I’ve been preoccupied the last few days I haven’t kept up with my articles. Since this is the Average Guy’s..etc., then you’ll get this next part.
Thing’s happen in life (a.k.a. – Lemons) and you just have to deal with them. The goal is always make the best of the circumstances (a.k.a. – Lemonade).
Earlier this week I lost my job with the company I worked in for the past six years. This is not uncommon in these economic times and there are many average car guys and car gals in the same boat. Many of those people have project cars and these end up being put on the back burner or sadly end up being sold. As car people we all know this happens and hopefully the car goes to good home. Hold on before anyone drags out their savings and offers to purchase my Mustang – I’m not there yet. But it will put my major plans for it on hold for a bit, which is a darn shame, because now I seem to have extra time on my hands to accomplish all those mod, not true a week ago.
So for the better part of the past week I’ve been setting up my job hunting network and getting it in motion. Now it time to wait it out and see what pops up. In the meantime I’ll have more time for writing and doing the little left over projects on the Mustang. I still have the passenger’s seat to re-upholster and the front air dam to put on (I’ve had that in the box for years). I can install the polished aluminum alternator bracket I worked so hard on and have yet to install.
And……. I am project managing the restoration of a 1975 Standard VW beetle – pro bono. Here she is:
1975 VW Standard Bug - New Project.
More to come on that.
So unless you are Jay Leno (I hate that guy!!! – not really, I’m just jealous – I want him to hire me to keep his cars driven and shiny and search out more cars for him..hey..there’s an idea!!!! “Dear Mr. Leno, I’m a car guy and I currently find myself with some free time so I’m applying for…..”) you dealt with circumstances like job loss or lack of funds to finish or keep that project collector car. But remember you can take it slow on projects – it’s OK to slow down and if you have to give up that beautiful machine, keep the memories and there is always tomorrow and another car in your future – you have to believe that and work toward it.
I like off –beat cars. By that I mean, the ones nobody thinks about immediately. Some of those are cars like, Studebakers, Edsels, and Mercurys.
A few years ago, actually shortly after we moved to Tucson, AZ., I was at the local Safeway and I saw this black car moving through the
parking lot. I was on foot and I hurried to the end of the parking row to see if I could catch the manufacturer and
model. To my surprise that sports-roof-like, long black car was a Mercury Marauder!! It was beautiful. I’m still not sure what
year it was but I believe it was a 1969 and possibly an X-100, but I can’t be sure.
'69 Marauder
I’m not totally unfamiliar with Mercury’s, having lived with grandparents who for years would only buy
that Ford brand – mainly the Marques and other 4 door models. Frankly back then I wasn’t all that impressed.
But the Marauder, like the Cougar, wasn’t your grandparent’s car!
So coming up is my write-up on the Mercury Marauder.
I thought I’d take a minute finish up the write-up on the very first upholstery job. I finished it up a two weeks ago and really missed driving the Mustang, but that’s what happens when you do your own work and you can only fit it between all the normal life stuff that needs to get done.
Yes, as I was reminded twice by a couple of car acquaintances, I used a kit, some say they aren’t much different from slip covers, but as you can see in my shots here that’s a bit of an understatement.
Now these next two videos are not all that great but I think you can see the removal of the back and the fasteners. I’ve worked with these type of fasteners before in my father’s body shop (back in the early ’70s) nearly all door panels and seat back were fastened in that way. They work really well but bend them (and they do bend easy of they aren’t aligned with the hole and pressure is applied) and you’ll have to spend sometime reshaping them, even then they might not hold properly, or replace them.
Check out the videos:
Here are a few more photos and the finished product. Not to bad for my first one. I have the passenger’s side to do.
With the plastic seatback removed.
Needed to remove the back release
2 piece
release removed.
Helpful hint: All the hardware and fasteners have to pass through upholstery. Rather than try to cut holes, I made X cuts and pressed the screw or hardware through. This made it as tight as possible.
Markings on the Foam
Good shot of the cloth sleeve with the wire passed through.
Here you would pass the hog wire while in the hog-nose pliers through the cloth between the upholstery and the wire. You then have to shove this down between the two pieces of foam and grab a spring.
Finished product.
Replacing the seat track was done before I married the bottom and back. Placing it back in the car was a little tricky..until I figured out that moving the set on the track was the way to get the studs to drop back in to holes in the floor board.
Over all this was not as tough as I thought it would be. The passenger side will be quicker. I’ll post the final product on that side.
3. Reader choice – you choose the next engine to highlight
I have a couple commercial ventures on the near horizon:
1. Certified Auto Appraiser – I’m about to finish my certification and will be specializing in Classic, Muscle, Antique and speciality cars.
2. Auto restoration project management. Focus is on those individuals that love their cars, but don’t have the time nor the experience to know what needs to be done. I’m actually waiting for my first car. It is a 1975 VW Bug coming all the way from Iowa City, Iowa, should be here this will for inspection and the beginning of its restoration.
So what engine would you want to see highlighted? Drop me a note here or on Facebook.
I was recently talking to a coworker of mine who own a 1949 Pontiac Silver Streak Delivery Van (link – http://wp.me/pKHNM-Bx ) and we were discussing his 6 volt system and the troubles with low amperage.
Well I just ran across a couple of interesting articles dealing with that subject. Now I will tell you I am not “the guy” for electrical work – nope not me (I had a bad experience – ok – a couple of bad ones). But even this one I can understand.
Increasing the power supply often means that you need to convert to 12 volt and maybe 15 years ago yes, but now 6 volts are readily available. So here is what you do (sorry no pics)
Take two 6 volt batters and link them in parallel by connecting the two negative terminals to each other and the two positive to each other. The main positive cable goes from the positive terminal of the first battery to ground and the main negative cable is connected to the negative terminal of the second battery. Of course in some case you may have to modify the batter shelf, but it will sure help kick up the cold cranking amps.
