Milwaukee Midget

[RidgeRunner]

But certainly not the dullest ride out and back either...............     

All the beast for a safe, fun, and fast safari.

                 Ed

[RidgeRunner]

Oooops, all the BEST!

   Ed

[Milwaukee Midget]

What a fiasco.

Tore the house apart today looking for the alternator brackets to no avail.  Went back to the pictures of both of my “complete” 1275’s and my 948.
 
I never had ‘em. 

Called my buddy Mike, and he’s checking with his brother who garages all of his Morris stuff.  Hoping to borrow a set - fingers crossed.

Sometimes, I’m just unobservant.  All that smokes is not necessarily Lucas.  Cranking the motor, and the mechanical – repeat – MECHANICAL heat gauge takes off and pegs, and is hot enough to light a doobie on.    I wish that that was my excuse, but it was almost as though the sending unit was acting as the only ground for the engine. 
 
New battery installed – GROUND STRAP IN PLACE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH  – engine turns over smoothly, and in the classic British tradition, the banjo fitting (BANJO FITTING?!?!) coming off of the side of the block is leaking oil like an old Shovelhead.    Still, under crank alone, I’m pulling 40 PSI, according to the functioning gauge next to the former ground strap.

I can take solace in the fact that the car is sometimes as stupid as I am.  The timing marks on the 1275 are on the bottom of the cam cover, below the crankshaft.  It’s my guess that they’re assuming one can roll under a car that sits 4 inches off of the ground on a creeper while it’s running, see through the crossmember with one’s x-ray vision, reach past the spinning fan while on one’s back, and adjust the distributor on a hot engine with your right hand while holding a timing light in your left. 

I chose to make new hash marks on the front of the cover.

Upside – I got some very impressive backfires out of the exhaust – I’m getting spark, I’m getting fuel.  I can't run it for any extended period of time until the alternator bracket shows up, but I am confident I can get it to run tomorrow.  As for today, 90 degree heat and 9 hours is reason enough to take a shower and get some sleep.  I’ve still got a few more tomorrows in front of me, although paint is starting to look less likely.

[Milwaukee Midget]

Two very positive things – the steering wheel is done.
 


Bill Alexander Sr. did the woodwork.  His son, Bill Jr. and I have been friends for years, and the oak that the rim was made from was takeout from the stairs in the house Bill Sr. and his dad, Bill the First, built over 50 years ago.  My friend, Bill Jr., wasn’t even born when this lumber was first put to its original use, and his first encounter with steps took place on this lumber.  That I’ve got something from one of my best friends to look at every time I get into this car is very dear to me.  Thanks to all three generations of Bill Alexanders.


And due to my earlier encounters today, I needed a bit of reflection and refocus.  So I threw the wheels and Moons on the car.  And I think it looks pretty cool.  Nothing says Bonneville like Moon Discs.



Yeah – I’m farther along than I think.  Sometimes, you have to step back – at least a foot or two.

[Dr Goggles]

Don't take the car without paint... there are practical reasons but the ones based on vanity are far more important...

A "ten foot job" is all you need for the car to look OK in a photo.... If it isn't painted , or in a "neapolitan" then you will be looking at pictures of it from "My First Year at Bonneville" and wishing it was painted......even a quick acrylic blowover will cost you sixty bucks worth of paint and take about five hours max if you want to go completely crazy and rub-paint-rub-paint rub-paint-clear.

It will even help the relationship when the people who know no-more about cars than "it is red " ask how your man-time went...

if they look at some weird-arts lookin white-trash-front-yard bomb they ain't gonna get it and they will turn to the long suffering and give her a toss of the eye-brows, where-as if they see a recognizable race-car( with pretty paint job) they'll look wistfully at the long suffering thinking "gee , they orbit in a whole scene I can't even grasp......"

She'll appreciate that.

Geez, I even surprised myself.

PS:The steering wheel is ace AND the car looks neat with the wheels.....

[Milwaukee Midget]

. . . they'll look wistfully at the long suffering thinking "gee , they orbit in a whole scene I can't even grasp......"

She'll appreciate that.

Actually, Kate's the one lobbying me to keep it "Gnarly".  I'm the one insisting on paint.

Even if it keeps me a day late from hitting the road, I agree with you.  It's better to pick dead mosquitoes and Nebraska sand out of a wet paint job then to have none at all. 

[gearheadeh]

What a fiasco.


Sometimes, I’m just unobservant.  All that smokes is not necessarily Lucas.  Cranking the motor, and the mechanical – repeat – MECHANICAL heat gauge takes off and pegs, and is hot enough to light a doobie on.    I wish that that was my excuse, but it was almost as though the sending unit was acting as the only ground for the engine. 
 
New battery installed – GROUND STRAP IN PLACE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH  – engine turns over smoothly, and in the classic British tradition, the banjo fitting (BANJO FITTING?!?!) coming off of the side of the block is leaking oil like an old Shovelhead.    Still, under crank alone, I’m pulling 40 PSI, according to the functioning gauge next to the former ground strap.

I can take solace in the fact that the car is sometimes as stupid as I am.  The timing marks on the 1275 are on the bottom of the cam cover, below the crankshaft.  It’s my guess that they’re assuming one can roll under a car that sits 4 inches off of the ground on a creeper while it’s running, see through the crossmember with one’s x-ray vision, reach past the spinning fan while on one’s back, and adjust the distributor on a hot engine with your right hand while holding a timing light in your left. 

I chose to make new hash marks on the front of the cover.

Upside – I got some very impressive backfires out of the exhaust – I’m getting spark, I’m getting fuel.  I can't run it for any extended period of time until the alternator bracket shows up, but I am confident I can get it to run tomorrow.  As for today, 90 degree heat and 9 hours is reason enough to take a shower and get some sleep.  I’ve still got a few more tomorrows in front of me, although paint is starting to look less likely.

As a former owner of an Austin with some of that canned smoke electrical, You had me rolling on the floor in stiches!!
The car is coming together, looking good. But at a bare minimum I would find some sand or yellow colored primer to protect the front end and top with.
The story behind the steering wheel is touching and totally understandable. Keep it up, your doing great!

[Milwaukee Midget]

IT RUNS!!! IT RUNS!!! IT RUNS!!!

Oh, and the neighbors hate me!

Still have to get the alternator/water pump set up, so I could only run it for about a minute, but man-o-Manischewitz, this thing sounds suuuuuuuu-weeeeet!

Grab a glass, raise it high - this boy's going racing!

I'll let the header cool and install the exhaust and the air filters, but tonight, I will sleep soundly.

[SPARKY]

ALLLLLLL----right!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

[Milwaukee Midget]

Still much to do, but this was a MAJOR hurdle.  If I couldn't get it running by this weekend, I'd have been dead in the water.

Exhaust hung - air filters in place.

Blowshield update.  Talked to Russ at Deist.  As you may recall, I over nighted my spare transmission case to them.  I got a call today, and was informed that the ballistic material they use is not in stock, and it will probably be two weeks before they see it.  I asked for a hard deadline on arrival of the material, and he said he'd get back to me on that.  Then I suggested that there might be a blanket in stock that was bigger than my application that they could use to make mine with.  He's checking into that.

Russ also said that if it comes close, that Deist will be on the salt in September, and they'll hand deliver it to me.  This year, I'm running the 130 club, so it's not critical to my goals of sorting out the car and suspension, as SCTA rules do not apply.  Nevertheless, I was hoping to get a "Courtesy Inspection" from the SCTA, and I'd hate to have "No Scatter Shield" as the first entry in my logbook.

Either way, at this point, I can say with a certain degree of confidence, "I'll see you on the Salt".

I'll be the big guy in the little car.

[Dr Goggles]

IT RUNS!!! IT RUNS!!! IT RUNS!!!

Oh, and the neighbors hate me!
Still have to get the alternator/water pump set up, so I could only run it for about a minute, but man-o-Manischewitz, this thing sounds suuuuuuuu-weeeeet!
Grab a glass, raise it high - this boy's going racing!.

Rockin'!

[Milwaukee Midget]

Quick update, then back to the garage -

Driveshaft in.

Radiator bung leaks -  dropping for repair tomorrow early AM.

New heat gauge (former ground strap) in - needs adapter and wiring.

All fluids topped off.

Bad news on the blow blanket - Deist said the materials will not be in on time.  I'm running 130club, so it's not critical to this shakedown, but I'm quite annoyed with Joel Medrow, the lying sonofabitch who stole my blowshield model.  I know, I said that I wouldn't talk about it anymore . . .

Shifter in.

Gas pedal in.

Final little exterior light and chrome pieces required for GT ordered, in stock, and on their way.

Paint scheduled for Tuesday.

Took receipt of the '05 Magnum tow vehicle tonight.

Bought tongue and ball for receiver.

AND . . .

I'd like to invite anybody interested over Friday evening at 7:00 PM for a block sanding party.  I'll provide pizza and beer.  RSVP via PM.  It'll be a 10 footer when it's done, so body skills are not required, but it will look good to a blind man on a fast horse.  BYOB - Bring your own block.

Three day holiday weekend.  Putting the labor into Labor Day.

[Dr Goggles]

get a 4 and a half inch  random orbital sander, dewalt make a beauty...... unless you are going for a very high grade finish blocks will give you more grief than satisfaction,the RO sander is very fast AND forgiving. Pay special attention that it isn't loading up the paper , if it does it will wreck the job. when you get to color use neoprene soft blocks and 600 for a quick de-nib .

knock it flat with(on the RO sander) 120grit then 180/220,tween coats with 280.

When you get to the last run of primer re-do the mask, before you re-tape it rub down the sharp edges where the edge of the mask is. USE BRAND NEW GOOD QUALITY MASKING TAPE, lay one piece as the edge, then use another to attach the paper to that. Use butchers paper, if you use newspaper one of you will waste time reading stuff.....

 

[Milwaukee Midget]

When you get to the last run of primer re-do the mask,

Primer?

[Dr Goggles]

You may well ask....Primer?.......

Primer-surfacer is cheap and very "forgiving" , if it's over 25degrees C it 's dry on the first part you sprayed by the time you get back there. If you don't use it you'll get a sharp finish( as soon as you touch the color with paper it'll go straight through), poor adhesion, every scratch will show.

If you've got a gun that'll take a 2.5mm(100thou) tip then get some primer putty......for what you're doin it's the go, but it's pretty slow drying....so you need heat if you're in a hurry...otherwise use PS.

Spend the $20 ya wag.