Howdy folks. It was a rough weekend. The chieftain made the drive up to PA with no problem, handled the wedding and all its duties well, but on the drive home last night it broke down on I-78 about 15 miles outside of my folk's home town. I towed it back to the hometown garage, and drove home with my wife in the T/A. (thankfully, she was right behind me when the Chief stopped). I haven't heard from the garage yet, but I think it might be the fuel pump. I don't know when they can fix it, or when I'll be able to go back up and get it. I'm pretty bummed out about it, but it could have been a lot worse, and I know it's in good hands.

F.

With only 3 days to go before I have to leave for the wedding, I'm still waiting for the seat upholstery kits to arrive. I should have them wednsday, giving me just about 24 hours to install them. In the meantime, I'll get the burlap, foam and padding on the frames. The new carpet is already in the car, and new turnsignal switch and brakelight switch are installed, so all the lights work for the first time in 11 years. (oh yeah, the floor is patched too.) I accidentally reversed the wiper arms, so I'll switch them tonight before I continue on the seats. All in all the Chief is looking good, the new back bumper is on, and so is the tail pipe, the trunk has a new coat of rubber undercoating and sealant, and the exhaust has been patched. If I have enough time I might even hook up the lighted hood ornament. Time is against me, but the last minute thrash really makes you feel alive. Pics to come in the next few days. Didn't even start on the cleaning of the Chief and the T/A.

F.

Howdy folks.

This past weekend I was working on the big chief. A bolt had rounded off on the waterneck, and I was able to get it off to replace the thermostat, hopefully to relieve an overheating problem. It was still runnning a little hot, so we are going to check the timing and vacuum this weekend. After working on the the Chief, I took the T/A out for a drive. Well, ther was a problem. Clutch felt funny, a terrible grouwling noise was coming from the trans at stops, and it eventually stalled out. Long story short, $2000 in repairs. Still haven't gotten the car back, should get it today.
Wait, it gets worse.
Sunday, I started to replace the interior of the Chief with a kit I purchased in May. It was supposed to be the seat upholstery, with padding and pletes, should be an easy, presewn install. I kept it in the shipping plastic to keep it clean and untorn, just checked the shipping order and receipt. I opened it and rolled it out.
8 yards of uncut, raw fabric.
Now I have to wait at least three weeks for the kit to be sent to me. The Chief needs to be ready for a wedding by mid Nov. It will be close but I might be able to make it.
Until next time,
F.

howdy folks,

I'm looking for an old van for both a road trip and for tailgating. Ideally, I'd like to get a Ford with windows all around, either the early falcon/econoline style from the early to mid 60's to the Econoline/clubwagon from the late 60's to 1976. i've got two cars I'd be willing to trade, an 87 T/A and a 66 bonneville 2 door. Both need work but are solid. I'll have pics of them later, as I'll be selling them if there is no trade. I'm surprised at how difficult it is to find these vans, and any information as to where to look from my fellow motortopians would be appreciated.
Thanks!

F.

Howdy folks.

I'm back from the Keys, no problems with the T/a, and even got to take it onto the beach at Daytona for a spin. Glad I want when I did and avoided the storms. I got a second artcle published in Shiftpoint magazine, and even made it into the masthead. With all the traveling I've done lately, however, I've been behind in my other work and projects, but as I catch up, I'll let you guys know. Currently, the Chieftain is the automotive priority, and I'll be working on it some more soon, but it did get a top 20 award at a local show this weekend. The other writing project is to get my children's book finished and out there. Again, i'll post something when I have more news. Summer is going fast, and fall is not too far away, and weekends are filling up, enjoy the cruising weather while it lasts.

F

Howdy folks.

I'm preparing to leave for my road trip to the Florida Keys. We'll be heading down to Tybee Island (just off of Savanna) and then head down to Key Largo, with a day in Key West sometime next week. We'll be going past Daytona, and I'll try and take the T/A on the beach. We might have dinner in Miami before we get to Key Largo. I have a ton of prep work to do tonight, cleaning and waxing the car, taking a few tools and packing spare turn signal bulbs. I hope to have some cool pics to share.

F.

I finally got published in a magazine! I've been working with a local magazine, and an article that I wrote for alocal show is being published in this month's issue of Shiftpoint magazine. This has been something I've worked toward since I was a kid in high school, and hopefully something I can continue with.

Howdy folks,

Sorry I haven't given an update to everyone, but summer is a busy time. I've been submitting alot of writing to a local car magazine, and am trying to get published. Not sure how its going, but I keep trying. The T/A is driving well, but with gas the way it is, it isn't driven much. This just means I keep it clean, and really enjoy when I get a chance to take it out. The big thing I'm doing right now is the continuing work on the Chieftain. As you 've seen, I finally got pics of it up to share, as well as some shots of it out at cruises. I've taken it out a lot, but right now it tends to overheat, so I won't be out much until that's resolved. some recent projects for the Chief are new seat upholstery, patching some holes in the floor, some updates to the wiring, and the repair and painting of some trim pieces.

A quick funny story, I took the Chieftain to a show, and it won a people's choice trophy. This is the first trophy I've ever won in anything and was excited to claim it, only it was stolen by someone who didn't win. The show people said they will send me a replacement. Oh well.
The picture a ttatched is from the show, and is the "mayor" who owns the mansion where the show was held.

This past Sunday was the Bull Run Streetrods inc. Show. It usually is the first show of the season here in Northern Va., and is put on by my car club. It was the first one I was part of since joining, and it also was the first show I got to take the Chieftain to since I got it back on the road. My job was to direct traffic into the show, so I didn't get to take pictures, or look around too much, but I got to see all the cars running as they motored in. This was much more fun for me, as I'd rather see them in motion than just sitting in a lot with a bunch of lawnchairs around. This is why the Bandit Run, Power Tour, and Last Cruise is so much fun, and why I like those events so much. It's spring time, go out and drive!

The spring Carlisle swap meet went well. I went up on friday morning, leaving northern VA about 8:30, and arriving up there about 11 or so. I actually could have left with a car, for my nephew, but couldn't get a hold of my sister and brother- in- law to give them the details. Oh well, there's always next time. I did see a very low mile 81 t/A from a museum. Amazingly clean, perfect paint, and way more than I could afford. I got some great leads for parts for my chieftain, as well as ideas. So even though I didn't spend much at the show( I got a new Mr. Roadster air cleaner and a bee hive coil cover) it wasn't a wasted trip. Truthfully, I actually find more parts on ebay, and they are labeled better. Most of the time the guys at the show don't have any idea what the part they have will work with, or even what it's off of, but next time I'll have all the specifics on my car with me, and I'll be able to hunt out the parts for myself. I didn't spend much time in the car corral, but there were a lot of cool cars, and the prices actually seemed to have some own a little. I'll probably skip the GM show and fall Carlisle, but I'm going to try to go to the Hershey show.

After a week of phone calls, I finally got the insurance company to pay for the repairs to my wife's car. We'll probably get it fixed in the next couple of weeks, whenever we can spare it. Meanwhile, I got the water pump reinstalle dinto the chieftain, and put the radiator and everything else back in, plus installed new spark plug wires. I never realized how much trouble getting them in would be. I got it all together, and took it out for a fun drive on tuesday, with it purring along nicely. I'm going to Carlisle on friday, so I'm looking forward to that. I'm like a kid before christmas here at work.

Last friday I was hit in a parking lot while leaving a drive through. The other driver was driving a huge full-size dodge pickup, and backed out of his space without looking and hit me in my rear passenger side quarter panel and bumper. He then acted like it was my fault, which angered me even more. There was no way he looked behind him, and could not have been watching where he was going. I have a major problem with people who do not know how to drive the vehicles they own. They go from driving little hondas to titanic SUVs and have no idea how to park, turn, merge or handle the vehicle. He reported to his insurance that it wasn't his fault, but finally yesterday they accepted responsibility, and the car will be fixed. I was driving my wife's 98 ford escort ZX2, our grocery getter. It's been a good car, and I'm glad it will be fixed, because there was no way we could replace it with the money they were going to give us, because despite the age and miles, it was in excellent shape. Obviously, I didn't work on the Chief, but will be getting it back running this weekend. Thank God I didn't take it or the T/A to the drivethrough!

Howdy. This past saturday I worked on the Chieftain, but felt terrible. I started to come down with a cold, but was able to continue with the painting of the engine bay and radiator, prepping it for the install. I really wanted to get the water pump in, but ran out of energy. I did manage to go down to the burger king for the regular cruise, taking the T/A. I was supposed to meet up with a guy who had a good used bumper for the Chieftain. When I got there and saw it, I bought it immediately. A good driver quality bumper, with good chrome. The tricky part was easing it into the T/A without tearing up the interior, but I got it home with no drama. Now I have another part to install on the to do list. This weekend we are having company, so I don't think I'll get much done, but I'll try to get the water pump on, perhaps tonight or friday night.

I worked on the Chieftain on saturday, and got my first welding lesson fixing a bracket for the generator. I removed the radiator, shroud, fan and pulley, and then the waterpump. I cleaned the block and painted it, cleaning and painting the shroud, fan and pulley as well as assorted bolts and brackets. Hopefully after work this week I'll be able to get more done. The radiator was cleaned and sealed not too long ago, so a good exterior cleaning and paint and it will go back in with new hoses. I'll be ordering the interior kit for the seats this week, so I need to get the floors taken care of soon as well. The car is getting to a point of detail and restoration I never thought it would get to, and soon I'll be able to mildly hot rod it, and that was the ultimate goal from the start.

Saturday I was able to take the radiator out of the Chieftain, and get it ready to be cleaned and sealed. I also took out the fan shroud, fan and pulley and painted all three. I did some painting on the firewall, and some touch up on the engine, and started to get the new spark plug wires ready. I'm hoping to get the cap, rotor, points and plug wires and water pump installed this week, and get the radiator to the shop as well. This weekend I'll be working on fixing some holes in the exhaust.

On a sad note, I won't be able to go to the Bandit Run this year. I'll be out of town, going to Denver, while everyone is heading down to Atlanta. I was trying to at least go to one stop, but now it won't happen. So I'll be looking forward to seeing all the pictures from it this year from all the Bandit Runners.

This past Saturday I took the Chieftain out for a spin to the coffee shop a few blocks from my house. It was the first time out on a road in a few years other than once around the block. It ran so well, I took it out to run a few errands around town. Afterwards, I took it home and gave it a good washing. Feeling brave, I took it down to Manassas, a 50 mile round trip to hang out at the Burger King down there where my car club meets. It was the first time any of the members saw the car. Unfortunately, the water pump started to leak, and by the time I got it home it was flowing out the bottom pretty bad. But on the bright side, it didn't let go completely, and I got it home. I ordered a new one from Kanter and should have it soon. It just felt so good to drive it a bit. I really missed that.

F.

Howdy. I'll be going to the Spring Carlisle swap meet on the 25th of April. The swap meet is in Carlisle PA and runs from the 23rd to the 27th. I wasn't sure if any of the Bandit Runners or fellow Motortopians would be going, but if so, I'd like to meet up with you, just let me know. I'll be looking mostly for parts and tools for my '52 Chieftain.

An update on the Chieftain. This past Sunday I took it for a drive around the block. This was the first time it moved under its own power in over 2 years. I'm happy to say the brake work I did was done right, as it stopped without drama. This weekend, if i can get a few things checked out, I might drive it Saturday morning to go get coffee. Hey, I dream big.

We had some decent weather this past weekend, and I was able to work a bit on the Chieftain. I ordered a new belt for it, cleaned up the inside and got it ready for some patch work on the floors. I also sent in for a fabric sample for the seats, and should get them some time this week. I am leaning toward black or dark grey velor. It should go well with the red exterior. Sunday I changed the oil and filled the radiator. I started it up and it ran well, but that darn belt sounded terrible. I can't wait until it arrives on wednsday. The weather should be good this upcoming weekend, and I hope to replace the belt and some of the electrical parts I've been hording for some time. If all goes well, I might get to drive it on the 16th for the first time in 3 years.

This Sunday the 52 chieftain finally started! Saturday was spent making the final adjustments to the brakes, and replacing the solenoid, spark plugs, and reconnecting the battery, generator, starter and some wires under the dash. It was warm Saturday, but the big Chief didn't kick over. The battery wasn't charged enough, so I placed it on the charger and let it charge overnight. Sunday was still relatively warm, and after hooking up the battery and shooting some starting fluid in the carb, it fired right up. There was major noise coming from the belt, so a new one will be picked up, and I have several parts to go on the car still, like new plug wires, voltage regulator, cap, rotor and points, but at least I know it will start right now, and can move it if need be. It's freezing out now, so not much will get done until it warms up, but the sound of that straight 8 humming will keep me going until spring.

I'm looking for Vintage speed parts for my 1952 Pontiac Chieftain straight eight. I've heard that there were speed parts made specifically for them ( split maifolds, aluminum heads and such), but have come up with nothing. If anyone has any or knows where to get them, let me know and I will buy them!
Thanks for looking!

This weekend the weather up here in the D.C. area was in the 50's and I was able to finish the brakes on the 52. I took the T/A out for a drive on Saturday, the first time it went out in almost a month, and of course, I got stuck behind a truck, and a stone cracked my windshield. These big trucks need to cover their loads better, as replacing my windshield will take money away from the Chieftain. But I can't dwell on that. Sunday was a great day, and the brakes were bled and all the hoses and couplings tightened. I even got the front end adjusted and tie rods replaced, as well as some stabilizers. Overall, the front end looks good, I now have firm brakes, and the ride stance looks really good. The weather is supposed to remain fairly warm the rest of this week, and into the weekend, so I might get to some of the electrical work as well. Starting the car seems to be getting closer and closer, perhaps as soon as this weekend, but I'm not going to count on it. I'll be ordering the carpet and seat stuff soon, and generally cleaning up all the parts to go on the car. At least now with the brakes and front end down I can cross off two of the biggest tasks off the list.

Howdy!

My nephew is going to be 16 soon, and has asked me for help in finding his first car. He's into old cars, mostly muscle cars, and wants to get something he can work on. He has two limitations so far from his father: It has to be able to fit into the garage, and it has to be a four door. His dad wants him to get a 4 door nova like he had, but I'm wondering if I should try to convince him to get a two door, but with a 6 cylinder. Kevin ( the Dad) is convinced that the kid will kill himself with a V8, and thinks the insurance will be too much. My sister, (the Mom) works for an auto insurance agency, and knows that it actually wouldn't be too bad. I've found some nice 4 doors, both novas and tempests, and even a few really cool wagons that would still fit into the garage (it's a converted carriage house, so the doors are a little narrow and it isn't too deep.) I'm mostly concerned that the kid would be throwing money away. If he's going to put money into a car, the value should go up, and it will be money better spent on a two door. however, the 4 doors are in better condition and at a lower price than the two. This is the predicament. Our over all theory is that since he will be working on it himself, he will take better car of the car and be a more conciencious driver, so he should be able to handle more power. ( I know he'll do a few dumb things, I was a teenage hot rodder too!) what are your thoughts?