Ride Journals

How many of you keep log books/ journals for your ride?

I keep small journal type books (pocket size) in everyone of my rides. In them I log every ride by date and detail the days happinings right down to the weather conditions, where I ate, who I met, rides I liked, what time I started and when I shut down. And regrettably any breakdowns also.....

Been doing this for about 8 years now and it is nice to go back and read about trips and events that have slipped from my mind. Also my daughter enjoys reading them to see what her dad has been up to.

Just wish I would have done this years ago when I started.

 

We started this at the first of the year. Just to keep up with the miles we put on, how the events / travels went and maintenance along the way. But have had so many breakdowns this year, that it got put on the back burner.

Going to start it back up though, it is a great idea just to look back on your travels over the winter time when you are itching to get back on the road.

 

Breakdowns....................you have breakdowns to.

My journals are filled with breakdown info from this year. Seems my 15 years of worry free rodding has caught up with me.

Thats OK it just reconfirms myself that I can still patch one back together enough to get home.

 

All of those great stories gonna just fade away with the memory.

Do your children and grandchildren a favor and put it down on paper.

 

Some of our number used to keep these when our club had a Rodder of the Year award.
They are nice to refer back to and see where you've been and what the day consisted of? People you met and contact info,directions and good victuals places...

 

That's a fantastic idea. I don't know why I never thought of this.
...sure wish my Dad, and Grandfather would have kept journals of some sort.

 

I don't keep a journal in the car but I do keep two books. One is where I keep all the receipts for parts and the end flaps from the boxes that have the part numbers on them. Makes it easy to remember what to buy next time and I can just walk into the store with a part number.

The second book is for the fun stuff. I keep all those windshield cards from shows, dash plaques, ticket stubs, etc.

I also have a small white board on the wall in the garage where I write the dates/mileage I changed oil or rotated tires,etc. (Counting o/t cars, I have six vehicles to keep track of the maintenance on.)

 

Yea I wish I would have kept all of my window cards/stickers from the events I have been to.

I do have about 40 of the buttons that you stick on your shirt on my wall in the shop.

Also about 100 dash plaques stuck on the fridge in the shop.

 

Forgot to mention that I use the journals to record all the different componets of each build I do. Always helpful when you are dealing with those nice counter guys at the parts store 400 miles from home.

Even I have difficulty remembering what transmission/rearend etc. I have in my ride.

 

No, that's not necessarily true...if you've got a good memory. I've been fortunate enough to know how to write and I've just completed my fourth book, entitled "Accidents & Incidents." In it, I've related most of the rod running trips my bro and I have taken over the years, highlighting the near misses we've had, the accidents we've avoided and the humor of many while people on the road...

And yes, I have done this for my kids and grand kids.

Please visit my website: RAJetter.com for stories about growing up in the 1960's and the car craziness us Iowans got into.

R-

 

I assume you must be Roger Jetter. Upon recieving my GG's Gazette each month I go to your article first, sorry Kirk I do make your piece second, though your stories are before my time I find myself drifting back into that time. That era is one I dream of experiencing and your stories get me as close as possible to it.

Thanks for the ride.

 

Would ya' look at that!!!!!!

Nice , bitchin' looking logbooks!!!!!!!! Cool!

 

And for years I have been tardy on catching the Journal books for sale. Always sold out by the time I get around.

Sure would like to have a dozen or so next time there available. You can consider that an pre-order......

 

That's exactly why I save the end flaps from the parts boxes with the number on them. I suffer from CRS

 

Mine would be pretty boring. To work 10 miles ate at my desk back home 10 miles ate at my house. Sorry I've never been wealthy enough to own a dailey car and a hot rod, or maybe I was just too cheap.

 

I have a running account for each of my cars detailing what I bought, where I got it and what I paid for it. I also have a companion journal with details of any changes from stock, along with instructions, part numbers, etc.

Now for the weird part - I still have the logs from cars that I've sold ! Why? I'm a compulsive record keeper. I guess I could have worse habits.................

 

I wouldn't consider letting one of my journals go with the ride. Heck I wouldn't consider selling one of my rides.

My entries are filled with so many details of the trips as well the people I have met and the new things I have discovered to ever let them go.

Now I could see letting a logbook of the build and maintence go for the benefit of the new owner.

 

That would be me...and thanx for the compliment. FWIW, the first two books (about the 1960's) have many more stories (about that era) in between the regular stories, I call 'em "Episode Thoughts"...and those books are still available from my website.

I've nver been able to figure out why people say: " If you can remember the sixties, you weren't there." There were a lot of us that were quite naive, about the world and what went on, back then. We were in our little world and that was sufficient, for us.

The stories currently in the Gazette now cover the time I first moved to Denver...I was still a bit wild as no woman had "tamed" me..yet. I hope you enjoy those as well.

R-

 

Yes I plan to buy all of the books.

Earlier when I referred to faded memory, I myself have gone back through my journal entries as recent as 2009 and find many things that have slipped my mind. Now that could be an indvidual issue but nevertheless I try to record the days events as complete as possible when in one of my rides.

My daughter in her pre teen days accompanied me to many of the events I attended. Now that she is 16 and for the last 4 years with school activities and her discovery of boys her riding shotgun with me has come to a halt. But I do find her often going through my journals and commenting about what a great time I seem to be having. Maybe there will be some pages with her included in the future entries.

 

No worries. I'm happy to run second, in story telling, to Roger. I like his stuff too! Don't tell him though, he'll get a big head.

 

My friend, Hackerbilt, told me once that if I ever got a big head from all my "celebrity", he'd personally fly down from St.John's, Newfoundland, Canada to "help me sort it out," and Hackerbilt is no small guy. So, I try to keep my head the same size all the time...no small feat here.

Regardless, I appreciate both your compliments...and ya know, Kirk!!! wrote the introduction to one of my books...but the best part is I really enjoy writing and telling stories...

To get this back on YOUR topic Trucked Up, I too, keep track of all the items I put in a car via the box ends with part numbers. I also write down what I did to what part of the car and how it fits together, and more importantly, how it comes back apart becuz I've had to re-do a few things...!!!

R-

 

Keep it real Roger...LOL

BTW...Nedwfoundland.
Is that the place they found "Ned"??? Hahahaha

 

I haven't, but wish I did, but the entrys prolly wouldn't contain much about the car, especially whilst I was chasin' wimmin' in the '50s.