Anton's build

[turbo-tom]

progress is still progress.

[Anton]

Yup. Slow progress right now, but progress is always good.

[OllieSJ]

Well done slightly confuesed on what the new aim is now as the jago body is out the window.

[Anton]

The aim is just to get it going again in time for wagtail.

Beyond that, I have no concrete plans. I may even get another Jago body one day, but before I even think about that, I'll make sure I have no major work on (and ideally, I've already got a GRP floorpan ready).

I actually quite like the idea of making my own GRP body - maybe an LJ. I've always wanted an LJ.

But let's leave off even thinking about that until my health issues aren't kicking my ass and I have time/energy to work on the SJ earnestly.

[Jordi]

So does Mum have her garden back now?

Whats the serious list of things you're trying to achieve now? Is it running yet?

[turbo-tom]

think its mot.

[Tramp]

Sorry to hear that bad health is keeping you out of the zook.... I had 16months 'out' of suzuki & the only thing I managed to do in that time was change the radio.....



Stick with it, the zook will be there when your feeling better! & its great to see you making progress!

[Anton]

Jordi - it runs (although it needs fresh petrol, it's been stagnating for a while) just lovely now it has a new battery in it. Stopping it from running (in an offroad only kinda way) is just the need for the calipers on the rear.

I could fit them as is, but I want to recon them properly first (new seals, rubber boots etc, and a coat of paint) which means getting the stubborn as hell pistons out of 'em.

I've made an air compressor adapter out of an old brass screw-in brake pipe fitting I had going spare. I tried using a foot pump, but the piston didn't budge *at all* - I think I need serious pressure. Scottie's got a compressor, gonna try that tomorrow (if I can find the time!).

Mum's not got her garden back *just* yet - Sunday should be the day when the Geep body vanishes.

And that's the front garden - her back garden is full of my tyres (there's 10 31's in her back garden - a set of 4 mud tyres, a set of 5 road radials, and a spare AT tyre. Then there's an old, worn set of BFG muds on the SJ, and a BFG AT on the spare rim inside - so I have 15 tyres for the SJ!!!)

Once the Geep body is gone on Sunday, she'll have the front garden back. Hopefully this week Scottie and I will get the BFG's off the steel rims, get the new MT's on, get the road radials onto my alloys, and then everything else can go on fleabay - so only 5 tyres need a home. I can keep that many at mine under the bed (I have a very big bed), so she can have both gardens back.

Tramp - thanks - sucks not being well enough to get stuff done, when you know you can do it! I have a tendency to push myself, and that could land me in hospital again. Gotta be careful right now!

[Anton]

Yesterday the Jago body went, so the SJ is officially staying as an SJ.

Shame, but then again, probably for the best. I don't have the time/energy for that right now. After sorting out the parts bin a bit (and throwing out a LOT of stuff) I cleaned up mum's front garden a bit, so she can have some bbq's out there this summer.

Then I spent some time sorting out a few niggles - the windscreen wipers were siezed, so soaked them in WD. They're still not quite right, but they're getting there. Needed new washer jets (I have an extra washer bottle that I run 2 extra jets off of - so I have more windscreen washing POWER. The standard washers are a bit wimpy vs Surrey clay/mud) so I fitted those. Backwards at first...



Whoops... Lets try that again, shall we?

After that, I spent time getting the tyres swapped over, with some help from steam-powered scottie:



Getting the road tyres onto the ally's...



The compressor which actually did seat the beads on 9 31's - 4 mud terrains, 5 (inc the spare) road tyres...



BFG MT's off the steel rims, Kaiman Malatesta's on...



Scottie's mad valve tool...







Which works!

One of the mud tyres is on backwards. I will admit that, by that point in the day, I was very tired, and scottie and I had downed a bottle of voddie each, so I might have been a little bit brahms...

So I'll have to whip that off and put it back on the right way around at some point! I'm covered in bruises, and I whacked Scottie in the face with the tyre changing lever by accident - he was bleeding, but being a trooper, he just wiped it off and carried on.

So stuff is getting done! Feels good, lemmetellya.

[dan_2k_uk]

Love how thats written!