Thanks, Eddie. No foglight blanks, actual foglights for that one. Most of the bumper came in the car.

 

Hmmmm, fog lights maybe? Or are you keeping those?

 

Was not planning on it, but I think the left one is trashed. I've got to check on some parts tonight so I'll take a look and shoot you a message.

 

No Grumpy update, but work towards time to work on Grumpy. Wife is moving into her new office space as we speak.

 

That s a cool looking desk

 

Thanks! My dad and I made it for her for Christmas.

 

Ok...
That is way cool....

 

Thanks! I'm the metal man, so I made the base. My dad is the wood man, so he made the top. We have a lot of that type of aesthetic with our furniture, so it ties in well.

 

You guys should go into the cutting board business!

 

I can really appreciate what you 2 have done. Love the look.

My dad and grandfather were both “wood” guys. I grew up thinking I could do that. Well, ya, I can and did, but didn’t enjoy it. None the less, I can really appreciate fine wood work. When my wife asked if I could make something to replace a coffee table she didn’t like... Ugh I thought, until I thought about making it based on a metal frame (1/2” square tube) with a wood and glass top. I have made a few other pieces... I really like the metal working. To keep things simple, I braze it together and leave it in the natural metal patina. I also keep the wood parts simple; maple veneered plywood and pre-made trim/molding pieces. A bit “industrial”, but really fun to do. So, ya, I can really appreciate your side of it too...

 

This is fully welded out of 1" square tube in 16 gauge. Some of my welds aren't the prettiest, and she liked the black over a natural finish. My dad's been doing wood a lot longer and has access to the tools, so it made more sense. I just used some store bought plastic end caps on the open ends, but it does have adjustable feet.

 

End result is she has a beautiful piece of furniture....

 

Grumpy got a bum lift today. Glossy spoiler, working washer nozzle, two working tag lights, working rear defrost, and hopefully better radio reception.

The wife has no qualms with the color difference. She says it looks good with the yellow.

As you could see in the background above, G2 gained a covering. Trying keep the neighbors happy. I've only had it in the shed for at least 2 years. Wish the back wall ahd a door, too.

G2 also got lighter.

 

I like it. The gray and the “shed”...

Is the boot going to get painted?

 

Maybe some day, along with everything else. The plan is to swap the gray doors over, too. The clear coat is almost completely gone on the right quarter panel, so that needs addressed, as well. The hood is also a few shades lighter than the original paint. It appears to be an aftermarket replacement and has a bunch of shallow dents. The gray hood is too damaged to use, unfortunately.

 

How did you link the wiring looms from one hatch to the other? Splice or did you feed your existing loom into the new hatch?

 

I fed the loom out and back in. I used a metal coat hanger to help feed the loom back through the hatch around the corners.

 

So our daughter asked the other day, "Mommy, is the back of your car still gray?" 😆 So while my wife is OK with the gray parts, someone else in the house clearly is not!

On another note I'm working on a manual trans R50 at work and every time I get into it I wonder why it won't go into reverse! Then I remember it's a 5 speed and reverse is where 6th should be. 😁 Even though my e46 is still a 5 speed, reverse is still in the right spot!

 

Wait until the gray doors go on...

The reverse story is a good one... I have a similar issue going between my Wrangler with the 6 speed to my MINIs.... It is a learning experience every time...

 

The shifter issue is a common one. Between my R53, R60 and Classic, I have to go through a mental checklist before I start to get my brain in the correct 'zone'. It doesn't get easier with age, I'll tell you that!

 

My Jeep ZJ has it in the same spot as the 5 speed R50, but it's pretty easy to remember when the stick is also 2' long! 😁 I'm just so used to reverse being up next to 1st in the interior of R50/53.

 

So Friday morning the brake warning light stayed on when my wife released the parking brake. As I suspected, brake fluid level was low. I knew the lines were crusty, at least they gave us a warning before co.plete failure. Also fortunate is that the rear lines on G2 are in good shape. Not a lot of fun to remove, but I got them off today. Didn't get any further than pulling the exhaust of Grumpy. This project has a lot of attached creep. The exhaust is off, so the new one will be built. Probably swap out the ebrake cables, the boots on Grumpy's are about to fall apart. Also probably going to swap all the heatshields in the tunnel. Not sure yet if I'll tackle the rear suspension during this. It is the best time to.

 

I am glad to see I am not the only one with project creep...

Good thought on getting G-II...

 

Just posted in robj's thread about the exhaust hanger differences I came across while researching something. A mid run change around 2004 would explain the differences I found between the 2005 one ball I got from him and our 2003. G2 has the same setup as Grumpy, being an early production car.

Today is full speed ahead on the brake lines and rear suspension exchange. Hope to get that done today so I can build the new exhaust tomorrow.