Phoenix on the road conversations

[pflaming]

Phoenix's fire story is well known and Phoenix has Risen From the Ashes, now a new thread.  Possibly the biggest enjoyment I get driving this truck. Is the responses I get from admirers. The exterior, the engine, and a DODGE are the top three conversations. The attached pic is a quick pictorial record of the past. The bulk of this thread will be interesting places and conversations. Tuning in is purely optional! In three weeks the journey will officially begin with a record of the drive to and from the BBQ. 

Edited April 2, 2018 by pflaming

[pflaming]

Conversation number 1.

Perchance I found the truck sitting in a rural yard by the road. The lady told me her sister had purchased it from an Indian lady who had driven it to California from Arizona. Her sister died four years ago, the truck had been parked there for 17 years and she wished someone would remove it. When I asked how much she would sell it for she apologetically replied, $200.00. The grill was missing and the head was in the bed. I gave her $200.00 and went home and returned with a trailer. I had zero mechanical knowledge so it sat for another three years and then out of curiosity I started to fix things. I figured I could remove an item clean and fix it and replace it.. Then I found Greybeard (since deceased) he talked me through the engine rebuild and I found this forum and my hobby began.

Edited April 2, 2018 by pflaming

[pflaming]

Memory conversation #3: prior to the shop fire I drove my truck up the mountain to Grant Grove where the General Sherman and General Grant Giant Sequoia trees are. Shortly after parking, a gentle man and his son walked up to me. They were from Germany, the son said they were surprised to see such an old truck drive into the parking lot. In Gemany old vehicles like mine are only in museums. When I opened the hood and started the engine the fathers face just beamed. I took a picture of the two beside the truck with their camera. 

 

On Monday the truck goes on  lift for a BBQ safety check,, then a drive up the mountain for the road test. The trees are at 7,000'' about 50 miles from our home so it's a fun test drive. 

[pflaming]

Conversation # 4: had a pizza at Bear Mountain Pizza, enroute to the Giant Sequoias Grove. . A woman came to my table and asked if that was my Dodge out front. She really liked the patina and invited me to their car show May 5. She asked what was under the hood, when I replied the original flathead, she replied, "Just what my husband would do"!  

Edited April 5, 2018 by pflaming

[pflaming]

Conversation # 5: at the grove met two fellow Nebraskans. The commented on the usual but were mostly impressed by my smooth, quiet running engine. 

[RobertKB]

Nice pics. Thanks for sharing.

[pflaming]

No conversation, but a recent 250 mile drive through a little used rural road. Great fun.

[pflaming]

Car show may 4. People love the patina and the flathead six. Great fun with my wife and granddaughter.

[pflaming]

While driving the San Juan Baptista to Lodi, Ca route, a semi  was following me. I was on a rural road on the flat West Side of Fresno, CA. At a stop sign I left Phoenix and approached the semi driver to ask what speed I was driving,  just wanted to confirm the accuracy of my gauges. 

 

When I arrived at the truck, the truck driver, a Spanish American young man immediately looked at me and said "I love Jesus, someday I want to be a church pastor ".  We had a great visit because I love Jesus also!