Grizz' Prozac for the Soul - Berlingo Multispace

[Grizz]

TFossil fuel replenishment.

Did quite a bit of driving this weekend.

And of course the V8 sound is so bloody sweet in this truck and consequently tends to make you want to drive it, accelerate it and just have the windows down. So you use more gas as your grin gets bigger.

I also try to gas up as different stations every time, its become a bit of a thing for me, even if I just dribble in 10-15 litres at a time.

So today I popped over to Mate Martins place as I have not been there for a while, and he has been restoring two houses simultaneously after which I hit the motorway for a bit, then made my way back to Rochester.

Life’s a Gas Gas Gas....



Takes up some space even though these are modern, large parking bays.

Interesting how Prozac my Berlingo gets lost in the same spaces.

Guess it is a small car that packs such a cool big punch.

Well beyond it’s weight category 



Front view is wide, over 6 foot in fact.

[Grizz]

I was looking at a picture this morning while on holiday in Spain of the Blazer without the trims and stripes, and thinking how much better it now looks with stripes.

Funny how the little things, like looking out and seeing this lump,outside now makes me smile.

Now we just need that grill and steering wheel sorted to complete the next step of the

Q-car

transformation!!

Made me chuckle. 


A bit like this view yesterday walking back to the car park 


It has a presence for sure.

[Grizz]

Not said much about Dennis’ gas station build recently as he gas been painting, finishing and cursing mostly.

One of the recent purchases was an air unit for pumping tyres.





Almost done.



A recent question about the size of roads and parking, prompted this pic.... 
welcome to England and car parking on street.

For us over here it’s normal, but of course in the good old USA and other sunny countries where space is less of an issue, this causes panic attacks.



Today Prozac worked again, and a photo opportunity presented itself after I put out a wanted ad on a local Facebook group for some 47kg gas bottles.



Collected, in the back.



Back home, unloaded.

Needs cleaning.

Any guess what or why for??



More in a bit.

[Grizz]

ooh!

[Image: 23422590_1.jpg?v=8D2CC43BC161460]

aah!

Like this, except not as pretty.



There you go.

Ideas to start with.

[Grizz]

Right.

Back to our regular transmission of Non Projecty Blazer actions.


Remember the steering wheel and horn button dilemma plus the standard grille? 

Today a Scotsman called Kevin Bruce replied to my FB request wit a complete steering wheel and not one but two standard grilles.

Of course I already bought the new in box grille that has been collected by Kevin up in Derbyshire and is now waiting for me to head over there tomorrow night to party I to the new year and collect.

The steering wheel looked like the one Ian has sent by courier but then Dennis immediately picked up that it was different, with a wider button, so I said it to Kevin and he replied that he also had just a single narrow horn button and that I could have that for nothing, he would pop it in the post ASAP.

Stars align some times.



After collecting and dropping off the gas bottles with Prozac, I headed to the industrial estate to find some different sizes of electric heat shrink, as I am going to go through all the wires on the truck and solder and heat seal every joint.

While there I bought a few cans of white primer and white spray paint for the Blazer 
For various jobs that will be needing doing. £41.00 later.



Why all the paint, you may ask me.

Because some of the panels and paint look like this, not all of it, but there are small repairs to be done over time, just to turn it from 50yard truck to 10 yard truck, or even closer.



Last night......

Reversing in the dark, down the side of my house, I managed to do this stupid thing.

So it needed to be addressed sooner than later.

Fortunately, only 23 layers of paint damaged, no metal damage.



Sanded back, masked and wiped panel down.
Primed, drying helped with heat gun.
Then three coats of paint applied with heat gun gently helping dry it all between coats.



And as good as it gets after dark.

Tomorrow fine water paper to remove small ridge and to blend old and new paint, minimal polish. As it needs to blend with shite paint in place.

As good as it will be getting.

I call it done.

[Grizz]

For a “Non Project” this Blazer certainly gets a lot of attention and gifts, and parts and effort bestowed on it.

This morning early the doorbell went, while I was still in bed with my iPad, cuppa tea and of course the cat and internet for forum catch up.

Chirpy lady at the door said: You seem to keep me in work, Thank you and Happy New Year” and handed me a parcel.

What could it be.........??

Answers on a post card.





In other news, “Pistonpopper” offered me this.......

Not the car, to add to the roofrack I am still looking for during summer show season. 

At 9 foot it is a bit tall/long but I do like the decidedly 80’s feel of the graphics on it too.




Almost time for a drink, later.

But now headed out to go investigate a small Ford Courier pickup truck Imdidcovered in a yard recently, it is either a 1980 or 1981 model and was last given an MOT road test in 2006.

I wonder what the implication is of a vehicle that has not been declared SORN in this time for a potential new owner.

[Grizz]

And so 2019 broke on us.

Perfect day, sunshine, chilly, DRY....!!



Slow start indoors culminated in cutting the grass, as it was really scruffy, but had the mower set quite high as the lawn is waterlogged, or at least very soft n soggy, but happy it’s done.



Then chatted with various friends around the world, from Stas in Siberia to Ray in Iowa and of course Dennis in Missouri and my brother in South Africa.

Followed by Truck Time.

What better way is there to starting the year.

This Blazer that certainly still is “Not a Project” was going to get some attention.

And both were small jobs that in my opinion have delivered and then some.

It really has wrapped up the last three months worth of Ups n Downs, and you all know where we started.
I certainly have done more and spent more than intended.
But it’s come together really well.


First job, take a starting point photo.




Then remove the aluminium grille that will go into the for sale pile.

 

Reassemble 



Compared to the starting point.




And then the Money Shot.



Harley had been there all day, helping.

She is a funny cat......

Once I reversed the truck back from the lawn to start on the second job, which would be the steering wheel replacement, I went to the house to grab a coffee.

When I got back, this was what I found.

Catscan Approved 




More in a while.

[jj9]

"Looking good kid"

Love the look the new grill gives it  



.

[Grizz]

Thank you jj9



Second New Years job....

Fitting the steering wheel Ian Brown had sent me from his stash to replace the Moto-Lita one that came with the truck.

Undoing and removing it was so easy. I had expected a fight.



Seems there are still some bits missing here.






Surprise discovery.

Cruise control.



My little Klingon was with me all day again,  being a real pain in the butt.

But she makes me chuckle at her insistence to help and get in the way.



Fitted new wheel.

Amazing how off centre the centre actually is.

No horn push yet



And at the end of the day......

Two small jobs done, but both were jobs I really wanted to get done.

Rock n Roll.




So what next....??

[Grizz]

Much positivity but I could still have been wrong, and to be honest, it is only my taste, there could be many who prefer something else.


Something else I saw that I love too, not everyone will like it, but I like random stuff.




And some awesome Walmart products...

How badly do I want one of these.