What did you do to your Z this week?

[Sam_C]

I feel for you re. Frosty, Tim. My cat, Spike, went blind instantly a couple of months ago as a result of a seizure/stroke. He was 20 years old and although getting a bit wobbly on his legs and having seizures most nights he was still a happy soul.
Unfortunately he was also totally deaf, so although, like you I was told that cats can cope well with being blind there was no way I would have condemned him to in effect a life of total isolation.
So sadly we had to have him put to sleep. Hardest decision I’ve ever had to make, but you know it’s the right thing to do. Don’t half miss the little bugger though!
Good luck with Frosty, hope he adapts well, pal

 

[uk66fastback]

Feel for you guys as we're nearly in the same boat - our old cat, Ringo, is 19 and deaf as a post. His kidneys are not great either and his eyesight, while still okay isn't what it was so the vet said. Just been and spent a decent amount on him there having him cleaned out let's say after he was unable to go properly for a few days. Just spent it lying down on the heated bathroom floor and straining every 20mins in an effort to relieve himself.

Now he's back and a lot more comfortable, he's back to his old self, most of which involves sleeping and ... sleeping. Oh, and drinking lots of water, which is a side effect of the poor kidnys. He's had a great life and I expect him to go for a fair while yet, but that dreaded day will come, no doubt. Don't like to think about it.

Anyway, back on the Z front, my DVLA inspection happens tomorrow, so looking forward to that.

 

[toopy]

My Mum's cat was completely blind for he's last couple of years, and coped very well round the house and in the garden.

I lost my cat a few years ago, he was 17, had kidney trouble for a few years and was on tablets and special food to help mitigate the gradual kidney deterioration, ultimately tho his quality of life really started to suffer, and he was put to sleep, a tuff day indeed
Seems to be a common thing, kidney issues for cats in old age.

 

[uk66fastback]

On a happier note, the SGS guy came and did the inspection which all went well. I asked him how cars were chosen for them and he said we’re doing them all... which he then changed to ‘most’ ...

 

[johnymd]

Great looking restoration Mark.

 

[AliK]

Seriously nice work Mark!!

Got back from holls to this, courtesy of Mr Geoff R! Finally have a wiper that sweeps as intended and doesn't foul the rubber at full stroke (which I think is reason I get a leak at exactly that spot).

Cleaned up nicely with a bit of Silver polish ...

Managed to close, lock and alarm the garage door for the first time in 49 weeks! Amazing how much rubbish + engine crane can be packed into such a tight garage!

Went to climb Mount Etna with the live and thankfully quiet cauldron. Stunning mountain road drive up and down in a hired diesel Peugeot 2008.

Possibly one of the liveliest, most tractable, rev happy Diesel engines I've ever driven with tonnes of torque, pushing a car with panels made of Cornflakes packets!!! Driving excitement "enhanced" a little by Italian drivers with zero idea of the dangers of coming at you while over taking on a blind corner / switchback. Still, it was a great drive. Oh the mountain was good too [emoji14]

Would I take the Z there? No way! The sulphur had corroded any paint on cars that was remotely horizontal - imagine what that'll do to a Z!

 

[richiep]

Despite most of my attention being focused on kitchen decorating for the last week, I had a little play with my “practice” N42 head with the target being technique development for removing (or at least trimming to a low hump) the intake port valve guide boss. This is following the typical design on big port, big power Japanese heads - as per the one I bought some time back. That head has had most of the port work roughed in pretty nicely but still has the guide bosses and needs the ports at the manifold face opening out to my target diameter in the 39-41mm range (as per the Nismo big port gasket sizing). It then needs the requisite degree of polishing doing (120-180 grit finish on intakes, mirror finish on exhausts - get those gases out quick!).

Basically, this is close to what I’m going to aim for with the “real” head - it’ll just be a bit lower in the run up to the guide. This test shaping was a bit hampered by the old guide still being in place, although driven through (couldn’t get it completely out as my guide tool is too wide - need to get it machined down a touch). If you are wondering, I’m going to be using Kameari race guides, which are shorter than standard , and are thus suited to having the extra material removed.

 

[TimW]

Thank you Sam, Mike & Toopy for sharing about our moggies, appreciated. He's doing well, all bloods fine although leaving it a scan to determine a brain tumour or just plain old age, I hope the latter. Routine, I've read is the best.. So far it's a meow at 4am for his biz.. in the garden for 15mins, a few stumbles and back to bed.. Responding to sounds and following, so encouraging... A few hypertension panic attacks this weekend, rapid breathing, meowing, followed by collapse on floor, with a lot of calming then he's okay.

Anyway, before I get in to "What did I do with my cat this week".. sorry JB and followers.. Here's What I Did With My Z... or as near as I'm getting to it atm..

Built a ceiling hatch to accommodate extra storage. Ceiling now complete, all electrics done, just needs wires cladding.. Walls next week.. 50mm metal stud with thermal/acoustic slab planned, but at last thought considering breeze blocking instead..





Also, just near the ceiling hatch wiring has been added ready for a ceiling plug point to accommodate a time lapse camera for the restoration..

 

[uk66fastback]

Love those lights in the garage. Interested in the time lapse camera idea ... equipment, settings etc

 

[Rob Gaskin]

Thank you Sam, Mike & Toopy for sharing about our moggies, appreciated. He's doing well, all bloods fine although leaving it a scan to determine a brain tumour or just plain old age, I hope the latter. Routine, I've read is the best.. So far it's a meow at 4am for his biz.. in the garden for 15mins, a few stumbles and back to bed.. Responding to sounds and following, so encouraging... A few hypertension panic attacks this weekend, rapid breathing, meowing, followed by collapse on floor, with a lot of calming then he's okay.

Anyway, before I get in to "What did I do with my cat this week".. sorry JB and followers.. Here's What I Did With My Z... or as near as I'm getting to it atm..

Built a ceiling hatch to accommodate extra storage. Ceiling now complete, all electrics done, just needs wires cladding.. Walls next week.. 50mm metal stud with thermal/acoustic slab planned, but at last thought considering breeze blocking instead..

View attachment 31161
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Also, just near the ceiling hatch wiring has been added ready for a ceiling plug point to accommodate a time lapse camera for the restoration..

I can find a 'Like' button but not a 'Jealous' one - a failure of the IT System really.

 

[AliK]

I can find a 'Like' button but not a 'Jealous' one - a failure of the IT System really.

Ditto!!!!!!!

 

[jonbills]

I had it coated in salt on the M1 near Sheffield.
Time to put it away for the winter!

 

[uk66fastback]

I had it coated in salt on the M1 near Sheffield.
Time to put it away for the winter!

Make sure you get it off - if you open the garage door in a few weeks, it might be a crumbling husk ...

 

[jonbills]

Make sure you get it off - if you open the garage door in a few weeks, it might be a crumbling husk ...

And now rain and dark have got on it. I'm not sure it'll ever forgive me [emoji32]

 

[TimW]

Thanks guys, for comments on the garage.. I'm getting there..

Love those lights in the garage. Interested in the time lapse camera idea ... equipment, settings etc

For time lapse I'm going to try my GoPro Session 5 that I use as a helmet and in car camera, hopefully one fits all!.. I'm able to hook up for USB charging, otherwise it's just a 2.5 hour battery life. It has time lapse recording, 5secs through to 1min intervals and various high res output options. All controllable by a phone app. Roughly 5hrs of recording time lapse with a 64GB memory card or 2.5 hrs 1080 at 60fps video. After market mounting accessories from Amazon are cheap and I've got stacks of them so it seems a good option to try it out and see how it goes.

The only negative is the time to transfer files wirelessly to the laptop, which is painfully slow and may end up excluding it from the equation. Being mounted on the ceiling, I don't fancy getting on a ladder each time to remove the memory card each time I want to download. I've got an old spare laptop so I'm thinking of USB extension to simultaneously charge and record, not tried it yet, but will look into it this weekend.



I've got two other cameras installed. These are brilliant bits of kit for a cheap security fix. I'm sure there are better, but these do the job. Hooked up to my wireless network, they have night vision which is very clear, motion detection with sensitivity adjustment, ability to remotely rotate vision 180 degrees and two way sound. Yup, any intruder caught in the act try to steal "Precious" is going to be told to "**** ***, you're being watched and the Sweeny's on its way!".... It's a bit of a gimmick really and not that good, but for motion alerts on my phone and general peace of mind when abroad they're fantastic. You can record on motion detection also, not that I've tried it.

The only negatives are, that they're not very discrete, the power cable is too short and the motion alert sound length is too short, not long enough to wake me!.. I'd like it to sound until responded to.

I had it coated in salt on the M1 near Sheffield.
Time to put it away for the winter!

Alas... the marking of another year, although any dry days will see mine out.. That's of course if I dare to follow the BBC forecast, which has been real shit this year in accuracy!.. You see Jake, they need more funding!...

 

[ben240z]

Took it all apart for a long overdue refurb. 20 ton press to remove the rear spindle pins. New ones supplied by Sean Dezart. And so the list goes on. It is going to be a busy winter

 

[Jake RAH]

I've not been on here for a while, just been reading the puddy cat comments and feeling rather sad now. I hope Frosty is coping ok Tim.
I had a ginger moggy called Milli. She almost made it to 20 years of age. One morning I was woken up by her wetting my bed. She had never done anything like that before. Later that day she died on my lap. It broke my heart.
I now have a Bengal called Wally, a hybrid, also known as an Asian leopard/domestic moggy hybrid. He's a real handful most of the time, but that's part of what makes him such a great cat. Even if it does mean I'm now covered in scars from bites & clawings. I'm currently nursing 4 puncture wound just above my left knee & 4 puncture wounds to my right wrist, but I wouldn't swap him for the world
As for what I did to my Z this week...… erm…. well I wished it was still summer and I was out & about blasting round the lanes in it. Ho hum roll on summer

 

[Woody928]

I now have a Bengal called Wally, a hybrid, also known as an Asian leopard/domestic moggy hybrid. He's a real handful most of the time, but that's part of what makes him such a great cat. Even if it does mean I'm now covered in scars from bites & clawings. I'm currently nursing 4 puncture wound just above my left knee & 4 puncture wounds to my right wrist, but I wouldn't swap him for the world
As for what I did to my Z this week...… erm…. well I wished it was still summer and I was out & about blasting round the lanes in it. Ho hum roll on summer

I think we need to start a separate thread just for cats at this rate! My ex had two bengals and they were crazy but awesome, always wanted one since! Not really normal compared to any other type of cat, kind of have dog like qualities...

Wishing for summer again already as well, getting the car back this weekend and it looks to be rain, rain and more rain

 

[uk66fastback]

To continue the cat theme, ours is back in today for another under-anaesthetic procedure - things will turn out okay hopefully. Dusted the car down and returned some things to the roof - currently doing a little bit to create some more space to store all kinds of rubbish in the garage.

 

[johnymd]

Working on the silver car over the weekend trying to finish off all the wiring. I'm going for an entirely new generic loom so had to figure out the steering column controls and wiper motor wiring which all went pretty well. I then found out that the wiper motor I had got working was a RHD motor so this led me onto converting them to RHD configuration. This involved a bit of cutting under the cowl to make room for the RHD mechanism plus removing the redundant fresh air intake to relocate on the other side and fitting the RHD fan motor to get the location for the new intake.

Getting there but it does seam never ending at the moment.