Lift is in, car in air...

[Camano510]

Hi guys- been over 2 months……

To catch up, did the Abu Dhabi short trip, returned to Heathrow, and ended up being there until Nov. 11th, for a total of 72 days away from home. While in the UK, apparently a bunch of people around the globe decided they needed to damage several different airplanes. A couple 787’s got ran into with ground service and catering equipment, a 747 dropped on its tail during a gear up ground test, and a few other ‘minor’ things occurred. So, as per usual, I’m not at home. This time I’m in Stockholm, on one of the 787’s, and will be here through Jan. 18th. Bringing the wife and youngest over for about 10 days, right after Xmas. Not that I’ll get to hang out with them much- I still have to work as normal, with the extra long bus ride, and some ridiculous security processes everyday. That’s why I said to bring the daughter- they can go goof off, shop, etc. They’ll have limited daylight while they’re here-sun up is around 8, down at 2:30, and it is COLD. Oh well. I tried to ensure she knew that, but all I got was “I love that you are trying to talk me out of going”…… Not at all, just reality on reality’s terms.

While home, I went to work twice, and just decided I needed to be home, experience a Thanksgiving (I usually miss them), and tackling all the stuff that needs tackling. Multiple oil changes, installed the wheels and tires on the E55, set up the generator for the inevitable power outage, focused on getting the under house power feed wiring done (got everything lined up and ready to install), went through all the things I’ve bought the supplies for, and did those tasks, started moving landscaping, dug out the big tree root that had discovered my drain field, cut a road through my green belt to the neighboring estate, for emergency access for us and the neighboring homes, in case there is ever an incident that cuts us off from getting down our respective paths to services, set up all the Xmas decorations (skipped the lights this year- but the wife apparently put those up after I left), and just cleaned up everything I could. I left feeling pretty satisfied that I was caught up, and so far, that is holding…..

Moscow is still on the docket for early next year, possibly into a Feb. start. If that holds, then I doubt I’ll be in the factory much between this trip and that, continuing with the projects…. Someday they’ll be car project related, and not just oil changes and general maintenance!

Merry Christmas to you all and your families.

[KiKiIchiBan]

Merry Christmas to you too! If you ever get stuck in the UK again and need a fix for your 510 cravings, let me know.

[gooned]

The nomad employment must have taken some getting used to, glad your family is going over to spend some time with you.

Best for the Holdays to you & yours!

[Camano510]

Returned from Stockholm, with no drama, except I was sent back a few days early because I had a medical qualification go out of date. It’s the qualification that allows me to work in a confined space (fuel tanks, and a couple other specific spots on the plane). We’ve gotten so ridiculous in these things over the last few years. We weren’t working in the tank (or any confined space), and since I missed the date, I was decertified. They could have decertified me preemptively, and let me re-cert when I returned, which is what I am doing anyway. Oh well, I got to hang around the airplane for about 3 weeks, waiting for the composite guys to do their thing, and just when MY skill set is required, I leave. Felt bad for the teammates I left behind, but I’ve had guys pulled from me in the past, and we just suck it up. Honestly was ready to come home. As stated- Winter in Stockholm is not a great place to be. We need an incident from June -August. I can only imagine what we would ‘see’ at that time of year.

A few of the team tested positive for the ‘Rona, and 2 of them at 24 hr prior to leaving test the day before they were scheduled to leave. No symptoms, other than the ones you’d have in these conditions anyway…. Back to the hotel, to hibernate in their rooms. I imagine they are cleared by now.

Back to the electrical in the shop. I’ve made the under house connections, and am doing the panels today. A few more items (GFCI breakers for certain circuits) and I’ll be ready for an inspection.

[Camano510]

Sold my electrical permit. Super cool inspector, totally dug the 280, and the new to me 72 240Z. It ‘found’ me a couple weeks ago, and I couldn’t pass it up. 130K miles, auto, everything works (except the clock), completely stock, was green, but is now silver, slotted mags, new tires, starter, alternator, voltage regulator, and battery. Still running an air pump. Purrs like a kitten. Shows very well.

Now the real work can begin- modding the shop, adding some items, then insulate/Sheetrock/paint, and I’m DONE. Dirt guy is coming soon to re-do the yard, and get it hydroseeded, and I can start doing car things!

May be heading to Israel for a few days at the end of the month, and if everything stays ‘calm’, Russia in mid March, through April…..

[gooned]

Always nice to be rid of the inspectors!

[Camano510]

Side event-

About a month ago, I got a text from my wife that she forwarded from one of her coworkers. It said she was “desperately trying to sell an old Datsun 240Z. To the point we’re willing to pay someone to take it off our hands” Well, I said I’d take it, figuring it was some clapped out shell, sitting in a field or something. I asked where it was, and received an address and a pic of a VERY clean, silver, garage kept 72 Z. I went to the house, and met the owner (coworker’s 90 year old father), and got the story from him. He’d bought it in the 90’s from the original owner, and drove it since, but with only 135K miles, not that much. ALL stock, down to the air pump, auto, new tires, battery, alternator/regulator…. He said he’d like to get this into the hands of someone who would appreciate it, and I told him that I would be buying this car, and there was no way I would let him go through the Craigslist ‘experience’. We came to an agreed price that he seemed very happy with, and I picked it up the following day. This thing is a cream puff. Slotted mags, PERFECT, un-cracked dash, clean bumpers, trim is excellent, Drives great, tracks perfectly, everything (except the clock) works. Will need some attention if it going to be a reliable driver, but it’s VERY close. My friends are blown away, and as soon as its on the road, its honks and thumbs up from everyone.

And then, as I’m out in the shop, working to get that closer to completion, I start to come to the realization that there are too many projects, and I won’t be able to keep them all, so I make a decision. Ever since I bought the RB swapped 280Z, my friend has been hounding me to sell him my 71 Z, which has been in the container for 6 years, waiting for me, and when he saw the new silver car, he went mental, and said now I have to sell home one. Well, I go even farther, and tell him I’ll sell him ALL my series 1 Z stuff- BOTH cars, and all the parts and pieces I’ve collected. He says yes, and as of this moment, its all gone. He’s ecstatic, and in reality, so am I. I could have gotten more money, I’m sure, but as we get older, going through what I figure it would take to squeeze a few dollars more out of something vs, the time, money, and effort to do so has a value, also. A clean transaction and good price (for us both) was the way to go.

So, of course, the Z was in the BACK of the container, so I had to unload the entire box. That gave me a refresher of all the stuff I have for the 510, since I touched ALL of it…twice. I’ve ‘reduced’ the projects to the 510, the 77 RB 280Z, the E55 AMG, and my old square body Chev pickup. With the shop set up, that is a ‘manageable’ fleet.

I brought the lift to the shop, and assembled it to decide its final location, so I could then box-out the ceiling area to create the required clearances, and I finished that yesterday. That was a lot of work, and trips up the ladder. I was a bit concerned that I may have some sagging, and would need to install a steel post and beam to support it, but I’m an ‘over-builder’ when it comes to these kinds of things, and If I could even measure it, I would say there’s no more than an 1/8th inch drop, across the 24 ft of ceiling I modified. Probably stronger now than before, in reality.

An empty container is coming closer and closer to reality.

Oh, and on the travel stuff, I was scheduled to got to Moscow mid March, but for obviously terribly sad reasons, that is on hold.

Be well, everyone. My method for that is staying busy with tasks, staying off social media, and not instantly reacting to every headline that is fed to me.

[gooned]

Sounds like a tough but rewarding descission on the Z’s. Glad you didn’t get stuck over there with all the mess it has become.

Hoist up will be very nice too.

Cheers

[Camano510]

Update-

Was in Dubai for a couple weeks, then in Florida for 3.

Shop is insulated, sheet rocked, and painted. It’s a very nice space, that has filled up with things, but no 510 yet…Those ‘things’ are getting placed in their proper locations. Getting the yard done at the end of the month, so I’ve been the landscaper for the last week- picking up and placing rock around the house (16 tons), getting the details in place to ease future maintenance, and when its raining, I’m painting the house garage interior. Just having it all in white primer made a huge difference.

Slowly I’m creeping towards having a big car project in work. Been a long time coming. Browsing through the build threads has had to do in the meantime. Great info and help being provided, as always.

[Camano510]

BIG WEEKEND coming. I will be gathering everything from the container and bringing it to the shop.Will drop it at home, load up the early squarebody Blazer chassis (different project) and take it back, and will bring home my square body single cab, 2WD truck. The Blazer chassis will donate its 4WD system to the truck, eventually.

I’ve got the lights and lift installed, and have already started on stuff that’s here. Great feeling. Still more details and stuff to work out, but its a useable workspace, and I’m pretty happy with it.

[Camano510]

Everything is on my property. That was a long time coming….

I’m amazed at how much stuff is in one of these little cars- takes up a lot of space when they’re blown apart. I got everything gathered into the back corner, out of the way, so other tasks can take place-lots of regular vehicle maintenance that has been pushed will get done. Still need to fab benches and tables, and my fabrication area curtain needs to get done, so I can ‘control’ that mess as much as possible.

I did manage to drop the LZ and break some things. Valve cover, damaged the intake, broke 2 injectors, and pulled the studs out of the head… CRAP. Oh well- Not like I wasn’t going to pull a bunch of it apart for a re-fresh before putting it in, but this adds some other issues. Need an a87, valve cover, oil pan, and some misc other stuff, and then be sure It all matches what’s there now…

Happy 4th to everyone!

[iceman510]

I have some valve covers (may say Nissan, maybe I have one Datsun one if you prefer that. Also have a stock 510 oil pan I believe.

Not sure what intake you have, but I have a few stock 2bbl types of those as well if that is what you use.

[Camano510]

Greetings, this time from Singapore.

I appreciate the parts offer, gooned. We’ll see what I need when I get to that task. It’s a ways off…

Youngest (daughter) turned 20 on Thursday, and on Saturday as I’m finishing up my tasks before I leave, she cartwheels her 2000 Civic. Not a scratch on her, car is a loss. Still a roller, fires right up, and doesn’t even leak, but its wasted. Spoke with the man who saw the whole thing, and let’s say that Dad is not thrilled with the report. At this point, she will be using any form of transportation that does not involve her behind the wheel. This is 2 totaled Honda’s, one curbed EG hatch (that I have fixed), and her managing to peel the front bumper cover off of the wife’s former Denali. Amazingly, she has never gotten a ticket, or injured herself or anyone else. The insurance Co only knows that we sold the cars, so it has not affected my standing with them. I have to believe that this kind of ‘luck’ cannot last. Hearing how fast she was traveling, and how she managed to miss all the big trees where she went off the road, well, I can’t believe she wasn’t seriously hurt or killed. I wish I could get her to ‘get it’, but it is proving to be harder than I would expect. I fear that because there were no ‘real’ consequences to any of these incidences (other than more time, money, and effort on my part), that she does not focus on changing herself. Time will tell. I can only hope this opens her eyes as to how serious these things could(should?) have been.

Hug your kids. Share my story. Do what you can to get them to ‘get it’…..

[gooned]

Tough go with daughter, yeah we worry every night he goes out, G35x is probably a good thing because he won’t try to slide it.

Not all kids are speed demons but all parents worry...I musta put mine through hell!

[Camano510]

Depart for Sydney, Australia today. 787 hit by lightning. Composite planes don’t handle it as well as the aluminum ones….

I’ll be digging into some old info that I’ve collected over the years while I’m gone. Got a chance to go through a bunch of stuff that was in storage bins forever…. Time for a re-fresh.

Putting together a game plan for the dropped LZ…. Bent up quite a bit of stuff. Lots to clean up while I have it on a stand.

Enjoy the rest of your summer. I’m headed to winter down unda…. Back sometime next month.