Busy day at MiddleMotors.

Matt and Mark stopped by the talk parts. I'm going to work on the dimensions for the replacement frunk seal channel strips this week. Hopefully get the pieces made before folks winter projects start. After we get the straight stock up and going I'll work on the arced front piece. Then the lower front piece.
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We had a visitor from Belgium, Jan and his wife. They're touring the West Coast for a couple weeks hitting 914 related shops. Jan is restoring a factory 6 at home, but is in the market for a 914 daily driver. He's an air cooled guy, his daily driver is a T2 VW bus. We discussed he might need my services for pick up and transport to a shipping dock. Plus some restoration work if needed.

Mike Godly (Warpig) was here letting me know that he'd just bought another 914 and wants to do a side shifter swap ..............

Primary project for the day was helping/coaching Taylor on a rear caliper /pads swap on his Jetta.
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Needless to say I didn't get much welding done on Doug's car.

I found a good use for the half dozen wheel studs that got mixed up in the batch of yellow zinc. Plugs for the transmission vent when the gear boxes get stood up or ran thru the jet washer.
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Here's another Super In Law creation. He cut out a thicker and larger table for our small JET band saw. Nice. Front edge has a slight bend so it will drop into the frame for sawing.
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Plus my hardware kit from AA showed yesterday. It will be the beginning of my hardware bin and storage system that I'll work on this winter.
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Wednesday Chris (Tygaboy) drove up from N.California to drop off his stash of unneeded parts. Here is Chris's addition to my parts stash. There are 2 seat cores seating on the chest you can't see.
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Plus a box of assorted brake tools.
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While Chris and went out to grab a bite to eat, Jack aka Super In Law finished splitting the first pile of firewood.
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Cary - Great seeing you and Jack! I'm looking forward to being back for WCR 2018...

Tool Whore Episode ...........

I haven't been a big proponent of pressure bleeders. I could never get the rock hard pedal that I like. So I always did it old school, two person bleeding. But for the first time in my my life I was flushing and refilling a brake system and I couldn't get it to pressurize. I've never bench bleed master cylinders. Install, fill and bleed. Never had an issue. Probably master cylinder 15 installs ............... 20-30 system flushes.

So I drug out my 20+ year old Motive. Had to replace hose first. Filled the brake fluid reservoir. Started the empty 10# system test. Pumped it up, let it sit. Nothing. Then finally I see a stream hit the floor. We couldn't get it to leak by pumping.
I wasn't going to let this 2000# hunk of steel beat me........ there's always an answer.

Order up a few new brake lines and we'll be back in business. Call to Eric tomorrow.

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A shot for Chris (Tygaboy).
More Vice Grips for Jed Clamp It ..
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Update on Super In Laws health. He's been in for a few additional tests in the past couple months. The tests found an enlarging aneurysm on his aorta. To close to his kidney for a stint. So he'll be having old fashioned open heart surgery next month.

His grand kids are freaking out ....................
He's taking it in stride. They didn't give him any restrictions prior to the surgery.

I'll keep you guys updated ..........................

Thoughts and prayers for Jack and the rest of the clan...

These showed up last night ...............
I bought them from Al. I'm thinking I'll have them stripped and powder coated for my Rally Cross project.
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Time to get organized .................
I'll probably need another layer of trays.

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Those trays ain't cheap.

Today's the day. Heading to the hospital in a little bit. Super In Laws (Jack) open heart surgery starts at 9am. 3 to 5 hours. Going in below the sternum, so no power tools.

Thoughts and prayers to Super-in-Law and the whole family. Please keep us updated. I love the work you two do.

All the well wishes from a snowy cold Sweden!

Thoughts and prayers, my friend...

thoughts and prayers...

Tell Jack that we'll see him at the next WCR.

Hoping to hear news of a successful surgery soon.

Yes best thoughts and prayers today for Super in Law. Hoping to see him bang banging metal again very soon.

Just got a call from OR nurse. going well. another hour to go.

Thanks for the update. Keep us posted on Jack. Wishing a quick recovery from the procedure.

Just went into ICU. Surgeon said the repair was much more complex
than anticipated. Significant blood loss. Biggest concern was kidney startup, they fired up just fine.

Doctor said .....
He's one healthy guy.

They had a couple blood clots caused by the surgery to tidy up.
Next concern is more blood clots as he's recovering.

1st. Hurdle is been jumped.

Cary - Thanks for keeping us up to date. We're all rooting for Jack's speedy recovery.

With all the strength he's brought to his surgery, once he's back in the shop, we're gonna have to update his name to Super(Man) In-Law!

I know we can count on you to pass on our "Get Well Soon" wishes to Jack.

I like hearing "he's one healthy guy." Best to Jack and the rest of the family.

That was tough. He's still asleep, but went into ICU to see him.
Tough seeing him with all the tubing, but he looks good.

Been a long day, but stickiing around till he wakes up.

Sounds like mostly good news so far. He'll be glad to see you when he wakes up. Hoping he's back to in no time.

Anh and Warpig are hoping and praying for a speedy recovery.
Anh says she will make Jack some special Vietnamese Witch Dr. soup when he's up and about.

6:45
breathing tube is out and he's beginning to wake up.
he knows we're there. we'll check on him again after
8pm.

Prayers out for Jack and your whole family.

Yes prayers out Jack & your family! Thanks for the updates Cary

We will include your superman in-law in our prayers! God will surely take care of him and also for a quick recovery! Take care and God bless!

Had a tough night. First attempt at pain control made him crabby and mean. Second attempt made him higher than a kite. All he wants to do is come home.
Still in a lot of pain. Hopefully tonight will be better ...................

Thoughts are with you Cary. Returned to the PNW to visit supermotherinlaw. Bad enough getting old without seeing others up ahead in line. Thanks for letting me get to know you and yours.
Warren

My wife says pain meds make me mean and crabby too. That's good sign! Means he wants to be doing something other than lying in that damned hospital bed:beer2:

I thought I was going to have make one of my toughest decisions.
Medical Power of Attorney.
Kidneys are being a little slow to start. Nephrologist wanted to start forever dyalisis. Surgeon said, Hell No. He has the kidneys of a 65 year old. We'll do a couple three general flushes to get them going.

On Tylenol only and he's coming back to his normal self.

On way cool note :
Worked a 1/2 day at Rothsport this am. We took delivery
of SCRS #18. 1600 km last night.
As far as I'm concerned this is the top of the 911 heep.
Glacier White.
It belongs to a high level collector. Not my place
to post pictures on the web. Wish I could.

That is so cool!

This one? http://roadscholars.com/inventory/1984-porsche-911scrs/


Good to hear-it's nice that you had a sane surgeon. My brother is an ER doctor and has tons of stories about continually fighting with doctors who ignore age when looking at body function and over-prescribe horrible "treatments." Glad to hear Jack is recovering!

Good news, good news.

Thanks for the updates Cary. It’s great to hear all is going so well.

Holy Crap ......
Took the kids to dinner. When we came he was full of piss and vinegar. That was great to see.
The dyalisis must have cleaned out some the residual
toxins.

That's sounds awfully good.
Jack will be back to bang banging again before you know it.

WOOT, WOOT! Go Jack, GO!

Not only will there be a revenue stream from the Super In-Law t-shirts, but I see additional income from the "Jack's Piss & Vinegar" line of salad dressings and dipping sauces...

Give him a big hug from us!

Very happy to hear Jack is coming around and doing better. Keep us posted. Cheers,

Saturday Night :

Original plan was to be coming home tomorrow. But the original surgery was going to be 4 hours, not 8.

Still having a bit of an issue getting the kidneys running at full speed. But medical team is pretty confident they'll catch up. He's still pretty tired but his sense of humor is coming back.

We thank you for all the prayers and well wishes. We're just going to take it one day at a time ...............

Finally made it to hospital. As I was coming in the door they were working on getting him to stand up for the second time today. Nice.
He's coming back ........

At home I was cross referencing George's hardware kit verses
the PET. Making sure I leave enough space for all the lengths
of each of screw types, excluding the engine and transmission.

His project is waiting for him.
Doug's front valence restoration.
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Spent 5 hours talking about the shop and the changes we'll be making and where we're at with the cars. Plus a good discussion about if we have to go on dialysis permanently. We both agreed we still made the right decision.
Even though issues with kidney function came about with the surgery. It's better than a massive rupture and bleed out.

Chris I don't think we have another firewall, Jack thinks we do. I know I have a center section to make a cover for Mike's upcoming GT build that I can visualize. The numbers say I should have another, but I can't visualize where its at.

Time to head to Rothsport ................ then back to the hospital tonight if he's awake.

It was beginning to feel like we'd be spending Christmas in the hospital.
Starting to see substantial progress.
Eating solid foods. He's not digging the menu too much. Egg beaters and tasteless turkey sausage.

Up and taking walks with the PT folks.

The kidneys still haven't fired up. But the vascular surgeons are pretty adamant they'll start back up. Jack calls the dialysis hes getting as taking the top off. Not a deep clean. I think I mentioned he was his wife's care giver for the last 10 years of her life. She had at home dialysis. Needless to say he's pretty much an expert. When Elaine went into the hospital for something Jack would hold a clinic in the room for the hospital staff that hadn't ever seen or set up up Peritoneal Dialysis.

Basically we're waiting for a bed, as they call it at the Sherwood Dialysis clinic to go home. Maybe this afternoon, maybe tomorrow. He'll get a huge boost this afternoon. My middle son Ryan is arriving from NYC around noon. They have a special relationship.

We're all here, thinking good, healing thoughts for Jack.
(But tell him to hurry up and get better - we need to see him get that valance repaired! )

Still at the hospital. Just waiting for spot at the local dialysis center.
Sounds like we had a good walk around this am. Kidneys are starting to come back.
Baby steps ........