I have a life

Lately my goals for the E9 remind me of those nightmares where you are trying to run somewhere but no matter how hard you run you don't get any closer. This weekend was a doozy, and even last weekend was busy, the result being that two Sundays ago I could only work on my Toyota's window regulators to keep the front windows going up and down, and this past Sunday I didn't get to the shop until two in the afternoon.

My late start was not because I was hung over or decided to go surfing instead, but because I bought my wife a "new" bike and Sunday was the only day we could pick it up. It's a used but still very clean Serotta Ledgend Ti, a beautiful companion to my Merlin Magia. Even used it cost more than a '65 Ford Falcon did new. All new Shimanu Dura-Ace drivetrain with a 12-27 cassette and a 50/34 compact crankset. The kind of bike that requires a fitting before you take it home. Needless to say she is much happier with her new bike than anything I am doing with the E9.

I was planning on using the area under the rear window to test using POR-15 to patch rust holes. When I looked at the damage with that in mind I realized that the damage was too extensive. Patching with POR-15 and fiberglass requires solid sheelmetal nearby, and the entire piece running along the forward edge of the trunk below the window in heavily rusted. I decided to put off playing with POR-15 and move right on into matal forming and welding.

Yesterday was supposed to be cut, bend, and hammer day. I figured that in one day I ought to be able to fabricate the necessary repair piece or at least end up with one bent wildly out of shape. My late start had me scale back my goal to just cutting and bending. I did not even get that far, because the shop's plasma torch was broken.

Minor rant: The problem with the plasma torch is typical of a shop like the one where I work on my car. The shop has lots of tools available, but sooner or later everything gets treated badly. If you want good stuff you can rely on, you really need to buy your own. Of course this does not apply to big things, like lifts and air compressors and impact wrenches. Hand tools for sure. The thing is, a plasma cutter is not just a hand tool. Even so, I was counting on using the shop's welding equipment, and already I see where I need to buy my own welder. Now perhaps I'll need my own cutter, too. This week I am going to research the one the shop has and help fix it.

The upshot is that all I got done was bending a test strip. My piece of sheet metal is long enough, and the steel workbench I plan to bend it on (not having a brake) is plenty long enough. I even found a big hardened steel pin in the hell box I can grind down a little and use as a buck as I form the piece.

Next Sunday will be a very productive day. I just know it.