What do I have? 40 newb (5 Viewers)

[clrussell]

Bingo, those are the clips!!

Tire size was one of the screening criteria I used for 52’s. Price and ease of modification were the other two.

Thank you!

 

[clrussell]

100 mile loop today with the girls.

Ran rough forest roads, gravel road, blacktop. Lunch at the river. Naps on the ride home.

Good day.

 

[clrussell]

Dinged up a center cap. Oh well. Beauty marks.

Added some pin stripes.

Had a shock come loose, and a belt squeak is back. Overall a solid shakedown run.

Spent about 2 hours in 4 low in various conditions. Very happy with its performance.

 

[clrussell]

Crossed a milestone since we are all 12 year olds.
( . ) ( . )

 

[clrussell]

Gratitude -

I often struggle with the “next step”. The next project. The next upgrade. Rarely stopping to enjoy what I have.

This hit me yesterday on my drive home in a 55 year old vehicle I trust enough to take my family off in the boonies, miles from even the nearest home. Down roads I have never been down, areas I had never been near.

I am beyond grateful to have the abundance to own and fix up this glorified tractor. The abundance of time, funds, and skills.
I’m grateful for this community.
I’m grateful my family understands my need for something to occupy my mind, and they enjoy going with me.

I am behind thankful to be able to be able to do this “Hobby” we do.

 

[Chungas Revenge]

Gratitude -

I often struggle with the “next step”. The next project. The next upgrade. Rarely stopping to enjoy what I have.

This hit me yesterday on my drive home in a 55 year old vehicle I trust enough to take my family off in the boonies, miles from even the nearest home. Down roads I have never been down, areas I had never been near.

I am beyond grateful to have the abundance to own and fix up this glorified tractor. The abundance of time, funds, and skills.
I’m grateful for this community.
I’m grateful my family understands my need for something to occupy my mind, and they enjoy going with me.

I am behind thankful to be able to be able to do this “Hobby” we do.

Testify…..

 

[clrussell]

Not much went on with the 40 this weekend. Absolutely beautiful weekend though. Mid 70s and mid 40s for lows. Drove it about 10 miles and added more fuel.

I did install some of Baja designs S2 on the brush guard this evening. I’ve had these for about a year and never knew what I was going to do with them.
I think they are subtle enough that it’ll work on this old rig.
I was able to fill an existing dash hole with the switch so that was a win. My 8 year old helped wire and clean up, she’s a fan of the leaf blower.

 

[RevISK]

Not much went on with the 40 this weekend. Absolutely beautiful weekend though. Mid 70s and mid 40s for lows. Drove it about 10 miles and added more fuel.

I did install some of Baja designs S2 on the brush guard this evening. I’ve had these for about a year and never knew what I was going to do with them.
I think they are subtle enough that it’ll work on this old rig.
I was able to fill an existing dash hole with the switch so that was a win. My 8 year old helped wire and clean up, she’s a fan of the leaf blower.

View attachment 3721921

View attachment 3721922

I’ve got an 8 yo girl as well. Likes the angle grinder …

 

[clrussell]

I’ve got an 8 yo girl as well. Likes the angle grinder …

I’m not sure I trust mine to give her an angle grinder. Although at her age I had already built 2 go carts from scratch using a stick welder.

Maybe I should put the guard back on my grinder and let her have a go

 

[RevISK]

I’m not sure I trust mine to give her an angle grinder. Although at her age I had already built 2 go carts from scratch using a stick welder.

Maybe I should put the guard back on my grinder and let her have a go

She was 6 when she walked up to me doing some rust removal on my 40 and asked to help. I told her to put some clothes and shoes on. I put a face shield and gloves on her and let her go to town on some particularly nasty areas with a worn out flapper disc.

I keep trying to teach either of my kids how to weld but they are both scared poopless of it.

 

[charliemeyer007]

I started my career as a wrench handler and pick that up and hand it back or hold the light here boy about 4. Learned fractions that way. Dad was good, he usually explained what and why he was doing something. I fell for the hold this wire way too many times when he was working on the big magnetos of the PW R985.

 

[clrussell]

I started my career as a wrench handler and pick that up and hand it back or hold the light here boy about 4. Learned fractions that way. Dad was good, he usually explained what and why he was doing something. I fell for the hold this wire way too many times when he was working on the big magnetos of the PW R985.

I was very fortunate to grow up in between two shops. A highly respected automotive shop, and my dads tractor/ farm repair shop. I learned tons of invaluable skills and life lessons. Things I didn’t even know I was learning.

I want my kids to learn some of these things and be able to take care of themselves. I do not really want them to be a mechanic like I was/ am

 

[franklin40]

i love having my kids learn to use tools and fix stuff. i did however start the welding lessons before the grinder. i had a flapper disc come off while wearing my welding jacket bib overalls and a hoodie and it still hit me hard enough in the stomach to break skin. i don’t want to bubble wrap my kids but that kind of scared me off just letting the use every power tool i own.

 

[1911]

I learned from a young age how to use hand tools by being with my dad; he could fix ANYTHING. By the time i was nine or ten, I was disassembling/reassembling the Briggs and Stratton engine on his lawnmower (whether it needed it or not). From about 13 on, I was buying cheap second-hand motorcycles, fixing them up, selling them for a profit, and buying a bigger one. I owned (and paid for) my own first car, as well as a street bike before I turned 16. At 17, I dropped out of high school and made a living as a motorcycle mechanic.

My kids are all grown, but all three of my sons are good mechanics in their own right, and my oldest grandson just finished a complete engine rebuild on his first car, and the second-oldest grandson is in the process of rebuilding his engine now. Here is a photo of his head; this car drove from Utah to west Texas with that burned exhaust valve:

 

[clrussell]

Thursday morning I drove the 40 to work. Normal day.

One of my oldest customers brought me his truck to work on and knew he would be taking a loner car home. Well we had everything loaned out at the time so I sent him home in the 40. Some back story. Charlie is single, mid 70s and gets around better than most 50 year olds. Raises Bison, has a cattle farm. Dreams of expeditions in his truck camper. Down to earth, salt of the earth guy. He is always asking me about what I’m doing, always excited to hear about my adventures and my cruisers.

To say he was a kid in a candy store when I told him he could take the 40 was an understatement. He jumped right in, fired it up and hauled ass off into the sunrise. He kept it over night and brought it back the next afternoon. Simply ecstatic and smiling from ear to ear. Up until this point no one else has driven my 40, (well my son did across the field). Charlie kept complimenting how well it ran, how smooth the engine and trans was. How it’s geared just right. Which is great to hear because it confirms I’m not the only one thinking the same.
I wish I had taken a picture of him with the cruiser.

I’ve never driven another 40, so maybe there’s more to be had from them. But I’m definitely happy with it in current status, minus oil leaks and my power steering belt. Which I might have a solution for. (Next post)

 

[clrussell]

A 3FE and trans popped up on here 1.5 hours from me. I messaged the guy as pricing seemed fair and I’ve seen 3FE swaps.

I went and grabbed the complete engine, Intake, and air cleaner early Saturday morning. Met a cruiser head, and a genuinely nice guy.

I did not get the harness or the ECM.

This was a Runner with good compression numbers when pulled. The price was more than fair.

I might pull a couple of the accessories off and see if I can fit them to my engine. Otherwise it’s going to get some oil sprayed in the cyls and put on the shelf for now. Mine runs too good to do anything major with it.

 

[clrussell]

This afternoon it was a rainy afternoon and the girls were snoozing.

I cleaned my garage, then wondered down to the 40 shed and just started looking around. I decided I would start putting my hardtop on and see what I was going to need to do to get it back in shape to be operational.

That turned into bolting the hardtop down completely and straightening the passenger door seal area where it was damaged when the top blew off. Some door adjustments, some special tools, and some muscle and it’s much better than I originally expected. With minimal effort.

I clamped w couple pieces of wood on the top, then rolled the corner outward starting at the bottom and working my way all the way up. About 30 minutes and it was pretty dang good. Not show car, nice enough for what I’m doing.

 

[clrussell]

I ended up putting the hard top on, minus the rear hatch and the glass top. I left the family bikini top on for now. So it’s almost like I have a top. With holes.

I need a rear hatch outside handle which I will order tomorrow. Otherwise I’ll put the hatch back on.

It’s going to be upper 80s again this week.. why not put the hard top back on

I need to order a drip rail, rivets, seal, bolts and the accompanying pieces. However the cruiser fun money jar isn’t very full right now.

I have a thought in my head that might work. It also might upset some people, but I’m tempted to try it.

 

[RevISK]

I ended up putting the hard top on, minus the rear hatch and the glass top. I left the family bikini top on for now. So it’s almost like I have a top. With holes.

I need a rear hatch outside handle which I will order tomorrow. Otherwise I’ll put the hatch back on.

It’s going to be upper 80s again this week.. why not put the hard top back on

I need to order a drip rail, rivets, seal, bolts and the accompanying pieces. However the cruiser fun money jar isn’t very full right now.

I have a thought in my head that might work. It also might upset some people, but I’m tempted to try it.

View attachment 3727475

View attachment 3727476

I’ve got a pneumatic rivet gun you can borrow. I also really want to know what will upset some people….

 

[knuckle47]

Great … I’m sitting down waiting for the next shoe to drop…let’s hear it.

EDIT: damn auto-correct