Fill's Bedford

Hi all
The little things can bring you unstuck when you think you have got every thing covered. The manual said how to lift the cab. Put a beam through the doors ways and lift (simple). I got two pieces 4 x 4 timber and fitted it to the door head, blocked it out so that the load was in the middle of it. Then I put a cleat on it, so that it would not go side ways and put a plate under it, so it could be G clamped to the beam. Then covered it with 10 mm ( 3/8 inch) soft rubber. I had my brother and his mate to give a hand. We stood the gantry up with two on the ground me on the carport roof with a rope, easy. Pushed the chassis through the gantry. Pushed the cab under the gantry. Put the beam threw the door ways , chain blocked it up and fitted the timber blocks. I had to lift the cab up and down a few times and move the beam, to get to balance. Me and my brother winched it up as high as the blocks could go. My brother's mate kept the balance, while we pushed the chassis under it. What could go wrong? We started lowering, the guy at the front said my brother was getting ahead of me so he stopped and I lowered it a bit more but nothing was happening. The hook knuckle had jammed in the block, then it let go and dropped about 200 mm (eight inches). The cab swung into the gantry and dented the roof. No one was hurt. This is why you have not heard from me for a while. The painter said the dent could not be sucked out, because of were it was and the thick metal. I will have to get the whole roof re painted. Next time I will have a spotter.

100_3274 by fill quinn , on Flickr

100_3274 by fill quinn , on Flickr

100_3270 by fill quinn , on Flickr

100_3272 by fill quinn , on Flickr

100_3276 by fill quinn , on Flickr

100_3286 by fill quinn , on Flickr

100_3289 by fill quinn , on Flickr

32235624_2053309941659675_2226645006276362240_n by fill quinn , on Flickr

Ohhh Fill, what a bummer. You have been so methodical with all of your work and preparation that it can only be put down to pure bad luck.

Have you thought about getting a PDR quote.

My Son's car was badly damaged in a hail storm last year (from end to end and one side) and they PDR'd the whole car and it came up excellently.

The aluminium bonnet couldn't be saved however.

In my prior life as a motor insurer I paid for hundreds of cars to be PDR'd without a single complaint.

Gotta be better than sanding dust right through it and the time delay.

What a bummer after all that meticulous preparation.

Some time life isn’t fair

It just goes to show that life is not fair. You have been doing such a careful and thorough job that this accident is unbelievable.

Don't worry, Fill, at least no one was hurt. Sit back, have a beer, pour Mrs Fill a Chardy or whatever her favourite is and say to yourself that you cannot help bad luck. That's what I did when the (all steel) shed burnt down with my Morris inside.

Zuffen wrote: Have you thought about getting a PDR quote.

My Son's car was badly damaged in a hail storm last year (from end to end and one side) and they PDR'd the whole car and it came up excellently.

The aluminium bonnet couldn't be saved however.

Subaru? I just discovered this on our Forester trying to stick L plates on!

Jarrod.

Fill, my heart bleeds for you, how stiff can you be. I guess you're hurting over this BUT I know with your talent that You Will get on top of it.
Zuffen, please pardon my ignorance but what is a PDR Quote ?
As for Aluminuim engine hoods or bonnets they seem to be the thing now, my wife's Mazda CX3 also has an alloy engine hood. The salesman made a very strong point that we should shut the hood by letting it drop the last few centimetres & not to press down on it to shut it as we would have hand dints in the panel. Not sure how many other makers are going that way.