Rebuild Complete

Dominic and I have spent many hours on the front end rebuild. The dissassembly took about 4 hours. I'd estimate we have about 60 hours in the rebuild.

We began with a complete rust removal with sand paper and a wire wheel on a drill. After much clean up, the parts were labled, identified, and spayed with a rust conversion paint. The rust conversion paint takes any rust and converts it to a paintable surface. After this prep, the surface was painted with several coats of rustoleum.

After the rust removal, it was time to replace the king pins and link pins. These critical suspension items required a trip to Ken Friends shop for use of his expertise and a heavy duty hydraulic press. With the king pins installed, it was time to focus on the brakes and braking components. Dominic cleaned and painted the backing plates and I enlisted the help of good friend and all around expert Jimmie W. who stopped by and helped with the brake install.

Today, Dominic and I spent some time measuring for the net tie rod ends. Like the king pins/link pins these measurments were critical for the suspension install. We used a measuring tape, string, and a make shift plumb bob to be certain that our tie rods and ends were exactly correct. We'll do a final measurment to make sure that everything is still correct before we bolt on the wheels and tires.

While the front end assembly was out, we were also able to replace the master cylinder and front brake lines. This should make the car safe to drive. Hopefully this week, we'll turn the car around and begin a similar refit to the rear end of the car. Then it will be safe for Dominic to drive around town.

Front End Work

And so it begins... Yesterday Dominic and I placed the Ghia on jack stands and removed the entire front end assembly. This includes the suspension components and brake drums. It was a bit difficult to get out from under the car. Working on our backs with 44 years of rust, dirt and grime raining down upon our heads was not pleasant.

We worked for about 4 hours and our results were successful. Dominic is pictured using the pressure washer to remove the years of accumulated grime. Hopefully, this will make the next part of the job a bit cleaner.

Our plan over the next few weeks is to replace all the moving components on the front end. We'll begin with new king and link pin assemblies. The left king pin is badly worn, the right one seems okay, but we will replace both. Additionally, we'll add new shocks and a steering dampener. The the braking system including new wheel cylinders, brake lines, a new master cylinder, and new shoes. This will make the car much safer to drive. So, stay tuned to our blog and we'll show you photos of the next few steps. Fortunately, we have good documentation in about 3 service manuals, so this project was fairly easy so far.

Mike and Dominic

1964 Karmann Ghia Coupe

The Karmann Ghia was marketed from 1955 until 1974 by Volkswagen. It was a collaboration between the Germans and the Italians. With German engineering and reliability, coupled with Italian styling, the Karmann Ghia was a success full design for a number years.

Our Ghia sports a 1.2 liter engine. Volkswagen had many firsts that seeming went unrecognized by the mainstream automakers. Chrysler claims to have invented the mini-van. However, VW aficionados know that the mini-bus was really the first soccer mom transportation.

So why a Ghia? Dominic and I wanted to restore a car. Figuring by working together we could both learn about cars and eachother. I had partially restored a 1965 Mustang about the time Dominic was born. It was time to do another restoration.

We shopped. Watched Craigslist and Ebay. Checked out local papers. Did research. Looked and some junk. Dominic really wanted to have a 60's or 70's muscle car. I wasn't so keen on this idea for many reasons. The Ghia was a compromise. It's actually a perfect compromise between an Italian designed sports car and an American muscle car. The fact that this car has a small 40bhp engine and sips gasoline is a plus for being environmentally responsible. This car is capable of 30 miles per gallon! The car appeals to Dominic because it's unique. Think about it... you just don't see to many Karmann Ghias on the road today. Hopefully, with a great restoration this car will be a legacy to Dominic. He'll have the memories of restoration and the car.

I'll be posting updates as do a complete restoration on our 1964 Karmann Ghia. The car was delivered last weekend by flat bed wrecker. It has a strong engine and runs and drives. Dominic and I took a ride "around the block" last weekend. I'll use our blog to chronicle the restoration.

The car needs a few things to get it road ready. This 1964 has not been in a serious accident, however, it does show some wear and tear. The paint is in bad shape and there are several dings, dents, and some rust on the rear quarter panels. With that said, it runs and drives and the tires are good.

On Monday of this week, we pulled the car into the garage and put it on axle stands. Then we took all the wheels off and started to examine the pieces and parts. Upon examination, it was decided that the undercarriage was way too filthy to begin to work on. So we pulled the Ghia back out of the garage, jacked it up took the wheels off and pressure washed it! It's much cleaner now, and will make the next steps a bit easier. We'll begin with a total restoration of the braking system. One of the front wheels needs some attention, Dominic and I are unsure if the brake is hanging up or the wheel bearing is cooked. It's really hard to turn the wheels! We'll address this problem this week. Our plan is to remove the wheels and brake drums and do a total restoration on that portion of the car. Our goal, get the car the ready to drive!

I'll keep you updated with photos and stories as we restore this classic car!

Metal Art

Robin, Dominic and I have made several trips to the British Virgin Islands. One of our favorite places to hang out is Trellis Bay. This well protected anchorage is nestled next to the airport on Beef Island. Trellis is one of the more populated places in the islands, it sports a few beach bars, a couple of art galleries, grocery store, and an internet cafe with great coffee. We have stopped there on each visit to the islands.

During the full moon, Trellis bay transforms into a family friendly outdoor party. Complete with mocko jumbies (stilt walkers), artists, food, live music, and fire!

The photo above is an old anchor or marker buoy that has been cut with a plasma cutter. The tessellations form an artists impression of the island people standing strong and holding up the sun or sky. There are several of these in Trellis Bay and during the full moon. The artists of Trellis push or roll these tessellated shapes into knee-deep water. They are filled with dry kindling and set ablaze in a most remarkable display to celebrate the full moon.

Many of the members of Beaver Lake Sailing Club have traveled to Trellis Bay and sampled some of the local flavor. Everyone it seems, has found these burning orbs captivating. When my friend Tom approached me about an old 1000 gallon propane tank that was collecting dirt at Mike's house in Elkins, an great idea was set in motion.

First, how to get the propane tank somewhere where could work on it. Well with some Egyptian engineering (using round pipes to roll this behemoth) we managed to load this tank on a flat bed trailer. It took several hours and 4 guys, chains, come-alongs, a tractor, and a stout Toyota 4Runner to coax this tank aboard the trailer. We did this in early May when the ground was wet and slippery.

Next, we hauled the tank to my good friend Jimmie's shop in Fayetteville. Jimmie, now retired, has much experience working with things metal, he used to build racing car frames and suspension components for the dirt track folks around the area. Jimmie also has a large selection of grown up toys. A wire feed welder, a plasma cutter, and many other cool devices all dedicated to cutting, slicing, or joining metal.

So, we spent an entire day sectioning this tank into smaller more manageable pieces. It was no easy task as this tank had held flammable gas at one point in its life. Putting a plasma torch to this enclosed tank was a bit unnerving. We cut it open and began to create art.

As it turns out Jimmie's plasma cutter was working at its maxium capacity and cutting was fairly slow going. Enter Jesse, of White River Hardwoods, who had a much more macho plasma torch that sliced though the 1/2 inch thick steel like a hot knife though butter. Add another entire day and part of a morning and the tank was beginning to look a lot like the fire art we have all enjoyed the in the BVI.

Today, was the last and final push for finishing the tank. There was much grinding to do to even the rough edges left by the plasma torch. Using a grinder and Jimmie's advice, I worked for several hours and leveled things up a bit. Then off to the scrap metal place for chimney and by the days end, we have an awesome looking outdoor fire pit.

The years enscribed (1979-2009) represent Beaver Lake Sailing Club's 30 year presence in Molder Hollow. We'll start a fire this weekend during the Founder's Regatta to commemorate this auspicious event.

FOJW: Friends of Jimmie White

The title of today's BLOG is "Friends of Jimmie White" or FOJW. It seems that our dear friend Jimmie found his 1970's vintage Trojan cabin Cruiser resting easily on the bottom of Beaver Lake. This boat, which is berthed on the Rambo Riviera region of Beaver Lake, has been Jimmie and Sue's secret get-a-away for a number of years. This Spring season has been a bit different than usual with plenty of rain and even snow to fill the Cabin Cruiser. Our dear friends Jimmie and Sue found their beloved 31' cabin cruiser on the bottom of Beaver Lake last weekend.

No fear, it seems that Jimmie has lots of willing friends who demonstrated loyalty by driving to the Rambo to raise the boat. Think, 19th century barn raising! Johnny arrived ready to get in the chilly Spring water. Elmo had stayed out at Rambo to be there early and lend a hand. Steven and his friend Adam showed up to lend assistance in whatever needed doing. Don with the Rubicon were there with professional experience in raising the sunk. I arrived with provisions for lunch and a willingness to throw my shoulder into it, whatever the task. With the help of many volunteers, we applied straps, cables, winches, and chains and raised Jimmie and Sue's boat.

Lets face it, having a boat is every water lovers dream. Having a boat that sinks is really depressing. However, it seems that Jimmie and Sue's boat is no worse the wear for spending several days below the surface. While the interior was wet, the boat seemed to be fairly clean after the ordeal.

Working for most of the day, we managed to raise her off the bottom and tow her to the Rocky Branch Marina on Beaver Lake. She's now in a covered slip where she can dry out a bit. Jimmie hopes to get her running again by using diesel fuel to lubricate the soaked engines. Yes, this boat was equipped with two 350cu Chevy engines as well as a generator.

Around LaRue

LaRue is a tiny community in Benton County. Presumably named for L. LaRue Harrison , a Union officer who lived in Northwest Arkansas and surveyed the town of Harrison. La Rue, cut off from any possible commerce by the flooding of Beaver Lake in the 60's serves only as a distant reminder to days gone past and a long distance race at the sailing club.

Friday was the perfect spring day. With temps approaching 80 degrees and a south west wind around 20 miles per hour. I was invited to crew aboard Valkyrie an O'day 32 for the "Around LaRue Race". Valkyrie is stout sailboat the seems to love the wind, certainly much more than our beloved Bella Luna who is tender and prefers days under 20 mph. Valkyrie seemed to enjoy the day.

We departed the sailing club around 11:00 am and motored to the highway 12 bridge near Rogers, Arkansas. Hoisted the sails and headed back "around LaRue and towards Beaver Dam. Then, we headed into the wind and headed for home! The entire trip took about 8 hours total on the lake. Valkyrie and her crew finished in 5 hours and 30 minutes. Posting the new time to beat for the 2009 and sailing season.

Snow and the Sea

The experts predicted only a 30% chance of snow for the last day in February. The snow started around 2 in the morning and was like fairy snow, small flakes that seemed to dance in the air. There was a short respite as the sun came up but the snow persisted as the day wore on.

At our last event at the Walton Arts Center, Michael picked up tickets to see the Naval Sea Chanters. The Chanters are the chorus of the US Navy's Band. Composed of 8 men and 8 women, they gave a stirring performance. The afternoon's offerings ranged from Shenandoah to a tribute to all the branched of the Armed Forces to a medley of 1960's top forty hits. Everyone stood and cheered and sang along under their breath. What an afternoon.

The show finished and we walked outside to snow. Larger flakes now that seemed determined to cover the roads and ground. We slid a little on the way home with our 30% chance of snow.

Spring might be close!

With March just around the corner, the southerly winds have begun to blow. Bringing warm moist air from the Gulf of Mexico. The air will mix with fronts from the north and our Spring time storm season will begin. In the meantime, its those days before the the thunderstorms that provide a brief respite from the cold winter days. Yesterday was one of those perfect spring type days. Not too much wind, lots of sunshine, and perfect skies.

Yesterday I ventured out the sailing club with the cargo area on the 4Runner filled with sails. As you know from previous posts, I completely reworked the boom. Painting the outside and rebuilding the internal wire to rope halyards. Its better than new.

Bella Luna is now ready to sail. All we need is another perfect warm Spring day. We'll fire up the engine, hoist the sails, and enjoy the day.

Honda EU 2000i

We have survived the ice storm. The daffodils and crocus are starting the poke their little green sprouts from the previously ice covered ground. All in all, things are looking up. One exception is the enormous pile of brush in your yard. We have piled and stacked for days and days. Last weekend we cut wood until we were exhausted. I have more than pick up load in the back yard. It will eventually go the sail club or my friend Jimmie's house but at least it will be used.

During the height of the storm. I felt compelled to purchase a generator. Since we were using a borrowed one, and the power company said it would be another week before we would have electrons in our house. I ordered a Honda EU2000i generator.

So, what you may ask is an EU200oi Honda Generator. It's a whisper quiet suitcase generator. Weighing in at only 40 pounds and super fuel efficient. This small generator will be capable of powering our refrigerator, gas furnace, computers and television. All ready for the next big power outage. But wait there is more!!

The Honda will run for 15 hours on a single gallon of gas. Producing some 2000 watts of pure sine-wave electricity, perfect for even the most sensitive application, like a computer or television set. With its automatic throttle, it purrs quietly with about 50 db of noise. Normal conversation is around 60db to 65db. It's that quiet!

Truthfully, I don't think we'll ever need it for another power outage. Although, in the past 6 years, we've had two periods of electrical outages lasting more than 5 days. So, I suppose that there is a remote possibility. I actually purchased it with the boating season in mind. See, this little generator can run the entire boat--including the air-conditioning. So we plan to spend more time away from the docks this year, and more time on the lake. In comfort!

Ice Storm Video

Here is the video that I took duirng the ice storm.

Life and Ice in NWA

The iciness arrived in Northwest Arkansas and has been both beautiful and devastating. We are still without electricity at home. We are managing with the use of a borrowed generator(Thanks Jimmy and Sue!). We are staying warm and clean (the water heaters are gas). The most exasperating thing is the disruption of our routine. I feel that I can't get anything done! Vacuuming has become a priority. Laundry was done in one massive strike at the laundromat on Friday. I discovered that the generator that we borrowed can run the central heat but not my blow dryer!!!!

We took an after dark family walk in the freezing rain and sleet on Tuesday night when the weather moved into the area. It was surreal to say the least. Walking down our road the trees were snapping with noises that sounded like gunfire. This was followed by the crash of ice and wood with a tinkling overtone. The skyline was dark due to power outages but the sky would light up green from lightning frequently. The sleet would crunch underfoot and the city was unnaturally silent. Our very quiet neighborhood now purrs and roars with the sound of various generators.

Our beautiful red bud tree in the front yard was a victim of the storm. It now remains as a stump only. Michael and Dom may be digging tree holes this spring. Work continues and we are spending the afternoon at the local coffee shop. We are both working at the computers we have brought from home. The sun is shining brightly and it seems like it ought to be warm outside. We cleaned some around the house yesterday since the ice had melted but the enormity of the task is overwhelming and not going anywhere soon. We'll get to it later. Now we needed a breather away from the darkness of the last several days.

Additional pictures can be viewed on the following link

Sparring with the spar

A spar is a round pole of wood or metal used on a sailing ship. It almost always refers to the mast, however the term can be used for booms, gaffs, and yard arms. Late last fall when we put the boat to rest for the winter we brought home the boom. Years of weathering had taken its toll on our now 25 year old boat. So, it was time for a refit.

The boom has two end caps, one is the out haul casing, the other is the goose neck connecting assembly. As the foot of the sail lies across the top of the boom. The out haul is important as it allows for a flattening of the sail. Taking the "belly" out of the foot of the sail reduces performance. This is great when the winds of March howl across Beaver Lake. During the calmer months of the summer, we slack the out haul to put the "belly" in the sail, increasing draft and improving the sail's performance. Think of a sail as an airplane wing. I know, airplane wings are horizontal and sails are vertical. However, the principal is the same. The more "belly" or draft in the sail the more the sail approximates a wing. When going to weather (sailing towards the wind) the aerofoil affect is most pronounced. That is to say, that the air flowing over the sail creates a lower pressure on the outside of the sail. This essentially, pulls the boat along.

Suffice it say that the boom has not seen such tender loving care as with the exception of a bit of paint, it has likely not been off the boat in 25 years. That's 25 years of corrosion. While most of it is stainless steel, it was still corroded.

I managed to break all but one of the screws holding the end caps on the boom. So today, it's off to my friend Jimmie's shop for a tap and die and some new stainless screws. I've taken most the past few days, sanding and scraping the boom and end caps in preparation for paint. I'm waiting for the 4Th coat of white paint to dry as I write this. My new spar looks pretty good.

As for the end caps. All new hard wear inside. New running rigging (that's rope for you non-sailor types) and the boom should actually be as good as new.

Yesterday, found us with some unusually warm weather for late January. We scooted out to the boat to begin to make lists. Sailing season is just a few weeks away and we needed to start some projects. So we began to measure for a new companion way cover and some other projects. Today seems like spring, with temps approaching 70, it was great day to finish painting with the garage doors OPEN!

Most Secret Order of the Y Chromosome

Shores Lake lies in the valley below White Rock Mountain. The dam pictured here was created by the hands of CCC in the late 1930's. Working with primarily hand tools, this dam was laid by hand, stacking rock some 50 or 60 feet tall and impounding what is presently Shores lake.

The White Rock trip has become an annual adventure for the members of the Most Secret Order of the Y Chromosome. Founded officially in the lodge atop White Rock Mountain on January 7th, 1996. Brent Upedgraff, David Stoppel, Peter Youngs, and myself have made more than 10 trips to the mountain. This past weeeked, keeping to traditions we assembled in a cabin for a man-only weekend.

We always have an enjoyable time, and this was no different. One of the members was able to smuggle some genuine Cuban cigars. They were wonderful and perhaps the best that many of the members had ever smoked.

A tradition during the annual meeting is a prime rib of beef. Slow roasted in the oven for hours, this roast is always delicous. Accompanied by salad with arugula, pears, and light basalmic dressing, and baked potatoes.

This year was very cold. With temperatures last night hovering around 12 degrees. We had some difficulty maintaining the temperature in the cabin above around 40 or 50 degrees-at times we could see our breath indoors. We survived and returned home safely this afternoon.