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Besides cars what do other people fix?

Started by koan, 26 March 2009, 11:25 PM

GreaseMonkey

I'll have a go at fixing anything (except electrical stuff), cars, clocks and watches, old furniture, women, Mercedes central locking, disobedient dogs, what you got?
Chris M.

oscar

My backyard.  That's what's kept me busy and away from the cars.   We moved into the new house in Nov 07.  It wasn't until Sep 08 that I removed the three parts cars, trees and all crap from the backyard so we could start on the turf and more recently, a brick paved area bordered by brick planter boxes.  I got 2500 free bricks that were previously used as pavers.  Sometime in Feb and March this year I dug them up, brought them home and high pressure cleaned them as needed.

The most satisfying part of the whole excercise thus far is that I've never laid a brick before and by some miracle, the paved area and walls have turned out remarkably well.  A brickie would've done it neater and faster but I can't complain, we've saved a bundle but it's been an eye opener to appreciate the expertise a pro develops over years of experience.  I've made dozens of mistakes along the way but somehow it's come together well.  A gun brickie might lay what - 600 bricks a day or more? My best was 56 ::)

1973 350SE, my first & fave

TJ 450

Gee, that's a remarkable achievement Oscar! 8)

I would imagine that parking of 116es is now forbidden on the new turf. ;)

Tim
1976 450SEL 6.9 1432
1969 300SEL 6.3 1394
2003 ML500

Big_Richard

dearest Oscar,

My whole block is a sandpit with a brand new house on it.

your photos are troooly inspirational.

My biggest achievement this week was pulling a massive amount of thorny weeds out, and then growing frustrated at the situation and simply setting fire to the rest of the backyard. The neighbors were not impressed.

oscar

Thanks guys ;) definitely no heavy vehicles allowed in the backyard.  Bit of a shame really.  Just wish I had a couple of acres off to the side where I could accumulate sub $1k mercs. 8)

Quote from: Patrick Bateman on 24 October 2009, 08:34 AM
My biggest achievement this week was pulling a massive amount of thorny weeds out, and then growing frustrated at the situation and simply setting fire to the rest of the backyard. The neighbors were not impressed.

I hear ya.  Not pictured is a ratty 40yr old olive tree that used to be behind the clothes line.  It dropped a couple of limbs during storms and it had to come down.  At a ridiculous $15 for a 6'x4' trailer load of green waste at the tip, once chopped up, we had a few bonfires instead.  I was surprised to not hear from council at some stage.  Don't know the rules on backyard fires but I figured I'd not ask questions first so I could plead ignorance later. 
1973 350SE, my first & fave

koan

Looks good oscar.

56 bricks a day, around 5 or 6 an hour, not bad, that's about what I'd manage the way I stuff around ;)

koan

Boogity, Boogity, Boogity, Amen!

Big_Richard

So when are you coming to Perth next Oscar.... I need some paving done ;)



flutes

PB, gardening not being my forte, I would love to be able to execute a gardening strategy that involves the liberal use of fire.  However being perched on the edge a national park in an area renowned for its ability to burn to the ground every 15 years or so makes me slightly hesitant.  Me thinks the authorities would take a very dim view indeed of such an approach.

My current strategy with the garden is to ignore it until it gets so bad we have to get a Bobcat in. This has the benefit of requiring very little effort on my part.
Matt
1977 450SEL

Big_Richard

I shouldn't even have a garden at all. When i sat down and screwed around with my house plans I some how forgot that i was a car enthusiast, my ultimate dream was to be able to drive cars into the back yard and have a big shed to work on them. That's never going to be possible now without serious structural changes that are never likely to pass council approval.

Id have about 3 or 4 old mercs at any one stage being parted out - what a paradise that would be ;)

oscar

Quote from: koan on 24 October 2009, 01:08 PM
56 bricks a day, around 5 or 6 an hour, not bad, that's about what I'd manage the way I stuff around ;)

And that was a very busy day.  More than 10hrs from memory is it any wonder I can't afford a change in career path at the moment. :o

Pat, it's amazing the things you miss or unknowingly omit from the plans.  I was lucky enough to have the shed that was already there, built back in 84.  Otherwise I doubt the minister for finance would've allowed a shed.  I have backyard access but only just.  The house measured out with a 2.3m gap between it and the shed.  A w116 with both side mirrors only just squeezes past.

As for gardening/landscaping, flutes I used to scoff at what some people paid for a landscaper to do to an urban backyard.  Now I appreciate more how much of a time consuming laborious PITA excercise it is, I sort of wish we could've gone into debt more to get it over and done with.
1973 350SE, my first & fave

Big_Richard

I also have 2.3 meters between my house and the side wall - unfortunately there is also a gutter downpipe installed there which brings it significantly less than 2.3 meters. There is also one of those pesky water meters very near that gap so its pretty much impossible to drive down there. :(

Tony T

#41
Quote from: 450SE_melbourne on 16 July 2009, 08:52 PM
Not much of a handy-man. I did try to repair my marriage. Bombed out on that one...
At least I have both carspaces in the garage to myself now.  ::)

It was the lack of car spaces that kept my marriage together....................... I couldn't find another place with garage space for 5 cars, so I had to stay here...............  :D :D :D

Sorry mate. It sounds like you're doing ok, though.  :)

Seriously, I enjoy playing with little Honda CT90 and CT110 motorbikes and the occasional old camera.

djarahway

Quote from: 13B on 29 March 2009, 09:04 PM
vintage TRS-80 computers and accessories

13B, that's pretty impressive.

How many TRS80's do you have?  What do you do with them after you've restored them?

johnnyw116

sometimes i buy old motorcycles with some work on it and than i can fix it up , and the only motorcycles i buy are yamaha RD 350 lc YPVS 2stroke after fixing it up i sell them but now days the RD350 isnt that easy to find annymore also the RD500 is getting rare , last year i fixed up an suzuki RG 250 2stroke sold it few months ago the RG is also in my country hard to find , hope to find another RD350 soon becouse its fun to work on and fun to drive and fun to sell it to an RD  enhousiast who gives it good care  :)           

greetings : johnny                                       
JohnnyW116

motec6.9

When not working 144 hour fortnights i spend all of my spare time fixing my retic thanks to my beautiful golden retiever :D
Euro 6.9 255.6hp at the wheels. Watch this space.