Trestles

Not very exciting but very impressed with these:

£27 delivered from Germany - it took me an hour to put them together and they feel very sturdy. Impressive stuff...

Hopefully, only 2 weeks to wait...

Gripping stuff

The vice arrived:

Surprisingly difficult to find 75mm M8 bolts - had to use coach bolts instead. The other little vice is a hangover from a short-lived model-making hobby. Might be useful....?

Also bought some floor matting and might get some more - only £10 and might prevent breaking something i drop:

Good news / bad news

First, the good - the garage is ready to go:

Doesn't look huge - hope it will be ok. I measured and it is big enough in theory...we shall see.

Bad news? I was hoping to have the kit by the end of June but GBS tell me it won't be ready for another 4 weeks!! Very annoying...especially as I'm going on holiday at the end of July just after the kit arrives and I'll be itching to get started.

Several little bits have arrived recently - brake pipe, flaring kit, clamps, mole grips. Need to get some trestles next...not as urgent now :-(

Let there be light....

Ok, not very original title but i now have some decent lighting in the garage:

Brilliant  (if you'll excuse the pun) and even if i never finish the car, I've always wanted a well-lit garage.

I never got to put the second coat of concrete sealant on half the floor - the wife was going bananas about the smell. I'll try do it another time. I did whack on a quick coat of white emulsion on the walls - makes a big difference.

Next up is a corner worktop hefty enough to take a vice. Ok, i know i haven't got the car yet but i love this 'making' stuff - if the car is as much fun, it's going to be a blast!

Retail therapy gone mad

I have sent GBS a full list of what i want when i collect the starter kit - a mere £2.5k :-o

Luckily for you, i haven't bored you with the thought processes and research I've done to get the list - suffice to say, it's taken up lots of my waking time recently.

The cost so far is now at about £7k without wheels and tyres - almost spot on what i predicted a few posts ago, amazingly. I have included a £100 or so of tools and £200 for the shed, that others may not have to buy, in case you're budgeting yourself.

Retail therapy and cobweb clearing

A little more shopping - low pressure fuel pump and this master brake cylinder (suprisingly hefty for only £40):

Spent ages looking for front brakes and uprights. I've decided to stick to GBS for these - couldn't find anyone else to do the uprights and there are lots of brake choices if i want to upgrade from the standard Sierra stuff that GBS offer  but my budget will go through the roof if i do that. Gives me the choice of doing upgrades on the car once it's finished.

Ordered some copper brake line and a pipe flaring tool for about £35. GBS do a kit of ready-flared brake lines for about £80 but i fancy doing it myself and it saves £50 or so. May regret that...we'll see.

Garage prep going well - took a load to the tip and started sealing the concrete floor. Be warned, that stuff has a very strong smell and has permeated the whole house - wife not happy.

Done one half of the garage, this is the first coat on the second half:

Once done, need to put shelves up on the left wall and replace the pokey bulb with a couple of fluorescent strips I've already bought. And yes, all that stuff on the right is staying....somewhere.