We be burnin'

Yess, it's garage times again. Still got tomorrow to toy around with, finished for the day. So far I've been able to position the exhaust in it's place, and remove it to weld the connection points. Halfway through that, expecting to weld & position the rest tomorrow and hopefully start the engine after this long to find out whether it's leaking or not. Then I'm gonna remove it again to put some paint on it.. Anything besides that oughta be dreamin' for a single day.

I'm not much of a welder and my machines aren't that good so to maximise the success ratio I bought myself an automatic darkening welding mask, which has been really a bless so far. It makes welding so easy for me, A+ mates.

Anyways, here's a pic of the exhaust tip peeking out while the exhaust was installed and a pic of few welds I've made.

Well, so much for that. Maybe next time I'll post up with a vid of the start session. :)

Grave news

Today, I'm not updating my blog sbout anything new I've done, that'd be anytime during this weekend cos' tomorrow I'm heading to Lahti again with a bag full of new tools to play with, heh. Alas, it's payday.

However, I have received a email with dark, dark news for my Probe, and every Probe out there. It seems that the beginning of the end for this particular model is growing speed. I browse a lot of parts dealers' catalogues and it wasn't long ago when I noticed that RockAuto and if I remember right, also FordProbeStore, had cut their selection. The rear ABS sensors came a real PITA to find, and I haven't heard from them in 2 weeks so there's no telling if I'll get them anyway.

Now the email that I got from RockAuto.com that on an estimate of a _200 items_ are being taken off the catalogue again, as a wholesaler is closing out on this model. It is sad news indeed as when I look at the list, there's a lot of small parts like electrical, vacuum, valves, most of all special parts, that's gonna be really hard to find in the future; not that it's very easy now either. What will be left is mostly the basic parts, and I'm sure the other vendors are to follow.

The list of RockAuto closeout sale items Ford Probe

But you could've see it coming from a far away. The Probes that serve as daily driver are starting to disappear as many of them are corroding beyond repair (to a reasonable repair extent) and others seem to fill up their mileage. The people who realy value this model, especially those, for reasons other than its low cost / what you get, is a handful, and it is not enough to maintain a classic status for this car. And when you think of it, in most parts of the world it was never thought of anything of the sort, as a lot of people have always loathed it and are probably happy to see it go extinct slowly.

It is sad to see such a beautiful model, in my opinion, a classical example of everything that's great in 90s sports motors, fade away slowly.

I know I'll manage somehow as long as this car's mine, but it certainly will be a lot more difficult day by day, gathering the parts as the renovation goes on.


Let's keep our Probes running and ride & mend them with pride until the day you couldn't find even an oil filter to it!

Love to all Probe'ists out there.

One small step for mankind, one giant leap for a human

Back from 2 days offs again. After 8 months of being air-borne, the Probe has safely reached the ground with all 4 wheels. :) So hurray for that !

 Evidence

Again I wasted a lot of my time doing various things but I did get a good 12 hours at the garage again. Driving back home I calculated that on an estimate it should 3-5 day offs and the car is ready for inspection. Well, that means it's earliest at the end of August or more likely sometime during September but at least it's coming and I'll get to drive the car this "summer". (I'm thinking of calling the car my autumn car instead of a summer car if this happens ever again during the next years :D)

I got the tank installed, which was a bit of a PITA, but it's done. Again I need to put some more undercoating cos' I sure got some loose putting the tank in place. Wish I had some good buddies and a group garage so I wouldn't have to struggle through these kinds of situations on my own. :P

Didn't even bother to put the antirust chems on the bottom of the tank yet, cos' I know now that they don't stay if you fiddle around. :D Will put though, soon.


Next time which'd be Fri-Sun I'm aiming to get the exhaust together, weld it, test it (hopefully, need to change oils and stuff before I can fire up the engine) and paint it with heat paint, which'd make me so much closer to the completion. :)

Until then!

Progress my friends

Well I'm back to dull & gray, doing doubleshifts over the weekend again, but I spent two days at the garage again, although those hours were shared with doing that and running around for people and stuffs. Anyhow, I got the brake assy in place and bleed, thanks to gf for help. :) My piping only leaked from 2 places, but a lil' tightening seemed to do the job :D Will have get a better look before hitting the streets to make sure that nothing leaks anymore, but it seems that DIY brake pipes can be done and will work. :) So a lil bit proud.

I also spent crazy amounts of money again on the car, bought the timing belt set & waterpump and ordered the rear ABS sensors.. Even though money's not an issue right now it's really starting to piss me off how much money I've spent on this car, even though I've only ridden it for a few hundred kilometres, and can't even tell if I really like the car or not yet. Oh well, I hope it'll all be worth it when it's on the roll; well truth be told it won't be worth the money if you think what else you can buy with the 2,5k, but hell it's my hobby and curse, maybe on some twisted sexual level it'll be worth it. :D....

If. There's still a few excite-moments such as if the fuel lines are gonna leak or if the engine is even gonna fire up after all this time. Looking at things closer now, I think my garage is a bit damp cos' all of the shit that was rusted when I got there are rusted a lot more now, for example the piping for the exhaust is already gathering rust on the surface. Gotta hurry up or I'll have to get welding again ;D

Anyways, a pair'o pics.

 Nice :)

After a week I'll be expecting to assemble the side skirt and tank and start shaping the exhaust, which'd be basicly the last part needed. Then I need to do some maintenance before it's ready for the streets.. and the MOT inspector.

One step closer

So the brake discs came, they didn't do the blackening cos' they didn't have a pool ready for that, but instead a yellow one (looks golden, nice) :)

Also I got a original Ford Probe workshop manual from the US.. 30e, 110e from a local shop so that's a bargain!

Next week thu and fri at the garage so looking forward to get things done!

 

Until then!

Ching ching

Yeah, it's payday and I decided to buy an exhaust. Originally I wanted to buy the Simons 2,5" catback factory made 626 GD exhaust, but after placing the order they gave me the delivery time; about 2 years. The production is ceased and wont be continued until there's enough orders..

So fuck that, I went to the shop and bought myself a Simons RST 2,5" backbox with oval tip, Simons black series round muffler for middlepipe, and some straights and bends 2,5". However I'm a virgin in making exhausts and not famous for welding skills so we'll see. :D Let's try anyway, it's a hobby, right. :)

 

Anyways, no exciting photos this time, as I only tightened the bolts to torque that I installed last time, removed the abs ring from the brake discs which was a struggle, tip to anyone doing the same, 

Hit the studs inside with a big hammer that the wheel attach to, then bring em back and cut em so they come out of the brake disc. This way you can help your removal procedure by tapping it from the inside, through the stud holes. However I recommend using CRC, heat and a puller as well, to minimize damages.

Also some other tedious jobs I finished, and last but not least, anyone who's watched my blog know's whats going on here;

Yeah, it's on the ground bitch ! ;) (..the front)