So this is what I had to work with
1. The remains of a paddock bomb that still ran, don't know how, but only good for parts.
2. A mechanically shot but body complete car that had been attacked by trade apprentices at an Adelaide Holden Dealer. Primer had been sprayed over the original paint and rust, and anything else that did not move out of the way of the gun. Most of the wood work was stuffed, but still good enough for templates. The engine was seized and when I pulled off the head, those kids in Adelaide would have heard my cussing. Water in the bores, shims made out of jam tins etc etc etc. The front wooden spoke wheels were serviceable, but the rear, well lets say Fred Flintstone could have made better reproduction spokes than these. Chucked in the bin as soon as they were pulled of the car, and put on a spare set, but very average condition.
3. The remains of a 27 Tourer pulled from the creek, pistons rusted into the open bores, gearbox and differential full of water.
At this stage as a young man of 20, I did not have the faintest clue on what to do mechanically, so pulled all the mechanicals off the car, covered with tarps, and thought I would worry about this later. As a carpenter in a previous and short lived life, I decided to tackle the wood work, as I might be able to learn as I go. The main timber rails on the chassis had been replaced so I was able to lift the body off the chassis to a height just enough to work under. I should say that at this stage in my tender years I had no idea of safety, so to me a couple of ropes hanging from the steel trusses in a tin and timber framed kit garage seemed ok to suspend the body. How many times did it fall? Can't remember. How many times was I under it when it fell? Can't remember, and more importantly, how many times did I escape? Obviously just enough to still be here.
Cleaned up the chassis, fitted the reconditioned front and rear ends I had done for the paddock bomb, and presto, I had a rolling chassis. I discovered 30 years later that a wire brush in a Skill Sher power drill is no where near good enough to clean dirt rust and grime from a front or rear axle, and will talk about this more later.
Dropped the body back on the chassis, bolted it down with 6, that's right, just 6 5/16 coach bolts. Then set about replacing bits of the wood work that were not up to scratch. At this stage I discovered that the body had been set onto the rails by those kids in Adelaide out or square, longer on one side by about 1 inch. Scratched my head, swore a bit more, wondered why I had ever started this stupid hobby in the first place, then set about trying to rectify the problem. Managed to get the difference between the 2 sides down to 3/8 of an inch, and decided to leave it at that. No one will ever know except the few that read this blog, and 37 years later it is still the same.
Basically the lower wood was ok, with the tops in all areas plus the sides on the rear doors needing replacing. Bit by bit, panel by panel, lesson by educational lesson I replaced many pieces and eventually ended up with a body the was acceptable to my eyes. If I had my time again I would have purchased a full wood kit from a guy in ACT named Wally who I think went to God a few years later.
So where do I go from here I said to myself, and that's a good place to finish this posting.
On the next posting I will tell you about:
1. The 2 years of night school for engine reconditioning
2. The spray painter who grew tired of the job that he really wanted to get.
3. The hot rod Wheels
4. My tribe of timber machining possums
Any more.......... It's a good time to say my biggest regret was that I did not use a camera enough and don't have those frozen moments in time, but more importantly I know that if I do not get all this documented, the memories that are even now a bit fuzzy around the edges, will become blurry and fade away.
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