Project "Black Betty" (bam-A-lam)

[likaroc13]

I'm a little late posting this but wanted to share. Dad went back to Memphis on Feb. 25 for another PET scan. Then we went to the local cancer clinic for results & chemo the following Wednesday. Doc came in smiling & said he had good news. From looking at the scans, there were no visible signs of cancer remaining! He said that doesn't mean he can stop treatments though, because they want to make sure everything stays clear & doesn't come back with a vengeance. He said even though it doesn't show up, there can still be microscopic cancer cells. They changed up the chemo formula, as one of the meds is known to affect the heart. That one particular medicine was switched for another that's not harsh on the heart. He met with a cardiologist in January I think, & everything looked okay. His appetite is 95% better, & he has been gradually regaining some weight. He also started doing some physical therapy to gain some strength back. He's out & about driving regularly as well, & he's hoping he can get strong enough to ride his bike again this Summer. For now though, it looks as though he's in remission. Just wanted to share the news with you guys. Thanks for the prayers, & please keep praying for continued progress.


I had been going down each week for a couple days, just to hang out. Life is finally getting back into a mostly normal routine now though, & I'm back home in TN on a more permanent basis. We're going to the Super Chevy Show in Memphis this weekend. Dad bought a 30's Dodge rat rod (pics in post #149) a while back, & he's tired of messing with it. So we're taking it to the car corral. Also taking my old Tahoe wheels to try & sell, & I plan to look for a pair of steelies for "Black Betty" so we can get the front end buttoned up. As long as the weather stays nice, it should be a fun weekend.

[Grizz1963]

Now that was a nice update and bit of info Phillip.

Thanks for letting us know.

I work in the Haemato-Oncology market and was a nurse in a previous life, so I am unfortunately a realist as well as a cynic.

Looks like you are making every day count.... That is very cool.

I hope your dad gets back on his bike sooner than later.

Saw a cool caption on FB this week...... You never hear anyone on a bike say "Are we there yet?"

Will be good for you to get back to Black Betty.

[clemdaddy]

thats great news...
have big fun this weekend, wish i was there with ya.

[1963c-10]

Heres the thread on the literature and such...will be a nice addition and I hope you add it.
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s....php?p=7095755

And glad to hear you got some good news this time!!!!

[62step]

Glad to hear the good news!

Saw earlier in your thread you went to Charlotte Auto Fair. Planning on going this weekend? I'll be there.

EDIT: Nevermind, just read the last sentence of your post.. lol

[greg65]

That's great new Phillip. I hope his health continues to improves.

[duallyjams]

Thanks for the update with good news.

[likaroc13]

Originally Posted by Grizz1963

Now that was a nice update and bit of info Phillip.

Thanks for letting us know.

I work in the Haemato-Oncology market and was a nurse in a previous life, so I am unfortunately a realist as well as a cynic.

Looks like you are making every day count.... That is very cool.

I hope your dad gets back on his bike sooner than later.

Saw a cool caption on FB this week...... You never hear anyone on a bike say "Are we there yet?"

Will be good for you to get back to Black Betty.

Thanks Grizz. I'm ready to get back to Black Betty for sure. I won't know how to act when I get behind the wheel again.

Originally Posted by clemdaddy

thats great news...
have big fun this weekend, wish i was there with ya.

I haven't been since '07 I think, so I'm looking forward to it. If things work out, I'd love to drive out for your get together this year.

Originally Posted by 1963c-10

Heres the thread on the literature and such...will be a nice addition and I hope you add it.
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s....php?p=7095755

And glad to hear you got some good news this time!!!!

Thanks. I was a little confused at first, but I assume you were meaning to add the pic of the tin sign from Hobby Lobby to that thread?

Originally Posted by 62step

Glad to hear the good news!

Saw earlier in your thread you went to Charlotte Auto Fair. Planning on going this weekend? I'll be there.

EDIT: Nevermind, just read the last sentence of your post.. lol

Thanks. Yeah, I'd love to be able to attend the Auto Fair again sometime, but it'll require a decent road trip next time. Last Spring was my first time, & I didn't get to cover everything. Glad I was able to make it though. It's quite a spectacle!

Originally Posted by greg65

That's great new Phillip. I hope his health continues to improves.

Originally Posted by duallyjams

Thanks for the update with good news.

Thanks guys, & I'm happy to be able to report good news. He's come such a long way in a relatively short time. Just hoping things continue to move in a positive direction.

[likaroc13]

My in-laws came up for a couple days this past week/weekend, & we all went to check out some antique shops in the nearby area. I came across this grille in one store, but it was tagged "NFS" (not for sale). Looked to be in pretty good shape.

[Jeff La]

Congrats on the GREAT NEWS

[flips72]

great news on your dad, prayer definitely works, on a different note my wife came in with the same tin from hobby lobby the other day, pretty neat tin should of had a 60-66 in the center though,

[likaroc13]

Originally Posted by Jeff La

Congrats on the GREAT NEWS

Thanks!

Originally Posted by flips72

great news on your dad, prayer definitely works, on a different note my wife came in with the same tin from hobby lobby the other day, pretty neat tin should of had a 60-66 in the center though,

Thanks! Too cool about your wife finding the tin as well. I agree that the '60-66 should've been the focal point. A fleetside would be nice too.



Sadly, I didn't get a chance to make the Super Chevy show with dad. My wife's uncle passed away after a 2 year battle that was first diagnosed as esophageal cancer. So, we had to make a 5 1/2 hour road trip to South MS for the funeral last weekend. That means I didn't get a chance to try and sell my wheels or look for any for the '66. Dad didn't have any luck selling the rat rod, but he did sell his factory '05 GMC Sierra wheels.

[geekitupsum]

Hey welcome to spring hill btw. I'm in spring hill as well and just about ready to put my c10 on the road. Sent you a PM. Hit me up sometime been looking for car guys to hang with wrench with.

[likaroc13]

Originally Posted by geekitupsum

Hey welcome to spring hill btw. I'm in spring hill as well and just about ready to put my c10 on the road. Sent you a PM. Hit me up sometime been looking for car guys to hang with wrench with.

Thanks man! Good to hear from somebody in my neck of the woods. Sorry for the delayed response. I'm not much of a mechanic, but I definitely don't mind hanging out or lending a hand when I can. Will reply to you PM as well.


Went to visit dad a couple days last week, & we were talking about the truck. I think we have two 5x5 wheels, one with a tire. We needed another tire, but dad said last night that he found one at the salvage yard not far from his house. So, maybe we can at least get the front end rolling enough to get it on the car hauler. We need to button up a couple things with the steering shaft first. Then it can go to the shop for new brake lines & other work needed. Speaking of which, have any of you guys seen these?:

https://youtu.be/XADAMp4CswM

[likaroc13]

Figured I'd update a bit. We've been busy doing a lot of house hunting the past few months. I really wanted a place with enough land for a shop, but we just weren't finding much. We missed out on a few opportunities simply because the housing industry is booming around here. There are at least 10 potential buyers for each available home, & they're selling like hotcakes. Since we'd like to start a family in the near future, we decided to just alter our search criteria a bit & look for a temporary home. The plan is to live there for a few years & search for a long-term home then. Our agent found a place at the very beginning of this month, & we ended up submitting an offer right after it hit the market. The sellers accepted, & so far everything has gone pretty smoothly. We should be closing on July 24. While it isn't our dream home or anything, it's still a very nice place. We're excited about having our first house! "Black Betty" will also have a garage to reside in once she gets here.

Dad is still doing good & continues to take treatments every 3 weeks. He has since had another PET scan that showed no signs of cancer once again. He's getting mostly back to normal, even regrowing his hair. He came up to spend the night with us this past Friday, & we drove up to Goodlettsville, TN to pick up his newest toy. I'll post some pics of it later.

[likaroc13]

My wife and I went to the flea market in Nashville last month, & I came across some vendors with Hot Wheels. I didn't expect to find anything special, but boy was I mistaken. I didn't have enough cash to purchase everything I saw, but I managed to grab four. Luckily the ones I didn't get last month were still available this month. Here's what I ended up with:

Untitled by likaroc13, on Flickr

Untitled by likaroc13, on Flickr

Untitled by likaroc13, on Flickr

Got two of the truck below (1 for dad, & 1 for me):

Untitled by likaroc13, on Flickr

And I got this Panel for dad:

Untitled by likaroc13, on Flickr

Here's a special edition Panel that's cool. I just couldn't bring myself to spend that much on it.

Untitled by likaroc13, on Flickr

This is the only other one available that I didn't get yet. Maybe it'll be around next time.

IMG_7576 by likaroc13, on Flickr

[likaroc13]

While I think they could be done a little better, here are some other cool pieces I came across at the flea market:



IMG_7910 by likaroc13, on Flickr

IMG_7911 by likaroc13, on Flickr

IMG_7912 by likaroc13, on Flickr

IMG_7913 by likaroc13, on Flickr

[likaroc13]

Had a chance to make it up to White House, TN for the Southeastern All Chevy/GMC Truck Nationals this past Saturday. I was able to meet three members I hadn't met before, & there were several others in attendance that I unfortunately didn't get a chance to meet. The entry turnout ended up being 125 vehicles, which was comprised of some really nice rides. There's a thread started already for pics from the show, however, I figured I would share my pic album link here as well.

Enjoy

Southeastern All Chevy/GMC Truck Nationals 2015

https://flic.kr/s/aHskg8y9Vp




Also, here are a couple trucks I spotted at the local cruise-in here in Spring Hill. I'm not sure if they're members here or not, but I know I've seen the light green one somewhere on the internet before.

5 by likaroc13, on Flickr

6 by likaroc13, on Flickr

7 by likaroc13, on Flickr

8 by likaroc13, on Flickr

9 by likaroc13, on Flickr

10 by likaroc13, on Flickr

[Bomp]

Sweet pics of the trucks, thanks for sharing.

[likaroc13]

Been a while since I've posted, & there's too much to write about right now. Some major life changes have taken/been taking place, some good/some not so much. I want to share some info about everything that has been going on, as it continues the story of this thread. I will say that "Black Betty" still lives & continues to be in hibernation. I promise to elaborate more a bit later....

On another note, I was able to make it up to White House, TN again a couple weekends ago for the Southeastern All Chevy/GMC Truck Nationals 2016. While I wasn't able to participate, I made sure to snap pics of as much as I could. It was a record turnout, despite the early morning rain. Bryan Ashley (5150) & his crew put on a great show! For anyone interested in looking, just follow this link to my pics:

Southeastern All Chevy/GMC Truck Nationals 2016
https://flic.kr/s/aHskEsuhfj

[Cape Codder]

Great pix thanks for sharing.

[aerotruk63]

Revoh's 63 on page 2. Rarest accessory of all to find, seat cover on it!

[likaroc13]

Originally Posted by aerotruk63

Revoh's 63 on page 2. Rarest accessory of all to find, seat cover on it!

I love Craig's truck. It just oozes originality! I had to do a search just to see what you were talking about regarding the seat cover. That's super cool. Too bad he didn't want to let go of it for you.

[likaroc13]

Soooo...as promised, here's a bit about what has been going on....let's back track to just over a year ago, when I got a call that my grandfather had seemingly passed away suddenly the morning of September 15, 2015. He was 83 years old & not in the greatest health. We believe he might've had a heart attack during his sleep, as he had been previously diagnosed with congestive heart failure. After getting the news, I immediately got ready and made the three hour trip down to Northeast MS. I ended up staying for about a week, helping to get things situated. My grandmother, still living at the time, was in a bit of shock (obviously) that her husband of almost 60 years was gone just like that. Not being in good enough health to live on her own, my dad made the decision to stay with her. This was a bit concerning to me, as he was still dealing with his own health issues. Well lo and behold, a bit less than a month later my grandmother became ill. She had been dealing with a kidney infection for a while, even when my grandfather was alive. She ended up in the hospital due to her kidneys not functioning properly. After about a week being there, she contracted pneumonia as well. Her body just wasn't strong enough to cope with it all, and sadly she passed on October 15 (exactly a month later than my grandfather). She was just shy of her 85th birthday. They were my only remaining grandparents.

My grandparents left everything they had to my younger brother and I, which essentially left me as executor of their estate. We've had our hands full with the whole situation, as a certain someone decided to do some really shady things behind our back during the time period between my grandparents' passing. Unfortunately, it required a lawyer to try and straighten things out. We're still in the process almost a year later now, but everything should be good to go soon. Without getting into too many details that I don't care to air publicly on this forum, I'll leave it at that.

I'm also in a bit of a predicament, as my grandfather was an auto enthusiast like most of us here. I guess that bug trickled down to my father, which passed to me as well. At the time of his passing my grandfather owned a few classic vehicles, which he wished for me to inherit. After searching for months, my wife and I bought our first home in July 2015. Ideally, I wanted a place with a shop or at least enough land that I could build one. With the limited & booming housing market in our area, we settled on a nice place without much land. Our thinking was that we'd live here a few years until we could find a place with more land. Of course, we had no clue what life would have in store right around the corner. With the passing of my grandparents, now we'll have to start that housing/land search once again. There's a '50 Ford shoebox 2-door, a '61 Nash Metropolitan, a '72 Lincoln Mark IV, & a '75 GMC Sierra 1500 SWB/fleet that need a new home. They're safe from the elements at my grandparents' place now, & they'll stay there until we get everything settled. I'll be honored to have them, & my goal is to make sure each one is eventually road-worthy.

While I'm excited to take possession of my grandfather's automobiles, I'm more thrilled to share this news with you all. The week I was down in MS after my grandfather's passing, my wife informed me she was expecting our first child. As you can imagine, this was awesome news, especially after all the sadness the prior week. We later came to find out that it would be a baby boy. He was born on June 7, 2016. The pregnancy was great up until birth, when an emergency C-section was scheduled after the baby became stressed during the attempt to deliver naturally. During the birthing process, the baby ingested meconium (bowel movement) some of which entered his lungs. After treating him as best as possible, he ended up in the NICU for about a week. They monitored him closely & gave antibiotics to try and prevent further sickness. Thankfully he came through like a champ, & he's a healthy/happy little man today. Searching/debating over the years about names we liked, we discussed wanting something a little unique that's not heard everyday. As a result, we settled on Webber, my wife's late grandfather's name. However, we plan to just call him Webb. I'm sharing a few pics of him from around birth till now just over 3 months.

Untitled by likaroc13, on Flickr

Untitled by likaroc13, on Flickr

Untitled by likaroc13, on Flickr

Untitled by likaroc13, on Flickr

Untitled by likaroc13, on Flickr

Untitled by likaroc13, on Flickr

[likaroc13]

In mid-May this year, I started a new job with General Motors. It's taking up practically all of my time. I'm working 2nd shift (4:30pm-1am), but lately we've been working mostly 10-hour days (3am). We've also been working 6 days a week, every other week. I don't see the schedule changing for quite some time. Not seeing my wife or baby boy through the week is tough, as I'm sleeping much of the day while my wife is working & baby is at daycare. I, along with hundreds of others, am only temporary right now but hoping to get hired permanently in the near future. Even then, my goal is still to get on 1st shift. I'm not sure what the future holds regarding this job, but I know God has it under control no matter what. Just trying to remain patient & allow things to play out.

That said, there's not much time for truck stuff these days with everything else going on. What time I can devote to automobiles goes to my daily-driver '97 Tahoe mild custom. It keeps me occupied until I can rescue "Black Betty" and get her back on track. She'll be my first priority before digging very much into my grandfather's vehicles.