#hoonchild

There was a LOT of HD/HR iron at the #swapmeet yesterday, here's all the ones the #hoonchild snapped on my phone while I was "busy" (read: gas-bagging) at our stall on the other side of the paddock. There were also 2 sweet HR utes in the swap aisles right near me, including one with a #supercharged 186-red motor and the #willwood unboosted brake conversion I'm angling for, but neither of us thought to get pics of them 🤦 Judging by the quality and number of #hrholden models present, I think it's going to be a lot easier sourcing parts for #thebombproject than it has been, and continues to be, for #Bevan the #VBCommodore 🤔 #nobodylikesaVB I'm really getting revved up for the HD/HR Nationals at Redlands next year. We may even have a version of #TheBomb ready to display after all 😏 #squadgoals #hrsedan #hdsedan #hrute #hrpremier #hrstandard https://www.instagram.com/p/B4tYILGgB2i/?igshid=d5wqci4ueudt

Sorry, 13-yo me...it's gonna have to be a #bodyswap or nothing 😔 The #hoonchild and I lifted #TheBomb up for a proper underbody inspection for the first time this arvo and the prognosis is bleak. It's way too far gone behind the cabin bulkhead to be even a remote chance of restoration with my skill set and budget. The pics don't do the decay proper justice, and they really do look pretty bad. Moving forward, it's time to strip the old girl bare and salvage every panel, dial, widget and doodad we can to retain as much of the old girl for the new body as possible. What's good? - engine, gearbox & diff 👍 - all glass is 100% intact 🙏 - dash and built-ins - hubs & brakes (to be sold and replaced with discs) - front suspension components - doors, bonnet & tailgate - steering box & rack - shifter components - pedal box and accelerator links - wiper motor, arms and link bars - bumpers and chrome trim bits - grille and lights - stone guard - front fenders & inner guards - most of the removable access panels and blanking plates Thankfully I have a donor body already up on a rotisserie lined up to buy, but it still stings like a bitch. She's only been back in the family a short time and we're already having to part her out to save her 😞 #stoopiddustinmyeyes #thebombproject #hrute #hrholden #holdenute #myfirstcar Future note to the boys - sorry, lads 🤷‍♂️ https://www.instagram.com/p/B4mORxOA37x/?igshid=gwo58d0tsoig

We've been treading water here on #thebombproject for a little bit, pinching pennies and getting all our ducks in a row and so forth. I video's a #peewee playing on #TheBomb the other day, it's on the @algonewild account. . . All this inactivity has been giving both the #hoonchild and myself itchy wallet fingers, so yesterday we grabbed the latest copy of @justcars.com.au to belt through. Here's the good 'uns so far, esp that first #HDute 😍👍 . . In other news, The Boss ™️ has given a tentative, yet encouraging nod to the HR donor ute & rotisserie old mate has over on Macleay Island, so it's time to start planning for that. Concrete slab and carport under/over the work area out the back and we can start stripping down #TheBomb in earnest. . . Which reminds me, I still have to replace that clutch in the #VBCommodore one day, and soon...we want to join a cruise to #Newcastle over the upcoming school holidays 🤔 Posting update to www.thebomb.site as well 😬👌 #hrholden #holdenute #hrute #myfirstcar #restomod #restoration #projectcar https://www.instagram.com/p/B4RdhQ6A6iW/?igshid=18cy5zs0qzrem

MINT! 🍀 This is why I've been looking for #bodyswap candidates - you're not meant to be able to see grass through the tray on the Holden #unibody utes. Good thing I'm learning to #migweld huh? 🤘🤓🤘 That's the @hoonchilddubs meaty thumbs-up 👍 photobombing btw. Yes, he's got his own #insta now but I'm watching him pretty closely with it 🧐 #hoonchild #thebombproject #thebomb #hrholden #holdenute #hrute #rustanddust https://www.instagram.com/p/B3v_uB6guma/?igshid=h04tcb30c0ec

Big hurdle mounted this arvo - we got #TheBomb up the driveway, through the fence and safely secreted away in the backyard 😅 Of course most of the heavy muscle work was done by the neighbour kid in the floral sundress closest to the camera - that's Mia the Incredible She-Hulk 💪💪 The #hoonchild and I are really just bunging it on for the camera by this stage 😎👌 Having spent a bit more time around the old girl today, I've added another 4-years and $25k to the #resto so I'd best stop whingeing about it and crack on 🤘🧐🤘 Oscar, if you're reading this in the future and I'm not around anymore, FFS do what your old Dad couldn't and finish this bloody #projectcar for me 🤪 #thebombproject #hrholden #holdenute #hrute #nostalgiaonlycarriesyousofar https://www.instagram.com/p/B3JjV6Zg_Sr/?igshid=1qc1h7icq7vzm

And she's out! First time #TheBomb has seen a bitumen road in a long, long time. Unfortunately I wasn't able to drive her much past 10-or-so-metres under starter motor power - engine is still running fine but she refused to kick while I was rolling down the hill in it. As you've probably guessed, we set the cameras up like Top Gear and Roadkill so get set for that cornucopia of profanity 🤘😆🤘 That's a #hoonchild good luck #dab for the upcoming trip 🤩 It's gonna be a slow drive home tomorrow, that's for sure. If you're in the vicinity of the Burnett, D'Aguilar or Brisbane Valley Highways and you see this mess rolling past give us a wave and a toot 🤘😎🤘 Honey, we'll be back for lunch in about 45-mins 👍 @kazzawazza01 #thebombproject #hrholden #holdenute #hrute https://www.instagram.com/p/B3BPLbOgfEc/?igshid=1ewy0w2xmhczg

Sure, it may look like a mess now... 🧐 It's been just shy of 10-months since #hoonchild and I found #TheBomb and we made that first video of Drew and I starting her up with a jumpstart pack and a kiddy's poptop full of petrol. She hadn't been started since the late 90's at that stage, so starting up yesterday was really a piece of piss after only 268-days of solitude 😎 The next challenge will come today - driving her around the paddock without a clutch or brakes. A few people have expressed concerns about me being able to pull up, but I remind them I'm in a big cow paddock, not on the Burnett Hwy, and I can just turn her off and let entropy do all the work 🙏 The clutch pedal is on the floor and I don't think I'll bother refill the hydraulic reservoir to try and fix it. There's bound to be more to it than just fluid and I don't need to get bogged down on a task that may ultimately prove futile. I also see no point filling the brake reservoir as all the flex lines from the drums have been eaten away by rabbits (or dropbears, who really knows) 🤷‍♂️ I'm not too concerned about wrecking it as it is, either, as it's all coming apart to get the body up in the #rotisserie anyway. I'll be rebuilding the engine, gearbox and diff myself anyway. Anyhoo it time to put on some pants and get to work. Buckaroo banzai!!! 🤘😎🤘 #thebombproject #hrholden #hrute #holdenute #junkyardrescue #nostalgia #myfirstcar https://www.instagram.com/p/B3AlHvfASnV/?igshid=11ivsx8onfkar

Huge win today, big smiles all round 🤘😁🤘 We've done all the engine work and got her purring in a smooth-ish idle. There's a head gasket problem (oil in radiator) bit that's REALLY the least of our concerns at the moment. I'm totes as excited as the #hoonchild but I just can't #floss 🤭 Tomorrow we're either fixing the clutch, or towing it to the top of a hill to do a roll start. One way or another, I'm driving #TheBomb tomorrow, win win win 💪😎✌️ then we're loading her up on the trailer and getting ready to come back home on Tuesday #thebombproject #hrute #hrholden #holdenute #MontoQLD #restomod #nostalgiaonlycarriesyousofar https://www.instagram.com/p/B2_ZP9wA32i/?igshid=bpa49geyyhov