Oxford build

[garyh]

I normally drop the boxes off at the garage, before i get home!

[Mister Towed]

When my better half asked me what the credit card bill for over £200 to Canley's was for I had to think quickly and told her Canley's was a lap-dancing club.

Phew, that was a close call.

[oxford1360]

Thank goodness it didn't say "Rimmer Brothers". Apologies for lowering the tone.

[davecymru]

One of the only upsides of working in an office with a bribe-able receptionist is that all deliveries go to the office and the straight to the garage when I get home and SWMBO need never worry her pretty little head

[Viatron]

until you leave this page open and she reads it........

[oxford1360]

Exactly! And I'm telling all your wives and partners!
Yours faithfully,
Mrs Oxford1360.

[oxford1360]

So, it's raining and the TV is full of a little old lady who has done the same job for 60 years. What is there for a man to do?

I had planned to leave the suspension turrets and lower wishbone pickups in place when I blasted, but for the sake of 14 bolts, I couldn't stop myself.

Now she is as naked as the day she was born. Since the age of 13 I've found a bare chassis captivating. Some things don't change.

[oxford1360]

Why spend money on a chassis coating when you can mix a handful of soil with some old engine oil? Just coat the chassis, and 40 years later the original paint will still be there. The engine cross-member is like new.

This is by far the crappiest job I've done so far.

[Mister Towed]

Looks like it'll 'do a trip'

[oxford1360]

There are some positives to having your workshop in a remote area, but the a negative is that thieving b*stards can visit in the night and steal your tool chest.

It could have been worse; whoever it was didn't notice my brand new sandblaster under the bench. And, my new engine, gearbox and diff were left.

All items of value have now been brought home, a large(r) shackle has been fitted, and CCTV is now in operation.

No thieving little sh*t is going to spoil my fun.

On the upside, the stubborn bolt that I have been feeding with WD40 all week finally came out with a few blows from the hammer that they didn't take. So, not a bad day in the end.

[Paul L]

Sorry to hear that.

I had a tool box stolen once it was the those 'odds & ends' you pick up over the years that I missed the most.

Hope the rest of your build is trouble free, Paul.

[oxford1360]

Thanks, Paul.
It's things like circlip pliers, brake hose clamps and ball joint splitters that are annoying to lose. Spanners and sockets are easy to replace.

[Mister Towed]

Ooh, bad luck, but like you say, at least your 'blaster engine and box weren't taken. Are you insured?

[oxford1360]

No Friday progress due to the tool situation, but I've been busy building a blast cabinet. Details can be seen in separate thread.

[Nike55]

Sad to note your tool loss. I've had a similar problem with remote workshop and morons nicking odd bits off another project vehicle.

Nothing you can do except to 'suck it up' as our colonial cousins might say..

[oxford1360]

It was a bit of a bad coincidence that my tools went walkabout at the same time that I was having to face-up to one of the less enjoyable tasks that is part of "The Joy of Sammio".

I apologise for the incredibly boring picture below but I need proof that I am making progress. The chassis is now degreased and I really can blast it next Friday if the weather is dry.

My cross member is grease free. I am not sure why it was cross and I refuse to answer how it got covered in grease.

I feel that I know this chassis better than I knew some of my ex-girlfriends.

[Viatron]

Makes the £100 ive paid to have my chassis blasted look well worth it! picking it up in the morning fingers crossed its as good as it looked covered in oil!

[oxford1360]

You did the right thing. I had the opportunity to have it blasted and primed for £120. There are moments when I think I was mad to decide to do it all myself, but I do secretly enjoy it.

[Nike55]

Originally Posted by oxford1360

"The Joy of Sammio".....

I feel that I know this chassis better than I knew some of my ex-girlfriends.

There has to be a Times best seller coming out of this 'Forum'..

[Mister Towed]

Although I enjoyed blasting my chassis myself I have to say it was time consuming and dirty work using the diy kit. At the end of every session I looked like Elizabeth Taylor made up as Cleopatra - even though I wore a face shield, overalls and dust mask the black residue from the grit still got into my eyes, ears, nose, pockets, underwear etc. It also got into the rafters of my garage and even though I got up there and vacuumed it still rains grit every time the wind blows. For that reason alone I'd probably have it done professionally if I ever did another one, but I'm glad I've had the experience of taking a dead chassis and making it good again.