Rooftop Pod Restoration

Bluey's rooftop pod had seen better days after a couple of esCarpades and being left sitting in the carport between times... 

Time to give it a bit of a wash off!

Well, that sorted out the dust...

But Bluey's paint has seen better days!

Oh yeah, and the infamous busted hinge from last year's event...

Damian drilled the rivets out...

And removed both halves of the hinge.

Since the rooftop pod was off, perhaps a quick repaint was in order?  First bit of blue on Bluey...

Even the blue writing had faded badly...

See?

Finished...

Bluey with all the colours repainted...  Once they dry, Damian will go around with the black pen to tidy up the edges and outline.

Giggle was looking a bit under the weather also.

Looking better now though!

Repaint the number on the top - really only handy for the overhead drone shots!

All the different colours finished...

The hinge wasn't fabulous... and also wasn't anything that seemed readily available online.

Wonder if it could be welded?

Jordan seemed confident...

Alas, no... the metal just wasn't thick enough for successful welding... Oh well, it was worth a try!

Damian came home and finished the outlines and black pen... looking much better now!

esCarpade is now only about 6.5 weeks away!  Damian still has a few things to sort out before it's time to head off (like the hinge, or at the very least throwing some cable ties in there to temporarily fix it), but the exciting thing is that the boys have just passed

$15,000

in fundraising for this year's event!

If you'd like to kick it along even further, there's still time... click that donation link above, or you can click here:  Donate securely to Camp Quality

Fundraising - Corvettes on the Bay

It was cool and dark when Damian and Tricia got up to head down to the Corvettes on the Bay fundraising event for 2026... 

Nice pre-dawn glow - they were predicting showers, but it was looking good so far!

Parked up at Manly... the rooftop pod is still off - it has a broken hinge that Damian needs to fix before esCarpade!

Flag up!

And a banner near the Qld Corvette Club gazebo.

Lots of cars rolled in - it would turn out to be the largest Corvettes on the Bay event since it started!

Bluey was out and about checking out cars, dancing and posing for photos!

Selfie with Bluey...

Thanks to the Queensland Corvette Club for their ongoing support - they have been supporting Camp Quality for 30 years!

Two charities being supported today - Camp Quality and Rosies.

Lots of shiny Corvettes!

Corvettes to the left...

Corvettes to the right!

And some street machines... this one is the same colour as Booger Mobile (Barbados Green).

Bay FM 100.3 were doing a live broadcast from the event...

Tricia found her favourite Corvette again!

Somehow it's Bluey's favourite also!

A glorious sunny day ensued...

Plenty of shaking the tin...

The Indy Pace Car is always flash as a rat with a gold tooth!

Lots of trophies ready to hand out - some even went to people Damian and Tricia knew!

A successful day of fundraising was had... the donation tin received $241.70, plus around $100 in online donations were also made!

Damian and Tricia also briefly caught up with a couple of regular blog readers - Craig dropped by to say g'day, and Luke caught Damian and Tricia just as they were getting in the car ready to head home!

Just 8 weeks to go until esCarpade... Damian had better pull his finger out and get that rooftop pod sorted out!

Pre-Scrutineering in sunny downtown Dayboro!

Pre-Scrutineering 2026... in Dayboro - the closest Damian has ever lived to the location!  Indeed, it was held at Mainstreme Automotive in Dayboro, which is the mechanic that services Damian's cars! 

A couple of returning entrants, but mostly new entrants aka cherries!

Thanks to Mainstreme Automotive for opening their workshop on Saturday morning for the esCarpadians to be scrutineered!

Bluey heading up onto the hoist...

Safe as houses!

Jordan looking excited in the background...

All passed... new strobes were strobing!

esCarpade 2026... a father/son adventure!

Uh oh... Jordan had to leave unexpectedly, so Damian headed home (the only dirt on today's drive was his own driveway!)

And swapped Jordan out for the lovely Tricia, who was going to be the navigator for the "esCarpade Experience" from Dayboro to the Woodford Pub for lunch!

Blue skies and open roads...

Up and over Mt Mee...

Some twists and turns...

Even a single lane bridge that Damian ended up having to give way to a car on!

Another single lane bridge...

The roads were nice, but quite windy!

Around this bend, a couple of oncoming motorcycles on the wrong side of the road almost became hood ornaments!

The road opened up again...

Past the Woodford Correctional Centre...

Past the showgrounds...

And to the Woodford Pub!

Everyone had a delicious lunch and a drink or two.

Damian received his thank-you plaque from the 2025 esCarpade...

Looking the goods!

Then it was time to head back up over Mt Mee...

All the way back home...

Poor Tricia was tuckered out from navigating in the morning, so had a little snooze on the way home!

Thanks to all the people who came along to pre-scrutineering and the esCarpade experience - Damian and Jordan (or will it be a last minute switch to Tricia?) will see you all in October!