Manky's Pop.

[stinkey]

Sorry to say it,but I get mighty pissed off with all this poxy regulation stuff..I'd just fit a tow bar and trailer it..(JEEZUS ) nobody is/will say anything ? They will be too busy checking out the cool hotrod/chop combo

[kapri]

The problem with that is that there are no towing weights , GVTW etc etc on his logbook as that has to be declared at time of test .Nor are there any on the weight plate that is mandatorily fitted to this commercial . Simple case of looking at the weight plate by any copper etc to see if it should be towing. Just like many cars nowadays are NOT approved for towing by the manufacturers. A roadside pull by DVSA because it looks interesting will mean PL9  immobilisation at that point and a 4 wheel lift to recover.

Not so much of an issue for an MOT but since 2001 any vehicle manufactured after that date must have a Type approved and marked tow hitch  that's to stop the issue of people fitting bars to cars that OEM specifically say shouldn't tow.

Thinking as I type are you intending to fit 2 bikes on the rear as I'm sure that will put you over your load rating on the 'plate' . It could even be over with one as I'm sure your load carrying capacity is only around 500 kg?

[merv]

Would it be difficult to get it  Type approved and marked tow hitch ?

[Manky Monkey]

I only own one bike Kev. My mate will be riding his. Only thinking aloud really. Almost tempted to leave the Pop at home & join him on the bike, but I haven't ridden for 6 years & wouldn't want to get halfway across Europe & find I'm not up to long journeys any more. 

[kapri]

Would it be difficult to get it  Type approved and marked tow hitch ?

It would be impossible as there is no seperate test available for certification The only the time it can be done is as part of the BIVA test.

The answer is to get the bike onthe road asap and fin dout if you ARE up to it whilst carrying on with the Pop rebuild .To me it seems a bit pointless to stop the FINISHING of the truck, to head of in another direction, just for the sake of one show ?

[kapri]

What about fitting the pickup bed as you would for normal use. Then make another tailgate to match the vehicle, but make it long enough to take the rear wheel of the chop when its folded down, for when you want to transport the bike. Can easily be made with subtle supports that mach the pick up bed. 

Seems an ideal compromise to me , much less fabrication and nothing that should distract from FINISHING the Pop and enjoying it . Had you forgotten you said it feels like a chore working on it all the time Andy?

[Manky Monkey]

Only chucking ideas about chaps, don't panic! 
The Pop's progressing, a little bit each day, quicker than it was at Loon's workshop because it's nearer to home, it's in the dry, (admittedly I have to roll it halfway out to work on it), I can leave jobs half done & parts laid out on the floor & just close the door & go home & I don't have to rely on him being at the workshop -not complaining, but he often wasn't.
Just being in the dry, out of the howling wind & rain, has made it more pleasant to work on, plus the end's in sight now. I also quite enjoy tinkering on my own in my own little space. I'm back to exactly where I was before I started renting space at Loon's. I built my last couple of trikes & a bike or two in a different garage in that same block.
The pick-up bed's in a pretty sorry state -very rusty underneath. Nothing that can't be angle ground clean & rust treated, but it won't be a 5 minute job. That's why I'm looking at running without it for a while, so I can get the thing on the road & start using it quicker. Currently working on the back end of the chassis, which would be done whether the bed goes back on immediately or not, but I needed to take it off to get to everything underneath.
Not desperately important to take the bike to France as well as the Pop, it'd just be nice if I could. I wanted to display them both, as a matched pair, at the Dutch show, but the logistics made it more trouble than it was worth. The bike's progress is out of my hands at the moment, waiting on Mr Dslam to become available to do his thing with the tuning side of it. I've done all I can do on it, which leaves me free to crack on with the Pop. Bike weighs 200kg by the way. 

[Dslam]

Should be ready for you in about 10 days. Will call nearer the time to collect the beast

[Manky Monkey]

It's tucked up safe 'n' sound in the other garage Andy & going nowhere till you're ready.  
Both rear shocks removed, ready to take to Gaz shocks, & replaced with temporary struts. The other top shock mount modified to give more clearance while the shock's off. The rest of the rear section of the chassis painted with Fertan rust treatment. Half a dozen 8mm holes drilled in the top face of the chassis rails so I can squirt rust killer inside them. They'll be sealed with rubber blanking grommets afterwards. Bought one of those pump up weed killer spray bottles for a fiver from Ebay for the job.
Got rained off at lunchtime, so packed up & nipped over to the local tool shop for some bolts, only for the sun to come out again. Back to the garage, unlock it, roll the Pop out & it rains again. Managed to rub some more filler down around the back of the cab between showers, (not a huge thickness on there, although it does look it in photos, just smoothing out the transition from curved to flat panels on the cab back).

[Manky Monkey]

Had to meet a mate at my lock-up at 7.30 this morning, (he'd fixed my mobile phone for me & was going home after a night shift), so did a little early morning filler rubbing down while I waited for him. Very cold in the garage at that time of day. Wondering if I need a dust sheet over the car, (& the bike in my other garage), to keep them condensation free? Would insulating the tin roof make it better or worse?
Once my buddy had been & gone I jumped in the car, put the heater on & headed off, up the M3 & around the M25 to Basildon in Essex to visit the Gaz shock absorbers factory. I'd hoped to be able to buy new dampers & take them home, but apparently they're all made to order, which takes about 3 weeks. Bugger. But they could strip, blast clean, repaint & refurbish my old ones, with all new moving parts & bushes, in a week. 80 quid each, plus VAT for aluminium bodied new dampers, 70 quid for steel bodied, or about 45 plus VAT to rebuild mine. Do you need a deposit? Nope -we've got your shocks & your car's going nowhere till you come back & pay for them. True enough. Hopefully ready at the end of next week.
From there it was back around the M25 & down the M4 to Newbury in Berkshire to collect my parts from the powder coaters. Battery box & rear mudguard struts blasted & re-coated in gloss black. No charge cos they'd taken a couple of weeks longer than normal. Thank you very much. 

[stinkey]

I'm surprised you didn't ring Gaz first ? Many factories close early Fridays as well ?

[Manky Monkey]

Checked their opening times online last night. I've been there before, 3 years ago. When the Pop was on the road back in 2013 I managed to snap the top mount off one of the shocks -my own fault for not allowing enough clearance around the mount on full suspension travel. Sorted now. They replaced the damaged damper rod & mounting ring while I waited. I'm on holiday for a fortnight at the moment, so can go back & collect next week if they can do them in time, (I enjoy roadtrips).

[stinkey]

Road trips..as long as I'm not going anywhere near London I'm happy 

[Manky Monkey]

  I quite enjoy London driving, as long as I know where I'm going.
Nice to see young Tom at the garage this morning -he's borrowed my welder on long term loan so came to collect it. I've done all the welding I need to for the time being & it's just taking up room in the lock-up. Gave me a chance to rearrange the "furniture" in the garage for a bit more space.
Then spent all afternoon rubbing filler down. Definitely getting there, but by 4.30 it was getting dark & bloomin' freezing so I packed up for the day.

[poprodder]

cab is looking nice and tidy now andy. nice work on bottom edges.