Righto, thats better. Over a week ago, I took a call from a third party that passed on a message to phone an acquaintance. The message concerned some parts he discovered while clearing out the shed of his recently departed uncle. This morning he arranged for me to look over the parts.
The first interesting piece is this seat, which still has the original canvas covering. Obviously it's not good enough to actually use as is, but the canvas is all there, including the tabs that attach the base to the seat cushion. This will come in extremely handy to take a pattern from, for it is my intention to manufacture a limited number of reproductions at some point in the future. That won't happen for some time yet though.
This is the other item which was of interest. Apart from the addition of some small holes the original owner drilled to add legs, there is no damage to this item. Not one patch of rust, and no dents!
Even the shelf inside is virtually undamaged, as is the door hinge.
I don't need more seats, and I already have a tool box (not this good), but at the purchase price, I couldn't pass them by. Each one cost me $50.00. I did tell the seller that I considered the box might be worth $200.00 or more if advertised in the right location, but the fellow didn't want the bother, and only wanted to see them go to a good home. I have a good home for them.
P.S: Although I haven't been able to continue working on the front end in recent weeks, I have put considerable time researching best sources for the many engine components I want to buy. I'm aiming to retain original specifications where possible, and comparing costs of replacement items VS regrinding or reboring etc. has shown that if buying right, replacement can be cheaper that getting engineering done to tired old bits. I'll write more about this in coming days or weeks, and show some of the examples I have found.
Also got in touch with Ajays Ford V8 Parts in NZ (
http://www.fordv8parts.com/). They now have the B7557 grease hoses for clutch throwout shaft. Two should be on the way to me Monday. Don't remember exact cost, but certainly less than $20.00 and that's New Zealand dollars, which means it's about $17 to $18AUD. Get em while they're hot, guys!