I haven't given up on the car! With everything going on in the world I haven't had the time to mess with it much. I've been spending a little time here and there trying to get the matting surface on the engine where the timing chain cover goes as spotlessly clean as possible. I dont have a pic handy, but there is some stuff that is stuck to it that absolutely will not come off. I can tell if its just discoloration of the metal or very thin old gasket material. My plan is to get some fine grit, 600+, sandpaper and attach it to a piece of wood. I'll use that to lightly sand the surface until it is bright metal. I'm using the wood to keep the pressure even and avoid creating dips. Is this a bad idea? I've used a scotch bright pad and wire wheel with little success. There are towels stuck in the oil pan and around the timing chain to keep everything as clean as possible.
Next week I'm going to get a little time away from work. I'll use that time to work on the car and finish building the bed for my 4 year old. We are sold out of material and covered in back orders. The owner is trying minimize the number of people on site and still keep everything going. I feel blessed that we still have work and the owner is keeping everyone whole even if they are not able to work 40 hours a week.
Stay safe everybody!