HG's thread of miscelaneous stuff

[hgs_notes]

You make it back alive Dale?

Here's some of what I came across the past week or so. More pics of the Olds...

The glass is pretty much all bad. The wipers are still there, and it has the spot light.


I like the pedals...


Driver side floor. Not pretty. The rest of the floor isn't much better.


About the only positive things I can pull from this pic is that some of the side panels are there and so are the bumpers.


Surprisingly the trim is intact. The rear section of the fender, which is part of the door, was welded to the front section of the fender, which means the door doesn't open. Genius.


Antique suspension, ready for bags.


Dash is mostly intact also.


It has some promise. Not sure its for me, but if I did build a fat fender car, this is the body style I would go with. I would try to find a modern chassis to drop the body onto. Like a late 90's impala SS, or a cop car.

In the shop where this car is the owner showed me some of their current projects. First was this Triumph GT6. He claims only a couple hundred were ever imported into the states and he has 2 of them. I like it better than most other triumphs or other brittish sports cars I've seen. Inline 6 rather than the typical 4. This was done not because they really wanted to make a powerful car, but because the GT body was too heavy for the 4 banger they had.








The owner is really into mustangs though. There were probably a dozen around the yard. I cuts the roof off every fastback he can get that isn't restorable cuz of rust or whatever, and will swap it onto coupes to increase value. Inside he was working on a couple. One is a Shelby he is restoring.




This truck belongs to the guy I bought my bike from. He got a great deal on it a couple years ago. He likes my RX, maybe I should talk to him about a trade.




A shot of all my junk at once...


Yesterday on my way home from Waterloo, IA I decided to pull off the highway for a closer look at some trucks I have been driving past the last couple years. The kid (20 sumthin) answered the door in his boxers which was a little awkward, but he said it was ok to look around (not his boxers), so I did. The main attraction was this GMC K2500.




Its got some dents that would be easy to pop out, minor rust, but a nice truck.

Some other stuff around the place...






Parts truck he said he would sell. Kinda rough.


But it has a somewhat rare 69 dark turquoise interior.


Almost home now. There is a shop in New Ulm called Show Cars that specializes in old Chevy 409's and there are a few cars out front. These are far from show cars, just interesting old iron.








For Low Elco...


Thats it for today. Sorry for the poor image quality. My blackberry is not a great camera phone and I haven't replaced my stolen Sony yet.

[Stocker]

That Triumph GT6 wasn't very common but I'm pretty sure they sold more than a couple hundred here. I've seen several and bought a new '72 (if memory serves) in 1973. Decent, fun little car but needed A/C.... got rid of it because I had too many cars and it was too small for my growing family. Owned it for about 5 years and it was still pristine when I traded it in.

[hgs_notes]

Originally Posted by Stocker

That Triumph GT6 wasn't very common but I'm pretty sure they sold more than a couple hundred here. I've seen several and bought a new '72 (if memory serves) in 1973. Decent, fun little car but needed A/C.... got rid of it because I had too many cars and it was too small for my growing family. Owned it for about 5 years and it was still pristine when I traded it in.

Maybe he was talking about his specific set up. Idk. His words not mine. I'd rather have a 240z or cobra kit car myself. Or 1of the fastback mustangs he had.

[Ol Blue K20]

Yes HG, I made it home. 1000 mi ride and the first 300 in a downpour. Drought in Cali, not last Friday. ....lol

[Ta2Don]

Again, thanks for the photo journalism...

I may not be Low Elco, but that 66 Elky is sweet, definite diamond in the rough...

[hgs_notes]

Originally Posted by Ol Blue K20

Yes HG, I made it home. 1000 mi ride and the first 300 in a downpour. Drought in Cali, not last Friday. ....lol

Isn't having rain at the beginning better than the end? Time to blow dry as you cruise! Got pics?

Originally Posted by Ta2Don

Again, thanks for the photo journalism...

I may not be Low Elco, but that 66 Elky is sweet, definite diamond in the rough...

Photo journalism? A bit of a stretch there but you're welcome. The Elco is far far away from a diamond. Those pics are it's "good side".

I took a bunch of pics today. Not sure when I will get them loaded but just a bunch more old iron and maybe a short story.

[Ol Blue K20]

Originally Posted by hgs_notes

Isn't having rain at the beginning better than the end? Time to blow dry as you cruise! Got pics?



Photo journalism? A bit of a stretch there but you're welcome. The Elco is far far away from a diamond. Those pics are it's "good side".

I took a bunch of pics today. Not sure when I will get them loaded but just a bunch more old iron and maybe a short story.

Never thought about the rain at the beginning of the ride being a good thing ...but it makes me feel better....thanks Yes there are pics, but nothing as good as yours. I post em after I get mine and some from the others that went together. I find it interesting that the Studebaker is a "Land Cruiser"......

[hgs_notes]

Originally Posted by Ol Blue K20

Never thought about the rain at the beginning of the ride being a good thing ...but it makes me feel better....thanks Yes there are pics, but nothing as good as yours. I post em after I get mine and some from the others that went together. I find it interesting that the Studebaker is a "Land Cruiser"......

It makes sense though. How would you have felt rolling into your driveway at the end of a 1000 mile drive where the last 300 were a wet mess of a ride? What a crappy end. You would just be glad it was over!

I just got a new helmet and riding gloves today! New air filter and tach drive cable should arrive tomorrow. Bought a gauge set from an 80 KZ 1000 with a 140 mph speedo to replace the 85 mph one that's on it. And I think I have a plan or the basic idea anyway, of how the paint will go. It will incorporate the style of this...

[meatwagon83]

i love those 58 chevys, and i own a 66 chevelle so i guess you know how i feel about the elky!

[hgs_notes]

I'm going to at least get a start on some of the pics from today. This first set is a car that was sitting in front of a pawn shop in Willmar. The pawn shop owner is just letting the car owner park it there. It is for sale. $1000, has an engine but it doesn't run.




One of those cars that looks like the ends could be reversed and you wouldn't really notice. Which is even more like that than most since the rear doors are suicides.




Pawn shop guy said people call it the corn picker. Cuz the front end is shaped like a corn head for a combine.

Looking at these pics again I just imagined if the front of the hood was grafted into the trunk lid it would look like it was rocket powered. If it was mine I would look at that body mod seriously.

When I spotted this in Spicer I thought, "Hmmm, all thats missing is the mullet."


Flat tire on cragars. Perfect.


This was right around the corner from the camaro. I was kinda hoping it had a for sale sign in it.


I saw this in Olivia this morning as I was rolling through. There is a transmission shop at the intersection of Hwy 71 and 212 and there is usually some cool car parked there. A couple years ago there was a 67 or 68 firebird there for sale that I was seriously considering to add to my collection.




This was behind an apartment building about 100 yards from the tranny shop. Looks like someones drag car. No engine, but has the bigs n littles. Looks like a solid car. Needs a little tlc.


Well thats a start. Still have a bunch more. Later everyone.

[TennesseeZ]

Originally Posted by hgs_notes

When I spotted this in Spicer I thought, "Hmmm, all thats missing is the mullet."

Mine was an 89 IROCZ, pristine and factory (appearing), no mullet. Same blue and black, grey leather, plus plus plus. Wish I still had it, and don't care what they think. Stereotype away, they deserved it LOL!

[hgs_notes]

Originally Posted by Low Elco

Mmmmm, El Cameeeennnnoooooo..... Thanks! '69 and '70 are my favorite, I've owned an '82 and a real nice '86. Good pics!

You need a 59. Dare to be different.

Originally Posted by rambler

that Studebaker looks worth it for a grand...

I think so too.

Originally Posted by TennesseeZ

Mine was an 89 IROCZ, pristine and factory (appearing), no mullet. Same blue and black, grey leather, plus plus plus. Wish I still had it, and don't care what they think. Stereotype away, they deserved it LOL!

I'd drive it in a heartbeat. Air up that tire and see if it'll do a donut! I like this body style. My doctor (died last year) had a red convertible. It was cherry.

Lets get back to posting some pics while my stew simmers. There is a machine shop in Clara City that had an interesting assortment piled nearby.

[hgs_notes]

Story time. I was going through Montevideo, like I have dozens of times before and saw something looking down the hill from the highway I had never noticed before. A railroad turntable.




So I drove around until I found a place where I could park and get a closer look. There would have been a roundhouse built over this many years ago and the pits are where maintenance was done on the undercarriage of the cars. Like Jiffy lube for trains.






Thats the highway in the background I was heading down.




That's one heavy duty snow plow...


This is where I parked while I was toodling around the train yard. Next to that spiffy old chevy. My company car behind it there. 4 months now and about 15,000 miles.


And this old IH also.






So I'm parked at the end of the dirt lot for some kind of business, but I don't know what. I'm checking out the old iron and look towards the building and see more old junk to look at, so I head that way.

At first I thought this was just another truck bed trailer, but it's actually a truck minus the cab and front sheetmetal. Another IH. Has all 4 hub caps!


Another old chevy...


Dodge...


Sweet Willys!


Matching trailers...


This old sled needs some tlc...


A colt 340 S/S, just like my uncle had whan I was a kid. That sled and the old Arctic Cats my grandparents had were my first rides on the snow.


But then I turn around I see this beauty. 72 CST shortbed K-10! These are so rare around here its like seeing a real shelby cobra.






Factory tach. I think 2% of these trucks had that option.




Time to go inside and talk to the owner. Unfortunately, he wasn't in. Had a dentist appt. So I talked to his uncle instead. He's a retired guy, has a NAVY ball cap on and swears like he's still on the ship. I just smiled and remembered the bad old days at sea. Anyway, the 72 is probably not for sale, but maybe. I have the owners contact info if anyone wants to take a serious crack at it. I don't have the room or money for it so I was up front about that. The owner, Jim, is just your typical gearhead. He loves the old iron. The uncle said he's got a big shed full of old chevy cars, etc. Maybe I can arrange a closer look in the future, but what the uncle showed me was Jim's current obsession, which is old jeeps.






The old one out behind the shop he wants to build into either a navy or air force style jeep.

The machine guns are props that they built from scrap around the shop. The uncle said the local cops get calls occasionally from concerned citizens that see Jim driving down the road. They always ask where they spotted him and what direction he was going to make sure they know it's just Jim and not a Montana separatist or some local home gown terrorist (There was actually a guy in that area the gov't kept an eye on for that )

They use them in parades and take them to shows, etc.

So we are in the office area and I'm getting ready to hit the road again (still have a couple appt's to make) when I notice a couple pictures on the wall. They are overhead shots of the shop we are in and include the rail yard next door. As it was a couple years ago, which isn't much different than now. And another shot from several years ago where it looks like a park. There are trees and grass and absolutely no sign of a rail yard, turntable or roundhouse.

So we get to talking some more and Jim is part of a volunteer group that cleared off and dug out that rail yard. It was all buried and the railroad gave the property to the city. They do regular projects to try and bring it all back to life and keep it around for the next generation to wonder about and admire the history. A big thank you to Jim and his friends. They have some dome cars that the uncle believes are the last ones left in the world.

I know where some other old train cars are hidden in the St Paul area too. Dining cars, sleepers, etc. They don't get the attention and money they deserve or need for restoration, let alone proper storage. I know that if I was local there I would be involved.

Anyway, I think I saw Jim pulling into the shop as I was leaving but I just didn't have anymore spare time to visit, so I hope to catch him in the future and maybe see what else he's got hidden around. The uncle was funny and I enjoyed talking to him.

Later everyone.

[Low Elco]

Mmmmm, El Cameeeennnnoooooo..... Thanks! '69 and '70 are my favorite, I've owned an '82 and a real nice '86. Good pics!

[rambler]

that Studebaker looks worth it for a grand...

[Ol Blue K20]

I can picture that on a bike...actually saw a victory with a similar scheme.

[hgs_notes]

A few pics from the last week or so. Saw this Olds Jet Starr 88 in Clear Lake, IA on I-35. Really a nice looking car.


And a flock of hearses in Mason City. Or as my friend James said, Death Patrol.








This Torino was at a shop here in town the other day.


Mmmmm. Beer. My favorite flavor. I need to borrow this truck for a bit.


This next set was at a shop in a little town in Iowa. Looks like it used to be a service station, but now it's more a private hot rod garage I think. He had some cool things laying around though. At least I think so.


Sweet!


Got a mean motor scooter...


Monte. Looks like S-10 wheels on it.


Parts runners...


A little rough and rusty, but would make a great swap meet parts hauler.






Beginning of something or end of something. Just depends on what happens...


Pair of Wayne gas pumps...

[hgs_notes]

Originally Posted by Ol Blue K20

I can picture that on a bike...actually saw a victory with a similar scheme.

I used some masking tape to help me visualize it. Go like this with a narrow stripe outboard of it.




I might go horizontal stripes on the side covers. Just going to use vinyl striping for this I think. Then if I get a larger tank and modify it later I can paint it more like I really want, but same basic style.

I took off some of the extra stuff and it already looks a bit leaner.

[flashed]

You show us some amazing stuff thru your travels ,I wish I had a pocket full of money and your knowledge of where all this is at .

[Ol Blue K20]

The hearse a bit creepy, always like that body style Torino....I think the stripes will look good. ...I say go for it. ..I used to run Kerker headers on my KZs made em sound and run great

[Low Elco]

Great stuff, thanks for including us in your travels!

[dan42]

When I first got my license, my dad bought a slightly used light blue '68 Torino which had no options except a big block motor - learning to drive without spinning the wheels was interesting. My dad wisely sold the car before I was able to dive it on my own.

[hgs_notes]

Just a few pics today. I had to go to Manning, IA with a stop in Storm Lake along the way a couple days ago. I saw about 400 miles of this...


And a few miles of this...


I'm fairly certain I could cover most of my territory by dirt road, but choose not to. I did see a few things that would have been nice to stop and get a closer look at, but I just didn't have the time. Maybe next time, which is this Sunday, or the time after that, next wednesday. Not every trip is filled with great scenery and old iron.

Here is 1 shot I got though. They don't like to set the bar too high. No sense in raising expectations.


Yesterday I broke down and bought a new camera. Fuji Finepix S9200.


The main reason for the timing was that my oldest is graduating from college next week, but last night was the honors recognition ceremony and I needed something to record the event. Neither my wife or I had graduated college. None of our parents did, or grandparents either. Besides my niece my daughter is the 1st of my immediate family to accomplish this. From the time she was a little toddler we always told her she would go. As she grew and we realized how smart she was we told her we would do whatever it took to get her through the school of her choice. She was the valedictorian of her high school class and could have gone pretty much any where she wanted. She chose the U of MN and went through the honors program as part of just the 3rd class to do so at that school. Collectively the honors students had a 79% graduation rate compared to 59% for the whole class. And they represent the top 7% of the class.

And to top it off, she has a job! Not full time but it is actually in her field of study, which I think is an amazing start. We couldn't be more proud and I will gladly make those loan payments.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-pXSy2pjao

[Low Elco]

Hey, Congrats to all of you! That's great. What's she gonna do?

Ps-Nice Camera!

[hgs_notes]

Probation officer at a non-secure juvenile facility for now. But thats the field she wants to work in. She did her internship with Hennepin County (Minneapolis) court system with processing the people through the system. She liked it. Now it's just finding that full time gig with benefits.