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Moseso
Jedi Knight
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A TR3 story continued:
As you may recall, I got sideswiped in my recently "completed" TR3 last July. More back-story here, for those who need it.
I took it to the body shop of Jamie Harrison, who had helped me with painting on the first go-round. We had finished the frame, the underside of the tub and the engine bay -- such that any further work wouldn't require the body to come off again. Being out of money, I had Jamie refrain from repairing all the dents, wrinkles and holes in the top side, and just paint it in flat Powder Blue epoxy primer. That made it more of a 30-footer than a 10-footer, but it ran great and there was no bare metal to rust. I figured I was good for a few years that way.
Then I got nailed. The insurance settlement was entirely fair. So, when I took it to Jamie last Fall, he told me that he wanted to go over the whole car and make it right. I provided an eBay door to replace the crunched one, and did all the disassembly in his shop. i.e. took off all the lights, hinges, handles, beading and everything else that would be in his way as he straightened out my body. I was set to do reassembly when he was done, too. Given, my labor, the parts I provided, the insurance check and an actual pittance of extra money, I was going to get a shiny new-looking car.
He called me the last week of March and told me to come and get to work. I spent three days in his shop fitting all the pieces back together enough to drive it away. It has taken me since then to do the interior trim. I refit the side screens yesterday. Really, all that's left is carpet. Of course, I've been driving it more than working on it.
An interesting side light: My (I rebuilt it) steering box had been leaking -- not a lot, but my clean shiny frame had oil on it there, and a floor spot below that. I figured I must have screwed-up the oil seal on the shaft when assembling it, and was weighing the alternatives of pulling and redoing the box, or living with it. On the first day of reassembly, I took a good look at the box and realized that the TOP of the box was where the oil appeared to be coming from. Hmmmm? So I reached down to the fill plug on the box and twisted it with my fingers. It moved. Apparently, I'd never properly tightened it. Since being tightened, it no longer leaks oil!
The car looks better than it did in 1959! I am ambivalent about this. For instance, an unexpected consequence: The other day I noticed an accumulation of DUST on my car -- and I CARED! No one told me this would happen! I'll be 60 in June, and I have NEVER owned a car that looked this "new." I don't quite know how to handle it -- and don't know if I can adapt.
Anyone needing body shop services on a "specialty car" in the upper Midwest, is welcome to contact me for instructions on how to find Jamie Harrison. Top notch work done by a guy who couldn't be easier to work with!
Finally --- No, I haven't taken any dang pictures of it yet -- but I WILL -- and I'll post 'em here soon. -- and change my avatar to reflect my current good fortune and station in life.
As you may recall, I got sideswiped in my recently "completed" TR3 last July. More back-story here, for those who need it.
I took it to the body shop of Jamie Harrison, who had helped me with painting on the first go-round. We had finished the frame, the underside of the tub and the engine bay -- such that any further work wouldn't require the body to come off again. Being out of money, I had Jamie refrain from repairing all the dents, wrinkles and holes in the top side, and just paint it in flat Powder Blue epoxy primer. That made it more of a 30-footer than a 10-footer, but it ran great and there was no bare metal to rust. I figured I was good for a few years that way.
Then I got nailed. The insurance settlement was entirely fair. So, when I took it to Jamie last Fall, he told me that he wanted to go over the whole car and make it right. I provided an eBay door to replace the crunched one, and did all the disassembly in his shop. i.e. took off all the lights, hinges, handles, beading and everything else that would be in his way as he straightened out my body. I was set to do reassembly when he was done, too. Given, my labor, the parts I provided, the insurance check and an actual pittance of extra money, I was going to get a shiny new-looking car.
He called me the last week of March and told me to come and get to work. I spent three days in his shop fitting all the pieces back together enough to drive it away. It has taken me since then to do the interior trim. I refit the side screens yesterday. Really, all that's left is carpet. Of course, I've been driving it more than working on it.
An interesting side light: My (I rebuilt it) steering box had been leaking -- not a lot, but my clean shiny frame had oil on it there, and a floor spot below that. I figured I must have screwed-up the oil seal on the shaft when assembling it, and was weighing the alternatives of pulling and redoing the box, or living with it. On the first day of reassembly, I took a good look at the box and realized that the TOP of the box was where the oil appeared to be coming from. Hmmmm? So I reached down to the fill plug on the box and twisted it with my fingers. It moved. Apparently, I'd never properly tightened it. Since being tightened, it no longer leaks oil!
The car looks better than it did in 1959! I am ambivalent about this. For instance, an unexpected consequence: The other day I noticed an accumulation of DUST on my car -- and I CARED! No one told me this would happen! I'll be 60 in June, and I have NEVER owned a car that looked this "new." I don't quite know how to handle it -- and don't know if I can adapt.
Anyone needing body shop services on a "specialty car" in the upper Midwest, is welcome to contact me for instructions on how to find Jamie Harrison. Top notch work done by a guy who couldn't be easier to work with!
Finally --- No, I haven't taken any dang pictures of it yet -- but I WILL -- and I'll post 'em here soon. -- and change my avatar to reflect my current good fortune and station in life.
MOSES 
