The last working day of the year! George Will described 2005 as a "disagreeable year" and I certainly echo his sentiments. Gosh, right at the beginning of the year our birthday party, our 30th! birthday party, was snowed out. Business was slow compared to years' past. We're looking forward to a much more EXCITING and a profitable year in 2006!
On this last Friday, Casey made great strides with the 1956 MGA.
Curt is nearly finished with the rear suspension on the PR 1974 TR6. You see, we have two TR6's in the shop. One belongs to PR, the other to RB. The RB 1974 Maroon TR6 is receiving the engine upgrade.
Mark is very nearly finished with the 1979 MGB LE, although "very nearly" is a relative term for a car to be painted in black!
Friday must have been exciting for Caroline found my lunch still in the fridge when she went there today to collect the mail. I do keenly remember sorting through replated nuts, bolts, washers, and little bits with Ken. Earlier the in the day Trevor took the wheels from the TF down to the local service station. They charged us extra because the tires were rusted to the rims (they are the same tires that came with the car in 1962!). Then, later, Ken and James took more plating to Midwest plating and dropped off more of the TF parts at Southwest sandblasting. My son James, who spent most of the rest of the day cleaning parts for his Austin America, was spellbound at the sandblasting shop. "How can I apply for a job THERE?" he asked me! We had an "emergency shop meeting" about noon when Tom Walters dropped off a large tin of "Holiday Cookies." The firm that Tom represents still has nudie calendars. I said, "Tom, if you have nudie calendars available, your company is not worried about political correctness. These are goddamned CHRISTMAS cookies, not holiday cookies." He replied, "I see your point." Very early in the day Mark stopped by to inspect the undercarriage of a 1967 MGB which has some perforation in the frame rails. He'll weld those sections this week.
This coming week portends to be a good start to 2006! SS is bringing her 1980 MGB LE to have us repair the "crack of doom" on both doors (she just had the car restored about three years ago); MD is shipping his 1964 MGB from New Orleans (there are no restorations shops working there right now); and JB's MGB is coming to us from Reno NV.
See you all next year!!!
John
