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Above 1200 Sq/FT Restored 1930's Auto Shop

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BB767

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Philo, IL
Y MANIFOLD GANG
BONNEVILLE SPEEDWEEK .... 43 days & counting
Thomas
Dave Schleppi told me about a very interesting build going on for Bonneville 2012 speedweek.
An Offy powered Watson Indy Roadster , Built in Mac Millers garage in Indianapolis
This is one car I'm going to hunt down at Bonneville.

SEE YOU ON THE SALT

Randy, thanks so much for the heads up on this car. As it turns out I got a call from Lou this afternoon. He'll be stopping over in the next few days for a visit. We've been getting the planning for the trip to Bonneville set up and are planning on driving out together again this year. Looking forward to seeing all the SDRC gang again and you and Jacob too! I'd like to drop over to Indy soon and see the progress of that new car, I'm only 2 hours away. :) Are we living a dream or what?!

See you on the salt!! :thumbup:

Thomas
 

charlief1

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Joined
Dec 1, 2010
Messages
248
Y MANIFOLD GANG
BONNEVILLE SPEEDWEEK .... 43 days & counting
Thomas
Dave Schleppi told me about a very interesting build going on for Bonneville 2012 speedweek.
An Offy powered Watson Indy Roadster , Built in Mac Millers garage in Indianapolis
This is one car I'm going to hunt down at Bonneville.
SEE YOU ON THE SALT

Please start a new thread and put a link here.:D I'm interested in the OFFY info. Displacement, carb or injected and any info please.:bounce: I've been wanting to do an OFFY or a GMC 12 port for a long time and would like to see how this one does so if you can include vids.;)
 
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BB767

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So this is what has been keeping me pretty busy all week at the shop, but not in the shop, despite a bit of a heat wave the whole time. :sad:

IMG_8567.jpg


We used a backhoe with a wide bucket...

IMG_8571.jpg


...because most of what we're clearing...

IMG_8572.jpg


...is dreaded honey suckle. The smaller plants are shallow rooted so this has worked very well. I've had to be lifted in the front bucket with my chain saw to reach and clear out some of the low laying limbs to make room for the boom to reach in.

IMG_8562.jpg


You can see the shop now through the trees for the first time in forever.

IMG_8560.jpg


See that grass on the right side? By this time next year I hope the "other side" will look like that.

IMG_8561.jpg


IMG_8576.jpg


Look closely and you can see the Terraplane in the background to the left.

IMG_8592.jpg


Once the bulk clearing is done...

IMG_8589.jpg


...I did some preliminary grade work with the grade box on the John Deere...

IMG_8606.jpg


...and it's starting to shape up. The best part is we finished all the work with the backhoe today. More grade work, more tree trimming and then wait till fall and plant some grass seed. Soon this will all be a distant memory like the first round of clean up on the original property.

The saga continues. :)

Thomas
 

Sweet Old Bill

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Mar 20, 2009
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N. California
Thomas,

When I saw that long, straight, & level clearing, I thought the Center of the Universe had taken the second step (purchase being the first)towards the drag strip!
 

charlief1

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Dec 1, 2010
Messages
248
If you do a little spraying with roundup you should be able to keep the honey suckle down Thomas. I had the same issue at my uncles place when I moved there in 95 and roundup was a great help to kill poison ivy and hunney suckle. If you spray it now and keep it up for the next couple of months then next spring it will be very nice.:)
 

PlekVis

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Mar 18, 2011
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16
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Losser, The Netherlands
"As I'm sure you know, washers have two sides to them and one of those sides is always a finished side with rounded edges. That's the side that goes up and will be seen."

That's the way I was taught to install washers, you'd be surprised at how many people don't. It was explained to me that the sharp edges were less likely to allow the nut or bolt to pull through. I suppose it could if there was enough force, but I've never seen it happen.

i was taught the same, but then while working at the dutch john deere plant, they told me to put them the other way around: that way one wouldn't damage the powder coating
 

mynydd-graig

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Jul 2, 2012
Messages
5
Location
Wales, UK
Hello Thomas,
Thank you very much for posting all of this. I was sent a link to this thread on Saturday and have just finished reading every single one of the 265 pages! It has been a great time to pass nearly 3 days. Your quality of work, attention to detail and humour are brilliant. I've signed up to the forum and can see I will be spending even more time on here in the future. You've helped one 21 year old develop a dream now.. one day I will do a similar restore of a classic English or Welsh garage. Thank you. I would love to come to the States just to see this... maybe one day I will be lucky enough,
Diolch yn fawr! Thank you!
Mynydd-Graig.
 

Amitygravel

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Mar 26, 2010
Messages
1,188
Location
Claremont Illinois
Hello Thomas !
As always THANK YOU for your hospitality and generosity on Sunday.
It was something watching Don work the talon on the endloader. He's an artist with that thing !
If it works out hope to see you before the 7th. If not , next time around.

JOE !!!!!
I stepped iNSIDE. " THE SHED " ! ( Just so ya know ! )

Craig

By the way Thomas , the small engine cart.
I'm thinking kind of a burgandy for the axle frames , maybe gun-metal for the wheels ,and silver and a creme colored pinstriping on the spokes !
 
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BigDaddyUSMC

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Joined
Oct 30, 2010
Messages
105
Location
Santee Calif
Y MANIFOLD GANG
Thomas
We picked up our salt bike from the body fab shop... what do you think...
Now it goes to be polished then to anodizing.....The body will be the same color as the rear wheel disc...
019.jpg

017.jpg

F2-Copy.jpg


See You At The Salt
Randy
 

Patrick123

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May 31, 2012
Messages
229
Well I have been lurking on this thread a while. But decided just to jump in and say how much I have enjoyed it. Keep the photos etc coming. Curios as to what you will find and restore next.
 

Amitygravel

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Mar 26, 2010
Messages
1,188
Location
Claremont Illinois
Hello Thomas !

Well Joe , no inside photos of "The Shed " , that's Thomas' world and not mine to intrude by showing his stuff ! But ! I did snap a shot out at the road of one of the trees. I also have a barn fresh bucket of go- kart parts but the photo won't upload. Will try another photo later.

Craig
 

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markviii

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Jan 25, 2010
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east central IL
Aren't those Osage Orange trees in the fence row beautiful - and unique?

Craig, sorry I didn't get to meet you this time. You were here and gone before I even knew it (after reading of your visit on the GJ). Another time!

Joe, it's still there, waiting patiently for discovery...

Chris
 
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BB767

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Philo, IL
Hello Thomas !
As always THANK YOU for your hospitality and generosity on Sunday.
It was something watching Don work the talon on the endloader. He's an artist with that thing !
If it works out hope to see you before the 7th. If not , next time around.

JOE !!!!!
I stepped iNSIDE. " THE SHED " ! ( Just so ya know ! )

Craig

By the way Thomas , the small engine cart.
I'm thinking kind of a burgandy for the axle frames , maybe gun-metal for the wheels ,and silver and a creme colored pinstriping on the spokes !

NOoooooooooo!!!!!!! :shocking:

How could this have happened??.... :willy_nil

Ummm.. Photos!! We want new photos or it didn't happen... :mad:
Lots of Photos of all the Rusty Treasures discovered in the Tool Shed Archaeological Dig... :beer:

Hello Thomas !

Well Joe , no inside photos of "The Shed " , that's Thomas' world and not mine to intrude by showing his stuff ! But ! I did snap a shot out at the road of one of the trees. I also have a barn fresh bucket of go- kart parts but the photo won't upload. Will try another photo later.

Craig

Craig stopped by for...

IMG_8658.jpg


IMG_8656.jpg


...these go kart parts I found while doing some more cleaning in the tool shed. I put some front axles, tie rods and brake rods in the right bucket.

GoKart9sm.jpg


Take a look at this go kart Mr. Johnson made and you'll see those parts in use...

GoKart13sm.jpg


...as well as steering wheels...

IMG_8655.jpg


...and spindles...

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...and...

IMG_8660.jpg


...a box with spindle bolts and nuts. Craig you might remember is the current caretaker of the go kart jig...

GoKartJig1sm.jpg


...and all the tooling that went with it.

While Craig was out at the property he caught me "hands on" getting dirty and sweaty doing some stump removal with Don, my 80 year old backhoe operator. What he missed was the big show when we removed the stump that...

PruneJarTrailerSm1.jpg


...use to belong to this multi-trunk tree on the left.

PruneJarTrailerSm2.jpg


Here's a better look at that tree on the left with the trailer now gone. That's the family home in the background.

PruneJarSiteSm1.jpg


And here, everything around that tree (again on the left) has been picked up. That tree was rotted completely through the trunk so I cut it down a couple of years back. It was too big to push over. This picture was taken about 6 years ago.

IMG_8665.jpg


So here we were 2 years after it was cut down removing the stump. (note the large, old muti-trunk Walnut tree on the right in the 2 above pictures to orient yourself.)

IMG_8671.jpg


So the frost tooth was used to pick the stump apart and remove it.

IMG_8670.jpg


Very successfully I might add. :)

IMG_8672.jpg


Don's 80 years old but he swings a mean backhoe! :D

Thomas
 
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BB767

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Thomas,

When I saw that long, straight, & level clearing, I thought the Center of the Universe had taken the second step (purchase being the first)towards the drag strip!

Bill, I thought having the staging lanes along the hedge row would be a nice touch. That way we'd be in shade waiting for our turn on the strip. ;)

BTW, yes I did receive "The Book". I haven't had a chance to take a look inside yet but so far......Wow! Many thanks my friend again for your kind gift.

Grateful Thomas
 
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BB767

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Philo, IL
If you do a little spraying with roundup you should be able to keep the honey suckle down Thomas. I had the same issue at my uncles place when I moved there in 95 and roundup was a great help to kill poison ivy and hunney suckle. If you spray it now and keep it up for the next couple of months then next spring it will be very nice.:)

Yup, Roundup has found many uses out here over the years. Since I'll be planting grass there this fall I'll shift to 2,4-D of some sort once I do that. Honeysuckle is pretty easy to control once the big mature plant has been removed. That's why we dug them all up. There'll be some residual plants that will come back but as with the original property they can be made to go away eventually. On the 12 acres there are no more Honeysuckle plants of any appreciable size so I've done my part! :thumbup:

Thomas
 
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BB767

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i was taught the same, but then while working at the dutch john deere plant, they told me to put them the other way around: that way one wouldn't damage the powder coating

That's interesting. No doubt the sharp edge will cut the surface finish but if you never plan to remove the washer is wouldn't really matter unless it's exposed to moisture which could attack the underlaying metal and start to oxidize, rust, it. Nice to hear that JD is concerned about the powder coat finish. Their equipment always does look good and I think the paint they use is the best in the industry IHO.

Thomas
 
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BB767

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Hello Thomas,
Thank you very much for posting all of this. I was sent a link to this thread on Saturday and have just finished reading every single one of the 265 pages! It has been a great time to pass nearly 3 days. Your quality of work, attention to detail and humour are brilliant. I've signed up to the forum and can see I will be spending even more time on here in the future. You've helped one 21 year old develop a dream now.. one day I will do a similar restore of a classic English or Welsh garage. Thank you. I would love to come to the States just to see this... maybe one day I will be lucky enough,
Diolch yn fawr! Thank you!
Mynydd-Graig.

Mynydd-Graig, a very warm welcome to you sir from across the pond. Today is the 4th of July, the day we Americans celebrate our independence from England in back 1776. No sure how the Welsh feel about it all but our English "cousins" seem to have gotten over it........ by now........ for the most part.......I think. :dunno:

Anyway, thank you so much for taking the time to read the thread and check in here. At the tender young age of 21 you have set a worthy goal for yourself to restore an old garage. It is a fantastically rewarding endeavor. The best part when you're done is you'll have a really cool place to work in. :thumbup: Have you seen this thread by 1948:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=120929


Should you ever find the opportunity to cross the pond please let me know, the welcome mat is always out to fellow enthusiasts. Don't lose sight of your dream, you truly can make it happen; ask me how I know. :D


Thomas
 
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BB767

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Philo, IL
Y MANIFOLD GANG
Thomas
We picked up our salt bike from the body fab shop... what do you think...
Now it goes to be polished then to anodizing.....The body will be the same color as the rear wheel disc...

See You At The Salt
Randy


019.jpg


Just AWESOME Randy! What a work of art and art it truly is!!

It just so happens I have some personal history with CX 500's.

HondaCX500-2.jpg


This was mine from just before my career with the airlines. Here's another view...

HondaCX5001.jpg


...and this is the cause of it all.

HondaCX500-3.jpg


Notice it was a near head on contact that resulted in the young ladies car being totaled......after she pulled out in front of me while I was on a highway leaving me nowhere to go. She never saw me until after the collision, and saw the bike in a ditch. :sad: At the very same intersection the week following my accident, an older couple ridding together were both killed when a van pulled out in front of them.

I had a full face helmet on and didn't break anything but........I was covered with 2nd and some 3rd burns from road rash. That was the last time I've ever ridden on the street. I'd rather be lucky than good.

Off road, or on the salt it's all good, but on the street, folks just don't see bikes unfortunately. :mad:

Lou and I will see you guys....on the salt!

Lucky, lucky Thomas
 
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BB767

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Well I have been lurking on this thread a while. But decided just to jump in and say how much I have enjoyed it. Keep the photos etc coming. Curios as to what you will find and restore next.

Hello Patrick123. Thank you so very much for your interest, encouragement and checking in here. I've got several projects going at present but clearing the hedgerow and new property has kept me from posting much about them right now. But do check back because it's folks like yourself that convince me there's still interest out there in this little corner of the universe. :)

Thomas
 

BigAl62

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Apr 18, 2011
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suburbs of Chicago
Tom, you were very lucky! I don't ride, but my buddy does and he totaled his Gold Wing after going into the center median on a trip through Indiana. He went in at about 75 mph and still managed to walk away with only a broken finger! He never hit his head! His (and your) guardian angel must have been working overtime!!!!!
 

ZRX61

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Solar Blight Valley, SoCal
"As I'm sure you know, washers have two sides to them and one of those sides is always a finished side with rounded edges. That's the side that goes up and will be seen."

That's the way I was taught to install washers, you'd be surprised at how many people don't. It was explained to me that the sharp edges were less likely to allow the nut or bolt to pull through. I suppose it could if there was enough force, but I've never seen it happen.

The reason you install washers with the finished side up has nothing to do with appearance. It's to prevent the sharp edge causing stress risers at the head/shank interface (aka Radius) of the bolt.

As taught to aviation mechanics for decades ;)

I'll leave it to Tom to explain why he then installed the bolts upside down...
 
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BB767

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The reason you install washers with the finished side up has nothing to do with appearance. It's to prevent the sharp edge causing stress risers at the head/shank interface (aka Radius) of the bolt.

As taught to aviation mechanics for decades ;)

I'll leave it to Tom to explain why he then installed the bolts upside down...

Ummmm, let me see now............

IMG_8627.jpg


.......because it's not an airplane and it looks cool? :dunno: :beer:

Thomas
 
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BB767

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Thanks a whole bunch, Thomas! Another tread to follow. I have no time for this... :willy_nil

Likewise... Thomas, you have a lot to answer for. Now I have another thread to read, meaning even less work will get done!

Blame Mynydd-Graig, it's all his fault. I was just trying to help the lad out is all! A little inspiration, a role model, something to aspire to, that sort of noble thing. Oh, and blame 1948 for doing such a cool thread on the old garage, yeah, he should get some of the blame too! And how about Ryan for hosting all those cool garage threads here on the Journal, he's deeply involved as a co-conspirator don't you think? Me, I'm just the pilot remember, just your average, run of the mill, minding my own business, la-dee-da pilot. I wasn't there, I didn't see a thing, you can't blame me!!!!!! :Help: :willy_nil

Thomas
 
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BB767

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I stole this from Falcon67: http://newslite.tv/2010/02/10/plane-decorated-with-an-idiots.html
Falcon67's thread: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=156780
I hope he's not upset that I swiped it (if so, I'll delete this post).

Thanks BigAl, that is brilliant, truly inspirational. Definitely a day brightener for me. :D Glad to see some management has a sense of humor about all this.

If you're not having fun..........what's the point? :dunno: :bounce:

And while we're on the subject of aviation take a look at this video, it does have sound:


A GoPro camera was suctioned mounted to the First Officer's side window to get the shot. This was an approach to San Juan, Puerto Rico, Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport- SJU.

That is why I have THE best job in the world, bar none!!! :thumbup:

Thomas
 

charlief1

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Messages
248
Ummmm, let see now............

IMG_8627.jpg


.......because it's not an airplane and it looks cool? :dunno: :beer:

Thomas

Actually, if you look at the way a washer is made it's got a slight curve to it. That curve helps keep the nut tight in most cases by spreading the load over a bigger area and springs back against the nut to help keep it from coming loose.:bounce: That's why the sharp edge goes down.:thumbup:
 

markviii

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Location
east central IL
Rick (ZRX61) - the destroyed motorcycle had Tom on it at the time exactly one month before he was to report for airline training. Why do these types of accidents tend to happen with uninsured drivers?! Two weeks later, the emergency room doc didn't think he was the same guy with the injury reported on the chart. My nursing skills had him showing no scars by the time he needed to leave. I had a supply of Silvadene (the generic equivalent is silver sulfadiazine) from when his mother suffered from burns while burning leaves. That and a special brush to abrade the wound daily (for the first 4 days or so - very painful for him) were a big help in the process. He didn't want to go to the hospital, so that's what we did.

Chris
 
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BB767

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Rick (ZRX61) - the destroyed motorcycle had Tom on it at the time exactly one month before he was to report for airline training. Why do these types of accidents tend to happen with uninsured drivers?! Two weeks later, the emergency room doc didn't think he was the same guy with the injury reported on the chart. My nursing skills had him showing no scars by the time he needed to leave. I had a supply of Silvadene (the generic equivalent is silver sulfadiazine) from when his mother suffered from burns while burning leaves. That and a special brush to abrade the wound daily (for the first 4 days or so - very painful for him) were a big help in the process. He didn't want to go to the hospital, so that's what we did.

Chris

Probably faaaaar more information than he wanted (or needed) there Chris. Just thinkin.......:dunno:

(BTW, she did do a great job - no real appreciable scars but it still hurt like............well, it just hurt a lot and leave it at that.:eek:)

Planing for Project PDR is now done and material is being ordered, and so it begins. :)

Thomas
 
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