Shop Happenings, End of March 2019

The NMCA race in Commerce, GA is coming up, so a lot of the focus has been on getting ready for that. Today, it was on the lift having the underside inspected and tightened. The torque converter bolts were pulled and had some Locktite applied, and then the death grip applied. A couple of small leaks were addressed, and all nuts and bolts tightened. The passenger seat was pulled and weighed (36 pounds) and thread-certs pressed in the floorboards so I can quickly remove the seat without help, and without having to climb under the car.

Last week the oil was changed, slicks swapped sides, valves run, the vacuum tanks puke tank relocated, the hood repaired and dropped of to the paint shop. I pick it up tomorrow and put it on Thursday. The car will get washed Friday, and loaded up Monday. We leave Tuesday mid-day.

Late last week was Spring Cleaning in the shop. Everything was moved out, the floors scrubbed and as much of the red paint over-spray from painted under the wagon’s engine compartment cleaned off the floor. Today the cars moved back in.

My Shop Rat washed the motorhome and stacker last week, and while he was reroofing the shed today, my youngest daughter Hope (she goes to college during the day and works late afternoons as my “Assistant Shop Rat”) polished the wheels on both.

The wheels and rear bumper found their way onto the Screamin’ Woody. Hopefully the engine assembly will start soon. Waiting on rotation assembly still. The pistons and rings are in, and their weight sent to Molnar to balance the crank. Some over-spray from painting under the hood got onto the new Lexan. The “Assistant Shop Rat” spent some time today clay barring it off, and will finish tomorrow. I bought some Gold hammertone paint, and she’ll paint the wagon’s roll bars with two coats of that while I’m racing.

A couple years ago, I made a strap rack out of some scrap metal. I mounted it and a Pit Pal fire bottle holder with some #10 self tapping screws. On the last trip both unmounted themselves. Today I drilled some bigger holes and filled them with rivet style thread-certs. I then applied Liquid Nails to the backside and screwed them down.



A little cleaning left to do in the stacker before loading up for the race. I bought some closed cell foam rubber (Yoga Mats) that needs to be mounted under the Strap Holders.

Finally, the 60 Plymouth Post car I’m putting together as a weathered Petty Nascar got the underside of the hood painted Petty Blue.

The next report will be the race report.

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