About DUB6

DUB6

I think most of the parts were well cast (for the time), but Susan George never did much for me. Not sure who I would have replaced her with (because Sally Field has ruined it for everyone else with her Smokey and The Bandit portrayals) - maybe just some unknown starlet who needed to get out of waitressing for a few months. Muscle cars were certainly on their way out by '74, but their popularity was still strong (kinda still is!), so movies like this were going to do well at the time. I'm glad that films like this were made and will still be viewed by generations who will come after cars like those are long gone. The action may not be a "real view" of how we acted and drove in those days, but it'll display the classic iron and what they were capable of doing.

DUB6

You are so right. I apologize! 😊

DUB6

Man, there are some brilliant people on this forum. I mean, they are sharp! Cutting edge thinking! 😊

DUB6

We could go on and on, I suppose, but the items listed in the article and comments so far are certainly valid ones. A couple of basic "fabrication tools" that are vital, though, and that without them, even the cardboard is only 10% useful: a ruler and a pencil. Now, the commenters can jump on about the various versions of "ruler" and different types of marking devices. But I submit that if you are going to snip, cut, file, bend, drill and otherwise fabricate anything, you need to start with measuring and marking some stuff! 😎

DUB6

@Hacksaw - IMHO, you misidentified those first two guys: you called them "mechanics". 🙄

DUB6

After 50+ years, how many "babied originals" do you think there are out there, realistically? I think SEVEN - and Wayne Carini and Jay Leno own four of those, so good luck finding and buying one of the remaining three! 😋

DUB6

Wish I'd taken my boys on this trip when they were young. 😊

DUB6

Watch closely, there may be some deals coming up based on the Heard/Depp case(s). 😎

DUB6

Great story - great find! It was particularly clever of you to link the "fell-out-of-the-sky" (figuratively) aircraft part with the "fell-into-my-lap" FJ. I didn't see that coming until you actually put it all together for me. Good writing! Those old FJs are indeed cool. I had one way back in my off-roading days. They lend themselves to a myriad of modifications, and it sounds as if you already have envisioned quite a few that will make it a fun project. Congrats on the find (and on the wonderfully adaptive spouse 😊 ). I'm with @Snailish - be sure to take us along on the journey when you start working on it - should be a blast!

DUB6

I don't know why, but I've always liked the notchback version of the Gen 2 Barracuda. The convertible and fastbacks are great - and a HUGE improvement over the Gen 1 cars, but the notchback just speaks to me. So I'm please to see that that would also cost me the least amount of money, should I ever decide to get one.

DUB6

If it's indeed the wheel bearing grease cap, it's a very rare condition, IMHO - as it's typically easier to break into a bank vault than to remove one of those caps. So, my question is, does this cap just push into the hub, or are you having to tap it in (generally requiring a large socket or section of pipe that fits over the cap and transfers your blows to the flange). If you're able to put the cap in without blows, I'd suggest that it's undersized for your hub - could just be a mis-pick from the parts bin at the kit manufacturer. I agree with Swamibob to swap right for left to see about fitment, and you are likely going to find that you just need a replacement cap that is sized correctly!

DUB6

Hey, BMD400, shhhhh! You're admitting things to your insurance carrier! 😂

DUB6

Unless I missed it (amongst all of the excellent input from others), I spotted a comment that raised my antenna: @MickeyB mentions that the Jeep has a "stock Chevrolet" water pump. Depending on age, total hours of run time, water and/or coolant condition , and just plain old quality of the part to begin with, water pumps (or at least the impellers) can wear and ever wear out. This can mean that while they are still circulating water, they may not be doing it quickly enough to sufficiently keep the flow through the engine and radiator to give optimum cooling. Flow rates can be tested (generally best done at a radiator shop). Some pumps can be rebuilt. If not, replacements are relatively inexpensive. Probably best of all (from flow standpoint) is changing to an electric water pump.

DUB6

"The factory shock absorbers are meant for load-carrying and trailer hauling." Because....TRUCK?

DUB6

I'm sorry, did I miss something? I was reading this comment and then I got to the words, "1963 Corvette Slit Window Coupe..." and I must have sorta drifted off. My body was still sitting here at the computer, I guess, but my mind and spirit were out on Route 66 in a red Split Window, rowing through the gears, tooling along with Linda Ronstadt crooning out of the stereo, and an ice cold Coke waiting for me at the next drive-in. I seem to have been out there for quite some time, 'cause when I came to, it was no longer 1966, and I was sitting in a leather recliner instead of a bucket seat. Fill me in on what happened while I was gone, willya? 😋

DUB6

Going to Lotus to buy an SUV is like going to Boeing to buy a couch. If those things don't make sense to you - exactly... 🙄

DUB6

Yes, I was kind of schooled by the local wrap guy who told me that the prep for a good wrap job was almost identical to prep for paint. On the upper surfaces of my pick-up, where the clear coat has flaked off, I'm considering wrapping, but I told him I'd do it in "camo" so as to not have to worry too much about surface imperfections, they'd just disappear into the pattern. He frowned at me, and said, "good luck with that". 😋

DUB6

Tre bon!

DUB6

So what do you do with all those used bolts now? You put them outta work! 😊

DUB6

I logged on for the car stories, but I stayed for the "enrich your word power" lesson! "Estivate, estivate, estivate". There, I've said it three times, it's now mine. And I'm gonna use it, trust me @gyashko. For instance, when I stretch out on a lounger under a tree on some hot summer day after doing chores and nod off, I'm not going to stand for being accused of "taking a nap" - no sir, not me. I'm going to be estivating... 😃

DUB6

Yeah, I can well imagine that the engineers at GM were patting themselves on the back over their contribution to the LeMans victories! 😁

DUB6

Now THAT is a nugget I had NO idea about! Interesting. I "get" the Packard and Cadillac forays - those were luxury brands. But to read that Pontiac - which was pretty much an "everyman's car", trying to find a slot in there at GM between Chevrolet and the more upscale Buicks and Oldsmobiles - to read that they took the bold move of putting in-dash A/C in cars, well that really surprised me. 😲

DUB6

yeah... you know, that long hall-like passageway at the airport, leading to the boarding gates... 😁

DUB6

Sorry, I meant Trans Am, not Can Am!

DUB6

Wasn't the 302 originally developed to run in the Can Am Camaros?

DUB6

I just reread what I wrote about snow last Tuesday (actually, snowed on Monday, but had to clear some off the windshield Tuesday a.m.) - and then I realize that it was 80 degrees here yesterday. Spring lasted about 2 days, obviously, and we're now in the throes of early summer? At-any-rate, yes, I DID take the red car out for a cruise on Sunday and it was fabulous. I even stopped at the Fanci-Freez and got a Cherry Spin. And some Junior High aged kids came over and admired the car, along with some middle-aged folks. The sun was superb, the sky was blue, the spin was delish, and people several generations apart smiled and said, "I like your car" - I believe there is hope for the world after all. 👌 🙏 😊

DUB6

And I enjoyed reading a comment from someone who knows how to spell concours.

DUB6

Well, I think most of us don't call the third way "Restoration" - rather, it's known as "Restomodding". And it's what a TON of people have decided to do - for safety, driveability, reliability, efficiency - lots of reasons. We used to do it back in the '60s and '70s - we just didn't know what to call it! 😀

DUB6

Oh, here we go again, picking on the fake GTOs! 😋

DUB6

I love the choice hose clamp showing on the left! 😆 Seriously, this engine bay is going to be VERY impressive. 👍

DUB6

I stopped and visited with my good pal who is retired Law Enforcement. I thanked him for his time and asked him to again tell me the story of how he ducked his chin just in time so that he only got a 2-inch scar across his chin instead of a slash through his jugular. Then I shook the hand that so many years ago helped me hone my pistol shooting skills, gave him a quick hug, and left him to care for his invalid wife. You don't have to just thank a Peace Officer on May 15. Go ahead and thank one any old day of the year. They'll appreciate it, I'm sure.

DUB6

I rode for 50 years almost exactly to the day, and then I crashed. I had to admit to myself that I didn't have the reflexes I once did, and the crash also reminded me that I broke more easily and didn't heal nearly as quickly than when I was 50 years younger. When I called my wife from the ER, her response was, "time to get rid of the motorcycle". After a little reflection (and a few pain pills to get that first night's sleep), I saw that she was completely right. I had my 50 years of fun on the street. Now I (and the grandkids) ride a minibike around the field at the ranch and as long as I don't forget where the barbed wire fence is, and the gophers don't make a new hole hidden somewhere, I feel pretty safe out there. Do I miss riding the big bike our on a curvy road? Absolutely. Am I sorry I gave it up? Nope - not even a little bit. 😃

DUB6

Today (May 15) is the day we set aside to honor those law enforcement people who've lost their lives or been disabled in the line of duty. Being a peace officer, like most first responder jobs, is pretty much a thankless task. It's remarkable that folks want to do the job - but thank goodness that they do! To the compadres and families of officers who've died or been wounded, I extend my sincerest condolences and respect. To all cops, past, current and future, I extend my gratitude and admiration for what you do for me and everyone, every day. 🚔 🇺🇲 🙂

DUB6

I have a great friend who hails from about 30miles outside Bismark. Longtime family farmers - dad, brothers, cousins, etc. He did leave the farm, and went into law enforcement (as did one brother). A few years ago, when back home for the annual pheasant hunt, he and that brother dragged two T-coupes (one a '27 that we know for sure, not sure about the other). Neglected? You bet. Rusted. Bullet holes. Missing pieces. One of them had a tree growing through it. Borrowed my trailer to haul them home. Today, one of 'em looks like this: The guy is retired law enforcement. He built this in his garage. I went over a helped a few times and gave some advice and lent some tools. But basically, this fellow, who never had any mechanical training and is a self-taught welder, built this thing from the cement floor up. It can be done (even by a Dakotan!). 😊

DUB6

Well yeah, they snagged all of us in...

DUB6

Boattail Rivs are amongst the coolest cars ever. This is what I mean when I long for the days when cars had style, personality, and were akin to works of art. The Buick Design Studio had a lot of home runs, but they shattered the lights on the scoreboard (like in "The Natural") when they drew up that car! 😊

DUB6

Although I'd never get so involved in these levels of "restoration", I do enjoy reading articles about the arcane details that can mean "is it real, or is it Memorex"... And even more fun to me is the thought that some restorers and collectors can keep reams of this type of information in their heads. Personally though, I don't really care about most of this crap. As I remember it, most people I knew who were buying new muscle cars in that era were changing stuff on them almost immediately. Nobody I knew who showed up on the streets on a Friday night in a new Road Runner or Chevelle was worrying about decals on the air cleaners. In fact, most factory air cleaners we replaced with aftermarket stuff on the way home from the dealership. We were Restomodders before the term was even invented! It's fun to read about, but for the 99% of us who just want nice looking, fun-to-drive cars, it's pretty irrelevant in the big scheme. Just like we did in the day, I'm more into "do what you want to make the car more fun, more drivable, more 'you'".

DUB6

Yeah, I built my own home here on the ranch about27 years ago, and the banker NEVER said anything to me about any endless supply of checks. In fact, he kind of hinted that maybe I'd better call him for approval before I wrote any of the handful he gave me!

DUB6

@Tinkerah, yeah, I read your original post right, and then typed my response wrong! I knew what you said, and later after I read my post, I did a Homer Simpson forehead slap. But I think I have a solution for you. Have your attorney contact my attorney and we can get things drawn up so that after you and Mrs. Tinkerah are gone (hopefully MANY years from now), all of the leftover resources and assets (especially the Camaro) go to me. Then you don't have to concern yourself with during through everything during those last days. I'm all about problem-solving! 😉

DUB6

Ther were some good old days at C&D, for sure. But I haven't even picked up a copy in a Doc's office for a long time, let alone subbed. They just lost their way, and just kinda lost me...

DUB6

The hood on my GT-faux (actually a cloned LeMans) is fiberglass (long ago forgot the manufacturer). Now, hardly any of the sheet metal on the car is really all that straight, but the hood was extremely "wavy". And, as the first or second most visible area of the car (especially to the driver), it was just too much to bear. So we sanded. And we primed, and we filled. And we sanded again. And primed again. And we repeated numerous times. And still, just when we thought we had it and applied the base color, the storm would come again and the "waves" would appear. I can't remember for sure, but I think we painted that hood maybe 6 or 8 times. Possibly more - I think I may have blocked out the memory of it all. Metal working on body panels is hard enough. Doing the same on fiberglass is a WHOLE different animal, and VERY much harder. It looks okay (well, the whole car barely looks "okay"), so I guess we won the war. But I'd think twice or thrice before I undertook that again. 🙄

DUB6

For all the folks who are thinking about the "why plan for a future that is uncertain at best, and at worst, that I might not even live long enough to attain?" - just bear in mind that a LOT more of us get to that place than not. If you spend it all now thinking you might not live to use it later, you'd better be right. Yes, some folks die young. But statistically, more folks don't. @Tinkerah said he has a mild fear of outliving his resources. Better that than the other way 'round, man! I've known way too many folks who've not planned for those days when reflexes are slower and pains start up as soon as they turn out of bed and have/are living miserably because they "did it then when they could". I get that we should enjoy what we can when we can. I really do. But there is a great deal of joy in living your latter years with some security, too! All I'm saying is look for balance.

DUB6

Funny, I was just thinking of a different past Packer QB when I read the story, and almost commented before. The one I'm thinking of is Brett Favre. Suppose you'd bought one of his cars and paid a premium right after he won his Super Bowl. Would it have tanked when it was reported that he was texting pictures of his wanker to women other than his wife? How about now, when it's alleged that he is involved in massive fraud? His fame has gone back and forth on the "Why is he famous" graph several times, from the "wow, what a great guy" to "wow, what a big jerk". So my point is, what "fame" giveth to the value of a car, it can also taketh away - better beware! 😊

DUB6

This is spot on. A local gentleman (now gone) had a '58 Biscayne Sedan Delivery. Nice enough car, and relatively rare, but otherwise, not a particular "crowd-drawer". But he would always arrive early for shows, 'cause it took him some time to set up all of the surf and Coca-Cola stuff that he had packed in the back. When he was done, his display was like The Strip in Las Vegas: an eye-catcher for sure! Then, when the show was over, he had to spend all that time in reverse, packing up his stuff (and quite often his "People's Choice" trophy).

DUB6

Everything - but EVERY-darned-THING - is worth what someone will pay you for it. And the world is chocka-block full of people who want something once owned by someone famous. I don't profess to understand why, but it's so. You got the Baby Ruth bar that floated across the pool in Caddy Shack? Someone out there will attach a much higher "value" to it that most of us, count on it. Is it worth it? To the buyer, it obviously is.

DUB6

Wow, let me know when you put that up for auction - Imma gonna bid! 😀

DUB6

Another Pamela Anderson reference!

DUB6

Only if it includes the Gold Record On The Wall...

DUB6

Well, there's "fame" for many reasons - and many levels. And then there's the "Pamela Anderson" reasons and levels. Man, indeed...! 😋

DUB6

Does it come with a tape in the deck of Roy and Buck "Pickin' and Grinnin'"? 'Cause that'd make it worth it to me! 😃