The 89 MattMobile Build Thread.

Glad that you are leaving the stretching to a pro, I imagine there are plenty of knowledgable guys in you area. Heck I've seen Limo's longer than my house....

Looking great all round though.. I can't believe how clean your garage is! I change a tire in mine and it ends up looking like this..

trash_compactor.jpg
 
I find that keeping the garage clean almost takes as much time as messing it up. Pulling apart a car leads to TONS of mess, be it fluids and other car grime, or just the stack of removed parts. So I have to be very dilligent about keeping it clean.

In other news, I took a break from MattMobile building yesterday to work on a Trek prop. The Horga'hn. It's a kit I've had sitting around for years. Finally took a swipe at it with the "better to have a finished prop that isn't perfect, than a perfect prop that isn't finished" attitude. My plan is to have it finished tonight. It served as a nice little distraction from car tear down.

not that I needed one :)
 
MattMunson said:
I find that keeping the garage clean almost takes as much time as messing it up. Pulling apart a car leads to TONS of mess, be it fluids and other car grime, or just the stack of removed parts. So I have to be very dilligent about keeping it clean.

In other news, I took a break from MattMobile building yesterday to work on a Trek prop. The Horga'hn. It's a kit I've had sitting around for years. Finally took a swipe at it with the "better to have a finished prop that isn't perfect, than a perfect prop that isn't finished" attitude. My plan is to have it finished tonight. It served as a nice little distraction from car tear down.

not that I needed one :)
Click to expand...

I was honestly going to ask if you still work on other smaller props just like you always have... or if the MM was gonna be THE thing you focused on for the next... err... however long it takes to build a Matt Mobile? :lol

You answered my question though. :p
 
Ken, I'm just so stoked to not only FINALLY have a workspace, but to have a HUGE workspace, that I simply cannot ignore all the kits that have been stacking up over the years. It's kind of fun taking a break from a long-haul project to bang out a little quickie kit. I sometimes need that quick-fix-reward to keep me motivated.
 
Great to see you take a little break here and there, no burnout then. I love your statement " If I stayed away from projects I did'nt know how to do, I would'nt get a whole lot done." I need to start living by that statement also and start working with foam amoungst other things. Keep up the great work, you are an inspiration to a great many of us here.
 
Judge Spartan said:
Great to see you take a little break here and there, no burnout then. I love your statement " If I stayed away from projects I did'nt know how to do, I would'nt get a whole lot done." I need to start living by that statement also and start working with foam amoungst other things. Keep up the great work, you are an inspiration to a great many of us here.
Click to expand...

Wow! thanks dude. That is really kind of you to say! I will do my best to be worthy of such praise :)
 
I read that comment also and it was in my head all night at work. So many props I haven't tried because I have no idea about it. But you've proven with this car that not knowing isn't a reason to not try..

I think I'm gonna get crafty this weekend and try something I've wanted for far too long..
 
I know everyone has chimed in with manual suggestions and websites, but there's a reason these things are made. There's a reason Factory Techs use them. Nothing beasts being able to have your greasy hands on this as it sits next to you while you stare at the part with your mouth agape.

Reading it front to back will also put you at an advantage. ESPECIALLY when you rebuild this thing. You will have demo-ed so many things it'll turn into a fog.

NEVER get one on CD - always get a book - it's the first thing my dad taught me to do when starting a vehicle build. "Buy a damn Service Manual. They wrote ALL the answers in there."

The great thing is you can always resell the thing and unlike the Hot Rod, you'll get fair market value for it.

Amazon.com: 1995 Chevy Chevrolet Caprice Service Shop Manual Set (2 volume set, and the service manual supplement.): chevrolet: Books
You can find it cheaper - but this is the set you want - both 1 and 2 Service Manuals and the supplement. Though I guarantee it will be worth $100 at some point in this build. Reading these things in the john will also keep your head in the build.

Laffo.
 
Thanks Laffo. Those come up on ebay all the time for about 35 bucks for the full set. I appreciate you pointing me in the right direction :) I'm gonna go get a set.

And yeah, it would have to be the book. I want to be able to sit it down next to the engine as I'm looking at it. Fo' sho.

The Fog of Demo is already upon me. Just yesterday when I was cleaning up, I found a hose and had NO idea where it came from. Not only do I have a bad memory for that type of stuff to begin with, but there's just SOOOO much of it.

Thanks again, sir!
 
Wednesday was another day of clean up. After sawing off the back half of the car, the garage had once again gotten pretty cluttered. I spent my hour on Wed chopping up some car parts so that they would fit in the trash. I go through blades pretty fast, which is an expensive bummer.

No real pictures to show, but it was progress.

Right now, my goal for the week is to finish removing the body from the chassis. I don't really have that much more work to do, but as soon as I get that done, I'm pretty much at a standstill until the shell arrives. There's plenty of parts buying I can do in the interim, but other than the stretch and research, that's it.
 
Get a cheap, bang around digital camera for the shop. We used to take Polaroids of the assembled area and how it mounted - and slip them in what ever box or envelope that had those parts in it. Now you can just label them with the picture number on your camera. Way cheaper. This practice has saved my ass on quite a few occasions - and not doing it has cost me quite a bit of money.

Here's an example:
1960 Ford F100. Only made that body style one year. This was a factory stakeside as well. One of 230 made. Had a little straight 6 223 with a Rochester single barrel on it.
One of the simplest, most bulletproof combos Ford has ever built. I got cocky and tore everything apart. Carb was shot - bought a new one - old one got tossed by accident.

Spent a week machining adapter plates and linkages, driving around replacing the replacement because this new carb would not mount correctly.

Only figured it out because I happened to see ANOTHER 60 one day during the build and popped it's hood. Lucky for me the 223 was still in this one too. For one year Ford mounted this carb backwards and 1/4 turn to the left on this engine.

Had I not been sloppy and just snapped a pic of the engine and compartment before I touched it - none of this would have happened.

Oh, the 3/8 drill bit that snapped and went through my index finger destroying all the nerves in it from the knuckle out while I was making a useless and futile adapter plate would not have happened either.

Laffo.
 
Crazy stories Laffo! I have been photographing AND filming the heck out of everything. I have found in the past that photos do not always tell the entire story. Like, a photo will show some cabling, but I wish the photo was just rotated a few degrees to the left so I could see how they intertwine. or something like that. Video helps with that. Gives a more 3d version of the story.

As for injuries, I must confess I am THE most uncomfortable user of power tools on the planet. I'm terrified of the things, so it's ALWAYS safety first. Every time I pick up that reciprocating saw is like the first time. I'm just as terrified of it today as I was a few weeks ago. My experience has been that the SECOND you get comfortable with a tool, and stop fearing it, is the second that an accident happens.
 
I finished my Horga'hn today. I think it turned out very nicely, and I'm quite happy with it. The paint job was very quick and dirty, but surprisingly appropriate for this piece. I'm very happy with it, and will be dragging it with me to Dragon*Con in search of Jamaharon.

horgahn.jpg
 
That last piece shouldn't need any sawing, though I need to figure out if I'm going to try to preserve the firewall. If I am, I will need to do some sawing. If not, I just need to find the bolts that are holding it in place, remove them, then lift the whole thing off.
 
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