Typically it’s the blunders, bamboozles and boondoggles that make for the most entertaining blog posts. There’s no question, we’ve certainly seen our share of hilarious and sometimes even slightly dangerous road blocks as we’ve been covering Matt and Bill’s antics at the Do It Again Garage so far this year. Every once in a while, we are going to have a weekend that goes as smooth and sweet as Matt’s favorite flavor of ice cream (in case you’re wondering, it’s chocolate chip!) Not that we are complaining, but…
This past Saturday, our grease monkeys headed back into the garage to continue work on Bill’s 1962 Ford Econoline van, otherwise known as The Mystery Machine. They continued to work on replacing the floor panels that had become completely rusted out over the years. At a certain point, it’s necessary to pull out the heavy machinery, and in this case, that meant firing up a commercial grade welder. Thank goodness the guys had remembered to purchase a new fire extinguisher and refreshed all the items in the DIA Garage first aid kit.
Believe it or not, Matt had never used a welder before. Yes, loyal readers, it was his “first time,” even after all the restorations he has been part of. A little nervous, but not to be deterred, Matt slapped on his fireproof helmet and goggles, slid on his safety gloves and after a little practice on some scrap metal, he was off and running. Once he got the hang of it, Matt was able to weld the new floor panels into the van, successfully finishing up a crucial part of the overall rebuild. Now the floor is sturdy, solid and good as new! Great job, Matt!
Once the floor was done, our team patched up a few holes in the front end and called it a day. We think all the excitement with Matt’s inaugural welding efforts might have worn them out. Not that we wish the team any troubles, but perhaps there will be a few funny episodes to report on next weekend? Check back again next week on the Do It Again Garage Blog to find out!