Thank you DJ, We have a barnes and nobel in town and I will snag everyone of them up and send two to Leanna so she can send one back sighned to me of course \\
/
May Auto Enthusiast Women of Mopar
- Thread starter 412 Stroker
- Start date
-
Thank you DJ, We have a barnes and nobel in town and I will snag everyone of them up and send two to Leanna so she can send one back sighned to me of course \\
/
... don't buy the April 2011 issue of Auto Enthusiast.
I just drove 26 miles to my nearest CVS Pharmacy and was delighted to see Auto Enthusiast on the magazine aisle even out here in the boonies. Paging quickly to 116, it's an ad. ??? Going back to the title page, I see fellow FABO member Carrie Wilson's 5-page article on her sweet yellow Duster.
Apparently I'm in the MAY 2011 issue???
DJV, what's up? Can you please call me, or at least tell me about what day your magazines hit the shelf on a given month? I can't afford to take time away from my shop to drive to Dresden every few days to check and their employees had "never heard of it" when I called in advance to ask if they carried it.
Talk about a cruel April Fool's joke.
I just drove 26 miles to my nearest CVS Pharmacy and was delighted to see Auto Enthusiast on the magazine aisle even out here in the boonies. Paging quickly to 116, it's an ad. ??? Going back to the title page, I see fellow FABO member Carrie Wilson's 5-page article on her sweet yellow Duster.
Apparently I'm in the MAY 2011 issue???
DJV, what's up? Can you please call me, or at least tell me about what day your magazines hit the shelf on a given month? I can't afford to take time away from my shop to drive to Dresden every few days to check and their employees had "never heard of it" when I called in advance to ask if they carried it.
Talk about a cruel April Fool's joke.
Snake
Mopar Nut
Very good girl.You the Chick.:blob6:
66cuda
2011Armada K of C 1st PL
CONGRATS to YOU Leanna...both you and the car LOOK AWESOME!!! That being said....
I am a lil past disappointed that they didn't have more pictures of you and the car!! Looks like they "Cheesed out" and just used the pics from FABO...I thought these guys had a budget and a National following?
ALSO...WHERE IS THE MENTION OF YOUR COMPANY? You are FAR MORE than JUST a MOPAR CHICK that flashes leg STANDING NEXT TO THEM..... YOU MAKE OTHER MOPARS LOOK GOOD!!!! that kicks it up a notch or three..... YOU dont just stand NEXT Mopars or JUST OWN ONE cuz you bought it done!!! YOU WORK ON THEM....LOTS OF THEM!!!! AND THAT MAKES YOU WAY DIFFERENT!!! and a cut above!!!!
SORRY TO RANT but it kinda pisses me off when people /articles MISS COMPLETELY that you are more than just a pretty face ( with great legs & stuff & stuff) YOU ACTUALLY do the work on the car......WHERE WAS that lil factoid???..... you also do work on OTHER MOPARS that have won prizes... OOPS another significant FACT totally missed!! OH and you just happen to own a business that does some of the finest and most difficult powder coating available ANYWHERE!! WHOOPSIE Mr. Magazine DOODE you missed another one!! Glad you aint no brain surgeon in mY TOWN!! MAYBE you should watch a few episodes from the OLD DRAGNET series...."JUST THE FACTS MA'AM, JUST THE FACTS!!!!!" and you might get a clue!! You freekin MISSED 80% of the significant stuff and just focused on the pretty face ( and great legs & stuff & stuff & stuff) which aint BAD as far as focus points go .....just crummy journalism for those of us that LOOK to mags like yours to find people like Leanna and WHAT SHE CAN DO!!!!
Mr. Magazine doode... ya only got PART of it right and ya missed so much and ya caused your readers to miss so much......THAT WAS LAME!!! YOU NEED TO DO ANOTHER ARTICLE THAT DIRECTS FOCUS TO THE WOMEN THAT WORK ON THEIR OWN CARS AND WORK ON OTHER PEOPLES CARS AND HAVE A BUSINESS THAT CONTRIBUTES TO THE RESTORATION INITIATIVES..... THEN you might gain some journalistic integrity among your readers ( and those of us that BUY your rag)
I am a lil past disappointed that they didn't have more pictures of you and the car!! Looks like they "Cheesed out" and just used the pics from FABO...I thought these guys had a budget and a National following?
ALSO...WHERE IS THE MENTION OF YOUR COMPANY? You are FAR MORE than JUST a MOPAR CHICK that flashes leg STANDING NEXT TO THEM..... YOU MAKE OTHER MOPARS LOOK GOOD!!!! that kicks it up a notch or three..... YOU dont just stand NEXT Mopars or JUST OWN ONE cuz you bought it done!!! YOU WORK ON THEM....LOTS OF THEM!!!! AND THAT MAKES YOU WAY DIFFERENT!!! and a cut above!!!!
SORRY TO RANT but it kinda pisses me off when people /articles MISS COMPLETELY that you are more than just a pretty face ( with great legs & stuff & stuff) YOU ACTUALLY do the work on the car......WHERE WAS that lil factoid???..... you also do work on OTHER MOPARS that have won prizes... OOPS another significant FACT totally missed!! OH and you just happen to own a business that does some of the finest and most difficult powder coating available ANYWHERE!! WHOOPSIE Mr. Magazine DOODE you missed another one!! Glad you aint no brain surgeon in mY TOWN!! MAYBE you should watch a few episodes from the OLD DRAGNET series...."JUST THE FACTS MA'AM, JUST THE FACTS!!!!!" and you might get a clue!! You freekin MISSED 80% of the significant stuff and just focused on the pretty face ( and great legs & stuff & stuff & stuff) which aint BAD as far as focus points go .....just crummy journalism for those of us that LOOK to mags like yours to find people like Leanna and WHAT SHE CAN DO!!!!
Mr. Magazine doode... ya only got PART of it right and ya missed so much and ya caused your readers to miss so much......THAT WAS LAME!!! YOU NEED TO DO ANOTHER ARTICLE THAT DIRECTS FOCUS TO THE WOMEN THAT WORK ON THEIR OWN CARS AND WORK ON OTHER PEOPLES CARS AND HAVE A BUSINESS THAT CONTRIBUTES TO THE RESTORATION INITIATIVES..... THEN you might gain some journalistic integrity among your readers ( and those of us that BUY your rag)
i'm mr magazine doode... and i took the story right from the cudachick herself... Aske her why these details are not in there - I'm guessing she didnt want to brag - I read her story when it was submitted, so I dont know if they edited it alot, but the story was a great one....
I also requested the pix from her - we are a good 8 hours apart so sorry it was not in the budget.
Leanna - yes the online version becomes available ASAP - ( the joy of the internet) the print copies have to be printed and shipped - it can take as long as 2 weeks to get all over the place ( they come from ohio )
Sorry to make you run out - the internet speeds things up but it does not speed up the post office of printer.
I also requested the pix from her - we are a good 8 hours apart so sorry it was not in the budget.
Leanna - yes the online version becomes available ASAP - ( the joy of the internet) the print copies have to be printed and shipped - it can take as long as 2 weeks to get all over the place ( they come from ohio )
Sorry to make you run out - the internet speeds things up but it does not speed up the post office of printer.
66 - maybe I wont get any more FABO members in print since I you think I dont have a clue what I'm doing.
I do this for fun and I also do it to get people who deserve the exposure. Your welcome to apply for the job if you think you can do better.
I do this for fun and I also do it to get people who deserve the exposure. Your welcome to apply for the job if you think you can do better.
412 Stroker
Well-Known Member
... don't buy the April 2011 issue of Auto Enthusiast.
Sorry Leanna that was prolly my fault as my post said April issue, I forget that magazines are always a month or two ahead, I just got my popular hot rodding in the mail and that is July's issue, By the Way Dave I liked the article YOU wrote, I am still wondering why Leanna didn't mention her business though, A plug for your business is not Bragging IMO.
Sorry Leanna that was prolly my fault as my post said April issue, I forget that magazines are always a month or two ahead, I just got my popular hot rodding in the mail and that is July's issue, By the Way Dave I liked the article YOU wrote, I am still wondering why Leanna didn't mention her business though, A plug for your business is not Bragging IMO.
My story was greatly abbreviated. This is the original as I submitted it without the pictures.
I have no hard feelings against Dave. He's great to work with and kept me informed over these last few months, explaining quite a few times during the magazine's transition from Mopar Enthusiast to Auto Enthusiast that he reports to a Higher Power and can only do so much. I appreciate the exposure, but I have a feeling the end product wasn't exactly what either one of us was expecting. Thanks for getting me in there Dave!
* * *
Dave, I'm sorry that this is such a novel but after all these years of ownership it was really unavoidable in order to be complete. You and I haven't talked about how this should be written, i.e., first / third / omniscient perspective, but I can easily amend it as needed if it's too much for the editorial staff on short notice.
I'm still going through the photos. Unfortunately, my photographer's ego was more apparent than his skills were yesterday (arghhhhhhhhh!!!!!). I've got a few of the 70+ pictures that I like but am going to be taking more with a different shooter later this evening or tomorrow. It was also extremely windy and I couldn't keep the hair out of my face yesterday. I assure you that better pictures WILL be there by Friday the 20th. Here's a few hi-res teasers in the meantime. ANY AND ALL SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT ARE HIGHLY APPRECIATED!! I'm a custom powder coater ... I'm not a model.
One of my favorites ... except for the slight wardrobe malfuction on my shorts tie. LOL!!!!!
Don't hesitate to give me a call if you need clarification or additional info about any of this. Thank you in advance for your and Mopar Enthusiast's consideration.
Leanna
731-613-9192
* * *
Leanna Johnson ~ The CudaChick
Owner / Operator of Phoenix Specialty Coatings
1968 Plymouth Barracuda Fastback
I bought the car on April 9, 1991 as a total basket case, complete with the typical 'box of spare parts in the trunk.' I lived in San Bernardino, California at the time and the Cuda was in Grand Terrace, about 10 miles away. I wanted that car. Badly. It took over six months of bugging my friend Lloyd Hilton about it whenever I got over there. "C'mon Lloyd, sell me that Cuda in the driveway. You're not gonna do anything with it. It's clean now but it's going to rot. You don't wanna see that happen ... and you already have your Duster. I need a project."
The day I finally showed up with a six pack of his favorite wobbly pops and my daisy dukes in addition to the wallet was the day I finally went home with the title. Sitting on the couch, he sipped a couple beers. Then raised an eyebrow at me and said, "So you want that car huh? Okay, two hundred and fifty bucks and it's yours." I whipped out the cash and had a Bill of Sale written up for him to sign faster than he could pop open another brew. He gave me an old Chilton's Manual and a 1988 magazine with a wheel-standing Cuda on the cover too. Apparently feminine wiles, liquor and bribery can get you anywhere.
The factory 318 was long gone and most of a 360 was in its place ... except for the main and thrust bearing journal caps. (The oil pan was bolted on so this came as a bit of a surprise.) I eventually snagged a '69 340 from the local newspaper for next to nothing. As I started working on the car -- my first resto -- I developed a disease. Nothing a doctor could help with, some call it Mission Creep ... I called it "While I'm Here Disease." I just couldn't see fixing one thing on the car while everything else that part bolted to looked like hell and needed help too. So apart it came .... until it was just a bare shell on wheels. One hundred sixty eight hours was spent sanding it down by hand (didn't have a D.A. or decent compressor then) ... turned out it was six different colors and didn't have any rust at all. Another eighteen hours was spent taking the interior down to bare metal.
It went to the paint shop on December 30, 1999. In retrospect, it turned out that bodywork and paint were the only things I farmed out on the whole car except for getting the bumpers and a few other things rechromed. (Though always mechanically inclined, I'd probably attempt my own body work nowwww, but back then I wasn't too keen on practicing on my hot rod.) About that same time I bought a cheapie powder coating hobby gun and started coating some parts on my car.
In late 2000 I met a guy on the internet in a hot rod chatroom. I eventually quit my job of 7+ years, bought a dually pickup, rented a U-haul car trailer for my Cuda and moved to south Louisiana in July of 2003. A former Mopar guy himself, Billy and I had a blast putting my car together. He donated a sweet 8 3/4 sure grip setup and the Cheetah reverse manual valve body, leftovers from a Challenger project he had. Then Hurricane Katrina came along, changing everything. Except for my beloved Barracuda, its loose parts safely stashed in an inner bedroom and a few clothes, we pretty much lost it all including my daily driver 83 Mustang GT. The law firm I'd been working for since my relocation moved its offices to Baton Rouge, a mere 75 miles from home -- and I got fired the day before my 40th birthday since I could no longer travel to work. While waiting for the adjuster to show up, we cleaned up what we could and worked on my car.
The day Slimer finally ran was its own story, copied below from the November 11, 2005 archives of the Barracuda Owners Group.
Aside from the last-minute thrash to get the interior somewhat suitable for this publication, my car hasn't seen much progress since we moved to northwest Tennessee in September of 2006, other than trading for some Torque Thrust IIs. The Things To Do List is shorter now; I still need to put some subframe connectors on it, get the back seat recovered, send the dash pieces out (lots of cracks), fix a couple problem areas involving the emblems (a lack of research on my part when I farmed out the bodywork), clean up the trunk again (don't use truck bed liner!!! ask me how I know), buy some clips for the cargo area trim, install the Simpson safety harnesses, put the carpeting on the sides of the console -- or get my butt in gear on the oak console I always planned to fab up to match my trunk divider -- run the heater hoses and washer lines/foot pump, get the e-brake handle installed, coat a few more things under the hood to tie it all together, and some other little stuff. It's still running on open headers, but that 340 sure rattles the pictures on the walls upstairs when I start that beast up in my basement. Despite the fact it still isn't finished (are they ever?), it never fails to bring a Cheshire cat smile to my face whenever I turn that key.
I never ever expected it to take this long when I first bought that car almost two decades ago. It was going to get a little freshening up and then I'd drive the heck out of it. My dear friend Lloyd unexpectedly passed away a few years after relenting to sell it and sadly never got to see what that old beige P.O.S. in his driveway turned into ............ but I guarantee he was my first passenger.
I have several people to thank for help, parts and valuable input along the way. I would be remiss if I didn't first list my father, Robert Johnson, who got me into cars when I was just a little girl. Without his early influence and great advice along the way, I'd never be the motorhead I am today. I lost my dad to diabetes and cancer on September 21, 2006 and he never got to see my car in its present glory either. He gave me a set of Kraco floor mats for it as a birthday gift in the late 90s ... I finally opened and installed them as an extremely emotional "finishing touch" just a few days ago when the balance of the interior was installed. The rest of the 'cast,' without whose help this project would never be possible, follows:
Billy Lee
John Timm
Russ Pennell
Gerald Lair / Western Towing
Wayne McCarl / Berdoo Auto Body
Roy Barlow
Tim and Donnie Hoak / Hoak Bros. Chrome Plating
Dana Price
Jack Carter
Bryan Villwock
Curtis Youmans
Roger Eberhardt
Slimer has always been a labor of love and is still a work in progress, but this old car is such a part of me now that it's like a second child, and I've never had any plans to ever get rid of it.
It's funny how time, circumstances, financial setbacks and Mother Nature can have such an impact on life and one's plans for the future.
My little side hobby of powdering parts on my hot rod has turned into my life's profession now and I rarely get to work on my own stuff anymore. I don't answer to lawyers every day as I did before for over 19 years, but instead have to answer to myself -- something that isn't always easy to do -- but I really dig it. It's easy to admit that I haven't worked a single day since turning pro. Nine out of ten customers are members of ForABodiesOnly.com so the major course of my work is on Mopar parts. All are referred by word of mouth.
When Phoenix Specialty Coatings finally makes enough to allow for an occasional luxury beyond the basic necessities, I'll finish putting Slimer together the right way a little at a time as it's been since the outset. Until then, it lives in my basement, gets admired by visitors and walk-in customers, and sucks up a little 93 octane to petrify the neighbors and small animals again every once in awhile. Almost like its owner, the car's been waiting to be reborn for 42 years ... a couple more won't make any difference.
* * *
Here's a few of the resto-mods to date:
340-6 V-8
727 (Cheetah reverse manual valve body)
8 3/4" sure grip with 3.23 gears
Aerospace Components front disc brakes (rears too someday)
Holley 750 vacuum secondaries
Strip Dominator intake
MSD 6AL ignition
Hooker headers
Speedway aluminum crossflow radiator / billet overflow tank
Front / rear sway bars
PST polygraphite suspension components
Super Stock leaf springs
Yukon axles
American Racing Torque Thrust IIs (bbp 15x8 Yokohama rears / bbp 15x4 Vredestein fronts)
Summit Racing bucket seats
Simpson 5-point camlock racing harnesses
Stock Interiors carpeting
LeCarra steering wheel
Kenwood _____ stereo
Infiniti speakers / bass
This isn't an exhaustive list of everything, but you get the idea.
Leanna ~ The CudaChick
Owner/Operator
PHOENIX SPECIALTY COATINGS
Where Your Parts Are Reborn
731-613-9192 (10-9 central time daily)
http://phoenixspecialtycoatings.com
I have no hard feelings against Dave. He's great to work with and kept me informed over these last few months, explaining quite a few times during the magazine's transition from Mopar Enthusiast to Auto Enthusiast that he reports to a Higher Power and can only do so much. I appreciate the exposure, but I have a feeling the end product wasn't exactly what either one of us was expecting. Thanks for getting me in there Dave!
* * *
Dave, I'm sorry that this is such a novel but after all these years of ownership it was really unavoidable in order to be complete. You and I haven't talked about how this should be written, i.e., first / third / omniscient perspective, but I can easily amend it as needed if it's too much for the editorial staff on short notice.
I'm still going through the photos. Unfortunately, my photographer's ego was more apparent than his skills were yesterday (arghhhhhhhhh!!!!!). I've got a few of the 70+ pictures that I like but am going to be taking more with a different shooter later this evening or tomorrow. It was also extremely windy and I couldn't keep the hair out of my face yesterday. I assure you that better pictures WILL be there by Friday the 20th. Here's a few hi-res teasers in the meantime. ANY AND ALL SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT ARE HIGHLY APPRECIATED!! I'm a custom powder coater ... I'm not a model.
One of my favorites ... except for the slight wardrobe malfuction on my shorts tie. LOL!!!!!
Don't hesitate to give me a call if you need clarification or additional info about any of this. Thank you in advance for your and Mopar Enthusiast's consideration.
Leanna
731-613-9192
* * *
Leanna Johnson ~ The CudaChick
Owner / Operator of Phoenix Specialty Coatings
1968 Plymouth Barracuda Fastback
I bought the car on April 9, 1991 as a total basket case, complete with the typical 'box of spare parts in the trunk.' I lived in San Bernardino, California at the time and the Cuda was in Grand Terrace, about 10 miles away. I wanted that car. Badly. It took over six months of bugging my friend Lloyd Hilton about it whenever I got over there. "C'mon Lloyd, sell me that Cuda in the driveway. You're not gonna do anything with it. It's clean now but it's going to rot. You don't wanna see that happen ... and you already have your Duster. I need a project."
The day I finally showed up with a six pack of his favorite wobbly pops and my daisy dukes in addition to the wallet was the day I finally went home with the title. Sitting on the couch, he sipped a couple beers. Then raised an eyebrow at me and said, "So you want that car huh? Okay, two hundred and fifty bucks and it's yours." I whipped out the cash and had a Bill of Sale written up for him to sign faster than he could pop open another brew. He gave me an old Chilton's Manual and a 1988 magazine with a wheel-standing Cuda on the cover too. Apparently feminine wiles, liquor and bribery can get you anywhere.
The factory 318 was long gone and most of a 360 was in its place ... except for the main and thrust bearing journal caps. (The oil pan was bolted on so this came as a bit of a surprise.) I eventually snagged a '69 340 from the local newspaper for next to nothing. As I started working on the car -- my first resto -- I developed a disease. Nothing a doctor could help with, some call it Mission Creep ... I called it "While I'm Here Disease." I just couldn't see fixing one thing on the car while everything else that part bolted to looked like hell and needed help too. So apart it came .... until it was just a bare shell on wheels. One hundred sixty eight hours was spent sanding it down by hand (didn't have a D.A. or decent compressor then) ... turned out it was six different colors and didn't have any rust at all. Another eighteen hours was spent taking the interior down to bare metal.
It went to the paint shop on December 30, 1999. In retrospect, it turned out that bodywork and paint were the only things I farmed out on the whole car except for getting the bumpers and a few other things rechromed. (Though always mechanically inclined, I'd probably attempt my own body work nowwww, but back then I wasn't too keen on practicing on my hot rod.) About that same time I bought a cheapie powder coating hobby gun and started coating some parts on my car.
In late 2000 I met a guy on the internet in a hot rod chatroom. I eventually quit my job of 7+ years, bought a dually pickup, rented a U-haul car trailer for my Cuda and moved to south Louisiana in July of 2003. A former Mopar guy himself, Billy and I had a blast putting my car together. He donated a sweet 8 3/4 sure grip setup and the Cheetah reverse manual valve body, leftovers from a Challenger project he had. Then Hurricane Katrina came along, changing everything. Except for my beloved Barracuda, its loose parts safely stashed in an inner bedroom and a few clothes, we pretty much lost it all including my daily driver 83 Mustang GT. The law firm I'd been working for since my relocation moved its offices to Baton Rouge, a mere 75 miles from home -- and I got fired the day before my 40th birthday since I could no longer travel to work. While waiting for the adjuster to show up, we cleaned up what we could and worked on my car.
The day Slimer finally ran was its own story, copied below from the November 11, 2005 archives of the Barracuda Owners Group.
Can it be true???[
/CENTER]
Message #135108 of 174647
The day started off normal enough. Had to cash a Red Cross check (wow, that's a first), hit the hardware store for some valve cover bolts and washers, and get five gallons of gas.
On the way out of the bank the cell phone rings. Of course, it's Billy. "Did ya go to the hardware store yet? No? Well, stop by the house first. I've got a big problem here."
Uh oh ... He's at home playing with my car. I don't wanna hear about problems. Especially big ones. Finished up getting the radiator, overflow tank and fan shroud in a couple days ago. The new seats and steering wheel were installed as of yesterday afternoon (grrrrrrrr forgot to order a dang horn button), and the Fed Ex guy delivered the Optima battery at 7:35 this morning. All is good.
Today's The Day.
The "big problem" was minor, though -- a couple brass plugs for the intake just needed to be added to the hardware store list. What a crisis.
Now armed with my brass plugs, stainless bolts and washers and 93 octane, I got home to find the fan belts were on, the alternator was adjusted and the red-top battery was installed in the box -- and it looks great too. I bolted down the valve covers and put the radiator hoses on, then poured in Castrol and four quarts of ATF while Billy poured gas in the virgin tank and checked for leaks. Then I filled up the radiator and checked all the fluid levels again. Perfect!
The master cylinder was bled first (only a few drips went where they weren't supposed to), and then three of the lines. Brake fluid all over the ground on the driver's side suggested a problem somewhere. Some pedal-pumping and investigation revealed the new line-lock fitting wasn't tightening up enough. It was a quick fix with the flaring tool, and the final brake line was bled. A serious push on the pedal will throw ya through the windshield now! Gotta love those Aerospace disc brakes ... mmmm mmmmm.
While I rummaged around what's left of the kitchen and finally found the fire extinguisher, Billy hooked the battery cables up. I grabbed the keys, opened the driver's door, and was somewhat shocked when interior lights came on in the back seat. Wowwww -- I've never seen my car do that before. I had to turn around in the seat and admire them again once I got in.
Is it really happening??? Fourteen and a half years of learning about this thing inside and out, tons of hard work, mistakes, parts collecting, saving up for stuff, waiting, wishing and hoping it would turn out even half as good as it has were now coming to an end.
"Kick it in the nuts babe." I held my breath, put the key in the ignition, and rolled it a quarter turn to the right.
N o t h i n g.
He peeked around the edge of the hood and looked at me expectantly. "Wellllll???" I shook my head. He looked puzzled; then checked the MSD box and fiddled around with the distributor for a minute. "Try it again." I turned the key again. Still no response from the car. I made sure the ignition switch was wired up and anticipated a phone call to Advance Auto Parts ... but he was finding a piece of wire and a long screwdriver. (A faulty ignition switch wasn't going to foil ol' Billy Lee, nooooo way.)
I'm not one bit ashamed to admit that I cried like a friggin baby when the screwdriver touched the lead and that bad *** billeted ***** fired up for the very first time. VahhhhhrrrrrOOOOOMMMMM racketa-racketa-racketa ... 400+ horsepower came to life ... the ground shook under my feet ... the cam action rocked the car back and forth ... 68 pounds of oil pressure?!?! Ohhhhh my goddddddddddd ... SLIMER LIVES!!!!!!
Walked around to the passenger side to see 8 1/2 pounds of fuel pressure showing on the gauge, and a big oil slick forming behind the front tire. Shut 'er down!!! It lost almost a quart while figuring out the big oil filter adapter bolt didn't get tightened after the final header adjustment was made in April. Whoops. Glad I bought a whole case of that 20/50.
There were no other leaks, it ran perfectly, and fully petrified the neighbors and small animals. The smells of baking fresh engine paint and high octane were thick in the air.
Of course, I also had to honor Dana the Trim Master with a quick trip to the back to admire my 1968 tail light lenses glowing red in the now dark garage. Awesome!!!
So aside from a couple of mild chemical sacrifices (watch for me on the EPA's Most Wanted), The Day Slimer Finally Ran was a total and complete success. I would have cracked open my sole BOG beer if I had had the forethought to put it in the ice chest ahead of time. I raised my glass of chocolate milk and saluted all of you instead. It was the biggest imaginary group hug ever.
I didn't get to actually drive it anywhere yet though. My drive shaft is an inch too long, I still need a short section of linkage from the console down, there's that ignition switch problem, and I'll need some sort of exhaust system. But hey ... it runs.
To Hell with Katrina. Life is good again.
Leanna ~ The CudaChick ... who can build something that works
1968 Fastback 340
Message #135108 of 174647
The day started off normal enough. Had to cash a Red Cross check (wow, that's a first), hit the hardware store for some valve cover bolts and washers, and get five gallons of gas.
On the way out of the bank the cell phone rings. Of course, it's Billy. "Did ya go to the hardware store yet? No? Well, stop by the house first. I've got a big problem here."
Uh oh ... He's at home playing with my car. I don't wanna hear about problems. Especially big ones. Finished up getting the radiator, overflow tank and fan shroud in a couple days ago. The new seats and steering wheel were installed as of yesterday afternoon (grrrrrrrr forgot to order a dang horn button), and the Fed Ex guy delivered the Optima battery at 7:35 this morning. All is good.
Today's The Day.
The "big problem" was minor, though -- a couple brass plugs for the intake just needed to be added to the hardware store list. What a crisis.
Now armed with my brass plugs, stainless bolts and washers and 93 octane, I got home to find the fan belts were on, the alternator was adjusted and the red-top battery was installed in the box -- and it looks great too. I bolted down the valve covers and put the radiator hoses on, then poured in Castrol and four quarts of ATF while Billy poured gas in the virgin tank and checked for leaks. Then I filled up the radiator and checked all the fluid levels again. Perfect!
The master cylinder was bled first (only a few drips went where they weren't supposed to), and then three of the lines. Brake fluid all over the ground on the driver's side suggested a problem somewhere. Some pedal-pumping and investigation revealed the new line-lock fitting wasn't tightening up enough. It was a quick fix with the flaring tool, and the final brake line was bled. A serious push on the pedal will throw ya through the windshield now! Gotta love those Aerospace disc brakes ... mmmm mmmmm.
While I rummaged around what's left of the kitchen and finally found the fire extinguisher, Billy hooked the battery cables up. I grabbed the keys, opened the driver's door, and was somewhat shocked when interior lights came on in the back seat. Wowwww -- I've never seen my car do that before. I had to turn around in the seat and admire them again once I got in.
Is it really happening??? Fourteen and a half years of learning about this thing inside and out, tons of hard work, mistakes, parts collecting, saving up for stuff, waiting, wishing and hoping it would turn out even half as good as it has were now coming to an end.
"Kick it in the nuts babe." I held my breath, put the key in the ignition, and rolled it a quarter turn to the right.
N o t h i n g.
He peeked around the edge of the hood and looked at me expectantly. "Wellllll???" I shook my head. He looked puzzled; then checked the MSD box and fiddled around with the distributor for a minute. "Try it again." I turned the key again. Still no response from the car. I made sure the ignition switch was wired up and anticipated a phone call to Advance Auto Parts ... but he was finding a piece of wire and a long screwdriver. (A faulty ignition switch wasn't going to foil ol' Billy Lee, nooooo way.)
I'm not one bit ashamed to admit that I cried like a friggin baby when the screwdriver touched the lead and that bad *** billeted ***** fired up for the very first time. VahhhhhrrrrrOOOOOMMMMM racketa-racketa-racketa ... 400+ horsepower came to life ... the ground shook under my feet ... the cam action rocked the car back and forth ... 68 pounds of oil pressure?!?! Ohhhhh my goddddddddddd ... SLIMER LIVES!!!!!!
Walked around to the passenger side to see 8 1/2 pounds of fuel pressure showing on the gauge, and a big oil slick forming behind the front tire. Shut 'er down!!! It lost almost a quart while figuring out the big oil filter adapter bolt didn't get tightened after the final header adjustment was made in April. Whoops. Glad I bought a whole case of that 20/50.
There were no other leaks, it ran perfectly, and fully petrified the neighbors and small animals. The smells of baking fresh engine paint and high octane were thick in the air.
Of course, I also had to honor Dana the Trim Master with a quick trip to the back to admire my 1968 tail light lenses glowing red in the now dark garage. Awesome!!!
So aside from a couple of mild chemical sacrifices (watch for me on the EPA's Most Wanted), The Day Slimer Finally Ran was a total and complete success. I would have cracked open my sole BOG beer if I had had the forethought to put it in the ice chest ahead of time. I raised my glass of chocolate milk and saluted all of you instead. It was the biggest imaginary group hug ever.
I didn't get to actually drive it anywhere yet though. My drive shaft is an inch too long, I still need a short section of linkage from the console down, there's that ignition switch problem, and I'll need some sort of exhaust system. But hey ... it runs.
To Hell with Katrina. Life is good again.
Leanna ~ The CudaChick ... who can build something that works
1968 Fastback 340
Aside from the last-minute thrash to get the interior somewhat suitable for this publication, my car hasn't seen much progress since we moved to northwest Tennessee in September of 2006, other than trading for some Torque Thrust IIs. The Things To Do List is shorter now; I still need to put some subframe connectors on it, get the back seat recovered, send the dash pieces out (lots of cracks), fix a couple problem areas involving the emblems (a lack of research on my part when I farmed out the bodywork), clean up the trunk again (don't use truck bed liner!!! ask me how I know), buy some clips for the cargo area trim, install the Simpson safety harnesses, put the carpeting on the sides of the console -- or get my butt in gear on the oak console I always planned to fab up to match my trunk divider -- run the heater hoses and washer lines/foot pump, get the e-brake handle installed, coat a few more things under the hood to tie it all together, and some other little stuff. It's still running on open headers, but that 340 sure rattles the pictures on the walls upstairs when I start that beast up in my basement. Despite the fact it still isn't finished (are they ever?), it never fails to bring a Cheshire cat smile to my face whenever I turn that key.
I never ever expected it to take this long when I first bought that car almost two decades ago. It was going to get a little freshening up and then I'd drive the heck out of it. My dear friend Lloyd unexpectedly passed away a few years after relenting to sell it and sadly never got to see what that old beige P.O.S. in his driveway turned into ............ but I guarantee he was my first passenger.
I have several people to thank for help, parts and valuable input along the way. I would be remiss if I didn't first list my father, Robert Johnson, who got me into cars when I was just a little girl. Without his early influence and great advice along the way, I'd never be the motorhead I am today. I lost my dad to diabetes and cancer on September 21, 2006 and he never got to see my car in its present glory either. He gave me a set of Kraco floor mats for it as a birthday gift in the late 90s ... I finally opened and installed them as an extremely emotional "finishing touch" just a few days ago when the balance of the interior was installed. The rest of the 'cast,' without whose help this project would never be possible, follows:
Billy Lee
John Timm
Russ Pennell
Gerald Lair / Western Towing
Wayne McCarl / Berdoo Auto Body
Roy Barlow
Tim and Donnie Hoak / Hoak Bros. Chrome Plating
Dana Price
Jack Carter
Bryan Villwock
Curtis Youmans
Roger Eberhardt
Slimer has always been a labor of love and is still a work in progress, but this old car is such a part of me now that it's like a second child, and I've never had any plans to ever get rid of it.
It's funny how time, circumstances, financial setbacks and Mother Nature can have such an impact on life and one's plans for the future.
My little side hobby of powdering parts on my hot rod has turned into my life's profession now and I rarely get to work on my own stuff anymore. I don't answer to lawyers every day as I did before for over 19 years, but instead have to answer to myself -- something that isn't always easy to do -- but I really dig it. It's easy to admit that I haven't worked a single day since turning pro. Nine out of ten customers are members of ForABodiesOnly.com so the major course of my work is on Mopar parts. All are referred by word of mouth.
When Phoenix Specialty Coatings finally makes enough to allow for an occasional luxury beyond the basic necessities, I'll finish putting Slimer together the right way a little at a time as it's been since the outset. Until then, it lives in my basement, gets admired by visitors and walk-in customers, and sucks up a little 93 octane to petrify the neighbors and small animals again every once in awhile. Almost like its owner, the car's been waiting to be reborn for 42 years ... a couple more won't make any difference.
* * *
Here's a few of the resto-mods to date:
340-6 V-8
727 (Cheetah reverse manual valve body)
8 3/4" sure grip with 3.23 gears
Aerospace Components front disc brakes (rears too someday)
Holley 750 vacuum secondaries
Strip Dominator intake
MSD 6AL ignition
Hooker headers
Speedway aluminum crossflow radiator / billet overflow tank
Front / rear sway bars
PST polygraphite suspension components
Super Stock leaf springs
Yukon axles
American Racing Torque Thrust IIs (bbp 15x8 Yokohama rears / bbp 15x4 Vredestein fronts)
Summit Racing bucket seats
Simpson 5-point camlock racing harnesses
Stock Interiors carpeting
LeCarra steering wheel
Kenwood _____ stereo
Infiniti speakers / bass
This isn't an exhaustive list of everything, but you get the idea.
Leanna ~ The CudaChick
Owner/Operator
PHOENIX SPECIALTY COATINGS
Where Your Parts Are Reborn
731-613-9192 (10-9 central time daily)
http://phoenixspecialtycoatings.com
66cuda
2011Armada K of C 1st PL
I had no idea you were even involved.....I was directing my abrasiveness at the Author/Editor of the article/mag.... OR whomever missed/ignored or removed the pertinence of the CudaChick PAST the legs & heals. I don't think THEY know what they are doing..... I have no idea WHAT you did or what your involvement was or who you even are? or why you are attempting leveling sarcasm flames at me? I am entitled to express an opinion and I think the article missed more than a few KEY attributes! Were you the author?\editor? IF not, then NONE of my initial rant even involves YOU!
I am not certain what you do for fun or how you get people exposure in a magazine? Are you the owner of this mag? or friends with the owner? APPLY for WHAT JOB? Writing articles for a magazine? or connecting the owners of decent cars with your friends at that magazine for purposes of publication? I have no idea how you are involved so why would I think I could do better when I have no idea what you do/did?
I can certainly say that I am more than capable of collecting facts and ensuring that they are presented appropriately without arbitrary editorial exclusion. I can also say that I recognize a vast difference between someone that likes to POSE next to a vehicle that someone else built and a "BUILDER" of vehicles.
I feel that difference to be significant and noteworthy.
SO weather or not you continue to do whatever it is that you do for FABO members "to get them in print" is solely YOUR decision and not something I have any control or influence over....DO what YOU FEEL IS RIGHT, don't try to hang that guilt nonsense on me, that is all about you and what YOU DO....YOU are the king of your world, do with it as you see fit!!
I would mildly suggest, however, that if you select to continue to promote and get folks "in print" that you at least ensure that those that DO the "print" are accurate and whole to the accomplishments of the subject and that the subject matter is not edited down to little more than a leg shot, completely ignoring the pertinent facts and accomplishments surrounding the subject.
Again...just my opinion, sorry you took it so personal
demon seed
The Original Demon Seed
Yes please, lets back this train up a few stops and remember that we're here to congradulate our lady Leanna and the green beast aka Slimer. You did good dear and ya gave me a few chuckles (something that seems lacking these days) have a couple on me eh.\\/
/
67DartGT340
Well-Known Member
Great article Leanna way to go!:thumbrig:
2 Darts
A-body Addicted
LOL. Stuff happens.
Congrats Leanna on being featured in the article. You beat out Shirley Muldowney and Linda Vaughn. No mean feat.
Just what kind and how much national exposure do you want? ? ? Okay, you guessed right; I'm off my meds.
Congrats Leanna on being featured in the article. You beat out Shirley Muldowney and Linda Vaughn. No mean feat.
Just what kind and how much national exposure do you want? ? ? Okay, you guessed right; I'm off my meds.
How much??? Well ....... as much as I can get of course. :-D Things like this don't happen to me every day. LMAO!!!!
Thank you all!
66340SEDAN
FABO Member #3649
I need to get a copy!! If I send it to you will you autograph it for me? :colors: Congrats again!!
Leanna, No wonder you couldn't quit reading your article. I didn't know what was going on until I found this thread this morning. As has been said many times before. CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!
I'm looking forward to the mail tomorrow so I can see my parts done by a celebrity.
I'm looking forward to the mail tomorrow so I can see my parts done by a celebrity.
I want to jump in here and thank you for your talent and time you spend spreading the word DJVCUDA :rock:
Keep up the good work and thank you for the time involved to get this article out for everyone to enjoy :colors:
Of course I will Keith!
In fact, I'd like to buy some extra copies from other FABO members if my local CVS Pharmacy is only going to have two or three on the shelf. It would be terrific to get a copy for each of the people on my Thank You List and a stack to have on hand for car show appearances and stuff. I can't afford 500 of them LOL but some extras would be terrific.
Please give me a head's up here if you're interested in picking up an extra for me so I can keep track. Thanks ya'll!!!
Thanks scamp360!
Little bump towards my Post #47 to get the word out on the hunt.
Little bump towards my Post #47 to get the word out on the hunt.
Wylde1
"No Value Added" Member
Way too go, Mistress of Metal.
I want my copy (as soon as I find one) autographed and a pink gloss lipstick kiss on it too. :love4: :shock:
Wylde1.
I want my copy (as soon as I find one) autographed and a pink gloss lipstick kiss on it too. :love4: :shock:
Wylde1.
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