Grizz’s OCD Awesome ASTRO Van 🚙 Megane SCENIC 1.5dci 🚙 MX5 JEEP For Sale.🚨 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 USA Road Trip

[Merryck]

My sister is back from New Zealand for 6 months or so and might be interested in the Micra.

[grizz]

On 08/07/2024 at 10:26, Merryck said:

My sister is back from New Zealand for 6 months or so and might be interested in the Micra.

Obviously a PM to @CraigRK will work. 

[MrBig]

Always enjoy seeing the boot sale spoils of war. Where are the 2 (non Utah) plates from? Don't recognise them at all!

[grizz]

Terrano off to new duties with @jcr

 

Just now, MrBig said:

Always enjoy seeing the boot sale spoils of war. Where are the 2 (non Utah) plates from? Don't recognise them at all!

 Thailand. 
 

Super rare. 

[grizz]

Well. 

 

Tickets bought for Craig and I. 

 

I may need to head to Louisiana for a few days after Craig leaves. 

[grizz]

.

 

HOMEWORK FOR ANYONE INTERESTED IN ACTUALLY BUYING THE MICRA WHEN IT GETS TO SHROPSHIRE. 

 

This thread if you are interested, shows what was done to or for it before it went to Belfast and the rest of England. 
 

Look, Read, Understand, Decide, Action. 
 

Click thread link. 

🚙🚙🚙🚙🚙🚙🚙🚙🚙🚙🚙🚙🚙🚙🚙

https://forum.retro-rides.org/thread/222766/grizz-nissan-scruffy-daniels-complete?page=1

 

🚙🚙🚙🚙🚙🚙🚙🚙🚙🚙🚙🚙🚙🚙🚙

 

More details and updates when Craigs boy has driven it home to exchange for his A4 estate and a trailer to bring the rest of his life back from Belfast in exchange for grown up life. 
 

Updates imminent. 

[grizz]

Being the preamble to the 2024 trip, I am busy getting a schedule together for @CraigRK and I   

 

We have decided to revisit quite a few friends that hr last saw in 2019

 

I also have 24 days compared to his two weeks. 

 

One of my wishes or dreams is to head down to Louisiana and do some fishing and hunting. 

 

Inspired by Keith and Tara 

 

Take a look. 

 

https://youtu.be/kA4rHhgcXEg?si=G7AZRGgDIQyZwjVk

 

I have never been down there and don’t know anyone but I have an extra week to go and get there. 

 

I have spoken to Clem and Kim in Fayetteville and space is booked in their AirBnB Rockhouse205 

Spoke to Andy in Terlton Oklahoma, he has new toys and 200 tons of gravel to move down a mountainside to build a swimming pool. JB now has a new oil job in Wichita, Kansas and managed to find a garage for his daily where he is living near work and is waiting for us and may visit us at Dennis’s house for lunch too.

 

Not sure if everyone who reads this know what a Purple Heart Medal means. But I called long time friend Steven Hansen in Jonesboro last night. He was awarded two of them. Now headed toward his mid 80’s this past year has brought him a broken pelvis, Encephalitis, (learning to walk again) falls, sutures and a general slowing down. But he is game for Louisiana. It was great talking to him, his spirit as strong as always,,despite his body saying different things. 

 

So a few pics to whet the appetite. 

 

I am certainly excited. 

 

Craig is too. 

 

And Dennis. 

 

 

I made some spicy chicken wings this morning just to warm up for the USA trip. 

[666jjp]

10 hours ago, grizz said:

One of my wishes or dreams is to head down to Louisiana and do some fishing and hunting. 

Inspired by Keith and Tara 

Take a look. 

https://youtu.be/kA4rHhgcXEg?si=G7AZRGgDIQyZwjVk

I have never been down there and don’t know anyone but I have an extra week to go and get there.

@PhilA

[grizz]

I have collected number plates for a very long time. 

Mate Fil @sparkplug knows this and keeps an eye out for cheap/free and unusual plates for me. 

Last week when he brought the free Compressor the plates that accompanied it included a pair of Thailand plates and my first Utah plate. 

I have been to Thailand and even then I didn’t manage to find a single plate. 

SUPER CHUFFED. 

So a massive win thanks to Fil. 

Last weekend he texted from a bootfair to ask of a £1.00 UK  plate was of interest. Of course it was. 

Into the Grizz pile. 

[PhilA]

16 hours ago, 666jjp said:

@PhilA

Yeah that's not all that far from here, about 45 miles. A good portion of the coast is like that down this way.

 

You're welcome to stop by if you're ever in the area though!

[grizz]

1 hour ago, PhilA said:

Yeah that's not all that far from here, about 45 miles. A good portion of the coast is like that down this way.

 

You're welcome to stop by if you're ever in the area though!

This may be my target. 
 

Cheap accommodation in the region the objective. 

[PhilA]

1 hour ago, grizz said:

This may be my target. 
 

Cheap accommodation in the region the objective. 

High season right now with everybody coming down here to go fishing.

Phil

[grizz]

26 minutes ago, PhilA said:

High season right now with everybody coming down here to go fishing.

Phil

Second week of September 

[grizz]

On 06/07/2024 at 18:59, grizz said:

 

This was what was done. 
 

Fixing a previous bodge. 

 

 

 

[grizz]

206 CC 

 

 

 

Amazed that this little gem has not found a home. 
 

But somehow it has reached a stalemate. 
 

Any not so weird swaps around?

 

That doesn’t mean that I am inviting anyone to give me a royal rogering.  
 

Message from @CraigRK earlier sums it up. 
 

I am in Rochester Kent, as is the car. 
 

PM if interested. 
 

PS:

Why don’t you still go ahead and offer the Pug for swops for something minivan-ish that has  a c.6 month ticket?   Berlingo, Pug Expert, etc.

We see if that gets the frog out of the fold and I’ll sort out with you.

If we land up with something we flog it on again when I find a D-cab/Vito

[grizz]

 

Speaking to Dennis via Messenger over the weekend as we often do, he mentioned that “my truck” was back home waiting for me. 

 

He has been busy rebuilding this car. 

 

Friday night fun in Missouri…… 

 

Motorway shenanigans. 

 

First time @CraigRK  visited Dennis took him out to the motorway in this. Perfect introduction to ‘Merica. 

 

 

 

https://youtu.be/c5S1_2gxv5E?si=PeTfKcf7bByfNixw

 

 

So currently he is building this car. 

 

Loads of new parts, new engine etc. 

 

So our chat went like this. 

 

 

Looking forward to this year’s trip. 

 

 

 

[grizz]

More chatting with Dennis as we do pretty much chat every day. 
 

Looks like @CraigRK and I are on our way. 
 

Hopefully Dennis can join us for part of the trip like we did New Orleans and Oklahoma before. 

Getting excited already  

 

[grizz]

Last year I spent only two out of 22 nights in a motel. 

One night on a 1000 mile turn and burn trip to collect a car in a $75.00 motel. 
Video introduction shows what 800 miles and a terrible night of not sleeping looks like. 

https://youtu.be/PPX48CXeXfI?si=ON_nc1Gg4UNKjckB

Second motel was a $90.00 night iirc and so different. 

But in the morning when you head out all is forgiven. 

Some motels also allow a broader clientele. 

[grizz]

 

Perfect road trip weapon being built. 

Camper, pickup, roadblock all in one. 

Paint next.

 

 

 

[Westbay]

errr, No ....

[grizz]

Two rubbish nights of not sleeping much. 

 

Was going to skip bootfair then decided to go. 

 

Glad I did. 

 

Best buy was a roll of emery cloth for 20p

 

Priceless stuff. Also has an indefinite lifespan. 

 

Four different recipients for the stuff. Elefarts VW toys, sign and Stanley bladed knife for Craig. 

The rest for me and various other people.  

 

All the sockets and extensions were 10p each. Perfect to toss in a toolbox. 

 

Great therapy again. 

[grizz]

Scenic now been with me over1000 miles. 
 

I filled the tank today after 600 miles 

 

Happy with that. 
 

Changed my broadband provider from Sky to EE/BT saving £18/month. 
George has claimed the box. 
 

Was sitting in Sally’s garden yesterday and this dragonfly sat down next to me. 
 

Never seen one with an undeveloped wing. 

[grizz]

Summer jobs.

 

They need to be done. And do make a difference.

 

Deck was pressure cleaned and left to dry. Leaving it looking distinctly dry and tired.

 

Before, during and after.

 

Chevy tailgate bench also given about 4 coats and looks brilliant now.

 

Quick video:

 

 

 

Till next year ehhh ?

 

 

.

[Westbay]

Very satisfying, well done !

[grizz]

 

Popped in to see a long time friend Neil, who I had not seen for quite a few years this week. 

 

Currently has 6 dogs, 8 cats, 2 bunnies, a rescue pigeon and micro parrot. All living in peace. 

 

He loves building, making, recycling, repurposing stuff. So we have a similar outlook. 

 

Currently building a 59 Nash American in a Gasser Style  

 

It’s getting a V8 etc. 

Spec is interesting. 

 

The shiny examples are just that. 

 

His is getting wide rears and 165’s up front. 

 

I managed to scavenge part of a V8 gearbox bell housing from him. 

It immediately threw up an idea in my mad mind. 

 

More about that later. 

 

[grizz]

I have wanted (because I have use one 5 or 6 times for suspension bushes etc) a hydraulic press of my own. 

But due to the cost of a new one vs minimal use over time, and also not seeing a cheap enough used one to justify buying and shoving in a corner it’s not happened.  

Neil had two discarded frames, one is intended for a tall floor press build. The second one I twisted his arm real hard for……. 

So I have a small 4 ton bottle jack that could possibly be made to work.  

If I mounted it to the top and make it push down on a bridge and actuator it would probably work. 

 

After more time there, I left him and all the amazing dogs and headed to mate Darren who was at his workshop. 

Some scavenging ensued as always, coffee, notes compared and more therapy consumed, thanks mate. 

 

Darren built a V8 beach racing car this year for Pendine Sands. 

Of course he started it up for me as it was not running the last time I saw it or him.  

 

Just awesome. 

 

Very short video clip. 

 

https://youtu.be/kLzsenSSiYc?si=8SNWwgfPqQG2ckSQ

 

Eventually I headed home and started sanding the crooked cut on the bell housing that I got from Neil. 

 

Using my concrete driveway and going on my knees to push and pull it back and forth. 

 

It took some effort to get even. 

 

Followed by grabbing some industrial thickness ally diamond checker plate. Absolutely horrible stuff. 

 

I marked out my plans for the ally plate and fetched some more tools. 

 

 

Do you know what is planned yet? 

 

 

Back once I have created a short video. 

[grizz]

I seem to be slightly out of sync to real time. 

 

Short video 

 

 

Resulting in some flat surfaces.  

[grizz]

Carrying on with the bell housing I used a grinder to flatten the inner fin bits and back edges.

 

Followed by a lot of shaping and beating the ally diamond plate to create a flat bottomed curve.

 

Then lastly I opened a new grinder after my 25 year old absolutely abused grinders trigger switch finally refused to engage.

 

I always have a spare, new, boxed grinder on the shelf and keep 4 grinders all set up differently in use.

 

Cutting out the externally marked ally while mate John watched and filmed.

 

Video

 

 

 

Next job will be tidying up and getting a decent fit established.

 

This is a lot of effort to replace a galvanised bucket.

 

But we do these things.

[grizz]

Now taxed and my daily. 
 

Randomly used and parked about. 
 

priced as “negotiable “ as everyone wants to be some wheeler dealer. 

So lets hope it finds a new keeper. 

[Westbay]

Apart from the colour,don't understand why this hasn't sold ... GLWS 👍