Finally arrived in Denver

[Allen-GTR]

Hit a few snags in the shipping department, but nothing earth shattering. The factory's shipper arranged the freight from port to my home and I paid to have it delivered to my door. When the shipper called yesterday, he said he had no paperwork requesting a lift gate and that it wouldn't fit on the lift anyway. No fault of the factory's shipper I don't think, just a miscommunication. Anyway, I will use a flat bed tow truck to get it from the shippers 35 miles away and have it dropped at the house. It's an inconvenience and a charge I didn't want, but I will live. If it is unloaded today, I will have it picked up this afternoon, but it could be tomorrow before it's removed from the truck and put on the loading dock...

[k wright]

I also used a "roll-back" to get the car to the house. Do yourself and your new car a favor and rent a forklift with extended forks to lift it of the truck and position it in your shop. I remember paying about 100.00 USD to have one delivered to our home. Great to hear about the progress.

[steve_D]

Allen
If you were going to go with Kens advice on the forklift then it could come to you on the truck it already sits on rather than transfer to the flatbed tow truck.
Steve

[mkoch1]

Glad to hear its so close. If I ever bring my canam out to denver where my parents live we will have to get together.

mark

[builder]

Allen-GTR said:

...If it is unloaded today, I will have it picked up this afternoon, but it could be tomorrow before it's removed from the truck and put on the loading dock...

Allen,

If I leave now, I can be there tomorrow afternoon. It's only 1,052.08 miles, or so, from Reno (on mapquest.com) !!!

[Allen-GTR]

Got the car yesterday. A few scary moments when I saw that the crate with the body in it was TRASHED. Both end panels torn off and the sides/top leaning over to one side. I just knew the bodywork would be scratched and busted everywhere. No damage, but I was sick before I confirmed that. We had to remove the crate from around the car and just leave the bottom of the crate strapped to the frame. We pulled the tow truck up to the ramp, lowered the bed and had the forklift driver push it onto the bed. (when the crate came off, there were immediately 20 dock workers asking me questions, etc. Some of them were a little ....unsavory, so I hope my address didn't get passed around!) The second crate was put on the back and 41 miles to the house were uneventful. Carefully slid the crate and car off, paid my $225, and was left to disassemble the crate containing all of the boxes. Tore down the crating material, cut it up into sections, and put it out for the trash collector (Who was NOT a happy camper...) Put all of the boxes in the garage, and made sure I had all 32 that were shipped. Took the front clip and rear clip off the frame and had some neighbors help me lift those off. I was worn out last night when I got to bed!

I need to drill out the temp rivets holding the side pods and center section and get those stored too.

I am beside myself actually. 5 years planning and saving, so this is a real thrill!

So, let my stupid questions begin!

Thanks Guys!

Allen

[k wright]

Before you remove the temporary rivets drill a bunch more holes for other rivets to maintain the perfect location that the factory has provided. Aircraft Spruce has one of the most useful tools to help space drilling at perfect intervals. It called a rivet spacer, 12-11700. This really made perfect measurement of rivet spacing easy.

ken

[Crazy of Cookham]

Hi Allen

Glad you finally got kit. I hope no damage. Good advice on putting in extra fixing points. I used just the factory ones on prefit and found realignment a little tricky. Also worth noting how many washers used each side of the rose fixing joints for the clips back and front. This will enable you to replace in exactly same position.
I wondered how you were getting on last night when I passed through Denver on the way to UK. I was on hols in Breck when had to return to UK for meeting. Will be back in Denver Tues. Why when I see mountains hit by 8" snow last night. However already warm enough in Denver to get Ultima,s on road.

Good luck with build.

Cheers

Brian

[Allen-GTR]

I spent the weekend in the garage obviously... in the morning I had the garage door open wearing only a t-shirt, then it got cold and snowed. By the afternoon I was able to open the door and go back to the t-shirt... You have to love the weather here... I am sure the mountains got some heavy snow. Makes the drive back to Denver slow going!

Got all of the aluminum complete except the cockpit floor double skin.

Allen