Manky's Pop.

[oldmetalhead82]

As if i would tell you porkies Andy! Its keeping surface rust at bay on the Heralds bonnet until April when i uncover it and prepare it for some paint.

[Manky Monkey]

Never doubted you Sir, but wasn't sure if it was a water repellant/sealant, or an actual rust killer. Seems to have converted the rust to a solid base -just as it says on the bottle

[Manky Monkey]

Still rubbing down filler, while waiting for another bottle of rust killer to arrive in the post so I can carry on with the chassis.
I've been working on the roofline, hammering down high spots, filling, smoothing & generally buggering about with it, on & off, since I took the Pop off the road 3 years ago. The rear panel under the back window's been out of reach behind the pick-up bed though, so that's a whole new pain in the bum. A few hours here & there, when I can get up the enthusiasm for it's gradually showing results though. Doing it now, just so I can get all the messy jobs out of the way, before I start painting the chassis & cleaning everything up.
It's been a bright & sunny day here today, but bloomin' cold in the shadows, so I rolled the truck outside into a patch of sunshine. So much nicer to work in.
For some reason there's a regular stream of cars driving into the garage area during the day. Not dodgy types, just a random mix of motorists. No idea why. It's a dead end, no access to the pub or the shops -why do they drive in off the road outside, drive right down to the end where I am, turn around & drive back out again? Really pees me off cos they all peer into the garage as they turn around. What?! What d'ya want? Who the hell are you?! I'm seriously starting to wonder if there's a drug dealer that works out of the garages or something. Loon used to get the same thing at his old workshop, which was miles from anywhere. Maybe it's a new trend -just driving into random roads for no reason?
I was working away today & heard a Brit bike rumbling up the yard. A very tidy 650 Tiger. As usual, the rider rode right up to my garage, turned around -then stopped.
I heard there's a vintage car up here, so came for a look.  
Turned out to be Ken Bashier Junior, son of a local car trader, who uses a 1920s model A Ford as his daily driver. His son also owns a Corvette. We chatted for an hour or so & found we had all sorts of mates in common & remembered many of the same faces & events from Basingstoke over the last 30 years or so. I don't mind people turning up for a chat -just don't stare into my garage then drive off again. It's bloody annoying.  

[Manky Monkey]

Thanks to my rechargeable LED lamp, I was able to carry on till 5.30 this evening before calling it a day. Definitely milder than the last few days, when I've had to pack up & head home by 3.30/4pm. I know the colder weather's on the way, but it'll soon be the shortest day, then the Spring won't be far behind -will it?

[Manky Monkey]

That's enough for another day.

[poprodder]

looking good andy, but bit much hanging your bare arse outa the garage!!!! lol

[Manky Monkey]

 

[MIXA]

Looks good Andy

[Archie]

They don't have big L's on the cars do they?

Next time double check to see if they're in 2's. Probably find out your on a driving assessment route

[Manky Monkey]

That's entirely possible Archie.

[Manky Monkey]

Had a confrontation with an old guy in a car this evening -just leaving the garage when a car drove into the yard & did the usual slow drive round, then drive back out. I must've glared at him cos he stopped & got out-

What are you staring at me for?!
Cos I'm wondering what you're looking for.
It's a public road -I'm allowed to be here.
So what d'ya want?
Whad'ya mean?!
I rent a garage here & a car comes all the way down here, late at night, when everyone's gone home, turns round & drives out -what are you looking for? I don't want my garage broken into. I don't know if you're good or bad. Of course I'm looking at you.

As soon as I said I had a garage there, he said Ahh, you're the bloke doing up the old car -I saw you working on it the other day -& suddenly he was all smiles, but when he got out of the car he'd been ready for a punch up, despite being about 60.
He left on good terms, but I still have no idea why he was there.
5 minutes later there was a shout from a neighbour who's house backs onto the garages & 2 teenage girls came running across my garage roof & jumped down into the yard & ran off. Bloody big dents in the tin roof now.
I hate the human race.

[Manky Monkey]

Not much to report at the moment.
A little more filler rubbing down around the back of the cab -nearly done now.
Sprayed rust killer inside the chassis rails again. Mopped most of it up off the garage floor afterwards.
Unbolted the exhaust headers. After pushing the Pop around the garage area last week, I've decided I need to improve the turning circle. It's fine out on the road, but getting into parking spaces involves a 26 point turn. The back edge of the mudguards foul on the front of the headers, (I've got steering stops on the back of the hubs that stop it actually hitting). If the suspension's on full travel at the same time, it's even more restrictive. So I've decided to reshape the front 2 pipes by removing the 90 degree bend at the top end & replacing it with a 45, to bring the pipes inside the line of the bodywork, which I think would look better anyway. I could buy some stainless bends & pinch my welder back from Tom for a day or two, (I've got a small reel of stainless wire), but to be honest, it's a lot easier to nip back to Torque Technique in Salisbury & get them to do it. Getting busy at work in the lead up to Christmas now, so I'll probably have to wait till my day off later in the week to go there.
Once the pipes are back on, I'll look at modifying the headlight mounts to give extra clearance at the other end of the wheel's travel.

[BikerGran]

Had a confrontation with an old guy in a car this evening -just leaving the garage when a car drove into the yard & did the usual slow drive round, then drive back out. I must've glared at him cos he stopped & got out-

What are you staring at me for?!
Cos I'm wondering what you're looking for.
It's a public road -I'm allowed to be here.

But IS it a public road?  You always say 'the yard' - our garage is in a block and there's a driveway that goes through between our house and next door, there's also a footpath from one corner that goes round the back of some gardens and emerges between houses further up the road.

I had an argument with a bloke from ANOTHER road, who had a (pedestrian) gate from his garden onto that path, he was angry because someone with a garage in our block had parked a car across his garden gate.   I told him to go and check whether it was a public path - he didn't come back to me but I see the gate's blocked no.
Our garage block and that path are private, the only people who have a right of access are the garage and garden owners/users.

[Manky Monkey]

Yeah, know what you mean Bobbi. There's a row of shops & a pub, with a service road along the back of them. The garages are at the far end of that. No through route to anywhere else, it's just a dead end.
I used to rent a different garage in the same block & the housing association who own the garages put up gates across the end of the service road & gave the garage tenants keys. They lasted 2 days before the lock was cut off because the big lorries that deliver to the Co-Op couldn't get in.
One of their lorries had to turn back yesterday afternoon because someone had parked a car in the entrance to the road & the lorry couldn't get by. When the shop staff spoke to the owner later he said I've got permission from the Council to park there. I very much doubt he has.
Doesn't really bother me too much as long as I can get my Pop in & out when I want to & it's reasonably secure, but does annoy me that people  seem to drive right up to the garages, then just turn round & drive out again -why? I try to keep fairly low key cos I don't want every lowlife knowing my tools are in the garage, (more attractive to a thief than some weird old car), but there seems to be a constant procession of nosey people there lately. Maybe I'm just getting old & grumpy 

[stinkey]

Your paranoid which is what comes with living in a big city/town I'm afraid? You can't stop the buggars but can slow em down,should they decide to take anything