Update about Nothing

Contrary to rumors, my old body has not yet assumed room temperature, and neither did I win the lottery and move to Tahiti.

My absence had been due to the arrival of spring weather and out-of-state visitors. Weeding, trimming, digging, cleaning, planting, pruning, and repairing at two houses located three hours apart have sapped all the energy I've been able to muster, so nothing is happening on the Plymouth. Even the planned attempt to install the rear glass trim with the help of my son-in-law didn't happen. That task will now be postponed until next month when my son and his family come to visit from Washington state. He's anxious to work on the '56, as the last time he saw it was when he helped me strip it down to the frame. I think the fact that he will probably inherit it when I actually do assume room temperature has a little something to do with his interest!

Until he arrives, I will likely  have only a few minutes to play now and then, and will have to concentrate on accomplishing simple tasks. If we can get the cantankerous trim installed, I hope we'll have time left to hang some sheet metal. That process is a lot easier with a helper than having to rig something to support and align big parts for a one man operation.

In the meantime, updates will likely be few and far between.

It's De-lightful...it's De-lovely

After encountering problems installing that top piece of rear window trim, I did my usual YouTube search to see if anyone had created a video of  the proper process. I tried searching with keywords like Mopar, Chrysler, Plymouth and Dodge without any luck. Then yesterday I stumbled across this one for the '55-'56  DeSoto. It's quite different than the Plymouth version, but the groove that secures the edge of the trim is the same. Showing how they used the cord might help when I get back to the job.

It doesn't show how to install the trim, but it explains the process for those of you who don't understand why I'm having a problem. It refers several times to having another person help, which is something I haven't been able to do. My car-fixing friends all live too far away and the people I know who live nearby are the ones whose only mechanical skills involve manipulating their thumbs on a smart phone keyboard. I wonder how the human race is going to survive with so many men helpless to do the things we all learned as kids? Fortunately, my daughter's family will be arriving for a visit in about ten days and her husband is handy with tools, so maybe the two of us can finish the job.

Meanwhile I haven't had much time for anything but household chores and projects, so no progress worth reporting.

Soundproofing and Tooling

After another long drive and exhausting housecleaning day in East Texas on Saturday, I used Sunday to recuperate, nap, and watch the Monster Cup race in Atlanta. Then on Monday morning, I caught up on cleaning and laundry in this house. I'm sure I mentioned before, but my wife has serious back problems and can be mostly bedridden for days, so I inherit the housework and cooking.

I was able to spend most of this afternoon installing soundproofing material in the rear seat area and under the dash, and even had some time to work on a tool design to help install the rear glass trim. I think I discovered a configuration that will do the trick if I can get an assist from someone inside the car while I work on it from the outside.

I made the prototype tool out of Lexan, but need to make the real thing out of steel so I can bend the shaft and handle to get a good grip while it's in use.  If I can't find a helper, I think I can make a fixture to put and hold pressure on the trim piece so it doesn't keep trying to move away from the seal. It would be somewhat of a Rube Goldberg creation, but it looks doable.

Possible heavy storms predicted for tonight, but the next week looks good to get work done in the yard and in the workshop. I'd love to get the rear glass issue solved so can move on with the remaining trim!

I still need to make one last trip to finish work in the East Texas house, but at least the heavy work is done. It will mostly consist of hauling over some new bathroom light fixtures and coordinating final contractor repairs, so I'll schedule my trip for the day he arrives on the job.

Bluebonnets

Spring-like weather beckoned me to mow the lawn for the first time this season. It went fast, since the only green grass is a native variety that grows sparse, early and fast and then dies back about the time the St. Augustine sod comes on.

Spring is becoming evident in other parts of my lot also. Flowering Quince, Daffodils, and Forsythia are adding color to the otherwise brown and gray yard, but my favorite place is a large mound of dirt that was removed when the pool was dug. It lies along one side of my back fence and has been planted with wildflowers for three years now. Between volunteer seeds and the couple of packages I sow every fall, there are now tens of thousands of new plants sprouting and getting ready to bloom.

My favorite Texas wildflower is the Bluebonnet, and with all the rains last year the fields of blue should be spectacular this spring. I have a few wild bluebonnets on my lot, but two years ago I planted a few more seeds on the dirt pile. Last year a few bloomed, but I’m hoping to see many more in about 3 weeks.

This photo is probably from down in Central Texas, where you find the most bluebonnets.

Here's another Texas native from one of my favorite cities up in the panhandle...Amarillo...singing about our official flower. 

Busy-work

I'd never make it being self-employed. Rebuilding this car would go a lot better if I made a plan and followed it. Instead I find myself gravitating back to the things I like to do and putting the important jobs aside.

I should be finding a way to finish installing the back window molding so I can get the trunk lid installed, so the quarter windows can be installed, so I can install more trim, so I can get the doors and fenders fitted, so I can be ready for paint when the weather warms, so I can begin serious interior work...well, you know the drill!

When I walk in the shop ready to solve problems, and after staring at those important jobs for several minutes, I pick up something that looks like fun and before long I've forgotten priorities.

Now that I have the seat and console mounting complete, I won't need the console until all those previously mentioned jobs are done, but naturally, they aren't nearly as interesting as finishing the console. Soooo, here's what I got done today!

I realized there are a couple of things that will look much better if I change the way the Tach/HVAC control panel is attached, so I got out the Dremel saw and hacked off the forward part of the console. Now I can play with that new idea and will have something far more interesting to do than figuring out how to fix the rear window trim problem. It's no wonder it's taking me so long..........

Another Work Trip

Another trip to East Texas yesterday...2-1/2 hours over, and 3 hours back during rush hour, with 6 hours of house cleaning and repairs in between, and at least one more trip to make. That is entirely too much for an old man to do in one day.

I'm appalled by the way people treat a house, as I'm sure the master bath shower hadn't been cleaned in the three years since we moved. Soap and shampoo buildup was 1/8" thick on the shower floor, the wall tiles were white with scum and the grout was black with mildew. I scraped, scrubbed, sprayed and brushed for well over an hour until my hands cramped. It still looks like hell, so I'll have to hit it again next week, but this time I'll bring a wire brush and stronger chemicals. I will be so glad when that house sells!!

Only thing that got done on the car was the console storage box, as I cut and bent the stainless steel trim and attached it.

Roadkill sound deadening material showed up today. There might be enough to finish the interior, but I'm guessing I'll need more for the trunk. Three boxes weighed 70 lb, so the car should sit down a little lower on the springs after I get it installed.

The glass installer hasn't called me back since I sent him the photos, so I'm guessing he wants nothing to do with installing the trim piece. I might have to design some tooling to do the job...if I only had a good idea what would do the job.

More Parts and Material

Still squeezing in small jobs between household priorities, so no photos to post. Weather has been beautiful until this morning. It was 88F on Thursday, and just above freezing this morning, with a brisk NW wind.

I found another source for the Road Kill sound-deadening material, and it was less expensive than the source I first chose! Tracking number said it will be here by next Wednesday. Once in a while, things work out.

Got my order from Gary Goers just ten days after I sent it out, so I now have a few more seals and gaskets available when I'm ready for them. This batch included tail and backup light gaskets, trunk lock gasket and some under-hood seals and bumpers.

Have a Seat!

Between trips to East Texas to make repairs to our house, I've managed to sneak in a few hours of car projects.

I wanted to take care of some tasks that will be awkward to reach with the dash installed, and one of those was the installation of the foot-operated park brake. I didn't like the angle at which it was mounted, so I modified the adapter plate to make it more closly oriented to a stock setup. I still might re-bend and weld the pedal arm slightly, but will see how it looks when the dash is in. At least it fits better now and the release lever is in the right place just below the dash.

Next step was fitting the seats into their final location. With the console installed, I was able to determine the exact places to drill mounting holes, so that's another small job done. I was pleased to see that the underfloor seat-mount reinforcing was properly located, considering it was a guess when I was installing new floor sheet metal.

Before bolting anything else in place I thought that it would be a good time to install the sound-deadening material. I had enough to finish the one side and had sent out an order for three more boxes of Road Kill Expert. Unfortunately, I was just informed that they were out of stock and don't have a new ship date so they refunded my PayPal account. With free shipping for the heavy material, their final price was by far the best I could find, so I can understand running out of stock. Now to recall where I found the second-best price!

I love getting back to the interior and customizing part of the project. If the body and mechanical work was done, I'd have a lot of enthusiasm to get it on the road.

Console Progress

I only had a couple of hours to play, but another minor accomplishment!

The shifter cover is cut and formed and only needs to be trimmed in size and mounted to the console top plate. Everything else inside the console passed the fit check, so now I can put the console aside and get back to it when I need some smaller jobs to fill in, like installing trim, carpet and fabric.

Next week, schedule permitting, I'll call the glass installer and see if he can help me get the trim installed on the back window. If a pair of experienced hands doesn't work, it may require re-setting the glass.

Just Treading Water and Paying House Bills

Trying to get our East Texas house ready for listing is eating up most of my time, so I'm only doing small jobs on the car, and not making much progress.

The geothermal problem has grown into a certifiable nightmare. Apparently the renters/intended buyers allowed the water to be shut off for non-payment, and that was during the only seriously cold weather we've had this year. As a result, the pump that circulates hot water throughout the house, burned out, and a pipe burst inside the garage wall. It also might have been the reason the water heat exchanger cracked and started to leak, which flooded the pantry. To add to the misery, the Chinese made coil decided to die again and wasted a ninety dollar recharge. But, that's not the worst of it. The ten-year parts warranty lapsed three days before the service call, so we will now have more than four thousand dollars into unit repairs, and another three thousand in water damage,  mostly because we allowed the people two extra weeks to move out because of Christmas. No good deed goes unpunished.

Car-wise, I've mostly focused on the console instead of hopping around on other jobs. I got the storage tray built, cross-bracing installed, welded, and everything painted. I'll install the console semi-permanently, but most of the trim will come later.