Worden18

Another shot of the driver's front fender after application. The stuff isn't super thick, but its not really that thin, either. Slides on easy with the foam brush.

Passenger front fender after.

Driver's door before and after.

Front fender before and after. Yes, the product is very wet in the picture. I went out to the garage a few hours after putting it on, and it still had a nice sheen and was a bit tacky yet. I'll get some pictures of it totally dry when it reaches that point.

Aug. 18: Today I tried something a little different on the Meadowbrook. I've watched a few videos on people protecting or shining up their cars with products other than wax or a clear coat. I'm too lazy to wax and too cheap to clear coat. I know some have used linseed oil and came out with decent (but temporary results). I decided to try this Penetrol, which is used to help hide brush marks when mixed with paint. Instead of rubbing it on with a rag like linseed oil, you can brush it on, which is easier for a lazy *@!#& like me. I used a foam brush, but I only had a little one on hand, so it took me a while. I'll try to finish up the car this weekend. Please spare me the "you can't polish a turd" remarks. I can't afford a $5K paint job and wouldn't do it even if I had the money. I guess this product is supposed to last quite a bit longer than linseed oil, but I suppose it will vary depending on how much sun and rain the car is exposed to.

This '61 Dodge had its patina created by the owner. It looked good IMO. Had a slant six in it. My car was on the other side of the red one.

Another shot from a different angle.

Here's a shot from the area where you order via the speaker and wait for the carhop to hang the tray on your window. Always loved doing that. Wife and kids had never seen that before, so we plan on going back sometime when there isn't 100 cars there LOL.

Not sure what engine was in this truck, but it had two 4 barrels.

47 Plymouth nicely restored.

This old Nash had the passenger front seat folded down to demonstrate "the bed". My wife had no idea a car had this option. I had to laugh, but could understand if you've never seen it before.

The carhops were dressed like the girl in this wall mural inside the restaurant, only their uniforms were tan colored.

I thought this VW camper bus was really cool. The side tailgate on the passenger side was open. Looked more like a cargo area to me without a mattress. Unique, anyway.

Thurs. Aug.17 Spring Valley, Mn A&W Drive-In hosted their annual cruise night. http://awesomeawdrivein.com/cruisin/ I'll have to say there was an excellent turn out, and a lot of unique cars, not just your typical Rustangs and Camaros. After getting some ice cream, I took a few pics of some favorites. I want this Pilothouse Dodge! Not sure of the year; anyone know?

On the way home I stopped at the Market in town to grab some food for supper. As I pulled up to the curb, a woman in her 60s or 70s stopped loading her groceries in her minivan to watch me come to a stop. When I got out she asked me (in a heavy accent) "What year is it? What a beautiful car!" I told her a little bit about it and then she told me this: She said her dad owned a 37 Ford convertible that he drove all over Columbia (ahh...now I understood her accent; South America) for decades because he was a traveling salesman. He kept it tuned up and well taken care of, and she swore he put a million miles on it (likely a glorified exaggeration, but who knows? People in Cuba are still driving their 40s and 50s cars all held together with bubble gum and rubber bands). She said they still have the car. Like a damn fool I got caught in the moment and forgot to ask her where she lived (probably right in town) and if I could see the car. I think the employees at the Market know who she is; I need to go back and ask about her and see if I can see that car and get more details. I love stories like that. She was concerned that I would be driving the car in the winter; I assured her I would not!

My friends were working on this rather large 5th wheel trailer, and they had to use the forklift to get it up in the air so it was easier to work on. That old Clark has some good patina.

Aug. 16: Since I change oil to Rotella a couple of days ago I decided to give the Meadowbrook a little workout. Remember, it is still using oil with 4,800 miles on the rebuild. Not really alarming as I am used to pouring oil into the car. So the 110 miles I put on it today, 50 miles of that was at 65mph on the Interstate. The remaining miles mostly at 55mph. The engine used nearly half a quart. Is what it is I guess. I always keep extra oil in the trunk. I guess I don't understand how it could use that much oil and not be blowing smoke? It doesn't leak anywhere, either. So my son and I visited some friends, one of whom lives on a farm. My son had fun taking videos of the cattle, and discovered some old trucks and tractors around the property.

Changed oil (and filter) today. I decided to switch to Rotella 15W-40 and give that a try. I know a lot of guys use it in their flatheads). I was using Castrol GTX 10W-30. With around 4,600 miles on the rebuild, the car is still using oil. It does seem to be less than it was, though. After talking to my builder and a friend of mine, I understand that the rings might not be seated yet, and it may take more than 5,000 miles or more for that to happen. I also understand that the engine might use oil from now on no matter what. My builder said try a different oil (and we both agreed on Rotella 15W-40); that might do the trick. Stranger things have happened. I'll keep an eye on it. I ran the car for about 15 miles to get the oil good and warmed up and everything flowing. Seems to have slightly better oil pressure, but that could be just because the oil is so fresh, not too sure. I'll keep you guys posted on the results.

I get the model Ts and As mixed up....every single time

Thanks for sharing Keith, this is what its all about. I also find it very intriguing to hear people's stories and their adventures with their cars,as well as sharing some of my own. I enjoyed this post!

The best story at the car show was this guy who was driving a 72 Nova. He was in his 60s, had long grey hair and a beard to match. I complimented him on his car (my wife is a big Nova fan). He said to me, "I painted this car 41 years ago, but I got into a car accident back then and sustained some brain damage, and don't remember painting it." He painted it for a friend whom owned the car at the time (1976), and then the guy parked it for 36 years. Then he was ready to sell it and this guy bought it. His friend told him he painted it. Of course he didn't remember painting it. One thing on the car sparked a memory. He was drilling a hole (something to do with the bodywork?) near the door latch and slipped with the drill and it gouged the fresh paint. He remembers covering it up with some black undercoating because the guy he painted it for was on his way over to pick the car up. Sure enough the scratch is still there LOL. The car also had the Mickey Thompson tires from 1976 still on it. The guy told me he really can't remember 1976 or 1977 as a whole. One thing is for sure, he is a master body man. He showed me pics of a 68 Roadrunner he put together from 3 different cars. The welding and fabrication he did was amazing. He had cut the entire top off one of the cars to weld it onto another. It was just crazy the sheetmetal work he did. He had a whole picture album which he shared with me, and I was happy to look on and listen. He even made his own gas tank. One of the donor cars was a former California "Dragnet-type" of Plymouth Satellite that had 2 gas tanks; in case they were in a long high speed chase chances were the bad guy would run out of gas first. Anyway, he showed me another pic of a different Nova he crashed up in the 70s. He said he fell asleep and drove off a bridge at 55mph and went straight down into a ditch. The shotgun (yes shotgun) he had in the front seat jammed into his chest and ripped part of his nipple off. When he woke up he said he thought the shotgun had gone through his chest and when he pulled it away from his body he was relieved it hadn't LOL. He said he had 2 huge speakers in the back seat which flew into the front seat upon impact, and that the dozen eggs he had bought at the store (right before the accident) also flew into the front seat, the carton landed on top of one of those speakers, and not a single egg broke. What a weird story! He also had pics of another Roadrunner he totaled, and of a motorcycle he and his wife were riding when they got rearended and somehow didn't die. I enjoyed his company and stories but I think I would've enjoyed them even more had I one or two Rum and Cokes in my system. Don't ask me how I forgot to snap a pic of him and his Nova. Sometimes I get so caught up in the moment I just forget about everything else.

I'm running modern radials. I was too cheap to buy Coker, but the ones I put on there are holding up really well. They do have tubes.

On our way to the restaurant the odometer hit 66,666.6 miles. I felt compelled to snap a pic as I was slowing down for a stoplight. 4,500+ miles on the rebuild now. Running good. I was impressed with our short run on the Interstate, which for about 7 miles I ran it 65mph. I would never have guessed the car would run that smooth at that speed. I've run it 70mph before on that stretch as well. Its very smooth, and I didn't have to fight it at all. Doesn't seem like we were going too fast or anything. It drives straight down the road and doesn't wander or anything. Amazing to experience it.

Later, wifey and I went out to eat. Here's a shot right before we left home.