Between 485 & 705 SQ/FT Bob Heine's Auto Emporium

[bolensboneyard]

Nice work Bob. I'll have to learn how to use Photoshop so my wife can visualize what I am trying to explain. She thought you were trying to build a stainless mister muffler lawn ornament. When she saw your finished product all she could say was wow! All I could say was; see what I could do with a TIG machine for Christmas. All the other kids got one

 

[Guster]

Great job on the pipes. Not the easiest project to learn as you do.

Guster, you make me feel so much better. I am familiar with that pop when a shaft (nail) comes out of one's flesh. Did you ruin your TIG glove (because blood stains are so hard to get out of clothing and leather)? You have given me an excellent rationale for the two additional pairs of TIG gloves I bought.

I have been using Tillman 24D TIG gloves and they are very comfortable. Robert (MP&C) recommended another brand, Black Stallion, who also offers a 24D glove. At about $11 a pair, I figured I would give them a try. I have no use for the left glove so I turn them inside out and voila, I have two right gloves. The second pair I bought was a 25D, which has a 4-inch cuff instead of the 2-inch cuff on the 24D. These Black Stallion gloves are so soft it's like you aren't wearing a glove. The double layer on the outside of the palm is a nice feature as well.

One of those wounds that take a while before it starts to bleed. The hole healed up in a few days but the spot where the tip nearly came out the other side is still tender even after the bruising went away. Confirms my theory that one should never try and catch a falling sharp object – or worse try and arrest its fall with any body part.

Nice gloves and score on them being reversible. Don’t have anything like that over here. Miller gloves go for almost 20% what I paid for my TIG unit thanks to duties and exchanges. I either use cheap, thin and light pig skin gloves or a heavier set of SCA double leather gloves that went on sale for about the same prices as the pig skins. I’ll chuck them as soon as the stitching lets go or the leather burns up. Nice thing about the thin leather is that I’ve not been burned badly as you feel it and cools off right away right away rather getting burnt by the thicker gloves. Especially as I weld a lot of small stuff like marine fittings and they are always difficult to manipulate.

Bob, with stainless TIG welding its just practice, practice and then some.

Love the dual flow meter set up..

Regards

Absolutely the only way to get better at welding is doing lots of welding. I like TIG welding stainless above all the other metals and it is so easy to tell if you are doing it right. Couldn’t handle the stress of welding titanium – not on a hobby level anyway. I’m about to run out of stainless passivating gel and starting to play with electro-cleaning. Used to be able to purchase it over the counter and now you need a special hazchem handling cert. So instead I’m experimenting with power supplies and citric and phosphoric acids(3M rust remover and 3M rust converter) to see what works best. I also want to try a self feeding/flushing wand setup like some industries are using. I always enjoy finding a reason to build peristaltic pumps.

That is a nice set up for back-purging with the second flow meter.

The hardest part is the close fit-up of parts and to take your time with complex compound parts. The welding is almost easy by comparison. Something that also makes a big difference is having a supply of copper tubing and plate scraps for weld backing. Helps with those odd jobs that are hard to purge and can help lining things up to do nice flush welds, especially in thin tubing. Aluminium will also work in a pinch. Old copper bus bars are very handing for clamping to and I already have a small tub full of little pieces bent to various diameters and shapes that get re-used again and again.

 

[rixtrix1]

If you haven't looked there yet, check out Kristopher Henry's "44 Bikes Frame Shop" thread here in the gallery. He shows a lot of fixturing, back-purging and gas lense use in his manufacturing of custom bike frames. He also uses a "tig finger glove" to keep from ruining a leather glove and a finger as he rests it on the work he's welding. He just finished a frame in titanium as a prototype. I'm amazed at how he welds such thin tubing so well. As Guster above said, "the only way to get better at welding is doing lots of welding". I concur.

 

[oldironfarmer]

Outstanding job on the exhaust!

You've been poor mouthing it and holding back on your true skills. Welding across poor fitup is OK so long as you get good fusion.

Keep it up!

 

[Bob Heine]

Nice work Bob..

Exhaust looks good. Is this the current project on the Vette? Cutouts

Steve and Stewart, thank you, I'm pretty happy how it has turned out. It's not finished but the majority of the work was completed in the opening months of 2013. That's when I broke out in a serious case of hives that covered me from neck to feet. It's under control but I avoid itchy stuff like fiberglass now. I'll get back to it soon.

So Bob I take it you're not a fan of four into one side-pipes?

LR, I'm a big fan of side-pipes but I'm also a fan of being married to a cute redhead. Once, I mean ONE time, my wife burned her calf on a side-pipe equipped Corvette. She wasn't getting out of it, just stood too close. It didn't even leave a scar like it does on most people but she said she'd set my car on fire if there was even a hint of pipes near the rockers. Probably one of the subliminal reasons I moved the outlets to the center of the car.

 

[Bob Heine]

Nice work Bob. I'll have to learn how to use Photoshop so my wife can visualize what I am trying to explain. She thought you were trying to build a stainless mister muffler lawn ornament. When she saw your finished product all she could say was wow! All I could say was; see what I could do with a TIG machine for Christmas. All the other kids got one

Bobby, I think you're on the right track. Don't forget to tell her that TIG doesn't throw sparks like stick and flux core wire feed machines. There's almost zero chance a splatter of molten metal will fall into your boot and make you jump up and down so hard you re-break your ankle.

 

[Bob Heine]

Great job on the pipes. Not the easiest project to learn as you do.

I knew when I started doing the exhaust it wasn't going to be real easy but I figured it would be killing two birds if I ended up with something usable and being able to brag that I did it myself. It's nothing to brag about but it is usable.

One of those wounds that take a while before it starts to bleed. The hole healed up in a few days but the spot where the tip nearly came out the other side is still tender even after the bruising went away. Confirms my theory that one should never try and catch a falling sharp object – or worse try and arrest its fall with any body part.

I'm with you on that -- real glad the falling stick I stopped with my eye wasn't real sharp.

Nice gloves and score on them being reversible. Don’t have anything like that over here. Miller gloves go for almost 20% what I paid for my TIG unit thanks to duties and exchanges. I either use cheap, thin and light pig skin gloves or a heavier set of SCA double leather gloves that went on sale for about the same prices as the pig skins. I’ll chuck them as soon as the stitching lets go or the leather burns up. Nice thing about the thin leather is that I’ve not been burned badly as you feel it and cools off right away right away rather getting burnt by the thicker gloves. Especially as I weld a lot of small stuff like marine fittings and they are always difficult to manipulate.

One of the few disappointments of living down under was the markup on foreign goods (and that's a lot of stuff).

Absolutely the only way to get better at welding is doing lots of welding. I like TIG welding stainless above all the other metals and it is so easy to tell if you are doing it right. Couldn’t handle the stress of welding titanium – not on a hobby level anyway. I’m about to run out of stainless passivating gel and starting to play with electro-cleaning. Used to be able to purchase it over the counter and now you need a special hazchem handling cert. So instead I’m experimenting with power supplies and citric and phosphoric acids(3M rust remover and 3M rust converter) to see what works best. I also want to try a self feeding/flushing wand setup like some industries are using. I always enjoy finding a reason to build peristaltic pumps.

That is a nice set up for back-purging with the second flow meter.

The hardest part is the close fit-up of parts and to take your time with complex compound parts. The welding is almost easy by comparison. Something that also makes a big difference is having a supply of copper tubing and plate scraps for weld backing. Helps with those odd jobs that are hard to purge and can help lining things up to do nice flush welds, especially in thin tubing. Aluminium will also work in a pinch. Old copper bus bars are very handing for clamping to and I already have a small tub full of little pieces bent to various diameters and shapes that get re-used again and again.

Guster, I need to get more practice and I need to spend more time on my fit-up. I have several pieces of copper for use as backing. I should have shown my setup for welding the center bezel. The copper backers helped a lot and working on a flat piece of metal was a whole lot easier than the pipe. This was welded using 98% Ar/2% CO2 shielding gas and 304 stainless wire on my MIG welder.

I showed the two stainless bezels in Post #1156. This is after measuring five or six times and cutting once (followed by careful trimming):

I bought a copper backer with magnets from Eastwood (4 round magnets on the short piece) and a piece of copper plate purchased from OnlineMetals.com.

I managed to get the two pieces joined and the welds ground down (using Robert's [MP&C] 1/16-inch stainless cutting wheel on a die grinder method). The weld won't be real visible with the four tips covering it up pretty well (my Corvette won't be entered in any car shows). I managed to polish it up a bit more after I took this picture.

 

[Bob Heine]

If you haven't looked there yet, check out Kristopher Henry's "44 Bikes Frame Shop" thread here in the gallery. He shows a lot of fixturing, back-purging and gas lense use in his manufacturing of custom bike frames. He also uses a "tig finger glove" to keep from ruining a leather glove and a finger as he rests it on the work he's welding. He just finished a frame in titanium as a prototype. I'm amazed at how he welds such thin tubing so well. As Guster above said, "the only way to get better at welding is doing lots of welding". I concur.

Ric, I've been subscribed to Kristopher's 44 Bikes thread for quite a while. I also have a couple of Jody's TIG fingers (regular and large). So far I haven't needed them but when my technique improves, I will certainly be using them.

I love seeing Kristopher's work but I start mumbling "Titanium too hard" "Titanium too hard" and go for a walk.

 

[Bob Heine]

Outstanding job on the exhaust!

You've been poor mouthing it and holding back on your true skills. Welding across poor fitup is OK so long as you get good fusion.

Keep it up!

Awfully nice of you to say, Andy.

As a teenage father, one of my side jobs was as a laborer for a master plumber. He taught me a lot, including digging ditches, sweating copper pipe and making lead joints in cast iron sewer lines. He instilled a can-do attitude in me that I'm grateful for to this day. He was also the maintenance superintendent at the hospital that patched me up after my little train dance. He was one of the many people who saved my life that day -- suggesting his 70-year old service elevator operator donate a pint of his rare (B-negative) blood to me.

 

[metalhead140]

Nice work on that exhaust Bob! I like it a lot.

 

[Bob Heine]

I realize by trivializing my center outlet exhaust modifications, someone might make the mistake of trying copy the idea. It turned out to be fairly challenging. I started by cutting the license pocket out and then cutting another 2.25-inches of fiberglass. Not for the feint of heart.

Re-attaching the license pocket with some aluminum scraps and pop rivets wasn't hard but the piece doesn't match up to the hole very well.

Used the new bezel, masking tape and some aluminum flashing to make a new fiberglass patch under the license pocket.

Measuring and trimming until it fit, the fiberglass mold filled part of the gap. Trial fit the license frame and exhaust bezel as a final check. Made a couple of wax paper backed pieces of flashing over the old exhaust holes in preparation for some fiberglass mat and resin. Made a few notches to blend the panel to the license pocket.

More flashing and wax paper to mold the fiberglass to fill the notches.

More flashing and wax paper to blend the bumperette lumps.

More fiberglass laid on the back and it was close to being finished.

 

[rixtrix1]

You're much to humble about your skills sometimes; or maybe it's just that your stories are so interesting, there isn't any room left for fab pics and stuff. Really tho, it takes some cojones to cut into a 'vette like that. [Never mind, self, it's Bob Heine's thread!]

 

[1/2 Cup]

You're much to humble about your skills sometimes; or maybe it's just that your stories are so interesting, there isn't any room left for fab pics and stuff. Really tho, it takes some cojones to cut into a 'vette like that. [Never mind, self, it's Bob Heine's thread!]

Well said...

 

[Terrick down Under]

At first I thought you had a parts car to practice on....not so!

 

[Bob Heine]

Nice work on that exhaust Bob! I like it a lot.

Andrew, I appreciate that and thanks for stopping by. Really sorry to see your Vette project going backwards but happy to see the Ford moving in the right direction.

You're much to humble about your skills sometimes; or maybe it's just that your stories are so interesting, there isn't any room left for fab pics and stuff. Really tho, it takes some cojones to cut into a 'vette like that. [Never mind, self, it's Bob Heine's thread!]

Ric, I've seen your Chevelle so I take that as a compliment. As far as cutting up my Vette, I figure anything I mess up can be fixed. There are a lot of parts suppliers and even those two back panels are available for about $375.

They even sell that black panel with the exhaust openings filled in for those who want to go with side pipes.

Well said...

Steve, I think ignorance is underrated. It rarely occurs to me that I'm in over my head until I'm really in over my head.

At first I thought you had a parts car to practice on....not so!

Terrrick, if I don't get my **** in gear this just might turn out to be a parts car.

 

[BBChevro]

Hey Bob, I'm up to date with your thread again (I actually caught up yesterday, but didn't have time to comment - so I had to catch up again ).


Great work on the pipes ...
...I mean the stainless ones on the 'Vette - not the flexible (TMI) one a few pages back.

Nice mod on the back panel of the 'Vette too - my formative years were at a time when every car at a show would have some degree of customized bodywork, so I've always appreciated subtle mods like that - very tastefully done.

 

[Bob Heine]

Hey Bob, I'm up to date with your thread again (I actually caught up yesterday, but didn't have time to comment - so I had to catch up again ).


Great work on the pipes ...
...I mean the stainless ones on the 'Vette - not the flexible (TMI) one a few pages back.

Nice mod on the back panel of the 'Vette too - my formative years were at a time when every car at a show would have some degree of customized bodywork, so I've always appreciated subtle mods like that - very tastefully done.

Hi Mark, thanks for dropping in and I appreciate the kind words.

A couple of decades ago I made some selective design changes on the Corvette. I was not a big fan of the checkerboard grilles or the vertical bumperettes on front and rear.

The first change was easy but time consuming. I removed all the vertical slats from the side grilles with a hacksaw, big ******* files and jeweler's files.
Stock:

Modified:

The second change was a little harder and a lot more time consuming. The stock front end has 3 grille sections and a pair of vertical bumperettes. In the late 1970s Ecklers sold a custom grille to go with its custom tilt front end. The tilt front end was beyond my means at the time but the grille was only $99. I cut the stock turn signals/parking lights out of the stock grille and made a new fiberglass grille surround with no indentation in the center.
Stock:

Modified:

The third change was the rear bumpers. I thought the rear bumpers on the 1961-2 bumpers were better looking than the 1963 design because they were a simpler horizontal (again!) design.
1961-2 Rear:

1963 Rear:

The Stock rear bumpers on the 1972 Corvette are similar to the '63 bumpers and mine were pitted. A friend gave me another set that were also pitted and hacked up so I cut both sets up, eliminating the turn downs and welding pieces of the outer corners in their place.
Stock 1972 Rear:

Modified 1972 Rear:

Stock Bumper:

Modified Bumper:
This is after a friend had an aircraft-certified welder put it together. I had it sandblasted and hand-filed the welds down, primered and filed some more. The photo above shows them after a trip to the chrome plater.

I tried to make subtle changes to the car to suit my taste. It may be getting out of hand. Because I added the relatively tall spoiler to the rear of the car, I am replacing the front spoiler. This car has the spoiler and L-88 hood I'm using on mine.

 

[Lyndon]

Bob,

Subtle changes, but very cool. I like your look much better. Keep it up. I hope you're not too chilly over there, because we've got your heat now. North of 100 F here today.

Lyndon


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Terrick down Under]

So B, I wonder weather I will have the NOMAD finished before you get the Vette done??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
I loovvee to modify as well. But my biggest joy is when people can't see the mods, similar to your side panels. They have to be really into that model to pick it.

 

[dlcwent]

Bob, you truly amaze me with the things you do. You seem to get more done with one arm than many get done with both. I will also say (as Andy did) that I'm happy you weren't talented enough to poke your eye out with a stick. And I would suggest that you do not practice that until you get it right. Also again, I chuckle when you come up with little things like " my dance with the train". Certainly you picked the wrong dance partner that day. When I come down to get Gerard's WOC, I hope that we both have the time to meet. I'd love to sit and chat with you for a few hours.

 

[shortykorte]

Dan, he definitely makes me look lazy. Meeting Bob in person is a memorable experience and hope you do get to meet up.

Bob, I now see where Chip Foose gets his ideas.

 

[RickP]

I agree that you're underselling your abilities -- you definitely have some skills with that fiberglass work! And the rear bumper mods look good too. After doing a fair bit of glass work recently, I can really appreciate the work you put into it. Looks great!

What makes me cringe though, is the thought of you grinding all that glass in the Florida heat... Did you break down and get a Tyvek suit or just put up with the itchys?

 

[oldironfarmer]

Yep, Bob the sandbagger

You've been caught, Bob, I'm sure it was fun while it lasted. Come clean, you have a lot of TIG welding experience?

Do you have a 30x60 shop out back you're hiding from us?

I want pictures!

You have a couple of lifts? Lathe and mill? Paint booth? Maybe your shop is bigger than that?

You've been holding out on us, so come clean

See, you set my imagination off until I know the truth!

Great work! I'm impressed

 

[1/2 Cup]

I agree that you're underselling your abilities -- you definitely have some skills with that fiberglass work! And the rear bumper mods look good too. After doing a fair bit of glass work recently, I can really appreciate the work you put into it. Looks great!

What makes me cringe though, is the thought of you grinding all that glass in the Florida heat... Did you break down and get a Tyvek suit or just put up with the itchys?

Well said..

 

[hewey]

Nice work on the vette, subtle changes but really nice details.

 

[jbmatth]

I'm glad you came clean on the modifications to the Vette, I knew about the center exhaust but didn't know about all of the other changes you have made. Good to see it explained to us non Corvette owners.
JB

 

[Guster]

I like your refinements to the C3, Bob. The design elements tie in well. What is next on the list? Seems like you are amping up to do some more on it.

Bit of a fan of the ’63 Stingray coupe(black and chrome) but do like the late 50’s Corvette as I like the AC Cobra. Third generation onward lost it for me though. Probably as it transitioned from a roadster to more of a muscle car. Latter models lost identity being almost indistinguishable from Dodge Vipers etc.

 

[bolensboneyard]

Bob just stopped by to wish you and yours a Merry Christmas. Bobby

 

[dlcwent]

I'm doing the same. I wanted to wish you a very Merry Christmas Bob. And I want to thank you for sharing so much of your life with us. You have become an important part of my life even though we've yet to meet in person. ( I'm hoping to change that soon) I'm always looking for any updates here and speak about you to my friends and family. I hope you and your family have a truly great Christmas.

 

[Bob Heine]

Apologies for my absence this week. I took the time to read about things going on in others' threads but every time I went to respond on mine, something interfered. A new faucet in the master bath, followed by a leak in the master bath took parts of two days, getting through all the year-end doctor visits and last minute shopping for gifts filled the rest of the Saturdays. Sunday celebration at my son's house (nurse daughter-in-law likes the overtime pay for working the holidays).

This is not my wife's favorite time of year because her birthday was yesterday. Growing up she always got the birthday present/Christmas present combo. I try to get her a special surprise gift for her birthday but I have an almost perfect record for exchanging whatever I buy (cash worked but it didn't have the same impact). The gold Seiko watch I bought this year has a black face and bars rather than white face and Arabic numerals. Shipping it back tomorrow. Timex has what she wants so two gold white face numbered watches are on the way and will arrive before the weekend. Better late for the birthday than presented on Christmas.

Bob,

Subtle changes, but very cool. I like your look much better. Keep it up. I hope you're not too chilly over there, because we've got your heat now. North of 100 F here today.

Lyndon


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[FONT=&quot]Hi Lyndon! Thanks for the compliment. We're having our usual winter weather. It's 81*F at 5:00 PM and we're in for a cold snap tonight (supposed to be down to 71*F by 7:00 tomorrow morning). May not need A/C tomorrow!
[/FONT]

So B, I wonder weather I will have the NOMAD finished before you get the Vette done??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
I loovvee to modify as well. But my biggest joy is when people can't see the mods, similar to your side panels. They have to be really into that model to pick it.

[FONT=&quot]Terrick[/FONT][FONT=&quot], if you don't touch the Nomad for the next ten years, you could still beat me. [/FONT]

Bob, you truly amaze me with the things you do. You seem to get more done with one arm than many get done with both. I will also say (as Andy did) that I'm happy you weren't talented enough to poke your eye out with a stick. And I would suggest that you do not practice that until you get it right. Also again, I chuckle when you come up with little things like " my dance with the train". Certainly you picked the wrong dance partner that day. When I come down to get Gerard's WOC, I hope that we both have the time to meet. I'd love to sit and chat with you for a few hours.

[FONT=&quot]Dan[/FONT][FONT=&quot], it takes me twice as long to get stuff done but that doesn't bother me at all. It would bother me to give up and not try.

On the other hand (?) I have decided to drop out of any and all eye spearing competitions. Came close enough to winning (losing??) that I fear more practice will only make things worse.

The newer trains look more cuddly than the old steam locomotives or even the boxy partner I picked. I stay inside them now and jumping on while they are moving is permanently off my bucket list.

If you make it this far south in Florida please do stop in. You'll know you've gone too far south when your GPS switches to Spanish without your permission.
[/FONT]

Dan, he definitely makes me look lazy. Meeting Bob in person is a memorable experience and hope you do get to meet up.

Bob, I now see where Chip Foose gets his ideas.

[FONT=&quot]Stewart[/FONT][FONT=&quot], you are too kind and remember that you met me on a good day -- any day I'm surrounded by cool cars. I have six Saturdays and I sometimes do things on Sunday and I can always fill a lot of days with absolutely nothing.

Chip is actually two weeks older than my youngest, Eric. Chip's father Sam might be a better match although he's about ten years my senior. I like the designs both Sam and Chip have come up with. They have millions of ideas while I have one or two. [/FONT]

I agree that you're underselling your abilities -- you definitely have some skills with that fiberglass work! And the rear bumper mods look good too. After doing a fair bit of glass work recently, I can really appreciate the work you put into it. Looks great!

What makes me cringe though, is the thought of you grinding all that glass in the Florida heat... Did you break down and get a Tyvek suit or just put up with the itchys?

[FONT=&quot]Rick[/FONT][FONT=&quot], I have been fortunate to be allowed a lot of do-overs. My first fiberglass project was to skin a really old Old Town canoe. The canvas was gone and it had quite a few holes (I patched them with cedar shakes and copper tacks). It was a thing of beauty but I couldn't talk my wife into upgrading it with a Small Block Chevy.

I was doing all that fiberglass work on the Corvette in 2013. I don't believe fiberglass caused it but I broke out in hives that year. Breaking out in hives isn't usually a big deal but I was covered from head to toe. Even after the doctors got it under control, it doesn't take much to make me itch all over.

I have several Tyvek suits and 3M paint respirator masks with the dust cartridges.
[/FONT]

Yep, Bob the sandbagger

You've been caught, Bob, I'm sure it was fun while it lasted. Come clean, you have a lot of TIG welding experience?
[FONT=&quot]Many vivid hours in my dreams…[/FONT]
Do you have a 30x60 shop out back you're hiding from us?
[FONT=&quot]That shop has a grass floor, an extremely high ceiling that is blue most days and black most nights.[/FONT]
I want pictures!

You have a couple of lifts? Lathe and mill? Paint booth? Maybe your shop is bigger than that?
[FONT=&quot]My lifts are blue and fit in my shoes. Machines are also in my dreams. Paint booth is in the 30x60 grass-floored shop with a sprinkler system in the floor to keep it cool.[/FONT]
You've been holding out on us, so come clean

See, you set my imagination off until I know the truth!

Great work! I'm impressed

[FONT=&quot]Andy[/FONT][FONT=&quot], thanks for the nice words and I would come clean and happily share my imaginary shops and tools but the pictures in my mind don’t seem to upload to Photobucket.[/FONT]

Well said..

Steve, if I recall right, you've had your share of the fiberglass itch.

Nice work on the vette, subtle changes but really nice details.

[FONT=&quot]Thanks Hewey, I’ve tried not to copy all of the Corvette Summer mods.[/FONT]

I'm glad you came clean on the modifications to the Vette, I knew about the center exhaust but didn't know about all of the other changes you have made. Good to see it explained to us non Corvette owners.
JB

JB, thanks for stopping by. As you know too well, some cars just **** you in and the next-to-useless 2-seaters are especially addictive.

I like your refinements to the C3, Bob. The design elements tie in well. What is next on the list? Seems like you are amping up to do some more on it.

Bit of a fan of the ’63 Stingray coupe(black and chrome) but do like the late 50’s Corvette as I like the AC Cobra. Third generation onward lost it for me though. Probably as it transitioned from a roadster to more of a muscle car. Latter models lost identity being almost indistinguishable from Dodge Vipers etc.

Guster, my addiction to Corvettes goes way back and the 63-67 Stingrays were my favorite but by the time I graduated from college in ’77 they were already out of my price range. The best bang for the buck in the Corvette market is in the C4 models (’84-’96). My ’87 has all forged aluminum suspension pieces, hydraulic roller cam, direct port fuel injection (26-30 mpg on the highway) and can be had for less than $10K. Asking $8,000 for this 52,000 mile Florida (no frame rot) convertible.

Bob just stopped by to wish you and yours a Merry Christmas. Bobby

[FONT=&quot]Bobby[/FONT][FONT=&quot], thanks so much for stopping by and I hope your Christmas and New Year celebrations are memorable and safe!
[/FONT]

I'm doing the same. I wanted to wish you a very Merry Christmas Bob. And I want to thank you for sharing so much of your life with us. You have become an important part of my life even though we've yet to meet in person. ( I'm hoping to change that soon) I'm always looking for any updates here and speak about you to my friends and family. I hope you and your family have a truly great Christmas.

Dan, bless you and yours in this time of celebration. It’s a little harder to get in the spirit in South Florida but Christmas down under in Australia and New Zealand is a whole different thing. I also feel like we’ve been friends for a long time and I hope we can meet in person.

 

[dchance]

Bob,
I would like to wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and may you enjoy all of the holidays. I have really enjoyed your thread and the life experiences that you have shared (yes I have read them all and enjoy your responses and those that regularly post). Many of them sound familiar, having experienced the technological changes that have occurred in the 60's and 70's. I like what you have done on your Vette and hope that you can get back to it soon. I had a 69 that had the factory side exhaust and the factory covers protected well enough that the heat was never a problem with burns. But when I drove it from OKC to Seattle and back through LA the sound would just wear you out. I decided I did not want them again that close to my ears.

Dwight

 

[Vieux]

Merry Christmas! My best wishes!

 

[bj383ss]

Merry Christmas Bob! GJ wouldn't be the same without your EPIC thread.

Bret

 

[gilr]

Bob,

I have been a long time lurker on this site and on your thread and have enjoyed it immensely. Your comment about Florida's "winter weather" made me chuckle as I had to go to IBM VAR training in December of 83 for the then new IBM PC in Boca Raton. I recall it being in the 70s when I arrived and the following morning the temperature dropped into the 50s. Locals were dressed in parkas and gloves and shivering. I was in my summer clothes and enjoying the warmth, compared to Virginia where I live. The next morning the local paper had an article about the Christmas parade and how it really felt like Christmas due to the really cold weather!!! I had a good laugh about it, all in your perspective I guess.
Anyway, I've really enjoyed your thread and how you approach things from your perspective, and really enjoyed your family trip stories. You brought back memories of my own family trips as a child, recalling how my parents put a twin mattress in the back seat of the Packard sedan for my brother and I to sleep on while traveling. Yes cars back then were big enough to handle a mattress that big, never could happen today, for so many reasons, including seat belt restraints. Surprising how we all survived considering the hoopla today over safety!
Hope you and your family have a great holiday and keep up the stories on your adventures.

 

[oldironfarmer]

I hope your Christmas and New Year celebrations are memorable and safe!

Ummm.... aren't those mutually exclusive well wishes?

Merry Christmas, Bob!

 

[bolensboneyard]

Apologies for my absence this week. I took the time to read about things going on in others' threads but every time I went to respond on mine, something interfered. A new faucet in the master bath, followed by a leak in the master bath took parts of two days, getting through all the year-end doctor visits and last minute shopping for gifts filled the rest of the Saturdays. Sunday celebration at my son's house (nurse daughter-in-law likes the overtime pay for working the holidays).

This is not my wife's favorite time of year because her birthday was yesterday. Growing up she always got the birthday present/Christmas present combo. I try to get her a special surprise gift for her birthday but I have an almost perfect record for exchanging whatever I buy (cash worked but it didn't have the same impact). The gold Seiko watch I bought this year has a black face and bars rather than white face and Arabic numerals. Shipping it back tomorrow. Timex has what she wants so two gold white face numbered watches are on the way and will arrive before the weekend. Better late for the birthday than presented on Christmas.

[FONT=&quot]Hi Lyndon! Thanks for the compliment. We're having our usual winter weather. It's 81*F at 5:00 PM and we're in for a cold snap tonight (supposed to be down to 71*F by 7:00 tomorrow morning). May not need A/C tomorrow!
[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Terrick[/FONT][FONT=&quot], if you don't touch the Nomad for the next ten years, you could still beat me. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Dan[/FONT][FONT=&quot], it takes me twice as long to get stuff done but that doesn't bother me at all. It would bother me to give up and not try.

On the other hand (?) I have decided to drop out of any and all eye spearing competitions. Came close enough to winning (losing??) that I fear more practice will only make things worse.

The newer trains look more cuddly than the old steam locomotives or even the boxy partner I picked. I stay inside them now and jumping on while they are moving is permanently off my bucket list.

If you make it this far south in Florida please do stop in. You'll know you've gone too far south when your GPS switches to Spanish without your permission.
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Stewart[/FONT][FONT=&quot], you are too kind and remember that you met me on a good day -- any day I'm surrounded by cool cars. I have six Saturdays and I sometimes do things on Sunday and I can always fill a lot of days with absolutely nothing.

Chip is actually two weeks older than my youngest, Eric. Chip's father Sam might be a better match although he's about ten years my senior. I like the designs both Sam and Chip have come up with. They have millions of ideas while I have one or two. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Rick[/FONT][FONT=&quot], I have been fortunate to be allowed a lot of do-overs. My first fiberglass project was to skin a really old Old Town canoe. The canvas was gone and it had quite a few holes (I patched them with cedar shakes and copper tacks). It was a thing of beauty but I couldn't talk my wife into upgrading it with a Small Block Chevy.

I was doing all that fiberglass work on the Corvette in 2013. I don't believe fiberglass caused it but I broke out in hives that year. Breaking out in hives isn't usually a big deal but I was covered from head to toe. Even after the doctors got it under control, it doesn't take much to make me itch all over.

I have several Tyvek suits and 3M paint respirator masks with the dust cartridges.
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Andy[/FONT][FONT=&quot], thanks for the nice words and I would come clean and happily share my imaginary shops and tools but the pictures in my mind don’t seem to upload to Photobucket.[/FONT]

Steve, if I recall right, you've had your share of the fiberglass itch.

[FONT=&quot]Thanks Hewey, I’ve tried not to copy all of the Corvette Summer mods.[/FONT]

JB, thanks for stopping by. As you know too well, some cars just **** you in and the next-to-useless 2-seaters are especially addictive.

Guster, my addiction to Corvettes goes way back and the 63-67 Stingrays were my favorite but by the time I graduated from college in ’77 they were already out of my price range. The best bang for the buck in the Corvette market is in the C4 models (’84-’96). My ’87 has all forged aluminum suspension pieces, hydraulic roller cam, direct port fuel injection (26-30 mpg on the highway) and can be had for less than $10K. Asking $8,000 for this 52,000 mile Florida (no frame rot) convertible.

[FONT=&quot]Bobby[/FONT][FONT=&quot], thanks so much for stopping by and I hope your Christmas and New Year celebrations are memorable and safe!
[/FONT]
Dan, bless you and yours in this time of celebration. It’s a little harder to get in the spirit in South Florida but Christmas down under in Australia and New Zealand is a whole different thing. I also feel like we’ve been friends for a long time and I hope we can meet in person.

Bob that's where you have been missing the point all these years, or not. The surprise (which is the most important part of the gift if she is anything like my wife) is that you get to be wrong; just a tweak less than perfect if you will. The double surprise is that you have to bring it back. These things PROVE once again that you really love her enough to go through all the trouble without grumbling, and you know and want her to have whatever her heart desires. Looks to me like your position will be safe for a long time; just as long as you know what that position is P.S. if you knew exactly what it was that she wanted, and SIZE did not factor into the equation, it would be too easy for you to prove your devotion! (My wife proof read this and she says I am KINDA right )

 

[Lyndon]

Bob

I want to stop by to say I wish you and the family the very best for a safe Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year full of Corvette hours, or hilarious responses on here (either/or - your choice).

I look forward to our conversations daily, and to you humorous jousts with Andy.

I hope you get everything you want for Christmas (or nearly anyway).

Have a great one.

Lyndon

 

[1/2 Cup]

Bob

I want to stop by to say I wish you and the family the very best for a safe Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year full of Corvette hours, or hilarious responses on here (either/or - your choice).

I look forward to our conversations daily, and to you humorous jousts with Andy.

I hope you get everything you want for Christmas (or nearly anyway).

Have a great one.

Lyndon

Bob, thank you so much for your contributions, it truly means a lot to the GJ..

All the best for Christmas to you and yours..

Regards

 

[HCNDM]

Hi Bob,

Just wanted to thank you for contributing to this great forum. As a result I have not only learnt a lot but also had a ton of laughs.

To you and yours a merry Christmas and a great 2017!

Niels


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Ford52PU]

Hi Bob,

I had to laugh about your wifes birthday, mine is the 17th. I feel the same as her, I've always gotten the shaft on my birthday because its so close to Christmas. Can only remember two real partys, one when I was 6 years old and one my wife did when I was 50. (eeke 10 years ago)
Really enjoy all your posts.
Merry Christmas to you and yours