Builds Previously known as the 'One Week Resto' now Pathetically keeping it alive... 500k (1 Viewer)

[JohnnyC]

Hey Johnny. It's good to know you're still around.

I didn’t want to become one of those who fell off the planet ... but... life unbeknownst just took me there

 

[65swb45]

Most likely I’ll be not as around as before... but I’ll do my bestest

Hope your well physically and emotionally.. ups and downs most likely ... the downs sucked these last few years

When I can I take out my 69’ Hercules... I mostly ride at our camp in Maine were I picked up a few more three speeds a 71’ Schwinn for my wife to go with her other three speed and another for me ... a 72’ Robin Hood

We have 6 three speeds now

The latest two were given to us because our neighbor thought we would like them since I’m into riding old stuff

You’ll like ... I also got returned our hand build mini guitar that was build by students and I almost 16 years ago

Still strumming?

Yes, I am still strumming. I made and posted a half dozen videos to YouTube tw/o years ago when my mom went into ICU with Covid, and none of us were sure she’d come out again. She did.

Here’s a link to one:

I miss my 3 speed. My dad bought it brand new in 1980 for himself. I restored it for him in 1997, and inherited it two years later when he passed. It was still 9+ clean, and I got several lucrative offers to sell it. Never did, and lost it in the warehouse fire in 2016.

 

[Chungas Revenge]

I didn’t want to become one of those who fell off the planet ... but... life unbeknownst just took me there

It does. I went on my own “Walk about”…I guess it’s just part of the journey..

Blessings JohnnyC.

 

[JohnnyC]

@65swb45 Too bad about the bike ... speedsters are nice... the were the top of their game then. Is it gone gone or in a corner someplace waiting for a rebuild?

The guitar mini is very reminiscent of my skills on the stringed instruments ... sucks lol

Don’t let the looks of the mini fool you it does actually play fairly well ... with it I can make it seem that I know what I’m doing as I weave words into a song ... well 6th graders thinks I sound good and that IS all that maters at the end of my day

You’ll like the string tensioners lol

We had to use non instrument parts for the entire thing ...most other teams made hammer dulcimers and chimes... I think we got second that year in states a hand built sax beat us out looked good struggled with sound ... we should have won

My uke string let go over the summer... forgot to let the tension off before leaving... gets humid in there over summer

Btw nice playing Mark at some point I’ll have to watch your others

 

[Honger]

Really good to see your thread pop back up. I pray your life brings you some blessings amidst the trials.

 

[JohnnyC]

Note to self (because I have been sucking at writing this s*** down lol)

Replaced float needle valve

Kept stalling while driving … did it right at my driveway soooo I shut off engine … came to a stop and tried to see what was up

Instantaneously I knew it was the needle valve because of the fuel poring out of the carb

Set float to 40mm closed and 44.5 mm open

Because we love pictures (at least I do)

 

[JohnnyC]

Finally got some time to fix my flat … at 10pm … my usual time to get stuff done lol

out come the trusty tools... i thought i had all my tubes with at least one patch... but... this one was free of any patches till now

hate patching over the ribs on tubes...usually fails unless you sand down the area a bit... sand sand should be good

 

[65swb45]

You may not want to answer this but…how long was it flat?

 

[JohnnyC]

You may not want to answer this but…how long was it flat?

Just a day... flat when i got out of work Wednesday... deflated while at work, a coworker came in and said "John your truck is hissing, thought it was a snake lol" ... fixed it last night

another reason it was only a day was because my wife was out at her (our) aunts... gives me time to do things around the house

unfortunately her aunt is not doing well and she was going thru things for the kids and my wife and I ... she is one of those really sweet eccentric and artistic people Our difficult time with my farther in law (Parkinson) is a bit more complex for us since his sister (my wife's aunt) now has cancer and is deteriorating... its tough seeing somebody life life to the fullest and now can hardly move... my escape is mud

good thing i was in the garage cleaning up ... had a good space to lay stuff out and clean it... literally there was dust almost as old as my truck

this is a carving she had made ... in 1960

she gave us several carvings and her GI Joe collection lol she had a special thing for guys in uniforms

 

[65swb45]

statue. Cool story.

Whenever I hear/read stuff like this, I think about the closing scene in the Last Samarai where the emporer asks Tom Cruise's character how the Last Samarai died, and Tom Cruise answers: Let me tell you how he lived.

You honor them with your stories.

 

[JohnnyC]

Unfortunately our Aunt Jan has passed away yesterday at 89 … she had a good life and did what she wanted

She leaves us with great memories and little treasures … had wonderful time talking about wood and bringing her scraps that she would then turn into wonderful carvings … “her kids”

She always got a kick when we talked about wood and I would always slip in that my favorite type of wood was … Fire lol

I can make stuff out of plastic … but… never wood like her … she had a great talent

Here are a carving that I have of hers that are the 1st continental light dragoons 1775 … carved from a solid piece of wood

 

[65swb45]

Did you ever get to watch her? She probably made it look easy. People with talent are often like that.

 

[Chungas Revenge]

Unfortunately our Aunt Jan has passed away yesterday at 89 … she had a good life and did what she wanted

She leaves us with great memories and little treasures … had wonderful time talking about wood and bringing her scraps that she would then turn into wonderful carvings … “her kids”

She always got a kick when we talked about wood and I would always slip in that my favorite type of wood was … Fire lol

I can make stuff out of plastic … but… never wood like her … she had a great talent

Here are a carving that I have of hers that are the 1st continental light dragoons 1775 … carved from a solid piece of wood

You were blessed…

 

[JohnnyC]

@65swb45

Yes I did sit at times with her … it was when she was run over by a car lol

I laugh but if you knew her she would laugh as well

She was crossing the road and a van backed up not seeing her behind and rolled on top of her … her response was “I should have walked to the crosswalk” “ I’m sorry to put you in all this trouble … it was my fault”

Well she was laid up for a few months … I would go over and drop off some wood pieces

I think the dragoons were even from one of the pieces I gave her.

I sat with her several times then … she goes really slow lol and talks a lot I think if I weren’t there she would still talk a lot

She would just sit and widdle away… so yeah she made it look easy … she wasn’t really paying attention people would probably think… but I know she was … at the same time as talking to me, listening to a cassette tape practicing her singing (church choir) and fitting in what’s she’s having for dinner

Quite a unique person

@Chungas Revenge … I do feel blessed to have known her

Another unique fact about her … her family has been in the same area (capital region nys) since 1690 when they first came over … Dutch

I think 8 or 9 of the larger foot tall soldiers are now at my school … being used by one of our history teachers

She would love to see that… but during her life she could not part with them… I was also fortunate to be the only one with a piece … a small boxing figures only because she appreciated a lot of work I was doing around her house and helping when I could

 

[65swb45]

To sum it up:

She was a natural.

My father told me when I was a teenager: If you are ever fortunate enough to meet one, you will know it.

 

[JohnnyC]

Well back at the taillight on ps of my 40

Thought that the taillight had a bulb out or possibly rotted away like the last taiwanese… replaced in 14’ then again with another Taiwanese in 20’ …but… it wasn’t the bulb OR the taillight housing (this time) … as I pulled out the assembly and held it in a “now it works angle” I knew a wire was disconnected in the harness …. Booo

Had a new toyota light that I picked up from Kurt and the gang @cruiseroutfit in 20’ still so even though it didn’t need it yet I don’t feel like opening it up for a few years lol

Wire fixed taillight looking good

Thanks Kurt

 

[JohnnyC]

First day of snow

 

[JKIII FJ40]

JohnnyC, its been a pleasure reading your adventures and love to hear your history with the truck over the years. Didn't realize I am not far away at all (up in CP and work in Albany), I haven't had the thought of taking mine out over the a past two winters but after reading your post and realizing its meant to be driven I just may. Let me know and we can meet up for a coffee and chat about cruisers, I would enjoy hearing about the typical things that go wrong. I spent more time building mine then driving it, that's the next phase of my planned adventures.

 

[JohnnyC]

nice to hear there are more near me a get together would be cool

I drive mine because I am not smart enough to learn from my mistakes.... my only car for 30yrs ... cant seem to want to let go with driving it DD yet lol

Salt is a killer for our trucks... mine lasted as long as it has because of the 3/16" tub... but... thats finally on the way out

We had a thread going in Chat ... there are other mudders who are around us as well

 

[JKIII FJ40]

just started that thread after reading this one. Once the holidays are over Ill reach out.