Staycation

I am taking off the next THREE, count the THREE weeks.
I had already planned taking off two weeks when the shop announced they were taking off the week I planned to return. So I asked the boss if I could just extend my vacation for another week.
He gave me the OK.
It has been ten years since I took off more than two weeks.
The last two years we have taken two week trips in the Wesfalia. Altogether put about 10,000 miles on the camper. Had a great time, but I'm kinda burned out on the always on the road moving from one place to another gig.
Last summer I had the siding on the south side of the house replaced and painted.
Number one project is to prep and paint the east side of the house. I dug out the old airless and got it working, but had to replace the gun and buy some new hose. I think it is ready to go, but first project will be to do a trial run.
Then I need to get the big ladder out and wire brush the bad spots. Then do the trim. Then paint. I have set aside a week for this, which SHOULD be plenty of time. I still need to get a five gallon pail of paint.
Then we take a break.
Then I work on the Z for a while. If I get done with that, then I need to work on the deck off the kitchen. I need to repair the railing and re secure the decking. I may have to replace some of the boards, as they are pretty badly warped.
If there is any time left, Frankenhealey beckons. The fuel pump is broken, and it's my fault. After the umpteenth time of it freezing up, I'm afraid I used the wrong hammer to tap on it. A ball peen is not the appropriate tool, a rubber hammer is. Suffice it to say, it needs replacing.
One more day

Next Steps

Once I get the clutch free and adjust the valves and fix the "Clunk" in the rear end, I am going to get the Z painted. I love the blue to green color shift, but I was wondering if it would look better if the final finish was flat instead of shiny. In the picture at the top, I think the "Shiny" detracts from the color shift.
Oh well, when I get to the point it is being painted, I can have them do a coat of flat clear with the additive, and then if I don't like it that way, I can just have them put a second coat of shiny clear on top.
I dug my old airless paint sprayer out of the basement. It has been sitting for better than ten years, so I tore it down and cleaned it and put it back together. Didn't work.
Pulled it back apart, and figured out I had the diaphragm in the pump in upside down. Mind you I have no repair or owner's manual, so I'm flying by the seat of my pants.
Put it back together and it still wasn't working. Tore it down again. A small steel ball bearing check valve was kinda rusted in place in the intake. Cleaned the ball bearing, the seat and the spring, turned it on "prime" and it started moving water around. Installed the high pressure hose and gun. The pump moved fluid but nothing was coming out of the gun. Removed the gun and ran the pump, and fluid comes out of the end of the high pressure hose, so I think all I need to do is tear down the gun and clean it up. I'll try it tonight if I have the time.
You may ask yourself "Why is Al doing this?"
Or maybe not.
I have three weeks of vacation coming up, most of which will be spent working around the house. Last year I had the siding on the South side of the house replaced and painted. The east side needs to be wire brushed and painted also. An airless sprayer is the only way to go.

Z Interior

 

 

I finished buttoning up the interior of the 1977 280Z today. Put in the trim pieces on the dash, installed the shift knob. I included a shot from "before" for contrast.

I also included a picture of the tach with the dash lights on to show that, indeed I do now have dash lights, the lack of which sent me down this path. Now on to fixing the mechanical stuff. Right now the clutch is frozen. Not sure if it needs to be bled or just busted loose.

Moving Forward

I've been fighting with Blogger for a couple of days. I would try to post, but once I put in the header, that's all it would let me do. At any rate, it seemed to be working now
They tore off the old roofing yesterday, will put the new roofing on today.
The poor dogs just do not understand that we actually WANT people walking around and hammering on the roof. They are quite certain that we are being invaded by aliens or some such.
Of course Mrs A. is about frantic by the time I get home. I advised her (notice I didn't say TOLD her) that she needs to pack up the pups and run down to the park with a picnic lunch. Everyone would be a lot happier.
They had to replace a few sheets of plywood at the edge of the roof, which I figured would be necessary.
I still haven't heard from the Bank about the equity loan, but should soon. I figure I will just put everything on my Visa and pay down the Visa when the loan comes through. Accumulate lots of rewards point that way.
The Z comes along slowly. I finished rewiring the stereo on Sunday, put the seats back in and installed the console. Need to put in the steering columns surround and lower close-out panels, and the interior should be ready to button up.
Unfortunately the clutch isn't working. It feels like the pedal is not pushing anything. so it may be the clutch master cylinder, if not that the slave cylinder. If not that the clutch disc is frozen in place from sitting too long. I guess it will be a check it out thing once I get it up in the air. That will also give me the opportunity to look for the source of the Thunk in the rear end.
One thing at a time. And every time you get something done, one step closer to on the road.

Fourth of July

Of course I have the day off, for which I am grateful.
I guess I am officially an old fogy now, because I don't set off fireworks anymore. A lot of it has to do with no kids in the house as an excuse. They all go to one of the big commercial displays. I still get the occasional urge to make something go BOOM, but mostly it is a stick of dynamite I want to chuck under the neighbors house. Don't worry, I don't have any.
So I will probably spend the day working on the Z.
It is going back together OK. When I went to put the stereo back in, I saw that there was only one set of speaker wires hooked up. (and no, I did not put the stereo in). So I needed to run some new wires. I am doing this before I put the center console back in. A lot easier if you can actually see and reach the wires under the dash. I got it hooked up, but one of the speakers has a bad buzz. I probably reversed the wires when I hooked it up.
Then the console goes back in, the various trim pieces. Put the new seat covers on and put the seats in.
When I got the new water heater, it was too big to fit between the Z and the deck support, so I wanted to move the Z a little to get by. Unfortunately the Z would not go into gear. The clutch is stuck from sitting too long. Bummer. One more thing to take care of before it moves again.
Then bleed the brakes,
Then address the clunk in the rear end.
Then paint,
The list goes on.