[Healeys] Mind if I Rant?

[WILLIAM B LAWRENCE]

Mike,

My car has been off the road for 4 years and I am finally planning to get it into paint it this weekend. It isn't just new parts or re-pops that can vary in dimension even used or NOS parts are sometimes wrong. The fact that these cars were "hand built" and the suppliers at the time were a little sloppy with their tolerances means that any job is going to be as much a matter of luck as skill. I read or heard somewhere that Jensens had piles of panels next to their assembly line and that as the chassis came down the line they would test fit panels until they found an acceptable match. Parts like the cockpit surrounds, bonnets and deck lids were hand fitted to each car and number stamped to avoid having them mixed up. Parts from one car may have a completely different fit than those from another. Oh well, If it were easy a Ford mechanic could do it...

Congratulations on your retirement. If I had known how much I would enjoy it I would have done that first.


Bill Lawrence
BN1 #554

________________________________
From: Healeys <healeys-bounces at autox.team.net> on behalf of Mike MacLean <rrengineer.mike at att.net>
Sent: Thursday, July 11, 2019 10:19 PM
To: Jean Caron
Cc: healeys at autox.team.net
Subject: Re: [Healeys] Mind if I Rant?

Jean,
     Believe me when I say, restored old parts or NOS parts are my first choice.  Sometimes fiddling with a repop to make it fit is less work than making the part.  It seems any reproduction part needs to be "adjusted" to fit.  If I had a swear jar in the garage, I wouldn't have enough money left for food during the last week of the month.  I get my retirement income on the first.
Mike


On Jul 11, 2019 2:47 PM, Jean Caron <vintage_roadster_restoration at hotmail.com> wrote:

Mike,

If you have the old parts and they are too rusted to be used, sometimes it pays to make them yourself and drill the holes exactly where they need to be, it’s time consuming but it fits right the first time.



Jean



Sent from Mail<https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986> for Windows 10



________________________________
From: Healeys <healeys-bounces at autox.team.net> on behalf of Mike MacLean <rrengineer.mike at att.net>
Sent: Thursday, July 11, 2019 3:18:58 PM
To: healeys at autox.team.net
Subject: [Healeys] Mind if I Rant?

I am beginning to understand what a restorer friend of mine once told me.  He said he could restore three BJ8 cars in the time it took to do a 100.  Virtually no parts I have bought from the usual suspects for my BN2 are easy to install.  Nothing fits like it was made for the car.  This morning I made an attempt to bolt up the two bump stop boxes over the rear axle.  None of the holes in the part lined up with the holes in the body above the rear axle.  I will have to auger out at least three of the holes in the bump stop box to get all four bolts in.  This car is fighting me every step of the way.  I guess it's like my restorer friend who has since passed told me when he sold me that rolling frame with a few body panels on it, "Go ahead buy the car, it will give you a reason to live".  I am beginning to understand what he meant.  Half the time I am pulling my hair out and inventing new curse words, but I go out to that garage everyday and try to accomplish something on the car, even if I end up beating my head against the wall, I keep coming back.  Rant over.
Mike MacLean

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