Stewy

Here in the states, that's a normal Tuesday. My wife has been work-from-home since (around) March and very likely will not be going back to the office before the end of the year if at all - her company is now thinking about being 100% work remote (which is great for our monthly budget when it comes to gas for the cars). It's interesting lately in that you can tell what products are non-American made. I've been trying to get auto detailing supplies for the past few months (a certain polish I use and a some buffing pads, specifically) however the manufacturers have been sold out for, again, months. Guess the polishes and pads are stuck at the California port waiting for entry 😒

Care to, yes! Can I? Not sure. What time are you thinking? I have an appointment in Fenton mid-morning and then another appointment in Lapeer around mid-afternoon. 😒 I actually woke Ren up this afternoon... thinking of cruising Saginaw in the next day or two (not sure about time). After starting her, I scanned her for codes thinking I would see a history code for fuel pump under-current (forget the P-designation). When I checked, the history code wasn't there... kinda weird.

Made more progress on Rubi. Doing a three-step correction progress on all painted areas of the body. Yesterday I started, and finished, the A & D pillars (B & C pillars are not painted) and roof. The roof. Single. Biggest. Panel. on. The. Van. I think I put down around four to five hours yesterday alone. So far I think I have around 24 hrs. into the project. I need to make time by mid-week to oil prime Ren... she's been sitting too long w/o running the engine so that needs to be re-done (normally just do it when I'm bringing her out of winter storage) to prepare Wednesday, Thursday and Friday's unofficial Back to the Bricks Saginaw St. cruising. This is pretty much my life for the past, oh, several months...

The past, almost a week now, has been spent working on Rubi. Each evening (really the only time I have, well, time) I spend around three hours per panel, working my way around the body, cleaning up the mess that is, what I've come to call, the "Car Wash" affect (i.e. lots of swirling! - previous owner, apparently, loved the mechanical - non touchless - car washes). The process is exhausting and very time consuming however I think the results are night-and-day difference! Once I figured out the polish, compound and pad combination, the clear coat is coming along very nicely; also loving the dual action machine I picked up recently. In the coming days I am planning on turning my attention to Ren for a few days - the Bricks official week (which has gone to pot for this year) is next week so next week I would really like to get some cruising in with her (even though I still don't have her audio / auxiliary controls finished wiring... maybe before Christmas I'll get that done).

Love it! 😄

@Frosty - be warned that once you start using these things, you won't stop. I've found they COMPLETELY spoil me when doing wiring jobs. Best way I can describe it is it's like crack for people who do their own wiring. I use this things on everything I do a wiring job on - home & automotive. I even use them in areas where they are exposed to the elements (in those cases, though, I put additional protection on them) - the colored bands on each end of the casing also melt to create a water tight seal.

Thanks 🙂. Another trip around the sun. For the SEC, I don't even try to schedule an appointment (like you said, out until at least October!). For most things I've done lately, I just do online. Even though there is a "convenience fee" when paying for their online services (which is I think give or take $2), at this point in life it's worth it to not have to wait until Christmas to get into an actual office. Hey, some of us have to actually work for our hard-earned cash! 😁😁😁. All kidding aside, I have a couple close contacts who are software developers in Lansing (which, whom, fall out of favor with me whenever I get frustrated trying to use the SEC / state online system - not sure if that's even a project they work on - but they're the scapegoat 😁).

Yesterday I put Ren's new registration sticker on her plate. This morning I put the new registration sticker on T.C.'s plate. B.T. got a new registration sticker a few days ago. Yay for being legal for another, little over, 365 days. 🤪 On top of having four vehicles that all renew in the same month, I also had to renew my driver's license this year. I actually lol'd a little when I opened the letter from the SEC - at the top of the license renewal form it literally said "Let us be the first to wish you a happy birthday". So I thought, "it's my birthday and YOU'RE the one getting the gift (i.e. the $$)?!?!?" At least the plate on the motorcycle is a historical one so I only have to renew that every 10 years. The cost of playing the game, I guess.

*Slowly licks lips*

LOL - I'm ripping my hair out just thinking about doing the things he does! 😄 Also, as of 5am today (started at 4a), I have finished wiring the dash camera in the van to be ignition controlled. Interior fuse relay center is under the driver-side dash (i.e. next door to the steering column). Really, the most time consuming, hardest and most painful part was, even with the driver seat moved all the way back (I considered removing the seat altogether), for someone of my build size, it was a very cramped area to work in. Literally kneeling outside on the floor, right side laying on driver foot-well all the while having to twist my upper body to the left to try and get a view of my work area *whew*. At least it's done, looks clean (i.e. factory), and all wires are secured away from chaffing and moving parts (i.e. steering shaft, hydraulic brake pedal and mechanical brake pedal). Once done this morning with the camera, I was able to continue the exterior detail on the truck... almost done with the exterior!

Picked Rubi up on Saturday from having Xpel applied on the hood, front fascia, headlights and fog lights. Sunday I FINALLY figured out an ignition-controlled circuit on the interior fuse relay center so I can tap in for the dash camera for Rubi. I was getting no where with my multi meter so I finally resorted to plugging a load into the cigarette port and started pulling fuses until the load turned off. Continued spring detail on B.T. (that's how far behind I am - still doing spring details on the vehicles). By the time I'm done with the spring details, it will be time to immediately start the fall details 🤦‍♂️. Maybe some time this year, before storage, I will be able to take Ren for more than a five mile drive. Looking forward to the "Bricks" this year - even if it's just me & Ren cruising Saginaw on our own. I also found out, indirectly, that the polish I like to use (in my two-step compounding process) is apparently a China-produced product (even though it's by a popular American car-product producing company) because after checking three (technically four) local stores, NO ONE has it in stock. Frustrating but this is why I look to replenish stock well before I run out so I've got some time.

Welcome 🙂

LOL - I've noticed lately that when I stand up, after sitting for a length of time, I'm more stiff than I have been historically. I'm just south of 40 so I guess it makes sense that I'm outside of my warranty period 🤪

LOL!

LOL - I sent an oil sample from south-of-Flint, MI to Fort Wayne, IN. It went by way of Pennsylvania *face palm*. Oh, and I ordered a six inch dual action polisher. Doing the spring "strip wash" (i.e. full surface strip and complete protection rebuild) on "B.T." ("Big Truck" / F-250) this season finally broke me. Just too much surface area for the 'ol arm & shoulder. Plus I am doing a full paint correction so I just need a lot more pressure, speed and touch of heat than what the 'ol arm can give.

When a Cadillac was a Cadillac!! LOVE the front end AND the fins!! 😍

Let me be the first to sign up for the contents!!

Hi Jim, welcome 🙂. Shout out to a fellow GMI (for me, Kettering) person (what was your declaration? I started EE and switched to CS). Love the pictures of your collection!

Someone I know just rebuilt his LS4 (Grand Prix GXP) and was talking about Beehive springs (he upgraded the cam while he was in the process of deleting his displacement on demand system). That caught my ear as I, until then, was unlearned about all there is in the field of valvetrain theory (well, not really "all" but I did learn a lot reading the below article). Anyway, I started digging and came across the following article that I thought I would share as I (at least) found it interesting, insightful and in a way, kinda fun to read. https://www.chevyhardcore.com/tech-stories/engine/valve-spring-tech-overview-of-valve-spring-design-dynamics/

I lol'd a little... what's the point of a rear-view mirror in this particular vehicle... ? ONLY thing I can think of is it's an in-mirror reverse camera (versus an in-dash camera display). To each their own 😄

Wonder if @Last Indian would (or has) considerd starting a side business... 🤔. He's, for sure, got the skills.