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Mal, you have no idea how long I have hung out for a few of those NOS front wheel bearing caps, and now they will be mine, all mine, Ha!, Ha, Ha!, he shrieked excitedly. I actually need a few for my Holden wheeled trailer. I shall pay handsomely if they fit. Peter Toet

Interesting observations on BillB's 37 120C Convertible Coupe: The two steps on the fender for climbing into the rumble seat are on the left side. Left-hand drive cars have the steps on the right side. A third step fits onto the bumper bracket. Just thought I'd mention this. Neat car.

Is a neat car and observation about the steps.

Do understand why the difference though since RHD cars park on the wrong side of the road and you wouldn't want a passenger to climb down into traffic. Believe that same logic was used on some of the LHD models of the era where an outside door lock was only on the right and one was expected to unlock while on the sidewalk and slide across the seat so as to keep away from traffic. Did that change as well on RHD cars?

Roads must have really been narrow or other drivers must have been terrible then to warrant the safety thinking.

The left hand door (Aussie passenger side) has the only key lock, a lot of USA sourced Aussie cars were like this.

Monday 8th March 2010

Not at the workshop today but phoned Burt Bros about the flywheel, pressure and clutch plates and learned they are ready to be picked up. That done, went to "Mal's Garage" and proceeded to spend two and half hours sanding back the right running board. On a hot and humid Sydney day not a real pleasant task. Still have to finish that side but as it's more than 3/4 done, another hour or so and both boards will then be ready to be re-coated with Rhino liner.

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Tuesday 9th March 2010

After picking up the resurfaced flywheel, rebuilt pressure plate and new clutch plate from Burt Bros left the flywheel and pressure plate with Graham Wilkins for inclusion in the balancing processes of the reciprocating components. Only trouble is Graham hasn't started on my 120 engine yet because he's snowed under with work. When he asked when did I want it, I enquired if the end of March was possible? From the look on his face, I didn't get much confidence from his "I'll try" response. But at least he has a timeframe to reference now. That done, off to the workshop for painting of the parts cleaned last week. And now off to see the granddaughters.

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Wednesday 10th March 2010

Early start at "Noel's warehouse" and I use the term "Noel's warehouse" advisedly because it really isn't "Noel's warehouse"! It used to be but he sold the business a number of years ago although he still keeps his hand in there and for that it's tolerated that he can utilise some storage space if available. That's one of reasons why the PACA club stock parts are being photographed, identified, inventoried and then moved to long term storage with Peter Packard.

And today I had a EUREKA moment! Well, at the time, I thought I had a eureka moment. Down at the bottom of a wooden box in sturdy, but nondescript, cardboard boxes were a pair of NOS Cluster gears! One identified as 35-36, the other 36-38. I subsequently learned that clusters hardly ever wear out so they are unlikely to be super-rare parts. Bugger! But even more remarkable was the fact that noted Packard parts hound "The Flackmaster" missed them when he cast a very beady eye over the parts twelve months ago.

I had another surprise at lunchtime when Noel told me he would show me Bankstown's best kept secret. Actually that was tongue in cheek because, just around the corner from "Noel's warehouse" there it was, out in the open in a storage company's yard. And what was it? Why a mid '50's Holden FJ Sedan. Noel tells me it's been there at least 5 years, just sitting in the open, slowly accumulating storage charges as well as rusting away. Looks complete but the ravages of time are taking their toll.

But back to the parts, and I say that without irony as it's been a big task and takes time to sort, sometimes identify, photograph, and re-pack the parts. To give you an idea of the scale of it, have taken 300+, 300+, 400+ and 500+ plus pic's on each of the four days so far. Not every part has a separate pic, as there are multiple parts at times, and sometimes individual parts have pic's from different angles so the number of pic's doesn't equate to the number of parts. And one of the least pleasant parts of the job is the general deterioration of paper and cardboard packaging together with the rodent excrement and the many chewed boxes and wrappers, see pic's. Hope to get back there on Friday, and if all goes well, could possibly finish this part of the process.

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Thursday 11th March 2010

Spent another hour and a half rubbing back the filled holes on the right running board. Then, on the way to our baby sitting duties this afternoon, dropped the boards into Peter so they can be re-rhino coated. Peter expects the boards to be done by the end of next week.

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Friday 12th March 2010

Stage one of the PACA Club Stock Spare Parts sort, review, photograph, and re-pack is now done! That doesn't mean the job's over by any means. Took almost 700 pic's today, of which I'll probably delete about 100 for duplicates, fuzz and mis-adventures. That will then leave about 1,400 out of the total 2,100 PIC'S taken to date still to be captioned. Then there's preparing lists and diagrams of what is where in boxes and where the boxes are located on the pallets. Didn't realise it was going to be such a big job! All I can say is that it's very satisfying poking through Packard parts and coming across a few gems from time to time, a great way to spend a day. I'm not supposed to (Noel will kill me) but here's a few of my favourite pic's from today!

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Is that lark pedal rubber for sale Mal? Cost? Does it fit a 1962?