Ash's 69 R-code

[Ash 145]

It was my 30th bday today. So with the wife at work, the kids at school, I decided to put everything that should have been done aside and take it easy for the day. The weather was crap so I watched a movie, drank a couple of beers, had some lunch then went out to the shed.

I had brought some large plastic containers so I started storing some of the parts I had removed from the car into them. Picked up a heap of stuff off the shed floor and just got a bit of order to the 69's shed. Sure, there's still loads of crap in there but you can see the floor now and stuff that wont be used for a while is put away.

 

 

I then removed some more stuff from the engine bay. I'm finding a mixture of new parts lines brake booster, brakes lines and hoses. But then stuff like the master cylinder body is quite rusty, a mixture of old and new bolts and there is black paint over new parts which should have been fitted after paint. :confused1:

I found a small rust hole under the monte carlo bar position on the drivers side. Even though this is a bit disappointing this hadn't been fixed, its also reassuring that nothing is attempted to be hidden.....so far that I've found

 

 

I've also noticed that the notches in the shock tower braces appear to hacked at to further notch them I would guess. I am thinking this is not what they should look like from factory. But just how much have they been attacked? I can tidy them up before I paint, it's pretty damn ugly looking.

 

 

 

 

[Ash 145]

It was my 30th bday today. So with the wife at work, the kids at school, I decided to put everything that should have been done aside and take it easy for the day. The weather was crap so I watched a movie, drank a couple of beers, had some lunch then went out to the shed.

I had brought some large plastic containers so I started storing some of the parts I had removed from the car into them. Picked up a heap of stuff off the shed floor and just got a bit of order to the 69's shed. Sure, there's still loads of crap in there but you can see the floor now and stuff that wont be used for a while is put away.

 

 

I then removed some more stuff from the engine bay. I'm finding a mixture of new parts lines brake booster, brakes lines and hoses. But then stuff like the master cylinder body is quite rusty, a mixture of old and new bolts and there is black paint over new parts which should have been fitted after paint. :confused1:

I found a small rust hole under the monte carlo bar position on the drivers side. Even though this is a bit disappointing this hadn't been fixed, its also reassuring that nothing is attempted to be hidden.....so far that I've found

 

 

I've also noticed that the notches in the shock tower braces appear to hacked at to further notch them I would guess. I am thinking this is not what they should look like from factory. But just how much have they been attacked? I can tidy them up before I paint, it's pretty damn ugly looking.

 

 

 

 

[dpuwookie79 11]

Happy Birthday Ash! That shock tower does look pretty rough. I can't imagine why that was done...

[dpuwookie79 11]

Happy Birthday Ash! That shock tower does look pretty rough. I can't imagine why that was done...

[Mike65 475]

Happy Birthday Ash!!.

[Mike65 475]

Happy Birthday Ash!!.

[Ash 145]

Thanks a lot guys!!

 

I imagine that the hack job on the towers was to try and gain a little more clearance. Here is a couple of pics I took with the engine fitted. The header bolts as they are only clear by 2-3mm. I've read somewhere that with the Edelbrock heads, even though they use the 16-bolt CJ pattern, they slightly alter the position of the bolts to standard. So the header bolts don't quite line up with the factory notches. But to be that aggressive at cutting away at them has me confused.

 

 

[Ash 145]

Thanks a lot guys!!

 

I imagine that the hack job on the towers was to try and gain a little more clearance. Here is a couple of pics I took with the engine fitted. The header bolts as they are only clear by 2-3mm. I've read somewhere that with the Edelbrock heads, even though they use the 16-bolt CJ pattern, they slightly alter the position of the bolts to standard. So the header bolts don't quite line up with the factory notches. But to be that aggressive at cutting away at them has me confused.

 

 

[Lemon Owner 11]

Happy birthday!! 30 is the new 20, at least that's what I tell myself. And 30 is too young to own a mustang here in Australia! Your going to have to trade it in on a prius until your a little more grown up. lol jk.

 

The rust doesn't look bad at all and the hack job is ok too. It looks like it is a good solid body so your ahead right away.

[Lemon Owner 11]

Happy birthday!! 30 is the new 20, at least that's what I tell myself. And 30 is too young to own a mustang here in Australia! Your going to have to trade it in on a prius until your a little more grown up. lol jk.

 

The rust doesn't look bad at all and the hack job is ok too. It looks like it is a good solid body so your ahead right away.

[Powershift 19]

Happy B-Day!!!

 

Is it just the pic... or is the front end of that Honda motorcycle hanging in your garage a BIT bent? LOL

[Powershift 19]

Happy B-Day!!!

 

Is it just the pic... or is the front end of that Honda motorcycle hanging in your garage a BIT bent? LOL

[Ash 145]

Thanks Lemonowner and Powershift, appreciate it!!

 

I still feel like a teenager, don't feel like 30 at all. But my body feels much older. Mainly due to that Honda XR650R hanging on the wall. 10 years ago I was hit head on by a car on my way home from work. The bike was 2 weeks old, it has 796km's on the clock. The other half burnt to the ground. It was because of that, I was able to get my Mustang's. I was lucky to be here still, I was told the only reason I lived was my backpack stopped my neck breaking. Took me 6 months to be walking again. So I promised myself after everything was settled, I'd buy the one car I've always wanted. So I did :laugh:

 

You're right too, that little rust spot isn't bad. Was happy to find it like that, could have had a blob of bog or something covering it up. Pretty minor so that's good.

 

Here's another pic

 

[Ash 145]

Thanks Lemonowner and Powershift, appreciate it!!

 

I still feel like a teenager, don't feel like 30 at all. But my body feels much older. Mainly due to that Honda XR650R hanging on the wall. 10 years ago I was hit head on by a car on my way home from work. The bike was 2 weeks old, it has 796km's on the clock. The other half burnt to the ground. It was because of that, I was able to get my Mustang's. I was lucky to be here still, I was told the only reason I lived was my backpack stopped my neck breaking. Took me 6 months to be walking again. So I promised myself after everything was settled, I'd buy the one car I've always wanted. So I did :laugh:

 

You're right too, that little rust spot isn't bad. Was happy to find it like that, could have had a blob of bog or something covering it up. Pretty minor so that's good.

 

Here's another pic

 

[Ash 145]

And this is it after, it clean snapped in two.

 

 

 

And the car

 

[Ash 145]

And this is it after, it clean snapped in two.

 

 

 

And the car

 

[Powershift 19]

WOW!! You are truly a lucky guy!!!

 

If it makes you feel ANY better... I'll be 40 this year. Ugh. To be thirty again. LOL

[Powershift 19]

WOW!! You are truly a lucky guy!!!

 

If it makes you feel ANY better... I'll be 40 this year. Ugh. To be thirty again. LOL

[Ash 145]

Hahaha, it doesn't really bother me. What is scary is seeing how fast my kids a growing, that makes you realise how fast the years go by!

 

I do feel lucky though. But I've also had a few other health issues on top. My main priority in life is to be here for my kids. I feel lucky that I can be at home working away whenever I want to and just drop everything to look after them. A couple of close calls makes you quickly realise how important family is.

[Ash 145]

Hahaha, it doesn't really bother me. What is scary is seeing how fast my kids a growing, that makes you realise how fast the years go by!

 

I do feel lucky though. But I've also had a few other health issues on top. My main priority in life is to be here for my kids. I feel lucky that I can be at home working away whenever I want to and just drop everything to look after them. A couple of close calls makes you quickly realise how important family is.

[Mike65 475]

WOW!! You are truly a lucky guy!!!

 

If it makes you feel ANY better... I'll be 40 this year. Ugh. To be thirty again. LOL

 

To be 30 or 40 I somewhat remember those times, 54 this past December 27th & still going strong; just with a few more aches & pains.:w00t:

[Mike65 475]

WOW!! You are truly a lucky guy!!!

 

If it makes you feel ANY better... I'll be 40 this year. Ugh. To be thirty again. LOL

 

To be 30 or 40 I somewhat remember those times, 54 this past December 27th & still going strong; just with a few more aches & pains.:w00t:

[Cornerstone 15]

 

I still feel like a teenager, don't feel like 30 at all. But my body feels much older. Mainly due to that Honda XR650R hanging on the wall.

 

 

Man I could definitely hang out with you! If your ever in Texas come by my place and let's ride a bit , crack open a few cold ones and tell war stories about whatever. I too have wadded myself up a few times and am glad to still be here to enjoy my 3 awesome kids and just take it all in. Your shop looks like mine too , shit all over the walls and crap all over the floors, hehehe.

 

Thankfully all of my wrecks in the past 5 years have been realitivley minor, ie. black eyes, contusions of various sorts, a couple concussions etc. In my 30's it wasn't so easy, I came up short on a double and went over the bars and there goes the collar bone. A year later I rode on a new track without giving it a sight lap and jumped something that wasn't supposed to be jumped, and there goes a few jacked vertibrae in my neck and mid back. So now at 43 I only ride on my track at my house or just trails locally. Some days still suck in the musculoskeletal department but hay.... Life is great because I am still here and still enjoy riding often. I ride a Suzuki rmz250 on the dirt and a DRZ400SM ( supermoto ) on the street. My next bike will be a trials bike, I figure a little less speed is a good thing!:thumbup1:

What kind of work do you do out in that shed of yours Ash?

BTW happy birthday:w00t:

[Cornerstone 15]

 

I still feel like a teenager, don't feel like 30 at all. But my body feels much older. Mainly due to that Honda XR650R hanging on the wall.

 

 

Man I could definitely hang out with you! If your ever in Texas come by my place and let's ride a bit , crack open a few cold ones and tell war stories about whatever. I too have wadded myself up a few times and am glad to still be here to enjoy my 3 awesome kids and just take it all in. Your shop looks like mine too , shit all over the walls and crap all over the floors, hehehe.

 

Thankfully all of my wrecks in the past 5 years have been realitivley minor, ie. black eyes, contusions of various sorts, a couple concussions etc. In my 30's it wasn't so easy, I came up short on a double and went over the bars and there goes the collar bone. A year later I rode on a new track without giving it a sight lap and jumped something that wasn't supposed to be jumped, and there goes a few jacked vertibrae in my neck and mid back. So now at 43 I only ride on my track at my house or just trails locally. Some days still suck in the musculoskeletal department but hay.... Life is great because I am still here and still enjoy riding often. I ride a Suzuki rmz250 on the dirt and a DRZ400SM ( supermoto ) on the street. My next bike will be a trials bike, I figure a little less speed is a good thing!:thumbup1:

What kind of work do you do out in that shed of yours Ash?

BTW happy birthday:w00t:

[Ash 145]

Thanks for the birthday wishes Cornerstone! And you know what , I may just be able to take you up on that offer of dropping in, in the next 12 months or so. My wife has a friend in Fort Worth as well. She has a few friends in the States and they are planning on a get together. We're working towards getting over there November but it is now looking like February next year as its a much cheaper time to travel.

I want to come and buy myself a pre-72 F-truck, something with an FE in it. And we'd like to do some travelling in an RV. We have quite a bit of saving to do to get there, but that is our goal.

 

But you sound like my kind of guy to have a beer with and talk some shit. I could sit around for days drinking beers and talking cars and bikes! :lol: I sold my last real bike, a CBR929RR, just after my daughter was born. She just turned 4. I needed to some time back at the physiotherapist to get some more treatment on my knee and hip, plus I needed some time off the bike to calm down. I was being a little bit silly too often and with a new baby that needed to slow down a bit. Have been stuck into cars since then so no more bikes, but one day they'll come back. I've still got my little CRF50 which has had a lot of parts thrown at it, it goes very well. We've got enough space up the back of our place to ride it around. The kids love it too :thumbup:

 

 

And my little fella, Ronnie, having a twist of the throttle. As loud as this bike is, you could still hear him cracking up laughing, he loved it!

 

 

This was my Fireblade

 

 

My SP1

 

 

Fooling around on my R1

 

 

My CRF450 Supermoto. I still have all my supermoto gear, just no bike to put it all on.

 

 

My CRF450 when I first brought it in 04

 

 

Back in 01 on my 01 CR250

 

 

When I was 17

 

 

When I was 16 on my XR250

 

 

I've had quite a lot of bikes. I worked in several motorbike shops for about 5 years before I went back to uni to become a high school woodwork teacher.

 

You sound quite lucky getting back on a bike after you hurt your back. It took me about 18 months to throw a leg over again after that hit on the XR650. So I know how you feel, the body never heals back to how it uonce was. I've broken my wrists 3 times too, got some metal in them as well, they hurt a bit every so often but they are pretty good. It is my hip and knee that give me most trouble. I've still got all the steal inside my femur and screws holding it in. I'm ok during the day but at the end of a ride, I can barely walk. Still doesn't stop you though hey!!

 

I get up to some woodwork and car stuff in my shed. I'm at the moment trying to kick off a woodwork business. We've been in our new place for about 18 months and I'm busy but the money is slow. Before that I was at uni and during then and still now I buy and sell car parts online. It's pretty easy going, makes a few dollars and pays the bills. So while the woodwork side of things grows, the car bits just tick along to put food on table.

 

This is my website I built a little while ago. It needs an update. I have more things on my business facebook page. I'm not a facebook person but it works pretty good for the woodwork.

 

http://ashstimbercreations.com.au/

 

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ashs-Timber-Creations/173630792673159

 

I don't ever expect the business to make a squllion dollars. It's just something I really enjoy and hope can support my family. Like I said before, it all allows me to be at home and to be a Dad and that is the important thing to me.

 

Hopefully we make it to your part of the world Cornerstone in the not too distant future, would love to take you up on that beer! :001_smile: