Haven't really done much, but I was chatting back and forth with a couple of guys on various Austin Healey forums and Facebook groups, and I thought I'd mention this here. I spent a bit of time working in a custom shop. There are a LOT of parts on a car. I don't know about anyone else, but there is no way that I would remember where everything went or how it went together. That's why there are so many photographs (not all of them are on this site, I assure you!). Often, I do a video describing how a part is attached prior to removing it. These will be used when I reassemble. Otherwise my Heirloom Austin will be about as close to the original as the frog/dinosaur hybrids in Jurassic Park. But it's not just about remembering how the parts go together. It's also about not losing them, or being able to find them in the pile. In order to keep things organized, I have a shit-ton of ziploc bags in varying sizes. Our local dollar store has some that are HUGE! Like, they'll fit several soccer balls huge! Those bags are used for larger stuff like the front suspension. I have the left side suspension in one bag, and the right side in another. Within each bag, each individual component has a gift tag on it (the kind with a string, not adhesive, so it doesn't fall off the greasy part). Each tag has the part, part number, and diagram number on it. This, combined with the inventory book and database, has made my wife think I am slightly insane. However, I would be much more insane if I had to hunt everywhere for that damn cotter pin or nut to fit on this or that part! So yeah... For the record, I do not have OCD. I may have CDO, which is like OCD, but with the letters in alphabetical order. LIKE THEY SHOULD BE!!! ;D
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Not much here, really. I just did some checking. As most car guys know, every jurisdiction is a bit different when it comes to licensing requirements.
I used to live in a different province. In my old home, if you wanted "Vintage" or "Antique" plates on your car, you needed to provide proof that it was all original. Engine, suspension, the works. Some safety modifications were allowed, such as adding seat belts or even disc brakes (if they were a factory option in that year), but everything had to be approved. Or you could get "Collector" plates for modified vehicles, but they, too, were severely restricted. So, the other day, I decided to find out if I could, in fact, do my disc brake conversion on the Austin and still get Vintage plates in my current location. Turns out that Saskatchewan is pretty easy going on the mods. Not only can I add my disc brakes and seat belts, but it turns out I don't even need the original drivetrain. As long as my serial number is more than 30 years old (as a 1959 model, it qualifies), I'm good. I can even put a 1275 and ribcase gearbox in her if I so choose. Actually, I could put in an LS if I wanted to, but that seems a tad... well... stupid and reckless. But it would be exciting to drive. When you push on the gas, and you don't know if the car is going to slew right, left, or straight up in the air, that's exciting! But I am now considering the 1275 swap, as opposed to the original 948 and smooth case. I'm open to thoughts. |
AuthorMy name is Ash. Archives
September 2021
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