The Guvna Blog. Redux.

[ed_h]

Thanks for that, Guv.

Ed

[L.O. Guvna]

February. 2020. and its warmer than most Febs in Texas.


update. some light paint clean up. washed it the other day - was happy that my milky white paint just didn’t run off like water color. car is running well and ive yet to turn my carb needles an 1/8th? clockwise for richer? think that's what Ken said. Found myself distracted with reviving my sitting cj5 - figured I'd run into the same bits as I did with this car and that gas. I had to fiddle with the needle valve on that thing, but some gumout and some blows on it seemed to revive it. I have used my car charger more in the past few months than in its lifetime, pretty sure.

the carb journey
stewardship
throwback

The Dr Seuss wombly air fuel contraption
we need a silly name for these silly carbs. Take the US Federal Tax code and turn it into a carburetor. Over engineered. Manuals don't help. The web, which can find anything from kim kardashians underwear to what Kobe Bryant had for breakfast before he passed away, can't tell me what certain parts are on this carb. And I want to figure this out rather than being a leach to Ken or Joe Curto. As in, I want to be able to stand in that circle and not look like a glazed over drunk when they - Ken and anyone else that understands this rig - talk parts, adjustments, things to remember, etc.

Youtube is better. But not tons that is specific to our carbs. A few on the MG version, some volvo stuff, and a lot of 150CD. But in seeing other versions, I like little things, like the volvo version of the choke? Mine? Ours? has this top stop that is a pressed in brass rod that stops the choke from going to far. Well, on this fancy video for volvos, that’s a screw, and this screw is designed to push in, twist, and make use of those cut ins around that stop area. So that, in the summer, the choke stops shorter than in the winter. You get the picture.

I'm a few posts into my separate journey with these on the forums. Therapy, as I said, dismantling, reassembling. polishing. Prepping for a rebuild. searching for a gasket that is on one but not the other. Fighting the OCD urge to go further. Wrangling with - is this worth it - all this cleaning.

More to come on that.


The admirers
They come in waves. Go a few weeks, nothing, and then bam - what year? or excuse me sir… What seems to have stopped….ha, stopped. More like hibernated….is the fan that asks if its an MG. Those that know the car, are kind, and thumbs up - and those that don't, like the generation that reached out recently at the grocery store….very interested, with some disposable income, and wants to learn more about cars that are nothing like their Mazda 3, or hot hatch. I remind myself, this forum, and anyone around a classic car - this battle won't get easier. We aint getting younger. Legislation, like that in Maryland? Somewhere northeast - that seems to target classic cars or anything polluting. The exponential growth, movement in transportation development is like cell phones and ipads to my and my parents generation - the kids understand it better than me. I feel like I should stop typing, go sit in my car, drink whiskey with the radio on, and listen to some steely dan for an hour. But, I shake it off, remind myself what we are doing here, and focus on helping others.


Throwback
Since I mentioned Harry Warner recently, let me take some time to revisit The Buckingham Service. Early 80s, and my first car, a 72, needed rear end work. We had broken the rear diff mounts, I think on the diff housing. There was some fancy welding that needed to take place. Dad and I weren't savvy enough to consider a rear end swap - which might have solved the issue for a few hundred. So, instead, we are talked into using some mechanic that the neighbor used for some of his work. In this auto strip center is The Buckingham Service, just down from his bay. And while the 6 is being repaired over a week, I wander down to this place. No windows, just a door with some cheap letters over the top of it with the name. Dark inside, as Texas is hot and bright outside - making it hard to adjust your eyes going in. And as your eyes adjust, there is this lineup of about 5 cars all almost restored. AC Bristol. MGTD. Jag E Type. Few others I don't remember. The Bristol was light metalic blue. Will never forget. Not a cobra, but that bristol motor, looking like it was just delivered from the factory. Stuff everywhere, leather laying on top of some table, other cars being stripped down. And Harry wandering around in shorts, golf shirt, and looking like he married money, or was born into it.

I remember this place, and as I do light cosmetic stuff - top replacement, dash with a black walnut veneer that I find at a local wood shop, varathane, coats and coats, and polishing…carpet and trim stuff along the way….and I would go by Harry's shop and ask questions. This guy, would stop, show me, take time to tell me things to remember. One day, as we were finishing up the trim, he literally hands me weatherstripping that goes from window top to the rear valence cover - both sides. for free.

And its here that I told the wrecker driver to take the car from the accident scene, July 5, 1985 at 2am. I'll never forget the night, that I was lucky to survive, and I was sure State Farm would handle this claim with him and get the car back on the road. I'll share that throwback in another blog.


that’s enough for today. Remember. Start your car with the car in neutral, foot off the clutch. Smile always when you drive, and whenever possible, take a kid driving.


cheers
LOG

[ed_h]

Nice installment, Guv.

That choke stop you described is on my '69 GT6.

Ed

[Tush]

Lefty/Leany, Righty/Richy....

Cheers
Tush

[L.O. Guvna]

And its March. Daylight savings. The evening drives will begin. Time to thaw out, yanks.


The School Car update
Sometimes it feels really selfish to talk about this car all the time, like anyone g.a.s. I try to keep this in the mode of what should you expect from the routine of this mark. So, with that, Let me shift to common things, and not things like my paint, which most TR6s don't suffer from.

An area I need to service is my diff fluid. Most of our diffs don't have drain plugs as they weren't designed for it. I recall the roadster factory offering this as a service, particularly on their rebuilt uinits. For me, and others, my go to is to just top this off. But frankly, I need to drain it, which means, putting a tube in the filler area and sucking this out. I haven't rigged up anything like that, but have seen this type of stuff on my new favorite shows on powernation. My column switches are still working well with my recent deoxit hose down. That work isn't as complicated as it might sound removing those cowls and spray, move the switches, spray, move the switches, wipe clean, and reinstall the cowls. I think a mechanic could really elevate their service to a tr customer if they did little things like puff those pillows. In other words, have a can of this stuff, spray on the contacts like the relays, etc, and under the cowl, and even the light bulb units in the rear tail light assemblies. The little things.

other than that, car has a good tune, starts quickly, runs well, and has good fluid levels.


the carb journey
research and development
throwback

The Dr Seuss Wombly Fuelolator Contraption
I've added the choke section to that forum topic - the air valve assembly is next. I'll just say, what keeps people away from tidying up these rigs is the intricacy of it. That choke housing took me a good week to hand polish - and its still not really completely polished. so many little nooks and crannies, and I now have to rebuild the discs and axle so they won't fall off. But I have found new ways to clean and polish - as if I am putting a system together to do more carbs. What a nightmare that would be. There are special people on this planet for different things. Like driving a farmall tractor at a creep rate for a harvester and keeping it straight for 1/2 mile. Preston could do it - I never could. Our brains are wired for certain things. I am not poised to be what Ken is - or Joe Curto.

Let me also add this, as Ken and I haven't chatted much since I began this journey in December. I hope those that read along realize the philanthropy in what he does. I don't want to get into the financials of his service, but I will tell you what I believe. You get more out of his carbs than what he charges. I don't have to fiddle more with these wonkers to say that. And for those scratching, chasing plug color, doing some light rebuild, or putting this off like a root canal - it ain't painful, and when you're done, you are better off than you were before and even from the dealer when your chassis rolled off the lot. Yeah, he's that good.

R&D
Some of us go back to production years. My 72 car was running as the 7 was coming out. My idea of upgrading my car was putting a air dam on the front. I never considered an overdrive. Or hardtop. Frankly, I'm not sure I ever saw one until we moved to Texas. Trim rings were special, as I remember. Mine were scraped up - and I enjoyed a newer 6 coming by with pretty trim rings. Cosmetic. About all I had in my parameters in my mind in those teenage years.

Today, Wishbone finds another 4 horsepower each year. Watch an engine build today, with not just newer parts, but better machine work available. And then there's Richard Good. I mean, we are truly blessed with the support around us. I will encourage everyone …wait. I will encourage those interested….to consider little upgrades. There are those that want to stay bone stock. I don't mean to preach or distract for those. I've been vocal about my interests - some of that lost in my original blog, but it will soon resurface in segments like this - keep adding the little things to extend the life, improve the comfort, and by all means, save the revs in the motor. My blog, when I first started it, was busy with revs, and mileage, and stuff to ward off 4 dollar per gallon gas.

Throwback
I'll add a few of my teenage restorations from time to time. Less funny, and more things I look back on and revel at. In other words, some of the stuff I did then, I don't think I have the patience or skill to do now. My soft top is a good example. When we acquired that car, it was painted dark blue and had a proper ..aamco?...top. but white. it had the silver reflector strips on side, and looked…ok when up. when down, and under that black tonneau, changed the car completely. That dingy top was also getting stiff like some of that vintage vinyl would do. I had a Miami Dolphins coat as a kid with stiff white vinyl arms because that vinyl started to age. Same thing - or seemed to be.

As a freshman, I did 2 things to that car that I enjoyed doing. This top replacement, and a dash restore. I'll talk about the dash in another blog. This top - with no one really to teach or coach me, was somewhat straight forward. You can figure out how to take the assembly off the car. and with it off, you can see how its glued onto the back plate, and on the header. And the other various areas like the straps and strap hold downs. Its here, if memory serves, that I taught myself how to rivet. With this old top off, I find robbins and get a top from them - circa 1981. Don't ask me how I found Robbins then. But I have this new black, not white top, with a zip out rear window. While all apart, I take the top frame to a paint strip place. Again, no idea how I find this place either. But they were set up to dip frames for week, and all that. Before a sand blast booth, which makes more sense today. I get this thing back, very clean, which I still rub down with some cleaner. Spray several coats of primer, and then I think semi flat Krylon or some rattle.

3 things stick out here. Putting this thing on straight, finding proper strap replacement, and what do I do with the velcro side stuff. Straight somehow came out straight. And I must have had some guidance because I was told to cut notches in the front so it will fold under the leading edge. And to use contact cement. The mistake I made here was cutting the notches before glueing it down. Yep, 1 of the notches as exposed. I'm probably the only one who noticed it. But it was tight, and overall, a good fit. The straps? never found the right stuff, so we improvised with some similar strap with white green and red lines in it. Worked great, but looked odd if you knew better. Then there was the velcro. I hated that material around the channel, so I epoxied velcro directly on the painted frame, and trimmed around it. It worked great, looked very good, and I really thought I had improved that area - held the top tight against the frame better than that mess of material and loose vinyl who's only job, I could assume, was trapping water to help it rust out and fail.

and this brings me to another end to an afternoon of house plumbing, continuing education for some professional work, and what is coming next with the corona virus.

remember - start that car out of gear and foot off the clutch. smile when you drive, and when possible, take a kid driving.


LOG

[L.O. Guvna]

Ghost town. We can drive, but to where? nothing is open.

The School Car update
Had an odd issue yesterday. Car wouldn’t hold an idle after warm up. Just a few mile drive to the grocery store, and it stalled on the way home - Fuel, fuel pressure, or something. I limped home with full choke, which is ironic that I am just finishing that system on my spare carbs for the carb journey. Otherwise, driving great. I just need to fiddle with some of my emission hoses, check my diaphrams, and take it slow until I figure this out. More to come.


the carb journey
the new world
throwback

The Dr Seuss Constant Dilemma Machine.
That may stick. Just finished throwing some comments on the air valve lever, and its bits. Often I can think like an engineer or a mechanic, but to channel some dude in … hell, I don't even know where stromberg was based….in his chair, with blue prints all over the place, him - assuming him - waxing on how to approach the next obstacle, this being emissions handling. how to vent the float bowl, and mix in outside air….I'm not even sure where I am going with this, except that my goal when I started, was to get a decent understanding of these devices hanging on the side of this carb. Not feeling smarter, frankly.

But, I do know this. I aint afraid of this carb anymore. And, I can take parts off, and put them back on. And, I think once I get the rebuild kits, that I will be able to set up these carbs to a general spec, and have them function properly on the car. Now, after that? Not really thinking I'll be able to dial these dilemma machines into something Ken would have sent me.

They are dressing up pretty good. Again, I fiddle each day with some area, pocket, whatever, with a bit of sand paper, or compound, and put it away until tomorrow. I know what works, and doesn't on polishing these now. After looking at some of my pics, I realized my throttle disc, for example, really wasn't that polished. So, I repeated the process, and its really pretty now. And, my flat head screws, which are really pretty around the outside, were grungy in the groove, so I went back, repeated the process with folded paper, and cleaned them up. Should have done that the first time.

Next up on the journey is the body itself, and I'll try to go around it with some comments, and some processes I found on the web - some good, some so so.



Life reset
I've lived through the cuban missile crisis, hostages in iran, 9/11, the banking crash of 2008, and now this pandemic. My business supports hotels, so I am fully affected in this downturn. I don't have a mattress full of cash, but I am not panicked. We have an appropriate amount of toilet paper. I've been in worse positions, and I know we will survive, and I mean all of us. Age helps. I might be more of a mess if I were 20 years younger. And while this little rant isnt' completely about stewarding a TR6, it is about life balance, and how that tiny car, by todays standards, can give you some peace.

I've grown to understand sleep helps. I know it helps my mental stability, but it also helps with managing things, ideas, decisions. Sleep on it. Seriously. I wake up with a new way to do something, even with my car. Usually, work stuff, but I am different the next day. Personal growth, I suppose. And any time in the 6 is a journey, of sorts. Sensory. No lane avoidance systems, and no back up camera. Awareness, and less device distraction. Something about this new world is telling me we are in a distraction reset, awareness of all the stuff around us. I hope we all wake up and ask wtf were we thinking when we allowed springer to keep broadcasting shows, or anything real world related. This car, for example, forces you to get outside. to the garage. to a toolbox, or anything with your hands. Big separation between our generation, my grandfathers generation, and today - less use of the dexterity, unless you consider that I can type properly with a keyboard, and that hand exercise maybe good for me. Its not good for my eyes, and my ass, which is welded to this corner of the couch.

So. get up. get outside. do something to your 6 today. even if you wipe the tires down with armorall. Today, I'm fiddling with my hiccuping carbs.


Throwback. The Radio.
I'm thinking back to my original blog to remember if I ever touched on this. I don't think I did. So, here goes.
It’s a touchy subject, but it really shouldn't be. It has this originality component to it, much like our trim rings and redline michelins. For me, a sound system was always part of my tr6 experience. First car, fiddling with it before I had a license, had an original BL radio in it. I was also into home stereos at the time, using my summer work money to buy a pioneer sx950 and 2 hpm 100 speakers. go look those up on ebay, and know that my equipment still works. I studied a lot of that fidelity stuff at 14, oddly geeky for an athlete, but I loved understanding some of that technology. So, with some of that, I install 2 4way 6 inch pioneer speakers in the rear panel of the car - remove the panel, use a hand jigsaw, cut round shaped out of the bottom triangle, drill 3 holes in the sheet metal, and 1 extra hole in the fiber and vinyl panel, run wire, and hook it up to that BL unit. Later, after I turn 16, for Christmas, I ask for an alpine cassette stereo for the car, and install that too. At this point, I have a tr6 with very good audio in it, back in the day, or even today.

Part of this audience cringed when I said cut the triangle. I can't help them with that emotion, but I will tell you, them, or anyone - I've cut 2 tr6 triangles now, and neither car collapsed on the side of the road like someone pulled the air out of the pool float. And if it helps, I can understand someone welding in a larger triangle, cutting a complete hole in that triangle, and having further support, but again, I'll need my rear deck to collapse in the wheel well or something to worry. I cut that first triangle at 14 years old, over 40 years ago. Didn’t know any better. But glad I did, cause I ain't afraid of that part of the body.

The current car had not system in it when I got it, and I didn’t race to install a stereo, truth be told. But maybe 2 years into this car, I cut those triangles, and fitted a Kraco 8 track system in the upright, and 6 inch 2way blaupunkts in the rear by the tank indentions, same method. Today, I have a nice JVC, bluetooth, rear USB….etc, same speakers, but let me wax on this 8 track for a minute

If you are following along, one of your first questions should be….why would anyone with fidelity on the brain, put an 8 track in the car? This is early 2000s, and I'm sure there were cd decks or even vintage cassettes to put in. The goal wasn’t great fidelity when I rigged up the school car - it was a period thing, frankly. 8 track. You cannot imagine the awe of that thing in the car. Now, I wasn't going for attention. I got it, but it wasn't the goal. I had people lean in, talk about the 8 track, and no idea they were standing next to a vintage brittish car. New old stock Kraco, with 8 watts. And I bought 8 tracks at 1/2 Price Books for 10 cents. Ten 8 tracks for a dollar. I bought so many, they raised the price. I'm not kidding. And I became an 8 track repair engineer. The metal tape connector would unstick, so the first thing you did when you bought an old 8 track was to pull on the tape, both sides, until you found that silver sliver, cut it out, and replace it with HVAC tape, cut to fit. Then, if the foam behind the tape had dissolved, you glued in replacement foam. And if really bad, you drilled out the weld holes, dismantled, the cartridge, and repaired from there.

And at some point, I got tired of struggling to hear the music while driving. So, I pulled it, and installed the JVC. But in this wrap up, I see others and their solutions, and while none is perfect, I do offer up this proven, time tested, and audience approved solution. Yes, I love the note of my car. I also love the Commodores Live! on mp3, on thumbdrive, into my rear USB, through those blaupunkts. And I haven't installed front speakers yet, into my bobbyD tunnel panels.

Don't let me forget to talk about my 1981 dash restore - I'll try to remember that next time.

remember - start that car out of gear and foot off the clutch. smile when you drive, and when possible, take a kid driving.


LOG

[Tush]

Thanks Guv. Stay Safe.

Cheers
Tush

[ed_h]

Sage ramblings, Guv.

Most of us of a certain age can relate.

Thanks.

Ed

[camtr6]

Nice read as I sit in my home office with my Pioneer SX950 and HPM 100 speakers, listening to vinyl spin on the new Denon turntable. After all these years and life changes, it is good to still enjoy the sound this system produces. I've owned the system a few years longer then the TR6, 41 years, and could never part with either.

[L.O. Guvna]

Corona blog

I think we have all been very distracted. But I felt a little responsible in entertaining you.

The School Car update
Last I posted, car was stumbling, and ended up being gel in the float bowl. Most felt that would eventually clear out, but after pulling the carbs, cleaning, I drained my tank, and filled up with some better brand gas. Neighbor Steve told me from his dad, that when a gas station goes under, QT and that level go in, pump out the gas, and resell it. Like junk gas, but having family in TX and OK, and some in the industry, that isn't shocking. With my work, I am informed on the cycle of crude, even where it is stored in Cushing, OK. Go google earth that place, if you are bored.

Car is back on the road, and idling well. And for those looking for a new, cheap, effective toy - check out the 7 dollar electric fuel pump from harbor freight. Goes to the bottom of the tank and is very helpful.

carb journey
throwback

Dr Seuss Constant Dilemma Machine
Did some work on it, but most of my carb work this past week were on my Poolboys. Fun to take some of my knowledge and apply it to Ken's work. I pulled stuff that wasn't gasketed in place, like the temp compensator and my Idle trim screw. Nothing to the compensator, but I did wipe down the idle trim screw and replace - note, if you consider this, my recommendation is to tighten the screw down and count the turns, then remove. That way you can replace and be back at your prior setting.

Im working on the carb body commentary now. I find little dings and scratches as this carb sits there waiting for me - its amazing how soft this metal is. I still have pockets and crevices that just have me scratching my head. I keep thinking I'll wake up tomorrow with a solution, but nothing has bubbled up except a media blast. and that takes away from the shiny surface I am looking for - again, pretty second, but corrosive resistance first.

More this week now that we all have extra time.


Throwback. My 1972 dash
I skipped the contemporary commentary this week. I don't know what all this fall out will be. But I will say driving the streets today is lonely - I'm about the only guy out there, even if I back this rig out of the garage.

I mentioned I would chat up my dash work while in college. So here goes.

I am a freshman in 1981 in Denton, Texas at UNT, NTSU back in those days. I am living in a dorm, and I drive to north dallas on the weekends with most of my new friends. Triumph is still a company, and the TR8 is racing successfully, best I can remember. While at home over a weekend, I'm in the garage, sitting in the 6, and I I can't help myself and I pick away one of my dash cracks. Funny to type that as you don't see a cracked original dash anymore as most of us have replaced it at least once by now. this long sliver of varnish cracks off, and I take a few more - some literally just pop off - others need a pic or screw driver. I remove the glove box piece and hinges. And as I finish removing all of it, the one thing that still sticks with me is the smell. This wonderful cherry aroma. I don't know any better, but I assume its in the varnish that was used by the supplier.

At some point, I realize I am a point of no return. I teach myself how to remove the gauges, the dash, and learn the hard way that the ammeter is hotwired to that battery. With this dash off, I can't drive the car, so it stays at home as I journey back to Denton. I don't remember how I found the craft lab, but I did and used this place, for free to sand down the surface. I removed the brown paint/stain on the sides and I think I sanded down the back. Cleaned up the gauge openings, and eventually had a dash ready for a new face. I remember knowing that my pioneer speakers were veneer, and maybe that is the solution. I would have stayed with the original face, but I had chipped it stripping that varnish off, and I wanted something nicer. Which took me to a wood shop in north dallas that had veneer in rolls. I remember different styles, and ended up with a black walnut - maybe 1/8 inch thick.

I had to figure out how to glue it down, and then finish it. I think I was talked into contact glue, which I had no experience in, and I remember thinking, I would have use wood glue or epoxy it if I did it again. I had this glue bubble near rheostat, that no one noticed but me, but it bugged me after the fact. And you realized after you glue it down, you have the backside to trim from. The mistake I made here - I believe now, is that I should have finished this first, and then cut it out. That makes so much sense later with all the intricate polishing you have to do.

But, I did do it that way. The advice from the hardware store was Varathane, less acrylic, and less prone to cracks again. But what I struggled with was that mirror finish. I put on many coats and never got it perfectly smooth. This took me most of my freshman year, in between class and some work on the weekends, but after putting it on, it was a nice upgrade - much darker if you can imagine, and the grain was amazing. Nothing as sexy as the great dashes we have available today, but it was good for a 19 year old by the time I finished it.

So, if you want to do this - and reuse an old dash, have no fear, but have the tools and patience.

that’s enough for today. Wipe stuff down. stay inside. When this dust settles, start that car in neutral, and take a kid driving.

cheers
G

[ed_h]

Nice read, Guv.

On the carb polishing, have you tried Cratex type stuff? It is abrasive embedded in a rubber matrix. Comes in Dremel type bits, or as small blocks. The rubber can deform to get into tight places.

Ed

[L.O. Guvna]

never heard of Cratex until now. that is exactly what this project needs. I'm reading the different grits and kits. not cheap, but I imagine they last a while.

Thank you Ed. i'll let everyone know what I end up with.

patience is a good thing. cheers

[L.O. Guvna]

The Quarantine blog

Seems like this pandemic has caused me to title each of these rants. But, stuck at home has given me extra time for things around the house, and even some work on the 6.

School car update
float bowl goo, a clogged tank vent restrictor, bad gas…..all have come together to make the school car stumble. And like many chasing tune, you get distracted with things that can't be related, such as - it stumbled after a turning a corner….um, no, that isn't a problem for this carb and the float bowl. And when I say corner, car was turning at a signal, and under minimal G, unlike a sharp hairpin at a track. But when it runs, it runs like its trying to escape this virus. I'll get it sorted, but I am reminded that while I had great tune over the recent years, don't take stuff for granted.

I've continued to polish under the hood - morning coffee on a Saturday morning, some of my polishes and rags, and getting my inner fender wells cleaned up. My 20 year old blaupunkt 6.5 speakers are worn out now - yeah, maybe some extra wattage to them over the years, but weather takes it toll, and honestly, 20 years is pretty good on a car speaker. Now I'm trying to replace them with other blaupunkts, and add 3.5s in my BobbyD panels at the same time. I may have already mentioned all this - sorry if I have.

carb journey
new dash inspiration
throwback - engine rebuild

Dr Seuss Constant Dilemma Machine
I've done some light polishing on the carb body, even took some pictures. But work, which our group is offering for free to our hotel owners and operators, has taken up a good bit of my time, so even those calls or times on the laptop isn't allowing me to fiddle while working. But I have continued the process, and the next installment will be on the carb body, then to the other side of the carb where the temp compensator and the pressure valve and idle adjustment screw…are. I would be more attentive to this thread - journey, but I think we are all distracted somewhat, with life, so in the grand scheme, I don't think the masses are holding their breath for this installment.


Another project - my dash
After waxing in the last blog about my dash work, the story lingered in my brain, and surfaced a few times at dinner and over beers here and there. This took me to youtube on how to get this crystal clear deep finish…that you see on a Jag, or Cadilac, or some car with those wood trims and slick surfaces. I've mentioned The Buckingham Service, and wandering around the shop with some of those finished cars….don't remember mentioning these MG-TDs that were in there, one, with this amazing lighter stained wood, clear finish, and as smooth as glass. That was the inspiration for that 1981 work, and I never got to that finish, and it frusrated me for years, still does. That level of workmanship that you realize you don't have. So, I watch these masters mix up epoxy - don't remember this as an option back then, but ok. And they pour it on, brush it out with a foam brush, then use a straight edge to smooth it, like they are decorating a cake. And the epoxy settles, and voila - very smooth, or at least to that level that you can wet sand. And this takes me down another rabbit hole on how do to this, which laminate would I use this time.

I replaced my dash back in….2008 or so. One of the features that I didn’t like when I acquired it in 1998, was the dash that was on it. Stained, no finish….as if they pulled it off, and just wiped it down with some Homer Formbys. I get a dash for Christmas from TRF, and its that eh - so so dash they offered, nothing like the works of art we have now. I know they were available then, but this dash was 200 or so, and those are what, 350 or more? My goal then was to just upgrade from crap.

I get to youtube from a simple google search for black walnut veneer. The next day, I search black walnut 1/4 inch, trying to get to a thicker sheet of black walnut, and this brings me to 4x8 sheets of black walnut and…..to flooring. Flooring. Wood Flooring. A simple 6 inch wide, 1/2 inch thick, 6 foot long piece of hard wood floor, smooth finish, and grain and color to what I want. Already finished. With Aluminum Oxide in the finish to help with fading. Cut out the gauge holes, glue on some 1/4 ply on the back with smaller holes for the gauge recesses, get to the thickness I want, and sand the openings. Seal the sides, and back. Done. And if my math is right, this might cost me 20 dollars.

So, I am hunting for this piece of flooring. I have a thread in the body and trim area. More to come.


Throwback. my 72 car engine build

Quick refresher on my 72 car. Parents gave me this car before I could drive. Hated it until I put the top down. Suddenly, I'm in chitty chitty bang bang in my back yard, taking imaginary corners as I look at the tach. It’s a rough car, but I don't care. Paint was about the best thing on the car, and it was almost rattle can. Car is only a few years old when we get it and it had 50K on the speedo. We were the 3rd owner. Let that sink in.

I don’t remember how much we are driving it, but I don't have a license yet when it starts making some bad clunky engine noises. Dad takes it to the foreign car shop, and the mechanic says - shut it off. shakes his head. And this begins the engine build journey. I don't know what this all entails at the time. I understand 4 stroke technology in a cartoon kinda way. In my mind, the motor will come out of the car, the pistons come out, and some parts get replaced. My expectation is, when its done, it will be fast. That’s about all I remember, so I am very excited. This build takes a few weeks. We journey out to the shop a few times, and there are old polaroids of the 72 car out in the lot, nose up with no weight or hood on it. Pictures of the block up on its side so you can see through all the bores. And when it starts to go back together, Its painted black, and its lovely when its back in the car. There are specific instructions from the shop - keep the revs down under 3K, and baby it for 1000 miles. It had 10w oil in it? best I can remember, and we followed those instructions. I have my license by the time this car hits 1000 on the trip odometer - rolling past 999. I was driving the car alone that day. Clear day. got out, parked, and took a rock or something and marked the asphalt road.

Took the car back, had an oil change, and then I proceeded to try to find out just how fast and strong it was. And it wasn't much stronger or faster. And cars that I thought I was going to beat in a race, were still beating me. Mustangs, Dodge Chargers….muscle stuff, but I was sure I could out handle them.



back to work - enjoy your isolation. We will be in a new world when the doors open again. The mark is a good example of survival, and a great diplomat, if you think about it. Helps people relax, gives inspiration. You are a steward, a diplomat, and you are helping others, even if you just own this mark. Remember to start the car with it out of gear and foot off the clutch. Smile when you drive, and take a kid driving.

cheers
G

[L.O. Guvna]

my goodness. what. a. year.

this isn't a post in this blog. just my first log on in a while. I'm guessing April was my last time here. I was polishing carbs, and trying to fiddle with some hardwood that I found to replace my dash. All that did was get me to remove my glove box portion, and leave it on my desk. I have all the screws, thankfully. Just not the energy to put that piece back on. And my carb work - which was alot of fun. is in a shallow box, in pieces. fortunately, I can put them back together now, and know where stuff goes. but i ruined a few of the choke pieces. nothing that can't be replaced.

car is running, not well, and needs some highway miles, I think. just to flush out stuff, especially that tank. running rich. I may have turned the needles, i don't remember.

good to see some on the site, still hammering away. if it weren't for facebook, i might not know much about any tr6 stuff right now. work and life, like many, are the important distractions.

i hope to have some waxing for you soon.

until then,
G

[L.O. Guvna]

Switch on.
I step into 6pack yesterday, knowing, once I get in there, I’ll toss a few comments, and get some sort of inspiration to reconnect this battery cable, and start writing again. I feel like I am the only one who ran into the woods, with rations. I get back, look thru the forums, and its as active as ever. I get some tr mental fuel from facebook, where now, I am also on this worldwide tr6 group, and get tons of insight into right hand drive. Refreshing.

So, lets catch up.
The last segments were carb restoration, new dash and a throwback on my engine build on my first tr6. I have carb parts in a box, and pieces of a dash and some wood flooring of projects that I took on after the holiday, and as a distraction of the beginning of this world wide crisis.

I’ve had to prioritize life, like everyone else. And like many, this year, I used much of it helping others, in my field. Free webinars, podcasts, and pro bono work for hotel owners and operators. Work had slowed, and I parked everything, except family, to do this. Including carb work, tune, and the bits I was fiddling with for the school car.

Which brings me to this.
Fortunately, our mark has a way of surviving. Being the same car that you left before you shut down last time. Unless you live near a salty beach, and left outside in a few storms. Car runs the same as before. Good, but stumbling occasionally. Idle not holding. And before, when I was reviving this car, I took that spare pair of CD-2 carbs, and began this insane polishing process. The journey for that, taught me 2 things. That I can take a Stromberg completely apart and reassembly it in 5 minutes. And, that I should never do that, and just send them to Ken.

Seen lately
Yeah, I’ll get back to my format next time, but while we are catching up, 2 tr6 current affairs continue to rattle around in my head. The 5K 73 HT JOD French blue car recently sold, and the 5K mile 76 car that sold for 75K or something like that.

Scott? On the facebook group, posts pics of this decent looking car, with bells and whistles. Car posted at 6K, and he ends up getting it for 5K, but after a wave of back and forth on what to look for. My input was –um, even if that frame is rotting, buy the car, and part it out if aint right under the tub. Car was far from perfect, but damn, have you seen the school car lately? I’m shocked that he had more than a day before someone else bought it. And 73 – the earlier you go, the more rare those options were. We all wish we could stumble on even a daily driver with the 2 hot options. AC? I reckon, but that option was never a good install in the first place.

The 76 car…a lovely youtube journey of this car, commentary, and some driving in car, drive by, turns, etc. Essentially, a motor that is fresh from the assembly line with the original exhaust pipes, and yes, the original pipes were flat black – like idiocracy, the back and forth I was in once whether or not those were painted.


What now
I dunno. I’m busy, so lucky for that. Family is good. Cowboys suck. Health is good, finances are ok. School car is safe, good, and wouldn’t take much to tune it for a road trip. Which I need, and I am sure I speak for some. Get out, get some wind in the hair, get lost in the road. But the world is less selfish now, and that does sound selfish, doesn’t it? Makes me reassess how I prioritize this car in my life. Maybe that’s what I’ve been doing – stepping back, and moving this car around in my inventory. But even if I am not tuning or tweaking, I need to step back in and help others. That is a true steward, and you see them every day in the forums. Subtle leadership, asking nothing in return. Mentoring, coaching, reminding. Resharing.

These are my words from before I left. And good for me to re read them.
back to work - enjoy your isolation. We will be in a new world when the doors open again. The mark is a good example of survival, and a great diplomat, if you think about it. Helps people relax, gives inspiration. You are a steward, a diplomat, and you are helping others, even if you just own this mark. Remember to start the car with it out of gear and foot off the clutch. Smile when you drive, and take a kid driving.

cheers
G