I haven't been able to drive my 914 for about 2 weeks now due to weather and other factors. Not much car stuff going on right now at all. Haven't been able to do much with zimkiv.com either.

Why you ask? Because my house looks like this and that damn trailer is blocking the garage!

I'm doing siding as well.
My new front window (8'x 5') is on it's way here right now, should be here in 1-2hrs.

Is it a DIY or contractor?
Mine is a DIY.

good question.

It started out as DIY over the summer. I started rebuilding alot of the woodwork and tearing into things but I got to a point where I concluded that 100 years of patch jobs left the house in a state where I needed somebody to come in and do the finish work. I'm too inexperienced a carpenter for this job right now.

the house had 3 layers of siding on it:

1) original clapboard from when the house was built

2) cedar shingles put on in the summer of 1929 (judging by the old newpapers we found under them )

3) FUGLY aluminum siding put on in the 60s


I really wanted to finish the job myself but as they say, discretion is the better part of valor. Next house will be a different story as I have learned a ton so that's been good.

finding the newpapers and stuff is really interesting to me as well. Under the house we found a little toy that looks like a civil war cannon that I am going to restore.


Drew

I would recommend that you do not restore the toy. Collectors of such items want the original finish, aged patina and all of the other crap that goes with it. It would probably be worth a heck of a lot more in its current state versus being restored.

hmm thats a good point. but its all rusted to hell as its been under the house for 100 years or more.

i have a huge thing of that metal ready stuff, i was thinking about soaking it to get the surface rust off...what do you think about that?

did you salvage any of the original siding? there had to be some value in that. just dust off the cannon. no brillo pads or steel wool. def no chemicals at this point. go to one of the many antique shops that must litter boston for some opinions as to value.

k

the original siding was in pretty bad shape and when they put the aluminum on there it was kind of a death blow. I was considering just painting the cedar shingles but they were in too rough of shape. Plus the DAPO put on those modern windows you see and did a terrible job. I don't even want to get into that...jackass.

aluminum siding was only worth a couple hundred bucks at the salvage yard.

Even worse than a DAPO for a 914 is one for a 100 year old colonial mansard....


I will take a pic of the cannon and see what you guys think. I'm glad I didn't do anything to it yet. This club is good for just about everything

Listen to the man,restoring certain antiques is the kiss of death to collectors,there is a serious market for antique toys.....although if it is badly rusted it maybe beyond help....collectors want original paint.

Still waiting

I hate when I'm told "it's on the way" when it's not

I have shit I could be doing/have done, if they just told the truth.

end of rant

I agree DO NOT RESTORE the toy. Ebay the lil' sucker as is.

that sucks mark....i know how that feels!


i will take a pic of the toy and you guys can tell me what you think....i'm not interested in selling it as much as i am keeping it, unless its worth a ton of course

anybody got a site i can do some research on...i googled but not much luck.