Cheers mate! Let us know how you get on.

 

Here in Melbourne, I would never try to take a vehicle for rego without the numbers sorted.


A truck like ours would also need a full Engineer's Certificate.
The RWC includes 38 mandated photo angles of the undercarriage of the car.
The HUGE legal liability goes onto the Engineer, and the guy doing the RWC (Road Worthy Certificate).


I'm actually looking forward to an independent third party checking over every nut and bolt that I've had apart 18 times. I also lose sleep worrying if I've accidentally left out spring washer/thread seal/shims/ spacers, etc that are critical to the modified suspension sets working as originally designed by the automotive engineers we are staking our lives on.


If your truck failed it's brake test.....its because the brakes were ****....and were not up to the job of pulling you up before you T-boned my wife's car with my baby in the back.


So this local mechanic shop, who you spent NONE of the $20 grand build money with, who did 3 rounds of inspections, then fixed a couple of minor safety things, has to pay insurance in case your truck gets scratched while in his shop, takes HUGE legal responsibility ongoing, and still gives a crap enough to sweat the little details that might save your life.....dared to charge you $362 ???


(News Tonight - hot rod crashes because front end came apart after missing spring washer allowed nut holding ball joint together to vibrate loose - grieving widow screaming for legal recompense from the bloke who passed the RWC.....)


Could never happen??


http://mountainviews.starcommunity.com.au/mail/2016-04-11/driver-injured-after-hot-rod-hits-bridge/



Sorry....I have loved your enthusiasm throughout your build.....but you might actually owe the RWC guy a slab in the bigger picture...

 

Lighten up pal

 

Yeah, you can always spot the Aussies. Feels like I am back on Ozrodders.
I don't know where you got the impression that I was annoyed by the inspector. I am grateful for his diligence. What I do object to is being hit by a large expense for a couple of very minor jobs. Wouldn't you want to see the invoice?

 

Three separate inspections, including a large list of defects, including obvious stuff like oil leaks that are supposed to be done BEFORE you take it for inspection, then he finally does the few things to get you across the line......plus taking legal liability for your rig - and he's ripping you off for charging $300 ????


I'd be more concerned about the first brake guy that did a job that immediately failed a brake test.....did you spend less than $300 with him?

 

Obviously I am not a retired millionaire like you. Where I come from $300 is a lot of money.
I suggest you go follow someone else's build up if I am giving you too much heartburn. Oh, maybe it's not me that is doing that. Maybe it is the caviar?

 

Nice sunny morning for a trip to East Coast Rods.



Sorting out a handbrake issue. We've worked out the brake shoes are a bit too worn and that is why we can't get the old girl to behave and stand still with the handbrake on. Mind you it is very close, but want to get this right, so new drums on the way.

Was also able to duck into air conditioning place and get thermostat hooked up. Just in time for Winter! Though it never gets cold enough here for a heater.

She's been backfiring and farting and carrying on for the past couple of weeks and today I decided enough was enough. Took her to a workshop where they ran a couple of tests on the carbi. Found out she has multiple leaks from inlet manifold and carbi base. To add some insult to injury, starter motor decided to drop its guts on the workshop floor. So, a new multifit hi torque unit going in there.

I have managed to get the truck booked into the road and traffic authority next Monday.
This is to assess the difficulty of reading the chassis number. We are able to read all but one of the numbers, so it's off to get checked and re stamped. And it needs an engine number as well. This one has been grounded off at some stage of its life. The good news is, they can issue a new number on the spot.

Once the new number is known, I can advise the engineer who then produces my certificate and, well, let's just see if we can get that engine number first, hey? Let you know how we get on....

 

New dual plane squarebore manifold is in.
Guess what? It doesn't fit. That is, the engine has been decked/ shaved and so on. Now have to take manifold off and get it machined to fit. Apparently doesn't allow the rocker covers to go back on. Damn!

Had a feeling this engine had high compression with its peculiar idle.

With only one day left to go, we need to get the manifold matching the engine, and then the whole thing fitted back on and the tappets sorted and tuned with one day to go.
It is going to be tight! Sound like one of those reality TV shows around here!

Yeah, well that one day is nearly over so it looks like I have to re book it into the inspection station, which I have done. One week later. It is always one week later...

 

Okay Day 19 in the workshop.

This all started because I wanted the mechanic to fine tune my timing, and to get it to run better and stop it backfiring...

19 days later...
Three inlet manifolds later, two sets of gaskets, one set of plugs, a timing marker and, believe it or not a new starter motor and 2 grand later and it is still in the workshop...

First manifold that arrived was faulty. Had a hairline fracture in it. So, they had to get the rep down to have a look. I left it to to workshop and a local parts shop to do the supplying.

My problem is, I work 200 miles away from home each day and get home at 8.30 pm, so it's not too easy to go ordering bits and pieces.

The parts shop ordered some sort of no name Edelbrock clone manifold to start off. It proved faulty, as mentioned. Rep came down, agreed, ordered another one. Of course the workshop didn't know it was faulty until they bolted it up and added coolant, and then saw coolant pouring everywhere.

So off it came.

Rep supplies another manifold several days later.

It is the wrong sort. Rep says "we don't have any more in stock, you will have to repair the faulty one." The workshop says "no way, we paid for a brand new one, and we want a brand new one."

So, I had to wait until they could find another one. A few more days pass, and one turns up. They bolt it up. All is good.
In between all this, for some reason, the starter motor dies, so a new one of them on order.
Mechanic then says "where did you buy those plug leads?" I said eBay. He says they are crap, so we order a new set of Top Gun leads.

Mechanic then says "Where's your timing marker?"
I said it didn't come with one on the water pump housing. He said he needed one to do the timing properly. Fair enough. So, I get them to order one of these.

It is all looking good for Friday and the workshop says "yep, it's all done!"

Phew! she is booked into the inspection station this Monday 10 am, so not a day too soon!

Anyway, I ask my wife to go and pick up the keys and leave the truck on the side of the road and I will pick it up on the Friday evening.

My wife rings me at 4pm to tell me that they have found another problem.
When refitting the bonnet (hood), they broke the welded inner nut off the inside support frame on the bonnet. This is easily enough done, as I did it before on one last year, but it means the truck is still in the workshop.

The mechanic kindly offers to mill up a bit of round bar and tap a thread and weld the thing into the frame over the weekend, so, first thing Monday morning is going to be full on as we try and get the old girl ready for her big day at the inspection station.

Let you know how we get on!

 

You poor guys over there. You go through so much crap just to be able to drive your truck. Which is sitting pretty good right now. I know to well how one thing after another goes. Hang in there, you'll be driving it soon.

 

You drive 200 MILES each way. Or 200 kilometers?

 

About 200 k's on the train each way or 2 1/2 hours each way. I know a lot of guys work longer and harder hours than me, but it sure is hard to get stuff done sitting on a train.

and thanks for the positive vibes Toby! It must have worked as I was successful in getting the engine numbers today. Chassis number stays as per factory, but he wants me to re stamp a couple of numbers that have faded beyond readability.

First big hurdle over with!
I think we are smooth sailing now.

The truck ran well with the super tune the workshop did. Though one thing he pointed out to me (now, Ford guys turn away for a couple of lines while I very briefly talk about the Chevy engine) was that the 327 engine's cam seems to have been fitted wrong or it's not the right cam or something has happened to the chain and so we go)

Reason he is pointing this out to me is that he said it will run very hot and not have a lot of power and will chew lots of fuel. Well, it does all three of those things.
Seems like sometime in the old tart's past, someone stuck a hotted up engine in the truck and maybe put the wrong cam in or didn't put it in right.

Anyway, it does run, and if it does happen to die, well, I guess that is my cue to stick a nice 5 litre Ford engine in her. We'll see. I am not allowed to spend any more money, so a new cam will have to wait anyway...

 

Congratulations Peter, good to see it coming along well. So is that the last hurdle to registration?

 

Hi Nev.
Getting there! Got the engine numbers stamped on okay. I now have to wait for engineer to write up the report. This is somewhat frustrating as it's week 2 and no paperwork.
Grrrr
Once I get the paperwork, I have to rebook with inspector to view numbers are correctly stamped and if he is happy it's off to the first guy who gave me the white slip inspection report to sign off and then he issues me with a blue slip which I will then take to the registration office to register.

I know enough now to know there are bound to be obstacles along that path still to come...

 

Got the engineering report! Woohoo!
Also today, got engine numbers checked with rego inspector and they passed! So Double whammy!
I am now waiting for the mechanic to issue me with what they call down here a "blue slip." I will be feeling blue if I don't get it.

One step at a time.