Made a little more progress......

[hotrod preacher]

sorry to hear the bad news......take care and i hope all works out for you all...

and if it helps any-i don't like to move either

 

[junkmagnet]

When a door slams shut, look for a window!!!

 

[donsrods]

Thanks guys. Dan is starting to pull out of this a little and has had some success with getting resumes out and stuff like that. Things are getting a little strange at my job too, it has been slow and there are vibes coming out of our home office that I don't like. These are such strange times, none of us know what tomorrow will bring.

In the meantime we are watching our money and trying to survive until things improve.

Don

 

[jfg455]

Hang in there fellas. its rough all over the US. I am still working but at a 38% cut in pay from 2 years ago. My family and I are skinnier but together and happy. Thats what counts.
On a happier note, you guys do some very nice work. I love the fab shots of the body. Bare metal is where my love sits.

 

[kelseydum]

Yeah guys, I've been dealing with this crap for over a year (being unemployed). I was laid off from 2 jobs within a month last year. One I was working 50-60 hours a week and only getting paid for 40 like Dan, but they decided to lay me off the day I got back from my honeymoon. The other I had worked for about 5 years... the last couple of years just being part time. Our family has been scraping by as well and I have just been trying to take my artwork full time.

Hang in there guys... you are DEFINITELY not alone!

 

[Hotrodsparky]

I'm there too. I'm an electrician in the Portland area, was laid off for most of
'09, back to work for a few months and now off again! It's frustrating, but the family is happy- we still have our home- and that's what's most important.

So, on that note, if anybody needs an electrician......

Randy

 

[donsrods]

Strange as this might sound, being out of work teaches you some lessons. Like not being as wasteful with money and how to survive life. They say that is why our Parents who went through the Great Depression ended up having money in the bank in later years, even though they didn't earn huge money every year. They learned to put away some for that next rainy day.

Luckily for us, my Son Dan did find a new, better job in another apartment complex, with an apartment thrown in. So, we have moved and things are getting back to normal. But he and I are both being a lot more careful about our spending.

Don

 

[ANNAMEL]

glad to hear things a looking up for ya. We gotta do what we have to do. Rods coming along nice also.

 

[donsrods]

Just a small update. The mechanical end of the 27 is all done. The engine seems to run fine now that I have torn it down and checked it 3 times. Still is a little noisy when first started until it warms up, but Keith Black Pistons and Scat tell me stroker motors tend to do that because of the short pistons and long stroke. It does sound pretty mean though and the X 303 cam is nice and lumpy.

All that is left is to finish the body and mount it. I got it block sanded and then shot 3 more coats of high build primer on it this weekend. Just have a few pinholes to fill and some more blocking, then ready for final paint. Have NO idea what color yet. I'm really hustling because the Billetproof drags are sneaking up on us fast (October) and I really want to race it this year.

Here is where the chassis and engine are, and also the body.

Don

 

[35Mastr]

Lookin good Don.

 

[CR55]

Lookin great Don!! Keep up the good work and the pics!!..CR

 

[hotrod preacher]

looks like progress to me, don [cl[cl
hope you get your "wish"... and we get to see pics of this thing flyin down the track[P


and as for color, i vote for old school single-stage black......or deep maroon......or maybe a dark navy......

 

[donsrods]

Thanks guys. Actually Preacher, those are some of the colors I have been kicking around. Problem is, every time I see another car in traffic with a color that I like I change my mind. I can't wait for this stage of the build to be over, I HATE bodywork.

Don

 

[fuzz]

For someone that doesn't like body work you're sure doing a great job on the body!! So, what shade of blue are you going to paint it??..

 

[donsrods]

Thanks Fuzz. You have no idea how close I came to actually going with a Fleet blue color the day I finally made my decision to buy the paint. I was THAT close. But in the end I decided to go with SEM Hot Rod Black, and I am sooooooooo glad I did. I sprayed the body tonight and I love it. Gastrick was a real influence in that decision, his coupe is simply perfect in satin black and I couldn't imagine his car in any other shade.

I got a few bugs in the paint and found a couple of sanding scratches I didn't see before painting it, so I am going to wet sand the entire car and reshoot it this coming weekend. But even so, I think it looks great. (Did I mention I love it? )

Here are a couple of pictures of how it looks tonight, and also a couple of the chassis that is all done and waiting to be reunited with the body for the first time in 11 years.

Don

 

[jfg455]

Oooohhhhhh! So sexy in black! I like it! [dr

 

[donsrods]

Thanks, I do too. Final color is so hard to pick. I know a lot of people knock cars that aren't shiny, somehow feeling it is a shortcut, but I like satin on some and think they actually look better than being shiny. I think with the contrasting chrome/polished aluminum it will look ok when all together.

Don

 

[hotrod preacher]

man that thing looks good!

as for as the bugs in the paint, i couldn't even begin to think about painting a car around these parts at nite in the summer---WAY to many bugs attracted to lites etc. to do it

my best summer time painting was done early a.m. like 6-ish before the humidity really kicked, but after the bugs retired for the nite

i'm looking forward to this car going together more and more all the time[P

 

[jfg455]

Im looking to do my 35 pickup in a dark green with most of the shiney parts being nickeled and poished instead of chrome. I was hoping to get the paint to lay out like the old lacher used to. It was shiney but it was not the hard shine that the modern clears have. I will likely have to play with the mix some to get it right. Used to restore MG's with my dad in the 80's and early 90's. long before base clear systems. Just lots of color coats and lots of blocking, buffing, blocking, buffing, rubbing.....[cl

 

[donsrods]

Dan and I spent all day Friday wet sanding the body to get rid of some of the little ****oos from the first spray job. Saturday night the rain let up and the temp was perfect, so we shot it again. Dan bought me a new, better spray gun for Fathers Day, and it made a whole lot of difference. The paint flowed on like it should, and although is still isn't a professional job done in a booth, it came out ok for me. I can live with it this time.

Tonight we put the tail lights in and temporarily installed the windshield. I am taking the windshield to a glass shop tomorrow to get either the present glass cut straight across, or, failing that, new glass cut and installed.

Here are some pictures from tonight. I also took some of Dans car, which is also just about ready to shoot primer on. He looks happy that this build is finally coming to an end.

Don