...out having fun or doing stuff. Because it's been like 38 hours since the last post on this site.
Me? I'm at the dog park. Earlier I got up at dawn and went for a two hour motorcycle ride out in the country. And later on, before it gets unbearably hot, I'm going to flush my Mini's cooling system and trial fit a new Chinese aluminum radiator.
I've been hiking.
I've been moving apartments.
11.gif
I've been working on the Bug......
but like Bruce says - it's HOT!
I don't know what it is about these little A series engines, but they seem to make mud in their cooling systems - the engine in the Bug is supposed to be a fresh rebuild and it was full of thick brown crap, and that's despite me changing the coolant twice - so I'm gonna do like Bruce and flush the heck out of it before I put the radiator back in.
Bruce, remember the bolts in the sides of the Chineseum radiators are metric - 6mm, not 1/4-28
Run a phosphoric acid solution with distilled water through it. Probably let it sit and do it's magic for a couple days. Metal prep from the hardware store.
At what ratio water to acid?
Mmm I'd probably do 1:1 but as diluted as 3 parts water 1 part acid would work too. I think the gallon bottle has recommended ratios. I do 1:1 on shells.
Bruce, I was thinking the same thing yesterday. We were busy keeping cool with friends at the pool.
Dan, I'm guessing that's in CO? Where about are you?
Yea it's been hot, and next weekend I'm hoping to finally put some effort into my subframes. Be fun with temps cresting the 100 mark.
Estes Park in the national park. Did 5-10 miles a day for 6 days. Highest point was 12,200 feet. 11.5k and 7 hours in the pic I posted.
That's a pretty area and a lot of hiking. Get caught by any weather? It was chasing us around the north east our whole 2 weeks. Either heat or downpours. Of course heat up there is 90 so not bad for us.
Plotting my next move from couch to garage.
Quote from: MiniDave on July 14, 2018, 08:41:05 AM
Bruce, remember the bolts in the sides of the Chineseum radiators are metric - 6mm, not 1/4-28
I appreciate the heads-up, but my Chinese radiator uses the same shorty bolts that the MiniSpares 2-core uses. I just got back from the hardware store where I got some shiny new bolts and I can confirm they are 1/4 28 fine. And I bought the radiator from EBay you recommend in another thread. They must have changed the specs.
The Chinese rad I just installed used standard mini hardware too.
Mark- mid 80s during the day and low 50s at night. One day it went from 82 to light rain to hail to 55 in about 10 minutes.
Yep, that's summer in the Rockies......
Quote from: BruceK on July 14, 2018, 02:43:39 PM
Quote from: MiniDave on July 14, 2018, 08:41:05 AM
Bruce, remember the bolts in the sides of the Chineseum radiators are metric - 6mm, not 1/4-28
I appreciate the heads-up, but my Chinese radiator uses the same shorty bolts that the MiniSpares 2-core uses. I just got back from the hardware store where I got some shiny new bolts and I can confirm they are 1/4 28 fine. And I bought the radiator from EBay you recommend in another thread. They must have changed the specs.
They must know their market!
Definitely remember those weather days living there. There was at least one day I remember started out sunny and low 70's and by night fall we had a foot of snow on the ground and temp was still dropping. Love those nightly cool downs though.
Crazy busy! I've been moving out of our house, shipping the classic mini, shipping the new Mini, shipping our household goods, and out-processing the AF. Today (Sunday) is the first day in a while where we don't have anything to do. The craziness picks back up again tomorrow
-Monday is more out-processing and clearing the house with the landlord (fingers crossed is goes well!)
-Tuesday is my final appointment with my commander and then running to get the dog her "fit to fly" certificate at the vet
-Wednesday is my final out-processing appointment on the base and then we have to drive 40 miles to drop the dog off at a kennel service that will get her to the airport
-Thursday we leave the UK, bound for San Diego! (and the rest of our lives-LOL!)
I need to get some pics posted that i snapped of the Minis at the shipping drop off points.
We'll be glad to have you home again!
Where/how will you live those last three days after all your stuff has left and you're still there? Hotel? Base temp housing?
I'll bet your bride will be happy to get settled once and for all......kids too.
My Ex married an army guy and they moved every three years as normal, my kids liked the adventure of it but regret they weren't able to have any long term friendships from when they were growing up. They've each been married 24 years now, so I guess they're making up for it! ;D
I'm in the last throws of getting ready for a week vacation trip, the highlight of which will be my grandson's wedding next Saturday, but from the way the wife has been prepping the last month you'd think we were mounting an expedition to Everest! Hell, I bet we'd take less stuff on that trip!
I've been getting the car ready for the trip and the house ready to be gone (making sure things are locked up tight, put away and not leaking (came home from a trip once and just as the garage door opened I heard the washing machine cold water hose pop - sprayed water everywhere till I could get it shut off - now I shut off the main when we leave) , changed the oil in the Audi, checked all the fluids, aired up the tires, installed the car topper, did all my laundry and so on - I won't pack till Tues morning, she's been packed up for a week now!
Quote from: MiniDave on July 14, 2018, 08:41:05 AM
I've been working on the Bug......
but like Bruce says - it's HOT!
It is indeed too freakin hot. It was 98F (38C) inside my garage yesterday afternoon with a heat index of 103. Even with a fan blowing on me I couldn't keep comfortable. It's cooler on the morning but the humidity is much higher. In the afternoon the humidity goes down a little bit but the temperature goes up. So it sucks either way. I did get a ton of mud - as Dave calls it - out of my engine. Took quite a lot of flushing for water to run clean. Same with the heater which I flushed separately. I was planning on working on my car today but it's just as hot. I think I'll enjoy the great indoors instead.
Quote from: MiniDave on July 15, 2018, 07:11:20 AM
We'll be glad to have you home again!
Where/how will you live those last three days after all your stuff has left and you're still there? Hotel? Base temp housing?
I'll bet your bride will be happy to get settled once and for all......kids too.
We're living in on-base lodging. We lucked out, I was able to make reservations several months in advance so we ended up in one of their nicer accommodations. It's a 2 bedroom unit in a duplex and it's pretty comfortable!
(https://photos.app.goo.gl/hTzmqeaXHaxLwHpu8)
Here's my last pic of my mini before shipping her off. This was from 6 July. According to the shipper's tracking system it's at the port in Southampton.
And here's the wife's MINI at the shipping drop-off location this past Thursday.
...And the Bonneville getting ready to be crated up this past Monday. This will be its 3rd trip across the Atlantic.
So you've got a Mini, a MINI, and a Bonneville?
What excellent choices! ;D
Quote from: BruceK on July 15, 2018, 10:19:05 AM
So you've got a Mini, a MINI, and a Bonneville?
What excellent choices! ;D
I missed the mark.. :-[ I have a Mini, a MINI and a Harley ! (
Oh Mike, where did you go wrong? LOL), though in fairness, I did look at Triumph's and Royal Enfields before the Harley purchase. I still am maybe interested in getting an old Triumph or Royal Enfield....someday!
Why are you shipping your Bonneville overseas?
And to the subject line....I've been in a ham radio RadioSport/Contest competition all weekend long. Recovering now.
He's coming home! 77.gif
Bruce has a MINI, a Mini and a Bonney.
I have a MINI, a Mini, a Mini and a Jaggy.... (and an Audi, to keep the "E" thing going)
Quote from: BruceK on July 15, 2018, 10:19:05 AM
So you've got a Mini, a MINI, and a Bonneville?
What excellent choices! ;D
Yup!! Great minds must think alike!!
The lame part is that I'll have to sell the Mini when we get stateside. It's not old enough to be California legal and we're headed to San Diego. I picked it up in a trade, put about £1000 into it, and the US gub'ment is shipping it back to the US for me, so why not bring another Mini into America?
Quote from: ve9aa on July 15, 2018, 11:37:05 AM
I missed the mark.. :-[ I have a Mini, a MINI and a Harley ! (Oh Mike, where did you go wrong? LOL), though in fairness, I did look at Triumph's and Royal Enfields before the Harley purchase. I still am maybe interested in getting an old Triumph or Royal Enfield....someday!
Why are you shipping your Bonneville overseas?
It's okay, Mike. Nobody's perfect! Haha JK I knew you had a Mini and a MINI, but didn't know you had a Harley. Let's see some pics!
I'm shipping the Bonneville back to the USA. I brought it to the UK when the USAF sent m and my family here 4.5 years ago. Now it's time to go home and it's coming back with us. I did buy a 1984 BMW R45 ex police bike from a dude in Newcastle two years ago. I had to sell that one here in the UK because California won't register gray market bikes. The R45 was never built for the US market. Here's a pic of it loaded up headed for its new home:
Quote from: MiniDave on July 15, 2018, 12:06:48 PM
I have a MINI, a Mini, a Mini and a Jaggy.... (and an Audi, to keep the "E" thing going)
Sweet! What sort of Jag do you have?
E-Type, it's in my sig below
Got back into town yesterday afternoon. Our upstairs in the house is being remodeled and was suppose to be finished by time we got home. It was not. So it was to the shop apartment to setup camp till Thursday (I bet longer). Jen and I spent a few hours getting it back up to living standards. Amazing how filthy I let it get, and spiders, spiders everywhere. Cobwebs all over. I probably need to look into some kind of bug bomb to keep things bug free while I'm not there. Since the main house remodel will be done, we're thinking about sprucing up the shop apartment a little next.
Interesting thread -
Hyacinth wants to re-organize the kitchen, and guess who's on vacation for the next three weeks - Hyacinth. I can't understand 'why' - everything works and the pots, pans and cookbooks all have their places. She wants to 'mess everything up' simply because she wants to sit at the small table (with me, though I've never sat there and had a cup of coffee) and sip a cup of coffee. Unbelievable - though we really should paint and hang new curtains...
Good luck, MiniGene with importing the mini and re-settling. That's a project I'm not looking forward to when I eventually move back to the States - and probably why I'm still here. It all seems quite confusing, and regulations are seemingly nebulous and change all the time. I've had the mini for 20 years, working on it and building it; I can't sell it, I'm more than emotionally attached. I regret installing disk brakes, the 998 and all the other stuff; probably should have kept the original 850 and drum brakes. I couldn't face it being seized and crushed. Who knows what the rules will be when we do decide to move.
I've got a mini and a bicycle; Hyacinth has a Yaris.
Today was back to school shopping. Mid August will be here real soon.
Currently we have a yota, yota, camaro, bug and a mini, in pieces. The camaro was to be a yota, but you can only take so much bs from a dealership before you give up. I know, 5 cars for a 2 car garage and 2 drivers. Glad the house came with the carport. And yes we have a car problem. my 85 yota pickup will probably go once the mini is back and running. Nice having 3 operational vehicles. Of course once the mini is done I have to start on the bug. Projects 4 life 77.gif
Quote from: John Gervais on July 15, 2018, 03:16:17 PM
Good luck, MiniGene with importing the mini and re-settling. That's a project I'm not looking forward to when I eventually move back to the States - and probably why I'm still here. It all seems quite confusing, and regulations are seemingly nebulous and change all the time. I've had the mini for 20 years, working on it and building it; I can't sell it, I'm more than emotionally attached. I regret installing disk brakes, the 998 and all the other stuff; probably should have kept the original 850 and drum brakes. I couldn't face it being seized and crushed. Who knows what the rules will be when we do decide to move.
John, as long as you are not moving to California with its stupidly rigid registration and smog rules, then you have no worries about importing your Mini to any of the other states in the US. The car just needs to be 25 or more years old and (technically speaking) still have an A-series engine that is 21 or more years old for the EPA portion of the import process. It doesn't matter what engine displacement is or whether you have drums or disc brakes. It's a simple process to import old Minis as long as they are not a re-VIN.
True, we don't know what future import rules will be, but there are rumors of the 25 year rule being changed to align with Canada's 15 year rule. If true, that would be great.
Quote from: BruceK on July 15, 2018, 06:06:25 PM
John, as long as you are not moving to California with its stupidly rigid registration and smog rules, then you have no worries about importing your Mini to any of the other states in the US. The car just needs to be 25 or more years old and (technically speaking) still have an A-series engine that is 21 or more years old for the EPA portion of the import process. It doesn't matter what engine displacement is or whether you have drums or disc brakes. It's a simple process to import old Minis as long as they are not a re-VIN.
True, we don't know what future import rules will be, but there are rumors of the 25 year rule being changed to align with Canada's 15 year rule. If true, that would be great.
I'd NEVER move to California - it's been ruined by too many 'Californians'. MAGA!
Then don't move to Texafornia. It's getting bad here. See it cause I lived it for 18 months.
waiting for parts...
Bug bombs ordered. Remodel way over budget...anyone needing a car painted once I knock Mark's car out?
We have a VW bug that needs stripped and painted. Big dent above the rear window too. Feel like venturing out?
I may need to!
I need a batwing fairing painted for my Harley ! It's black (they all come that way_) and I need it Sierra Sunglow (red).....shipping to the States might kill the deal.
Can you drive to New Brunswick? I'll supply the home brew beer !
How much home brew beer?
Bug bombs came in. Spent THE DAY cleaning the shop. Even hosed it out and pressure washed the front deck. House remodel is 90% done and barely livable. Tomorrow need to hit up the paint store and fix up my mini where it needed extra attention. Also had a fuse go bad in the shop and spent some time tracing which one it was.
If you ever want to argue with the wife, try a simple reorganization/light renovation of your kitchen. I haven't had the balls to ask what she's considering for curtains yet, still trying to preserve my pantry and our otherwise sensible, time-proven, functional cabinets.
We will be painting 2 walls, possibly 3, but no decision from her on the color. I managed to maintain white trim around the windows, though it might change to light friggin' grey if she insists. Ordered a killer pot rack shelf w/hooks and a utensil bar (from 'Enclume') for mounting on the wall above the café table and a pair of woven bran-flake organic pond-weed baskets for paper towel storage.
Longest week in history ...
Oh I did the kitchen myself this past year. Came out killer and didn't cost a fortune. The upstairs turned into a real mess with the contractors. I just don't have enough time to do it myself.
You're welcome to visit -
We're not hiring anybody, nor are we changing cupboards or flooring.
In fact, this is just a simple matter of repainting, hanging curtains and replacing a perfectly good, fully-functional free-standing cabinet full of pots & pans, porcelain lasagna pans, plastic storage containers, cookbooks and assorted muffin/cake/beignet 'tools'.
Because it does the job, it takes space away from 'sitting at the table' - apparently can't have that. So, I'm willing to compromise, as long as everything has a place - as it does now - all in an effort to improve 'æstetics' and provide an opportunity for us to both sit at the small kitchen table and (apparently) gaze into each others eyes. ::)
I ended up going to San Diego for a bit, and then I got this drill bit tool in the mail the other day, and my new fans came in for my Honda Element, my a/c fan still worked but the radiator fan went out, running a single fan was ok but the a/c wasn't as cold as it should be
so I replaced the two fans while I had it apart
my kids went back to school and I have to help them with homework, so that takes up most of my time
I built one of the aluminum tow hooks for my mini, still need to build the brackets to mount it to the mini, should have the mount done this weekend
Quote from: BruceK on July 14, 2018, 07:10:50 AM
...out having fun or doing stuff. Because it's been like 38 hours since the last post on this site.
Me? I'm at the dog park. Earlier I got up at dawn and went for a two hour motorcycle ride out in the country. And later on, before it gets unbearably hot, I'm going to flush my Mini's cooling system and trial fit a new Chinese aluminum radiator.
Back to working 70 hour weeks again. Ran away for two short trips this July. One to the Keys using July 4th weekend for cover. The other last weekend, I am paying dearly now.
My bigger builder shifted into overdrive, they are buying up lots and subdivisions at a pace I have never seen them run before.
All my small builders are getting too big for me to keep up.
And despite the interest rate hikes, home sales are on fire here, all my Title Companies are running at a frantic pace. It feels like 2005 all over again.
I have a list of projects both for the house and cars that I never ever seem to be able to get to.
Putting family time first, puts all those things to the back burner, especially the car stuff.
I need to stop looking here and get back to work so I can be in bed before midnight.