2010 in review...

2010 wasn't the best for me - personally and blog wise - but here a few of the "highlights of the past year...

January:

Jeff Decker sculpture goes missing from Utah HD dealership

Later sculpture is "recovered" at Decker's studio.

Bob Tasca Sr passes.

February:

Quick visit to the Salt Flats Speed Shop

I start the rebuild of Lorraine.

I'm e-plubished on MyRideIsMe dot com.

Fire destroys Jason Graham's shop.

March:

I show up again over at MyRideIsMe.

Pullin' my motor.

April:

A date with Alice.

Hacking up Lorraine.

May:

5 year anniversary!

The teenage years hit.

June:

No Blogs...

July:

More rebuild.

Great show for a great cause!

Larry Watson passes.

August:

Max moves in.

September:

9 year anniversary of 9/11.

October:

Happy Halloween!

November:

Nationally published!

December:

30th Anniversary of John Lennon assassination.

Emerson College looks to go viral.

Christmas twenty-ten...

2010 has been kind of a rough year around here. A lot of time spent on the job hunt. I was worried about Christmas and it being kind of "small".

But as it has came to Christmas Eve I believe it may have been one of the best we've had. Although we don't have anything under the tree we are blessed with great family and friends. Reasonably good health. A nice home. No debt - other than a house payment. Shannon's income. Clean clothes and food to eat.

Some of the best things don't need fancy paper or shiny bows. Merry Christmas everyone...

Emerson College - gaga for Gaga...

30 years...

John Winston Lennon
October 9,1940 – December 8,1980

You'd think...

You'd think with as much time as I've had this year I would have a better blog, maybe written a book, produced a film, cured disease, or something.

But no, I've spent a lot of it on this...

December 1st...

I don't know what is more alarming - another year ending or a new decade starting. Where has the time gone...

6 months...

Or 3 1/2 years - depending on how you look at it. Man, I love this guy...

Over the river and through the woods...

To my childhood house we go.

Yep, Thanksgiving with the WY fam. We left a day early to beat the "blizzard of the decade", which was nothing like they thought it would be. Top 10 of the trip:

1. Drove 11 hrs, because of bad roads only to end up in about -20 weather (probably closer to -40 with the windchill).
2. Ate at Taco John's - a must whenever we are close to one!
3. Spent a couple of days seeing family and friends.
4. A fabulous Thanksgiving feast.
5. Slept too little.
6. Suffered some damage to the car.
7. Watched Max make new friends and go through the anxiety of adjusting to new places.
8. Wildlife watching / spotting.
9. Farson ice cream.
10. Shannon's induction into the Rocky Mtn Oysters eating club.

HP and the Deathly Hallows pt. I

Wow two movies in a week. Are we developing a habit here. Not really - Shannon received premiere passes from here work.

I must say I have never read the books, but I have enjoyed the movies. Now with the end so close I am starting to feel a little sad...



See you in July!

I thought i would never say this again..

I'm getting the pig!

Shannon and I just saw the movie R.E.D.

For me movies are bad right away and never change OR I tend to like them the more I have time to think about them. This movie falls into the latter for me.

I should have know - I mean how can you go wrong with John Malkovich, Bruce Willis, and Morgan Freeman...

3 years, 1 month, 9 days = 1134 days = 27,216 hours = 1,632,960 minutes = 97,977,600 seconds...

This is how long it took me to reach a personal goal I set, and no matter how you look at it it seemed so much longer to me. Probably didn't help that there was a leap year in there...

Yesterday I was able to check one of the bucket list though when I received a text from one of my buddies saying he just saw pictures in a magazine that were mine. Yes that's right my name, and photos, are finally in print. Truth is I have know it was going to happen for awhile - I just couldn't let the cat outta the bag.

So if you feel so inclined go down to your local newsstand and pick up the January 2010 issue of World of Rods magazine and check out a few shots by yours truly in the Speed Week coverage.

5 months old and losing his "onions"...

I've been trying to warn him for weeks, but I fear Max has no idea what is happening today...



Good luck little buddy!

It's a Halloweekend...

And like any good parent ya let the kid dress up...

9 years of 9/11...

Next year I would like to be there...

The fam is growing...

Well we have talked about adoption - just not like this. Say hello to Max...

Well said...

Larry Watson passes...

July 21, 1939 - July 20, 2010

You can read a good write up about him over on Kustomrama.

Hood scoopin'...

Back in December I had a post where I mentioned I was looking for a factory hood scoop for Lorraine. I found a guy on ebay selling one and bought it. As fate would have it it was the same one I "borrowed" the picture of...

"Keep On Rollin"...

“Keep on Rollin” is a Classic Car Show organized to raise money for the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, which is dedicated to curing spinal cord injury. All of the money raised will be donated to the Foundation. It will be held July 17, 2010 at the Brighton Ski Resort. Come out and enjoy the day while supporting a great cause!

When we last left our hero (in your best narrator voice) ...

Yeah it's been a while, but it doesn't mean I haven't done anything. Been working around the house, on the house, and in the garage. Seems like my summer is almost over and I don't feel as I've really accomplished anything. Here's an update on Lorraine...

Removed this lower steering column support:



Removed this homemade steering column bushing:



While the motor was out I decided to switch out the mounts. The good one is on the right:



And after all the machine work assembly began.

NOS from Egge:





Ready to start going back in:



Back in:

Thanks Shannon, Brian, and Lindsey!

I'll post some updated photos in the next few days.

Independence...

Last night we celebrated with fire...



And food...

What...

I have a teenager!?! Happy Birthday Lex!

Wow, 5 years...

Happy Anniversary!

Still dig Jimmy's truck...

Crossmember dismemberment...

One thing I was never really fond of in my F100 was the powersteering rack and crossmember the previous owner installed. Although it seemed to function around town ok I am not sure how it would have handled at higher speeds or long distances.

Another drawback was it was just a POOR fabrication job and looked hideous.

Well with the motor out of the way for the time being I decided to trim a little excess weight off the front end.

Here's what I started with. Forgot to take a shot of the steering column hooked up though:



A little cutting with a sawzall:



Pull it out:



Factory tie-rod back in:



Mocking up a stock steering box:



Some people's fab and bodywork ROCKS!

Dream truck of the week...

Groovy baby! Check out this heavily customized slant cab F100. Not sure where this was taken, but it looks like a '70 plate on the rear.

The truck is chopped (but with stock rear window), shaved, and panel painted. The fenders have been molded and tucked in. The custom bed is finished of by an upholstered cover.

Cougar taillights, side pipes, wide and wider mags, and Firestone meats round out the package.

Throw in your favorite eight track, crank up the 6X9s, and let's cruise...

Happy Easter...

Whether you're thoughts are with the man, the bunny, or just a spring day - enjoy!

"Big Daddy"...

Ed Roth (March 4, 1932 – April 4, 2001)

Mopar Brings Jeep and Ram Truck Concepts to Annual Moab Easter Jeep Safari...

Earlier this month, Chrysler’s Mopar division said it would unveil its annual batch of unique off-road Jeep and Ram truck concepts during the annual Moab Easter Jeep Safari in Utah. With the Safari underway and the covers unwrapped, we now have full details on eight “Moparized” Jeeps and Ram trucks.

The eight vehicles are six one-off image models and two are near-production-ready vehicles. The image vehicles represent Mopar’s best “no holds barred” efforts and include five Jeeps and a Ram Power Wagon. The breakdown of each vehicle at the Moab Safari can be seen here.

The one that really stood out to me is the Nukizer 715 concept whch pays homage to the military-spec Kaiser M-715 truck from the 1960s:



- courtesy trucktrend.com

Not exactly dream "car" of the week...

This week's dream ride is not a car, but a chopper. Jesse James' Sturgis Special. I don't know if it's the springfever getting to me or all the talk about Jesse and Sandra in the tabloids, but this is what's on my mind lately...

Through the looking glass...

I mentioned before I have a closet Alice in Wonderland fetish. It's my favorite of the "classic" Disney cartoon films. Unfortunately Shannon has never shared my enthusiasm over it.

I've been excited every since it was announced that Tim Burton was doing a new Alice movie. It's been in the theaters for a little less than a month and with everything going on we hadn't even made it to see it - until last night. Yep, Shannon took me for a belated birthday, or was it an unbirthday, present?

I just have to say W-O-W this movie is great. If you are an Alice fan, Tim Burton fan, CGI fan, 3D fan, or ALL of these you need to see it if you haven't yet. Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, and Helena Bonham Carter are awesome. I only hope that when this is release, in June according to all the rumors, that it is offered in 3D again...

Foolin' from Hotwheels...

Hotwheels posted this on their site today as a 2011 "sneak preview". I wonder how many people caught onto the joke...

Good lookin' Ford 300/6...

Sounds good too...

All for the sake of progress...

Last night my buddy Brain and I pulled the hood of my F100. As I mentioned before the motor became increasingly week at the end of last summer. Well today Jacob and I pulled it out and after wiping some of the carbon residue off one of the pistons I noticed a little "080" stamped on top. That's right - she's been severely punched out somewhere along the line. So much for the "all original - never gone through" status. Not too sure what the future has in store now...

Dream truck of the week...

Hey this week's dream truck is a cool little slant cab F100 of Gary Egbert's I found on line. I don't know anything about it really other than what is visually apparent.

A mild chop, custom paint and striping, cantered quads and a tube grill.

Just a cool classic push truck...

She's after me lucky charms...

Like I've said before Shannon, as well as her family, are probably the "most Irish proud" people I've ever met. It should have come as no surprise how excited she was she found the Irish coat of arms with my last name on it.

Needless to say she is now convinced I, myself, surely has...



I mean I guess it seems to make sense - I like corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, and fish. Every morning I lather up with Irish Spring. I like the Boston Celtics. And I do enjoy the occasional bowl of Lucky Charms!

Make it a Ruben...

And I'm not talking about the sandwich.

I have to say one of my favorite hot rod artists is Ruben Duran. I have plugged him a couple time on here, and there is a link to his site below. He is just amazing!

About a month ago I saw this piece:

Photoshop fun with Bad Bob's new ride...

Bad Bob recently traded his Model A Coupe for this 1938 Ford pickup:



He mentioned he will be running the Old Crow Speed Shop logo on the doors this year at El Mirage and Bonneville. Naturally I had to mess with the above picture. By combining it with this shot I took in 2008:



I came up with this:



Can't wait to see it on the salt...

Chris Hecht's first generation Scion xB concept...

I drew this up for Chris Hecht so he could see his ideas on paper. It was also used as a short tutorial on the myrideisme website, and can be seen here.

Hosted on Fotki

That'll buff out...

D-A-N-G !!!