My visit with Don Coatney today

[james curl]

Since Don was working in San Antonio this week I contacted him and he came up to Georgetown to visit me. We took my old Plymouth, he drove and I rode over to Taylor, 25 miles away by county roads to Louie Muellers BBQ, a typical old style Texas BBQ joint. They have modernized, no longer have a roll of paper towels but still serve your meat on butcher paper, no plates. No longer have the big jars of Jalapeno peppers on every table, now they are sides and cost extra. This is what happens to all of the good joints after Anthony Bordine of no reservations does a show there. I hope Don enjoyed himself as much as I enjoyed his company, I had a good time today.

[1940plymouth]

Jim,

Glad that you were able to met Don and have a good meal, even if things have changed at the eatery.

Any photos?

[james curl]

No photos, I did not think to charge my camera's batteries up so no pictures. Besides two hansome guys like Don and myself might be more than the camera or the forum could take.

[Don Coatney]

James;

It was truly my pleasure to connect with you today. Your house and shop tour was interesting. I liked your T-5 install mock-up. Too bad Norms Coupe could not have joined us for lunch as this BBQ house would have been right up his alley:rolleyes: The food was delicious!

I really enjoyed driving your car. It runs and drives very well. I very much like my floor shifted T-5 but it felt good to once again drive a three on the tree. The sad part of me driving your car for 50 miles is I have how driven your car more miles this year than I have my own car. This will soon change once I return home from this trip.

This is my last work related long road (actually flying) trip. I will still be officially working until the end of July but I will be upgrading the money processing machines at the Federal Reserve Bank in Nashville close to my home.

James, your postings to his forum are greatly appreciated. Your knowledge and understanding of how things work on these old cars is second to none. And you have a unique way of using the right words at the right time (is this a Texas thing:cool:) to communicate your thoughts. I need to take a few lessons in diplomacy from you.

Once again thanks for a very enjoyable visit. Look me up when you come to Tennessee.

PS, One short story

I was stopped at a stop sign while driving James P-15. From my drivers position I could see a rice rocket in the rear view mirror and this rice rocket had a boom box contraption playing that raddled every flexible piece of sheet medal on the P-15. I observed that the vibrations did not start until the car stopped directly behind us. James on the other hand got real nervous and started looking at all the gauges to figure out what the hell was wrong with his car:confused:. I made him sweat for a moment then I finally told James what was going on:eek:. We had a good laugh thinking about why anyone would want to install such a contraption in there car especially if the car were a P-15.

[Flatie46]

I'm jealous of Don! He's all over the country having a good time under the pretense of work. Some people have it made.

[Captain Neon]

...One short story

I was stopped at a stop sign while driving James P-15. From my drivers position I could see a rice rocket in the rear view mirror and this rice rocket had a boom box contraption playing that raddled every flexible piece of sheet medal on the P-15. I observed that the vibrations did not start until the car stopped directly behind us. James on the other hand got real nervous and started looking at all the gauges to figure out what the hell was wrong with his car:confused:. I made him sweat for a moment then I finally told James what was going on:eek:. We had a good laugh thinking about why anyone would want to install such a contraption in there car especially if the car were a P-15.

I'm all about a little music or the like when driving, but even as a teenager, I never understood the need to have a stereo system that used so much wattage that it actually vibrated the sheet metal. Having performed in live symphonic bands as a teenager, and been to more rock concerts than I can now recall, I have never understood how one simply equates louder with better.

[JBNeal]

As hot as it was today, I hope there was a dose of Blue Bell and some Big Red or Dublin DP to trim out the Lone Star experience...maybe even a lap around the courthouse square.

[BobT-47P15]

Sounds like another successful Forum visit.

With good BBQ to boot.

Have met several members over time - all good guys.

[james curl]

49 Dodge 1 ton,where in Texas are you located? I do not recognize your zip code but from the picture of your truck I can see the blue bonnets on the side of the road. And I know that anyone that knows about Dublin DP having real sugar in it and blue bell ice cream has to have spent some time in Texas, and Big Red soda made in San Antonio is almost a regional drink. We did not have time of all of it, Don needs to come back after he retires and spend at least two weeks just driving the roads of the hill country all the way to Camp Wood and Leakey back to Bandera the on to Luckenboch and Sisterdale. Eat at Coopers BBQ in Llano, drink some Lone Star, some Pearl and a whole lot of Shiner beer, you know the whole hog or nine yards type of trip.

[JBNeal]

Pendleton is just north of Temple, and I've driven most of Old 81 from Salado to Waco, which is kinda fun to see the old iron bridges & where the gas stations were back in the day & whutnot. I've driven a good section of The Brazos Trail, and will finish that up after rebuilding the '48. Oddly enough, I turned a friend onto the Dublin DP and bootleg her a case every few months up to Chicago cuz she cain't make it down this way much. Anyhow, reading about y'all's trip to Taylor made me think about the last time I went to Cooper's (or Schoepf's in Belton)...I particularly get a kick out of picking out my pork chop from the pit. But heck, ain't no way that all the neat stuff can be done in a day, it'd take a small spring vacation to see travel the back roads & sample the local cuisine.

[james curl]

49Dodge1ton, I googled your zip and see you are in the Killeen,Fort Hood Belton,Temple Metro area. Pendleton must be a non incorporated village of some 3169 souls because Google says not a city and is not on my official TxDOT map. Do you Know Anthony B in Killeen, he has the two tone 41 Plymouth sedan and works in the Police Dept there? So now I know why you know about the things that you asked about, as you can see I live in Georgetown just south of you, maybe we could get together some time, I am not allergic to Engineers as I spent my entire career working with them as a Draftsman/Designer, first in the Aircraft industry, then KLN steel products in San Antonio then With the Texas Aeronautics Commission which was folded into the Highway Dept. to create TxDOT and the aviation division of it.