Jag - I know my patch work quilt will be nothing more than a 'veneer', but I'm looking forward to seeing what I can do.
Whilst the bench shear does sound like a good piece of kit, I don't actually have a bench!
So expect my handiwork to be as rough and ready as the rest of this build.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Saturday Slog
My reward for a tough week at work was to take my wife and daughters on a shopping trip to Uxbridge.
But it got worse, as my wife has borrowed a pressure washer and the driveway was on her hit list.
So I had to move everything that I've been using to jack up the car, or hold stuff down, which was neatly stacked on the drive.
I only carried it through the house and onto the patio, as it was too hot to continue to the bottom of the garden.
Then my garage wall needed a trim.
Before I had to cut and edge the verge (more about that later).
Then I could move my car off the drive, before being sent to mow the lawn and blow up the paddling pool.
When my chores were finally complete, I noticed just how much oil was blown over my wife's car and I was only idling for a few minutes.
Then I had to stick my head in the passenger footwell, with my feet hanging over the rear of the cockpit, so sort out my heater leak.
Most of the photos I took were rubbish, but this was after I'd removed the heat shield material from around the heater & hoses.
There was some slack in the jubilee clips, so I really hope that tightening these up has fixed the problem.
Especially as the only way to tighten one clip, was to loosen it fully, reposition it for a better screwdriver angle, and then re-tighten it.
At which point I had engine coolant pouring down on me in a space I could barely move it and struggled to get back out of.
Then it was time for the car to get washed for the first time since I got back on the road last November.
But before I started, I noticed another problem, as I'd clearly had a petrol leak that has bubbled and stained the paint.
My only thought is that I didn't secure the cap properly when I last filled up.
Washing the car ended up being quite depressing really, as whatever problems I have with my paint (white marks) are clearly there to stay for now.
But even if I have inadvertently ended up with a 'survivor' finish, I still love my car and all it represents.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I'll end this update by returning to why I had to tidy up the verge earlier in the day…
While I was trimming the hedge, my wife was chatting to the lady next door and my promise to take her to church in the Swordfish came up.
Now given all the mess and noise my neighbours had to put up with during the build, the offer of a drive was the least I could do.
She was even happy to wait until the car was painted, as I did offer to keep my promise when the car was on the road in grey primer.
So as tomorrow (now today) was forecast to be the first real warm Sunday since the car was painted, we made it a date.
Given the fact she is 82, I wanted to sort out the verge out so that I could park along side it to help her get it.
We just need to practise getting her out before we go, as that is the part my mum struggled with given how low the car sits.
Which meant that by the time the car was clean and I finally had some time to myself it was just gone 6pm.
So I decided to go for a quick spin to double check the route to her church which is a few miles from here.
It was a lovely evening, still lots of sunshine and no drop in the hot temperature, so a T-shirt was more than enough.
Along the way, my rear view mirror was filled with a white Rolls Royce Phantom Convertible with the roof down, something like this.
At which point, the traffic ahead slowed to a snails pace and were both just crawling along for all around to see.
But you couldn't make up what happened for the next 10 minutes until we went our separate ways at a roundabout…
I must have got 20, or so, positive reactions and the poor Roller (which may have even been chauffeur driven) got tumbleweed.
From people walking past on both sides of the road saying nice things to children pointing & waving (obviously I wave back).
Plus cars coming the other way also commenting, flashing their lights, hooting, giving a thumbs up, etc. as they passed (even a bus driver).
If ever there was a journey to confirm that I am needlessly worrying about the standard of my paint job, this was it.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Until next time, take care, Paul.
