In the workshop at present

[Grumpy Northener]

[quoteTop work, as always][/quote]

All moral support is greatly appreciated - It may appear that I am top of this one but it's so easy to under estimate the amount of work still required and I have a strict timeline - this body shell needs to be in basecoat & lacquer, polished and looking fabulous - 100 miles up the road at the NEC on the 31st March - Just to maintain the pressure - I have some other work booked in March which is likely to clash with the Javelin progress

Alongside this I must 'MUST' progress works on our large 20 sq metre kitchen + separate utility (new everything floors / damp proof courses / ceilings / plaster / rewire / plumbing / stone mullion windows etc) otherwise SWMBO will dissect my nuts - I have only being dragging this out for the last two & half years - so I have no more excuses (Yes I have tried to get building trades in to undertake the work but I am completely pi**ed off with paying good money for sub standard work - I always end up rectifying what they have done / haven't done and should have done right in the first place) That said - I am the worst person in the world to work for BUT in my defence I always tell them that I have high standards and expect the best before they start - and still they go and make a pigs ear of it - then expect paying for it - I now put it in writing before they start that if it is not to the expected standard they don't get paid - needless to say most of them book the work in then never turn up / never answer the phone to me - I wonder why that is then

Then outside is two motors that I bought for sale stock that remain untouched along with my Javelin & the Rover that also remain untouched - SWMBO has stolen / taken ownership of my 18 month old Mokka (great car by the way) after her 9 year old Corsa (owned from new) developed early signs of head gasket failure - so I now need to find a motor for the business

Ho and did I mention that I am the stand manager for the club at the NEC show ? - no pressure then Chris

Sometime it pays to have the workshop within 30 seconds of the bed

[Grumpy Northener]

More done today - so rear shrouds & upper edges of both rear wings profiled - refitted the wings for final fitting check - the joining gap is hidden by a piping bead once the shell & panels are painted

[Grumpy Northener]

Then rear wings back off and inner rear wing areas prepped for paint - primed the area that bumper irons mount to so they can go back on in the morning and the bodyshell can then go back on to the chassis tiliter to allow me to rotate the shell and access the underside of the chassis for prep & paint

[Grumpy Northener]

Front wings off to allow for prep of the underside of the panels along with the inner wings & bulkhead area, again I primed the bumper iron mounting areas in advance of refitting to the chassis tilter - then spent an hour or so vacuuming / blowing out the two chassis box sections (loads of debris in them) - doors can come off in the morning prior to rotating the shell over and prepping the underside and there is about an hours work sorting out a weak panel area adjacent to the offside rear shock absorber mounting

[Grumpy Northener]

Back on to the tilter - and over to complete the last of the profile work on the nearside roof edge / gutter channel - meanwhile the underside of the panels were prepped - bonnet & boot - took the opportunity to template the boot liner for the inside of the lid which will be cut from milboard

[Grumpy Northener]

Last of the welding - this is the rear upstand to the back seat but immediately to the rear of the dodgy looking / hacked panel is the rear upper shock absorber mounting which are a weak point on the car - so cut it out - replated, strengthened and cleaned back

[Grumpy Northener]

The all the way over on the tilter to clean & prep the underside ready for primer - and not quite on target has I had aimed to get the polyester on it today - however it is ready to go - just a quick clean up in the workshop in the morning and I can start to coat it up

[Grumpy Northener]

So shell now in polyester spraying filler & several panels coated up this evening - just leaves both back wings & both offside doors plus a load of minor parts to get to the same stage tomorrow

[vulgalour]

Well now it looks like you've not done anything to the shell at all and it's just been made. Sign of a job very well done is that.

[Grumpy Northener]

Meanwhile I have the owner of the Bradford due with me on Monday to deliver some parts - so I need to make it look like I have done something - continued with the roof radius panels - repaired & trial fitted - edges shrunk and trialed again