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Monday, August 1, 2011

Resto: I think I broke it's back!

Like my dad I do have a little bit of that "bull at a gate" mentality which can be a great and rewarding thing sometimes, it certainly served dad well in business, but it can also get you into a bit of trouble if you are just not prepared.
There have been certain times with this resto that I have just wanted to rip right into it blindly but I have also been told by a few car restorers to "take ya time, look, label and don't rush it, slowly pull it to pieces but not all at once, don't do it all at once,  ya don't wont to end up with a whole heaps of parts and panels sitting in the shed corner and ya don't have a clue where they go"  Good advice that and it has stuck with me - I think!!

Well I couldn't help myself today, I just had to have a good look at the 2 x main timber rails, so off came the centre 2 door posts, out came the front seat frame and also the rear under seat storage tray that was rusted to bits and a few other rotted sections of wood which I photographed and stored away and not in the corner either.


Now there has been a little bit of timber repair work performed on ole Monty before as you can see from the orange undercoat wood primer, not your standard issue 1928 wood preservative, so I think that this must of been by done by dad or even his father "Mont" who was a builder by trade, he could of given dad a hand at some stage many years ago and then well it must of become to much for them as it is all sort of patched up here and there, dad was no idiot and he would of known what was involved and also what was needed to get it on the road again once he got it home and gave it a good look over, like I said way back in the blog, dad was time poor with this type of thing, it was work, fishing, family!!.



One of the timber door frames (front passenger) is in surprisingly very good condition and also one of the centre post sections between the doors is in good condition which is a bonus for the novice timber workers of the world!
Also in the photo above, the bracket on the right side sticking up off the timber frame is a made up one out of a bit of metal strap, whereas the left side one looks original, it's more manufactured looking to me. (anyone got a spare your not using? - ya know where to send it - please!)


So there you go, that's the timber work or lack of it that now greets me every time I unlock and fling open the resto shed doors, its a little daunting I must admit and I certainly knew that this part of the job would be the hardest for myself to tackle and by no means the longest, most time consuming part.

Look in from time to time please, it might be slow going for quite a while from here on in but its all about the small steps and I know that it will not be to far away, well I can see light at the end of the tunnel anyway that ole Monty will be all roadworthy again and out there tripping around these country back roads and hopefully some Melbourne main ones also....... Thanks for the encouragement folks, it's been a buzz.

These words below were emailed from Ray tonight after he read this posting, I have put it up here to keep me focused on the big picture:

Howdy,
Well some ease into a project, others skirt around the edges for a few years, putting a toe in the water now and then. Then there are others who run in blindly one foot in front of the other.
Then there are those who don't just jump into it, they leap from a tall building belly first.
I doesn't matter which one you are, there are just 2 things to remember. 
Don't loose anything, don't throw out anything, take more pictures than you ever thought you may. Why you say, ask me how I know. 
And secondly, and probably does not apply because you have the motivation (I hope) you have now hit the wall and start the hardest and slowest part of the job.
Every thing you have done previously will be like cleaning down your work bench compared to what's ahead of you, yet it will be the most rewarding when its done. 
Its also the time when a lot of guys realize the enormity of what they have taken on, throw their hands in the air, pull the pin and walk away. Years ago there were plenty of restored chassis being sold with no bodies. I know that wont happen to you, but if its gets a bit daunting or over whelming, turn out the lights, lock the door, and go inside and watch telly with Lisa for a
couple of nights. 
You will soon be sucked back into it.
I know your dad is watching over your shoulder, but I hope he doesn't nod off.
Good luck thrill seeker, buckle up, and enjoy the ride
heh heh heh
Cheers
Ray

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