pics from my trip

[OLDCHEV4X4]

Looks like lotsa fun Andy. I would be up for a trip like that if i wasn't married with children.
Did you say how you fixed the gas leak? Or did i miss that.

[63 & 64 Bowties]

I agree with Huck, you missed your calling in life. You should be a story teller of some kind. Maybe take Andy Rooney's job when he retires? This is gonna be better than safecracker.
And, Brad....where you goin?

[69RAT]

The pic of the bridge is outside Yakima WA!

[Palf70Step]

Originally Posted by 63 & 64 Bowties

I agree with Huck, you missed your calling in life. You should be a story teller of some kind. Maybe take Andy Rooney's job when he retires? This is gonna be better than safecracker.
And, Brad....where you goin?

Brad is leaving for the giant Kitty Litter box this weekend. (Iraq) He's starting his deployment time.

[Yeller68]

Cool pictures, cool story. Looking forward to the next chapter.

[CG]

Originally Posted by Bishops Trucks

Can sombody photo shop that ford out of the picture. I like that pic, it's pretty cool. How many people helped longhorn get off the ground?

Hey now, that Ford has drug home many a Chevy truck for me. Unfortunately its time has passed and it awaits a trip to the scrap yard. He gave his last breath for one of our trucks

[Bishops Trucks]

Originally Posted by CG

Hey now, that Ford has drug home many a Chevy truck for me. Unfortunately its time has passed and it awaits a trip to the scrap yard. He gave his last breath for one of our trucks

May he rest in peace! We are talking about the ford truck and not Andy, right.

[toomanytoyz]

Andy,

Glad too see thing's finally calmed down for You, I know for awhile we must have seemed like paparazzi dogging your every move.............

Rick

[BACKYARD88]

Looks like a cool trip. Can't wait to see the rest!

[Longhorn Man]

OK, I just resized another batch... only have a few more to go, but first, the comments and questions;

Originally Posted by OLDCHEV4X4

Looks like lotsa fun Andy. I would be up for a trip like that if i wasn't married with children.
Did you say how you fixed the gas leak? Or did i miss that.

Randy, it was fun... I had the time of my life, and I hope I get to do this again someday. Maybe Florida or something. I never mentioned how I fixed the fuel line... When Billla inspected the truck for me, he said there was some fule line issues that needed addressed imidiatly... I remembered that as I was gassing up after leaving CG's place. I had a long section of rubber fuel hose put in with my tools.. the ones i shipped to Washington. It was a matter of cutting off the old rotted rubber and installing the new stuff. Simple, with the exception of the fuel that was gushing out and I couldn't stop it.
I'm glad NAPA let me basicly take a bath in there sink with a bottle of orange hand scrub stuff.

Originally Posted by 69RAT

The pic of the bridge is outside Yakima WA!

THANK YOU!
Looking through my folder again, I see that I took 3 pics of this... one was with the flash, which showed how dark it was outside. (odd how it works bass ackwards like that) Turned off the flash, and it took in enough light to get the photo.

Originally Posted by toomanytoyz

...Glad too see thing's finally calmed down for You, I know for awhile we must have seemed like paparazzi dogging your every move...

It was all good, and honestly... expected. But it was actually more of real life that has been in my way this past month... kid actin up, 2 sisters being a total PITA, mom and dad being a bear to deal with, boss man being a total ... well, I can't say what I want to on here about him... he's being a boss hole, lets just leave it at that.

Originally Posted by BACKYARD88

Looks like a cool trip. Can't wait to see the rest!

Mike... if only you knew man. It was awesome. it made Norwood look lame, and you KNOW how much i liked Norwood!

OK... nuff chit chat... it's story time again!!!

[Longhorn Man]

OK, so i spent a day on the norther outskirts of Denver... just outside the I-270 loop actually. This is a beautifull place. About 10 years ago, when i was still in the army, I tried to get stationed here... but was unable to due to my at-the-time wife's med conditions. Had i known what I was missing out on, I woulda been p!ssed. I've been to many places, and most of them were all wonderful, in there own way. However, I have to say this place is the best place I have been. Granted, I was only there for a day, but it was awesome.
I visited with an old friend... girl friend.. ex girlfriend... best friend... take your pick, she's pretty much all wrapped into one. She took me all over the area, and of course... I left my camera in the truck when she picked me up at the hotel. HOWEVER... there were a couple hotties at Boulder Falls when we stopped there... I did some goofin off in the creek, and they got a few photos. They e-mailed them to us... but I'm only postin a couple.


If you ever get the chance to go there... do it. Lots of beautiful scenery, snow capped mountains in view, yet fairly flat, lots of hotties all over (always makes a place nicer to visit) polite people, clean air, and plenty to do. We were supposed to go the the hard rock cafe in down town Denver... but just never got around to it.
Oh well... next time.
Moving on..
I didn't get any more photos in Colorodo. Was buisy on the phone, thinking a lot of things out, and ... in all reality, there wasn't much east of there to look at. In all reality, most of the trip back was pretty blah as far as photos and things to see.
I did notice that my reserve tank was almost empty... Had to hit the very next exit upon realizing this. I'd just flip the lid open (my cooler rode shotgun) and reach in for a drink... I noticed I was getting more water on my hand than dew, so i looked in and saw this;

I got lucky at the dew stop... It was a lonley gas station in the midle of nowhere... I think I was still in Co... Only needed 1/2 tank of fuel and dew... but I noticed they had a tire shop on the side of the building! The guy asked what i needed, I told him as long as it is round, has tread and fits a 16Xskinny rim... I'll be happy. Oh yeah, it needs to last all the way to ohio too. He had me mounted ballanced, tax, titl, licence and out the door for 29 bucks.
The tire is still on there, and for the best part, still holdin air.
ok.. so nothing much goin on... one more state behind me when i see this one come up...

Haven't been here in years... and I may never go back through...
BOOOOOORING!
I know I just didn't hit the right spots.
I went rolling through Fot Riley Kansas... it was about midnight... probably more like 1 am. I look down at the fuel guage... 1/4 tank left.
Hmmm, OK, I'll hit the next exit.
Get to the next exit... no lights, no signs... hell, no signs of LIFE.
Continue to the next one... same thing.
And the next
I'm starting to get scared. I'm down to 1/8 a tank of fuel, and no cell service.
I slow my speed down... I'm goin 55 now. I decide, i need to start pullin onto these off ramps, and look for signs up on the bridge... instead of freeway signs.
Next exit, nothing.
Finally, i get to an exit, and there's a sign that says hillbillyville 10 miles. (I can't remember the town's real name) So I hang a left and I go down the longest, darkest, hilly and curvy road I have ever been on in my life. Sure, i was doin 45 MPH now, so it seemed longer than 10 miles.
At least the phone is working now. I can't even remember who I was talkin to, but i was on the phone. So anyways, as i would crest each hill, I would see this orange... maybe amber glow up ahead. Looked odd. I finally got up there, and this town looked like it came right out of a Norman Rockwell painting.. .remember, the cat that did the Saturday Evening Post covers for the longest time? Looked just like it. It was beautiful.
Quick look at the clock, it was 2-ish in the morning. Gotta find some fuel.
I'm creeping through this historic looking down town... I see NO ONE... no stores open, no cars, no kids sneaking out in the middle of the night... I swear I hear banjos playing. I keep goin on the same street... seems like the main drag... I see the end of the road coming up too.. still no gas. I'm totally in panic mode now. If I don't find any fuel, I don't even have enough to get back to the freeway. At the very end of the road... last intersection in town, I find one... and it's OPEN!
19.75 gallons of fuel. yeah... I had about a quart of gas in the tank.
Flip flop around, and try to set land speed records to get back to the freeway.
I had to stop and try to get a pic of this town though.... I took 6 pics with my digi cam, and 5 with my phone. This is the best one that came out.

At least you get an idea of what it looked like.
I drive for a few more hrs, and pull over to sleep. Might have been in Mo... may not. I honestly have no clue. I do remember though, I stopped at one of those no services offered spots on the side of the road... specificly for semi drivers to pull off at and get some sleep... I pulled up, took off my shoes, and fell asleep. Got up, and I was the only vehicle there. I saw that and said, cool... cuz I gotta pee! Well, as I'm takin a leak, trying to rub the sleep out of my eyes, I notice there's an access road... maybe 1/8th of a mile, probably closer. Tons of traffic, and someone started honking at me! So now i turn around and I'm peeing on my tire.
Great... now I need a bath, and so does my truck.
Now I get in... I'm gettin eager, and I have to be to work the next morning. I pick up the pace. holding 75, flirting with 80 MPH... as cruise speed.
Next thing I know, I'm seeing the arch.
Wasn't i JUST here a couple months ago? (Norwood board meet) I still took a pic. I think it's state law... you have to take a photo when ever you are here. I have a bunch of them myself.

[bad6772]

What no back seat pictures? aw what a tease.................lol

[Longhorn Man]

So I'm bookin across the midwest... and for all of you who live here, or who's driven through... you know.... there's nothing to take pictures of! Ohio Corn looks JUST LIKE Indiana corn!
So i take another pic of my ugly mug.
I was gonna shave at the hotel, but I figured ahhh screw it. I'm in road trip mode!

me all fuzzy and stuff!
Yeah... I'm gettin real board now. i see this old VW bus, and take a pic... only becouse it's a cool color combo!

There was a hippy driving (picture the guy from that 70's show... yeah, him!)and he had either just taken some bad acid... or he was just pouncin up and down and waving at me.
To this day, I'm not sure which it was.
Still nothing to see... I take a phone pic, and send it to Liz... and she posted it. This is the one that was photoshopped and passed around.

Now... THIS was the arch i wanted to see!

Had to hit the mens room as soon as I got there, and when I pull in, I see this older guy under the hood of an old 50's something or another... ahhh, who cares, I gotta pee... and I'm only 100 miles from home!
I do what I gottado, and when i go to leave, he's still there... I can't leave a fellow car guy stranded, so I help him out.

REAL NICE 1952 ford. Like 50,000 miles on it, unrestored. All it got was a shave and a hair cut... new paint and some trim. The mechanical fuel pump crapped out oh him and he was trying to wire up an electric pump that was in the trunk when he got the car a few years ago. He was about to wire it up backwards too. (positive ground 6 volt system) He was hesitant when i started to say something till i mentioned I turn wrenches professionally. He stood back and let me undo his work and redo it all.
An hr and a half later, he's pullin away from me as I hold the pedal to the floor (remember, messed up throttle)

He handed me some money, and I refused. He said "A roll bakc truck from central PA (we are at the western ohio state line, he had 300 miles to go) would cost me a LOT, you spent a lot of time when you are almost home, you let my wife charge her phone on your 12 volt cigg lighter... you'll take the money.
I still refused, saying that he woulda done the same for me.
That's when he cought me off guard.
"Naaa, I woulda probably kept going"
I put the money in my pocket after that one, and later found it was a 50! I kinda figured it was a 20.
Cool... a free tank of gas!
100 miles, and I'm home.
A fraction of the cans on the floor board;

Ended up drinking;
43 cans of dew
1 20 oz of dew
1 one liter of dew
6 tall red bulls
1 tall NOS energy drink
and a 1/2 bottle of water. (I had to brush my teeth)
Some one on here figures that's 3334 mg of caffeen.
(Is that a lot?)

I have a few more 'aftermath' pics to resize... back in 30 min or so.

[Longhorn Man]

Here's the lettering... or, what made it all the way here anyways. I actually felt a little bad scraping it off with a razor blade, however, I elt a little retarded driving it to work like that though.
Passenger side;

Drivers side;

And the rear window... which took most of the damage;

I start to empty it all out... ALL this was in the back;

2 pice drive shaft, trailing arms, core support, 2 fenders, grill, hood, bumper, door panel, burb tailgate...

Set of 15 inch rims, tool bag, fuel line.... the dolly and wax were not on board for the trip
Here's the temp spare I was rollin on. you can't see it, but the inner and outter tread groove, are both cracked all the way around, causing the outer edges to be taller than the rest of the tread... like if it was underinflated. Also door guts too.

Rear end was in there;

front end was in there... you can see both the rear seats are still sticked in there forward of the front suspention;

Final photo...
Here's the front seat... drivers hole and sleeping proviions... AFTER a good 8 hrs of cleaning. I washed the seat cover... TWICE... and it could use another washing... installed carpet I had laying around, scrubbed the door panels, installed the passenger one that never got put on in washington... You can see this is after the ignition switch crapped out on me... 24 hrs after getting home, the ignition jammed up, so i had to rig a push button.
All in all;
I drove through 4 time zones
I drove through 11 states
spent less than $3200 on everything (truck included)
met 10 new friends (board members)
had 2 mechanical issues, neither of which stopped me from driving
Drove 2800 miles... give or take a few
But.... the most important...
I HAD THE TIME OF MY LIFE!

[BACKYARD88]

This is freakin AWESOME Andy. I want to go next time!

[Longhorn Man]

it was... burbarific!


Mike... how about I take your girlfriend... and she can tell you how much fun it was?
Yeah.. I know what the answer is to that... no need to tell me.

[BACKYARD88]

Sorry Andy, I don't think you're her type, you know
You can add Washington survivor to you list now

[Palf70Step]

Love those wheels you got Andy. Cool shots and trip log!!

[toomanytoyz]

Andy,

Thanks for Sharing your Journey, I agree with The Part about you being a Good Story teller. It Take's a Special Person to be able to Do this & Keep your Attention, Just another lost art form in our Hurry up Society.............

How Much you Charge me to Go out to Az. & Bring back the 67 Stepper I'm Buying from 70 rs/ss when it's Done

Rick

[Longhorn Man]

Originally Posted by toomanytoyz

How Much you Charge me to Go out to Az. & Bring back the 67 Stepper I'm Buying from 70 rs/ss when it's Done
Rick

I've always wanted to see the grand canyon!

[BACKYARD88]

Originally Posted by Longhorn Man

I've always wanted to see the grand canyon!

[Longhorn Man]

oh crap... I never attached the final photo;

[toomanytoyz]

Andy,

Have you Made any Decision's as to what your Gonna do with the Burb as Far as a Build??

Rick

[68 Stepside]

Dude, did you steal my full sized red metal coleman cooler? I have a mini one, but my full sized one was really stolen

Great pics too....wish I had an in dash 8 track player

[Longhorn Man]

Originally Posted by toomanytoyz

Andy,

Have you Made any Decision's as to what your Gonna do with the Burb as Far as a Build??

Rick

nothing crazy. Right now, I'm trying to get some things straightened out on the longhorn so I can park the burb for the winter, they've been spraying that salt water brine every day for a week here. (for those who don't know, the brine is WAY worse than normal salt)
I HOPE to get the 1/2 ton stuff installed and the 68 nose by spring, along with a tolt column, hopefully a smaller steering wheel too, and white guages. With the 1/2 ton stuff, it'll get lowered.... 2 or 3 in front... 4 or 5 in back... we'll see what happens on that. The chrome rallys pictured above will go on then too... maybe for good, but someday I'd like something bigger... 20's maybe.
I got a full width rear seat thinking it was a short seat (burbs came with either or... depending on if it had 1 back seat or two) I'm going to see if i can bolt that onto a normal seat track, and if so, it'll go in the longhorn, and the buckets/console will go in the burb... maybe one day I'll have them done up in white.
No idea when it'll get painted.... but, I *THINK* it'll stay the original colors... but silver, or black... both of them look VERY tempting.
I'm not doing anything crazy, nor quickly.