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I've got some good advice for you: if you live in Texas, don't sandblast your frame in August. However, common sense didn't stop me from sandblasting while the temperature hovered near 105 degrees. In my next life, I think I'll take the frame somewhere and let someone else sandblast it. Nonetheless, I found sandblasting to be somewhat enjoyable (although I will never do it again...), especially when what was rusted before was now nice and clean and painted. I also lost 10 pounds doing it in the heat. The Isetta restoration diet!!!

There are now people all over the country (and Germany) with some of my money now. Hans Rothkegel got some when I sent an order for cables, various rubber parts, and a pedal cover. I sent my carb to the Bing office in Nebraska for a rebuild and they did a wonderful job for less than 200 bucks (that carb needed help...). I got a 1958 Texas license plate on ebay for the car. I talked to the infamous Isetta John, and he was able to set me up with a seat (thank goodness!) and the vent assembly for the door. He is a wealth of information and loves to talk about these cars. Also, if you need shocks, Isetta John will rebuild them for you at 20 bucks a pop: a great deal as new ones seem to go for upwards of 80 to 90 dollars. He also has a package deal of all the outside rubber seals for $130.

I also ordered some parts from Isettas-R-Us, including a new windshield that sadly arrived broken (trust me, you never want to have to deal with UPS on a damaged package. it took a month before i was able to finally get them the darn thing...). I also ordered new front and rear bumpers from Brad Cerra. His refabs are beautiful (I'll have a photo up soon) and better than the originals in that the metal is twice as thick. They should be hardier, although I don't plan on crashing into anything. I went to a street rod show with my neighbor and his dad (mostly pre-1940 cars) and noticed that many of the rods had stuffed animals next to them. A bud of mine that likes to rip people's shirts told me that those stuffed animals are part of the show-car subculture and that I needed to get one for my Isetta. So I bought a stuffed chicken.

With the frame blasted and painted, I am beginning to attach blasted and new parts to the car. I am basically having to replace everything that is rubber on the car. My master cylinder looks in bad shape and I'm waiting on a rebuild kit from Germany. My next step is to take apart the steering knuckles and rebuild the brakes. Should be fun...

every good car needs a good stuffed chicken...

blasted and painted!

shiny and a smile on my face...

parts that my bud tommy has blasted and painted. nice...

the carburator back from bing...

waiting for the day...

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