Today started out really well. Just a nice cruise up to Gilmore's for the relix riot. We took back roads all the way to just enjoy the drive. We stopped at my friend Eric's families cottage to get some towels to wipe off the windshield from an earlier rain. While at the cottage his family insisted we stay for breakfast, which was great, compared to what I thought we would end up getting along the way. We got a little off course then got caught in a torrential down pour and had to stop at a Hardings along the way to get new directions. Turns out we weren't that far off and easily got back on track. By the way Eric's 49 F1 that we were traveling in has no hood, no wipers, no heater and no driver side door window. To say we were soaked is an understatement. We finally arrived at the Riot and met up with some other friends, shot the breeze, took some pics and just took it all in. Meanwhile it started to rain and rain and rain some more.The power even went out in the town. We decide to head out and wouldn't you know it the truck won't start. We tried a jump box, no good. We borrowed some cables from a friend and got a jump from a guy with a really sweet 60 pontiac. Cool were running now, shut it off after 15 minutes. Nope won't restart. Go looking for Bruce who had the cables, he's already left. We flag down Brian, aka Flyin Brian and not only does he g home and get his jumper cables, but then also loans us a battery from his vintage trailer and hios jump box so we can go into town to get an alternator. We get to the Autozone in town, get an alternator, which it turns out is no longer under there warranty, go to install it in the parking lot with there tools. We forgot we modified the 1 wire GM alternator to fit Eric's 289 ford. We were looking for someone close by that could drill out 1 of the holes. No luck. I decided to have the old alternator tested. Turns out it's good. Battery is probably the culprit. Meanwhile amongst all this fun a young couple with a 2 yr old noticed me working on Eric's truck and asked if we worked on cars. I said yes. He then asked me can you put an alternatoor on my truck. I said sure. So we put an alternator on another guys expedition in the parking lot too. He kept trying to pay us, but we refused payment and told him to just use the money on his family. After this we go to check the battery that we asked to be slow charged as it was an Optima has to be charged on low. They proceded to boil our battery, but they gave us a new Optima to replace it. So we hightail it back to the riot and return all the borrowed stuff from Brian, say goodbyes to old friends and some new ones and headed back home to Indiana. The trip home was alot less eventful. All in all I had a great time as did Eric and we never will forget Brian's generosity or any of the others we experienced today. We can't wait for next years show, hopefully it will be a little less eventful. Matt P.S. We definitely could not have made it through without your help Brian.
I forgot to add, that I was wearing a 40-50 yr old fedora I have had for years and after it got totally saturated it started dripping orangish brown stuff. So I took it off and my friend says, you might want to put the hat back on. I said why. He says you've got an orange ring all the way around your head and on your ears. You look like you had a grecian formula dye job gone arye. Still not sure what the stuff was as the hat stayed black and after drying out isn't seeping stuff anymore. I like to think maybe it was 40 years of unfiltered camel tar, from some previous owner that frequented some cool blues club. Matt
Sounds like it was an eventful day. Memories to talk about down the road. Good on you for changing out the alternator for that family. Sometimes it's about the journey, not the destination.
I will trade your Saturday for mine. Spent the day making my car trailer into a gravel hauling trailer. Got a load from my brother's house that was extra and delivered it to my pole barn/garage for fill. I had no idea how heavy that stuff is. Only had about 12" of the stuff on the trailer but it ws all the 93 Burban could handle. The front wheels were up far enough that at 50mph the steering got a little squirrely!
Drove around the block from me today and I found this laying in the middle of the road... I called my uncle up and told him to come get some... It's still there...
Yours sounds pretty good. Mine was good too, hot rod related but uneventful. Got up this morning and went to the garage. Finished up the rear brakes on the '55 F100 and tried to reinstall the gas tank. Struggled with that for a half hour when my 17 year old daughter walks in and asks if she can help... "Uh, sure, but you're going to get dirty." She grabs safety glasses and a creeper and gets to work. Her little hands fit so much better than mine do between the tank and the frame, not to mention tightening the hose on the filler neck. She says "That was fun, whats next?" I say, "Front brakes!" I show her how to take it all apart and explain how everything works. She was amazed! Then my 18 year old daughter walks in and says, "I wanna help!" The 17 year old tells the 18 year old how to take everything apart and how it works! The three of us jump into the daily driver (still greasy) and head to the parts store. You should have seen the jaws drop, lol. I'm pretty darn proud of my girls, but I gotta tell you, they're beautiful! Got back home (no wheel cylinders in stock) and hung out in the pool for a while. Barbecue'd burgers and just had a nice day. Wish more were like this!
Hey that was my Bud Andy's 60 Pontiac. It's true about Karma!! He was having issues on the way over from Detroit Friday night. It got sorted out and the rest of the trip was uneventful. I saw you guys pull over near us. Glad you got it sorted out and payed it forward.
mine sat. started good ended up kinda shitty. i was alone in the shop with my granddaughter, her talking and me trying to put a new 283 together.put one head on.fine put second head on and while i was torquing the thing down i couldnt remember which way i had set the gasket down on the first head. because that little girl had talked my fool head off and i quess i didnt pay attention.so off comes the first head and sure enough its on upside down.try to take a copper coated head gasket off is quite hard to do!.so i rip that one some . good thing i build alot of engines, i have xtra head gaskets so i start to spray this one down with copper coat and i run out about 3/4s of the way done.off to the parts store in the wife hemi 300. as i explain to the police i have to go to the bathroom really bad he cuts me loose with a dont do that again warning.good.75 in a 55 and no ticket GOOD THING!! going to parts store to spend a few dollars on copper coat and after i leave i have over a hundred dollr bill to pay next month(thats just for sat.) get home and finish the heads. gonna flip her over and put oil pump on and someone stripped the oil pump mounting hole.now i gotta fix that shit.i went in the house and took a bath and hit the bed.i quit for the day. and its just 8.00 pm.
We were invited to a small car show in Racine, WI by my friend. He asked me to bring my corvette, I said ok. So Friday night we cleaned the little girl up and finished early Saturday morning planing to leave around noon. There was no way I was going to drive the vette through Chicago with those drivers there and my son wanted to go with us to the show. I usually drive it and not trailer it but this time it was our only choice. Three does not go into a 2 seater very will. So we got the vette in the trailer, the wife made cake, our friends like a wine from a small winery close to our house so she bought two cases for them and we were set to go. Pulled out, got on the on ramp and my ABS light comes on, the dually won't shift and could only get up to 40 mph. Long story short it's a sensor that is screwing up everything. So get off at the next exit and limped home. It really sucked because there were going to be a lot people at our friends house where we were staying, and they had gone out and bought a lot of food and beer, we were really bummed. But shit happens and we'll try again next year. I know that vettes are not really HAMB related but here she is. I guess this is our little Sunday car show.
First off, thanks Matt for going with me. I was about to pass on the show until you came out. I am glad we went. Second, SUPER thanks for the jump. I should have put two and two together at that point to realize if the truck runs without being hooked to a decent battery the alternator is fine. Duh...hindsight is 20/20. Your buddy's Pontiac is badass. Brian, your car is badass and I greatly appreciate everything. Third...it is people like yall that make this hobby enjoyable. I seriously am blown away. The ride home was quiet and peacefull...a great end to a great day.
Sounds like you had an adventure, sort of reminds me of what happened when I went to pick up my model A chassis a few weeks ago. I bought it off ebay and went to go pick it up in new mexico, about a 150 miles away, great drive over and the guy I bought it off of was cool, we talked for a while and off I went. Well I got about 30 miles outside of town on the way back and BAM! I get a blow out. Oh well, no big deal, I'll put on the spare.... well the spare has a small leak and it's almost out of air so I patch it. Then I go to get my last can of fix a flat out of the tool box ( I used the other 3 cans on the chassis I just bought ) and I accidently drop it and it hits a rock and green crud starts spraying everywhere. Well someone was nice enough to give me a ride to go get my tire fixed, we go to the shop and they change out my tire with a good used one since mine wasn't looking too good, the guy drops me back off at my truck I give him money for gas and he drives off. I put the spare on and figure I better drive back to town and get another tire put on my rim that blew out just in case because I'm still over 100 miles from home. Well about 2 miles down the road the used tire they sold me blows out. Well nobody's stopping so I put the tire on my back and start hoofing it, a little ways down the road some guys on their way back from the rigs pick me up and drop me off back at the tire place. I told the owner about the tire they sold me blowing out and they sold me an almost new one at a big discount and he even offered to give me a ride back. Well they were having trouble getting the tire off the rim so I asked if I could buy one, well they gave me one for free and a few hours later they dropped me off back at my truck. The free rim they gave me? FORD! and I told the guy at least 3 times I was driving a chevy. So I was stranded for a third time, so I had to start walking with a tire on my shoulder again, I manage to get yet another ride and I ask him if he could take me to the super walmart since everything else was probably closed. Well I get there about 7:30 and wouldn't you know it the tire center closes at 7:00. Talk about bad luck. I'm not going out of town again anytime soon, not without 3 or 4 spares anyway.
I was at the Riot and saw Brian giving you the jump. He's definately a good joe. Glad to hear the ride home was OK.
got up at 5am, left house at 6am and went to springfield swap meet. bought stuff i dont need and probably wont use but it looked kool. Got home at 1230 unloaded stuff and went to hamb drags. stayed til 5pm and then headed back home. wife said since you "played" all day now you can cut grass. Thank God my mower has headlights!!
We were parked right next to you guys with the 60 Cadillac.We had a few problems not even 2miles down the road.My wife had complained the night before she smelled anti freeze but i just blew her off...She was right, it was leaking right in the car from the heater core! We pulled over and with the help of the guys in our club Different Strokes we re-routed the hoses added some water from the cooler and all was good.Also had to disconnect the speed-o cable that was screeching in our ear all the way from Grand Rapids on the way down!Even with the rain it was a BLAST,we will be back next year!!!
Sez who they're not hamb related?? I love the old ones!!.. Besides... All the 283's and 327's are Vette motors... Right guys???
I saw your Caddy...it was beautiful! I am glad yall got it patched up good. This is now on my list of can't miss shows. Very good showing of cars despite the rain, great bunch of people.
Saturday Mrs Jalopy and I went to the car show at Union Speed and Style Monticello Mn with some old road racing friends. After that We went to the cruise night in Anoka Mn and had a great time. Sunday I went to the Pantowners swap meet and show in Saint Cloud Mn and Mrs Jalopy flew to JonesBoro Ar for work. It was a great weekend around here and looking forward to Mrs Jalopy getting back.
Oh yeah. I am planning on heading down mid-day Friday with a cooler full of yum. I am planning to camp if I can find my tent...otherwise the seat of the truck will work. Hopefully my friend Allen will be there to do some more pinstriping on the truck. Last year he did the back window area for a steak sandwich and a soda. He is the only guy I will let put a brush on my truck. Who knows, I may even have the hood bolted on by then! Stop by and say howdy. There is another show I am hopefully hitting before Ducktail called Rumble at the Dump. It's a little over an hour drive so no reason I should miss it.
Yep the Rumble at the Dump is another kool show that the SpeedshifterS from Marshall,Mi put on.I should be there also if the weather is good. Gas City is a really goodtime for our club we usually get down there thursday around 5pm and head home sunday afternoon.Rain or shine for that weekend.It is a must attend event for our club! I will keep an eye out for yer Ol truck and say Howdy!
Mark that...Rumble at the Dump is a little over two hours from my neck of the woods. Still, baring any further electrical issues I will be there (with jumper cables).
The Jalopy Journal
