Denwood
Well-known member
1/2, you're one of the guys on the forum that I look to for a **** kicking whenever I'm feeling lazy 
A Shed Downunder.
- Thread starter 1/2 Cup
- Start date
I will give it a crack Rian, looking at the rebuild as a challenge.
Hey 1/2Cup if you don't fix the oil leaks, you can always put in a Triumph or Harley engine.
Is your son going to help on the build?
Shorty, I have done a few Mini engine and gearbox rebuilds over the years and the oil drip marks still on the driveway could be seen as a testimony to my success.
Yeah, My son will be helping big time and I trust his bank account can handle it as well.
1/2, you're one of the guys on the forum that I look to for a **** kicking whenever I'm feeling lazy
Dennis, thank you but I still have slack attacks occasionally, I find at times you just need to step back and smell the roses so to speak.
Have a great day everyone.
drivesitfar
Well-known member
1/2: i actually had to do a search to find your thread. hope that engine didn't fall on your foot.
just wanted to congratulate you on sort of picking the winner of last weekend's PGA tournament when you popped in the golf thread with Jason Day's scores.
he's on a roll so if Rory and Jordan can get their games up for the last three tournaments of the Fed Ex it should be fun.
funny shotgun video and believe it or not when i was on the long drive tour our driver's hitting 400 yard drives were compared to shotguns and we didn't have ear muffs. we did hit in competition with loud rock and roll though since we hit alongside each other. one hitter would have #1's on his balls and the other would have #2's and the guys at the end of the range would try to keep from getting hit. fun times
I couldn't believe the engine you had on your bench actually was for a car. hope you and your son have it spiffed up without spending all the grand kid's inheritance.
cheers
just wanted to congratulate you on sort of picking the winner of last weekend's PGA tournament when you popped in the golf thread with Jason Day's scores.
he's on a roll so if Rory and Jordan can get their games up for the last three tournaments of the Fed Ex it should be fun.
funny shotgun video and believe it or not when i was on the long drive tour our driver's hitting 400 yard drives were compared to shotguns and we didn't have ear muffs. we did hit in competition with loud rock and roll though since we hit alongside each other. one hitter would have #1's on his balls and the other would have #2's and the guys at the end of the range would try to keep from getting hit. fun times
I couldn't believe the engine you had on your bench actually was for a car. hope you and your son have it spiffed up without spending all the grand kid's inheritance.
cheers
Thanks for dropping by drives, I have to admit not doing too much in the Shed Downunder of late apart from the MGF engine assessment for its rebuild, my son keeps moving the goal posts on that some what. It will be an expensive exercise$$$$$$$
He has started to order parts from the UK and I am nearly finished measuring up the bottom end, its going to be a long winded process.
Last weekend Mrs 1/2 Cup started in earnest on her spring clean and when she gets a bee in her bonnet there is no stopping her
In between our lawns and garden I was seconded to moving furniture, washing windows, scrubbing the front veranda, cleaning of her dust collector type floral arrangements, cleaning light fittings and as we have furnished our home with a fair bit of antique furniture, mainly Jacobean style oak with barley twist legs, every bit of it was taken outside, cleaned and reoiled.
That includes all our displays and antique nick nacks. It is a huge job for sure.
So Quality Shed Time last weekend did not happen with no progress on any of my other projects at all, we will get there in the end.
The weather is just slowly turning into spring here with lots of blossoms out at the moment, my roses are starting to shoot new seasons growth and looking great.
Jason is doing well, I hope he can keep the momentum going.
Regards
He has started to order parts from the UK and I am nearly finished measuring up the bottom end, its going to be a long winded process.
Last weekend Mrs 1/2 Cup started in earnest on her spring clean and when she gets a bee in her bonnet there is no stopping her
In between our lawns and garden I was seconded to moving furniture, washing windows, scrubbing the front veranda, cleaning of her dust collector type floral arrangements, cleaning light fittings and as we have furnished our home with a fair bit of antique furniture, mainly Jacobean style oak with barley twist legs, every bit of it was taken outside, cleaned and reoiled.
That includes all our displays and antique nick nacks. It is a huge job for sure.
So Quality Shed Time last weekend did not happen with no progress on any of my other projects at all, we will get there in the end.
The weather is just slowly turning into spring here with lots of blossoms out at the moment, my roses are starting to shoot new seasons growth and looking great.
Jason is doing well, I hope he can keep the momentum going.
Regards
Grumblebum
Well-known member
Hopefully the helping Mrs 1/2 Cup now = QST brownie points for later
Cheers Grumblebum.
Cheers Grumblebum.
rixtrix1
Well-known member
Rix
They are sold here as Mazda MX5's. Here's one for sale down here:
http://www.carsales.com.au/private/details/_/SSE-AD-3458550
This one is an early 1993 version.
I think another company had already used the name MX5 in the states when Mazda went to release the car.
They started out as Miata's here in the US from the beginning and then went to the MX-5 name in the later versions, say early 2000's or so to present. Have never seen an MG like the #54 n the pic. My cousin Conni had an MGB-GT back in the '70's. Got a lot of looks back then, and so did she. Fun little car, but I found the shifter a little vague compared to my Muncie M-22.
1/2 Cup, if the cylinder head has any flow, it should have some go and be reliable with the parts you have spec'd. Do they have a good oiling system, and do you need to modify the oil pan for roadracing?
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Hopefully the helping Mrs 1/2 Cup now = QST brownie points for later
Cheers Grumblebum.
One has to do what one has to do Grumblebum its all about balance and I must say I do get a pretty fair run around here, that said it is a two way street.
Coop The spring clean is far from over yet. The weekends effort was basically only the lounge, dining and office.
Its nice to see some sun and feel a little warmth during the day I can tell you.
[/COLOR][/B]
Rix
They are sold here as Mazda MX5's. Here's one for sale down here:
http://www.carsales.com.au/private/details/_/SSE-AD-3458550
This one is an early 1993 version.
I think another company had already used the name MX5 in the states when Mazda went to release the car.
They started out as Miata's here in the US from the beginning and then went to the MX-5 name in the later versions, say early 2000's or so to present. Have never seen an MG like the #54 n the pic. My cousin Conni had an MGB-GT back in the '70's. Got a lot of looks back then, and so did she. Fun little car, but I found the shifter a little vague compared to my Muncie M-22.
1/2 Cup, if the cylinder head has any flow, it should have some go and be reliable with the parts you have spec'd. Do they have a good oiling system, and do you need to modify the oil pan for roadracing?
Interesting Ric and they are a fun car for sure. At the risk of stirring the pot I don't think you could ever compare a Muncie with an MG gear box.
The head and cam will be the focus items for sure, I can see some huge gains to be had I those areas.
They have a fairly large capacity oil pump by the looks of it, that said there are some mods you can do to improve things some what. The oil pickup is a plastic arrangement that looks pretty ugly so I will do some investigation if there is some improvements we can integrate like a centre fed arrangement like I ran in the Minis. We will be replacing the bottom end oil rail with an improved version as a matter of course.
I brought home a metric micrometer from work tonight and I am trying to get my head around measuring a metric engine which is a first for me, I keep trying to hard to convert the measurements into thou which is probably not a good idea in this case.
Thanks for dropping by again.
Have a great day.
You know you've have bitten off more than you can chew at times.
You may remember some time back I was offered some bluestone blocks that were quarried in the late 1800s and the faces hand finished, being used at a pump station that was being decommissioned. If I didn't take them they would have been buried as fill.
Well they turned up at work yesterday and the photo doesn't really show their hand finished faces. They are big, real big and my next challenge is to get them in position at home.
View media item 53117
I think the crane truck from work may go missing over the weekend.
You may remember some time back I was offered some bluestone blocks that were quarried in the late 1800s and the faces hand finished, being used at a pump station that was being decommissioned. If I didn't take them they would have been buried as fill.
Well they turned up at work yesterday and the photo doesn't really show their hand finished faces. They are big, real big and my next challenge is to get them in position at home.
View media item 53117
I think the crane truck from work may go missing over the weekend.
HOTFR8
Banned
I think the crane truck from work may go missing over the weekend.
Is that how it works ?
You are lucky to be able to access that type of thing.Grizz1963
Well-known member
Guess if we were hand finished in the 1800's we would not have much to show for it.
I was told I could have a grey granite lintel about 1.6 m long by 320x200mm a few years ago up on the farm as well, and despite being less than a km away, I have not yet fetched it as it is just too awkward, but would make a great seat.
I am sure you will figure it out, unless you use it for landfill too......
I was told I could have a grey granite lintel about 1.6 m long by 320x200mm a few years ago up on the farm as well, and despite being less than a km away, I have not yet fetched it as it is just too awkward, but would make a great seat.
I am sure you will figure it out, unless you use it for landfill too......
xtremek
Well-known member
What the H are you going to do with those? It's very cool that you saved them from the landfill.
Carves
Well-known member
Be careful how you position them ... You dont want the place looking like Pentridge Prison ..
Great looking stone when its cleaned up - and Victoria has some terrific looking buildings made of it.
drivesitfar
Well-known member
1/2: interesting find. i hope you have a good place planned for them because i'd hate to have to move them again especially if you couldn't get the boom truck your boss so graciously is going to loan you.
are you done picking the bricks out of the dirt or is there another load or two left?
cheers and good luck moving those huge stones.
are you done picking the bricks out of the dirt or is there another load or two left?
cheers and good luck moving those huge stones.
HOTFR8
Banned
Be careful how you position them ... You dont want the place looking like Pentridge Prison ..
Funny that you post that as I have an Uncle that got a wall from Pentridge.
Was told it would not come down easily and yet he pushed it with the front end loader and over it went. All stones still numbered in chalk. Has a beautiful house built from it now outside of Bacchus Marsh.
shortykorte
Well-known member
Boy you are really stoned now!!!
Is that how it works ?
HOTFR8, Borrowing stuff from work is conditional you have to be licenced appropriately and it comes back in the same condition as it left and you pay for the fuel. We are lucky in that respect.
Guess if we were hand finished in the 1800's we would not have much to show for it.
I was told I could have a grey granite lintel about 1.6 m long by 320x200mm a few years ago up on the farm as well, and despite being less than a km away, I have not yet fetched it as it is just too awkward, but would make a great seat.
I am sure you will figure it out, unless you use it for landfill too......
Rian, Sounds like you should pick it up, that would be a fantastic seat.
xtremek, I will be using one of the stones as a garden feature, my eldest wants the larger ones for his place. When the word got around at work all the stones were saved which is a great outcome.
Be careful how you position them ... You dont want the place looking like Pentridge Prison ..
Great looking stone when its cleaned up - and Victoria has some terrific looking buildings made of it.
Carves, I do remember the saying "behind the blue stone walls" which meant that you were going to Pentridge prison. It was a beautiful building but I would not like to have been incarcerated there.
Drives, Once they get placed they will not be moved again, not in my lifetime any way.
The dirt pile with the bricks is still waiting my attention, we will be using my mates tractor and front end scoop to make things a little easier. I just need to find some time to get back there.
HOTFR8 I can only imaging just how nice a home built out of those blocks would be.
Mrs 1/2 Cup and I went to a public open day there not long before it was pulled down, just awesome.
Thanks for the tip Coop but there will not be too much manual handling done I can assure you.
Stoned is right shorty Literally.
Have a great weekend every one.
HOTFR8
Banned
HOTFR8, Borrowing stuff from work is conditional you have to be licenced appropriately and it comes back in the same condition as it left and you pay for the fuel. We are lucky in that respect.
Lucky is your middle name 1/2(Lucky)Cup. To have access to that type of equipment is a lucky perk with your work.
HOTFR8 I can only imaging just how nice a home built out of those blocks would be.
I can tell you I wish it was my home here but time to build would have been triple what it took to build my place here in Castlemaine and may be 4 times the cost. Bluestone is a beautiful material but not easy to handle. I was lucky to score some from an old council gutter stones many years ago and they now form a garden path border.
Lucky is right HOTFR8, our Elec/Mech team ( 35 fantastic and dedicated staff ) look after a huge assortment of equipment and infrastructure, we are provided with every thing we need to do the job safely, on time and on budget.
Some of the stuff we do in house:
Heavy earth moving equipment service and repair.
Fabrication
Machining.
Preventative and corrective maintenance both Elec and Mech.
Capital work project management.
Design.
Quality assurance.
Vibration analyses.
Thermal imaging.
Hydraulics
Electrical installations.
PLC software development.
Commissioning.
Standby power supplies.
Facilities management.
Radio and communications, we have one of the largest SCADA networks in the Southern Hemisphere.
At last count we have something like 15000 solar powered automated irrigation assets.
We work on stuff that in some cases is over 100 years old up to state of the art things like fibre optic comms networks.
Just to name a few, if you want variety in a work place we have it.
We will be picking up the blue stone blocks this morning but I will be using the pressure wash at work to clean them down first.
Have a great week end guys and happy father day to all you Aussie dads out there.
joelowrider
Well-known member
I have looked at this build a few times now kind of cool seeing a different twist
Strouty
Well-known member
I have skimmed your thread before, but I am going through it completely this time. I am at page 25 for tonight and my eyes are getting blurry. I will continue on tomorrow. I love the eBay purchases so far, great eye and great taste.
The weekend that was.
Friday I worked from home as we were getting a new gas space heater installed to replace the existing Rinnai unit that had given us 23 years of great service, new internal flue as well.
http://www.rinnai.com.au/heating/energysaver®-heaters/559ft/
Its still a little chilly here at night but fortunate to have the splits as backup heat over the last week or so.
I went to work to pick up the blue stone blocks and you would not believe it no crane truck so we decided to give it a crack moving and placing the blocks as the Egyptians did building the pyramids.
Not a good pic, this is my eldest sons place, you can see one of the blocks to the right hand side of my sons work ute at tail light level to give you an idea of size the ones I gave him.
View media item 53170
Then the block here at home in its last resting place till Mrs 1/2 Cup sees it when she gets home.
View media item 53171
My eldest dropped off some new bits for the MG engine as well:
Forged pistons and rings.
Bearings.
Gaskets.
Oil pump.
Bolt sets.
Cylinder sleeves.
Bottom oil rail.
Water pump.
Pretty much enough to start on the bottom end. There is still most of the top end stuff, cams valves, springs and the like on its way from the UK.
Watch this space.
Have a great day guys.
Friday I worked from home as we were getting a new gas space heater installed to replace the existing Rinnai unit that had given us 23 years of great service, new internal flue as well.
http://www.rinnai.com.au/heating/energysaver®-heaters/559ft/
Its still a little chilly here at night but fortunate to have the splits as backup heat over the last week or so.
I went to work to pick up the blue stone blocks and you would not believe it no crane truck so we decided to give it a crack moving and placing the blocks as the Egyptians did building the pyramids.
Not a good pic, this is my eldest sons place, you can see one of the blocks to the right hand side of my sons work ute at tail light level to give you an idea of size the ones I gave him.
View media item 53170
Then the block here at home in its last resting place till Mrs 1/2 Cup sees it when she gets home.
View media item 53171
My eldest dropped off some new bits for the MG engine as well:
Forged pistons and rings.
Bearings.
Gaskets.
Oil pump.
Bolt sets.
Cylinder sleeves.
Bottom oil rail.
Water pump.
Pretty much enough to start on the bottom end. There is still most of the top end stuff, cams valves, springs and the like on its way from the UK.
Watch this space.
Have a great day guys.
HOTFR8
Banned
Some one raced you to the crane truck for the weekend or was it still out on another job ?
Either way well done.
Either way well done.
Grumblebum
Well-known member
Congrats on the 100 pages of posts 1/2 cup...
I felt it in my back just looking at those stones sitting in your trailer the other day...
Cheers Grumblebum.
I felt it in my back just looking at those stones sitting in your trailer the other day...
Cheers Grumblebum.
rmalkow2
Well-known member
Like the Egyptians eh. I was hoping for pics of ramps and pulley systems and levers with you moving the stone in place. However it got done, very good job. Those looked like heavy ones for sure. I hope the Mrs didn't come home and say, "Move it a little to the left please".
HOTFR8, The crane truck was left at our Kyabram depot on Friday so I found out after a couple of phone calls.
I am glad that's over for sure.
Many thanks Grumblebum
We took things just bit by bit, the really big stone at my sons will need to be oriented to show its hand carved features the you don't see in the pics but I will leave that one up to him to do.Coop I took the gamble and won, Mrs 1/2 Cups words were "Wow that looks impressive "
rmalkow2 Crow bars, chain block, round posts and timbers were the order of the day. A little to the left is not an option.
I am very happy with how things turned out, my daughter in law even said are there any more left????
Have a great day guys.
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sean Buick 76
Well-known member
You are a pretty cool guy! I always love catching up on your projects!
Strouty
Well-known member
Stuff on Ebay
I allow myself an hour or two weekly to troll through my favourite searches as I / we are avid collectors of stuff. My key buy criteria is;
1. It is a nice thing.
2. catches my eye.
3. I need it.
4. not ridiculously priced in the first instance.
5. set an upper limit you are prepared to pay and stick with it.
6. local pick up is logistically feasible for us.
7. and or the freight is reasonable.
I have to agree there are some not to bad offerings down this way.
Not all our purchases are through Ebay though.
On our trips around Victoria we do plan around visiting most if not all the antique shops along the way and I go to the odd clearing sale as well however most auction sales around here tend to be over priced.
We have similar tastes, but I would say you have a bit more refinement!
I am at page 50, love the fact that you galvanized the brackets you made for the carport build. I have a trip to the galvanizer this fall for work, so I may make a few bits and pieces as well. I am starting to get the lingo, but the electrical wiring, plugs, and such are crazy different than what I am used to. I will try and get some to the next 25 pages when I get a few more hours.
We have similar tastes, but I would say you have a bit more refinement!
I am at page 50, love the fact that you galvanized the brackets you made for the carport build. I have a trip to the galvanizer this fall for work, so I may make a few bits and pieces as well. I am starting to get the lingo, but the electrical wiring, plugs, and such are crazy different than what I am used to. I will try and get some to the next 25 pages when I get a few more hours.
Thanks Strouty, page 50 now that's a mean feat, well done.
We have a local galvanizers and the brackets just needed to be done to match the rest, sure beats painting and I can recommend you do it.
I have been a sparky for nearly 40 years but your "electrical speak" in the States reads like a foreign language to me, but I am getting there.
I cannot come to grips with how electrical installs are done over there, just way different to what we do out here.
I have been considering starting a thread just on exactly that and compare notes so to speak.
Thank you again for taking you time to read the thread, I you have any questions, give me a shout.
Carves
Well-known member
Regular little stonehenge you have happening there 1/2cup.
Looks good ..
Wish I had some squarer ones like that - when I filled the gabions next to the shed.
Looks good ..
Wish I had some squarer ones like that - when I filled the gabions next to the shed.
Strouty
Well-known member
I made it through to page 75, you had just finished the roof of the carport, and you survived a mishap with your anniversary. I must admit I was very concerned about the rose, you did a nice job transitioning it. I should be all caught up in a day or so!
panthersteve
Well-known member
Thanks Strouty
There was no way I was giving up on the rose as it was just such a part of the place. You should see it now it starting to shoot its spring growth and looks fantastic. The first flush of blooms are usually out in late October.
Have a good one
Sounds like a couple of women discussing their favourite soap opera
Strouty
Well-known member
Well to roll with the punches, I would love to see pictures of the rose in full bloom.
HOTFR8
Banned
Sounds like a couple of women discussing their favourite soap opera
Opens email. Clicks on updates and like you I am pondering - Am I on the GJ ?
Still it is supposed to be Spring here so a Rose in bloom can be a part of the works around the Garage I guess
.Mind you I am still trying to work out *********** all the grass and weeds in my driveway after all the rain here.