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

[Grizz1963]

After dinner I cable tied and stapled the gaiter to the stick and also the anchor surround.



From the top.



Carpets and floor sections in.

Not yet got carpet for the firewall, so just gave it some satin black.



Dash added in just to get an idea of how it looks.



Closer up look.



And close up of the completed gearshift gaiter.

Some more detail work to be done.




I have to say, I am pretty pleased with the outcome so far.

Later.

[Grizz1963]

Look around.

Some nice stuff out there.

Over at Craigs for the Queens Jubilee weekend.












Last night Craig brought me some items I had asked him to collect for me………



Today Craigs wife, Lorraine asked me to make her a rustic garden bench using one of the new sleepers they have stashed out back.

So of course I could not just screw some bits together.

Went for a rummage in Craigs woodpile.

Found so e very green, moss covered wood.

Pressure cleaner to the rescue.





Measured and cut the sleeper.



While I was in an artistic mood, I called Elli, and asked her to draw me a cat……….



Got going with the router.

Result



Going further with the router, I managed to spell PEACE correctly.



Test fit.



Then made a backrest.



And job done.



Lorraine was very pleased. Even cooked me dinner.

I also cut a Hawthorn hedge which is a nightmare.

Couple of beers next.

[Braunschweiger]

This turned out to be a great wooden bench, it is certainly not easy to write with the milling machine. Since we were just slowed down by Covid19, we watched trooping the color for the jubilee, what a great queen over this long period, what a great presentation from the regiment.

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by Braunschweiger

This turned out to be a great wooden bench, it is certainly not easy to write with the milling machine. Since we were just slowed down by Covid19, we watched trooping the color for the jubilee, what a great queen over this long period, what a great presentation from the regiment.

Sorry to hear you have Covid.

Yes, the milling machine is less controllable used freehand.

But it suits the style of the bench.

Once it ages and blends into the garden it will be good.










Saturday at Craigs.

Weirdly slow, but busy.

We prepped the American mail box mounting that had to wait this long until the gate post was repaired, two large trucks had managed to hit it last year.



And weirdly, in the old mailbox were all these address change documents from DVLA. Seems a few more came before.

Who needs this many V5c documents.

Craig does.



After this we headed into Whitchurch for a few hours.

I needed a few things, including a small gift and a card for Sally, turns out that I needed a bottle of Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey to celebrate the Queens Platinum Jubilee with.

Saw a few older cars, some lovely British vintage stuff.

Including this mechanically fully restored Land Rover, a double mailbox with patriotic crocheted cover and a lovely large cast iron drain cover. Foot added for perspective of size.







Back home we unloaded the 8 foot concrete posts and carried them around to where the reclaimed/recycled greenhouse would ho.

A bit of digging and levelling to get the foundation work sorted.

Lunch on the job was curried beef mince on rice, on site and a cuppe later.



Then I spent an hour cleaning it all up.



While I was doing this, Craig burned and cleared a load of his hedges where the previous owner had for years just dumped all cuttings and garden waste.

It took a few hours but made a huge difference to the fences and underhedge spaces.

Much better.

Glass next.



After the greenhouse, I got the super long extension put and got my personal hedge trimmer from the car.

Then went up to the rear and side boundaries and hard cut the hawthorn horse paddock hedges back.

They have not been cut since last year and needed a good meter or 3 foot cut back.

Once done and cleared up, it looked a whole lot tidier too.

We decided to shut shop by 6.00pm and relax with the Queens Jubilee etc.

Dinner was pretty much unsurpassed.

Meatballs in Tiger bread baguette rolls, followed by another bowl of trifle.



Overnight rain set in, so the planned bootfair today was shelved.

Watching the rain is rather enjoyable too.

Headed home, down South Later.

[Grizz1963]

Well.


Alllll the way from Mumbai (Bombay if you are older) via Shropshire…….


New headlights.






I really do hope they look as good in reality as it did in concept.


We will see, later.

[Grizz1963]

Popped over to my friend Kevin this afternoon to use his hydraulic pipe bender to try and see if I can actually make up my own roll bar as local builders are too busy to take on a small job like this.

He has completed his build too.

Not bad for a first build done in your 70’s

[Grizz1963]

Popped over to my friend Kevin this afternoon to use his hydraulic pipe bender to try and see if I can actually make up my own roll bar as local builders are too busy to take on a small job like this.

I took my template and a length of scaffolding pipe.

Resulting in.



And realising that I should be able to pull it off.



I will have to find a 14 foot length of scaffolding pipe to use.

Also important is to keep in mind the amount the metal moves when you bend it in the hydraulic press.

Pretty chuffed with this tonight.

[Grizz1963]

Went out to walk Bonnie tonight.

Up,a lane I saw a pile of scrap.

And a nice wrought iron bracket.

On the way back, I went and knocked on the door and asked if I could rummage in the junk.

Yes of course came the reply.

Walking back toward the car, carrying this lot for 2km had Sally taking a pic of just how good I look scavenging.

Do I care?




Back home I checked it out.

Thermometer one side,



Clock, that works and barometer on the other side.

And it all works.



Chuffed for sure, a nice thing to hang somewhere..

[realvc]

Real nice find from your walk.

Very nice shirt you are wearing too.

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by realvc

Real nice find from your walk.

Very nice shirt you are wearing too.

Thanks Vince, I am sure I will give it away to someone who needs it more than me.

That hoody came from Tat2Don years ago in a care package.

Well worn, but still a favourite.

[Grizz1963]

Went for a walk with the dog out toward Cliffe and Cooling.

Saw a few intersting things

Last on the road in 2017

Dodge Polara.

Is it valuable, covetable? Who knows.



Empty barn near it.

I could fill it fast.



Some real beauty out there.

Also a few retros in farm yards with a lot of long grass around them.

I may investigate some more in future.











Part of the walk passed Cooling Castle.

Owned by Jools Holland.

For the uninformed……..


https://youtu.be/_A1VAsl_4TY


A nice place to call home.






Also walked through the Parish Church yard.



Home to some history.





And description below.






Spoke to some other interesting people on the walk.

One guy with a few motorcycles inside his house in the lounge and large entrance.

I am not the only one then it seems.

[Braunschweiger]

A nice piece of land where you live, very nice.

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by Braunschweiger

A nice piece of land where you live, very nice.

Thank you.

I made the choice not to live in the city a long time ago.

I do not like cities.

So always happy to live out in the middle of historic England

[Grizz1963]

After work I thought I would go mock up the roll bar in order to calculate the rear braces.

Then realised that the seats need to be in to get the spacing and angles right, and that would result in the braces and top support being in tje right position.

Bloody hell, it took forever to get all the bolts n nuts fitted and fixed down.

I also added the second lap strap on the drivers side to the seat, bolting it to the original seatbelt mount.





Once the seats were in, and tested, and passed on QC, the next was to add in the CAD piece behind the eat.

Followed by the rear brace which mounts at the same level as the shoulder harness mounting brace.

I wanted them to be as unobtrusive as possible. Success.

It then mounts int the chassis through the rear chassis mounting plates.



If I manage to get the pipe bends right, this could work OK.

Next will be making up a CAD profiles for the braces.

Fingers crossed of course.

[Grizz1963]

George, the cat I don’t have, seems to have settled in here.

His owner is pregnant with No2 and it seems he prefers sleeping here most days.

Easy pet ownership in a way. He comes, he eats (I leave some dry food in a plate for him to graze from and give him the odd bit of chicken or ham, yes he trained me well) he sleeps, he leaves. And repeat.

[Grizz1963]

More parts to the puzzle ordered in

£54.00 from Evilbay.

Hope the drivers side fits in.






And rather than collecting on Saturday morning, delivery of a 4.2 meter and two lengths of 1.2 meters of pipe, to add to mine.

Also realised that the rear braces need to be different to create the right look.



Can you see the rear brace?



I am really liking that.

More on Saturday.

[Grizz1963]

After work. Work.













Weekend.

[Braunschweiger]

This is really a great roll bar, great work.

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by Braunschweiger

This is really a great roll bar, great work.

Thanks Harald,


Just bent a pair of braces before coffee and toast with Sally this morning.

Cross brace cutting next, then make it all fit by cutting the curved shapes where they all join, grind back all the galvanising so I can stick weld them together and tack onto the base plates after I make the rear base mounting plates plates and weld in a pair of captive bolts so they all can slip fit together and be bolted down in one, once full welded up.
.



Fingers crossed.

[Grizz1963]

Long day.

Made the rear chassis mounting plates for the supports.







Then made some “fish mouth” or whatever you call them, joins.



Mocked up.



Chassis mounting plates welded on the braces.



Mounted in the cab, roll hoop in place, on its base plates……

For the anal amongst us, zoom in, knock yourself out.



Carrying on, later, around 5.00pm John the lodger joined me, both to help and give advice.

Then Mickey came around.

They sat chatting, discussing South London, where they both grew up, a lifetime ago.

Mickey had to point out the joins being very good.



A load of preparation and grinding to make the joins work.



Lots of tacking in place, removing and stick welding.








Getting there, bit by bit.


.

Happy



Done.

Paint in the morning.

FIA approved………



Cheese and crackers for dinner.

A serious rum, after a tall beer.

Tired tonight.

Rewarded




Bootfair in the morning, if I wake in time..

[Grizz1963]

So yesterday @nickwheeler was here and the day ended in a bit of a whimper.

Trying out the rear lights and wiring, he and John the lodger found that the existing units were so messed up, not reading the current etc…….

That we realised I will need to find another Mk 2 Capri LEFT Hand rear light unit.

They are left and right handed for those unaware, despite looking universal.

If anyone has a decent left handed light body or a pair for sale, donation, trade, whatever, please PM me

The lenses are good.

So only the bodies needed.






Thank you.

[Grizz1963]

Sunday morning a few yard jobs etc.

No bootfair as I was awake from 3.15 to 5.00 and then snoozed to 07.00

Then onto a bit more tidying up on the welds, which had actually gone really well, with deep penetration.

Hammerite



Mickey was around for an hour or so too.





Before lunchtime, an unusual treat for me, I rarely drink beer. But the heat and feeling good about the finished rollbar necessitated it.



Second coat later in the afternoon when Nick was here.



In the afternoon, Nick came, we chatted a while, opened another beer(s) and pressure tested the cooling system, a clamp tightened up more saw it all show as dry.

Nice testing kit.



Pressure.



One of the small eyesore jobs to do was clean and rattle can the radiator in a dusting of satin black.

So once more dismantling the front end, well, it became twice.



Blacker.



While at it, I also made and folded a blanking plate for the top of the radiator to drive all the air over it, and also close up the view into the engine bay.



In the mean time Nick and John were trying to figure out the wiring and lights……

Reported above, and looking for a left hand light unit.



With the lighting failure, Nick then added some Riv-Nuts to the back of the bumper to retain the lower lip of the front grille.






After final assembly, the black blanking plate and grille do look a lot tidier too.



So a weekend with a fair amount of stuff getting done.

Thanks for checking in.

[Grizz1963]

[quote author="@westbay" source="/post/2736092/thread" timestamp="1655105341"][a href="https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/125337339091?hash=item1d2eb004d3:g:ScAAAOSwBDJikUp7"]link[/a][/quote]


THANKS A MIL TONY.



BOUGHT.



DELIVERY BY FRIDAY, HOPEFULLY.

[Grizz1963]

Saw this on Bookface this morning, a builder I have followed a while.

The sort of thing I would love the Rezin Rockit to be.

He raffles 450 tickets at P2500.00 or 2500 Philippines Peso’s or £39.00

Last one was won by a guy in the UAE.

Shipping and collection etc would be your problem.


As mentioned by @redratbike in an earlier conversation today, it may not be an ideal daily.


But man, I would love to have one.



























Hope you enjoyed.


Feel free to add your Jeep fantasies.

[Grizz1963]

So the roll hoop is done.

Next stop…. Get the Harnesses attached.

Needs some slide buckles.

3mm steel plate should do just fine, NASCAR approved after all.



Chassis and seat mounts as well .

Copy



Cut



Finesse



@nickwheeler it, I mean paint.




Also in the post today.

These.

Should clear things up a bit.



Biggest concern was if the motor would fit in a way that would leave my knuckles intact.

Success it seems.



Another small step forward.