Riveting Pains

Since today I was going to start closing the transmission tunnel, the first job was to attach again the gear shifting linkage that I removed in order to fit the prop catcher. This was quick to get done and made the car once again drivable. Although I should fit the silencer and bolt down the seats before actually doing it...

So I made my first hole on the chassis to fit a rivnut. That will allow me to remove the panels to access the tunnel insides for any task needed (specially useful since I don't have a ramp or lift). Drilled, unpacked my brand new rivnut tool I ordered from the UK because here they cost 2,5 times more and... Snapped the mandrel while putting the first rivnut in.

I'm starting to believe that rivets and rivnut tools have something against me...

At least the rivnut was well inserted. And the shape of the broken mandrel tip allowed me to extract it relatively easily.

OK... I should add that I used the tool without watching some online videos. Just read the instructions on the back of the package. And in retrospective, I may have not used the tool in it's designed form and forced it too much. That's why I want to give it a second chance.

Now I have to see about buying spare mandrels. It would be easy if I lived in the UK. Most places don't ship the replacements, one that does charges 5 times it's regular price and the one that sells it cheaply charges more for shipping than the tool cost me. Waiting on an eBay shop's reply, but with my luck regarding this... And since I had to create an eBay account to email the seller, I have no reputation. Wonderful...

Spent the rest of my car time breaking the remaining wood from the car crate into smaller chunks to be burned this winter... At least vented some of my frustration.