9/7/13: Moggy Update

Despite my slightly off-putting start yesturday morning, I have soldiered on today, sanding and varnishing the back and the other side of my car to yesturday, meaning that I only have 1 more bit, and load of coats of varnish, to finish the job.

This is a prospect that excvites me greatly as I am not ery good at finishing a job, so the idea of actually getting there is great! I have also had a lot of fun doing it today. There is something quite theraputic about it, and I now feel a lot closer to the car, I feel like I should be taking a bit more care when driving and looking after it. This is all good stuff.

I have also been thinking a lot about what Ishould be doing as the next steps with the car too. I know I need to do the wheels, and I would really like to build a caravan or a trailer of some sort, but it is what and how that is puzzling me. I quite like the idea of a teardrop trailer, yet I also like the idea of it looking a little bit like a chicken run, seeing as the car has been a farm runaround for a large part of its life. 

However thinking into the long term, I thought about the wood and the bodywork. The trouble is, to replace all the wood and respray the bodywork, it seems to me like you take away all the character of the car. That little bit of a scratch adn a dent here and there tells a story of the cars working past, and the discolouration in the wood adds to the authenticity of the car. In fact, I think I will preserve the little scratches and lumps and bumps, it is a part of the cars heritage and that is something I should be proud to be driving round in.

So really the work on my part is going to be in making the car look as wacky as I can: roof racks; suitcases and picnic hampers; floral galands and dreamcatchers; things like number plates, wheel trims and seat covers; and finally trailers and other addons.

I defintely feel the need for another post about the trailer. Imagine how cool it would be to drive around towing a little chicken run, which is actually a fully operating caravanette, with bed, cooker, storage and even some little gadgets and stuff!

Thanks for reading!

Lucy The Moggy Update 28/06/2013

Well what a few months it has been for dearest Lucy. She has been to the grim north twice, and also to see about 1000 of her friends in oxfordshire at the Morris Centenary Rally at Cornbury Park. She has also had a lot of attention for her human supporters, namely me, and is about to get a full makeover...

We have been visting the relatives that Lucy came from more regularly this year, as they have 3 holiday cottages which we are trying to renovate. My working shifts disallow visits at weekends, but during the week I can pop up quite happily on my own, and so Lucy has been the fateful one to get me and a load of other stuff up there, and back, safely. Which I must add, she has done twice so far! Also my Great Uncle, from whom the car originated has much appreciated seeing Lucy again and on the road, running in her former glory.

Then the other weekend, I took some time off and headed down to Charlbury, a little village in Oxfordshire, with the most ginormous stately home and grounds, where the MMOC National Rally was held in conjunction with the Centenary celebrations event of International recognition, to celebrate 100 years of Morris car manufacturing, and massive feat in itself. And yes, we did see some vehicles from 1913! So she spent a day in a field full of Morris Minors, and lots of other different types of Morris, which both of us really enjoyed.

Now, onto the makeover bit. This is the most interesting bit for me as it has been something I have been wanting to do since I got Lucy. I have just received the varnish and scrapers to start to redo Lucy's woodwork! With a lot of time over the summer, and with any luck (or not knowing Britain) the weather on my side, I can't wait to get out and start work on re-varnishing the woodwork. When the rain actually stops of course!

Alongside this, I have also picked up a roof rack from my Great Uncle's farm which I have now found some suitable attire for: in the form of a suitcase from the 60s and a wicker picnic hamper, as you can see in the picture below:

So the minor is really starting to look the part, and I hope to be able to take some lovely photographs of her when the skies show a hint of blue in them, whilst I keep looking around for vinatge suitcases! As an aside, if you have any you are looking to get rid of, then let me know!

There is loads more on the way this summer in terms of Lucy and her restorations and adventures, so please feel free to keep checking my blog for further updates on my baby!

Thanks for reading!

Follow me on twitter: @peachy146

Post-Exams

Firstly I would like to apologise for the lack of posts in recent months. I have been incredibly snowed under with lots of things, mainly exams. I have just undertaken my final A Levels, which were to say the least, stressful and a right pain. But now I am a free man, so I can't complain!

I have loads of time on my hands now. Well I say that, I have spent every day since I broke up doing something. My mum teaches music at the local primary school, I am have been roped in to do numerous project in and around the Alreas Radio and Arts Fest stuff that I got involved in last year. Today I spent my day making signs out of wood with the Lord's Prayer on it. I am not even sure if that fits into anything, but apparently it was important! I must say, they lok pretty swish, even if they are about the Lord's Prayer...

So on top of all this work I have been doing in the Primary School (which by the way, I am not even getting paid for it, I am doing it completely voluntarily) I have also been putting my time to good use, working on 'Lucy the Moggy' doing some very important work on the car that I have been wanting to do for a long time. I have recently been part of the Morris Centenary International Event MMOC National Rally, and I have rekindled my love for the Minor. 

I have now got a book about the Morris Minor Traveller, which includes complete Morris history which I have now buffed up on, as well as some whacky and crazy Travellers with 5 rear passenger doors for example, or different boot and window configurations, which are really quite interesting, both visually and mechanically. It also has a complete step-by-step guide on how to replace the Ash frame, which I am looking at doing in the future. For the time being though I have been revarnishing her and she is starting to look really quite elegant. That and the addition of Chrome front light eyelids, and a roof rack complete with vintage suitcase and picnic basket, she is really taking shape.

The next project is the caravan which Lucy will soon be towing. Something that I saw at the Rally the other weekend, and have also researched before, is the idea of creating a 'Half-Timbered' effect trailer to use and tow around. Ones I have seen are really light and fellow owners of said trailers say they can drive at the speed limit quite comfortably because of the lightweight design and shallow height of them, allowing for a more streamlined effect. In fact the rood of the trailer, in a teardrop shape, at it's highest point would not exceed the roof of the car, which would mean it is really streamlined. I am looking forward to building it and using it thereon! All I need to do is find a trailer which I can use as an A-Frame chassic on which to base the caravan...

So anyway, that is an update on my life, and hopefully with a bit more time on my hands, a few more to follow!

Please follow me on twitter: @peachy146

And on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/peachy146

Thanks for reading!