Monday thoughts.......
Posted by Dr Diecast at 12/11/2007 7:43 AM and is filed under uncategorized 
Wow.... guess im losing my readership since I got all of one reply to my question about the car magazine from over the weekend. Go figure huh ?
So.... yesterday was not a pretty day here in AZ..... as of last week we were still some 5 inches short of equaling last years rainfall total but after the last 96 hours I think we will beat that mark for sure, LOL.
I type this since the cars that were finished for shipping yesterday didn't get there sunny pictures taken. Nope, I have seen the sun all of 8 hours I think in the last 3 days... ugh! I moved here cause there are 325 days a year of sun and it seems like the 40 non sunny days are here now, LOL. I got so used to shooting my pics outside in the sun that I don't have a photo booth anymore. Oh well, guess it could be worse right ? I could be in OK with all that ice, no power, no phone, no internet and NO UPS delivery, LOL. Although I have like 4 things that were supposed to be here Friday that have yet to arrive so I guess the weather in the midwest is messing things up bad.
OK..... as I finished up assembling and checking the cars that I shipped I noticed (this was actually Sunday) that the 67 Corvette I made into a small block car (created small block hood) had no engine in it. Ok, I mean I had taken the big block out of it and now needed to put a 327 in it. HA !!!!! Dumbass...... I totally forgot about this...... even though I made the small block hood. Oh well...... I can just grab something in the parts bin and away we go right ? HA !!!!!! again, Yeah..... that didn't work out right...... first off I have very few small block motors. As a matter of fact I only had 4. 2, 283 fuelies ,1 350 (gmp no oil pan) and 1 358 ?. Anyway.... I didn't have a good small block...... so the search was on... as in parts cars. I have 2 Hwy61 69 Camaro parts cars but nope they are both big blocks... couple 64 Chevys....couple 63-67 Vettes..... nope Big Block's..... ugh what the hell ......oh wait I have one 69 Hwy61 Camaro that was a parts car for a dealer I do some stuff for. BINGO !!!!!! its a 302... but with an air cleaner change it will work for this project. I now remembered that I told him it wouldn't be a true 327 since I knew I dndn't have any cars with that motor but hey once I change the air cleaner were good to go.
So..... I look the car over (its complete) and think...... hmmmm....if I remove the trans support, unhook the exhaust, removed the one screw in the K frame and cut the battery, heater and any other misc. hoses and wires I wonder if I can pull it out without taking it apart ? Well lone behold you sure can. Ha.... when was the last time you pulled a motor without taking the hood off ? Well in diecast it is a little easier since you can hold the car and turn the motor, LOL....... ahhh the advantage of playing with toy cars all day.
OK...... well once out..... the next step is removing the air cleaner and finding something close to his. Found that but had to paint the filament a red shade and then change the call out from 350 to 327. OK, done... now to fitting the engine. Hmmm... seems to line up ok...... dry assemble.... yep it all works fine, oops though I forgot to add the radiator.... radiator !!! we don't need no stinkin radiator !!!!! well ..... we don't if we don't care but I do. So I add that and dry assemble again and WTF !!!!! The hood wont close.. come on already. Nope see the motor sits a hair to far forward and that pushes the radiator up.. up as in higher..... and now the hood wont close. So... this is simple right, just set the motor back a little. OK.... I do just that. then refit everything and YEAH!!!! the hood closes. So were pretty much good to go..... oh wait I need to add the exhaust manifolds to I can hook up the side pipes. CRAP !!!!!!!!!! the steering arm runs right next to the block.... can't fit the exhaust manifold in there. Now what ? Ok....... maybe I can bend the steering arm/rod. I take it apart bend here, bend there.... reassemble and NOPE! Ugh..... I hate these little cars.... sometimes I really do. So... I take another look and think...... I might have to just put the motor back up a little..... then do something with the radiator.
Now mind you I do charge for engine swaps and while checking the paperwork notice I charged him $20.00. I found this funny since my minimum is $25.00 and knowing I didn't have a 327 I would have to create an air cleaner to match so I don't know what I was thinking except I now have an hour into this and it's still not done.
So.... I take everything apart.... move the motor forward.....exhaust manifolds now fit fine.... check the fit of the radiator (by the way this is the radiator and support together im dealing with or I would just change the radiator) I see where the problem is and then head to the grinding wheel. I trim off part of the bottom of the radiator and support as a nice angle and refit. Well im on the right track and after 2 more trips to the grinder we have a fitted radiator and support with a closing hood. Whew !!!!!! now 90 minutes into a $20.00 job, yeah Mc Donalds fry cook is looking pretty good to me right about now, plus a discount on food, LOL. Hell that beats some of these PITA cars and all I get is to sniff paint fumes for free, LOL.
Alright here is my little rant about something started one of the diecast chat board's. It was a Xmas gift/swap thing. Neat idea..... one guy offers to ship a nice car out of his personal collection (or inventory for business owners) and whoever wants that car offers one from his own collection to the next guy. Cool way to get a different car and maybe let go of something you were not overly interested in or tired of looking at. So it starts off great.....AA Corvette a Grumpy Camaro a GMP Mustang... its rolling right alone then BAM! It comes to a screeching halt. First off it got off track when a dimwit posts we should be donating these to some charity instead of giving them to each other. First off ass monkey.... its a cool thing between collectors and has NOTHING to do with charity, UGH, some people don't have enough brains to start a light bulb. You do know we do conduct electricity as humans right ? Anyway..... so after a half dozen, your a dope, posts it gets back to the fun. NOT !! nope..... not sure why but I think only about 6 cars are changing hands. There are like 1000 members on that board so im not sure if the idea was stupid or if guys just love all there cars so much they don't want to give one up. See at first it was offering one car..... but then a couple people decided they would offere a choice of cars. I personally offered a choice of 4 different cars as did the person before me. Just makes no since to me. So what went wrong ? Hell this just goes to show people don't make since sometimes. As far as the charity thing does....... there was a post on that and its funny how many do give diecast cars. I know I give little 1/64th ones left from my retail store but giving 1/18 cars is stupid when you think about it. I mean..... all the parts that can come off them could cause choking hazards. Oh wait ...... thats why it says ages 8 and older on the box. DOH!!!!!! well I guess some people can't read, LOL.
OK..... im out
So.... yesterday was not a pretty day here in AZ..... as of last week we were still some 5 inches short of equaling last years rainfall total but after the last 96 hours I think we will beat that mark for sure, LOL.
I type this since the cars that were finished for shipping yesterday didn't get there sunny pictures taken. Nope, I have seen the sun all of 8 hours I think in the last 3 days... ugh! I moved here cause there are 325 days a year of sun and it seems like the 40 non sunny days are here now, LOL. I got so used to shooting my pics outside in the sun that I don't have a photo booth anymore. Oh well, guess it could be worse right ? I could be in OK with all that ice, no power, no phone, no internet and NO UPS delivery, LOL. Although I have like 4 things that were supposed to be here Friday that have yet to arrive so I guess the weather in the midwest is messing things up bad.
OK..... as I finished up assembling and checking the cars that I shipped I noticed (this was actually Sunday) that the 67 Corvette I made into a small block car (created small block hood) had no engine in it. Ok, I mean I had taken the big block out of it and now needed to put a 327 in it. HA !!!!! Dumbass...... I totally forgot about this...... even though I made the small block hood. Oh well...... I can just grab something in the parts bin and away we go right ? HA !!!!!! again, Yeah..... that didn't work out right...... first off I have very few small block motors. As a matter of fact I only had 4. 2, 283 fuelies ,1 350 (gmp no oil pan) and 1 358 ?. Anyway.... I didn't have a good small block...... so the search was on... as in parts cars. I have 2 Hwy61 69 Camaro parts cars but nope they are both big blocks... couple 64 Chevys....couple 63-67 Vettes..... nope Big Block's..... ugh what the hell ......oh wait I have one 69 Hwy61 Camaro that was a parts car for a dealer I do some stuff for. BINGO !!!!!! its a 302... but with an air cleaner change it will work for this project. I now remembered that I told him it wouldn't be a true 327 since I knew I dndn't have any cars with that motor but hey once I change the air cleaner were good to go.
So..... I look the car over (its complete) and think...... hmmmm....if I remove the trans support, unhook the exhaust, removed the one screw in the K frame and cut the battery, heater and any other misc. hoses and wires I wonder if I can pull it out without taking it apart ? Well lone behold you sure can. Ha.... when was the last time you pulled a motor without taking the hood off ? Well in diecast it is a little easier since you can hold the car and turn the motor, LOL....... ahhh the advantage of playing with toy cars all day.
OK...... well once out..... the next step is removing the air cleaner and finding something close to his. Found that but had to paint the filament a red shade and then change the call out from 350 to 327. OK, done... now to fitting the engine. Hmmm... seems to line up ok...... dry assemble.... yep it all works fine, oops though I forgot to add the radiator.... radiator !!! we don't need no stinkin radiator !!!!! well ..... we don't if we don't care but I do. So I add that and dry assemble again and WTF !!!!! The hood wont close.. come on already. Nope see the motor sits a hair to far forward and that pushes the radiator up.. up as in higher..... and now the hood wont close. So... this is simple right, just set the motor back a little. OK.... I do just that. then refit everything and YEAH!!!! the hood closes. So were pretty much good to go..... oh wait I need to add the exhaust manifolds to I can hook up the side pipes. CRAP !!!!!!!!!! the steering arm runs right next to the block.... can't fit the exhaust manifold in there. Now what ? Ok....... maybe I can bend the steering arm/rod. I take it apart bend here, bend there.... reassemble and NOPE! Ugh..... I hate these little cars.... sometimes I really do. So... I take another look and think...... I might have to just put the motor back up a little..... then do something with the radiator.
Now mind you I do charge for engine swaps and while checking the paperwork notice I charged him $20.00. I found this funny since my minimum is $25.00 and knowing I didn't have a 327 I would have to create an air cleaner to match so I don't know what I was thinking except I now have an hour into this and it's still not done.
So.... I take everything apart.... move the motor forward.....exhaust manifolds now fit fine.... check the fit of the radiator (by the way this is the radiator and support together im dealing with or I would just change the radiator) I see where the problem is and then head to the grinding wheel. I trim off part of the bottom of the radiator and support as a nice angle and refit. Well im on the right track and after 2 more trips to the grinder we have a fitted radiator and support with a closing hood. Whew !!!!!! now 90 minutes into a $20.00 job, yeah Mc Donalds fry cook is looking pretty good to me right about now, plus a discount on food, LOL. Hell that beats some of these PITA cars and all I get is to sniff paint fumes for free, LOL.
Alright here is my little rant about something started one of the diecast chat board's. It was a Xmas gift/swap thing. Neat idea..... one guy offers to ship a nice car out of his personal collection (or inventory for business owners) and whoever wants that car offers one from his own collection to the next guy. Cool way to get a different car and maybe let go of something you were not overly interested in or tired of looking at. So it starts off great.....AA Corvette a Grumpy Camaro a GMP Mustang... its rolling right alone then BAM! It comes to a screeching halt. First off it got off track when a dimwit posts we should be donating these to some charity instead of giving them to each other. First off ass monkey.... its a cool thing between collectors and has NOTHING to do with charity, UGH, some people don't have enough brains to start a light bulb. You do know we do conduct electricity as humans right ? Anyway..... so after a half dozen, your a dope, posts it gets back to the fun. NOT !! nope..... not sure why but I think only about 6 cars are changing hands. There are like 1000 members on that board so im not sure if the idea was stupid or if guys just love all there cars so much they don't want to give one up. See at first it was offering one car..... but then a couple people decided they would offere a choice of cars. I personally offered a choice of 4 different cars as did the person before me. Just makes no since to me. So what went wrong ? Hell this just goes to show people don't make since sometimes. As far as the charity thing does....... there was a post on that and its funny how many do give diecast cars. I know I give little 1/64th ones left from my retail store but giving 1/18 cars is stupid when you think about it. I mean..... all the parts that can come off them could cause choking hazards. Oh wait ...... thats why it says ages 8 and older on the box. DOH!!!!!! well I guess some people can't read, LOL.
OK..... im out
Uh-Oh John, now you've gone and done it! In response to the thread concerning the Play-It-Forward thread at the Pub...I've seen this done very successfully on some of the other Forums I spend time on. It worked very well there. Perhaps the Pub guys weren't familiar with the concept and it faltered shortly after one well meaning feller got involved. It's too bad that happened.
From what I can tell, the thought and the heart was right, what was missing was the wisdom to realize that it would have been better received had he started a new thread specifically to his goal. Both threads would have been fruitful I'm sure.
Sometimes we speak before we think and get so used to the taste of dirt that we don't realize the need to dig ourselves out. Sad, but true. It turned stupid, but I think over a cup of coffee, the well intended offender would see the error. We can't do that on the net. We CAN see the mistakes we've made and ask forgiveness though...that's always an option.
Most of us are strangers in reality. Being a jerk can last a long time in internet memories, but so can one who is truly sorry for a word ill spoken....
You keep writing John, I find the Blog always of interest, though I don't respond often...you're just way out of my league...I find I have little to say...I'm just in awe of how involved your work is....What am I going to say?.....Yeah Man, you build it!!!???
You're one of a few guys that I follow with regularity...always something cool to offer...Keep showing us what you're up to...See you at the Pub......JP
Reply to this
I have to agree, that post started out as a great thing amoungst members. Along the line someone thought they had a better idea on what we all should be doing, (not the case). I do have 2 cars that I am willing to trade, wait make that 1 car, I promised some moron the other one, so sometime tonight I will bring that post back up, and see if we can get some more trades going on. Now for the weather. I do not care that it is raining in Az. it is 35 and cloudy today and they are forecasting alot of snow for this coming weekend. So while all the rest of the Country is shoveling out, El Senior DB can relax out in the sun. Talk to you later El Senior one
Reply to this
Could be worse. You could be in OK on a sunny day, with all services intact. But you would still be in OK. Another thing about giving diecast cars to kids, I have three boys, now 18, 8 and 7. When they were little and wanted to be part of my collection, I had a few diecasts I would give them to play with, like the Joueff Mustang that only looks like a mustang if you are 4 years old LOL. Well, play is hard on these suspensions, not long before the front wheels are shoved up inside the fenderwell, the front bumper is gone from high speed impacts, and a door is missing. Maybe a joueff deserves that kind of end, but not nicer cars. I am lucky now that one of my sons likes the cars with details, and keeps them in their palstic cases. That's the seven year old. He also wants Swanski crystal for his collection. The eight year old still launches hot wheels cars with anything that throws a punch. Two different approaches to small car fun. Only one will be a collector.
Reply to this
John...good taliking to ytou last week....I was hoping to see some pix of my woodie3, butr all I saw was a list with thhe wrong date for thhe car...it's a '48 Chevy woodie-dark green...Carl
Reply to this
See Carl im so busy I lose track of years too, LOL. You will see some at some point here soon. Its part of the daily workload though not right now as its the dash to the finish line for my Xmas present project customers. Thanks for checking out the blog though.
Reply to this
Happy Holidays John!!..CARL
Reply to this