Michael Stoliker's Journal

I haven't done much work lately because of the weather. But I get some parts in from Vicky Brit and thought I'd do something about the the battery tray in the Spit. My battery tray isn't rusted out. Actually it's in decent shape because it was replaced already. It's just the manner in which it was replaced...

Normally, when you replace a battery tray in these cars, you drill out the spot welds on the braces and the old battery tray and lift the rusted remains of the old tray out before cleaning up and welding in the new tray. The person who did this job found a shortcut. They simply hammered the braces to the sides, hammered the edges of the battery tray up to a suitable angle, hammered the new tray down through the ruins of the old one, and welded all around the circumference of the tray's edge to seal the edges. Brilliant! A true time-saver. Now I only have to worry about those tetanus stalagtites hanging down under my dash. Ah well...I can probably cut those out with my dremel tool.

My immediate concern was that after welding, nothing was sealed with paint. The weld was left bare, and the rest of the battery tray was left in red primer and it was starting to surface rust. So since some of the parts that came from VB were a battery mat and a battery hold-down kit I decided it was time to do a clean up. With an abrasive pad and a shop-vac, I removed the surface rust (and most of the red oxide) and took a can of rustoleum stop rust & primer to the tray. I followed up with the closest thing Rustoleum had to British Vermilion paint...something called Lobster Red.

Using a halogen shop light to keep the paint from frosting over in the cold, I applied several coats, and when the paint was dry, cut the acid neutralizing felt mat to fit the bottom of the tray and bolted the battery down. Hopefully, this will protect things until I can come back and make it right.

The big news though is that PennDOT threw my title application back at me. I wondered what the heck the problem could be. Was the previous owner an infamous car thief who'd sold me a hot Spitfire? No, the D.O.T was just sure that somebody had copied the VIN# incorrectly because it was much too short to be a VIN#. They suggested that I make pencil tracings of the VIN and engine numbers and send them back in the self addressed (but not stamped) envelope.

They included a toll-free number in the envelope, but since it reaches an automated phone system I was deprived of being a smart ass and telling them that we have invented several improved methods of producing facsimiles of objects since the neolithic period.

In fact, the recorded message mentioned that I could submit photographs if legible tracings couldn't be produced, but I would have to get the photos notarized by a bonded notary so as to establish the legitimacy of the photographs. Oh goody, the Commonwealth of PA has found another way to share my wealth in common with me.

Well, gotta get to sleep so I can get up tomorrow and find a notary before noon.