Captainkirk's Duster project

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mac daddy mopar said:
Great reading capt.:cheers: brings back alot of good times. kinda doing the same thing with my scamp, and I thought I was the only one that had a talking car:toothy10:
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They all talk.......only certain folks can hear 'em, though............
 
Captainkirk said:
They all talk.......only certain folks can hear 'em, though............
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.....because most folks don't take the time to listen.
Your car knows who it is.
You just have to let it tell you.
Sometimes it's a whisper. Sometimes it's a shout. Some cars are female; some male. But they all have a gender, a personality, and a name waiting for you to discover.
Grab a cold one, sit in silence. (OK; sometimes a little Springsteen or Jan & Dean, etc doesn't hurt!) Stare at your car. Ponder, reflect, then ask. You may not get an answer right away, but you will get one-unless you have zero imagination.
And you wouldn't wanna be accused of that, now would ya?8)

The Duke.jpg
 
Captainkirk said:
.....because most folks don't take the time to listen.
Your car knows who it is.
You just have to let it tell you.
Sometimes it's a whisper. Sometimes it's a shout. Some cars are female; some male. But they all have a gender, a personality, and a name waiting for you to discover.
Grab a cold one, sit in silence. (OK; sometimes a little Springsteen or Jan & Dean, etc doesn't hurt!) Stare at your car. Ponder, reflect, then ask. You may not get an answer right away, but you will get one-unless you have zero imagination.
And you wouldn't wanna be accused of that, now would ya?8)
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I have two boys and a girl. Their names would be something like Damn-it, Jesus Christ, and Not again.
 
No progress to report......my evenings have been jealously kidnapped by customer's motorcycles and a house that needs my attention....but I am planning one last assault before summer's end, to reach my goal of having the bottom side of this thing painted before the snow flies. If I can accomplish that much, I'll say it's been a damn good summer!!:love7:
 
You've been too quiet . . . sounds like a mild burnout . . . and here I'm gettin closer to starting . . . I'll need ya to answer questions Cap', you be the grand pooba of R&R (rust and reclamation!) Rog
 
Well Captainkirk It has been a long while for me to jump in and make a post
here at this thread.
I have been so cought up in my own life and I thought it was time to let you
know I have just got up to date.
It has been like a whirl wind around me, Some no good rustlers came to my old home place and stole my 440 and a 360 not long ago.
Well I mounted Victoria and headed out to find my motors and found them booth at our scrap yard, I have them with me know and well guarded.
I am sure you have met my new lady in my life.
I am awaiting your next move and hope all is well at home.
I still have some things to do here at my new home on the hill but I am so
restless about Victoria I can not focus on the house.
Some time a got kidnapping is a good thing.

Still here and leaning capt.:read2:
 
Popdart said:
You've been too quiet . . . sounds like a mild burnout . . . and here I'm gettin closer to starting . . . I'll need ya to answer questions Cap', you be the grand pooba of R&R (rust and reclamation!) Rog
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Nahhhh, not really burnout.........just some of the wind taken out of the sails since my "vacation". This IS the weekend, you know. Normandy? Anzio? The boats are loaded and the troops are ready. I'll send word of the attack later this weekend. Don't give up on me boys, I've still got plenty of ammo.........:-D
 
memike said:
Well Captainkirk It has been a long while for me to jump in and make a post
here at this thread.
I have been so cought up in my own life and I thought it was time to let you
know I have just got up to date.
It has been like a whirl wind around me, Some no good rustlers came to my old home place and stole my 440 and a 360 not long ago.
Well I mounted Victoria and headed out to find my motors and found them booth at our scrap yard, I have them with me know and well guarded.
I am sure you have met my new lady in my life.
I am awaiting your next move and hope all is well at home.
I still have some things to do here at my new home on the hill but I am so
restless about Victoria I can not focus on the house.
Some time a got kidnapping is a good thing.

Still here and leaning capt.:read2:
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Mike, glad to hear you liberated the hostages. And I hope you hung the horse thieves!!!:elmer:
 
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and everywhere else, too.
Hey Cap'n, reading this post brings back a lot of memories of working on my own cars, my 72 Duster that reality made me decide to sell last month, after owning it for 20+ years, and the 69 Valiant 100 I have now. The Duster is in good hands, bought by a 20 something young guy who also happens to be a body man, and has that 20 year old energy and ambition!
The Valiant progresses slowly, but I remember going through the sanding/grinding/wire brush thing under both of them. I came out from underneath with a face that looked a lot like Al Jolsen doing Mammy! Those rust flakes and dirt sure find their way everywhere, don't they? Can't do your lungs any good!
Since I messed up my rotator cuff and can't work right now, I have plenty of time to surf, and doing so is keeping me sane right now. Looking forward to more of your adventures, and getting back to my own!
Warp Speed, Sulu! LOL!
alan627b
 
I just read this entire thing. Took me all day, off and on. I can say all day cuz I'm in Switzerland and here it's the end of the day. Keep up the good work Captain. You're certainly an inspiration to those of us just beginning. I too am on the five year plan and the route you are taking with the underside has inspired me to do just the same. Difference with me is I will only be working on it when I'm back stateside visiting. My goal is to have it back running, not completely finished but running, and safely, by the time I move back to Michigan. I too have a lot of work but it can be done. Thanks for your writings and keep on keeping on!
 
"I just read this entire thing."
Oooooh, you are a brave one! That's a lot of words to swallow at one time!!
"Took me all day, off and on."
Well, that doesn't surprise me!
"I too am on the five year plan and the route you are taking with the underside has inspired me to do just the same."
Well, it's the hard way, but the only RIGHT way to do it.[/COLOR
"Thanks for your writings and keep on keeping on!"
Thanks for READING! And good luck on your project!!

:-D :toothy10: :-D :toothy10:
 
"Those rust flakes and dirt sure find their way everywhere, don't they? Can't do your lungs any good!"

Yeah......you just said a mouthful, there!!:-D
 
And so, Captain...how did the assault go? you may be asking about now....
Well, let's just say D-Day was postponed a little bit.
"Things" happened.
But we're not finished yet. And hopefully soon, I'll have some new pictures for all of you that will show that, yes, this summer was worthwhile!!
 
Big Jake - "Dead? Next man says that to me I'm gonna shoot. So help me."

there's the Cap'n . . . . . glad yer still with us!

Yes you have got allot done, I for one am impressed.

Winter's comin fast, time to get ready here in the northern midwest . . . what are your winter plans Cap'n?
 
OK new to this story as of 9/27/08. Spent the last hour enjoying the first page, unfortunately, it's time to go to a movie my wife and daughter want to see. I'd rather stay and read on, but don't tell them . . . :-D
 
Popdart said:
Big Jake - "Dead? Next man says that to me I'm gonna shoot. So help me."

there's the Cap'n . . . . . glad yer still with us!

Yes you have got allot done, I for one am impressed.

Winter's comin fast, time to get ready here in the northern midwest . . . what are your winter plans Cap'n?
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Keep on pluggin' til it's too damn cold to plug....
then do a bit of amusing writing to warm the soul.......
play some blues guitar. Lots.
Shoot a deer or two.
Miss my boy (in the army!!)
Wait for the Robins Of Spring!!
 
Joe Mc said:
OK new to this story as of 9/27/08. Spent the last hour enjoying the first page, unfortunately, it's time to go to a movie my wife and daughter want to see. I'd rather stay and read on, but don't tell them . . . :-D
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By golly, that movie w/ wifey & daughter is mighty important....don't let THAT opportunity slip by!!
This ol' thread will always be around.
Your daughter won't always be young.
Spend the time & relish it.
Read my drivel when you have the time. Family first. God Bless America!!
 
Started reading this a few days ago (Fri / Sat?) I just finished reading page #6, #201 and have to take a break. Writing down #202 on the note pad by my MAC, as a "book marker", it's Sunday 10/28/08 noonish and my wife is asking me "are you going to spend all day in there"? Although, I'd love to continue I believe I've chosen a good point to stop at. Till later today anyway.:-D

Capt'n, you and your story have hit a nerve with me, my "project" - "Dusty", recently renamed "The Freddie Flintstone Mobile", due to the last time I rolled it out of the garage to remove the interior and see what I had left of floors - of course the new name tells that tale, has been sitting in the garage since summer of 2000. The back end is covered in tarps and doubles as my quasi temp storage of tools not put away yet and whatnot, the interior is full of the removed bench seat/rear seat and god knows what else, while the front end, devoid of fenders, grill, bumper with only the hood remaining, doubles as my wife's storage area for - her junk.

I can relate, a bit of why & tidbit of my story. A friend of mine (Reo) bought Dusty back in 78, in mid 79 Reo, now married some 4 or 5 months, wife a few months pregnant, new job at the local steel mill (Fairless Hills Steel, Tullytown, PA), was killed - I won't go into how - but none-the-less taken from everyone at the ripe age of 20, son not even born yet. I purchased the car from his widow, pre-birth of Reo Jr. with the intentions of keeping it forever in remembrance of our "Glory Days" and brother lost too young. I drove it and so forth till I sold it to a Navy buddy in 86, and was fortunate enough to talk him into selling it back to me in 95. It hasn't seen the road, leave for being towed from one garage to another, and not breathed the fire from within since 88 or 89? I've been motivated by your story - thus-far - to do something to re-kindle the cold ashes beneath the hood.

But, I must first finish your story first. Realizing that I started reading your novel years after it began and "for all I know" isn't yet finished. It's the kind of story that you want to get to the end of, hoping it never comes, yet patiently enjoy the journey - savoring every chapter.

Keep up the great story!!!
 
Keep up the great story!!!

Well, taking an optimist's point of view, the story won't be finished until the car is. So, we have a ways to go yet!
 
OK Cap'n. I've finished reading up to the present. Wondering how you & "The Duke" are? It's funny every time I go into the garage I could swear I hear "Dusty" saying, "hey Joe, you know I'm just a waitin on ya?" I give the quarter panel a little rub and say "I hear ya".

I'm "sort of" looking for a donor car to get a "full floor" from before I do anything, because you know when you open the can - the worms just crawl out from every possible place that you didn't think of. I know the toe boards are rusty and show a few small holes on the pass side so I'm hoping to find a whole donor car, just for those worms that will undoubtedly crawl out into plain view once I get started.

Oh the movie wasn't that good, but the time spent with wife and daughter . . . priceless. Daughter is 17, and as you said "she won't be young forever". In fact she'll be going to college next year, and I'll be in the poor house telling "Dusty", "just hold on there". Hopefully not for too many years though.

Keep the story comin Cap'.
 
Captain, i appreciate and enjoyed your novel. Just finished reading it all. I can somewhat relate, im still young 28 but ive had mostly mopar a-bodies since ive been able to drive. I respect that you have kept your car all these years. Ive had to let mine go for one reason or another. Ive got a dart for about two years now, and its a project, something for me and my boys to work on. Its my daily driver and i enjoy being able to drive it every day. Im at the point in my life now where you once were, married with two kids, and trying to buy a house and relocate thr first of next year. I was trying to sell it but can't bring myself to part with it. Im glad i didn't especially after reading your post.So i dont have the money to put into the dart right now. I just do little things here and there, mainly to keep it going. I put new upper control arm bushings on it today and cleaned and painted the control arms, only cost me about 10 bucks and i had the paint and cleaner at the house so it was something i could afford to do. It made me feel good just to work on it and make some improvements on it. I took my family to the local burger king for a free car show last weekend and when we pulled up to park my oldest son asked me why didn't i park with the other old cars, and i said to him when its nice we will. He said to me your car is nice, that was a priceless moment, to my boys this car is like a hemi cuda or something just because its ours. It doesn't matter if its in primer to them they still think its cool and like helping me work on it. Just wanted to thank you for sharing your story and wish you well on The Duke!
 
Thanks to you newcomers to the story for reading it. You don't know how much I appreciate it!
I wish I had more to add (something exciting, or whatever!) but right now I'm in a "dead zone" and haven't been able to touch Ol' Duke for several weeks. It's just the way things go sometimes, but I'm really OK with it due to the volume of work I feel I accomplished over the summer. I haven't thrown in the towel......yet......for the season, but if nothing else gets accomplished this year, it'll have been a good run.
I didn't start out to write a novel....really. I just started spewing memories and got egged on by a few troublemakers laying a guilt trip on me!8)
Anyway, glad you enjoyed it!!
Stick around for the ending. I can't wait to read it myself.
 
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