Saturday 28 February 2009

Booger Mobile Lives!!

A fine, sunny Saturday greeted Scottie and Damian as they got together to spend their first full day working on Booger Mobile. The goals for the day were simple:
  1. Get the engine started and see if it drives.
  2. Empty the items out of the car and catalog what we have - useful or otherwise.
  3. Photograph Booger Mobile and work out sponsorship/advertising positions and sizes.

Firstly, the inside of Booger Mobile was emptied to allow for enough access to turn the "key" (which is actually a flat bladed screwdriver - the guts of the ignition having been removed by the previous owner after accidentally snapping a key off in it). Goal number 2 - CHECK!!

While this was going on, Scottie was tinkering under the bonnet, checking plug leads, checking oil, attaching the radiator etc etc. After filling the radiator with water from the tap at the back shed (dam water from Damian's massive freshwater dam), we were ready to commence ignition sequence!! Oh, but where's the battery tray?

Damian located the battery tray in the boot, and he and Scottie proceeded to re-attach it under the bonnet... That done, and Scottie's massive 750CCA Battery from his Hilux was sat on the tray, and the terminals attached. Damian attempts to get into the driver's seat, and discovers that he can't move the seat far enough backwards to get his massive 6'5 frame (2/3 of which is legs) into the driver's seat. The problem? The custom mounted seat belts (this model didn't come with seat belts, and doesn't require them by law, but the boys will be fitting them regardless of this fact!!) Scottie gets to work undoing the large bolt holding the seatbelts in, only to discover that the nut is turning under the car. Being the larger of the two, Damian volunteers to crawl under Booger Mobile, discovering in the process that it currently has about 5" of clearance due to its ridiculously low hanging exhaust pipe... oh well, another thing on the "to do" list!! After Damian wedged his arm between the tailshaft and the floor pan, and finally got a spanner onto the offending nut, Scottie was able to remove the seatbelts. HELP!! Damian was firmly stuck in place...

After a few tense moments, some moves that would make a contortionist proud, several grimaces and a yelp or two, Damian was freed!! Scottie remarked that if he had stayed under the car, Booger Mobile might have been the first entry into the esCarpade with a dead body attached below!!

So, where were we.... oh yes, we were just about to see how our intrepid duo were doing getting the Booger Mobile started! Damian moved the seat back, gaining an extra couple of inches, but still not far enough to be comfortable for him to drive (another item for the "to do" list), and inserted a screwdriver, ready to turn the ignition! POP, SMASH!! The screwdriver was then fully through the ignition hole, with the ignition barrel in several pieces with the guts spread all over the floor (amongst other small items, therefore making it so much more interesting to piece back together!!) After much cursing and gnashing of teeth, Damian worked out which bits needed to be held together to turn the ignition... Turning, cranking, nothing!

Cranking, cranking, cranking, NOTHING!

Seems like the guy they bought it off was right - the engine turns over, but doesn't fire! Scottie and Damian commenced pulling bits off the engine to investigate... Points gap - far too large, so they reduced that!! Spark plugs - looked pretty good! Try again... cranking, cranking, cranking STILL NOTHING!! Damian gets the mighty Patrol and hooks up the 400Amp jumper leads - perhaps it just needs more power????

Cranking, cranking, cranking, still nothing, but at least it's cranking faster!!

Time to delve deeper - Scottie begins with a spark plug - cranking, no spark! Alright, how about at the coil - cranking, SPARK! Spark at the coil... Damian checks the plug leads, to find some not connecting to spark plugs at all, some flopping around like a spoon in a bowl of porridge, some alright... After rectifying them, still nothing!! A check of the distributor cap, with some adjustments, then all of a sudden, SPARK AT THE PLUGS!! Woohoooooooooooooo!!

Scottie poured some more fuel down the throat of the carby and Damian turned the key - cranking, cranking, cranking, cough - FIRE!! The engine had at last shown the first signs of life... After several more attempts, each time getting some firing but no going, it was time for lunch, and to use the almighty Google to find out the correct settings for the points gap! (16-18thou in case you are wondering!)

After lunch, the boys decided to check that there was sufficient fuel getting through to the carby, as Booger Mobile was now firing regularly, but still not starting! After adjusting the points gap as per the new information, they checked the status of the fuel tank. Bone dry!! Before adding any fuel, Scottie decided to check that the fuel lines were connected. While he crawled underneath, Damian went one better, grabbing the fuel tank and physically lifting it from the boot! "I think I've found the problem" Damian says...



While Scottie fashioned a make-shift fuel tank (albeit a very small one) from a can of Coke Zero (perhaps there's a sponsorship opportunity there!!), and installed it under the bonnet, Damian set to work removing what was left of the ignition barrel from the dash and re-creating the ignition from the parts found on the floor - he figured that part of the problem was that although holding the parts together could get the engine to fire, he couldn't get it back into the correct position to allow the engine to remain idling!

With the ignition now hanging from the underside of the dash and held together with HMT (Hundred Mile an hour Tape), Scottie threw some more fuel into the carby and Damian turned the key (a flat bladed screwdriver) in the re-fashioned ignition, crank, crank, crank, fire - START!! The Booger Mobile sprang to life, for what was possibly the first time in a number of years!!

It was smokey, rough and a bit scarey, but it was running!! Goal number 1 - CHECK!!
Scott started the Booger Mobile and drove it out of the shed, parking it on the grass (and switching it off). Damian took plenty of photos for sponsorship/advertising purposes, then started Booger Mobile and reversed it back into the shed! Measurements were taken, then over dinner, sponsorship/advertising signage positions were calculated. Goal number 3 - CHECK!!


All in all, a great day. The journey has well and truly begun!

Monday 23 February 2009

Breaking news... Booger Mobile located!!

Well, the Booger Mobile has been located, and purchased!!

This morning, Scottie has noticed a fabulous sounding Ford XM Falcon (about 45 years old) on ebay, in reasonable condition with quite a good "buy now" price... several phone calls later and Damian clicked "buy now" and purchased his first vehicle from ebay (sight unseen)...

The panic began to set in as Damian waited for Scottie to arrive. While waiting, and organising a car trailer (the vehicle is unregistered and currently unroadworthy, but hey, there are lots of spare parts in the back seat), Damian had far too much time to think. What if the car wasn't as described... what if it was dodgy, what if it wasn't any good, what if... what if... what IF!!

Once Scottie had arrived and after a quick stop to collect cashola from the magic hole-in-the-wall and to pick up the car trailer, we were on our way to the southside of Brisbane to collect our new purchase! (Why are good buys always at the opposite end of the country?)

Upon arrival, we were greeted by the seller with his vehicle and a large pile of spare parts, which were all shovelled into the boot, the front and rear seats, and even in the back of the Patrol! The only thing we couldn't fit in (not for want of trying) was the spare 4.1 crossflow engine that we could have had if we could just have squeezed it in... not to worry, the XM has an engine already in it!!

So, you are all wanting to see what the Booger Mobile looks like, aren't you? Well, without further ado, here it is!!

Classic, not plastic!! Check out the wonderful chrome features!!

Saturday 21 February 2009

Shed... shed... shed... but still no car!!

Well, the shed has been decided upon... we are getting a three bay 9m x 7m x 2.7m colorbond shed with two roller doors and one personal access door...

Of course, the funny part is that the decision on what colour to get the shed still hasn't been made - we are taking longer to decide on the colour scheme than we do to decide on houses to buy!! Craziness!!

The search for a suitable vehicle continues... Scottie is going to check out an old HQ that "needs a lot of work" according to the seller, and I have cast my net to include some petrol-heads in my extended circle of friends... Lots of eyes are looking - we are bound to find something suitable shortly!

Monday 16 February 2009

Which comes first, the shed or the car?

As the hunt for a suitable vehicle at the right price continues, so does the preparation for a shed to house the Booger Mobile in!! The weekend was spent clearing the area where the shed will go, and now it's just getting some quotes, more site preparation, pour the slab, build the shed!!

If you say it quickly, it really doesn't seem like all that much work!!

Tuesday 10 February 2009

The vehicle search continues...

Well Scott has wasted no time in the search for a suitable car, even though Damian hasn't built a shed to house it yet. Scottie visited 10 car yards on the lookout for a VB-VC Commodore, or an earlier model Holden HQ-HZ, or even a similar aged Falcon, but turned up empty handed.

The response from these local businesses however was very positive with quite a few interested in donating a suitable vehicle if one comes in as a trade. We will keep our eyes on the lookout over the coming months and hope something suitable comes along.

If you have or know of a suitable vehicle please contact us and let us know.

Sunday 8 February 2009

Booger Mobile - Our entry for the 2010 Camp Quality esCarpade...

Well, today, Scott and Damian (along with their wives) got together to come up with a theme for their entry into the 2010 Camp Quality esCarpade.

After many discussions, plenty of laughs, much eye-rolling and chuckling from the females, and plenty of sketches (here's hoping that our vehicle preparation ability outstrips our sketching ability), the theme for our entry was born!!

Booger Mobile

(Artists Impression)

Just remember - it's for the kids!