John S's Journal
Home Page: John S
Eugene, OR, USA
| Total Posts: 182 | Latest Post: 2026-03-25 |
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Journal Table of Contents
Highlighted journal entries are shown in bold with a short summary2026
It's About Time!
— 2026-03-25
The GT has been sitting idle all Winter and I finally got around to doing something about that. ...
2025
Back In Business
— 2025-09-03
After sitting idle in the garage for a few weeks due to a distributor malfunction, hot weather,...
2024
Haven’t Done Much Lately
— 2024-09-21
Not that it’s a bad thing as it means it’s easy to get in and take a worry free drive somewhere....
Springtime Tuneup
— 2024-04-27
The new condensers arrived the other day so I decided to take care of some needed maintenance. I had...
It’s Been Awhile…
— 2024-04-17
…since I did anything with the GT. The last time I drove it, it stumbled badly a few miles from...
2023
Fuel Pump Rebuilds
— 2023-10-07
I’ve acquired a couple of S.U. fuel pumps from forum members that switched over to different...
Just A Couple Little Things
— 2023-07-23
I’ve been putting up with a fuel pump inlet banjo bolt weeping lately and the new fiber washers...
Speedhut Gauge Install
— 2023-06-25
Had some time to get back to the gauge installation. With the old one out of the way, I started...
Speedhut Speedometer Has Arrived
— 2023-06-23
Took advantage of the recent sale and ordered one after dealing with a non-functioning speedometer....
The Truth Is…
— 2023-06-19
…that there isn’t much that I need to do which is kinda nice. Out in the garage for a spell this...
Out For A Drive. Literally.
— 2023-05-19
Hopped in the GT yesterday with my clubs riding shotgun since it’s that time of year to play some...
Speedometer Woes
— 2023-05-11
Upon driving the car late last Fall, I noticed that the speedometer had ceased to work and thought I...
Just A Short List Remains
— 2023-03-25
I’ve done a lot since acquiring the GT in September of 2020 and got to enjoy the fruits of my...
Simple Things
— 2023-01-09
Now that the GT has been resuscitated and reliably back on the road, the project list has diminished...
2022
Time For A New Fuel Level Sender
— 2022-12-02
I finally decided to crawl under the car today and drain the tank in preparation for a new sender....
Winding Down
— 2022-11-16
I haven’t done much in recent days as the daylight hours have receded and the temperatures along...
The Fruits Of My Labor
— 2022-08-09
Driving the GT has been an absolute joy since I got the HS4’s dialed in and I’m finding every...
My First Real Road Trip
— 2022-07-26
I finally crossed off a few misc. tasks on my list with a day to spare before the Amity Pancake...
OD Success
— 2022-07-23
I finally got around to getting the GT up on jack stands so that I could look into whether the...
Moving On To Other Things Finally
— 2022-07-12
Took my wife out for a ride in the GT yesterday morning to visit a local farm and pick up a flat of...
I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends
— 2022-07-07
Thanks to a fellow member, the mystery of excessive jet depth on my newly rebuilt HS4’s is now...
Maybe, Just Maybe…
— 2022-07-04
I can move on to something other than fiddling with my HS4’s. It’s been a frustrating experience...
Back At It
— 2022-07-01
After a much needed camping trip on the Oregon coast, it was time to continue trying to get the...
A Little More Progress
— 2022-06-21
It’s been a frustrating couple of days. After getting the rebuilt HS4’s installed, I’ve...
Rebuilt HS4’s Install
— 2022-06-12
Came home from a camping trip and was happy to see that my Joe Curto rebuilt carbs made it safely...
Happy Day
— 2022-06-03
Got a call from Joe Curto today to tell me that my HS4’s are done and will be headed my way next...
My “To Do” List Is Shrinking.
— 2022-05-18
And that means more driving as I get more comfortable with it’s performance out on the road....
Interior Is Done.
— 2022-05-06
Finished up with the carpet installation and got the seats back in place.
I ran a tap through all...
A Couple More Things Off The List
— 2022-05-04
Continued on with the interior refresh.while the seats, floor coverings, and radio console were out,...
Time For Some Interior Work
— 2022-04-28
While I wait for the HS4’s to come back from Joe Curto and the weather isn’t all that great for...
Got The Horns Working Again
— 2022-04-25
I dug into the issue a little yesterday but ran out of time so I spent a little time going over my...
Flash-to-Pass Wiring Fix
— 2022-04-24
I decided to look into why my flash-to-pass wasn’t working and hasn’t since I got the car. My...
Winter Won’t Go Away
— 2022-04-13
Haven’t done much recently. The weather hasn’t been conducive for me to get the car out. Snow in...
Finally Insured And On The Road Again
— 2022-03-19
It’s been a bit of a journey. From the wreck that totaled my ‘70 roadster to the acquisition of...
Just About Ready To Roll
— 2022-03-12
I’ve had it out for a short rip around the neighborhood but without it being insured so it was a...
Time For A Short Drive
— 2022-03-02
Got the car off the jackstands yesterday and back on all 4 tires. Aired up the tires and torqued all...
A Little More Progress
— 2022-03-01
It’s been awhile since I spent any time on the GT. I had to replace a fence on the South side of...
New Water Pump Installed
— 2022-02-16
Finally got a chance to install the new water pump that I got from BPNW and it’s nice to not see...
Water Pump Woes
— 2022-01-31
It’s so annoying. First it was a small leak around the gasket. Drained the radiator and waited for...
Got Rid Of The Leak
— 2022-01-18
The Toyota FIPG 103 sealant showed up the other day and yesterday I put a thin smear all around the...
One Step Backwards
— 2022-01-12
You always hate to go backwards when you’re restoring something but it couldn’t be helped and...
Finally!
— 2022-01-08
40 days to receive a pair of brackets from the UK. In fairness, the order said that delivery could...
Valance Work
— 2022-01-06
It’s been awhile since I’ve even thought of doing any work in the garage.
Holidays, cold...
2021
Carpet Kit Has Arrived
— 2021-12-14
I took advantage of a Black Friday sale that Prestige Autotrim was running and ordered a set for the...
Hammer Time
— 2021-12-03
Decided to try a little panel beating because the front valence needed some work. It looked like it...
Happy Day
— 2021-11-30
Beautiful day today so I backed the GT out of the garage into the sunlight for the first time since...
I’m Ready For A Test Drive Finally
— 2021-11-29
I’ve been getting a few things done as time has allowed. I got it running 10 days ago but it was...
The Moment I’ve Been Working Towards…
— 2021-11-19
…for the last year. After the grandkids went home I decided it was about to flip the battery...
A Long And Winding Road
— 2021-11-17
It’s been a little over a year since the day that someone ran a red light while I was happily...
The GT Gets Its Fishmouth Back
— 2021-11-12
Out with the old and in with the “like new”. I must be getting closer to the end when the grille...
Slow Going
— 2021-11-10
Too much going on lately to spend much time on the GT but I am inching forward. Made the decision to...
Just A Few Things
— 2021-11-03
Grandkids here today so just did a few small things today. Swapped out the steering wheel for one...
It’s Exhausting
— 2021-10-30
Getting closer to being done laying on my back on the garage floor. I got the prop shaft bolted up...
Arghhh! Close But No Cigar…
— 2021-10-27
Tuesday
The one job that I had hoped to accomplish after dinner was to get the gearbox...
Back At It
— 2021-10-26
After a a short break for family events it was time to get a few things done now that the car is up...
Getting Ready For The Exhaust Install
— 2021-10-18
Back from a camping trip and thinking about the upcoming exhaust project, I thought I’d do...
Chipping Away At The List
— 2021-10-10
Got a little garage time in today. Cleaned up the intake manifold with a rotary brush and drill and...
Front End Is Done
— 2021-10-09
Now that the engine and gearbox are back in and there’s some weight up front, it was time to go...
Got The Engine In Today
— 2021-10-02
I decided today would be a good day to latch onto the engine and gearbox that has been sitting on a...
A Couple More Steps Forward
— 2021-09-28
It’s been awhile since I’ve done anything on the GT. Pheasant hunting, camping trip to the coast...
Nearly There
— 2021-09-17
Just about done with the front end. With the exception of the sway bar and the brake calipers,...
Front Suspension Continued
— 2021-09-13
A little more progress today when time allowed. Got the wishbone pivots, steering rack, new tie rod...
Back At It
— 2021-09-12
After a camping trip in the mountains for several days, I eased back into the front suspension...
Armstrongs
— 2021-09-06
I got the front dampers all cleaned up and decided to flush all the old nasty fluid out and refill...
It Felt Like Christmas Today
— 2021-09-01
I got my suspension parts back from the powder coater today and they came out great! I had the day...
Good News, Bad News
— 2021-08-31
The good news is that my Napa online order for steering rack silicone boots came in yesterday. The...
Steering Rack And Front Wheel Bearings
— 2021-08-28
While the crossmember and assorted front suspension parts are getting media blasted and powder...
Strip Show
— 2021-08-25
Wednesday
As in, stripping the front suspension that I dropped out of the GT. While the other...
Out With The Old
— 2021-08-24
I decided to tackle the front suspension today. I’ve had the front suspension from the parted out...
Well That.was Fun. Part Two.
— 2021-08-22
Yesterday the heater box, today the speedometer removal from a pillow dash. With the installation of...
Well, That Was Fun.
— 2021-08-21
I finally got around to tackling the dreaded heater box installation today and I have to say that...
The Devil’s In The Details
— 2021-08-18
So they say. Continued on with putting things back into the engine bay. Got the forward part of the...
More Progress
— 2021-08-17
Today wasn’t as productive as I had other things going on but I did manage to get the underside of...
A Good Day Today
— 2021-08-16
No commitments today so other than a good walk in the hills first thing this morning so plenty of...
Back At It
— 2021-08-15
Got back from a camping trip yesterday and had hopes of getting further along than I did but a...
Quiet Day Today
— 2021-08-07
Trying to get something done each day so today’s job was to break out the Pieces of Eight bonnet...
More Progress
— 2021-08-06
I had a little time this afternoon and then again after dinner so today’s accomplishments were...
Finished The Engine Bay Painting
— 2021-08-05
Picked up the second batch of aerosol spray cans this morning and finished up the Flame Red...
A Little At A Time
— 2021-08-05
Grandkids here for the day so car work was limited but I got a little done.
I got the heater core...
Hoping For Some Cooler Weather
— 2021-08-02
I made some progress today but it wasn’t awe inspiring. Went to the paint supply house to have...
Heater Box And More Painting
— 2021-08-01
I got some more color sprayed today. I had the slam panel to attend to and it was spot-primed and...
Engine Bay Painting
— 2021-07-31
Over the last couple of days, I was able to spot-prime the areas that were either bare metal or...
Engine Bay Prep
— 2021-07-18
Finally, a day that I could devote a lot of time to working on the GT.
Took the plunge and started...
Light At The End Of The Tunnel
— 2021-07-08
Transmission tunnel that is. The DEI heat shield showed up yesterday so today was all about figuring...
Undercarriage And Engine Bay Time
— 2021-07-06
I’ve been finding excuses to start in on this job because I knew if was going to be a pig of a...
One More Thing Checked Off The List
— 2021-07-04
Yesterday I got the gearbox ready to mate up with the engine. The solenoid cover sealant had dried...
A Little More Progress
— 2021-07-02
A few more things got done in the last day or so. After getting a few more brackets cleaned and...
It’s Too Bloody Hot To Work Much
— 2021-06-25
Plugging away a little at a time. My wife’s vision is still sub-par following her tumor removal...
Getting There. Slowly…
— 2021-06-22
Unseasonably hot in the valley today so not much garage time but some progress. I’m my own worst...
Cleaning And Painting Continues
— 2021-06-18
I’m getting close to finishing all of the engine cleaning and painting. The rocker cover was in...
It Seems Like I’m Never Going To Finish
— 2021-06-14
Between a 5 day camping trip with my wife and some friends, a 3 day golf trip with my buddies, a few...
A Little At A Time
— 2021-05-28
Most days I’m too busy to do more than just a few small tasks. Lately it’s been cleaning parts...
The Tedium Continues
— 2021-05-25
It’s been a case of a little work here and a little work there, as time allows. The engine is...
Engine Painting X2
— 2021-05-17
Yesterday I finished cleaning the engine and proceeded to mask, prime, and then paint it. I used a...
Baby Steps
— 2021-05-13
Not much time to work on it lately but hoping that will change this weekend. Pretty much got the...
Engine Degreasing
— 2021-05-06
My favorite job. What a pain. It needs to be done unfortunately but it is so stinking tedious....
Probably The Reason It Was Parked In A Garage For 34 Years
— 2021-05-02
Got the engine and gearbox out today and then pulled the gearbox off to have a look. After getting...
Just About There
— 2021-05-01
Barring any unseen complications, tomorrow ought to be the day that I pull the engine and gearbox...
A Couple More Steps Ahead
— 2021-04-30
My 5 year old grandson was coming over in the afternoon so my time was limited but I did manage to...
It’s Going To Be A Slow Process
— 2021-04-27
Still don’t have a huge amount of time to devote to the car so it’s going to take longer than...
Time To Resume
— 2021-04-27
It’s been awhile since I’ve done anything on the GT as my wife had a very tricky surgery and is...
Slow Progress
— 2021-03-03
Been dealing with some health concerns with my better half and the GT was way down the list of...
Moving Forward
— 2021-02-22
Tried to find a home for the shell but couldn’t make it happen so today I cut the back half into...
No Turning Back Now- RIP ‘70 Tourer
— 2021-02-16
The weather cooperated today so the SawZall came out and I turned the ‘70 MGB into a Midget. Make...
Finally Finished Dismantling
— 2021-02-08
The wreck is down to bare bones now. Dropped the gas tank and all of the fuel lines, brake lines,...
More Dismantling
— 2021-02-06
Finally got a little dry weather so I could get out to the carport and continue with the disassembly...
More Suspension Work
— 2021-01-19
Time and weather were favorable today although it took awhile to warm up enough for me to be...
Not A Roller Anymore
— 2021-01-13
Hasn’t been much interest in acquiring my ‘70 roadster roller other than from afar where...
2020
A Very Good Day
— 2020-12-19
After some trials and tribulations with my Craigslist OD, I finally was able to spin it up today and...
A Very Good Day
— 2020-12-19
After some trials and tribulations with my Craigslist OD, I finally was able to spin it up today and...
Just About Time To Test The Test Rig
— 2020-12-18
After seeing a couple pictures of OD test rig setups, I thought I’d see what I could come up with...
Progress Has Slowed
— 2020-12-17
I haven’t done much lately. To either car. If you can still call the ‘70 a car after stripping...
Working On The Wreck
— 2020-11-24
Nothing happening with the GT. It’s sitting on skates waiting for me to get to it. Been busy...
My Patience Paid Off
— 2020-11-21
I took a day off to deliver a windshield to a couple guys from Washington that are working on a cool...
OD Frustration
— 2020-11-19
With the OD unit separated from the gearbox, and disassembled into sub-assemblies, all parts were...
Overdrive Work Continues
— 2020-11-18
The wrecked Tourer has moved out of the garage and parts have been staged on a table for clean up...
Time To Get Organized
— 2020-11-08
I was able to get the stripped down ‘70 out of the garage and underneath the carport next to the...
Switching Gears
— 2020-11-05
After getting the GT back on the road for the first time in 34 years, I parked it in the garage and...
Maiden Voyage
— 2020-11-01
Got it out of the garage this morning and decided to run some cooling system cleaner through the...
Well, It Moves But The Clutch Is Still Stuck
— 2020-11-01
Backed the GT out of the garage so technically it’s the first time it’s been driven in 34 years....
New Shoes
— 2020-10-30
After a short break to take advantage of some late season camping on the coast, it was time to get...
Distributor Woes
— 2020-10-24
Ordered some new NGK wires as the ones on the car have been on there since 1986 when the car was...
New Wheels
— 2020-10-23
Well, not really new but freshly sandblasted and powder coated in gloss black. They look great!...
Fresh Fluids Today
— 2020-10-22
Found some Redline MT-90 at O’Reilly’s today. They had to bring it out as there wasn’t any GL4...
Time To Lose The Ancient Tires
— 2020-10-20
I’ve been pondering what to do about the wheels and what kind of tires.
The old Rostyles are...
Let There Be Lights
— 2020-10-17
I spent some time the last couple of days looking into the lights. The wiring on this car is pretty...
Fun With Hydraulics
— 2020-10-15
So the clutch bleeding process was going to be a piece of cake. I had the pedal box from my ‘70...
Good News, Bad News
— 2020-10-13
The good news is that I had a little time to work on the passenger side front brake while the...
Front Brakes
— 2020-10-12
Didn’t get that much done today but trying to make some progress every day because there is so...
Give Me A Brake
— 2020-10-10
Spent more time yesterday with the rear brakes. Got the resurfaced drums all cleaned up and painted,...
Pedal Box Again
— 2020-10-08
This time it came out easier because it was rebuilt and only used for a few months. Still a pain....
Engine Check-up Time
— 2020-10-07
Having only run this engine for a short time after reviving the car, I needed to check compression....
I Need A Media Blast Cabinet...
— 2020-10-07
Having to go old school with wire brushes, brake cleaner, etc. makes for time consuming parts clean...
Back At It
— 2020-10-05
Took a week off to enjoy the Oregon coast and came back to a box of parts from Basil, namely brake...
Brakes And Pedal Box
— 2020-09-27
Finished cleaning up the rear brake stuff and got it ready for new parts that are on order.
Moved...
Cooling System & Brake Work
— 2020-09-26
Had some time today and decided to get the old radiator and water pump off. The radiator my brakes...
It’s Alive!
— 2020-09-25
Installed the HS4’s from the wreck as they are a known quantity. All the hard work was yesterday....
Tomorrow Is The Day...
— 2020-09-25
...that I hope to start the car for the first time since 1986.
I’ve been rotating the engine...
More Fuel Issues
— 2020-09-24
I was hoping to actually try to start the car yesterday for the first time since 1986. Swapped in...
Not Much Time Today But...
— 2020-09-22
...I did get back to the fuel tank issue. Yesterday I pulled the fuel pump to see why it wasn’t...
Now The Real Work Begins
— 2020-09-20
Spent some more time working my way around the car with Meguiar’s Ultimate compound and have a...
Sunshine And Some Progress
— 2020-09-20
Had some time today so I worked on the battery compartment. Removed the cable that connected the two...
Formulating A Plan
— 2020-09-16
Haven’t been able to spend much time outside to work on the GT so I’ve had plenty of time to...
It’s Interesting What You Find
— 2020-09-15
Yesterday, after getting the GT up the driveway and under the carport alongside the garage, I got my...
The GT Has Landed!
— 2020-09-14
Yesterday was an interesting day. After traveling up I-5 on Saturday to look at a 1971 and then...
A New Project
— 2020-09-12
Well, it’s been a wild ride the last 13 days. From a sudden deceleration as a result of a red...
End Of The Line
— 2020-09-11
My car was deemed a total loss today. I know it wasn’t an award winner but when you put a lot of...
The Waiting Is The Hardest Part
— 2020-09-09
Kinda spinning my wheels the last few days. The car is sitting in the garage while I wait to hear...
Deflated
— 2020-09-04
Came home from a few days away and just happened to pass the shop that I was hoping would take my...
I Miss It Already
— 2020-09-03
It’s only been a few days since the accident and I looked out over the crumpled aluminum bonnet as...
Bad Day
— 2020-08-31
It didn't start out that way. Nice sunny day, not too hot. Had to run a couple errands to get...
Oops!
— 2020-08-28
Started in on the OD servicing. Pulled the relief valve out and cleaned it up. Decided to just...
It Works. Sorta...
— 2020-08-26
Finished up with my test bench setup. Not pretty but effective and inexpensive to put together....
OD Testing Rig Progress And Tach Issue
— 2020-08-25
Started up the car this morning to run an errand and noticed that the tach wasn’t working. My...
Small Steps Today
— 2020-08-24
Been away on a family vacation so I haven’t done anything for awhile.
Had a couple things show up...
Test Bench Work
— 2020-08-12
My plan today was to put the OD gearbox on my transmission jack and clamp the motor to my WorkMate...
OD Testing
— 2020-08-12
Looked into the electrics a little today. 3/4 lockout works in 4th which I was expecting. The guy I...
Craigslist Treasure
— 2020-08-10
I hope anyways. I found the car on CL about 3 years ago and it was a bit of a gamble as I couldn’t...
New Old Steering Wheel
— 2020-08-08
The steering wheel that I bought from a very nice chap on the BST forum
arrived today and after a...
Less Work, More Driving
— 2020-08-07
Car is running well since the last carb tweaking. Starts right up with a little choke and smooths...
Not Much Progress
— 2020-07-17
Had our 3 grandkids for a few days, ages 7, 5, and almost 2 so nothing got done but wouldn’t trade...
More Tweaking
— 2020-07-14
Decided to enrich the carbs some after yesterday’s experience. Got the caliper out and set the...
A Couple More Things
— 2020-07-13
Received my new old radio console from a fellow member and looking forward to putting it in. Also...
HS4 Tweaking
— 2020-07-12
I picked up some 14GA soft copper wire while I was out today with the thought that I would make...
Tidied Up Some Wiring In The Boot
— 2020-07-10
Found out my brake lights had quit working. Connection on one of the bullet tubes for the switch had...
Before And After
— 2020-07-07
Thought I’d post a before and after photo. Not perfect by any means but I can live with the way it...
Time To Finish The Bonnet
— 2020-07-07
I’ve been driving around without it since getting it operational. Initially it was because I...
The Final Pieces Arrived And They Are
— 2020-07-05
Now installed in the dash. A couple of tach/speedo brackets and the green arrow turn indicator...
Progress Has Slowed But It’s Close...
— 2020-06-26
...to being done. Been a bit of a struggle getting the last few bits that I needed but today was a...
More Dash Stuff
— 2020-06-16
Added a few more things when I had a spare minute or two. Turn indicators went in but that isn’t...
Glue Up Continued And Gauges Install
— 2020-06-14
Got the last of the perimeter glued up this morning and then bonded around all of the gauges and...
Dash Pad Glue Up
— 2020-06-13
Started last night but got frustrated with the DAP Wellwood contact cement. The brush applicator...
Dash Removal And Pad Replacement
— 2020-06-12
After discovering that I needed to fix a toasted brown wire that ran from behind the console up into...
After A Not-so-brief Interruption...
— 2020-04-25
Finally getting around to finishing what I started way too long ago. Lots of time on my hands and a...
