Tuning and Tweaking

After talking with my pal Mr. King about the trials and tribulations of my rearsets, I decided to pull the Loaded Gun shifter off and "tweak" it a bit. A little bit of the torch and vise, along with some rarely used upper body muscles, and the shifter was adjusted so that it actually works now! I bent the arm to move the toe bar out a bit. I took her for a spin around the block, and was able to shift, although my throttle control and braking were another story, so on to the next issue.

The carbs still don't run worth a damn, and I've been through them twice (and by the looks of them, so has everyone else....abused like a whore house on dollar day). I got the OK from the spousal unit for a new carb purchase under the guise of a "Father's Day present", well who am I to argue. A happy wife = a happy life, right! 

So I'll check in with Dime City Cycles on Monday to make sure I'm not missing any parts, but my order will be for a set of "The Coveted" Mikuni VM32mm carbs pre-jetted for my CB450, along with new linkage, air filters, intake, etc. 

I think the used master cylinder I purchased is leaking, because I am not getting the pressure I need from the front for adequate stopping, and I also see the fluid around the lever. I either need a rebuild or replacement, and will look into that this afternoon.

Red Rider...almost

I haven't posted anything recently, and if you look below you will see why. Despite the rainy weather and a lot of Diablo III, I managed to finish up the body work and paint the CB450. I found just enough red Centari acrylic enamel in the garage, and my plan was to shoot a base coat of that and to clear over top with ChromaClear. After three coats of red, I liked the outcome so much, I said' "done". 

I tweaked a few things during reassembly, like new fuel lines and clamps and some double-sided tape to keep the tank emblems on. So then I took her for a quick spin around the block, but I need to make some serious adjustments to the rearsets, which are barely functional at this point, and shifting and braking are kind of important. I guess I don't need to run out for that new helmet just yet.

Cafe Racer Seat Pad

This morning Zach and I finished making the seat pads for the CB450 project. It was pretty easy overall, and I have enough material to do another set in case I don't like these. I also started to lay down some new fiberglass to the seat cowl (after I cut the back down a bit) to make the room for the rear tail light. I just put one thin layer down, that will be the foundation for the rest of the fiberglass and body work.

Seat Construction

I spent the entire day working on the seat bracket, and rear bodywork, and seat pads. I had the usual trips to Home Depot for metric bolts, got to make 2 or 3 of those each day now. I also picked up some nice material for the seat pads, and can't wait to glue them up tomorrow. The seat pad backs are all cut to size and the mounting screws are glued in and hardening over-night. The plan is to finish up the seat tomorrow, and then figure out how to mount the tail light and what to do with the license plate.

 

CB450 Rearsets

I spent the evening fabricating up my CB450 rearset mounts out of some 1/4" aluminum plate and stainless cap screws. I mounted the mounts onto the existing rear foot peg brackets, and then installed my Loaded Gun rearsets. Hopefully tomorrow I can mock up the rear brake rod, and see if the rear brake light switch is able to be hooked up. I also need to remove the stock rear brake arm (you can still see it in the pic above) by removing the center-stand. That should be fun. The seat frame is complete, but I still need to cut down the seat cowl, it is too long.

In Memoriam: Carroll Shelby

In Memoriam: Carroll Shelby 

 

 

Carroll Shelby has died.

 

The automotive icon whose innovation and influence spanned more than a half-century was 89.

 

Keith Martin, publisher of Sports Car Market and American Car Collector, commented, "Carroll Shelby will be forever remembered as the man who single-handedly took the fight to Ferrari and beat them at their own game on their own race tracks. His spirit, his ingenuity and his ever-present sense of humor will be missed."

 

Shelby's early career as a successful racer, driving for Cadillac, Maserati and Aston Martin, concluded in 1959, the year he won the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He then turned his vision and drive to building cars.

 

Shelby fitted a Ford V8 into the AC Ace body, and the potent Cobra was born. Its continual refinements and ever more powerful engines were typical of Shelby's relentless pursuit of perfection. Over the years, Shelby worked closely with Dodge and Ford in the development of many performance cars, including the Dodge Viper and the long-running Ford Mustang Shelby line.

 

Shelby will be remembered not just as a racer and technological performance guru, but as a charismatic entrepreneur who was never afraid to risk it all. His by-any-means-necessary approach to innovation continually advanced the industry until his death.

 

Shelby is survived by his three children: Patrick, Michael and Sharon; his sister Anne Shelby Ellison; and his wife Cleo. For more about Shelby's life, click here. Donations to the Carroll Shelby Foundation are encouraged in lieu of flowers.

 

Cafe Racer Pinata

I've been so busy working on the cafe racer, I forgot to blog about it. Let's see, I finally got the new tires installed at the local Honda dealer, and now the bike is back on the ground again. I was calling it my "cafe-racer pinata", because it was hanging from my engine hoist for the past week. The tank has been stripped of paint, and then I got to work on the inside of the tank. I filled it with a box of drywall screws, and shook it up for 10 minutes, then followed it up with a nice acid wash. It was like new inside! Then I coated the inside with the Caswell epoxy tank sealer and let it dry. This stuff is awesome, and I know I will not have any leaks or issues with the tank now.

Today I installed the new chain, although I think I could have left an extra link in there, because it is just a bit short...hopefully it will stretch some. Then I fabricated up the brackets for the new mufflers, and put them on. Oh, I almost forgot about the new gators for the front forks, they look sweet! My seat pan came in, and I'll be working on that soon too.

CB450 clean up

I almost lost my mind trying to figure out a way to get the front brake pad un-stuck from the caliper on the CB450. I tried for hours/days with little success, then went to Fisher Machine. Bobby wasn't able to budge it either, and he recommended we drill it from the back and simply push it out, but I could only find one replacement on eBay for $699, so that wasn't going to happen. Then I went to see Chris at Ace Motorsports, and we just tapped the holes I drilled, and ran some bolts through to push the pad out. It was almost too easy.

As I wait for my part to arrive, I stripped almost everything off the bike, cleaned and painted the frame black (not shown in this photo). I pulled the rear wheel, and will bring it to the Honda dealer along with the front wheel in order to get my new tires installed this week.

1972 Honda CB450 Cafe Project

I've been tinkering with the latest project, and '72 Honda CB450K5, which is on it's way to becoming a cafe racer. I rebuilt the carbs, and it is running much better now. After draining the tank, I found a bunch of rust and crap in the petcock and tank, so I am going to clean it out and coat the gas tank with the Caswell Epoxy coating I used on the Buell.

The front brake didn't work when I bought it, but I knew the master cylinder was stuck, so I ordered a replacement from eBay. The front caliper was completely stuck, I can NOT get the pad out...so I'm working on a replacement one if possible.

I found a great site for parts, Dime City Cycles, and plan to order parts from them tomorrow too!

'66 Chevele - SOLD

It saddens me to report that the '66 Chevelle has been sold, and has left the SHC garage. I really wanted this car, but truthfully I just didn't want to make the investment of time and money required to complete it. Zach likes the '71 Chevelle better, so he will get that for his first car and I will probably get a little cafe racer to keep me happy this summer.

I received dozens of calls for the Chevelle ad from six states (yeah, probably should have asked for more $$$), and one in particular was a pleasant surprise. Craig and I spoke about the Chevelle, our old Buells, and his ’79 Suzuki GS550 project. His objective was to build the bike for the least amount of $ as possible – just a personal goal he set out seeing if it could be done. Admittedly, he cut some corners here and there(skateboard seat pan instead of purchased fiberglass molded) and bartered for some parts(clubman handlebars, etc..). "I’ve just about taken it as far as I want – probably build a seat pad for it soon, but believe it or not, the skateboard kinda conforms to my butt and is pretty comfortable. I may look for something else shortly."

I am inspired, thanks Craig!

66 Chevelle Progress

So, I am on vacation this week, and have been working steadily on the '66 Chevelle...which is good news. I did however place an ad on Craigslist offering to sell the car. I must be off my meds or something. I finally got the car in primer, and just have to get the dings out, the body blocked and painted...but I am at the point that I can cut my losses and walk away before I sink another couple grand into it. Isn't that what I wanted though? A nice 1966 Chevelle? And if I sell it, what then? What would I drive? Aghhhhhh!!!

I have a bunch of calls to return from interested buyers, this is going to kill me. If it doesn't go quick, I'm probably going to order my parts from the swap meet, finish the build and forget about this whole week.

Maybe it's all the paint fumes getting to my head.....

Barrett Jackson Palm Beach 2012

The 2012 Barrett Jackson Auction from Palm Beach is this weekend, April 5-7, 2012 at the South Florida Fairgrounds. As its only collector car auction on the East Coast and the celebration of Barrett-Jackson’s 10th anniversary in Palm Beach, this year’s event is sure to bring thousands of visitors from South Florida and beyond to view millions of dollars’ worth of Classics, Muscle Cars, Hot Rods, Resto-Mods, Exotics, and Contemporary Collectibles as they cross the auction block.
Of course, I should be playing the Hagerty Fantasy Bid Game and watching the live coverage!

In Memoriam: Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins

Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins, the brilliant engine tuner and NHRA icon, has died. He was 81.

Jenkins' legacy dates to the earliest days of Pro Stock, where he was an accomplished racer, known as well for his stick shift mastery behind the wheel as for his gifted wrench-spinning under the hood.

In the 1960s, more than 30 Jenkins-prepped cars set national records. At the 1970 Winternationals, he achieved the first nine-second run in Pro Stock, hitting 9.98. Chevrolet fans will fondly remember Jenkins' small-block racers besting many Hemi-powered Mopars.

"Jenkins' competition cars were always the ones to beat," said Jim Pickering, editor of American Car Collector magazine.

Among the pioneering innovations brought to drag racing by Jenkins are full tube chassis, strut-style suspensions, dry sump oiling systems, kickout pans, gas port pistons, cool cans, and slick-shift manual transmissions.

Underlying Jenkins' famed gruff demeanor was a true devotion to the hard work of drag racing.

Bodywork Started

I ran out to the body supply store early Saturday morning to get my Rage Gold body filler, some 2K primer, and DP90LF sealer. I'm not going to make the same mistake as I did on the '71, the '66 is getting a coat of epoxy sealer before the base coat! I cleaned off a few areas and started applying my filler and sanded it down. The bodywork has officially started on the 1966 Chevelle. Now I just need to keep on it, as Zach has reminded me that he is getting the keys to the '71 in 4 months. The pressure is on.

*UPDATE* I found this article "Using Body Filler", by Reed Overson, who lives in Bismarck, North Dakota, and has been a bodyman, painter, sales rep, and technical rep for thirty years. Reed used to work as a technical sales rep for the company that makes Rage filler, and knows the chemists that developed the resin for it. Good read here!!!

I did Something!

I know it isn't much, but I got out to the garage and did some work! I cleaned up the drivers-side glass and painted the channels and tracks, along with a few of the parts I had sand-blasted a few months back. I even removes the quarter glass weather stripping, which needed to be replaced, and am ready to put the glass back into the drivers side. I'm afraid if I remove the other side, I'll never figure out how to get in all back in again. It's like a puzzle in there! I should get some sealer and more body supplies soon, it's getting warm enough now.

No Progress

There has been no progress on the 1966 Chevelle in recent weeks. I haven't even made into the garage. I've so consumed with work lately, and I have not even ordered the parts I need to finish...this isn't good. The weather is starting to get better, a few days here and there. Today I have to get back to it and do something, anything, to get me back moving in the right direction.

Daytona 500

Forty-three of the top drivers in the world compete in “The Great American Race,” NASCAR's biggest, richest and most prestigious motorsports event... The Daytona 500. NASCAR President Mike Helton said Monday morning that the start of the Daytona 500 has been postponed until 7 p.m. ET tonight. FOX will televise the race live.

According to weather.com, the forecast at Daytona today is a 65 percent to 100 percent chance of rain up until 3 p.m. ET. At 3 p.m., the chance of rain drops to 30 percent and then down to 20 percent at 6 p.m.

Drying the track takes about two to three hours, which makes 7 p.m. a realistic start time.

It is NASCAR’s intention, Helton said, to run the Daytona 500 to full distance. If weather continues to interfere, Tuesday is still an option. No matter when it ultimately gets run, it will be televised on FOX.
“We hope to have ‘lady and gentlemen, start your engines,’ at 7:02 (p.m.) and then warm up and go to green flag,” Helton said Monday morning at Daytona International Speedway. “We believe this is a reasonable expectation, and we also believe in a modern world with the technology that we have to interpret weather, forecast it and try to stay on top of it within a reasonable amount of time, that having everyone sit around and wait for several hours today up until the point where we're confident or have more confidence that we can run the race was more prudent to do it this way.”

After yesterday’s rainout, the original plan was to run the race at noon today. But more rain made that impossible.

“The last thing we wanted to do was have our fans wait through another long day of rain delays and jet dryer activity,” said track President Joie Chitwood III. “So we felt like this gives them some clarity so they can come up with their plans, and hopefully that means stay at home, stay at their hotel, rest, whatever it is they need to do and they can come out and enjoy the event this evening.”

While the weather is expected to clear, the Daytona 500 could be run as late as tomorrow.

“Tuesday is an option,” Helton said. “We're focused on today and this afternoon right now, but just so everyone knows, Tuesday is an option before we'd have to reconsider packing up and leaving. But tomorrow is an option.”

For the teams, racing Tuesday would be a logistical challenge, since they have to be in Phoenix on Friday.

“I was just looking at the schedule earlier today and we aren’t on track until midday Friday,” said Daytona 500 pole-sitter Carl Edwards. “If we were to put this out until Tuesday then it would be real tough but I am sure it will be fine. We have guys that can do it. I know our Phoenix stuff is ready to go and I think there might be an issue with some of the engines, especially with our FR9’s. You would have to ask Jack (Roush) but I know it was tough for Doug Yates and those guys to get the amount of engines ready for these first two races, so I am sure they will be running engines back and forth and turning things over.”

Atlantic City Car Show 2012

After a weekend of cleaning up the mess in the garage (a lot of it was from my recent Nerf modifications), I am ready to kick things off with my annual pilgrimage to the Atlantic City Car Show on February 24-26, 2012. We came across a few nice stock Chevelles (no 1966) and as always, I am sizing them up against ours for condition and value.
We also saw this 1963 Corvette convertible custom cross the auction block, which has some of the same modifications that ours does. The headlight buckets were removed, fender flares added, LeMans style gas cap, etc. He wanted to get $45k, but his top bid was at $31,000. That is what I think ours is valued at today, and we have a better engine, 5 speed trans, disc brakes...

I also found a few customs that I liked, but luckily, we left empty handed!

Dodge Macho Power Wagon

Alright all you MOPAR fanatics, now is your chance to get your hands on one sweet truck. Up for sale is a 1978 Dodge Macho Power Wagon, 4x4, with a big block 440.
The ADULT TOYS by DODGE were designed to be noticed. The MACHO POWER WAGONS were the most outrageous of all the Factory Built toys. Sporting big tires, black and yellow accents, roll bars, and massive POWER WAGON callouts, MACHOs were easy to spot.

For Sale! Call 732-668-5576
$12,000 obo

Nerf War

There are a many thing that can delay the restoration of a car. Lack of funding, loss of enthusiasm, and the cold winter weather have all plagued me recently. But these are not the current issues I face with the restoration of the '66 Chevelle, no, there is something else. WAR. A Nerf War. OK, lets be honest, the war hasn't really started, just a few little outburst in the kitchen or living room, and the kids have the upper hand with the best firepower. So, I've focused my creative talents for the time being on modding a Nerf Alpha Trooper CS-18 into something like what you see below. Why? Well, it keeps my creative/artistic side happy, it's cheap, and it's fun. I picked up a bunch of cheap parts off of eBay, like a stock, extended mag, red dot scope, and even made a suppressor from some PVC and a little JB Weld. I have plenty of paint, so I'm going to have fun giving it a realistic or "steam-punk" look. I even picked up an Orange Mod Works kit to pump up the power. I think when I'm done, even Terry Crews will be impressed....