Well as some of you already know I spend almost all of my spare time trying to fix up my local bike trails.
10-20 hours a week for the past few months and around 10 hours a week for the past 4 years prior to that.
(All of which has to fit around a 36.5 hour working week and running two web sites).
So I don't get left with much time where im motivated to work more.
 
For those of you interested in what I have been doing while im not on here... here is a link to my other web page.
www.mtbtrailcare.com
 
I have decided to take a break from it over the xmas break, so hopefuly that means my 1000 can see some love again.
 
I bought half of an early heater from "Tonka" (Thank you David).
I decided to make a start on fixing up what I have.
 
Firstly I decided to fix up the aluminium sticker from the front of the heater.

 
After years of use, the aluminium had a collection of dents & bumps.
So I decided to use some acetone to remove the old glue from the rear of the sticker and then roll it all flat again over a flat surface covered in a cloth.
 
I rolled with the writing face down firmly, then flipped it over like in the pic above and gently rolled the aluminium flat again.
After a few passes it is now looking great.
 
I have also removed the old stickers on the side of my heater, im not sure if i will use these or make new ones yet, either way I need them in one piece.

molasses 10:1 water ratio and wait

My farm friends use fruits like peaches, plums and apricots instead
Seems Fructose and other Plant sugars do the job of converting
rust due to the chemical reaction of phosphoric acid formation.
Im doing my engine blocks this way to rid the rusty gunk inside.

Hooooo amazing job,
 
congrats!

sweet hot box massaging B20  I think lube will help it drying out and rusting on the inside 

After much time and saving I have finaly sorted out some new wheels for my 1000.
 
I purchased a set of Gloria-Supersharks from Otomoto and then had them refurbished localy. I have new tyres on them now so it's time to fit these.
 
For those interested in sizes they are...
 
14 inch Rims, 6 inch width, +14 offset and 4x114.3 bolt patern.
Tyres R14, 175, 60.
 
I still need to buy new wheel nuts and fit new grerese caps to the front hubs.
 

wow, look tops mate,
size looks perfect,
are you gonna drop the back an inch?

funny d, lol
i was gonna ask exactly that as well....
if they are painted,  the paint may be removable?
 
its something i thought about when looking at others painted as well..
 
i like the stainless also..

The drivers door is missing the chrome trim, the door frame itself is painted
It is one part that I really want to buy, but have not yet found one for sale.
 
I will be lowering the rear an inch or so and Im happy with the height on the front
 
I have no idea about the paint code as the car had been repainted before I bought it.
I have some small repairs to do in the future, so will need to get some paint matched.
If I remember to do so i'll list the paint recipe in my build diary.

Well I have wired up my speakers, screwed the speaker mounts down in each corner of the wood with tiny nuts and bolts, using big washers to ovellap the original metal of the car, but not add any holes to the car.
I glued down some closed cell foam on the under side of my parcel shelf.
 
The 6x9's distort before anything in the car vibrates, So im pleased with my results there.
 
 
On to bigger news... I have made up a new dash pad over the weekend and have just finished it off after work today.
 
I covered my dash with masking tape, made a trough infront of my dash with even more masking tape and a length of timber, then placed drop sheets over everything else.
I drew lines with a nikko pen to define the areas i needed to fibreglass.
Then I gave all the masking tape a coat of vaseline to act as my release agent.

 
I brushed everything down with a layer of resin and got into laying fibreglass (2 layers, waited for it to firm up a little and then added a third layer).

 
I was very careful not to build up the edges too much and create a part bigger than the hole it needs to come out of.
Luckily it came out very easyily, although it was a little tight in the corners because of it's width.

 
After a rough trim it is already looking like a dash.

 
I sanded down my high points and added a thin wipe of pink body filler into the lows.
Knocked the highs down again, added a few coats of spray putty and gave it all a final sand & one last fine trim around some edges.

 
Then spray glued everything and wraped it in black vinyl.

 
Here it is in place.

 
I am very pleased with how this finished up, it was my first attempt at Fibreglass and also trimming something in vinyl that has 3D shape to it.
 
Ash.