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PostPosted: March 13, 2018, 8:30 am 
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Yupper, I was thinking old salvaged hard flooring would look nice and be about the right width.
Dave W


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PostPosted: March 13, 2018, 12:16 pm 
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Hmmmm. Salvaged flooring........ That's an idea I hadn't thought of. Un-refinished (is that a word?) would make a great working-truck's floor. If scale of size were not an issue, recycled bowling ally or boxcar flooring might be good too.

Looking at salvaged hardwood on ebay and craigslist, it comes at a premium price compared to new. Unless I could find a home being torn down.... That may just be too much work. Thinking about that, it IS too much work. :cheers:

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“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

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PostPosted: March 13, 2018, 3:04 pm 
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Hey Chuck-
Remember the Carbon (Vinyl) Fiber (Sticker) dash in the Slotus? You could do something similar and go with a (Cheap ply-)wood floor (plus stickers) for your Truckster...

Or you could always salvage wood-grain panels off an old Chrysler mini-van. (Bonus points if you get the panels off a van with tags on it parked at Wal Mart!) :mrgreen:

Just tryin' to be helpful... :rofl:

JDK

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Quinn the Slotus:Ford 302 Powered, Mallock-Inspired, Tube Frame, Hillclimb Special
"Gonzo and friends: Last night must have been quite a night. Camelot moments, mechanical marvels, Rustoleum launches, flying squirrels, fru-fru tea cuppers, V8 envy, Ensure catch cans -- and it wasn't even a full moon." -- SeattleTom


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PostPosted: March 26, 2018, 2:59 pm 
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I've been slaving away at the bed. Just about done. Pics to follow.

However, in the mean time, I've always had been thinking about my next automotive project. That is until something unrelated just pops into my weak brain. For instance, there is a barn find car listed for 3-4 months on Craigslist that has been one of my all time favorite kit cars. A Fiberfab Jamaican. This one is built on a TR-4 chassis. I sent a note to the seller but never received a reply. That may be the reason it is still on Craigslist.

I've also been thinking about building another more traditional Locost, built around an old Brit car. I was thinking about a MG midget or maybe a MGB. No rush on this. Just been thinking and keeping my eye open.

My other dream is to build an MGB-GT into a cruiser using Miata bits with IRS 5 speed and A/C. I think it would be a fun, challenging project.

So today I'm perusing Craigslist and I find a MG Midget for really low $$. It has everything I need to start that Locost build. But here's the kicker, he also has an MGB-GT for just a little bit more. So what to do? I floated this idea to my wife and she said that the GT needs to be saved. But something else has to go. If I build the GT highway cruiser, I'd also have to disect a Miata along the way. Then the unused MG running gear would be available for the Locost. here is my problem, I hate rust and I know I just don't have the room to keep all these cars. Even if I do build the MGB-GT, I know that I'd have to get rid of it when it came time to build the Locost.

I may be just dreaming (out loud) but it is an interesting dilemma. WWJDD?

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“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766


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PostPosted: March 27, 2018, 6:32 am 
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I may be just dreaming (out loud) but it is an interesting dilemma. WWJDD?
Rent storage space! Hide the B-GT there while you're building the Locost! Bring it back out later... Smile convincingly... and take the beating... :mrgreen:

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Quinn the Slotus:Ford 302 Powered, Mallock-Inspired, Tube Frame, Hillclimb Special
"Gonzo and friends: Last night must have been quite a night. Camelot moments, mechanical marvels, Rustoleum launches, flying squirrels, fru-fru tea cuppers, V8 envy, Ensure catch cans -- and it wasn't even a full moon." -- SeattleTom


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PostPosted: March 28, 2018, 10:33 am 
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JD, If wifey dearest has an immediate physical reaction to this, can I come stay by you while the bruises heal? Well, that will not be an issue because I have not had a reply from the MG seller! It appears to be another dead lead. He's got 4 MG's and several boats listed right now. All of them need a lot of work. All scattered around the yard from the pictures I've seen. Maybe the city has given him "x" number of days to clean things up? All is for the best probably.

So here are the photos of the reassembled bed that I promised, all in self-etching primer.
The fenders mount up to the chassis. They need to be assembled when I mount the bed. I might have to relocate the battery box that I made depending on my final solution or access; along with the plate that holds the electric fuel pump, starter solenoid and Voltage regulator. Those were originally temporarily mounted just to get things running.

I have been thinking about final paint colors. I'll be using bedliner for the interior walls. For the bed's outside and fenders, it will be easier for me to just keep the original off-white. That way, if I decide to not do the front end immediately, it won't look too bad. I am thinking about using ACE Hardware Alkyd Enamel. From internet reports, (they must be right, right?) it is very much like Rustoleum Stops-Rust. But the advantage is that the ACE product is available in a tintable base. I can bring a sample for them to scan and then they can match the color. Then I get to decide if I use a hardener or not....... Any ideas?


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Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766


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PostPosted: March 28, 2018, 10:36 am 
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BTW, sorry for the poor pictures. It seems that maybe, just maybe, I shouldn't have had my cell phone in my shirt pocket while I was sandblasting :shock: A new rear cover is on order. In a true, locost manner, I will be attempting to replace the gorilla glass rear cover that should fix that. :mrgreen:

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Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766


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PostPosted: March 28, 2018, 3:44 pm 
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rx7locost wrote:
JD, If wifey dearest has an immediate physical reaction to this, can I come stay by you while the bruises heal?
Chuck, you are welcome at my house any time. (Really!) However, I suspect that after a few days of working on the Slotus you'd run screaming all the way back to Chicago and beg the wifey to let you back in... :rofl:

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Quinn the Slotus:Ford 302 Powered, Mallock-Inspired, Tube Frame, Hillclimb Special
"Gonzo and friends: Last night must have been quite a night. Camelot moments, mechanical marvels, Rustoleum launches, flying squirrels, fru-fru tea cuppers, V8 envy, Ensure catch cans -- and it wasn't even a full moon." -- SeattleTom


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PostPosted: March 29, 2018, 6:28 pm 
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I appreciate the offer. That won't be necessary. I received a text from the seller. The BGT has been sold and is no longer available. He said he has 3 MG convertibles, none of which I was interested in. Are you interested? :roll:

BTW, I can't run 100 yds anymore let alone 1000 miles back home. WTF were you trying to do to me, Kill me? :cheers:

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Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766


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PostPosted: March 30, 2018, 7:38 am 
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rx7locost wrote:
BTW, I can't run 100 yds anymore let alone 1000 miles back home. WTF were you trying to do to me, Kill me? :cheers:


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However, I suspect that after a few days of working on the Slotus you'd run screaming out the shop door, get in your car and drive carefully all the way back to Chicago and beg the wifey to let you back in...


There, fixed it for you. I started to say "drive 53mph in the left lane with the blinker on" but I remembered you're not from South Florida! :mrgreen:

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JD, father of Quinn, Son of a... Build Log
Quinn the Slotus:Ford 302 Powered, Mallock-Inspired, Tube Frame, Hillclimb Special
"Gonzo and friends: Last night must have been quite a night. Camelot moments, mechanical marvels, Rustoleum launches, flying squirrels, fru-fru tea cuppers, V8 envy, Ensure catch cans -- and it wasn't even a full moon." -- SeattleTom


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PostPosted: March 30, 2018, 5:21 pm 
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Today’s subject is: "Adventures in Paint" ( or "Don't Believe Everything You Read on the Internet"): After much research and self-deliberation, I have decided to use Rustoluem Alkyd Enamel for the bed. I have since learned that there is no tintable Rustoleum offered, so that leaves that out. But there is a Rustoleum equivalent from Ace called "Rust Stop", (or is it Stop Rust?) Reports say that Ace Hardware can scan your paint and match your color in their paint. So today, I took a piece or the Cushman up to the local Ace store. I looked on the shelf first but couldn’t find the tintable base, only premixed colors. With help from the clerk, we found out that yes, it is available but they don’t carry it. It would require me to order 4 gallons (1 case) from the warehouse.
Well that won’t work.

Another store might have it though. The clerk called the next town’s Ace and they carried the tint base but they didn’t have the mixing equipment. I’m not sure if the color tints for oil are different from latex based paints, or exactly what their problem was. That store just couldn’t do everything that I needed to have done. So I asked my clerk if they would be willing to tint it if I bought the paint from a different store. If you didn’t already know, Ace is franchised, not owned by the Ace Hardware Store Company. They thought about it and said let’s find out first if we can mix it.

They scanned the Cushman part for color but couldn’t find the Rust Stop in the list of selectable paints that the computer displayed. They could select from any number of paint brands except the Rust Stop. Naturally I asked if any of them were Alkyd Enamel Exterior. Turns out that they can’t look up what the type of paints they are. Again, computers! We would have to search for each one on the shelf and see what the can said. The clerks there was very kind and spent a lot of time trying to be helpful, She just didn’t know much about what they had. I ended up buying a 4 oz of Rustoleum White and 4oz of Rustoleum Almond. And was on my way. I might find a ratio that would work.

I was going past a 3rd Ace Hardware so decided WTH, I’ll stop and see what they could do for me. There they had the tintable base Stop Rust on the shelf in 3 different bases. Talked to the clerk. Sure they can scan my part and match the color. Well, let’s just do it then. Unfortunately for yours truly, their computer didn’t have the oil-based Rust Stop in the system, only the water based Rust Stop version. Not what I wanted. The clerk did try mixing up a qt up with the computerized tinting machine with the formula the computer said. It turned out to be totally wrong. Time to get the more senior person to assist. He looked too and didn’t find the base paint’s p/n listed in the computer. He called Ace technical support. Turns out that the computer scan/match has only formulas for the various latex paints codes in it.

If we could find a good match using any of the latex color samples in the store. He could give us the formula for oil based Rust Stop paint. He only needed a color name but we would have to use the older manual tinting equipment. We spent about 10-15 minutes looking through various color books and samples and finally found one shade/color that was pretty close. The paint clerk said we could try it and if we needed to tweak it a bit darker afterwards, he could do it the old fashioned way, by trial and error with a bit of experience added. He called Ace tech support back with the color name and in less than a minute we had a mix formula. So off we go to the old manual machine. One of the tint colors was pretty clogged up. He had to mix it up before he could dispense that one. I asked how often he uses this old tint equipment. He said maybe once every 3 or 4 weeks!

I now have a gallon of paint that should be real close to 1974 Cushman cream/white. I put a dab on the painted panel and am waiting for it to dry. It is a pretty close match, maybe just a tad brighter. I will know in a day or 2 if I have to adjust the paint a bit.

The lesson for today ends with, "if anyone tells you that Ace can scan a color and then mix that color in oil based Rust Stop Enamel, tell them BS!"

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“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766


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PostPosted: April 15, 2018, 10:34 am 
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Chapter 2 in: "Adventures in Paint". After beating and priming and filling and priming and filling....., At some time, I have to say enough is enough, I won't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. It came time to lay down some paint. I'll be the first to admit that I am no expert. Heck It's been 40 years since I last sprayed a fiberglass boat that I restored. Using a 10% cut with VM&P Naptha and enamel hardener, I had a go at it. I decided that the shade of paint from the store was "close enough for government work" and didn't look back.

I started by taking a rag and, attached it to a wire. I soaked the rag in paint, and then after squirting a few CC's of paint down the tube, I pulled the rag thru the tubes, first in one direction, then the other. Hopefully it will slow down further corrosion in the tubes. I did the same in the 4 stake pockets. I cleaned up any drips and let it dry overnight. Then came time to do the spraying. I used a HF HVLP gun that I purchased years ago for another project but never used. I painted the first coat. It took about 10 oz of paint. which was all I mixed in the 1st batch. I think it went on a bit heavy but no runs. I did a short cleaning of the gun and decided to put on a 2nd coat. Well that was a mistake! as soon as I applied air to the gun, paint came running out of the air holes in the nozzle. and a big spurt of paint went across the room, hitting some freshly painted, but still wet paint on the front and inside of the bed and the floor, the garage door and a few other things. I wiped the paint off the freshly painted bed, leaving only a little paint damage. I then cleaned the gun real well this time and shot the 2nd coat. That coat covered the paint-spurt damage pretty well.

I still have the fenders and tailgate to paint, along with the underside of the bed. But so far, so good. I think I'll thin out the paint a bit more this time in hopes of laying down a smoother coat.


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Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766


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PostPosted: April 15, 2018, 12:18 pm 
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There are 2 access covers that are supposed to be on the front of the cowl. Mine were missing. Finding replacements are, most likely, only found on the used market if at all. I made a forming buck (a.k.a. a block of particle board shelving). Then, using the skills learned when building my locost and some scrap aluminum left over from that build, I beat these into submission. Not too bad for a man in a shed. IMO.


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Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766


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PostPosted: April 15, 2018, 2:55 pm 
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Damn those look good!!!! Looks OEM to me. Russ

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PostPosted: April 16, 2018, 7:46 am 
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Yep, what Russ said... Lookin' good, Chuck! The paintwork and the cover pieces look good from my house!
:cheers:
JDK

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Quinn the Slotus:Ford 302 Powered, Mallock-Inspired, Tube Frame, Hillclimb Special
"Gonzo and friends: Last night must have been quite a night. Camelot moments, mechanical marvels, Rustoleum launches, flying squirrels, fru-fru tea cuppers, V8 envy, Ensure catch cans -- and it wasn't even a full moon." -- SeattleTom


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