Car Progress:
The frame and body are now in storage until Sept. when I can get it back in the bike shop again. The space that once housed the project has been taken over by about 110 repairs. We repair between 30 and 50 bikes a day!

Sehr Performance Machine will start back on the motor soon but racing season has them pretty bogged down with "gotta have it right away" jobs so I told them mine could wait a while - but not too long! I'm ordering the new BDS electronic fuel injection. Right now I'm working with the helpful people at BDS to make sure to order the right system for the engine. I'll show you pictures when it arrives (I'll wipe off the drool first). I'm laying out the dash board and instrumentation and getting ready to finish the rear differential to make it pretty, but mostly I've been SANDING! Yuck!

I have about 16 hours in so far sanding and buffing the frame and it looks like I have a few more before it's perfect. The frame is stored in an old garage (circa 1928) not far from here so I go over when I can and sand for an hour or too. Wet sanding in 98 degree weather with 90 percent humidity in a stuffy small garage gives new meaning to the term "wet sanding" but I need that time away from retail to keep my sanity.

Sanding, Sanity, and Situations:
After 30 years in retail I think I'm starting to crack. Unless you've spent some time on the business side of a retail Counter you won't know what I'm talking about so skip ahead and don't bother reading this. It doesn't matter what business it is, working with the public can drive you insane. I have a hunch that most of the psycho serial killers throughout history were in retail. As hard as you try to be fair and avoid conflict you can still end up getting reeled into situations that you can't escape.

For example; It's time for vacation and dad is packing the afternoon prior to departure. He gets the kids bikes out to take along and notices that little Johnny's bike doesn't roll, or stop, or turn. Johnny's sister Jane's bike is missing parts (stolen by Johnny to "fix" his bike) so we suddenly have a situation. Dad loads the bikes up in the van and brings them to the bike shop. "I need them fixed while I wait!" he says. The bikes are in bad shape and will require a couple hours work and we are already wondering how we'll get the repairs that we've promised the others before him finished on time. We politely tell him we can't get to them before we close for the day. Of course now we've ruined his family's vacation and we are the scourge of the earth. Fortunately not all people are like this or I wouldn't have survived in retail for 30 years but maybe now you get the idea why time alone sanding doesn't seem so bad after a day with the public.

Situations like this can happen at home too. Take for example when your wife or girlfriend asks you "Does this outfit make my butt look bigger?" Don't EVER answer a trick question like this. I've found it's best to create a diversion. Simply spill or break something at that exact moment or pretend to become violently ill but DON'T say yes or no! You've now been fore-warned. ;)

The T-shirts:
We're taking orders for Project33 T-Shirts! Visit our T-Shirt Order Page and be the first on the block with a dot-com shirt that doesn't make you look like a cyber-nerd!

Past Updates: