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Sunday, May 31, 2009 |
| Cars of Dreams Show |
 In typical Old Guys fashion, the Power Tour doesn't begin until next Saturday, but we're already on the road!
Phil and Nancy, along with the Old Guys, attended the Cars of Dreams Museum benefit show today in West Palm Beach, Florida.
After a filling breakfast at the Old Dixie Cafe (we're definitely going back tomorrow), we traveled down the beach to the show.
First on the agenda was the Old Guys presenting Donnie with the Lug Nut award, which he is so deserving of. It brought a good laugh from all those involved!
Ultimately, there were more than 300 cars on the show field, and that in itself was a treat.
But the real treat was the museum! It's not open to the public, but was opened today as South East Rods & Customs hosted a benefit show there.
There's maybe 75 cars on display, and EVERY ONE is a perfect example of its marquee. But as neat as the cars are, the setting they're in is just as neat! A description won't do it justice; you've gotta visit the Old Guys photo album, and see for yourself (sorry for some blurry photos...they didn't come out well in the darkness)! There's also a Model A Museum, and we toured that also.
By the end of the day, we were ALL ready to head for home, which in our case, is a hotel room in Jupiter.
Here's some stats...Sonny fell in the bathtub, and probably cracked a few ribs. I doubt you'll be hearing him say, "put me in coach" anytime soon.
Cecil is the first vehicle casualty, breaking a power steering fitting as we pulled into the hotel parking lot. Also, the big-block clutch fan Cecil put on especially for the Power Tour took a dump, but beleive it or not, Advance had all the parts, including the muffler clamp Packard Bill needed to repair his tailpipe hanger.
It's pizza time for the Old Guys...just ONE large for the four of us, and for the first time ever, it was all we could eat!
In the morning, we'll have a late...at least, late for the Old Guys...breakfast, then head for Lake City, with a stop at NPD in Ocala along the way. We're looking at 4000+ miles this trip...let's hope it goes without incident! |
| Pre-Cars of Dreams Party |
 In typical Old Guys fashion, the Power Tour starts a week from today, and the party has already begun.
Phil and Nancy, as well as the Old Guys, met in Jupiter, and will be attending the Cars of Dreams Museum show in West Palm Beach tomorrow.
But today, happy hour started a little early, and continued until it was time to stagger across the street, and have dinner at Duffy's.
After a filling dinner, the party sorta died, and after we post this, we're calling it a night!
Tomorrow's breakfast will be at the Old Dixie Cafe at 7:00 AM. No photos tonight, but be sure to check back tomorrow, when we try and post the show pics. |
| The Decision Is Made! |
 After thrashing on the '68 for the past five weeks, I've run out of time, and decided that it's best to take the '70 Cougar (the blue Cougar on the left) on the Hot Rod Power Tour.
The '70 has been on at least a half-dozen Power Tour's, and having owned it for more than fifteen years, I pretty much know it inside and out.
The '68, on the other hand, is new to me, and now has a new engine, transmission, and other mods that are still unproven.
So the '68 will sit home in the garage, and when I return in a couple weeks, I'll get back to work on it. Maybe it'll be ready to go NEXT year!
The rest of the Old Guys are ready to go, and we'll be meeting in Jupiter Saturday afternoon, eagerly awaiting the Cars of Dreams show Sunday morning.
We'll have time Saturday afternoon to surf the internet, and find some unique diner's and drive in's to visit for lunch every day as we head north (Interstate BBQ in Memphis is already on the list, and programmed into our GPS's), and maybe even a couple neat places to visit.
Monday morning, we're heading out, and you can follow along. We plan to update this Blog on a daily basis. Time permitting, we'll also post daily pics in the Photo Album.
And if you happen to do a portion of the Tour, be sure to look us up! |
| Home Again...Finally! |
 Because of the holiday, I was expecting the replacement wheel to arrive sometime Tuesday afternoon.
I was pleasantly surprised Friday, when UPS delivered it! Since it was coming from California, and they're three hours ahead of us, it was on the plane Wednesday afternoon, and here less than 48 hours later!
I took it right to the tire shop Friday afternoon, and had the new tire mounted and balanced.
Sunday morning, I took the wheel and tire to Donnie's shop, where he was doing some wet-sanding on the new paint.
By late Sunday afternoon, the Cougar was back at home, resting comfortably in the garage. This morning, the thrashing continues, and I've got lots to do.
We launch for the Hot Rod Power Tour Friday morning, and I'm determined to make it!
There's a couple new photos in the Photo Album...one of the front of the Cougar, and one of the engine. |
| With Only A Week To Go... |
 The plan has changed...for about the TENTH time!
Wednesday, I found out the wheel was cracked, and couldn't be repaired! Locating a new wheel locally was impossible, so I went to the source manufacturer, California Pony Cars.
Yes, they would sell me one, and yes, it could be shipped third-day air.
Meanwhile, Donnie primed, sanded, primed, sanded, and then painted the fender. Remember that since the color isn't a prefect match, the clear had to be tinted, and then blended into the door.
Yesterday, Charlie and I spent a couple hours fitting the NEW fender to the OLD body, which took a pretty good jolt when the wheel and tire came off. Unfortunately, we couldn't get it to line up as well as we...no, I wanted! But if the '68 is going on the Hot Rod Power Tour, it'll have to suffice.
Back to the wheel. Third-day air would have put it here on Saturday, but because Monday is a holiday, there won't be a Saturday delivery! That means I get it Tuesday afternoon.
Once I get the wheel, I have to take it to Ft. Lauderdale, have the new tire mounted and balanced, then take it to West Palm Beach, and put it on the '68.
The new plan is better. I'm going to take two wheels and tires off the '70, take them to Donnie's, and after he wet sand's and buffs, put them on the '68.
That'll give me a couple days of engine break in before heading to Orlando next Friday, then home again on Saturday.
Talk about cutting it close! |
| Tryin' To Get It Done...Again! |
 About three weeks ago, we began working on the '68 Cougar, planning to have it finished before the June 1st start of the Hot Rod Power Tour. The photo at left is the condition of the engine compartment when we started. There was lots to do...rebuild the engine, clean up the engine compartment, add a GTE-type hood scoop, and re-paint (actually blend) the hood and fender tops. And there were problems along the way...the heads needed new studs (twice), the paint didn't match (Donnie blended it to perfection), and other assorted minor problems that are too numerous to mention right now! The work, thanks to Donnie and Charlie, was finished last Wednesday. I drove the '68 out of Donnie's shop last Wednesday, and headed for home. There was still quite a bit of work to be done, and Thursday morning, it would be road-tested on a drive to Orlando, where I would meet up with a couple of the Old Guys, and finish it up. Well, I headed southbound for about a half-mile, when the drivers' side front wheel and tire suddenly, after shredding the newly-painted fender, headed northbound! The fender is ruined. The wheel is slightly bent, but the tire held pressure, and may be okay. Plus, there's a few new dings on the door, the hood, and the cowl. All because the lug nuts were ratchet-tight, but NOT torqued. Determined to have it finished in the next two weeks, I located a near-mint fender at Harwood's Cougar Parts (thanks, Vince!) in Plant City, and Cecil and Sonny picked it up for me, meeting me about halfway from home. The fender is now at Donnie's. The wheel can be repaired, and will be ready the middle of the week. And as of now, the '68 WILL make the almost-5000-mile Hot Rod Power Tour, from Michigan to Tennessee! I've added some photos to the albums, and will add more as work progresses. |
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The Route 66 Cruise
Packard Bill Weekend
Cars of Dreams Museum Benefit Car Show
WinterFest 2010
2010 River Ranch Rod Run
NPD's All-Ford Show
Daytona Turkey Run
Daytona Beach Dream Cruise
Show and Concert In The Park
Tifton, Georgia
April 2007
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