Fitzy's GP is back!

[Fitzy]

Thanks Frosty. I should clarify that the internal pressed metal strip and screws inside the pod were fabricated/replaced by someone. It was cool - it did the job but I felt it deserved better, so now it's the way it's supposed to be.

I was having a look at eBay yesterday and someone has the chrome pod, JUST the chrome pod for sale for US$350! Sure, it was in good shape (not pristine mind you,) but I think he may have had his hand on it when he figured that was the price he should ask. Greed knows no bounds.

[Frosty]

Well I am still happy for you! I can only imagine you running around like Gollum!

Aussieland is still on the bucket list. Perhaps if I come to Queensland, I will get to ride in a badass '65 GP?

[Fitzy]

8 hours ago, Frosty said:

Well I am still happy for you! I can only imagine you running around like Gollum!

Aussieland is still on the bucket list. Perhaps if I come to Queensland, I will get to ride in a badass '65 GP?

Mais certainement! You can help me push it back to my place when the flux capacitor lets go. There's plenty to do up my way - snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef, walking through the rainforest, white water rafting, hot air ballooning, we got it all, so you should visit. Mind you, you will need to dress appropriately. My missus' brother & his wife who live in Montana paid us a visit some time ago in the middle of a tropical summer and they stepped off the plane as if they were stepping onto a horse - boots, jeans, check shirts and cowboy hats. They melted until they sought refuge in an airconditioned hotel room. Shorts & flipflops is all you need.

[Fitzy]

Now Frosty, IF there is a chance of you ever coming to Oz, I'll be sure to wear my strongest sunglasses so that the blinding glare from those snow white legs doesn't sear my retinas! Tourists are funny. They are bright white, with big patches of red skin after experiencing our insane tropical sun. In all seriousness, remember the Sunscreen song? Do it. Slop that stuff on, coz skin cancer is real.

Now, get into shape so you can assist pushing the GP out of the airport parking lot!

[Frosty]

Bud - no need to lecture me on sunscreen usage. While there ain't much use for it in the winter months here in Michigan, I do use it in the summer. The wife and I love to go to Hilton Head Island South Carolina as much as we can. We use it religiously.

When I was an active downhill skier, it was always in my ski jacket too since in the mountains there is a whole lot less atmosphere. Skiing in Colorado once, I saw a fellow ski club member get between a 1st and 2nd degree sunburn because it was sunny spring skiing day and he don't put anything on. He paid for it alright. It hurt just watching him put the aloe on his face before dinner.

No promises on the white legs thing if I show up. Remember our seasons are reversed. Just find the highest UVA and UVB rated sunglasses you can find when I do. I can do flip flops. My wife would live in them if we live in a year round climate that would allow it.

If I got push it around, at least make sure the parking brake is off!

[Fitzy]

The car is getting trucked to the mechanic tomorrow, so I used a 'waterless car wash' and it came up pretty good. Truth be known, the poor old thing was covered in dust and I wanted the mechanic to at least get to work on something that was presentable and not looking like it was dredged out of a wrecking yard. So, if all goes well it should come back with the front end done, new slightly higher front coils, new manual steering box, new starter motor, serviced TH400, bloody oil pan straightened out, new diff pinion seal AND those wonderful Doug's headers bolted on. After that it's off to the exhaust fitter.

Edited March 18, 2021 by Fitzy
Computer is giving me the shits.

[64 kiwi boni]

i can relate to the dirt on your car thing mate, i hate when they get covered in shit ! make them look un loved !

we look forward to some pictures of the improvments.... 

[64 kiwi boni]

17 minutes ago, Fitzy said:

The car is getting trucked to the mechanic tomorrow, so I used a 'waterless car wash' and it came up pretty good. Truth be known, the poor old thing was covered in dust and I wanted the mechanic to at least get to work on something that was presentable and not looking like it was dredged out of a wrecking yard. So, if all goes well it should come back with the front end done, new slightly higher front coils, new manual steering box, new starter motor, serviced TH400, bloody oil pan straightened out, new diff pinion seal AND those wonderful Doug's headers bolted on. After that it's off to the exhaust fitter.

that front end doesnt look too low !

[Fitzy]

I know. It looks shit hot, but I can't get the car out of my driveway! It was the ridiculous ride height plus a 2" drop off the concrete where it's parked onto my scoured out driveway and hey presto, "clack, clack, clack." Hello crank, this here's the oil pan saying howdy. The replacement coils are a 2" drop, so it'll look much the same only not quite so low. I'll modify the driveway before I touch those springs again!

[64 kiwi boni]

12 minutes ago, Fitzy said:

I know. It looks shit hot, but I can't get the car out of my driveway! It was the ridiculous ride height plus a 2" drop off the concrete where it's parked onto my scoured out driveway and hey presto, "clack, clack, clack." Hello crank, this here's the oil pan saying howdy. The replacement coils are a 2" drop, so it'll look much the same only not quite so low. I'll modify the driveway before I touch those springs again!

yeah man! fix the drive way, keep the girl low! haha..

nah honestly, a car can be TOO low, and it becomes justA pain in the asre !  

[Wrongway]

Agreed! Fix the driveway. lol, the lower the better! 

[Fitzy]

This is Off Topic, but it's a one off. Forgive me.

Yo Kiwi, I love stout especially in winter so I always use Black Rock Miner's Stout from NZ. I put this year's one on this morning. Last year's batch drew much acclaim from my collection of drunkard friends. I never saw stout in the US, but I wasn't really looking.

Anyone Stateside a stout lover?

[Fitzy]

3 hours ago, Wrongway said:

Agreed! Fix the driveway. lol, the lower the better! 

Yeah, well listening to the rear bumper scrape against the concrete floor as the poor truck driver did his best to minimise any damage whilst loading the land yacht onto his tilt tray was something I don't want to witness again. I'll see how it looks when the new slightly higher front springs go in.

Anyway, the car has gone to a better place for about a week so I guess I'll tinker with the Subaru.

[64 kiwi boni]

5 hours ago, Fitzy said:

This is Off Topic, but it's a one off. Forgive me.

Yo Kiwi, I love stout especially in winter so I always use Black Rock Miner's Stout from NZ. I put this year's one on this morning. Last year's batch drew much acclaim from my collection of drunkard friends. I never saw stout in the US, but I wasn't really looking.

Anyone Stateside a stout lover?

Oh wow! thats a real southern brewsky mate, and tis a wee fine drop at that !

west coast coal miners brew i do beleave,,, 

 

 

1 hour ago, Fitzy said:

Yeah, well listening to the rear bumper scrape against the concrete floor as the poor truck driver did his best to minimise any damage whilst loading the land yacht onto his tilt tray was something I don't want to witness again. I'll see how it looks when the new slightly higher front springs go in.

Anyway, the car has gone to a better place for about a week so I guess I'll tinker with the Subaru.

Am wavin 

[Frosty]

11 hours ago, Fitzy said:

Anyone Stateside a stout lover?

My maternal grandfather immigrated to the US from Scotland. My mom's side of the family still has family in Scotland. One of my aunt's owned a pub in Hamilton Scotland (just outside of Glascow). I learned to drink stouts there. Sweet stout/milk stout, black and tans, and a good Guinness.

Edited March 19, 2021 by Frosty

[Fitzy]

I went to the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin a coupla years ago and drank Guinness for the next 7 days as we tooled around Ireland - such a wonderful drop.

In direct contrast, many years ago on my first trip to the US, I met someone in Hawaii and she invited us to stay with her in LA. She kindly lent us her Camaro whilst she was at work and she liked a drink, so my mate & I thought we'd do the right thing and pick up a case of beer. In the local supermarket an entire aisle was devoted to beer, and I will always remember this: Pabst Blue Ribbon was $6 a case! So we rock up at hers with it and she exclaims: "Whaddya buy that (starts with n and rhymes with rigger) beer for?" 

Just a few weeks ago I am perusing my local liquor merchant's store and I see good ol' Pabst Blue Ribbon being sold as a premium imported beer! But we all know better.

Anyway, I scrubbed the rear seat vinyl clean today: that's 55 year old Naugahyde, and it still looks great.

[Ringo64]

6 hours ago, Fitzy said:

I went to the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin a coupla years ago and drank Guinness for the next 7 days as we tooled around Ireland - such a wonderful drop.

Place is a good time. Went there back in 2016

[JUSTA6]

Seat looks good!   There is an old story from the 70's (remember it being true and in the news)  At the end of the year and all the light beer is skimmed off in the vats, bottled and sold.  All that is left is the dark beer to be bottled and sold.  When PBR got to the bottom there was a missing employee at the bottom.  Yep you guessed it,  the dark beer got darker.  He had been missing most of the year!  I still don't know how they survived and stayed in business.   Cheap beer is right.  They almost had to give it away.  

[Frosty]

I miss the old Stroh's Brewery that use to be in Detroit.

PBR is just a few steps higher on my beer palette than Bud and Moose Head. That ain't saying much....

Great work on the seat cover Fitzy!

[Fitzy]

17 hours ago, JUSTA6 said:

Seat looks good!   There is an old story from the 70's (remember it being true and in the news)  At the end of the year and all the light beer is skimmed off in the vats, bottled and sold.  All that is left is the dark beer to be bottled and sold.  When PBR got to the bottom there was a missing employee at the bottom.  Yep you guessed it,  the dark beer got darker.  He had been missing most of the year!  I still don't know how they survived and stayed in business.   Cheap beer is right.  They almost had to give it away.  

Oh man, that is FUNNY. It makes you wonder what horror stories abound in the production of food. Yes, beer is definitely food. I liked Coors whilst in the US, my travelling buddy liked Bud and we tried all sorts of stuff, including Mickey's Big Mouth Malt Liquor whose name had more impact than the contents of the can.

Latest news from mechanic, who proceeded to pull car apart shortly after I dropped it off. Crank not hitting oil pan, seems oil pickup was bent and it's that which is causing the clack, clack, clack. The 'complete' front end rebuild kit that I got from the US is not that complete. He only supplied the outer tie rods, no inners & no idler arm. So, Kiwi, this is probably for your benefit rather than anyone else: there is something called "The Most Complete Super Front End Rebuild Kit" from a dude called American Suspension Dave who is based in Ballarat, Victoria. If your Bonnie needs all the front end goodies, this is probably the cheapest way to go. Includes ball joints, control arm bushings, stabiliser bushes, tie rod ends & idler arm. Naturally, my idler arm is apparently shot, so that's something else I gotta procure. Anyway, I look forward to further phone calls from mechanic advising that I purchase this, this, this, and this, etc...

[Fitzy]

18 hours ago, Ringo64 said:

Place is a good time. Went there back in 2016

Yeah Ringo, Ireland is a great place to visit. Narrow winding roads, little villages, great pubs and the most friendly people. We tumbled out of Dublin airport after thawing out in Barcelona for a few days and it was cold, windy, wet and gloomy. I said to the mini bus driver, "mate, when is the sun coming out?" He said that they'll be turning it back on at 3 o'clock! He probably thought "another Australian dickhead tourist with a smart remark." He was right.

[64 kiwi boni]

12 minutes ago, Fitzy said:

Oh man, that is FUNNY. It makes you wonder what horror stories abound in the production of food. Yes, beer is definitely food. I liked Coors whilst in the US, my travelling buddy liked Bud and we tried all sorts of stuff, including Mickey's Big Mouth Malt Liquor whose name had more impact than the contents of the can.

Latest news from mechanic, who proceeded to pull car apart shortly after I dropped it off. Crank not hitting oil pan, seems oil pickup was bent and it's that which is causing the clack, clack, clack. The 'complete' front end rebuild kit that I got from the US is not that complete. He only supplied the outer tie rods, no inners & no idler arm. So, Kiwi, this is probably for your benefit rather than anyone else: there is something called "The Most Complete Super Front End Rebuild Kit" from a dude called American Suspension Dave who is based in Ballarat, Victoria. If your Bonnie needs all the front end goodies, this is probably the cheapest way to go. Includes ball joints, control arm bushings, stabiliser bushes, tie rod ends & idler arm. Naturally, my idler arm is apparently shot, so that's something else I gotta procure. Anyway, I look forward to further phone calls from mechanic advising that I purchase this, this, this, and this, etc...

mate, i did my home work on all the steering components and it was going to be a small fortune. 

i went with a company in Auckland, who i sent my whole steering set up, outers, inners, idler arm, upper and lower ball joints  too and they rebuilt them.. and very happy with the job. $1300 for the lot. nzd

i went with bushings for the a arms off rock auto, and the top ones where bang on, and as in my thread i found that the lowers that they supplied where the wrong inside dimension !!! 1/2 inch and should have been 9/16... so ames have supplied the correct ones.  

other than that i went with gas o just kyb shocks for all 4 corners and they came from  rock auto too.

 

Edited March 21, 2021 by 64 kiwi boni

[Fitzy]

How on earth did they manage to send gas shocks? You aren't supposed to air freight compressed gas. That's why I sourced mine locally. I used Pontiworld and because he was out of stock of KYBs, he supplied Monroes at the same price.

Anyway, that's good news on your front end.

[64 kiwi boni]

Just now, Fitzy said:

How on earth did they manage to send gas shocks? You aren't supposed to air freight compressed gas. That's why I sourced mine locally. I used Pontiworld and because he was out of stock of KYBs, he supplied Monroes at the same price.

Anyway, that's good news on your front end.

didn't seam to be a worry to rock auto ! haha, or nz customs i guess for that matter .

 it was a bloody good deal too all 4 where $240 nzd, you would pay that for justA one here at a super cheap shop !!!

[Ringo64]

On 3/21/2021 at 3:51 AM, Fitzy said:

Yeah Ringo, Ireland is a great place to visit. Narrow winding roads, little villages, great pubs and the most friendly people. We tumbled out of Dublin airport after thawing out in Barcelona for a few days and it was cold, windy, wet and gloomy. I said to the mini bus driver, "mate, when is the sun coming out?" He said that they'll be turning it back on at 3 o'clock! He probably thought "another Australian dickhead tourist with a smart remark." He was right.

we lucked out. spent a week there and not a single time did it rain. some of the most friendly people we ran into there for sure. spent many long nights in pubs