Modern Art ...

[KOWBOY]

Here's the vision:

I've done been thinkin' for quite awhile now that it'd be way friggin' cool to hang an entire Cruiser front-clip on the shop wall ...

all dressed out in OD Green and the big-ass club sticker on the hood.

Sorta spread the word of my intentions and was lookin' for a donor Cruiser ... priced REAL cheap By Gawd. Several months ago, our man Clutchee gave me a call and said he had just the deal for me ... free.

As is ... where is ....

In Jackson, MS of course.

We been talkin' back and forth and had finally decided to just drag one of my trailers down there with The Big Ol' Dodge and fetch 'er back. So much for free ... the Big Ol' Dodge is purdy fond of diesel.

Then last week, I found myself done workin' in Memphis and headin' home ... with the Trusty Ol' Company truck.

... with the camper shell on 'er.

It's a free ride for Gawd's sake ... gotta be a way to get 'er home. So Mr. and Mrs. Clutchee done some very carefull measurin' of the front clip rolleyes: ) ... and I eased on into the Memphis Wally World ... bought me a brand-spankin' new, fancy-ass tape measure ... and done some very carefull measurin' of the openin' of the back of the truck/camper shell rolleyes: ).

Seemed close enuff ... time to head due south.

Rolled into the Clutchee Mansion on Thursday afternoon ... and commenced to do some more measurin' with the new tape ... and sober.

Damn ... it's gonna be close Folks.

What the hell ... rolled 'er into the top-notch, air-conditioned, well-stocked Clutchee Shop ... and commenced to drinkin' ... I mean workin'.

 

[KOWBOY]

Well ... it sure as hell ain't gonna fit like that ... now is it? Gonna have to trim 'er up a bit I reckon.

Didn't have no torch ... didn't have no blades for the sawzall ... but Clutchee had some port-a-band thang that Mrs. Clutchee had picked up at a pawn shop ... with a nice lil' drawin' on it sayin' not to pawn.

Broke the front spring hangers free with the impact gun and beat 'em off. No such luck with the rear mounts ... so we ... (Clutchee) ... just cut the springs right against the mounts with the band thang. Then we ... (Clutchee) ... cut the the steerin' arm thang too ... cut some brake lines ... pulled the shocks ... and lifted the front bumper with the super-deluxe Harbor Freight Engine pullin' Deal so we could roll the front end out.

I really did help ....

some ...

well ... not much. I couldn't really do a helluva lot with the camera in one hand and my beer in the other.

 

[KOWBOY]

Still seemed a bit long to go into the truck ... but thangs was already startin' to get a lil' blurry for me.

I done decided that it was best that I didn't run no power tools at that point ... and since Clutchee appeared to be doin' a damn fine job anyways ... I kept takin' pics ... and drinkin'.

Go, Clutchee, Go!!

 

[TMAN_FJ60]

The man gives you a fine piece of art, and you make him do all the work?























Damn, us Aggies are smart!

 

[KOWBOY]

At this point ... I was startin' to fret just a bit. Just weren't no way Clutchee was gonna get that damn thang into my truck by himself. But I never gave up hope ... or quit drinkin'.

And then like a group of misfit calvary rejects in a s***ty ol' western movie ... none other than Bodean and Choctaw come to the rescue. Gawd I love our lil' White Trash Rednecks ... by the way ... "would ya'll mind handin' me another beer before ya'll start loadin' that damn thang?"

The problem with Bodean is his damn pessimistic attitude. He looked at the Cruiser clip ... looked at the openin' on my truck ... and laughed. The Boy just ain't got no sense of adventure at all. Choctaw at least had the courtesy not to say anythang ... course he couldn't say much since he had a beer can pressed 'gainst his mouth the whole time. Once I got Bodean to slug a few too ... I finally got them Boys to get back to work.

We ... (Clutchee) ... done shortened the damn thang much as I'd let 'im but it did still seem a lil' wide. Hell Boys ... put them beers down a pull one of them fenders off.

No ... the three of ya ain't gonna lift it.

No ... I ain't gonna help.

Don't ya'll want pictures for Mud?

Just hook up the engine pullin' deal and set 'er in the truck.

 

[KOWBOY]

So what if'n it ain't balanced too good.

Just set the front bumper on the tailgate ... and push the damn thang in there.

And would ya'll please pick up the pace some ... it's gettin' dark and ya'll still gotta cook me somethin' to eat ... I've had a hard day.

 

[KOWBOY]

What do ya mean it don't fit?

Hell I done measured it myself.

I think it fits just fine By Gawd ... now get the hell outta my way so I can put a coupla straps on 'er.

Has anybody even lit the friggin' grill yet?

 

[KOWBOY]

hehehe.

 

[KOWBOY]

Don't see no problem at all. Only gotta drive 7 or 8 hours ... ain't like I gotta long ways to go.

[Editor's note: This was absolutely one of the LARGEST times I've had outside of Elwood. Mr. and Mrs. Clutchee were tremendous hosts ... damn nice house, free beer (Coors bought just for me), and a damn-fine meal. Love ya both. Clutchee, Bodean, and Choctaw all busted there ass gettin' this friggin' thang into my truck. Proud to call ya'll friends Boys. Lash showed up too from CottonLand Cruisers. But I didn't mention him since he ain't joined The Movement ... yet.

The drive home Friday went absolutely beautiful. Cruiser didn't move an inch and with 90 pounds in the rear air bags ... it was a wonderfully smooth ride.]

Now ... how in the hell am I gonna get this thang outta here?

Wonder what Josh is doin' this afternoon.

 

[KOWBOY]

Hey Josh ... ya busy today?

Perfect ... come on over ....


and bring your tractor.









Nope, weren't no problem at all gettin' 'er in there ... hardly broke a sweat.

By the way Boy .... you gotta stop lettin' Chinah style your hair. That is ... beyond a shadow of a doubt ... the worst lookin' friggin' mullett I've ever seen.

 

[KOWBOY]

Yep ... just as easy as it went in.

Now let's regroup and throw 'er in the shop.

 

[KOWBOY]

So here we sit.

Modern Art ... just like Modern Rock Crawlers ... has gotta be light.

I'm gonna start strippin' this thang down to a bare shell ... and then some ... so I even got a SMALL chance of actually hangin' 'er on the wall.

Gonna take awhile ... stay tuned.

 

[DHONDAGOD]

man, and i thought it would be cool having a bib/bezel/headlights hangin on the wall at my shop....


you win..



chris

 

[bigcountry]

Hey, kowboy is there anyway I can talk you out of that hood it looks alot straighter than what I've got to work with?

 

[66fj40x2]

man, and i thought it would be cool having a bib/bezel/headlights hangin on the wall at my shop....


you win..



chris

x2

 

[Clutchee]

Seems as thought we did the impossible putting the 40 in a truck/w camper sheel.

TONS of fun was had by all.


Best line of the night was from Lash....

"Hey Kowboy what color you gonna paint the wall art?"..=smack from Kowboy

then a little later....

"what color is your FJ40 Kowboy?"= again another smack from Kowboy

Lash will learn.....:shotts:

 

[cdnroofrack]

I like your work ethic

 

[KOWBOY]

Hey, kowboy is there anyway I can talk you out of that hood it looks alot straighter than what I've got to work with?

no.

 

[DHONDAGOD]

Seems as thought we did the impossible putting the 40 in a truck/w camper sheel.

TONS of fun was had by all.


Best line of the night was from Lash....

"Hey Kowboy what color you gonna paint the wall art?"..=smack from Kowboy

then a little later....

"what color is your FJ40 Kowboy?"= again another smack from Kowboy

Lash will learn.....:shotts:

im gonna go out on a limb here and take a guess.....











































would "white-trash-olive-drab-green" be correct?????


chris

 

[KOWBOY]

And they say Kalifornians are slow thinkers.