unimogjohn

It is Sunday, August 2nd, PM. Another busy day. We started to the day by finishing moving and stacking three tons of wood pellets (150 bags @ 40 lbs per bag). They are now all on the back deck waiting for their time in the stove. We are ready for winter. Hudson Jon called up this morning. He just put on brand new period looking radial tires (Coker Classic, 16 inch) on his 1937 Hudson Terraplane convertible; and is getting a bad vibration and the rear end is really loose at speed. So he wanted to put the car on the two post lift and take a look to see if there was anything suspect. Jon only lives a few houses away so he started over. Got to our driveway and the car stalled out and would not restart. In fact the starter pinion would not disengage from the flywheel. So he disconnected the battery and loosened up the starter until the pinion disengaged. He made a small mistake and forgot to put on the cable back on the starter and left it loose. He then connected up the negative cable to the battery and the sparks few. I grabbed the cable away from the body of the car to stop all the sparks. With that cable reconnected we looked over the engine to find out why it was not firing. With a little trouble shooting it looked like the choke flap on the carb was all the way closed, I mean tightly closed. No air was going to get in. I played with the linkage and the flap opened up and the car started. Jon headed up the hill and went to stop, and his brake pedal went to the floor. He almost went through the fence line before he pulled the emergency brake. But he stopped and we pulled the car onto the lift. What happened to the brakes, fluid everywhere. Well it turns out the battery cable was flapping around and hit the brake line a couple of times. Melted holes in the line. So off it came for replacement. I inspected the car and could not see anything that could be the vibration problem. Did find the exhaust system loose and rattling around; and the front sway bar end link rubbers were almost non-existent. Jon is going to buy those parts tomorrow, and we will put it back together to see if anything changed after the repairs.

Chris, beat you to the punch. I have a new refer, but alas, no bathroom; yet....... I have started moving little things into the garage to start setting up the shop area. Hope to move in some shelving units today, but the unloading and stacking of three tons of wood pellets is going to take priority.

It is Thursday, PM, July 30th. Another really hot day here. You can hardly stay out in the sun for fifteen minutes. Me, I headed to the garage where it was a nice 75 degrees. I spent the morning finishing up the insulation. The garage is tight now, or as tight as a garage can be. I still have some double bubble reflective insulation to put up, but that is mostly for a finished look. I did have quite a time with insulating the soffit behind the ducting. They put up a couple of levels of scaffolding so I could get enough height to stuff the insulation in. I really did not like it, but I did it, and it is done. Here are pics of the ducting. It looks and works great. They also put a metal enclosure around the two lines coming into the garage. He said this was just to protect them from the elements. Spent the last couple of hours moving stuff around and cleaning the floors. Tomorrow I hope to start moving in some shelving.

Wednesday, PM, update. The HVAC folks left for the day. They got about half way down the side of the garage. Alice and I are going out after dinner and stuff in more insulation where they will be working tomorrow.

A busy day for sure; July 29th, Wednesday, PM. This morning was "get ready for winter" day. The day we head out and picked up four tons of wood pellets at a discount price, .70 cents off per bag. Three tons for us and one for a neighbor. That will heat us for the winter, about $750 for the heating season. Now we just have to load them into the tractor bucket and take them to the back of the house and stack them. The HVAC contractor came about 1 PM and immediately got to work making the duct runs. He had made the small 45 degree angle registers at his shop this morning. I think that they will get a couple of sections done today. The HVAC unit has no problem in keeping the garage a coolish 78 degrees. It is 94 outside with a heat index of 101 degrees. The contractor told me to finish plugging up the soffits with insulation to keep in the cold. More ladder work. I torqued the plate nuts for the 2 post lift last night. The Jaguar is parked under the lift, so I have no excuse not to make that first lift. I got the arms under the car and on the frame. Everything looked good, so hit the up button and the Jag started to rise. Everything looked great so I took her all the way up, to the point were I could walk under her. The lift worked great, it acted like nothing was on it. No movement in the posts at all. I am a happy camper. So here are a few pics of the undercarriage. I have some cleaning to do, but everything looked very good. Looks like I have one front shock weeping. And a rear seal transmission seep. Remember, the underside of the car is still all original. No shiny new parts here. And it really was not that dirty either. I will be able to clean everything in a couple of hours. Looks like I do need to check the transmission fluid. One front wheel is dragging a bit so will fix that too.

Just a quick update, at about 5 PM the temperature inside the garage was 78 degrees and outside it was still 88. I also called the propane folks to come and install the two 120 gallon tanks and connect them to the HVAC unit. I would imaging that this is a couple of weeks away. The propane will be used for emergency heat when the temperature is below freezing. I don't plan on using much propane over a winter as I plan to keep the garage around 45 degrees when I am not working and about 68 to 70 when I am. I got the new torque wrench yesterday (my other two are very old and did not trust them) and today the 28 mm deep well socket arrived. Now I can torque down the 2 post lift base plate bolts. There are five on each side. They are now all set at 85 ft pounds. I also read that you must bleed the two cylinders before you put a car on the lift. This entails raising the lift assembly about two feet and then letting them both go down until they stop while continuing to hold open the down valve assembly for about three minues. This is to get all air out of the system. I did this three times. Seems to be just fine. Now I can safely put a car on the lift. Maybe I will do that tomorrow. But first we have to hook up the dump trailer and pick up four tons of wood pellets for the winter; three for us and one for a neighbor. This effort will take up all of the morning for sure.

Bernie, do you have a "vision" in your mind of what the body will look like? Maybe a sketch or close model? Do you have a dash with instruments or will you have to think that one up also?

Still Tuesday, but late in the day. The HVAC contractor gave up for the day. He and his helper made a lot of progress in five hours. The Goodman HVAC heat pump was all wired in, the inside thermostat installed, and ducting run to connect the heat pump to the garage. He was also able to put up the riser. The return will have an industrial filter on it, and the ducting will run 50 feet along the back wall. Every ten or so feet there will be a register pointing to the floor at a 45 degree angle. Right now the temp outside is 88 degrees, 81 inside the garage. I have the thermostat set for 78, we will see if it gets there. Will go out and check in an hour or so. Even at 81, it is wonderful.

It is Tuesday, July 28th. Early PM. Oh no, the Passat's battery is about dead and Alice is not happy. It is about six years old so it is about time to replace it. So I ordered a AMG battery via Amazon. It is the AC Delco brand. The Passat takes an odd size (group 94R) and is buried in the engine bay. VW wants $230 for one, I am getting this one for $158. I could get a conventional lead/acid battery for $120, but figure I would try the AC unit. It has 880 CCAs. Should do the job. Oh, and you do have to take half the engine apart to put in the new battery. I will document that effort for you when the new battery arrives. And it will be the first vehicle repair in the new garage. And a big day. Dave, the HVAC contractor, arrived this morning at about 10:30 AM. He immediately started cutting big holes in the garage siding. He also brought in the first of the ducting to get the unit attached to the garage. More ducting will come in every day. He said that he expects to be done by the end of the week.

It is Monday, PM, July 27th. Hot and humid today with a pretty good thunderstorm in the mid afternoon. Our first good rain in over a week. We needed that. Porsche Alan came back over this morning and wired up the 2 post lift cut out safety switch. He is an electrical engineer by trade so it only took him ten minutes from start to finish. He took one look at the instructions and said they were gibberish and tossed them aside. Wow, works great. He move the top bar while the pump was working and it shut it immediately off. I owe him a oil change big time. Corvette Wayne is going to sell me his 220 volt air compressor in a couple of weeks. He is getting a much larger one to do painting, etc. He is trading up, and I will get his old one, which is only about three years old. So this morning I wired up a #10 four wire line in preparation for its arrival. I also put in a single outlet, 110 volt 20 amp circuit into the panel also. I will use this for my little MIG and ARC Hotshot welders. Wow, the panel is about half full. I cannot think of anything that needs to be done right now so am going to button it up tomorrow. Dave, the HVAC guy, should be here tomorrow morning. Excited to get the unit up and running and some cooling in the garage.

Me too. First forum post I check every day for updates and motivation. I learn something I can use every time you post; and it is very interesting stuff. Keep them coming.

Just a quick update. I ventured back into the garage after the sun went down. Turned on the fans to get some heat out. Was able to wire up both 220 circuits into the panel. Looks like a professional did it. So I am now all ready for the HVAC contractor to arrive on Monday/Tuesday.

It is Sunday, early PM, July 26th. Camaro Steve came over this morning to help run 100 feet of #8 220 volts electrical wire for the HVAC unit. That stuff is heavy and a lot for even two people to pull. But in an hour it was done. I still have to wire it to the panel. While the panel cover is off I am going to add two more circuits, a 30 amp 220 for an inside air compressor, and then a dedicated 20 amp single socket for the heck of it. I also moved the Jaguar so we would have room to work in the back half of the garage. Fits good with the 2 post lift. Actually, it looks rather small. Then I got out a very old sound system and put it on the cart and hooked it to the TV. The sound is so much better now. Great for the garage as it really puts out the sound. Getting really hot today, so we are done with the outside work for today. Have the AC set for 74 degrees in the house. Much more comfortable than being in the sun outside.

Kerry, I thought about doing that but Alice nixed the idea. She wants it to roll so we can have it outside for "drive-in" movie night for the neighborhood. And I like the idea of being able to roll it around the garage to where I am working at. I am going to bolt the mount to the cart so there is no chance of it tipping over. It only weighs 56 lbs so it is relatively easy to even move by hand.

Still Saturday, but mid afternoon. Getting too hot so I am done for the day, 92 degrees or so. But I did get a package from FedEx at noon. The TV arrived so I dropped everything and installed it in the garage. I think that I will bolt it to the cart, I do not want the thing to topple over on me. For a refurbished unit it looks to be brand new. Set up for internet streaming and it works just great. Will be a great addition to the new garage. And I discovered a new use for the 2 post lift.

It is Saturday morning, July 15th. Hit the garage early this morning. Got everything on the lift installed and buttoned down except for two little screws that seem to be left over. So decided to switch on the breaker and see what happens, nothing ....... no sparks or anything that is great. So I hit the pump switch on the lift and she started to rise. After a few seconds she took off and the arms went up and down. No hydraulic leaks either. Great. I reefed on the bottom plate nuts as hard as I could. I put a torque wrench on them, but could not get a click. I will get another wrench and see if mine is defective or I am just weak. It takes 85 foot pounds to secure them. Then I turned to the installation of the transmission jack. Boy, that puppy is heavy. Got it all assembled and ready to work if the neighborhood needs it.

As I wind down for the day, I came across this video on the making the Jaguar E Type Light Weight cars that are being made at a million dollars plus per copy. A very interesting and historical piece. And as a funny farm side story here is an example of our life. A few weeks ago I was ready to pull the cover off the pool and fill it for the season. Hooked up the hose to drain the rain water out of the cover and say little polliwogs swimming around. That did it, no pool for us this year. Now three weeks later, they are really getting big. Must have a few hundred swimming about. Nice to have more farm animals.

It is Friday, July 24th PM. Have been on the go since 8 this morning. Finally had enough by 4 PM. Ran to Home Depot this morning and got the #8 electrical wire for the HVAC unit. I hope to have that in by Sunday PM. Also going to install another 220 volt outlet for a air compressor since I will have the panel exposed and have some left over wire. I also bought some #10 flexible wire for the 2 post lift hook-up. So this afternoon, I installed the lift arm locks, the hydraulics and filled the fluid container, and wired up the primary electrical feed to the pump. Tomorrow I will install the kill switch for the overhead support and wire it into the pump's electrical systems. So, with any luck, I will be able to test out the lift. And the transmission jack arrived today. Last big tool that I am going to buy for now.

Chris, what is happening with you and your Avanti. We have not had a report from you for a long time. It is Thursday, July 23rd, PM. Three old men are spent working on the garage. Friends Porsche Alan and no old car Bill came over early to help me place the HVAC unit and stand up the posts for the two post lift. They did more than I ever thought. They stayed to help for the entire day. I honestly could not have done it without them and the big Kubota tractor. Early in the day I thought we would stand up the two posts for the lift while we were still fresh and ready to work. That took all of five minutes. Three of us easily heaved up the posts and placed them on their marks. Turned out that this was the easiest part of the lift installation. Then we tackled the placement of the HVAC unit. Its wight is about 600 lbs, and the big Kubota tractor made easy work of it. We got it placed, leveled, and ready for the HVAC technician. With the HVAC in place, we went back to the lift. Worked all morning and into the mid afternoon getting it together. Holes were drilled, bolts tightened and and cables run and hooked up. The hardest thing was to assemble and install the tray that connects the two posts. We had to use the tractor to get the tray up. It was just too heavy for two guys to muscle it. But we got her done to include installing the lift arms. But there is still more to go tomorrow. Electrical and hydraulics have to be run. And then everything adjusted. We were all pooped when we gave up at 3 PM. But the hard stuff on the lift is done. Oh, drilling the holes for the post bases turned out to be no big deal. The posts required no shims to make them level either. I am a happy camper. Here are the pics for the day. P.S. Dave, the HVAC guy, stopped by. He gave me a bid on the installation and ducting of the unit. We agreed on a price. He is going to start work on Monday or Tuesday. Now I have to call the propane folks to schedule the deliver of the two 120 lbs tanks and their hookup to the the unit. Wow, things are really coming together fast.

It is Wednesday morning, July 22nd. Headed out to the garage at 7 AM. Wanted to measure and mark for the placement of the two post lift. I spent an hour going back and forth, and finally figured out where I wanted it. So I finally drew and marked my lines. I have about twelve feet in back of the lift to the door, and fourteen to the front. I think that every car I will ever own will fit nicely. Have to get a couple of the neighborhood guys to come over to lift and place the lifts. Will make some calls today. Hopefully, in the next couple of days they will be standing tall. And a big day for the Avanti. Left the charger on all night and the battery was fine this morning. With single pump on the accelerator and a twist of the key, she roared to life. Took her out on a nice drive and then headed into the garage. She sure runs good and reminds me what a nice cruiser she is. Floats down the road with ease. Nice riding car for sure. Drove her on to the four post lift, set the brake and chocks; Houston, we have lift off. She went up easily and settled about three quarters of the way up. Perfect, I can easily walk under her without stressing the lift. I know that she is leaking fluid out of the power steering so I know that she pukes fluid like crazy. I have new hoses so now I will be able to finally change them out. There is an engine oil leak from somewhere near the fuel pump. Now I can see the bottom of the pump easily. Looks to be coming from the new pump itself. Will do some more investigating. It is a new pump. I have one lift lock that is not working correctly. Of course it is a back one so I cannot see it, hence no idea as to if it is working or not, or just out of adjustment. Have to get Alice out to work the controls so I can see what is going on. Until then the Avanti will rest on the floor.

Bernie, you must be having fun. You are hard at work almost every day. Going to be great to see the results of your effort. Even the first puff of smoke from the engine will be great. Keep at it. Enjoy your posts.

It is Tuesday morning, July 21st. Out early, wanted to get the Avanti on the four post lift. No go, dead battery. I left the key in the accessory position and must have drained the life out of the Optima battery. Have it on the charger now so by the afternoon I hope to have the car running. I did put the lift down to the lowest position and attached the ramps. Everything looks great. So on to the two post lift installation. Reviewed several two post installations on YouTube. Looks to be much easier than the four post as their are less moving parts. First job is to unpack the bundle. That went OK with the engine hoist helping out. With the posts separated I can now use the floor jacks to move things around. Here are a bunch of pictures of the pieces. This afternoon I plan to measure for the post placements. I know where the deeper pads are buried in the concrete so just have to make sure that the proper length and width for the placement of the posts are set and marked. I can then start to assemble the posts. I have to put on the long and heavy extensions first and then I can lift up the posts to the vertical. Going to need some manpower to do that or maybe I can try the loader on the little Kubota tractor to help. We will see. Once the post are up I can start drilling the holes into the concrete. I have a good Bosch hammer drill and a new bit for that work. The holes have to be at least 4.25 inches. Looks to be fun.

Still Monday, but in the late afternoon. Hotter still, now 91 degrees and climbing fast. Done for the day as the four post lift is officially done. It is level, all the locking latches work correctly, it goes way up and way down. We put the wheels down and pushed it over to the middle bay, its new home. Only thing left to do is put a car on it. That is tomorrow. It goes really high too. So high I had to get a ladder to release the locking lever. It will be nice just to be able to walk under the car without stooping. Also I am sure now that the 20's cars will fit under it. The only mishap was that I filled it with fluid to the max line when the lift was half way up. When I went all the way down the system puked a couple of quarts of fluid as it was over filled. What another fine mess. I am an idiot. But all is well. No foul no harm as they say. Tomorrow's project; unpack the two post lift and figure out exactly where it is going to be placed. Measure ten times and drill once.

Still Monday, noonish. Making final adjustments on the four post lift today. I have to cinch it up on one side to make it level, but it is pretty close, maybe 1/4 of an inch. Then I have to adjust the locks so they all latch, which would be a good thing. I figure an hour and I will be done and I will feel comfortable in putting a car on it. I do have to move it to the second bay, right now it is between the first and second bay. I cleaned the garage this morning and put stuff away. Got started at 6 am to beat the heat. Lots of room now. If it does not get too hot we are going to start taking apart the two post lift. And the HVAC unit arrived. Sitting in the driveway. A neighbor is coming over with his big tractor and forks to place it in a couple of days. I have to build a pad. I am going to use surplus cinder blocks that we have in the back. Yesterday was really hot, 105 degrees on the back deck and in the shade. It is suppose to cool to 95 , but at noon it is 87. The humidity is really high also, you have to cut the air it in pieces to breathe it.

It is Monday, July 20th, AM Did I say it is hot and humid? It was 105 degrees at 5 PM yesterday. Today promises to be almost as hot. The Bella the cat got me up this morning, again, at 4 AM by sitting by the side of my head and purring. So going to grab a cup of coffee and go clean up the garage and do the level and lock check on the four post lift before the place starts to heat up. If it is Monday, we have a report from Greg. "And a good weekend it was. An anticipated run with the Model T club came close to being scrubbed due to hard rain, but when it reduced to showers we loaded the 1915 Dodge and drove to Mt Jackson, the rendezvous in the Shenandoah Valley. Attendance was down due to the weather, but a small group of us headed out. My newly replaced windshield wiper blade working perfectly. Although I'm from the Valley, we drove on roads I'd never seen before.One stop being the Orkney Springs Hotel, then over to the Bryce Resort restaurant. The weather had by then turned around and it was top down for everybody except Ed Sine in his 1928 Buick sedan. He cranked open his windshield. A vineyard/winery, a run through the covered bridge at Meems' Bottom and an ice cream stop before we called it a day. The result was a good time for a small group. And I think almost everybody got a turn cranking on the '15. Today was busy too. My son Nathan helped Rob, Mike Zerega and me trade the '14 Harvester for the '10 REO stored at Rob's Livery. It needs some attention. Wasn't time for any pics."=