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

[Grizz1963]

So after doing the sills, I refitted the wheels, got it on the floor, refitted the floor mat and seats

Then washed it as it was a bit grubby.

While cleaning it I found the rear wiper was dead, and needed replacing, so ran into the local village to grab a replacement.



Motor factors is adjacent a fish and chip shop.

That smell is irresistible, especially the smell of vinegar as well.

So I treated myself.



I hate eating in my car and as a rule do not allow it, a lesson learned 30 years ago.

But the smell got me to cheat.

Pensioners portion is a massive pile of chips and a smaller size piece of Cod.

All for £3.50 which to me is still a bargain.



After my fishy dinner, I checked up the car’s ULEZ status.

This is another London Stealth Tax.

If you read what you are paying £14.00 per day to cross a certain road boundary. (I actually drive outside the zone going to one of my hospitals, down the South Circular and technically inside coming back.

Anyway…….

The Micra is Exempt from that coat, so saves an owner £280.00 or more per month.




Crazy Crazy this whole stealth taxation system.


.

[Grizz1963]

Forgot to add these.

No more pics now.

I hope.





Other side.





Next stop, insure and get to the MOT station.

[Grizz1963]

Got home early from work by 3.15

Shuffled some cars around before even getting out of my work clothes.

Took the Micra up to the farm road for a quick test run, makes it a whole 1.5km test run, not even a mile.

Really nice little car to be honest. Feels deceptively bigger than its size implies.

It started to rain softly, but I hit the brakes at 40mph a few times……

Decent lock up on the left rear.

I do hope that it is a bit better on the rollers at the test at 4.00pm tomorrow afternoon.



Back home I parked everything up.

Makes my driveway look like a South London Car salesman’s home.



I hope it is all good tomorrow.

[Braunschweiger]

Amazing thing about the tax, we were once in north London to look at a car and drove into this zone and were worried we would get a fine sent afterwards. I still know fish and chips in newspaper, oh... that was a long time ago.

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by Braunschweiger

Amazing thing about the tax, we were once in north London to look at a car and drove into this zone and were worried we would get a fine sent afterwards. I still know fish and chips in newspaper, oh... that was a long time ago.

I think the lazy government agents are too lazy to try get the taxes from foreign users, so they just charge us more to cover for the rest.

Yes, newspaper wrapped was good, but maybe the printing ink was mot as good as it tasted.



4 hours insurance bought.

That is EXPENSIVE

But all I need.

Next option was £110.00 for a month vs £300.00 for a year.



Ready to Rock n Roll.

[Grizz1963]

When one solution creates another problem.


Pumped all the tyres up this morning and took the Micra for a drive, suddenly the brakes worked perfectly, steering is straight.


Unequal tyre pressures clearly affect performance, reminder there.


Got home and thought I would drop both electric windows.


Drivers side, perfect behaviour.


Passengers side……. Worked last week. Today……. FCK FCK FCK ! Partially opened, then managed to get it closed,,sounds like the glass has jumped the rail.


Any experience or advice on short notice? No, crushing is not an option.

[Grizz1963]

MOT Pass.

Comment from tester was that it is a very clean car for 21 years and 130k miles or 210000km

Now of course, having kept my job and company car it will be surplus.



All up in the air.



Result.

Also no advisories, which is cool.



AND MY 4 HOURS OF INSURANCE JUST EXPIRED.

Perfect.

[realvc]

Well done on the MOT pass and all the work leading up to it.
I did not realize you bought this car for your own self just in case your job was not renewed. You had a good plan and were thinking a head. Well done on that as well.

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by realvc

Well done on the MOT pass and all the work leading up to it.
I did not realize you bought this car for your own self just in case your job was not renewed. You had a good plan and were thinking a head. Well done on that as well.

Thanks Vince.

I guess part of it is knowing we need to survive, and I have no ego when it comes to wheels.

This car ducks a lot of the taxes levelled at us in this cowboy country where bare faced thieving is tolerated.




Of course being as it was bought to use when I lost my company car with the redundancy, and everything now back to “normal” it has become surplus to my requirements.

So it needs to go back into the market, ULEZ exemption should appeal to some as well.



And a flashback, held back initially.


https://youtu.be/7byzFRXrABs


Looks a lot better now.

Still a 21 year old with it’s fair share of damage and scruffiness.

Someone will hopefully find it useful.

[Braunschweiger]

Well done and looks great.

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by Braunschweiger

Well done and looks great.

Thank you.

Happy with it.


Well.

Certainly was not part of the master plan.

I bought this to be able to get into and out of the London ULEZ ZONE for interviews and any potential jobs when I was made redundant.

ULEZ Zone is £300.00/month alone.

Of course I got re-employed, given a new title, small increase and got to keep my company car.

So now suddenly I have a surplus car, along with the S10 and soon (we hope) the Rezin Rockit, just too many wheels.

So I put it on the sidewalk this morning, incase a passerby sees and is interested in it.

Far from perfect, but beats riding a Halfords bicycle to work for some.







I feel somewhat guilty toward the car as I had some silly plans for it.

But it may be best to just sell it as it stands.

[Grizz1963]

More story when it happens.


https://youtu.be/KnBVCyN_bCA


.

[Grizz1963]

Mate Craig sent a pic this morning at 06.00 when he was about to leave after filling his tow vehicle.



Yesterday he ran 40 miles into Wales to collect this little “gift” and 210 miles coming down to me today, then 35 to load a bunch of industrial shelving, back here again…… followed by a Turkish dinner tonight and headed home early tomorrow morning.

That is a bit of a trip.

[Grizz1963]

Well……

Some friends do love to spend your money for you.

So when Serendipity smiled upon the planets and @craigrk sent me this Marketplace ad for another dubious item I coveted for a long time, while it lined up with the purchase of a load of serious industrial racking and shelving from “Deleted Profile”, plus collecting a load of American and bootfair stuff from my place, I had to take a look.

1994 Westwood 1012 - £100

The actual description read:

Westwood 1012 ride on mower/yard tractor 12.5hp Briggs and Stratton Engine £100


Photos as posted in the ad.

Yup, confidence inspired, so I said to Craig how far from his home, keeping in mind he is 205 miles from here.

Oh, not far, about half an hour, just into Wales.

Perfect.

BUY AND COLLECT IF YOU CAN PLEASE.

That was Tuesday morning..

Sellers reply to Craig: SORRY, SOLD, Collection this afternoon.

Boll0x












Craig was in London for work by this time, till Thursday evening.

Late afternoon he texted to say seller messaged to say “available again”

No, there are no alarm bells here….l move along.

So I repeated……. Yes please, buy and collect it.

Seller agreed to Craig collecting Friday night after work.


I was excited……. At least the odds of me getting something was better than winning the lottery.


So I patiently waited.


Yeaaahhh Right.

[Grizz1963]

So, while Craig made some major business decisions and transactions in the Big Smoke and ate meals worth a small African countries GDP and shared his views…..



I did my day job, got a great email from my agency (about money) and got inquisitive and impatient about this thing I was hoping to buy.

So I messaged Emma, the seller to ask for some better photos.

I was being hopeful here, and did not identify myself as the actual finacier…..

So promptly I got these……







Followed by these.







Much better than the ones in the ad, you will agree.

They confirmed to me mainly that it seemed intact, the body was in really good condition for a 28 year old tractor.

Also, very importantly, in fact most important, that it was a steel bodied tractor.

I have been offered very kindly before, a complete, running lawn tractor by a very good man, but declined because it was modern plastic bodied one.

In retrospect of course, one could make up some body, or add a Dodgem body over it with some supports.

I forwarded the pics to Craig, without explanation and he assumed that I had pulled them off the internet.

When I told him on Thursday that it was the actual tractor, he was pretty chuffed for me.

I had hoped that the small trailer I recently tidied up and put new tyres on, would fit it, but it is longer and wider, so I have popped it onto FB marketplace for a trade or for sale, in order to get something a bit bigger or ideally a flatbed chassis that will take the tractor and on decent sized wheels like the 14” this one has fitted. Behind the Rezin Rockit.

[Grizz1963]

Somewhat more daring than I am right now, but I love it.

https://youtu.be/g7qEdK_hpks

Looks like fun.

All on Wheel Horse tractors though, it seems.

[Braunschweiger]

Looks like everyone is having a great time.

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by Braunschweiger

Looks like everyone is having a great time.

Fun….?

All relative ehhh.

[Grizz1963]

Got this pic from Craig on,Friday night when he was leaving Wales…..



Saturday morning at Stupid-0-Clockthis was happening.



In order to get this trip going.



By 9.30 Craig was here and we undid the tractor to get it off the trailer.



Maybe not so obvious, but a complete non runner, no key etc……

But I had to give it a go….

Size fit.




After the unload, without even a coffee, we headed out to “Deleted Profile” to go get this lot loaded.

The inside of the ML was also loaded to the roof.

Great seeing the man a few hours, and loading a load of extra sh!te he had put aside for my shop.

Shared between Craig and I later.

By 13.00 we were loaded and headed back to my place, via a service station to pump the trailer wheels.



Coffee and a pan full of fried sausages and fresh bread for a late lunch.

Followed by packing more sh!te into the ML.

Then down to the garage to play for a while.

[Grizz1963]

Back home from “Deleted Profile” we packed more stuff into Craigs ML, amd while he rearranged the load on his trailer, I cooked some sausages for lunch.

After which we put the HOPEMOBILE onto some ramps and axle stands.

Battery had changed and trying to start it failed.

Cowl hinge attachment points were partly missing, so just rested in place.



I also removed all the LED’s from the cowl.

Wiring and a switch box will be next, once I figure out how and what needs removing.

Craig had a quick nap……



Removing the flywheel and cooling fin cover as well as the starter motor cover exposed why, despite a screwdriver in the ignition, it would not start.





Having offered Sally, who was working from 6.00am on Sunday, and Craig dinner, we messed around briefly after seeing problem no 1 and then made a hard stop, closed shop and pushed the tractor under cover.



Dinner was very good, and the company great.



I had also moved Scruffy, the Micra up the alley till Craigs son collects it.



So a busy day, and good weekend all together.

[Grizz1963]

Busy weekend with yardwork and “Decorating”

Short video clip showing the tractor being abused by the previous owners brother.

So it certainly used to go…….

https://youtu.be/0TLZo8mXwWM

This week I was also given/offered another non runner…….

And a spare seat and some better wheels for the one I have.

Thank you to “Unknown Member” who can make himself known here, should he want to.

Needs to be fetched about three hours away.





So no tractor or garage time this weekend.

Weather still mild, but rain today, may lift later.

Yesterday I managed to fall out a tree, off the top of the ladder when it spun around a fixed pivot point.

Yes, I landed hard, only sprained my middle finger….. despite caution.

Accidents are so instantaneous to happen.

I skipped cutting this tree down last year and this year I wanted to cut it below the last pruning point.



Halfway, more to get done.



Thats a lot of branches to process and dispose of.

Anything more than a broomstick thickness will be put aside to dry for the fireplace next season.



Much better.



Will go up and tidy all the shoots that are sticking out everywhere.

Sally made me a white bread, bacon and two soft fried eggs sandwich today.

What a bonus.

[Grizz1963]

90% rain forecast for Sunday

Perfect weather for a 160 mile trip in the S10 to go load some “spares or repairs” stuff and a few tools from a friend, then driving back.

I had planned on hiring a van, then realised the load bed is long and wide enough, and that I already own a truck…… yes it can do the job, rather than sitting looking pretty on the driveway.

Then collect @craigrk ‘s son from Leatherhead to come pick up the Nissan Micra that will be headed down to Poole in Dorset

Really would love if it did not rain, at least while loading, but the dice are cast.

[Braunschweiger]

It's amazing things you always find. The Micra didn't stay with you long.

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by Braunschweiger

It's amazing things you always find. The Micra didn't stay with you long.

Hi Harald

Micra was bought as a cover for redundancy and because it skips the £14.00 per day 7/7 Ultra Low Emission Zone ULEZ is just another tax.

So selling as I have no need for it now I have still got my Ford Focus estate.

Free stuff……..

Yes I am a repository for stuff many people throw away.

Many items I just reroute to new homes.

[Grizz1963]

Winter prep job No 1 completed.

Used the hedge trimmer to mulch and cut up the branches that were left over after cutting out everything smaller than a broomstick to pack away to dry for next years fireplace wood.

All the chopped up stuff fitted in the wheely bin after I repeatedly jumped on it to compact further.



Leaving the pile of cut back branches all at around 5 foot or 1.5 meter long.

I then used thick string to tie them into 5 large bundles to put out on the sidewalk. Lets hope the recycling guys put them in the truck.



The amount of work it takes to harvest alm of this wood almost does not seem worth doing.
But it needs to be processed so I may as well do it right.



Filled the Chevy up last night for Sundays Mini roadtrip

Current mileage will slip over to 40k miles or 65k km on Sunday.

Really low I guess for a 21 year old pampered truck.



I also took out roadside recovery today.
Not something that I ever do.
But this truck is so under used, you never know when something does go bang.

I expect no trouble but neither did Kennedy

Should be a nice trip.