.00



Maybe a bargain of the day for him, glass and chrome bodied courtesy/roof/map light for his 1950 Chevy truck or the 1948 Fleetline. Coat £1.00



Sally bought 3 blue glazed garden pots, and I got a green one, you guessed it…….. £1.00 each. Go price check those.



Other items from the same seller included a weird pair of spring loaded, flat beaked pliers, a plumb line and a new padlock with 3 keys and a spring loaded metal punch, all for £1.00



Also at the same seller a small unused spirit level for £1.00 for mate Kevin who loves tape measures and instruments of accuracy.



We bought a few plants ranging between £2.00 for a nice Rosemary and £1.00 for mint and some shrubs for Sallys new pots.

Other items included a £2.00 dinner lap tray for one lodger, a hand rail £2.00 to be used as towel rail in the lodgers bathroom, a woollen floor rug to replace one I binned recently £2.00
Three Coffee mugs, 20p each, VW one for Craig, Batman for a colleague and large bunny item for my kitchen, size large for Mickey who likes a large mug of tea.
Really nice, but dirty paper towel holder to replace the hateful one I have in the kitchen.



So all in all, a decent outing today.

Clean up Craigs hatchet, put away the bits, then carry on digging the second set of holes for the archway on the drive and make up the structure, before the rain really starts to fall.

[Grizz1963]

Took Friday off as mentioned, also went out in the truck to fetch a long passage carpet runner for Craigs wife, new, unused (the carpet)

Started chatting to the sellers husband as you do, turns put he has a 1963 registered VW Beach Buggy (for sale like all things in life)

He used to be a Land Rover guy for many years, short story long, he sold me a screen for £10.00 which I gave to @glenanderson who was popping down on Sunday to drop off a windscreen for me to use on the Rezin Rockit, as well as some signs from @forkliftfred whom he bought an engine from.

Into the truck it went, along with the passage runner.



Saturday afternoon I started on another distraction that has been years in the want/planning.

An arch over the bottom of the driveway that once overgrown will help create a visual line and block the line of sight down to the garage, looking from the street.

Basic idea, just to get the feel for what it will look like.

Ot should be 8’2” tall on the underside, with a pair of 15” trellises front and rear that will be removable, either by unhooking from clips, or unscrewing if it seems to need extra stability.

Not at all like this by the way.



Measured out.



Hedge carefully cut back to create a recess, so that actual drive is not compromised for when cars or trucks come to the bottom. Also allowing the caravan to be removed.



18” deep holes dug both sides for the small holding foundations on the uprights.



After that, my back asked me to slow down, so I started a fire instead…….

You know what happened next of course.

Both current lodgers were in, So Sally and I decided a BBQ was a perfect way to spend the late afternoon.

Drinks, Pretzels, chat…….



Fire, food.



Served.



Happy, all of us, it was a good meal, music and alcohol.

David the Electrical engineering managers wife and kids are in Vietnam, last saw them February last year, that must suck.
Interestingly, he mostly works in Saudi Arabia, Emirates and other places where alcohol is less used, and as a habit does not use alcohol.

Anthony is a retired Royal Engineers RSM who runs his own training company. t2p.co.uk

David may stay a year for his full contract, or if Saudi Arabia and the rest opens up, he may go back there sooner, Anthony is sorting his life and could be here for an indeterminate time.

In the mean time, the are good company.



Sunday was Bootfair and a bit of together time with Sally, making stuff.

More later.

[Paul Y]

Rian,

You can get the rear view mirror pads from a Ford dealer for a £ or 2 - they were used to stick the old Fiesta rear view mirrors on when I worked in the garages many years ago.

Might even still do them at Halfrauds.....

P.

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by Paul Y

Rian,

You can get the rear view mirror pads from a Ford dealer for a £ or 2 - they were used to stick the old Fiesta rear view mirrors on when I worked in the garages many years ago.

Might even still do them at Halfrauds.....

P.

I tried that route via EBay, but out of stock.

Dealers may be an option.



So a few little things along the way.

Cleaned up Craigs hatchet a bit.

From this.



To this.


Via some of this.



Also added a 50p bootfair handle to the cast aluminium head mate Andy cast two years ago.





Done.



In other news, my local village has a secret person who is crocheting toppers for post boxes and bollards.

It is proving really popular, and people are leaving them in place, which is great to see.



Anthony my one current lodger has a business to print stuff, like emergency bags, T-shirts etc.

He offered to print me a pic of the S10 on canvas.

Brought these samples back Monday night.

I need to frame the canvas next.



Last night he brought home an even bigger print.



Pretty chuffed with these.

Just need to frame and stretch them now.

[Grizz1963]

Sunday was a good day to spend tome with wanted to make gifts for her three best friends.

Blue Tit nesting “boxes”

I have two nesting boxes that have breeding pairs returning every year.

These are obviously not boxes in the traditional sense, but they should attract birds.

I made her do some of the helping, which really did pi$$ her off a bit, especially when my camera comes out, she hates cameras.

Also she does not have the technique or force to drive those screws into the oak that I used, despite pilot holes being drilled.

So I calculated, measured and cut for three boxes and then assembled them one at a time.




The tea pots were getting glued down with some special magical glue.




Different sizes, as thats how you buy from the bootfair, they come at around £2.00 each.



Progress.



Lids glues down on the front porches.

The front doors need to be painted pastel colours after gluing into place





Sunday evening @glenanderson popped in to drop off some signs from @forkliftfred and the front screen from his Land Rover.

Glen took the screen I got last week and went home as it was raining and his day had been a long one.



Screen for the Rezin Rockit



Weekend suddenly over again.

[Grizz1963]

Remember that spoiler I bought a few weeks ago?

A random pic sent to my by a friend.


Tongue in cheek.

[Grizz1963]

[quote author="@boom666" source="/post/2685508/thread" timestamp="1625271808"]this is different . https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/184915859....c101198.m1985[/quote]


Ebay seller may be hoping for a sale.

I like that.

At £2k it is a touch steep for me, but unique enough.

Chassis is a 1971 and of course being a Q plate does not bother me.

MOT expired 2006 which is a long time ago.

Mine expired at an unknown date, first registered 1991


I think this one could be a Filipino kit, imported and fitted to a Q plated chassis.

But hey….. what do I know.




.

[Grizz1963]

Well guess the date 🇺🇸

Yup 4th of July. Again.🇺🇸🇺🇸

American Birthday-ish.🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

So as I have this whole American thing and a load of good friends over there…..🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸


Happy Independence Day.🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸


🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

🇺🇸 Old




🇺🇸 New.




Raining here now.

Not ideal.

[Indian113]

Hey Rian, wish you guy's were here to celebrate with us! Fireworks and BBQ plus Beautiful Blue Skies. Have a Safe 4th