Spring cleaning

Spring has come early to my house. We have started tidying up our cellar. I have had a large amount of my car stuff down there.

Finding stuff I had long forgotten. Found a clutch cover and driven plate but what car is it off?




Also lots of suspension parts including three lever arm dampers, one appears unused. I have thrown some bits away - I wonder why I ever kept this clutch slave cylinder.

Let there be light

That is another job done. I have now got lots of electic sockets and lighting fully sorted in my garage.

Yesterday I fitted a roller blind to the window. Much better than the builders sack I had been using to stop anybody looking in.

No excuses now power, light and 2 fully working doors - will now start the big list of car projects.

Break in - Part 7 the end

Kevin the garage door man, called round today and sorted out the electronics. Excellent service from KJH Automation Services Limited 07976 753824 or kevin-h@lineone.net I would recommend him to you if you need your electric gates or garage doors installing or fixing.

That hopefully is the end to sorting out the mess following my garage being broken in to.

Break in - Part 6

Yesterday I was called at work and told the replacement door was available. "Can I fit it tomorrow" he says. Thanks to an understanding and flexible employer I was able to work from home today. So here is the latest instalment in the seemingly never ending saga.

The Garage door man has just gone - job nearly complete. Nice new garage door fitted, this time with no external lock that can be vandalised. Strange that I was told originally that I had to have the lock fitted. A roller door with no external fittings should be less tempting to vandals and thieves.

It turns out that the electronic control gear for the door also needs replacing - normally he would have had parts in his van - his van broke down earlier this week so he came in a hire van with no spares.

So this is another chapter in the continuing saga not the finale - to be concluded soon.

Break in - Part 5

Sorting out the repair or replacement of the roller door seems to be taking for ever. The insurance company have been very good and promised to pay for a complete new door if that is needed. It seems that it is cheaper to replace the entire door and fit new tracks for it than try to fix the damage. In other words the existing door has been written off.

The contractor who will doing the work visited me at 7.20am on Monday so I could show him the damage etc before setting off to work. How is that for service? He said he could have been at my garage for 6.00am.

Break in part 4

I made a start with buying tools at the NEC classic on Friday. There were lots to choose from but unfortunately alot of junk on view.

Am getting the house alarm extended to include the garage. Will need a radio link as the garage is at the bottom of the garden not attached to the house. The existing alarm only sounds at the garage and did not stop the theives.

Most of the stuff that was nicked was covered by the insurance pay out. Annoyingly no cover for expensive Millers synthetic oil that I had not got round to putting in the car. No spare parts stolen which is good because the house contents would not cover that either.

Seems to me that classic car owners need insurance that covers spare parts and stuff like oil as well as tools. Must check it out next time the renewal comes up.

Break in - part 3

Good news. Had a telephone conversation with the insurers and have agreed a sum of money with them. My cheque is in the post, so can look for replacement tools at the NEC tomorrow.

Break in - Part 2

In order to nick my stuff the garage door was forced open. I told the insurer this and guess what they send a fitter round who looks at the door and tells me it needs replacing or mending. I already knew that I had told the insurer what had happened and thought that they had arranged for somebody to come and fix it. Lucky I had not taken any more time off work for this episode, but will have when the door is fixed. I did spend most of this morning waiting for this news - not a good use of my precious weekend time.

Just like having your car breakdown when the first bloke turns up and says yes your car in broke will get it recovered and you then have to hang around again waiting to be recovered.

Break in

Last night my garage was broken into. Fortunately no damage to my car but lots of tools have been nicked.

The police are sympathetic but I have no expectation of getting any thing back. Hope the insurance covers it.

Garage summary

I have added some more content on my website at http://vitessesteve.co.uk/garage/garage_project  was
 http://www.geocities.com/steveweblin/garage/garage_project.htm any questions please ask. I know how useful it was to talk through the options with various friends and my architect before starting the job.