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Well, I was at the Duck Tail Run with my family all weekend for the show. We all had our cars out there and I had my purdy '48 Plymouth SD parked in place. I was talking to my FAther-in-Law when a guy kept looking over my car, so I go over to him and talk to him. He states he has something for me and walks me to his '41 Plymouth Custom. He reaches in and gives me a set of glass blue dot tail lights. I ask the guy how much he wants for them and told me nothings, he just wants to see a young guy appreciate them. Just wanted to say thank you again. There are still nice people out there that arent in it for the greed. So I will be trying to pay it forward if not by material things, but by actions. Thanks again.

Day 23, Home Sweat Home Survived, and I am alive and well. Total miles for the trip 8543 to my house. Billy will have to add 217 miles for his grand total. Drove from Kansas City, MO to Murfreesboro, TN today. Had a bit of excitement early this AM with a truck fire. I am surprised the cop did not shut the road down. We did not know how bad the fire was until we passed.When we passed this truck the heat was unbarable even at 20 MPH. We are lucky we made it past the truck with out the diesel tanks exploding. Link to todays pictures. http://smg.photobucket.com/user/DonCoatney/library/#/user/DonCoatney/library/Billy%20Austin/day%2023?sort=3&page=1&_suid=138068009428608678127940115592 Arch in St Louie Smashville skyline

would only bury me deeper...so..you decide for yourself.. http://i.imgur.com/gpALGIH.gif

I kept waiting ......and waiting......and waiting for her to toss a match on it. Jeff

So I guess it isn't worth anything? Well it will look good on the wall. I paid $10 for it. Now it's wall art.

Tom Sawyer move over, This is how you get your Truck painted! On the list of things to do on my truck, painting it was near the bottom.However my wife, friends and family could not handle the gray primmer paint job one of the last owners sprayed all over 'Ole Bessie. Everybody ( except me ) hated the unfinished look, I knew one day I would paint her but was not ready or had figured out a paint color or scheme. After everybody was on board ( except me ), it was decided it would be a surprise birthday party ( except my B day is in Jan. ) . After I cracked the front rim, my wife had to tell me just in case I was going to take a baseball bat to the truck. Well after I fixed the truck again I had two weeks to prepare for a paint job. I had taken the truck to " ONE DAY AUTO PAINT " for a quickie one color paint job and was surprised at the $ 1200 price, I figure the gotta make a profit but WOW. After looking at all the pictures in the TRUCK PHOTO sections in the Forum ( Thank You Very Much ) I liked the way the Dark Hunter Green cab looked with the Black box.When I asked around, Some thought it broke the truck up and did not flow. I went out and bought a can of Rust-Oleum Gloss Dark Hunter Green Quick Dry and Gloss Black. I did not like the way the green looked after I sample sprayed an area, So I decided I would spray the gloss black and then try the green over that. Got a very nice shade of green that way, Soooooo I masked the truck and painted the entire thing in Gloss Black, then I decided to just do the flares,running boards and rear fenders in Semi Gloss Black. My plan was to keep them busy for a few hours at best, I made a " Paint Booth " with plastic drop cloths and rope to protect the Apartments behind Pop's office. We got lucky with no wind and cloudy skies to start with sunny and warm for the second coat. All in all it took 8 cans of Gloss Black ( one light coat ) 14 cans of Dark Hunter Green ( two coats ), 5 cans of Semi Gloss Black ( two coats ). I will let the paint cure for a few weeks and then maybe color sand it or not Thanks to the Forum for giving me the courage to attempt this, I now have a truck that will not be put in the back row with the "junkers" and will last and not rust away with the horrible winters we have here in Southern California. LOL Here are some pictures, Rod

​Nice story! I just gave some old parts, I could no longer use, to a fellow who really appreciated getting them. It's a feel good thing for both parties.

1) patina: I cleaned mine with lacquer thinner then wet sanded it with 800 and 1000 grit. I have not polished it. 2) be prepared for rust cuts and nicks on your hands. I have a bottle of iodine at my computer and the cuts get treated often. 3) I'm deep into fixing a rust challenge so I understand what you have ahead of you. 4) You will enjoy the truck, fix the mechanicals so it is legal and safe and drive it as you fix the rest. Good luck will be watching along with Apittslife and others I'm sure.

Wouldn't one of those Speedy CV Joint repairs work? You wrap them around and glue them together. I would think they would have to work as well as the leather one's you stitch together with a piece of wire.

I was thinking maybe a bellows from a modern day front strut might work.....

Hey guys thanks for the support !! Here that 54 with duallys Kinda rough has bondo and mismatched running boards Oh and that bus is Chevy Sorry guy let me know if anyone want the 54 I can give you mr Hopkins # Also I will post more detailed pics of the 48 Now that is dug out and heading home .

Hint Look on ebay under u joints and you will find the leather covers. As stated above the NOS rubber covers are 50+ years old and they fall apart when they get put on the cars no and when the oil and grease hit them they do not stand up to the oil. rich hartung

I called around for the leather covers about a year ago and was told they're not available anymore. I forget which vendor told me that. From what I've heard, it's very difficult to get the rubber cover over the assembly without tearing it. I believe Roberts sells the rubber ones but like Tod said, their rubber products are not so good. Check Steele Rubber. They may have them.

It's not the capacity of the fork lift, it's the fact that it stays up depending on the quality of the seals in the lift ram, valve body and a single hydraulic hose. There is NO mechanical safety lock on the hydraulic cylinder! You're crawling under that car held up by what is basically a really big hydraulic jack.

I just talked to a friend who attended the auction. He is a Corvette guy and hoped to buy the vette pedal car. He went to $1000, it went for $16,000. (Yes, I got the zeros correct!) A couple of interesting things you might not have known. It cost $12.50 a day, 2 day minimum, to park. They took in over $50,000 in parking. Also, every local nearby drug out any old car they could find and put it near the highways with for sale signs on them. Everybody tried to cash in. Can't blame them. I have a reputation for going for rusty junk. They said I'd have been in heaven if I'd been there! They also said there were mostly empty trailers leaving.

Here are a few photos that I took recently. Two of the photos I tried antiquing them and two where taken while Cooper and I were out on one of the back roads here in the county.

Bernbaum has them listed in their catalog. The kit may have leather boots (as Tod mentioned) instead of rubber. It has been my experience you must remove the pin to get the rubber boots installed. Trying to force them over the pin will tear them. The leather boot are split and install easily. I have used the leather ones for years and never had any issues with leakage or dirt incursion.

Here are some that I took today, as you can see, the leaves are surely turned here in the Catskills

I'm the patina enthusiast on this forum. I would keep that paint job, at least for a year or two after you get all the mechanical and body work completed. Was on the road with mine on Sunday and everyone likes the old paint. It's really interesting the comments I get. That is the original paint, non waxed. Your would look as good or better. Enjoy the journey, you will get a lot of good advice and support from this forum.

Yep. I'm a bit of an airplane nut. Bell aircraft were built right here in Wheatfield, NY. The factory is still here, still has "Bell Aerospace" on the side, although it's been long disused. Company moved to Texas, in the '70's or 80's I think. They make helicopters now.