GRIZZ’s ‘79 - 2WD BLAZER Challenge over in London, England. “~It’s not a Project~”

[Grizz1963]

So with my back beating me up, but improving for sure, I continue to have to modulate what I do.

Currently the plan is to move the driveway over by 18” or 450mm in the centre so I can reverse cars or large trucks down there.

So I have cut the hedge back hard as well as the shrubs. Down the drive, so that the drive van be moved.

Hurt my head.



While hacking away, and having two lodgers now, one with a Vito van, and one with an electric bike, no....not Dirty James, that needs to come through between the cars and to the lockup at the rear, I relised that my front hedge was 12” or 300mm too wide.







On Saturday I ended up cutting three times as much as planned, and my back told me about it.



Then on Tuesday morning I was out there by 06.15 to carry on cutting the next part of the hedge.

I cut it back hard down by the garage as well, gaining some space.



Then down the side of the garage.





I think all of this, though gardening in effect, means that I can get on with real jobs, including garage work as they chores are put aside for a while.

I also noticed two Starlings up in the small window in the garage loft the day before No idea how they got in there.

So once cleaned up, I went up there to see if they were catchable.......

I found one dead, and the other one just sitting there on the windowsill.



So I took them both out, released one, which flew straight back to the nest under the eaves.

Lastly, a couple of sunsets.





Of course I was sore, but hotwater bottle, icepack and pills.....

Sorted.

[LT7A]

Glad to hear that your back is improving. I imagine it has curtailed your walking regimen for now. No more roaming around St Mary (who?). Good work on the hedges. I like the chamfer or bevel you cut on the top corner. I could use you and your hedge shears over here. I have let my hedges grow so wildly that I will probably hear from the save the rainforest people when I cut them back. Do you have these pavers available? I like your semi-meandering driveway, but I can understand how it is difficult to back down. You could use these on the inside of the curve, and between the tracks and still grow grass in between. No need to repour any concrete and you can retain a percentage of the greenness.

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by LT7A

Glad to hear that your back is improving. I imagine it has curtailed your walking regimen for now. No more roaming around St Mary (who?). Good work on the hedges. I like the chamfer or bevel you cut on the top corner. I could use you and your hedge shears over here. I have let my hedges grow so wildly that I will probably hear from the save the rainforest people when I cut them back. Do you have these pavers available? I like your semi-meandering driveway, but I can understand how it is difficult to back down. You could use these on the inside of the curve, and between the tracks and still grow grass in between. No need to repour any concrete and you can retain a percentage of the greenness.

Hedges are a pleasure..... once they are cut.

They only look good for two weeks when the green comes through, then turn scruffy again.

That top bevel works for me too, they are very wide in places and this makes them look a bit less imposing.

Your hedges may be in need of a big cutback, but they do recover.


Those concrete grid inserts are a great idea to be honest.

Not considdered them.

[Grizz1963]

After who knows how long.....


And it has been close to 8 weeks, the DVLA has changed the S10 plate from the Y-Reg it had, to the number I bought some time ago.


I will fit the new plates and surround from Gary in America later today, if I get time.


VERY INTERESTING TO NOTE THE SPACING OF THE LETTERS AND NUMBERS.


I WOULD SAY THEY ARE TOGETHER.





Yes, I am pleased it has been done.

Why so long though?/

FK.

[Grizz1963]

Right.....


Left....


Road trip.


Randomness.



So a restless night, followed by getting up by 04.40, shower, shave etc then out the door by 05.40


Absolute pleasure of a drive up to the destination and meeting point.


I pulled over just before getting there for a walk and break.




Then drove on, to our meeting destination.

I thought it was cool as a meet up for the bikes


Thanks Matt @pegasus for thinking of that, and coming to meet me and deliver the bikes.




Including natural security





I sneaked up the one way passage to use the toilet.

And found this, never seen a willy washer in a public









More in a moment, if I stay awake

Been a long week

[Grizz1963]

So when Matt @pegasus got there we started with the traditional exchange of gifts.

Matt got very little, I got some used number plates to trade or add to my collection, and also an item I was recently contemplating buying off Marketplace.......

Clarke Parts washer.



Then we unpacked the mini bikes



Followed by a “BIT OF A PHOTO SHOOT.”







After this, they went into the car, and we went indoors at the museum, used their facilities followed by a 90 minute chat, walking around the gift shop, drinking very good, and certainly affordable coffees.

These were my first shop bought coffees since March last year, and the price was good at under £3.00 for a large Latte

Looking at key rings, cups, gifts etc, the pricing surprised me, really sensibly priced.

I do love robots, and found this one.... no, did not buy it.





And then a few random pics.

Some beauties here.






Incredible detail and beauty.





On leaving I saw this plate that made me grin, bike ridden by a pretty gnarly old guy.




Saying our good byes, we headed North and South.

The road back was a touch slower than coming, but loads of interesting things popped up.

I also stopped in Brentwood to pick up a bunch of stuff


More in a bit for those who are still here.

[Grizz1963]

So, the return trip.

Uneventful, but a few nice things caught on cameras.

1947/48 Healey.

This car has a significant heritage. Look it up.







Husband and wife team.

Spoke to David for a while.

What a nice guy.



Look at how small it is though, in a regular UK service station carpark.



Based on the fact that I have the Rezin Rockit on standby, Matt @pegasus sent me this one.



Then off the M25 and into Essex lanes, pulling over for this view, so nice.



Another view while parked up when picking up the stuff Paul “Oblertone” had left with his daughter, she loaded the car as the drive left me bent over and stiff as a spring.



More stuff, including some heavy duty ratchet straps, large trolley wheels and some ramps in the back.

And to top it all off..... a a dentists lamp, heavy as a heavy thing, still not unloaded at this point, it may be a job for today though.





Unpacking.



Very pleased with this ornament.



And then later I delivered to Sally, in exchange for cajun chicken wraps for dinner.



My back was not happy at all, miles, carrying random stuff, hedges, bags of sand etc.

But a good week.

Today..... who knows.

[Grizz1963]

Few random pics.

Mate Dave loves a big one, over in Essex.

So he shared this on Thursday



Also checked on the DVLA website and at last, after many weeks, my personal plate had been processed onto the truck.

I had ordered the American style pressed steel plates with the numbers to the right, leaving space for a small Stars n Stripes badge to the side.



Mate Gary in Florida had sent me a plate surround, after I had drilled the holes to replicate the holes in the trucks original plates, and also some small screw embellishers.

So the rear plate has a hole, partially visible.... plan to be made.

The surround also tucks below the level of the step



Having had the dayoff on Thursday to fetch the mini moto bikes, I decided to have a drink with my good friend Vladimir in Russia.



We have previously gotten quite drunk together via WhatsApp and Google Translate.....

Never try keep up with a Russian, or for that matter a Siberian.

Today, Mickey also went over to Sally’s place and cleaned her gutters.

The man is certainly fearless, and while prancing around on her roof, Sally was having kittens on the ground.





More about today in a while for those still awake.

Awake ?

[Grizz1963]

So, how do you get this tired ?


Ask Sally.

She has two sons, 21 and 28 years old. Both were very busy growing up.



Meet Harry.

He does have a sleep as part of his mothers control programme.

And if you have spent a few hours kicking ball, driving diggers and who knows what else.....

You sleep.

Seems he loved the new sand pit, needs a lot more sand though.





Then after his sleep, Sally who was baby sitting, fed him and sprung the surprise on him.

She had Cream Puff covered under a sheet, with a cardboard box to change the shape, all day.

So when Harry had had his lunch, she showed him the bike in the dining room.

He was super excited and helped her, carrying the paddock stand out for her.

This gave the two of them some time to have Granny and Harry time, something thats really precious to her.







At some point, his Mum and Dad came back and were shocked that he and Sally were playing in the back yard, with him using it like his balance bike.

She took great pleasure in telling them the whole story of how it had made its way from beyond Leeds to down South via Birmingham through the kindness of strangers like @pegasus and Oblertone’s part in the Essex detour. As she said to me later, she just wants this next generation to be less self obsessed and more kind and generous, so sharing stories may just help.

They took Cream Puff home with them, and Luke, Sally’s eldest had it fuelled up and running 10 minutes after getting home.

Video for your pleasure.

https://youtu.be/C25p0TqYdFg


I had been out in the truck today and came home after a nice drive, parked on the drive as Sally had taken her Corsa through for a wash and polish.

Looking at the truck, I just smiled.



While polishing her car, she suddenly went mad.......

An injured pigeon had come into the yard.......

So I had to rescue it.




That concluded our day, a long, busy one.

Life is good I seem to recall mentioning before.

Bootfair in the morning.

Fingers crossed.

[Grizz1963]

From a friend.....


More examples

[Grizz1963]

Bloody cold, but dry bootfair today.

Being bank holiday, we have two this weekend, so another tomorrow morning.

Spray on glue. £1.00 per can. Bought all 11 he had. To be shared.



Looking for a set of training/stabiliser wheels for Cream Puff the bike I got Harry, we found a decent MX helmet, advertised at £2.00 but paid £1.00



And shortly after that, another £1.00 vintage cork helmet, for only £1.00 to go with my Easy Rider display





Other items included £8.00 in fruit and vegetables.

4 greeting cards for £1.00

A teapot to me made into a bird nest for £1.00

Some nice Plants for £4.00 for both our gardens.

Some hinges at 50p each.

Total.

[/URL] https://app.photobucket.com/u/niknak...-94db1f4c423c][/URL]


So not stabiliser wheels, but hey, to,orrow could deliver.

[Grizz1963]

Made a slow start on shifting and straightening the drive strips.

Marked out



My pace is possibly 20% of my previous pace, not how I like to work, but my back just says no.



So after a failed trip to the coast yesterday, due to spending too much time at the bootfair in the morning, I decided to get back onto clearing and moving some of the soil.



I must say, there still needs to be some more digging there and getting lower, followed by some form of retaining of the garden bed.

Then break up the concrete, remove it and redefine the strips to be cast.

After our aborted trip to the coast, we also stopped at the local Ford dealership to to look at used Fiestas.

Indoors, I saw this interesting new car.







And when I got home,,chatting to Mickey next door, I told him I wanted to get some stabiliser wheels for Harry’s little bike, he is good on a balance bike, and once his dad restricts the mini moto, it should be a good way to start him off.

So Mickey handed me a pair over the hedge.

They will work, and one can replace the plastic wheels with something more robust if they self destruct




I will report on Mondays Bootfair later.

Today is a bit of a hectic work day.

[Grizz1963]

Part 2

Monday.

Up early, off to the bootfair on my own.

Allowed me to stop and speak to sellers for 10 minutes at a time.

Loads of allsorts.

Mostly old fashioned bootfair prices.

Three glasses and three shot glasses £1.00 per set
80’s pin frame 50p
Skull 50p
Toy cars, 50p each, except for auburn £1.00 and tiny fire engine and old yellow truck 20p each
Old fashioned brace auger £1.00 kinked spanner 50p and vice grip £1.00 for Craig.
Dragon 20p
Tiny piggy bank Free






Love these.



50p skull.



And then this lot

Cushion for my chair £1.00
Superhero mug 20p
Jack Daniels mug 50p
Bracelet 50p
Small box for sally 50p
Fedora hat new £1.00
Lambswool Dunns cap £1.00
Two limited edition plates for 50p
Depression era Strawberry glass gravy boat £3.00 for Dennis’s Debbie who collects it.
New knee and elbow protectors for Harry 20p
Mammut mat 50p





So that was Mondays public holiday bootfair.

Bringing to an end a great weekend.

Sally cooked dinner.

[Grizz1963]

Posted elsewhere on another forum.

Just made me smile.

I am pretty sure it was a planned registration by someone.

[Grizz1963]

Farm sale this week

Such diversity.

New



Old



Also stole my own lunch hour and then some, to cut the front hedge while the weather held out and between meetings.







Another flashback that popped up in my life this week was this pic, taken in Arkansas while out being a tourist.

Lovely build.



After a couple of warm and sunny days, today closed in and it started to rain, all day, and it is still raining now.



Tonight the rain beading on the paintwork that @mercdan68 had polished, made me smile again.



Weather permitting, Dan will be here tomorrow in his Ford Escort Panelvan to deliver @pauly ‘s gas can.

.

[Grizz1963]

Day started overcast and “fresh”

By 10.45 @@forddan68 and Daughter Amy were here, bringing along @pauly ‘s vintage 20 liter “Jerry Can”

So coffee, chatting, catch up, spleen venting all done, we decided to drive a mile up the road into some farm lanes for a few Ford v Chev pics.

Random photodump.



And then we headed out.

At this point we took a couple of random pics.

As we were headed out again, it appears poor Dan had sat down on a wasp that had entered his car.

Not sure who felt it more, Dan or the Wasp.



Note the name of the lane, it is bad enough Kent is known as the capital of dogging or is that dog walking?













Lastly, Dan and son George were breaking a Mk6 Fiesta, and just happened to have a spare door rubbing strip that “went missing” when Sally’s son had his car repaired, and to this day, 6 months later the strip is missing.
Not really impressive, but thanks to Dan, there is a new one on standby.



Back home it was time to unpack the box of GMC spares that Steve had sent with Craig a few weeks ago.

Then some light woodwork.

[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?

[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.

[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.

Thank you.

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]

I could not edit the previous entry.

Originally Posted by Grizz1963

Thank you.

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.

[LT7A]

Yes, the photo is a significant addition to the information presented, haha. Most people have opposable thumbs. Not all, but many have oppositional middle fingers.

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by LT7A

Yes, the photo is a significant addition to the information presented, haha. Most people have opposable thumbs. Not all, but many have oppositional middle fingers.

Mainly when provoked


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.