Saturday, July 28, 2012

Sandblasting Frame for '68 GTO

We're kicking things into high gear now. Our father-son Coaching Program customers are here at Motorheads Performance today, completing the complete strip-down and sandblasting of the frame for their 1968 Pontiac GTO project, which is a full body-off restoration. While the body is on a rotisserie at the paint shop getting new trunk panels and rear package tray put in, they've been actively preparing the frame so in the next few weeks the frame and body can be reunited for the next phase of the project.

1968 Pontiac GTO - Body on Rotisserie
Motorheads Performance Customer Project
Guy Algar has done a great job showing the team great technique for blasting, sanding, priming and painting. We're so pleased to pass the knowledge to a younger generation who will become tomorrow's motorheads!

Friday, July 27, 2012

Busy Week for Chevelles

Guy Algar has reported a very busy week in the shop. He's been busy with the Firebird, two Chevelles, and the '49 Jeep pickup truck. All are coming along nicely, with the hubs which were welded in place on the Jeep getting fixed, the drivetrain going in one Chevelle, and the wiring issue solved on the other. We're getting ready to fire up the Firebird, so we'll have more to report as we busily work through the weekend!

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

1969 Firebird & 1971 Chevelle SS Work

A busy day is planned in the shop today, and the rest of the week. Completing the engine wiring and installing the new starter with new bolts will be done on the 1969 Firebird so we're another step closer to firing up this weekend. Dash restoration for the 1971 Chevelle SS is slated to for this week, replacing the dash base and pad, the instrument panel circuit board, lens and housing, installing a new speedo cable, making the new stereo speaker mounts, refurbishing the ashtray, and installing the new A/C ductwork. We've also got repairs going on with the 1949 Jeep pickup truck restoration project and the hub problems Guy Algar discovered (more on that later) when we started the rebuild and new retro tires.

Monday, July 16, 2012

Wiring Issues Addressed on Chevelle SS

We've seen a great deal of wiring repairs gone wrong here at Motorheads Performance. Customers usually report some minor problems they've noticed, such as under dash lights not working properly, lights flickering or coming on and off only intermittently, etc. Sometimes the wiring problems are within the engine compartment, and are affecting performance. With recent work Guy Algar has been performing on the Chevelle SS currently in the shop for repairs, we had several wiring issues crop up and we took the time to write about them in length so others can be wary of trying self fixes that may end up costing more than if originally brought to a shop for repairs. Read the entire article at our informational newsletter Classic Car News.

Friday, July 13, 2012

Rubber Body Mounts Severely Compressed and Damaged on 1969 Firebird

Guy Algar reports that the 1969 Pontiac Firebird he's been working on in the shop was in dire need of new body mounts due to the dry, cracked and compressed condition of the original rubber mounts. The body mount bolts were eaten halfway through!  Guy replaced the  mounts with newer technology mounts which last much longer. Read the full article on replacment of rubber mounts on our informational newsletter Motorheads Performance's Classic Car News.

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Drivetrain & Engine Accessories Bring Firebird Near Completion

Today at Motorheads Performance, we're looking to complete the drivetrain on the 1969 Pontiac Firebird. Work was slowed a bit when we learned that we needed to solve a couple of electrical issues that were found on her, but this will be completed today. Then we're on to complete and check installation of the accessories on the engine, making sure the fluids, hoses, and all connections are correct. Essential steps before we attempt to fire her for the first time since the engine rebuild.
Assembled Drivetrain (not actual one being installed today) - Motorheads Performance
 This ride was recently purchased by our customer, and had a lot of faults camouflaged by shiny parts and quick fixes. Once we got into the tear-down, sloppy work, incorrect repairs and shoddy quick-fixes were uncovered. Unfortunately, this is an event which happens all-too-often by muscle car sellers looking for a quick sale or quick profit on their vehicle, or simply from lacking the knowledge and skills to complete the repairs properly. In addition to problems with the engine, we encountered incorrectly installed floor pans which allowed water to enter the interior, wiring issues, and a other items which forced the project to go much longer than initially planned. The customer was informed of the problems with the vehicle, and was able to decide which items he wanted to tackle now, and what ones he wanted to wait for later. Guy Algar was able to give his recommendations and help with an affordable and wise plan of action. We always encourage completion of repairs of any items that concern your safety. With this work completed, we're now getting close to completion!

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Heavy Rains Again at Motorheads

Monday night we had the severe thunder/lightning storm which produced 2.5 inches of rain. Again last night we had storms blow through. Although not quite as intense as the previous night, we added another 2.25 inches of much-needed rain. After having just shredded the fields all around the three buildings we use at Motorheads, the rain was a welcome relief.

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Wild Thunder Storms in Texas

by Andrea L. Algar
Motorheads Performance - Leesville, Texas

Last night we were rocked by wild storms that came quickly and put on quite a show for us in South Central Texas! The rain was heavy...putting out 2.5 inches in a storm that lasted about a half hour. We lost power twice, but only briefly as the electric company was really on top of things. The video below was taken on a cell phone so it really couldn't capture the intensity, but the bright white flash at the end was lightning hitting a giant oak tree which exploded about 30 feet off to the right of where we stood on a covered porch!


Guy and I were grateful that no one was hurt. The tree, however, didn't make out so well, as it has two large scars running the length of the trunk. The blast literally blew the bark right off the tree, which was found this morning scattered all about.  A brief cleanup and we were back to business working on the great classics at Motorheads Performance today!

Monday, July 09, 2012

Back to Busy Week in Shop After Brush Fire

Now that the crazy mid-week holiday schedule is behind us it's time to get back on track. We've got a couple of projects that are due to finish up this week. Guy modified this week's schedule to try to make up for some lost ground from last week's holiday Wednesday and the additional time we had to take to deal with a brush fire in one of our pastures. It took us three days to clean things up from that, and luckily the damage was confined to hay fields, shrubs and trees, and did not pose any threat to the shop or our other buildings. Guy's quick response and alert from our security cameras kept this from being a bigger problem than it was. The extreme heat is really starting to take toll, and we're certainly grateful to be seeing some signs of rain today - and with more expected tomorrow.

Sunday, July 08, 2012

Welcome to our Shop Newsletter!

We've designed a newsletter especially for our customers. Here's an easy way to stay in touch with events at Motorheads Performance, and see what projects Guy and Andrea Algar are working on. We'll also let you know of events and trainings we attend.