2006

Well for sure my new car will be finished in 2007. The process of looking for deals on parts, saving money and doing without .. kind of wears me down. Two years ago if ya asked me how long it would take to build a car I'd of told you 1 year.. I'd never thought this would take as long as it has.. Buying cheap parts for the sake of having it, then have it fail soon after the install is just a waist.. So it's a constant tug to get the best value and quality for the buck..

Anyways I spent some time measuring different parts of the engine today.. It's a constant check of my work and the others that performed things like machine work of the block and balancing of the crankshaft.. I did try and remove a windshield from a Mustang for my car but the windsheild cracked as I was removing it..

Well gonna go..
Les
Mood 1>10 (8)

A need to Vent

Well this is Christmas.. The shop owner and the front desk guy have been very helpfull in assisting me building my Mustang.. They assisted in welding.. advice and even helped me balance my engine by asking a fellow engine builder to do the balance job even if he was overwelmed with his projects..

I felt I should show my appreciation to the shop owner and desk guy by buying them a gift for X-mas.. I didn't ask for anything in return just a show of thoughtfullness on my part..

I gave them the gifts and got "Oh humbug" Christmas! They put them on the counter and walked away.. WTF is that! Gerr I was way upset! Not a thanks umm Hey cool! Nothing!! Can ya tell I'm upset!

Some how I feel like a bastard child at the shop sometimes.. they like the small block engines and I'm building a Big Block engine and it doesen't meet their guidlines..

I don't know, just needed to just vent!

Gosh just sometimes ya know!

Later on,
Les
Mood 1>10 (4)

Winter Chill

Getting pretty chilly outside.. I came home tonight and made dinner.. Something other than "Throw it in the mircowave and eat it." Actually it was meatloaf.. turned out pretty good.. I enjoy cooking it's like working on a car.. When it's finished you can enjoy the rewards..

Well not much going on..

Les

Mood 1>10 (8)

Pay it Foward

Well spent my Sunday working on a Camaro for a friend. He helped me install my cage in my Mustang, so now it's my turn to pay it back.. I had to change the engine valve seals.. This operation required me to remove the spark plugs and push a piece of rope in the spark plug hole then crank the engine over by hand. The rope holds up the valves.. so it's one cly at a time and is time consuming. My friend is going to give the car to his daughter for X-mas so I had to expidite the repairs for him.. It use to smoke blue smoke when started but not anymore.. He shold be tickled..

So no progress on my car today.. I found a fuel pump to use and it's middle priced so I think I'm gonna buy it.. I would like the high end pump but got to get this Mustang running..

Pretty happy .. looks like I'm on track to finish the car soon!

Mood 1>10 (7)

Later on!

Les

Engine Balancing Round #2

Well OK.. found a differnt place that will attempt to balance my engine for a reasonable cost.. I just hope when they are finished they don't deciede to raise the price for work.. That would be my luck tho..

I have finally fallen to the flu so I'm not all that well.. I have such a sinus headache it's crazy.. I now know why I like the summer months..

Well I'll update when the parts return because it's time to finish my engine.. Hoot!

Later,
Les

Engine set backs

Well finally have everything to get the engine balanced.. Many of the shops that can do this work are busy.. so I found a shop some 40 miles from me to balance the engine. I first talked to them on the phone and they gave me a quote as to price.. It was a fair price so I took my stuff there. Once the parts were unloaded I disscussed what I wanted. The shop looked over my parts and immediatly add an additional $100 over their phone quote..

Well I was going to let them do the balancing but I have second thoughts so it's another 80 mile round trip to get my parts back..

Oh well.. I did get the gauges mounted in the racecar over the past weekend.. But, I still need to wire them up..

Later!
Les

Woosh was it windy outside yesterday

Wow it got real windy outside.. It was strange because it's been really cold but instead it warmed up to like 60 degrees and sunny in the morning before turning windy & overcast..

By the time I got home from work the Internet was down.. Apearently a neighboring city lost it's power. When the wind was blowing it swept all the dirt in the air and made it hard to breath.. I now have a real stuffy nose.. uck!

Still battling the sleep thing.. haven't had a good nights rest in awhile..

The Tach & Gauges I ordered came yesterday.. I'll see if I can get them installed this weekend.. Hopefully..

I have to go to work this morning.. I always work on Saturday and only have Sunday off.. But ya really can't consider Sunday off because I still work.. just on my projects.. I feel guilty if I take a day off..

Well tata!

Les

No Sleep

Yawn.. really I didn't get hardly any sleep last night... I'm in a zombie mode right now.. I went ahead and ordered some gauges yesterday for the Mustang.. I purchaced the best I can afford.. It's X-mas season and the problem with that is I need my car finished.. I'm not a selfish person but the two years of building this car I just wish it was finished.. Working on a car this long you go thru mood changes.. Sometimes ya just want to give up but then sometimes you start seeing progress and you feel better about the project. Finances for the car don't come easy.. I have fixed and sold four cars ( three this year) to come up the cash and I'm still running short.. Anyways I feel the reason I didn't sleep good was because I may have felt a little guilty buying parts yesterday..

Well gonna get some rest, mentally exhausted..

Mood from 1>10 today is 3

Les

Wild Wire

Lol not really.. but working on making up all the wiring to the Racecar. I only have a few color wires so every switch has to have a different color so that when something doesent work I can trace the prob.. I'm pretty sure I can post a pic tomorrow of my wire mess.. Honestly it looks pretty good..

Upside today and I should be happy.. I was on chat Saturday with some other guys that run Big Block Fords and they made mention of a place called Trend. Trend has pushrods. I called them today.. Hoot .. I got what I needed shipped for $97 dollars.. That's $50+ dollars cheaper then Crane and $70+ dollars cheaper then Comp Cams.. Pushrods are on their way! Christmas Angel was watching over me..

My mood is somewhere in the middle today.. 1>10 I rate it 5..

Later on!
Les

December

Holiday season.. umm ya.. It has it's good side and bad. For the most part I enjoy some of the hussle & busell of shopping. Nowadays it's more of shopping for value rather then price. I say that because anything worth buying is expensive. It just seems ya can afford it or ya can't. It doesen't make sence to buy junk.

Well the bad side is at some point you'll remember something sad.. something in the past.. I don't try and remember the bad but at some point it rears it's ugly head.. and that's the only thing that makes my Holiday season a mess..

Anyways that's my thoughts.. I'm gonna finish my race engine soon! Yipee! Still have a ton of work to do on the car itself and got like 10 weeks to have it running.

The bathroom needed painting so that's what I did today.. I had to primer before paint and the primer was slow to dry.. I took the heater out of the garage and put it in the bathroom to expidite the dry cycle but still slow.. I've managed to get one top coat of paint down so I'm taking a break before I do the second coat.. gonna get something to eat..

Later on!

Les