:: Diary - November 2016 ::

:: Wednesday, November 2, 2016 ::

I ordered some bits and pieces for the Chevy about 2 weeks ago. I ordered them from one of the US specialists - just odds and ends, a couple of wheel trims (which are bleeding expensive by the way, stainless steel and all) because one of mine flew off and disappeared in some bushes. I did find it later at night, when it shone up in a flashlight, but decided to get a couple of spares, seeing as they don’t seem to be available over here. So - two wheel disks, plus the spinner-trim thing that fits on them - and a replacement dash clock, and some blank keys, because I only have one set.

A couple of days after I ordered them, they contacted me to say that the web estimate of freight costs was wrong, so they charged me more.

Then today, they were finally delivered, and I had to pay import duty. Now that, plus the freight, was nearly as much as the cost of the goods themselves - I would have been cheaper, almost, to fly over there and bring them back myself. And at least I would have got a holiday out of it…

Lesson learned!

I managed to get duplicate keys cut at Timpson’s - they had to order in the blanks, and then cut them, then I had to sand the sides down a wee bit because they were a fraction too thick to go in the keyhole, but they work! They also managed to find a blank for the petrol - sorry gas - cap key. The new blanks from the US fit in the locks much better - I’ll get them cut to the right pattern as well…

So - next job is to fit the clock, and then tidy up the engine bay a bit - I like doing that, there’s something therapeutic about cleaning mechanical things, but maybe not when it’s as freezing cold as it is just now!