13 November 2006 - It was a cold ride

It was a cold ride, but a good one! Yes, I finished the brakes with another late night on Sat at 3AM Sun. All that was left was hooking up the throttle cable. This was no easy task. The only easy part was buying a ball stud, but then I had to attach the cable. The original cable did not have the plastic fitting on the end for a bracket, instead it was clamped. So, I bought a universal bracket, the only one I could find, and found a small bracket to clamp the cable housing onto it. It worked!

The brakes still need some work. I had to go back a few times to re-tighten some fittings that had some small leaks. I also need to have a 2nd helper to help me make sure all air is out of the system, as it is pretty soft still. It was pretty difficult doing it solo, and at 2AM!

I also spent a few hours at the office in the model shop Sat morning to weld the radiator support. I had to manufacture some brackets to be able to mount the correct radiator in the car. The radiator and support that were in the car were for an automatic big block engine. I then painted it up and it actually looks like it belongs!

Anyhow, I took the 1st drive yesterday afternoon. Deffinitely need to get some new shocks as it is like sitting on a board it is so stiff! However, I can tell already that it has a ton of power! This is gonna be one fun ride when it's done!

10 November 2006 - Easy day, Hard night

Last night was spent working on the car again. I'm getting frustrated with getting this thing driving! I was up until 2AM. I did get a lot accomplished. I reinstalled the shifter assembly and mounting plate, the mounting bracket for the transmission, attached the transmission to the bracket, tightened down all the bolts in the drivetrain (new u-joints installed), installed the rear differential mounting bracket, did a lot of cleaning of the underside (as we'll be getting a lift to park Julie's car under it), re-attached the front cable for the parking brake (started installing the rear and the new shoes), installed the clutch assembly, and to top it off I put in about 8 gallons of premium gas which was only $1.47 per gallon!!!! Yup...$1.47 per gallon!!! I filled up the Tahoe and the gas cans. Too bad I was limited to 30 gallons.

Today a co-worker is planning to help me with modifying the radiator support. It is not the correct one (it is for a big block) so the radiator is too small for it. We have 2 mounts welded on already but need 2 more and a clasp. Then I'll need to rig-up the hoses until I get the correct ones. It'll be hard to keep them from interferring with the fan and belts. However, I will not continue using the blocks of wood as we no longer live in WV...Hahaha!

Tonight I'll be doing the rear brake line blocks, parking brakes, installing the new rotors and pads, and filling the brake system with brake fluid. I also need to figure out how to connect the accelerator cable. I bought a universal bracket, but it won't work on its own. I just hope to get it all done. I really want to be able to drive it by the end of the weekend, as I'll be gone for training Tues to Thurs and upon returning we'll be heading to Disney World not returning until after Thanksgiving.

I've been posting things on ebay again, hoping to make some more money to help offset some of the car costs. Selling a lot of bike stuff and other misc things from around the house.

I also need to find time to squeeze in oil changes for our Tahoe and GP. I figured once the Vette is drivable I can remove it from the ramps to use for the changes.

06 November 2006 - Iceman results are in!

A good friend of mine deserves major KUDOS!!! Congrats to Mike "SiMonster" Simonson on winning the Iceman as well as the proclaimed Midwest Triple Crown! Link to the article on VeloNews: http://www.velonews.com/race/mtn/articles/11152.0.html Way to go, Mike!!!

05 November 2006 - Apples or Pumkins?

Thane can't decide which he likes best.

Here he decided to have an apple, or two! We saw the fridge door open, then when we walked over there he was on the floor having a snack! hahaha The 2nd picture is him showing off his new pumkin that he carved with his daddy.

03 November 2006 - No snow here.

I received a call yesterday from my good friend Doc D. Apparently they were having yet another snow storm back home in Michigan. HA! Too bad I had to move. The only thing I miss living in Virginia is the lack of good quality mountain bike trails. Although I can't complain lately because I haven't touch a bike since I traveled to China for work over Labor Day. That is except to move them to the new house.

Everone in the midwest should currently be heading up to the Iceman Cometh Challenge race going down tomorrow morning. That was always a great weekend of fun. Another thing about the Michigan racing scene that will be missed. If we weren't heading off to Disney World for Thanksgiving I would've taken a long weekend to drive up for the event. I'll be trying to plan for it for next year.

Anyhow, I finally got moving on the car again. Night before last I pulled the half shafts back out of the car and removed the u-joints. The 1st was pretty easy, but then Murphy decided to help out... I had to bring the 2nd into work for some access to bigger tools! I was able to remove one using a hand press. The other I first tried the hand press, then tried a hydrolic press, finally I had some help from a toolmaker in beating it out! What a job! I was sure glad when I reassembled them that they went together with only some light tapping. Tonight I need to take another look at the main driveshaft as I ned to replace those 2 joints as well.

I was also able to order the needed parts for the clutch assembly yesterday also. I needed everything from the pedal push rod to the fork. I'll also need to drop the trans back out of the car to remove the bell housing to install the fork. Initially it was thought that it could be installed after, but that was discovered to be wrong. Oh well, practice makes it perfect, eh! So, hopefully I will be able to drive it for the 1st time next week!

I'll post more on happenings and photos soon!

26 October 2006 - Painters' touch

We've fully moved into our new home and it is nice to once again have room...too much room! After not opening boxes for 10 months we should just sell everything that is in them! Afterall, we haven't used whatever is in them, right!? Anyhow, mom is still here and is helping us paint the rooms which we'll post photos of soon. So far mom and I have painted the kitchen, sun room, master bedroom, and some ceilings.

I'll be getting back to working on the car this weekend. I plan to replace the U-joints as well as paint the garage walls with primer after touching-up the rough mud job by the builder. I will then paint the walls in a "sky-blue" color to make it bright and look like a showroom for the Vette! I also have 2 of 4 cool-white flourescent lights mounted, with plans to mount the remaining 2 this weekend as well. I had to run additional wiring and a switch with an outlet for them.

Nathaniel continuously runs around the house, and has enjoyed his new found freedom! He has his own HUGE bedroom as well as a toy room! I still need to mount his baseball ceiling fan, and the ceiling fan in the great room. I'm lucky to not have had to return to China, as my co-worker has been there since the beginning of the month and is not cleared to come home anytime soon!

My nephew, Brenden, is making a return trip to the NFL Youth Flag Football National Championships at Disney World again this year! His team easilly handled all the opponents last weekend nearby in Regional competition in Randalstown, MD, boy was it a long day. His team mercied all others until he met his younger sister's all girl team who took them to the full time of play, but they only scored 1x against the boys who won by 3 touches. Taylor's team also won all their games until that play-off game with her brother's, upsetting (litterally) all the boys teams! We'll be going this year to watch as they play at the Wide World of Sports Complex on-site at Disney on my birthday Nov. 18th. We'll also be staying for an additional 3 days to take Thane to the theme parks, we just need to find a place to board the 2 dogs.

19 October 2006 - The move-in.

We’re finally moved in, but not quite settled yet. We have a lot of boxes still left to unpack. We also need to paint, as the entire house was sprayed in light beige from floor to ceiling. All of the ceilings will need to be painted white, to help brighten it up a bit, and the many rooms will get their own colors to help break them up a bit. The garage is being fitted with fluorescent ceiling lights and will also be painted, floor to ceiling. We will also be looking to have a 3 bay built-on to the current 2-bay garage so all 3 vehicles can be indoors.

Nathaniel is now rolling out of bed at night, as we are transitioning him to a standard bed. Prior to the move he was climbing out of his crib in the mornings if he woke up before us.

I need to acquire a few more parts for the car to have it drivable. Then I will be able to take it in for exhaust. I need to get parts for the clutch and the transmission linkages then I can drive it to get the exhaust put on since it only has headers. It is now registered in VA with an antique plate customized as “68 SHRK”. For the truck I got the plate as “1FG SS”. I am also officially a Virginian, as I also picked-up my VA driver’s license. Julie still needs to get hers. Not sure if she will customize her plate.

The yard is growing in pretty good. I’m continuing to put down grass seed and we have also bought trees to plant as privacy barriers. I’ll look to place them tomorrow as I am taking the day off from work for more organization of the house, and mounting the garage door openers. My mom has been with us since the move started last Wed, and has been an awesome help with Thane. Without her here it would’ve been almost impossible to move as quickly as we did. Plus we were able to hold Thane’s 2nd b-day party last Saturday following the move-in. He was a load of fun opening his gifts…can’t wait for x-mas!

We have plenty of room now so we’re hoping our friends and family will come to visit us! Please let us know if you can make it for a visit! The road riding is great, and there are also many historic locations for sight seeing. We are also just a short drive from the Baltimore/DC area which is loaded with tourist sights!

Not sure what our plans will be for the holidays yet…we hope to be able to visit the family and some friends!

29 September 2006 - Distributing my time

Tonight I'll be putting in a new distributor. After buying a new HEI unit and getting it installed and the engine timed I discovered that my tachometer is mechanical. It ended up being cheaper to buy a new modified HEI distributor, which was 3x's the cost of the 1st, rather than to send in the tachometer to have it converted to electronic. The bonus is I am only out on the shipping! Just a couple of hours after posting my situation on the Corvette Forums board I had a buyer for the one I had originally bought and installed. I had only ran it for about a total of 1hr during the tuning of the engine.

I also finally trimmed-up the gas line, so the line you saw sticking up above where the hood would be during the video I shot is now where it should be. I have just a small amount of hose, a lentgh of about 3", between the carburator and the hard line coming up from the fuel pump. However, I still need to pull-off the carburator lines to fix a leak. It seams to be leaking at the seal where the filter is placed into the line. One thing not yet in-place is the new radiator, so I still have the large old one propped-up in the front end with wood blocks and duct tape holding the hoses away from the fan! I'm definitely fitting in with the rednecks here! HAHA

21 September 2006 - Can you hear me now?

Well, I'm back from China, but I can't seem to stop eating with chopsticks and eyeing the dogs longingly? I'm missing the orient so much that I'm already planning to go back. Yup, I will be heading back again in a few weeks. However, this time the supplier must show me that they have completed all tools and addressed all of the open issues I pointed out during the 1st trip prior to my arrival for this next trip. This is critical as Julz and I are scheduled to close on our new house the 18th of October! Yup, you read that right, we will finally be getting out of this crappy rental. Not sure how we will sleep at night not hearing the semi's rolling down the highway 24/7! Maybe I should record the noise to be played on the stereo while we sleep at night?!

Also, we'll get away from our white-trash redneck neighbors! These people are rediculous! I think I mentioned it before, but my original goal was to have the car drivable by Sept. Well, when the China trip was scheduled it changed to having it running. I made it with a week to spare. My parents arrived a day before I left, on Labor Day weekend, and I started the car for my dad. The couple next door came storming outside yelling and cussing at me saying I shouldn't be restoring a car. This coming from a typical redneck who does daily grinding on his daily-driver 80's Ford pick-up and keeps touching up the primer orange paint with his spray cans! HAHAHA They also threatened to call the po-po. Well, last night I called his bluff and was looking forward to having the police show up. Why? Because my cousin, a cop, was there as well! Best part was the guy flew into his driveway nearly hitting my cousin and coming just inches from some items I had sitting in the shared driveway, on my side. My cousin just shook his head and stated, "boy, the cops would be here in a minute if he would've touched me, because there would definitely be a problem!"

Yes, I only have headers on the car right now, but it is not even loud enough to drown-out the highway noise. Also, it is only a small block just lightly modified. It actually has a nice sound to it, especially when it is idled-up a bit. It is by no means necessarry to wear earplugs, which I originally did. This was also only the 4th time I have started it. The 1st 3 times were a max of 15mins. This 4th time was a bit longer totalling about 30 minutes due to the many tweeks for tuning the timing in on the engine and carb.

06 September 2006 - Getting homesick

Well, I'd like to start digging a hole so I can come home, but contrary to belief digging a hole through the Earth would not take me home, insstead I'd come out in the northern tip of Argentina! That would be interesting... (http://digholes.com/)

Anyhow, work has taken me to China again for the launch of a new product. If you want to know the lottery numbers just drop me an email...but you'll have to share your winnings! I'm 12hrs ahead here as it is currently 7:35AM on Thursday where at home in the Virginias it is 7:35PM on Wednesday.

I'm still not fully onto the new time schedule. Hopefully I will not have too much difficulty switching back! I'm currently scheduled to return next Friday, 15 September. I was initially scheduled to return this Saturday, 9 September, but I knew that would not happen. However, at the same time I was hoping that things would not be as scewed up as they are here at the supplier! What a mess!

Julie and Thane are trying to keep busy, but they are missing me alot, as I am missing them! Hopefully I will be able to get the supplier back on track so I will not have any further delays or trip extensions. here are a couple photos of a typical dinner location. The supplier has been treating us to lunch and dinner every day. The locations are amazing, we are always in a special secluded room which has a sitting area, dinning area, restroom, and a side door to its own kitchen. Awesome food and my chopstick skills are pretty good once again.

Well, I must get ready for breakfast just a couple of minutes away. Then it's off to the plant again for another full day, as we've been averaging a work day of about 12-14hrs.