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Oct 27, 2016 19:49:23 GMT
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More random awesomeness (in my opionion) from Clems shop. In Clems corner where the fire pit and chairs live and Dog Bombs are frowned upon, the man created his own manly string of fairy lights using Impala tail light lenses. Mark of quality. Toy Drive got newspaper coverage too. New Blue almost ready for its maiden trip straight back to Austin Texas. Gangster Dan the new man having a moment of distraction on final prep. Even Friday night at the "Pre-Party" the attention continued to be firmly focussed on New Blue. Bomp and Daniel moving the Ford cab after the firewall paint. Ready for patina style reassembly.
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Oct 27, 2016 21:10:12 GMT
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Inbetween doing various little yard jobs and getting under Clems feet, there were also meals to be had Clem showed us various places. My favourite had a "Liars table" where all the regulars eat. This was lunch at Bears place. Some interesting hand made musical instruments. Then after lunch it was back to work or play. Clem had some cool old garden furniture in need of repairs. We got to raid his yard for repair pieces. Bomp (Greg) from Oregon getting on with some work. One of the best jobs he did was to turn the backrest of a truck seat into a gate for Clems corner to prevent the Dog Bombs being deposited. This was an amazing cut n shut job. Even signed off. And working on a chair repair. More in a bit.
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Oct 28, 2016 13:43:22 GMT
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At this point the jetlag was continueing to beat me up quite badly as my biological clock had not yet flipped to US time zones. Fortunately I had Minnie Pearl Johnson to keep me company at night for a bit. And in the mornings this was Status normal. You count them. Perfect world to my sleep deprived brain reaching for the kettle Clem would have boiled already and one of Mr Tetleys best builders teas. 2016 was especially spectacular as we had a load of people in the Rock house. Mc Murphy and his lovely bride Tricia down for a second year. Chad Grove who managed to get a few days off work. And of course Bomp all the way from Kaiser, Oregon who I had an absolute blast with. Here with the ever present and smiling Mrs Kim J. She can cook. And I am sure all who stayed over or ate with us will attest to the fact that Clem is a very lucky guy. So what was Bomp doing to his chair repair? Remember these all were destined for the tip till Clem challenged the hoarders and artists in us. The first two I used bits of flat bar and random steel plus a pair of Chevy wheel spanners each. So Bomp upped his game after the cool gate he made and gifted the Johnsons (both arachnaphobes) with his first ever spiders web and resident spider. The foot repairs done with internal pipe sleeved and welded in place followed by 66 Chevy C10 hood springs sleeved over the repairs and tacked into place. Fully shaped arachnid in place. ]
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Oct 28, 2016 19:58:04 GMT
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Once I started on chair no3 Bomp had wizened up to me and would take pics but also manage to break my stride. Leading to my standard response. Of course having thrown down the gauntlet firmly with his Spider chair it was up to me to respond. Took me a day to figure out a response and to be honest, I will concede defeat in this case. My feeble attempt was to create a V8 Chainsaw chair. Using available materials. Amazingly its not a 5 minute job. Happy to get it done and included into Clems garden collection but the Spider chair rocks big time. While in a creative mood I thought a GRiZZ tag for the fence was in order too. Plasma cutter and Arkansas license plate. Result !! Mounted above the Impala tail light fairy lights and a collection of dead spray guns. Made another once I found a plate to sacrifice for Katy to put on her shed as she had been in the US at the same time. And then while on a roll made a piece for Clem. No idea what he may do with it. But it got made. More later.
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Oct 28, 2016 21:24:00 GMT
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Next day...... Saturday. Remember why I was doing this trip? My central anchor of course is Fayetteville Arkansas and Clems Toy Run. Breakfast maketh man. Eggs n Bacon?? Once the food was consumed we went back to the shop and Clem kept us busy somewhat. He also gave Chad the truck and he, Bomp and I went shopping for booze and our contributions to tbe toy run. Bomps suggestion was this little piece. Eventually we got back to the shop and proceeded to get things ready, park up trucks etc. More about that later. Cottons truck was the first to arrive. Ten awards in nine shows entered. This truck is used as a daily driver. A few random yard shots. Photo ucket fail tonight.
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Oct 30, 2016 21:28:52 GMT
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Back to our regular transmission. Trucks started to arrive from early on. I do not know half the guys but some trucks n cars were subtle and some outright nasty (I mean drive em mean nasty) Weather was great as well. Two brothers in very different trucks. Brother no 2 I wanted this truck. Motor and stance just did it for me. Only car to get three photos here. Inside Absolutely gorgeous. More to come.
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Oct 30, 2016 21:52:20 GMT
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More and more came. All sorts all colours all makes. Old and young. The usual suspects. L-R Chad, Clem, Bomp, Neveno, Grizz, Brandon (Whiteknucklegarage) Baby Rodders And her daddy Nathan Spiva's truck. Neveno's buddy.
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Oct 30, 2016 22:40:55 GMT
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Boosted Bertha. From last year. Repeat offender. Just beautiful. After dark thonks got more interesting. The Silver Shakers cranked it up a notch. Clems carburetor fuel bowls are also perfect shot glasses. One of my favourite shots....... Clems Impala Fairy Lights.
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You sure do know how to cram a lot into ten days !
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Oct 31, 2016 20:47:42 GMT
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You sure do know how to cram a lot into ten days ! The more you get crammed in the cheaper the trip.
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Oct 31, 2016 21:13:18 GMT
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More ?? Single post truck lift used as Toys for Tots table. Great success in collecting toys for a great cause. QUICK VIDEO: Looking for breakfast? Seems we went to the wrong place. Of couse only in America can you find a great group of cars on a road trip while on a road trip. They were headed for California. Went to fill Clems truck after breakfast and found this group. DRIVING OFF
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Last Edit: Oct 31, 2016 21:26:29 GMT by grizz
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Oct 31, 2016 21:49:37 GMT
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Sunday was started slowly by all concerned. After waking, breakfast etc we all decamped for Mike and Sarah Losh's new place for lunch. Some of us in Kims Subaru, McMurphy and Trish their hire car and Chad in his truck. Prepared by Mikes nimble fingers. Boosted Bertha Cloud Nine I also got given a gift for being the biggest poopy stirrer Meet Mr Poopy. Paul "Neveno" reversing his dream truck "Boosted Bertha" into The White House's garage. Originator of the Mr Poopy award and allround good guy Paul. New addition at the Losh household. Thank you Sarah and Mike for lunch. Headed back toward Fayetteville we were all shattered from a few days of hyper activity. I love these large flags proudly flown on tbe side of the roads.
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the eye candy you are sharing is just plain over the top!.....Dang, dang, dang! maybe heaven is filled with really cool trucks....you are still down here with us, right Grizz?....I don't see any wings.... JP
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I know its spelled Norman Luxury Yacht, but its pronounced Throat Wobbler Mangrove!
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the eye candy you are sharing is just plain over the top!.....Dang, dang, dang! maybe heaven is filled with really cool trucks....you are still down here with us, right Grizz?....I don't see any wings.... JP Hey JP Still down here. Hating my job. Hating my world etc...... Yes the trip was rather spectacular. One cannot capture everything you see and in fact I may have enjoyed it more if I concentrated on what was going on around me but it was brilliant. So, Sadly still here with all the mortals. Monday came and it was all back to normal. Clem asked Bomp and I if we wanted to join him on a littke road trip to go fetch his Race car. Helll Yeahhh !! He had some custom headers made up for the motor, with a block in place so it could be custom fitted. So we were off early after filling the truck and hooking up the trailer. Some distance into the back of beyond got us to this side road and sign. Getting inside the shops after Bomp reversed the trailer up a track like a pro was interesting. Low light. Masses of machines out in the fields rusting away. Indoors a load of clutter. Can you say Headers ?? Working headers for a miniature V8 motor. Clems Car loaded Once loaded we were offered an extensive tour of the factory. Few pics as lighting was terrible. A 24 foot dragster fram in the background. Business owner Jim Dugan started building it 20 years ago but his knees gave in and it has never been completed. Much of the factory sadly had a similar feel to it but it seems they still produceproducys for various custom and after market suppliers.
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Seems that Jim had been involved with some interesting teams and builds in the past. He is also a confirmed Hemi addict. Built one of these years ago it seems. Leaving, there was loads of evidence of the past. Headed back toward Fayetteville the signs and roadside was filled with reminders of America as I had experienced it. This was my last day with Clem. McMurphy, Chad had both gone home by now. So it was just Bomp and I left. My heart was certainly becoming heavy. Funny that. A lot of Religion in this part of the US as well. Back home we unloaded the race car. Underside Mockup engine in place. Bomp in place. Happy. My car patiently waiting to be packed. Ready for the trip back to Missouri.
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Remember the Hemi Challenger sitting outside Clems yard? Well, it was waiting for a rather precious cargo. Dennis as you may remember, is building a 1966 C10 on a modern NASCAR Chassis with a serious motor and trans. He had bought one C10 that turned out to be no good other than for some parts. What was left was destined for the scrapyard in the sky. Until he tought about it and took his Sawzall to the scrap pile and removed the rear end from the bed and mounted it outside his shop. At this point he asked me to see if Clem may have a used/patina'd front or rear bumper to sell him that he could fit under the tailgate section. This is where the Hemi Challenger comes into its own. I fitted the bumper Clem sourced for Dennis into the rear and still had space in the front seat for a passenger. Tuesday morning it was the last three men standing. Clem, Bomp and me. Up early and ready to leave by 08.00 I was ready to go back to bed. Thos whole jetlag thing was no fun this year. After all our Goodbyes were said, including Mrs J and all the cats, it was time to see what Ms SatNag had to say on the shortest route to St Louis, Missouri. Well. Trust me. It was going to be an 8 hr plus day. I was certainly not racing through. I would avoid motorways where possible. Stop at McDonalds for WiFi etc. I would also try to keep awake. I filled the car in Fayetteville and got on the road by 08.30 Once filed and before I hit the city bypass I saw this....... Gotta love cool classics. By now you know I love place names and quirky names. Very juvenile yes. So along the way there was this. And various versions of it. And a personal favourite.
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Along the motorway I did see a sign.......... After Donnie Wilson giving me that Case knife this was just perfect. One of my favourite photos of the whole trip. It brought together various facets of the USA for me. So of course I went in......... MY MIND WAS BLOWN !!! I have always loved pen or pocket knives ever since I was a kid. In fact, my mum even bought me a twin blade for my 21st birthday. Which I promptly went and lost two days later through a hole in my trouser pocket on my way to work. 32 years later I still have not forgotten or forgiven myself. I have a small collection of random knives all with stories or emotions attached and still love them. The knife Donnie gave me lies next to my bed and I look at it, tpich it and use it regularly. Back to the Case Knife shop. All types, all prices, all sizes. I looked and drooled in that shop for an hour, wanted to buy Donnie a knife to replace the one he gave me but in the end realised that Ihad no idea just what was in his collection. So I formulated "Plan B" and bought Miss Katy a pinkn(coz she loves pink) Buck knife for her handbag. Yes.......... So what? She is a nurse matron and often uses a knife. She loved it. Back to "Plan B" One of my car and bike buddies in South Africa had asked me for some US license plates for his weekend getawaybb He also likes knives. So I created a deal with him. I would get him some plates and a 5'6" black snake skin in the post before I left and he would get me an Okapi knife in the post for Donnies collection Now Okapi's have the dubious honour of beingknown in South Africa to have killed the most gangsters in drunken and gang fights. They are real cheap n nasty but they have a special allure. So maybe one will add a bit of interest to Donnie's collection of higher end knives. From there I carried on past some more interesting places. Later in the day at one of my stay awake and have a coffee breaks the internet delivered a lovely message from Clem and Bomp who were clearly missing me much. One for all the South Africans And even a Katy's Trail. The road went on and on. And I certainly enjoyed myself. Listening to a Satelite Country music station. NSFW !! PARENTAL ADVISORY. EXPLICIT LYRICS. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED !!! Recorded in the Ozark Mountains. The roads became narrower and at one point I stopped for an hour after turning back to go investigate a fleamarket shop. Bought a few pieces including some cool glass insulators for dennis. Beautiful bridges all in use and functional. Some of the old Route 66 roads retain them as well. Time flew and eventually I made it to Wright City after 5pm so the trip had taken just over 9 hrs and with detours off the motorway had ended around 410 miles. Interestingly the cars fuel consumption calculation showed a healthy 25.3 mpg Dennis told me that I had driven like a P#$$€¥ if that was the best I could do. Well, thats fine too. Not my backyard, not my car.
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So when I got back to Dennis it was a bit rainy and overcast so I just filled the car up a mile from his place and took it home without washing it as the roads were wet and would defeat the objective of the exercise. I parked up and unpacked. Just as I finished the gravel crunched, the dogs barked and Dennis came in. So we went straight out to the garage with the new bumper to test out the tailgate he had fitted while I was away. Perfect - Beer o Clock. The day was still young at 6pm. Tailgate worked perfectly. A bunch of Dennis' friends, son Adam and his lady Hannah all came for dinner. Very ably prepared by Debbie and Hannah. Dennis did the steaks. This sort of impromptu family meals is something I noticed everwhere I travelled and it reminded me of South Africa where I grew up. There was always place and food for one more. Nothing formal. It just happens. A very good day got even better and despite being tired I loved it all. "Cinch" is Adams dog. What an awesome dog again. He seemed to like my company. Along with Tally one of Dennis' two dogs. Did I mention I love animals? Did I mention that we had gone over to Dennis' neighbour Ryan a few times on the quads? One of the times he and I went digging around in some derelict buildings. We found some cool old tims etc as well as Dennis Paul cking up a short dry snakeskin at about 18 inches. He handed it to me and said we should maybe be carefull. I don't like but certainly don't fear snakes. Anyway, I noticed the thick end had a large lump to it and started to unravel the STILL WET skin. Whoooopps!!! It turned out to be 5'6" or 1.65m long. Head skin and eye lenses stuill attached. Of course we then did vacate the building, beers in hand. I carefully rolled it up, tucked into my new John Deere hoody front pocket and took it home later. This was dried out when I got back to St Louis. Beer for size perspective ;-)) Some pics of the 66 as well. Dennis is trying to use as much as possible from the original NASCAR in his build. Note the safety fuel cell out back. Slightly wider than standard rubber and lightweight control arms. Dennis wants to drive this truck to Clems in 2017 Eventually the evening drew to a close and everyone went home. I went to bed. Tired but happy.
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Next day I felt a bit better. Rum and beer fixes stuff. Sometimes. Dennis had gone off to work and I had the Challenger again. Some errands to run. Including getting various parcels into the post for US and other destinations. Here was an interesting experience. Again the sort of stuff I do like to discover. A whole town had been laid out and planned. Roads and infrastructure set up. Plus a large Post Office and depot built. Guess what.......? Town never got built so this post office sits on its own in the middle of nowhere. Staff ....?? I have yet to meet more helpful and friendly staff in a post office. The lady just blew me away with her helpfulness. Even wrapped my parcels in extra tape to ensure they arrived safely. I went to Walmart where Chevy, Ford and Gas Monkey garage T shirts, tops and hoodies cost from $7.50 Bargains. Then later on back home to start sorting my piles of stuff that I had either bought or been asked to bring back. Flashed (John) had selected a load of Hotwheels trucks, baseball caps etc for me and posted them to Clems before I got there. To be shared if I wanted to. Some of the toys When Dennis came home we went straight over to Roger and Debbies place again as the hood needed to be fitted to the Orange monster. But before that we checked out his favourite toy. Heater control for the cab........ Motor With welded cracked block. Pretty in primer. Both cars as found and bought in a barn Photo of a photo obviously. Spot-less the hunting dog. Very cool garage company too. Hunting wagon. Massive kennel built onto rear for Spot-Less to stay in when hunting season is on. Rogers smoked game sausage is absolutely awesome with beer. Dennis as always making short work of body work and getting shut lines sorted.
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Interior starting to take shape as well. Newly upholstered seats. Piping colour matches body paint colou as painted by Dennis. And then there was the chicken wings. With BBQ or Hot Sauce. Made by Rogers wife Debbie. These had us all stumped. They were just perfect. We eventually made it back home. Beers in hand. Dennis showed me his race car trailer. Well, its not really a trailer as we know it. It is a fully mobile workshop. Loaded with complete front and rear ends and other stuff that is all dialed in for the race car. That was it for Wednesday evening. Thursday would be final packing.
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