George Barris was arguably one of the most famous and prolific car customizers the era has ever known. Of course he had to start somewhere and this is pretty much George Barris starting something.
Last Call indicates the end of Hooniverse’s broadcast day. It’s meant to be an open forum for anyone and anything. Thread jacking is not only accepted, it’s encouraged.
Image: SEMA
Last Call: Barris' Bondo Edition
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30 responses to “Last Call: Barris' Bondo Edition”
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Barris had his own body filler?
May have been the only way he could afford the 100 metric tonnes he used for his Kustoms. -
Did we not just have this as last call earlier this week?
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Monday, Rob accidentally posted 2 Last Calls.
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“Rob, you’ve had enough. Should I call you a cab?”
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“I’m not a cab. You’re a cab!”
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I think I found issues #5 and #6 with the pickup since February. (Just what I wanted.)
The 1st three were fluid leaks; steering rack, something on the output end of the transmission, & the front crankshaft oil seal [which seems to be in remission now.] Then the left front brake started sticking partly engaged. From my inspection tonight I’m almost convinced that one of the two caliper pistons is sticking.
Now – something’s been slinging grease into the left front wheelwell – I suspect the outboard CV joint, which has an odd looking smashed spot that was greasy; and the left front wheel bearing makes interesting noises…
https://youtu.be/6Hgv2KNb2MU
BRB finding a chalkboard to make myself write “fixing the vehicle you have is cheaper than having payments” a few thousand times… -
Working on an unsupported wheel well… not good. Get a jack stand under there, okay?
You got a gallon of body filler and no hardener in sight. Where you gonna go from there?
You wanna be hella flush? You gotta sculpt that when the tire is installed, Bro!
I tell ya, this George kid, his heart’s in the right place. Someone should take him under their wing and teach him how to customize automobiles.-
Maybe he’ll make something that’s got some POP! to it
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Please tell me that’s a photoshop because….Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.
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It’s a Brolvo.
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Nothing to do with the highly respectable Mr. Barris; whom I’ve overstepped myself in poking fun at.
1973 Dodge Charger Kammback 2-Door Wagon Landau Shooting Brake Stick-on Vinyl Woodgrain what if you throw up a little in the back of your throat and like the flavor?-
Oooooh, I remember that kit. I think I even had one; I know I built a ’74 Charger.
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I’m about to do a drive across the mountains to a little, very respected, Toyota-certified shop to get my Honda’s tech inspection in order. Haven’t owned or cared for so many cars myself, but of seven vehicles so far, the bottomfeeder that I am has not yet managed to get a car approved. I’ve got the feeling today is the day. Unless the brakes fall off coming down from the mountains…
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You have six cars currently off the road?
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Oh, no, I am not Alff. I usually sold them off when the investment to get them back on the road wouldn’t make any sense. Some of my cars were budgeted as total writeoffs from the beginning, and as such getting more than the permanent cash-for-clunkers-money was always a sort of victory.
The Honda didn’t make it today, but it doesn’t take much effort to get it approved. I need a couple of stabilizer bars and bushings, what would be about 500$ if I am not doing it myself. The radiator leak I posted here the other day turns out to be from the AC, which is totally shot. I’m going to get a price for that, too, but who needs AC at 61 degrees north…?
Got some nice pictures from biking around while waiting for the shop to be finished:
http://s26.postimg.org/5c14d6okp/IMG_20160519_140329.jpg
http://s26.postimg.org/d23b4l1ih/IMG_20160519_140359.jpg
http://s26.postimg.org/k6l4dm8rt/IMG_20160519_140433.jpg-
Stunning scenery, that first shot looks like an epic rally stage… well as long as no-ones coming the other way.
The bills for the Honda don’t sound too bad really, bushings are inevitable, and once they’re in the car will feel so much better, it’ll be like getting a new car. A/C isn’t neccesary, but I always think nice to have. Perhaps less neccesary in drier climates. Ireland is not hot, but A/C is so useful here because it’s just so damp that windows fog up so easily, it’s just brilliant for keeping them clear and avoiding the stuffyness that goes with humidity. Even thinking of fixing it up on my MX5.
Speaking of which, I was hoping you were going to tell me you had a yard of neglected projects, so I could feel better about the MX5s current state of neglect and disuse.
I’ve finally decided to do something tough, even though economically it is not “worth it”, going to fit a new battery which arrived yesterday, get the engine running and confirm nothings catastrophically wrong mechanically, then get a guy from a small classic car services company to take it away on a trailer for a few weeks, get the sills repaired, braking system sorted, possibly new dampers and bushings, timing belt, water pump etc. Just getting the car to a useable, roadworthy state so I can get a roadworthiness cert and use it for a bit. Would love to do all this myself, but I don’t have the time, I need to “stop the rot” by using it again, and most importantly, I’m itching for a spin like a heroin addict getting twitchy for their next fix. 😀-
Haha, understandable itch! “Worth it” is a very stretchable term. I’ve often run my cars on a shoe string budget, selling my ’77 242 when I didn’t buy grapes at the shop because I had just filled gas… Things are starting to clear up and I am really hoping to have another classic in my driveway within a couple of years.
Do you have an idea of how much care the MX5 needs?
The strange thing about the Honda is that I think it behaves very nicely – it’s tight and predictable. But comparing it to 70s Volvos and my wife’s Camry is probably a rigged competition…looking forward to the makeover. It does rattle a bit though. -
LOL @ the volvo grapes of wrath. 😀
The MX5 needs quite a few things doing, but I’m only doing the essentials in terms of safety, preservation and roadworthiness, get some use out of it until I can sort out a Garage, which is one of those things that keeps getting pushed out as other household things arise. Once I have that, the real work can start, till then, big push from someone else to get it on the road, then tip away at smaller jobs. I am sure none of this makes much sense given that even MK1s are still relatively common.
Things that definitely need doing:
– Sills
– corrosion around battery tray
– small spots of corrosion around windscreen
– brakes (will probably need a total overhaul, I’m bracing myself for the whole lot, calipers, maybe disks, lines, would rather go overboard on this than not enough)
– engine service including timing belt and water pump
– new tyres all round (the spare probably even needs replacing too)
– sort water ingress into boot
– new higher capacity glass mat battery (arrived, I had replaced with a lead acid a few months ago, but lack of use has taken its toll)
– fit battery isolator switch to stop it getting run down when not in use (even when I get this sorted, this really will just be a weekend and track car)
– refit door trim (never got round to putting it back on after some vandal broke the window when I was still living in an apartment late last year)
– clear out leaves and crap from scuttle
– clean tape residue from door (from when the window was broken)
Things that probably need doing:
– flush cooling system
– clear drain holes
– check subframes for rot (very common, can be refurbed or just get ones from another car)
– new dampers/bushes all round
– headlight refurb
– check under carpets for rot
– assess/ refurb wheels, it’s actually got a very nice set of OEM ones fitted to that specific variant are extremely light hollow spoke wheels, but by the same token, due to their lightweight nature, need to make sure these aren’t too corroded for safety.
– gearbox oil change
Things I want to do eventually (not in logical order):
– Replace open diff with an aftermarket LSD
– fix aircon. Might take it out, but seriously A/C is a godsend, especially on track, for anyone that thinks that’s being soft, rally cars and race cars often have it now. Sure there’s a weight penalty, but a comfortable driver goes faster. 😉
– Replace seats with MK2 or other aftermarket seats.
– take out chromed “roll bar”, fit a proper one.
– replace softtop (low on the list as I have a hard top
– replace shift boots etc, to get that “rifle bolt” feel back
There’s possibly a few other things I’ll look at in the go-faster/chassis stiffening dept eventually, but for now, it’s about getting it to be a fundamentally good car. It sort of doesn’t make sense as MX5s are pretty common, but I kind of feel sometimes it’s better to stick with something, you already know what needs sorting and if it’s a keeper, which I hope this will be, you’ll always get the benefit of those improvements. Plus, non-essential things can be spread out over time. The beauty of these cars is it’s so easy to find someone who can sort things on them or find parts. compared to other cars, even of the same age, like AW11 MR2s, it’s so much easier to find bits and extremely cheaply, either used, new OEM or reproduction. I think that’s important if you really want a car you can really use without kid gloves guilt free. I think a lot of older cars, you’re always worried you might break something because it’s going to be such a headache to source a part. I just want a car that’s lots of fun on road and track, doesn’t cost lots to keep and I can maintain to a high standard without breaking the bank. Better to have a cheap car that’s totally sorted than something more exotic that’s never quite right. -
Holy macaroni. It seems like you have quite good control of what you have there though – the list initially seems too loooooong, but it’s doable. You don’t have it outside now, do you? A leak around here would be the quickest way to death for about any car.
Also nicely summed up why the MX5 makes sense as a fun car. My taste in cars collides with that, even though the 240’s here are probably the cheapest car to maintain of all. A GAZ 24? Not so much. Good luck! 🙂 -
I reckon you could easily make a list that long with any near 20 year old car to be honest, unless it’s been meticulously maintained all its life and kept in regular use. It’s outside, but the leak isn’t a big one, but water does accumulate over time. Unfortunately I had a period of 3-4 freakishly rainy months following the window incident where it was sitting in a friends yard and I couldn’t move it because it was behind other stuf that water did accumulate, so I took the carpets out of the boot and dried it all out and keep an eye on it from time to time. It’s not good, but we don’t have the extreme cold you do either.
240 could be a great base to build up something pretty cool, especially if an engine swap from a later turbo engines an option.
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AC is good for demisting though gravity has probably made the air drier where you are.
Ice being heavy compared to air.
How about a somewhat rusty ’76 Tatra T613, in need of minor repairs? Only $12,500:
http://assets.hemmings.com/uimage/54974548-770-0.jpg?rev=1
http://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/cars-for-sale/tatra/t613/1832357.html
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It is a very good/bad thing I do not have a spare $12 500 dollars…
So the Focus was lifted up for a service, and the workshop called me and asked if I really intended to waste a perfectly good oil filter on that wreck. The plate carrying the drive train is toast, the workshop is mandated to remove the registration.
This certainly happened during me visiting relatives two countries away, and at the end of the vacation. Looks like I’ll own a baseball cap called Skoda Roomster.
Updates here.
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Ouch! Are you going to import the Skoda?
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Sure, a 1.2L engine in a non-SUV is, ahem, cheap. The rear seats are great (two way adjustable!), and the space is both flexible and generous.
The design is a quirk (pointy front door edges wtf), but works. Quite a bit the Multipla in the closet.-
NIce, I like the Roomster. I have never really understood why it doesn’t sell as well as the Yaris Verso used to do – it’s the same bloody concept, pointed at the same audience. Just a shame that the Focus will be a writeoff…or do you get your “vrakpant” anyway?
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I’ll get my deposit back after delivering the plates and showing a sales contract to a foreigner. Effectively an export. This is a minor concern, I am worried about getting it registered – the counter will close at 11.45am. Sharp. The ferry will leave 26hrs later.
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Good luck!
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There are a few of us who can never forgive Barris for turning the Lincoln Futura Concept car into the Batmobile. Specially as he got the car off Ford for $1.00
http://www.1966batmobile.com/batmobiletimeline.jpg
http://www.thehistoryblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/batmobile-lincoln-futura.jpg
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