Thoughts of suicide

Tues.04.03.08. The seat runners have received two coats of Hammerite which, ideally, should be allowed to dry naturally for up to six weeks to achieve the optimum result, but being stored in a very warm room can offer an alternative dramatically speeding up the same outcome. The backgrounds of the number plates have suffered minor abrasions, as repeatedly proven in many other situations there are no short cuts when carrying out a ‘proper’ job, it has been necessary to completely cover the raised letters and borders with masking tape. Several light coats of satin black have been dusted over the plates to build up the thickness of paint sufficiently so that when the letters are revealed a combination of ‘G3’ and ‘T’ cut can be applied leaving the background surface unblemished.

The various items from Woolies have arrived to complete several ‘on going’ tasks. The rubber edged extrusion can now be attached to the edges and sides of the bonnet halves to secure the mesh to the underside. But, the final fitting must be concluded in ‘situ’ to ensure that the total unit returns to the car fitting as it did before it was removed. To complete the assembly of the boot lining the ‘simple’ boot lid catches need to be positioned then drilled to enable the locking mechanism to engage with the roof. An additional handle needs also to be located centrally to facilitate the smooth operation but also ensuring that it does not foul the handbrake console when in the open position.

The body tub with the front wings have had their last difficult six 17mm nuts and bolts tightened. There are ten 12mm bolts that secure the front wings, eight 12mm holding the rear wings and eighteen 17mm fastening the floor of the tub to the chassis. I must confess that this sounds much like ‘overkill’ or as Chris puts it ‘belt and braces’ but all the panels are remarkably rigid forming a solid, tremendously strong mass that the previous vehicle did not possess. As a comparison the original design called for only four lateral and one end bolt to hold the front wing, five bolts for the rear wing, only four for the floor pan and two to secure the rear quarter to the transverse suspension unit. Consequently, the years of use on the roads had seen the floor pan become twisted but worse still the rear spring fittings had worked loose and were no longer attached. 

Another ‘double check’ of the order to Paddocks and Europa meant that we were late to the Bowling Green but we found the mood slightly dark as Andy Lewis had today witnessed an attempted suicide, when some unfortunate guy had leapt in front of a bus on a busy street in Pemberton. Knocker pitched in with a former mate of his who chose to end it all, similarly, by jumping off the platform at Wallgate Station to welcome, prematurely, the 12.45 from Southport. Chris remembered a sadly distressed Tom Allen driving off Gathurst Bridge diving 100 feet below into the River Douglas. Cockney Mick had a mate who stuck his hand in a 750 watt Bosch meat minca’ losin’ awl ‘is fingas, then cut his legs orf wiv a top of the range De Walt 12 inch angul grinda’, burned his eyes out wiv a tungsten steel red ‘ot powka, then took a Brevel electric knife to ‘is froat befoa jumpin’ in a vat of sulphuric acid. Mad John could not understand why these people wanted to inflict such pain upon themselves just to take their own lives. “A much better way is to go into the forest on a lovely summer’s day to search out hemlock or deadly nightshade, return home to a comfortable warm house, mix up the potion with a drop of 12 year old malt then quietly and thoughtfully consume the mixture. This renders one into a deep subconscious state of holistic harmony; drifting of into a snug, restful long sleep, never to wake up again into this tormented world”. Oh dear.