Resto: Endurance run for a few hours

This morning while sitting with hot coffee in hand, staring out the window at the misty rain laying itself down on the garden, where's the sunshine??, they said sunny skies today!!.  I got to thinking about giving the Chev a really good long run, well a longish run for a non registered vehicle away, get that old engine nice and hot for a few hours, give all that thick diff oil and gearbox oil a really good working over before the body is installed back on the chassis, if there is anything to sort out then now would be a good time to do it....
A family relo has a very large, fully paved, very smooth industrial area in town so this week a phone call is in order to arrange the use of that area for this Sat or Sun if the weather is fine.
First I must install the speedo back onto the temporary wooden dash so that correct mph and total distance for the trail can be measured but most importantly the drivers chair will have to be re-screwed down a little firmer and maybe even some padding added?,  then I will trailer the bodiless Chev over there, fill up the fuel tank, oil all the correct points around the engine plus take a few tools and other things with me.
As I have always said, Monty will be driven quite a lot once the resto is completed, it had been my goal,  although a little tentatively at times, right from the first time we turned the dusty, oily old motor over 11 months ago, fix it, use it, enjoy it.

Won't be long and the body will be back on it

 This little "endurance run" will be fun and as silly as it sounds to most people I could easily spend the entire day over there clocking up the miles, it makes the many hours spent in the "Resto Shed" all the worth while and since with all the mechanical work now completed it will be a very good test.

I will add some photos here when the run is completed

Rest: Video with new exhaust fitted....So Quiet Now!!

To be honest after I got it back last week from the exhaust shop ole Monty was not running good at all, on start up it was coughing and running very rough, would not hold idle and had a definite sound and feel like it was starving of fuel, which was very strange as it was running and started well when I drove it up on the trailer, had something shaken loose from the road trip?, had rain water soaked in somewhere? I was really not too sure where to begin once the basics were sorted but then again this whole resto experience is a big learning adventure, so learn I shell...
After a few discussions with Ray over the phone we thought that it has to be carbie troubles and that some rusty metal rubbish had got sucked onto it after the original old brittle exhaust pipe was cut off over on the other side of the engine just below the air cleaner, so with that in mind I removed, dismantled and cleaned the carbie, well I completed that process about six times in total over the last few days so now I am a self appointed certified Chevrolet carburettor technician but still no difference to the engine, this was a little baffling us..
"I'll be up on Sunday morning, I'll throw some parts in with me" Ray said and sure enough bang on 10am today as planned the resto shed is awaken and Monty rolled out under the carport as some fresh air was needed to work in with the rich exhaust fumes produced by the rough engine.
We first pulled off my old carbie again, "I'll do it Ray, another time won't hurt me" and then we installed a new carbie that Ray had of the same make and model as my 28, I hit the starter button and still the same coughing and farting sounds with clouds of black smoke pouring out the back.... HHHmmmm....we both looked at each other, now that’s a bit odd, so with it not being a carbie issue we again swapped the carbies back over.
Next the spark plugs were pulled and cleaned again but this time we re-gapped them and checked for spark, "plenty of sparks there" but still the same engine response, next the points and distributer checked and given the thumbs up, then the copper fuel lines and connections were checked for air leaks and one replaced which was a little suspect, still the same!!! WTF....bloody hell this had us beat, what could it be! So next off came the top of the fuel vacuum tank for a check and inspection but it was full of fuel and working all properly...... "Time for lunch Ray, let’s have a think about this mate", we cleaned up and washed our hand, both now a little quieter than when we started a few hours earlier.
With a belly full of tucker and washed down with a strong coffee we were soon back at it again, "righto let’s check the valve clearances first off", this I had never done before on Monty so I was given a "how to" lesson and yes they were couple a little out of wack but not by much....
So with the clearances adjusted back to the Chevrolet manual standard, the spark plugs re-gapped and another good check and clean of the points and distribtor and with all wires checked it was time to hit the starter again with the foot, here's hoping we thought and then the next thing, BANG!! it purred like a kitten, smooth and quiet, it was the most "vintage like sounding" I had heard this engine be as it sat there idling, it was music to our ears as we watched and smelt the "new smoke" rise off from the new stainless steel exhaust as the metal slowly turned from a shiny silver to a tarnished golden look....BEAUTIFUL & WHAT A RELIEF!!

So with it now running and sounding more like a vintage car than it has in many many years and with smiles on our faces there was only one more thing left to do.......... Take Monty out for a drive so we did just that and the neighbours didn't even hear us this time!!

So you could say that at this point of the resto all the mechanical work is completed...VERY HAPPY!!

Bendigo Swap Meet here we come!!

Resto: Stainless steel exhaust fitted

1 x new stainless steel exhaust system is now all fitted with many thanks going to Steve the proprietor of Warragul Exhaust who has done a great job..

Resto: Monty leaves Trafalgar after 44years

Well today was the first time in 44yrs that ole Monty final left Trafalgar, and yes although it was on the back of a trailer, a trip is a trip after all :)
Steve the proprietor of "Warragul Exhaust" arrived with his very smart looking trailer to collect and take the chev back to his workshop to start on the installation of one brand new stainless steel exhaust system so gone forever will be that bloody loud "straightout" pipe that has been annoying the neigborhood for the last few months and in its place will be the lovely old-fashioned sounding "meat n potatoes meat n potatoes" note of the vintage era, it should be interesting to hear that sweet old motor run......

Monty looks great with a bit a shiny checker plate under it.... I might have to look into that and do something about it, like some checker plate running boards down each side :)

Resto - Timber spoke wheels all completed

And here is a picture of my handy work, I'm very happy with the look of them and also the end finish of the timber surface, the 3rd photo down is a "before" picture....



One thing I have started to learn and find out quickly is that it is very hard to restore a car of this nature and make it still look old and original, it's alot bloody harder than it sounds and believe my I have had many a sleepless night just thinking about it.
I decided not to lacquer the timber spokes for now, I don't want them all shiney or even painted in a satin finish which will still look to new for old Monty so I went for a timber oil which soaks in well and protects the timber from the elements but the draw back is that I will have to apply a coat every six months or so......wait and see I guess.

Today I ran the die nut over all of the 24 bolts and cleaned up the threads that hold the four brake drums onto the timber spokes and then I put everything back together again, even checked the air pressure in the tyres, lowered it off the jack stands, hit the starter button and drove Monty out of the workshop all of 20 feet then stopped sundenly under the carport as the weather is really wet and crappy....

This here is my next part to tackle, the front cowl..... I made up the two new timber sections for it and as you can see in the photo this is where they are to go but first I have to get two panels (valances) that go along the side of the car below the doors and above the running boards as sadly the originals were rusted very bladly where they hold between main timber rails and the chassis.....Not much I can do about that really...
Once they come then the timber rails can go down on the chassis along with the valances, then the cowl can be bolt down and then the fun can start....doors, mud guards, bonnet, seats, centre sections, and rear tub, etc, etc, etc....The old banger will start to take shape
Notice on the lower sides of the cowl I have had a new left and right section butt welded into the body as again it had rust unlike the timber rails that were just rotted and sat in this same position and an attempt was made at repairing the rust many years ago with some bog, this had to come out!! so for $40 you can get a pair of new replacement repair panels from http://www.jackson-s.com/olderaservices/ here in Australia which are custom made to fit the 1928 Chevrolet.

There will be more to come and many thanks for taking an interest..... Remember it's small steps!!