May 25

Oh the waiting!! Small things left to do and three large things. I've knocked a few things off my list this time that are impediments to Cowboy.

Door panels are done, even after our discussion about them being "too much." Minion liked them so they stayed.

 

Then, there is much sewing going on.

 

And carpet!

 

 

May 15

It's the middle minion's birthday! I know he's probably a little disappointed we didn't take off work today and take him down to get his learner's permit. It just didn't make sense since he'll be getting one in two weeks when driver's ed starts.

Cowboy installed the headliner today, which took over an hour. I can't say I'm sad I missed that one. I'm sure it was frustrating trying to get a board that's not super flexible in a spot where it needed to be more flexible. He also worked on the lock mechanisms and cleaned up the door handles. 

My mom saw the photos today and simply loves it. She said she wanted a Wonder Woman truck. I'm thinking I need a  Wonder Woman Trans-Am...

May 14

With each car we've learned something new, better painting techniques, which adhesives work best, where to get fabric, what are some new tricks. However, I think is one of the coolest things we've done. This is the headliner for the truck.

And it is AWESOME!

 

Also finished, the dash pad. No sewing tonight, and the minion is a little sad it won't miraculously be finished on his birthday, but he won't have his license for another month so we have time.

 

 

You can see in the photo above where the headliner will be going. I made Cowboy hold it up before I put the resin on it and failed to get a photo.

 

 

Putting the speakers in the dash pad.

 

May 13

Insides! Interior work! We got the dash piece covered in fiberglass. It fills the gap between the top of the new dash and the top of where the original dash was located. I know, all of you auto purists are shaking your heads at the horror of us taking the original Apache dash out.

 All of my years stretching canvas and framing pieces for embroidery helped out today. I stretched the fleece over the dash frame Cowboy made and he and minions coated it in resin and fiberglass. I came back out for the final smoothing over the frame since this falls into the category of "fiddly" things.

I also started cutting out the seat back pieces. They're a nod to the old Captain America shield and the boy seemed excited when I had him check out what it's going to look like.

 

 

Pinning on the fleece before it's stretched on the frame.

Stretching the fleece over the frame.

 

Finished and ready for fiberglass.

 

Minions working for ice cream. They like the goopy jobs.

 

 

Seat backs. (I LOVE THESE!) They would have been sewn tonight, but the pattern took longer than I thought. And I had to help with the fiberglass.

May 12

I don't have pictures from yesterday because Cowboy was spraying clear coat and that's not exciting to photograph. I was paining on bed liner and that stuff gets everywhere so no way was I digging out the camera. Expensive DSLR and epoxy bed liner paint do not mix well.

Today we put the truck back together, at least the body parts. We still have to finish out the interior, install a new windshield, and put in new door glass.  I ripped apart the old seats today and will be working furiously to get them sewn.

But for a sneak peek, here's the boy seeing the whole thing together and what it looks like after paint.

May 10

Paint day! Almost my favorite day in restoration. My favorite is the day we wrap it all up. Which isn't today. Today Cowboy painted. I got to come out later and add stripes and cut the paint stencils.

 

 

 

May 6

This is always Cowboy's favorite part, where the paint starts to go on. He gets all excited like it's Christmas and can hardly wait. He and the boy minions got the primer on Monday night. I will say it is a little weird seeing it in primer again. It just wasn't that long ago that we did this the first time.

May 5

Ah, almost summer time. Our work travel schedules have finally settled down and we're both home for a while. Track is over and the minions are free in the evenings again. So now the fun starts.

This time, we're not taking the car all the way down to bare metal so the prep work went much faster. It was however fraught with girl minion drama, as she "was so tired" and "had other stuff to do". She was finally sent away to do inside chores. She later realized that, "Hey, if I'm not outside now then Dad's never going to trust me to put in the effort and I'll never get a moped." She was back outside later on to work as mechanic's assistant on a kiddie 4-wheeler repair with Cowboy.

 

Consulting about technique.

Middle minion putting in his sweat equity.

 

Girl minion loving her job right now. I love how disgruntled she is. Oh the humanity!

 

Oldest still has to put in the effort even though it's not his car. I love the fact he hasn't complained about this. And he's doing my favorite job, grinding down the welds on the bed. I'm a little jealous he got to do it this time.

 

March 2

Remember in February when I said he gets up to car mischief? Well once again, a month later, he has managed to get into another accident with Frankentruck.

Now that I think about it, this is the fourth time he's managed to get stranded or have something happen to the truck. Remember this one?  Maybe just the 2nd of the month is bad for him. I'm not sure, but I think there's a pattern here somewhere...

It had snowed here the week before. Like crazy deep snow, like living in Iowa snow. It was finally melting off and Cowboy was outside moving the truck further up the drive way so he could get the Monte out of the side yard.

He comes inside and he's using his, "hey something's wrong" voice, "Can you come outside?"

"Sure."

"I hit Decker's car."

And yes, ladies and gents he did hit the Monte. The truck slide right off the edge of the driveway and drug the front driver's slide fender right across the back corner bumper of the Monte. Completely messed up the fender that Cowboy had pounded out a few weeks ago.

On the bright side, you can't even tell now and it didn't even scratch the Monte.

 

 

February 15

The spacing on the tires for the truck is a little off. This is just one of those things to be expected when you're a mad scientist engineer and trying to fit two cars separated by decades from each other.

The blazer tires were too far inside the fenders and we'd been discussing the option of getting offset rims to move the tires out further. Rims are always expensive and Cowboy found a really good alternative, wheel spacers. The best part, these are an inexpensive alternative to new rims. 

Cowboy got the spacers, installed them and the results are really nice for both the look and the feel of the drive.

 

Happy Cowboy. He does love doing this and it shows.

 

Spacer close up.

 

Wheels with out the spacers.

And with the spacers.



 

Putting the tires back on.

February 2

The Cowboy has a talent for getting into mischief. I know, hard to believe. Most of his mischief however involves being stranded or some other car related mishap.

There was the dash fire in the Charger. Finding out that the E on the Corvair fuel gauge really means you're running on fumes. Coasting home in the Monte because it died mid drive. The battery incident with Frankentruck where coasted through the busy intersection because the battery was dead. And the latest one.

He leaves to go fill up Frankentruck. He had just finished putting it back together and needed gas. So he did what we all would have done. He filled up the tank. For the first time since he'd put it back together with the Blazer inside.

Bad idea apparently. This made the truck too full of fuel and it wouldn't start. The fuel pump was broken. I notice he's been gone WAY too long. He finally calls.

"Um. The truck won't start."
"Where are you?"
"The gas station, at the pumps. Can you see if Dave is home? Or Thom? We're going to have to tow it."

Of course this is one of those nights everyone is busy because it's Saturday. And we can't tow the truck since the truck is what we use to tow anything. (I find this quite ironic and hilarious.)

He finally tracks down our brother-in-law, Kenny, who is always up for this sort of weird misadventure to come tow us. While we're waiting for him at the gas station, Cowboy and I attempt to push the truck out from in front of the pumps. We try to move the truck from in front of the gas pumps and as Cowboy is turning the wheel, the tires quit turning. The steering linkage bolt broke. (He's whispering that this isn't his fault as I'm typing this.) So now we can't tow the car home since we can't steer.

Luckily, our local grocery store just happens to have a U-Haul rental. We get a car dolly, get the truck put on and get her towed home. Poor thing. How embarrassing for her.

 

Loaded up on the car dolly.

The photo above is the Cowboy jacking the truck up so we could steer her closer to the curb. Ever tried to steer a car with two jacks? Best fun ever.

Where Have I been...

I've been here. Not posting, much to the dismay of Cowboy, especially as he's been up to many things. Breakdowns, a sliding fender bender, and painting. He's been incredibly patient with me, as have all of you. So enjoy the next few posts as I catch you up on what we've been up to with Frankentruck.

Well, I guess she's really not going to be Frankentruck exactly anymore, is she? Maybe the Captain? Columbia? 'Murica? (The minions' current slang phrase.)

Regardless of her final name, the current goal is to have her finished by the middle of June, right after the middle minion is out of driver's ed. I can't think of a better way to start high school, can you?