Actually, after 38 years of blood, sweat and many, many tears, I have finally come up with a nickname for this little fucker.

I’m calling it Lazarus II.

(makes sign of the cross)

The reason is, this is the SECOND TIME I am bringing it back from the dead

And true to my personal style, I’m doing it ass backwards from the way most people do these things.

Most people strip the car down, do the body work and then paint it. THEN they start putting it together. Rebuilding the engine, doing the brakes, all that happy crap.

I did that the first time and now all the paint is completely shot. So this time, I rebuilt the car literally from the radiator to the gas cap.

New fuel tank, pump, brakes, engine, tires all of it.

I;ll deal with the paint, maybe, later.

Lucky for me the latest fad seems to be a rusty,faded paint look so I’ll fit right in.

The last couple weeks I have been prepping the floor boards and putting in sound deadener mats. Today I started in on the carpet.

I got most of the driver’s side done when the local Weather Man’s 30% prediction for rain turned into 100%.

So I threw the stuff I was working with in the garage real quick and threw the tarp back over it. At least I got something done first.

It took me a very long time but I finally found some old, aftermarket rubber floor mats with the Austin Healey name and badge with wings images on them.

They are harder to find than Hen’s teeth.

I bought a set of seats out of some KIA thing last weekend but I am going to have to do some serious modifications to how they mount as they have 3 inch tall feet at the ends

I have to get rid of a big bracket under there and I have to cut off and some wiring that I don’t need.

The Good Lord willing, I am going to drive this little sonofabitch to work at least once before this Summer is over.

A tip of the hat to Plague Monk who posted about this recent somber event in the comments.

Thank you for bringing it to my attention.

Like most of us here, I grew up watching the Viet Nam War on television every night.

I still remember the “Burst Of Joy” moment mentioned in the video even now from 1973

Col. Robert L Stirm, the subject of that moment was recently laid to rest in Arlington.

Rest In Peace sir.

This is funny.

They have no shame.