*Sigh* in memory of my Late Father John Patton....

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67 Power Wagon

67 Power Wagon

Hemi Pawr or BUST!
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Guys,
A few weeks ago I got a bad phone call as you all know and well was gone for a bit and then had a bunch to deal with with the passing of my Dad. I'm going to miss him.
In the midst of all this, he was putting together a 1939 Chevy Business Coupe, and died in the process of its completion.
In honor of him, I swore I'd see done what he wanted too as a family heirloom.
In the following picture, a few relatives and my Step-Mom being a chicken in the window of the car, at the Meyersdale, PA Maple Festival, the car was entered in the show, AND was driven by Joyce Lepley in honors of my Dad as this is/was all he talked about, putting his car in the show and being in the Parade on Saturday of the Festival.
5341fa179b8db.image.jpg

Sadly, I was unable to make this event as I live 700 miles one way from him and could not have made the time for it due to the wife and my daughter and schooling.....
I did however spend almost 2 weeks from the day I got the sad news.
*Dad, if your watching, the 3 of us, Bonnie, Myself, and Billie are trying to see done what you dreamt of......It only seems right*
Everyone, he died, at 59 from a sudden heart attack in his sleep, which some of you may know, I had under gone open heart surgery myself. They didn't even realize my Dad needed it!!!!!! He would have been 60 on March 30th.
Thank you all in regard and support of all this!

Also sorry for the non-Mopar picture.....But it will be mine for a time and then it will be passed onto my daughter.....Its a heirloom now!
 
Great looking Car.... Your Dad would be proud!

Condolences....
 
Gerald,
Thanks. I had to get it to a point that Joyce and my Step-Mom could drive it when I was there........I'm just glad, he had everything ready to be put onto the car, and then while I was there I took it to have the front end aligned as it was BAD....I can't even tell you just how out of alignment that car was.....Almost to being dangerous....

But the time I was there, I got it to where you see it here.........And got word from Joyce that it drove pretty good, the next thing I plan for that car is to get the brake booster on it as it has brakes, and they work, just not power brakes, their the old fassioned type from like 1941......

Then, I want to give it a good buffing on the paint, and buff out any imperfections and then spray a good coat or 2 of clear coat on it over the blue, just to seal it in.....

Once that's done the running boards needs the rubber treads on them, and I want to get the trunk finished, and that will all done for the structure of the car....

AFTER that, I want to get a windshield "label" made....."Buddy's Last Ride" see, my Dad, he had a nick name, Buddy, after Buddy Holly..........was his favorite singer way back when and it stuck, so, I got to telling my Step Mom she should have had "Buddy" instead of John on the magnets on the doors. as most knew him better as Buddy not John. those who know "John Patton", think its me..........

But I'm going to have that made to go onto the top of the windshield in the front in blue to match the paint with a lighter gray background to match the interior color
 
Very cool car and tribute, he would be very proud of you!

BTW, your dad had good taste.....Buddy Holly is my favorite too :glasses7:
 
Super nice car. Your Dad is proud of you. Prayers for you and your family.
 
He sees you buddy. And he's damned proud. Nice job.
 
My condolences John!

Just seeing the character that you and the rest of the family have showed toward his legacy car after his passing tells me that when he was still with you guys.....he knew how much he was loved by all of you. :thumleft:

Enjoy your memories with him, and enjoy that ride for years to come!
 
Thanks again EVERYONE! See I have some fond memories, forsure and those are those that keep me from being a downright mess over this, as I'm sure you have all figured out by now, my Dad was the reason, I am where I am right now with Auto's. he loved them, and I inherited it from him.

It took me almost 4 days to read that article in the news paper that my Step-Mom sent me that had the picture seen here in it........ Just because of that closeness him an I had, and sadly, I know my Step-Mom got tired of hearing about the 39.....BUT he also had me to talk too and that's where that invisibility thing comes in, for him and her...... But because, I listened, and could talk "cars" with him and know and understand, what he wanted to do to this car, I could and can, and I plan to carry it out.

My wife, Jessie, and my Step-Mom would rib the 2 of us, Dad & I that we were like a couple of old women on the phone LOL I laugh, but its hard, I realize now, I won't ever get to do that again!

I'm man enough to say, it hurts. you guys theres a part of this you don't know, and I'm about to tell a bit of it for you all to understand a bit more.

See way back when, my Mom, when she was alive (I buried her 3 years ago come April 15th), when she was alive, her and my Dad weren't together, and had not been since 1986. I was young, 8 years old. In that time, my Mom had me turned against my Dad. In doing so, It went for 20 years, that I actually spoke to him. Then the Christmas before, my Mom died, I took and thought about it as an adult, why? You know? I took a whole year trying to answer a question, that to this day, I could not answer, as to why I and Dad wasn't talking, what did he EVER do to me? You know. a few questions arose...WELL that Christmas, my Wife was filling out Christmas Cards, and adding to them was my Daughters School picture...I just thought never said anything to my Wife, and then looked while she was doing this and said "I want "that" card, and a 5x7 of Lily (my Daughter) and then filled out the left hand side of the card, with a message and MY phone number. Took Lily's pic, put the date, her age, and year of school, and put it all in the proper envelope and then my Dads and Step Moms name and address, its not EVER changed for a long time so. I knew it were the same. And I sent it off......About 4 days go by, my Dad calls.....

First words I spoke to the man in 20 years all because of my Mom! Sure it wasn't all her fault, BUT I had to be "away" from her to get this....As once she found out I was speaking to Dad, as they lived in the same town in PA, it didn't take long to catch hell from her and told her, "Listen, your both my parents, I'm sorry you can't take that I'm talking to Dad, but he and I have that right, and she came out and said, Well if you won't listen to me, maybe I ought not talk to you any more or my Grand daughter, and I left it at that.....A week later, I get another phone call from Mom, short and bitter, I heard, I died, and Lily didn't exist....The following April, My Dad calls and tells me that I need to make a trip to PA that he heard Mom wasn't well in the hospital in Johnstown, PA. Turns out he was right, and if it weren't for him, I'd would have never known!

In my travels to PA racing time.......... I had a 700 trek to go in short order, she died, before I even got anywhere close......I was just about in around Scranton when she was pronounced dead, from multiple heart attacks from a blood clot.

This was 3 years ago.......... on my Moms funeral was the first time I looked my Dad in the eyes in 20 years!

I made it right........ you know? Altho, the relationship of my Mom I can't say forsure as she was so detrimental on the whole thing, I don't think or know if I could have ever made that right. but with my Dad, he excepted me and excepted I was grown and wasn't a fool, (even tho when alive he'd argue that point just 'cause he was Dad, you know?

I just set here, and think of all the good times from that point to the end with him, I took 2 vacations a year so got to spend time with him 6 times and we talked every week 3 and 4 times a week some times, so it was mended, it just wasn't long enough. not for me as we picked up right where we let off. but for my Wife and my Daughter to know him......

And the warming and comfort I get to say, I am my Fathers Son, (ain't no other child that can say this as I am his only) I'm more like him, then I actually gave credit for in the past, even down to my eating habits.....And, if you look at me, Him, or when alive too, his Dad, my Grandfather, I'm merely a younger version!

Keith, as for Buddy Holly. My Dad even had the what the hell would you call it. "bundle" of hair in the middle of his head on top, above his forehead......Yeah, he played it right out he did! I too like the oldies. Rock and Roll even tho I'm more of a hard Rock guy now, better then some of whats heard on the damned radio today!

I have to admit, I'm all tore up right now...... And that doesn't make me any less (I don't know) I just know its difficult to think of and speak of it, and remembering the times in the past 3 years......And that alone, knowing that it was only 3 years worth, theres so much I wanted to do. HELL before all this me and my Wife spoke about moving, to the Hagerstown area as her oldest is further south, my family is further west and her son is her in NH......3 to 4 hours give or take in any direction...This was talked about the day AFTER I last spoke to him!

I got to leave it at that for now guys, I'm sorry. I will be back in here, I just got to pull myself together as he won't want me in this shape right now....
 
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