Escape From the Prison Planet

[Turbolq4]

The last economic crash sent me back to school. Now I just do my own construction and make money at something else. Tons of hacks in construction. Also so many people that are impossible to please. They literally want perfection for free and then sue you for the shirt on your back. I don't miss that industry at all.

 

[DRIVEN]

Glad you made it out alive. I worked in the door industry and the automotive industry depending on where I was living , sometimes simultaneously from '93 until '08. The last door shop I worked for went from 50+ employees down to 8 in under a year and I decided cars were more recession proof. I've always taken all my jobs pretty seriously and can't understand the general mindset that seems so prevalent in construction. There have been a couple exceptions. The door guy yesterday was pretty good. His predecessors, not so much.

It's really a first world complaint, I know. But this house wasn't cheap. I certainly don't expect perfection and don't plan to sue anyone. This is the only house I ever had built and I guess maybe it's unreasonable to expect the job done right the first time.

 

[ssn696]

I'd like to build my own house some day. When I was 18, I worked on a framing crew, so I still think I can do this. (Heh-heh) It will take me 10 times longer to build it, but I won't have the crew doing donuts in my graded yard. Or if he does, he'll be sure to fill in the ruts.

The funny part is the two or three other custom doors that went back and probably sold for half price and were perfectly square.

 

[DRIVEN]

First one was fine but not what I ordered and got sent back. Second (that just got removed) also not what I ordered but was cut to fit the opening. It belongs to my contractor now. This one is actually what I ordered to begin with. Only took 8 months but I'm finally satisfied.

 

[DRIVEN]

Been busy with work the last couple weeks but decided to spend some time on the trailer today. Gave it a good thorough inspection, repacked the wheel bearings, replaced the wheels/tires, painted a spare to match, added some eye bolts for tiedowns, greased and sealed the jack mechanism, and figured out how I think I want to build new sides for it. Also decided on a new spare tire mount too.






I'll need to get the welder out later. It looks like it's been overloaded enough to crack the crossmember at the rear of the tongue. Also, one of the fender mounts is cracked. Easy fixes, just wasn't expecting to find those problems.


After I ran out of steam on the trailer I installed a wiring kit on the Vibe. The hitch was on my daughter's car when I bought it so I snagged it for myself. Obviously I won't be doing any heavy hauling but it'll be handy for short trips across town.

 

[DRIVEN]

Yamaha service night.

TWs got oil changes and new skid plates installed.



The only other mechanical thing I may do before riding season is put a better front tire on the white one. It's still got decent tread for the street but no corner grip offroad. The tire on the blue bike is 5X better.
Marc is flying over in May for some riding so I may put the bark busters back on the blue bike. He's always good for testing the limits of my equipment.


BroHauler finally got the new A-arm bushings installed. They're in there...somewhere.


That pretty much eliminated the ridiculous negative camber and toe out that it had. Drives sooo much better now. That should be about the last planned mechanical stuff on it. Now it just needs cosmetics. So much cosmetics.

 

[Turbolq4]

You can't make it look good.

 

[DRIVEN]

I shouldn't or it just isn't possible?

 

[Turbolq4]

Both.

 

[DRIVEN]

Hold my beer.