Thread: I think we see the finish line!

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Thanks Steve and Paul. We got the bed flipped over and temporarily installed on the rpu frame, with the help of Don the other night. That was the easy part, next we decided to install the stainless steel cowl band on the front of the body. Dan and I had installed it a couple of times before, but that was when the body was in bare metal, now that it is painted Dan was sweating bullets for fear it might scratch the paint going on.

If anyone has ever installed one of these they know it takes a little finessing to get it on straight. You are trying to tighten down the band on basically a funnel shape so it keeps wanting to slide forward, out of place. With the three of us it worked out great, as Don and I could hold it in place while Dan adjusted it until it finally cinched down and stayed straight. We had a cold brew to celebrate getting that thing installed with no scratches.

Yesterday I got 95% of the final little stuff done on my 27 and got it back down on all fours. I filled up the rear end with gear lube, tightened up the brake lines to cure some little leaks that were seeping, installed the exhaust pipes and rear shocks, installed the tach and shifter.

I found out the steering wheel I wanted to use (the old flat four spoke one that I kept from my 23) wouldn't work. It is 15 inches in diameter and when I sat in the drivers seat I had no room for my knees, especially to work the clutch. So I had to go to a 13.5 deep dish wheel that I found at Pep Boys. I am not nuts about it, I liked the flat one a whole lot better, but this one works. I also found out the Zoom clutch is a WHOLE lot stiffer than the original clutch I had ran for years. The old one was a little stiff, but this one is VERY stiff. Should be a lot of fun in stop and go traffic.

Here are a couple of lousy pictures. Took them after a long day, so they are not the best ones I have ever taken, but will give some idea of where we ended up. Today I am going to push the 27 outside and wash some of the grime that has landed on it, and the plan is to drive it to the upholstery shop Saturday. Going to try to take the first trip around the block Friday, when Dan is off work. Tentatively, the plan is for my car to be in the upholstery shop until about 11/15, and when we pick it up we will drop off Dans for seats, carpet, and a top to be made. We are probably going to put Dans body only on my utility trailer and have them do the interior that way. We have NO idea how we are going to pick up the body though, even with our gantry. There is nothing to hook some rope to without scratching it, so we have to work that out in the next week or so.

Don