9||0|1602|0|
0|0|0|||1||Car Adventures%3A Angus|Gryphon||02:43:24|04/06/2019|I don%27t name all that many of my vehicles%2C despite being the sort of person who gets attached to inanimate objects and suspects them of having feelings.  Offhand%2C of the dozen or more cars and pickups I%27ve had over the years%2C I can think of three that had unique names.  My 1966 VW Beetle%2C Hagbard%2C of which I%27ve written before%2C was one.  But first... there was Angus.%0D%0A%0D%0AAngus was a 1966 Chevrolet C10 pickup%2C the second such truck that had been in my family.  The first was a battered red stepside my dad had when I was very small%3B I%27m told I called it the Christmas truck%2C because though it was red%2C its original rear body had rusted out and been replaced with one taken from a green donor truck.%0D%0A%0D%0AThe second was the result of one of Dad%27s mysterious weekend day trips when I was in high school%2C this time shortly after I got my driver%27s license.  We went to Brunswick one Friday%2C if memory serves%2C and there we found a man with a %2766 long-wheelbase Fleetside for sale.%0D%0A%0D%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fcommons%2F4%2F41%2F1966_chevy.png%0D%0A%5Bfont size%3D%221%22%5D%5Bb%5DFig. A%5B%2Fb%5D Wikimedia photo by Corporal Clegg48%5B%2Ffont%5D%0D%0A%0D%0AThe truck above is in %5Bi%5Dfar%5B%2Fi%5D better condition than the one we found that day.  That one was at least three different colors%2C two of which were different shades of automotive primer %28grey and %22red%22%2C which is really a dull brown%E2%80%94think of Luke%27s landspeeder from the first %5Bi%5DStar Wars%5B%2Fi%5D movie%2C a color choice I%27m sure was not coincidental%29%2C with a few surviving patches of dark green faded to a matte finish.  It all seemed to be there%2C though%2C which was fairly unusual for pickups of that age in Maine.%0D%0A%0D%0AThe owner%2C a guy about the same age as Dad%2C seemed eager to prove that the truck actually %5Bi%5Dworked%5B%2Fi%5D%2C so we all piled into the cab and headed out for a test ride.  As we pulled out onto the main road%2C he declared cheerfully%2C %22Tunes work%21%22 and switched on the radio%2C demonstrating to his chagrin that the tunes did not%2C in fact%2C work.  But never mind%3B who listens to AM radio%2C anyway%3F  %28Is AM commercial radio even still a thing%3F It was 30 years ago%2C but only in the sense that there were some stations whose owners seemed to have forgotten to turn them off.%29%0D%0A%0D%0AAfter the drive%2C which proved%2C if nothing else%2C that the steering equipment and the brakes worked%2C we conferred and decided%2C what the hell%2C let%27s get it.  If memory serves me right%2C the guy wanted %24600 for it%2C which was more money in 1989 than it is now%2C but still not a hell of a lot.  Dad paid him in cash and asked directions to the town office%2C so we could buy a one-day transit plate to get it home on.  %22Ah hell%2C just take it with mine and mail %27em back to me when you get home%2C%22 was the seller%27s reply.%0D%0A%0D%0A%28We did that%2C but it meant I had to drive the Oldsmobile back%2C because Dad figured he%27d have better odds of not getting arrested if he got pulled over with someone else%27s plate on the truck than I would.%29%0D%0A%0D%0AAt home%2C we had a closer look at the pickup and determined that it was%E2%80%94unusually for a transaction of that kind%E2%80%94exactly what we thought it was when we bought it%3A a shabby but complete 1966 C10 Fleetside long-bed%2C running%2C driving%2C and probably even capable of passing inspection if taken to a liberal enough garage.  It basically needed three things to be fully serviceable%3A an oil change%2C a radio that worked%2C and a new seat.  The first was easy.%0D%0A%0D%0AThe second was a little harder%2C but not much.  The only really tricky part was figuring out how and where to mount the speakers.  The radios in 1960s Chevrolets were all monaural%2C usually with the single speaker built into the dash right above them%2C but the cassette deck we had on hand %28salvaged from a previous vehicle%29 had stereo outputs.  Dad solved this problem by mounting a couple of small cabinet speakers %28%5Bi%5Dnot%5B%2Fi%5D intended for any automotive application%29 to the rear bulkhead%2C above and outboard of the corners of the rear window.  Anybody much taller than we were would%27ve had problems with that speaker positioning%E2%80%94score one for short dudes. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0AAs for the third%2C we took the seat out%2C cut the ragged remains of the upholstery off it%2C and determined that the frame and springs were in decent shape%2C so we ripped all the ratty old stuffing out%2C gave the metal bits a wire brushing and some Rust-Oleum%2C and then made new padding for them out of a couple of athletic mats we bought at Ames %28remember Ames%3F%29 for about %2410 apiece%2C then covered that with one of those horse-blanket-style bench seat covers that were all the rage at the time.  Worked a treat%21  Certainly no worse than the originals were when they were new.%0D%0A%0D%0AI should note%2C for the younger members of the audience%2C that pickups were a different thing in the 1960s.  Nowadays they%27re fashion vehicles%2C with interior fittings just as plush %28if not plusher%29 than their contemporary passenger cars.  In the %2760s%2C pickups were for work.  You could get them fairly fancy on the outside%2C but even those had interiors that were all business.  In 1966%2C that meant bench seats with lap belts only and one %281%29 adjustable parameter%2C to wit%3A they could be moved forward or back about three inches.  It meant metal dashboards with no padding at all.  It meant heaters that did one and only one thing%3A blow some hot air into the cabin%2C either onto the floor or onto the windshield%2C %5Bi%5Dbut not both%5B%2Fi%5D%2C and %5Bi%5Dcertainly%5B%2Fi%5D not out of any namby-pamby dashboard vents.  If you wanted to %5Bi%5Dcool%5B%2Fi%5D the interior%2C open the windows.%0D%0A%0D%0APower steering%3F No. Power brakes%3F No. Power anything at all%3F No.%0D%0A%0D%0A%28Speaking of brakes%3A drums all the way around.  And only one master cylinder%2C so if it fails%2C you%27ve just lost all four brakes%2C and you%27d better hope the cable-operated handbrake is in good working order.  I discovered that mine was%2C one day%2C when the line to the master cylinder failed and caused my next press of the pedal to do nothing other than deposit all the brake fluid on the ground.  There is no other sensation in motoring quite so dismaying as when the brake pedal goes all the way to the floor without any perceptible effect on the speed of the car.  For my money%2C even that floaty feeling you get when you realize you%27re hydroplaning isn%27t quite as much of a dolly zoom moment as that.%29%0D%0A%0D%0AAnyway%2C with those simple modifications in place%2C the truck was ready to enter service.  It was%2C for reasons which now escape me%2C promptly dubbed %22Angus the Wonder Truck%22.%0D%0A%0D%0AAngus had%2C to borrow a phrase from a certain cars-focused YouTube Personality%2C many quirks and features.%0D%0A%0D%0AFor one%3A its original steering wheel was long gone%2C and had been replaced with a wood-and-chrome aftermarket one whose manufacturer probably envisioned it being used in a vehicle with more sporting pretensions.  %28There was a nearly identical%2C if smaller-diameter%2C one in the GTO%2C come to think of it.%29  Whoever installed it hadn%27t bothered to wire the horn button%3B instead%2C the horn could be sounded with a spring-loaded toggle switch%28%21%29 added to the under edge of the instrument panel%2C below the speedometer and connected to the old horn wires that used to run up the steering column.  It had once been a nice wheel%2C with finger grooves and everything%2C but it was so old the varnish had entirely worn off it%2C so every time it rained and I drove with wet hands%2C little rolled-up fragments of wood rubbed off on my fingers.%0D%0A%0D%0AMechanically%2C Angus had some peculiar habits.  It had a 250-cubic-inch straight-six engine%2C not an uncommon power plant in GM pickups of the era%2C which had sufficient power to haul the truck around%2C although presumably not with too much of a load on board.  This engine was%2C however%2C quite... %5Bi%5Dwell-broken-in%5B%2Fi%5D.  Its most arresting feature was the fact that the piston faces were so covered with carbon that%2C once the truck had been running for any appreciable length of time%2C they would get hot enough that the engine didn%27t really need its spark plugs any more.  This wasn%27t a problem while it was running%2C because it ran fine on the lowest-octane gasoline available and so the hot pistons didn%27t make it pre-detonate%2C but it meant that when you got where you were going and switched off the ignition%2C it would tend to sort of... keep running for a while.  It would harrumph and grumble through four or five further revolutions%2C each taking a bit longer than the last%2C until finally the inertia of the cylinders that weren%27t firing any more would outweigh the impulse of the ones that were still going off%2C and the whole works would finally come to a halt with a huge%2C shuddering sigh.  I got used to that%2C but some of my friends never did.%0D%0A%0D%0AIt also had that annoying design flaw shared by so many mid-century GM vehicles%2C the misplaced hanger bearing.  The drive shaft to the rear wheels of most rear-drive%2C body-on-frame cars and trucks is supported in the middle by a large circular bearing suspended from the frame amidships.  In a lot of GM%27s vehicles of the %2750s and %2760s%2C this bearing is in %5Bi%5Dexactly%5B%2Fi%5D the wrong place%2C where it is subjected to the maximum possible deflection forces in use.  This means they wear out quite fast%2C and when they finally fail%2C they do it a%29 very suddenly and b%29 completely.  You%27ll be driving along minding your own business%2C and then %5Bb%5DBANG WHUMPWHUMPWHUMPWHUMPWHUMP%5B%2Fb%5D the drive shaft will be kinked at the universal joint in the middle and beating on the underside of the body with each revolution.  This isn%27t very dangerous in the short term%2C at least not at any speed Angus was capable of%2C but it is %5Bi%5Dextremely%5B%2Fi%5D disconcerting.%0D%0A%0D%0AOther fun features of Chevrolet pickups of that era%3A the fuel tank is behind the seat.  Yes%2C that%27s what I said.  Behind the seat.  %5Bi%5DInside the cab.%5B%2Fi%5D  In a hard enough corner%2C you can hear the gas sloshing around back there.  Heck%2C if it%27s full enough and you go hard enough to the right%2C gas will come out of the filler cap%2C which is right behind the driver%27s door and has no backflow prevention device of any kind.  I%27m sure it%27s perfectly safe.%0D%0A%0D%0AWhen we first got it%2C the truck had one of GM%27s old two-speed Powerglide automatic transmissions in it.  This venerable relic of the motoring world was one of the first viable automatics%2C if not %5Bi%5Dthe%5B%2Fi%5D first%2C fielded by General Motors%2C and even by 1966 it was getting pretty long in the tooth.  Two gear ratios is not really enough for a motor vehicle%2C but particularly not for one with the RPM range of one of those old straight-six engines.  Compounding the problem is that someone had installed a set of ridiculously short-ratio rear end gears at some point.  All of this meant that with the Powerglide in high gear and the throttle wide open%2C going full-bore Cap%27n-she-cannae-take-it%2C you%27d be doing... oh... 45 miles per hour.%0D%0A%0D%0AAfter a month or so of that%2C Dad decided to swap in the four-speed transmission out of the GTO %28previously mentioned%29%2C since he%27d determined that it wasn%27t original to the GTO anyway%2C and see if that helped the situation.  It... didn%27t%2C particularly%2C since it turned out fourth on the four-speed and High on the Powerglide were practically the same ratio.  It just meant shifting more often before hitting that 45-mph top end.  It also meant Angus acquired two new oddities%2C one annoying%2C the other occasionally amusing.%0D%0A%0D%0AThe annoying one was that the clutch linkage would occasionally come apart.  This is not immediately fatal%2C but it%27s very irritating%2C because it means you can%27t use the clutch any more.  On the other hand%2C it provided valuable experience in a motoring survival skill%2C because it taught me that you can shift %5Bi%5Dwithout%5B%2Fi%5D a clutch%2C if you%27re careful and develop an ear for your engine speed.  What you %5Bi%5Dcannot%5B%2Fi%5D do is %5Bi%5Dever quite stop%5B%2Fi%5D%2C because you%27ll either stall or have to throw it into neutral%2C and getting it back in gear without the clutch is... quite a lot harder than switching between them.%0D%0A%0D%0A%28Eventually%2C we took out the four-speed and put in an almost-worn-out three-speed%2C which had the interesting if unintentional advantage that the gears were so worn you could slam shift it without doing it any further harm. Yes%2C you had to hold it in first gear with your hand to keep it from jumping back to neutral%2C but into each life some rain. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0AThe amusing one was that%2C when we installed the floor shifter for the manual transmission%2C we left the lever and the PRNDL indicator for the automatic on the steering column.  I think that was just because we couldn%27t be arsed to take the column apart to get them off%2C but it meant the lever was still there%2C and still %5Bi%5Dworked%5B%2Fi%5D%2C it just was no longer connected to anything mechanical.  This confused people.%0D%0A%0D%0AIt particularly confused the guy who was tailgating me as I drove home from the Tastee Freez in the next town over one day%2C when I dropped the Powerglide lever into reverse.  That had no mechanical effect at all%2C of course%2C but it made the truck%27s white backup lights come on.  If you ever want to see someone perform a Panic Stop%2C find yourself a car that can do that and enjoy the show.%0D%0A%0D%0AAfter a year or so%2C Dad decided that the three-color paint scheme was embarrassing.  He had bought himself a giant industrial air compressor and a full set of automotive refinishing tools by then%2C so one weekend he decided he was going to sandblast the truck and repaint it.  Which he did%21  In the process of doing the sandblasting%2C he discovered that the green we thought was the original color was actually about the fourth.  At various points in its career%2C Angus had also been a different shade of green%2C blue%2C and what appeared to be school bus yellow.%0D%0A%0D%0AWhen he went to repaint after sandblasting%2C Dad had some problems with his paint gun and had to send it back to the manufacturer for repairs.  In the meantime %28and%2C in retrospect%2C probably in a fit of pique%29%2C he undertook to paint the truck anyway.  This he did with a %5Bi%5Dvery large number%5B%2Fi%5D of rattle cans.  Color choice%3A flat black.  %28I believe it was actually stove paint.%29  This predated such notoriously matte vehicles as the Lamborghini Sesto Elemento by many years.%0D%0A%0D%0AWhat else%3F  Oh%2C yes%E2%80%94Angus was banned from the driveway of my friend Joe%27s house%2C where we used to congregate to play %5Bi%5DBattleTech%5B%2Fi%5D in the loft above the garage.  It leaked a bit of oil%2C and after the first time it spent an evening out there while we played%2C his mother informed me that I would have to park it on the street so it wouldn%27t ruin her nice paved driveway.%0D%0A%0D%0AAlso%2C for one brief glorious weekend%2C Angus had the 350-horsepower Pontiac V8 out of the GTO in it%2C as Dad used it as the testbed for that engine when we finished rebuilding it.  That was kind of epic... but those stupidly short rear-end gears meant it %5Bi%5Dstill%5B%2Fi%5D wouldn%27t go faster than around 45 miles per hour.  It sure made an amazing noise doing it%2C though.%0D%0A%0D%0A%28What %5Bi%5Dwas%5B%2Fi%5D the owner who put in those rear-end gears trying to accomplish%3F  Win drag races no more than 50 yards long%3F  Tow very large trailers very slowly with far too little engine%3F  The world will never know.%29%0D%0A%0D%0AHilariously enough%2C I once drove Angus to Worcester and back%2C when I briefly moved back down there for the first time%2C the fall after my year at WPI.  That was an ill-advised venture in %5Bi%5Dmany%5B%2Fi%5D respects%2C so perhaps the very slow%2C extremely noisy ride %28nine or so hours to make a trip that usually took around six%29 was a sort of built-in penance for my foolishness.%0D%0A%0D%0AAll the car stories I%27ve related to date have had a sad ending.  You may be gratified to learn that Angus the Wonder Truck%27s does not%3A it is%2C in fact%2C still in my possession.  Well%2C technically it%27s in Dad%27s%2C since it%27s in a shed out back of his garage%2C but%2C still.  In all the 25 or so years since it last ran%2C it%27s not been sold or scrapped.  We%27re thinking of trying to get it back on the road this summer.  If we do%2C I%27ll keep you posted.%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited  http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D
1|1|0|||||RE%3A Car Adventures%3A Angus|Meridias||03:54:25|04/06/2019|%3E There is no other sensation in motoring quite so dismaying as when the brake pedal goes all the way to the floor without any perceptible effect on the %0D%0A%3Espeed of the car.  For my money%2C even that floaty feeling you get when %0D%0A%3Eyou realize you%27re hydroplaning isn%27t quite as much of a dolly zoom %0D%0A%3Emoment as that.%29 %0D%0A%0D%0AHad that happen to me before with an old Dodge Omni I owned and somehow had managed to completely wear the brakes down on. It made for an interesting ride to work on the highway and various stop lights on the way. Trying to coast as much as possible to slow down%2C hoping to time the lights so I could slide through because stopping was NOT an option. After it was all said and done and the car was drivable again%2C the mechanic actually showed me the brake rotor. All that was left of the rotor was the center hub %28where the bolts go through to mount it%2C in case you weren%27t aware%29. JUST the center hub%2C and maybe about 1%2F4 inch of a paper-thin sliver of %22this is the part that%27s actually useful to the car%22 rotor. Which the mechanic flicked off while he was showing me. I%27m still not sure whether to be proud or not of the fact that the mechanic said that this is the first time he%27s seen that in 20 years of working on cars.
2|1|0|||||RE%3A Car Adventures%3A Angus|MuninsFire||15:51:03|04/06/2019|%3E%28Speaking of brakes%3A drums all the way around.  And only one master %0D%0A%3Ecylinder%2C so if it fails%2C you%27ve just lost all four brakes%2C and you%27d %0D%0A%3Ebetter hope the cable-operated handbrake is in good working order.  I %0D%0A%3Ediscovered that mine was%2C one day%2C when the line to the master %0D%0A%3Ecylinder failed and caused my next press of the pedal to do nothing %0D%0A%3Eother than deposit all the brake fluid on the ground.  There is no %0D%0A%3Eother sensation in motoring quite so dismaying as when the brake pedal %0D%0A%3Egoes all the way to the floor without any perceptible effect on the %0D%0A%3Espeed of the car.  For my money%2C even that floaty feeling you get when %0D%0A%3Eyou realize you%27re hydroplaning isn%27t quite as much of a dolly zoom %0D%0A%3Emoment as that.%29 %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%0D%0AIt certainly makes your life -very exciting- when that happens%2C don%27t it%3F I had that happen some years back - in Bangor%2C on 395 East shortly before that one particularly interesting exit down to Main St.%2C during road construction season %5Bhence the reason for the sudden braking that turned into a very interesting maneuverability challenge%5D in an old Ford Festiva whose cable brake%2C surprise%2C didn%27t work right. %0D%0A%0D%0AIt being such a small car%2C I managed to get away with the frankly absurd maneuver that I put it through%2C and was able to pull into the parking lot of that hotel that used to be right there before they put that casino in.%0D%0A%0D%0AVery terribly exciting day.%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EIt particularly confused the guy who was tailgating me as I drove home %0D%0A%3Efrom the Tastee Freez in the next town over one day%2C when I dropped %0D%0A%3Ethe Powerglide lever into reverse.  That had no mechanical effect at %0D%0A%3Eall%2C of course%2C but it made the truck%27s white backup lights come on.  %0D%0A%3EIf you ever want to see someone perform a Panic Stop%2C find yourself a %0D%0A%3Ecar that can do that and enjoy the show. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%0D%0AIf you%27re -very- careful and know your brakes%27 characteristics well%2C you can play some interesting games of a similar sort using the tolerance between when the light actuates and the brakes themselves actuate. %0D%0A%0D%0AI%27ve thought a few times about installing really obnoxiously bright backup lights in the back due to the locals%27 habit here of putting truly eye-searing LED headlights into lifted trucks and then sitting right on your trunk. I shouldn%27t be casting a shadow into my headlights at night%2C damnit.
3|2|2|||1||RE%3A Car Adventures%3A Angus|Mephron||15:01:36|04/07/2019|%3EI%27ve thought a few times about installing really obnoxiously bright %0D%0A%3Ebackup lights in the back due to the locals%27 habit here of putting %0D%0A%3Etruly eye-searing LED headlights into lifted trucks and then sitting %0D%0A%3Eright on your trunk. I shouldn%27t be casting a shadow into my %0D%0A%3Eheadlights at night%2C damnit. %0D%0A%0D%0AMy late friend Gary had a neighbor who had one of those in association with a large light-bar on the room of his pickup truck%2C able to turn any road from midnight to noon in a single moment%2C and the kind of person who would pull into the driveways of whoever he was pissed of at the time %28usually for calling to complain about one of four season things%3A the snowmobile with no sound suppression system%2C the chainsaw for taking down dead trees at 6%3A30 am%2C the 4x4 with no sound suppression system%2C or the leafblower from Hell%29 and turn it on at 11 PM just to disrupt things%2C or pull up behind someone and turn it on if you were going slower than he felt you should.%0D%0A%0D%0AGary put one of those million-candlepower lamps in the back window%2C then mirror-coated the back window. If you didn%E2%80%99t blind yourself he%E2%80%99d help. That guy nearly crashed himself multiple times. %28And is not why I describe him as late - Gary died being mugged at a gas station a decade later.%29%0D%0A%0D%0A--%0D%0AGeoff Depew - Darth Mephron%0D%0AHaberdasher to Androids%2C Dark Lord of Sith Tech Support.%0D%0A%22And Remember%21  Google is your Friend%21%21%22
4|1|0|||||RE%3A Car Adventures%3A Angus|thorr_kan||11:24:28|04/08/2019|%3EI don%27t name all that many of my vehicles %28SNIP%21%29%0D%0A%0D%0AI do%3A  Socrates%2C Sorsha%2C Ivan%2C Quandy%2C S.P.O.T.%2C Ash...%0D%0A%0D%0ABut before them all was Sherman.  Sherman da Tank.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EAngus was a 1966 Chevrolet C10 pickup%2C %28SNIP%21%29%0D%0A%0D%0AWas that not an epic time for a truck%3F  For me%2C it was the 1962 Dodge truck Pa bought when I was in junior high.%0D%0A%0D%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Foi257.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fhh240%2Fthorr-kan%2FPink%2520Thunderbird%2FSherman%2520da%2520Tank.jpg%0D%0A%0D%0AAnd that random picture of the internet is practically it.  Though we didn%27t have the wooden slats on the bed nor the red rims%3B ours were white to match the whitewalls.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EI should note%2C for the younger members of the audience%2C that pickups %0D%0A%3Ewere a different thing in the 1960s.  Nowadays they%27re fashion %0D%0A%3Evehicles%2C with interior fittings just as plush %28if not plusher%29 than %0D%0A%3Etheir contemporary passenger cars.  In the %2760s%2C pickups were for %0D%0A%3Ework.  %0D%0A%0D%0AYes.  Yes%2C they were.  %28I don%27t begrudge the contractors and campers and haulers and renovators who need a pickup truck.  But I have a problem with the suburban commandos using them as a fashion statement.%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EYou could get them fairly fancy on the outside%2C but even those %0D%0A%3Ehad interiors that were all business.  In 1966%2C that meant bench seats %0D%0A%3Ewith lap belts only and one %281%29 adjustable parameter%2C to wit%3A they %0D%0A%3Ecould be moved forward or back about three inches.  It meant metal %0D%0A%3Edashboards with no padding at all.  It meant heaters that did one and %0D%0A%3Eonly one thing%3A blow some hot air into the cabin%2C either onto the %0D%0A%3Efloor or onto the windshield%2C %5Bi%5Dbut not both%5B%2Fi%5D%2C and %0D%0A%3E%5Bi%5Dcertainly%5B%2Fi%5D not out of any namby-pamby dashboard vents.  If you %0D%0A%3Ewanted to %5Bi%5Dcool%5B%2Fi%5D the interior%2C open the windows. %0D%0A%0D%0ABench seats long and wide enough for a 6%27 human to stretch out and sleep on.  With Giant Steel Springs %28tm%29 underneath.  %0D%0A%0D%0ASeat belts%3F  HA%21  Dodge says you don%27t deserve seat belts%21  Though%2C honestly%2C some would have been nice.  Rural roads %2B Giant Springs %2B no restraints equals bouncing around the cab.%0D%0A%0D%0AThough I did occasionally use that to my advantage.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EPower steering%3F No. Power brakes%3F No. Power anything at all%3F No. %0D%0A%0D%0AManual choke%3F  Check.  Manual steering%3F  Check%2C with a steering wheel 3%27 across.  Manual breaks%3F  Check.  Three-speed transmission%2C on the column%3F  Check%2C but don%27t shift into first unless you%27re stopped dead still.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%28Speaking of brakes%3A drums all the way around.  And only one master %0D%0A%3Ecylinder%2C so if it fails%2C you%27ve just lost all four brakes%2C and you%27d %0D%0A%3Ebetter hope the cable-operated handbrake is in good working order.  I %0D%0A%3Ediscovered that mine was%2C one day%2C when the line to the master %0D%0A%3Ecylinder failed and caused my next press of the pedal to do nothing %0D%0A%3Eother than deposit all the brake fluid on the ground.  There is no %0D%0A%3Eother sensation in motoring quite so dismaying as when the brake pedal %0D%0A%3Egoes all the way to the floor without any perceptible effect on the %0D%0A%3Espeed of the car.  For my money%2C even that floaty feeling you get when %0D%0A%3Eyou realize you%27re hydroplaning isn%27t quite as much of a dolly zoom %0D%0A%3Emoment as that.%29 %0D%0A%0D%0ARepeated for truth.  One of %2Athe%2A scariest things to ever happen to me in a vehicle%2C and proof that Pa was the driver I wanted in the thick and the nasty.  I mean%2C I knew it%2C but even a 16-year-old blockhead can acknowledge it when the old man pulls off a miracle.%0D%0A%0D%0AWe were coming up on a stop sign to a US highway at about 30mph when the brake pedal when %22THUNK.%22 on the floor.  Pa stood%2C started pumping the pedal%2C said %22Hang on.%22 in that oh-so-calm-voice%2C threw the hand brake%2C and whipped around the corner onto the side road right before the highway.  I just hung on.%0D%0A%0D%0AAfter we stopped%2C I went back and looked over the corner.  On the gravel shoulder%2C our tracks were a half-inch from the 3%27-4%27 ditch.  Like I said%2C the old man can drive.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EAngus had%2C to borrow a phrase from a certain cars-focused YouTube %0D%0A%3EPersonality%2C many quirks and features. %0D%0A%0D%0ASo%2C so many.  Good stories%2C though %2Amaybe%2A things have improved in this modern era.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EOther fun features of Chevrolet pickups of that era%3A the fuel tank is %0D%0A%3Ebehind the seat.  Yes%2C that%27s what I said.  Behind the seat.  %0D%0A%3E%5Bi%5DInside the cab.%5B%2Fi%5D  In a hard enough corner%2C you can hear the gas %0D%0A%3Esloshing around back there.  Heck%2C if it%27s full enough and you go hard %0D%0A%3Eenough to the right%2C gas will come out of the filler cap%2C which is %0D%0A%3Eright behind the driver%27s door and has no backflow prevention device %0D%0A%3Eof any kind.  I%27m sure it%27s perfectly safe. %0D%0A%0D%0ASherman shared this.  If the tank%27s only half-full and conditions are %0D%0Aslidy%2C sloshing gasoline changed your handling.%0D%0A%0D%0ADad bought Sherman as a replacement for his last pickup%2C a Ford of some breed.  What we %2Ashould%2A have done was taken this very good condition antique and restored it.  But it was to be a working truck%2C and we used it hard.%0D%0A%0D%0AWe also lacked anything resembling our host%27s family%27s auto skills.  I can swap out lights and filters and probably change oil in a pinch%2C but any real repairs are for the professionals.%0D%0A%0D%0AI joke that this truck made a man outta me%2C but truthfully it was a good vehicle to learn driving.  Quirks and all%2C you learned why things worked and how to drive without any filters.  Nothing short of military or commercial vehicles will intimidate you after learning to drive da Tank.%0D%0A
7|2|4|||1||RE%3A Car Adventures%3A Angus|Gryphon||13:04:14|04/08/2019|%3EWas that not an epic time for a truck%3F  For me%2C it was the 1962 Dodge %0D%0A%3Etruck Pa bought when I was in junior high. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3Ehttps%3A%2F%2Foi257.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fhh240%2Fthorr-kan%2FPink%2520Thunderbird%2FSherman%2520da%2520Tank.jpg %0D%0A%0D%0AOh yeah.  That%27s a cool truck.  We were always a GM family when I was growing up%2C but even back then%2C most of my forebears agreed that Dodge pickups were sort of a special class.%0D%0A%0D%0A%28Which makes it all the more headshake-worthy to me that FCA doesn%27t even call them Dodges any more.  Ram%3F  Really%3F  That has heritage%3F  I assume it%27s just a phase their marketing people are going through.%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EBench seats long and wide enough for a 6%27 human to stretch out and %0D%0A%3Esleep on.  With Giant Steel Springs %28tm%29 underneath. %0D%0A%0D%0AIndeed%2C the Giant Steel Springs%E2%84%A2 are the only surviving part of Angus%27s original seats.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3ESeat belts%3F  HA%21  Dodge says you don%27t deserve seat belts%21  Though%2C %0D%0A%3Ehonestly%2C some would have been nice.  Rural roads %2B Giant Springs %2B no %0D%0A%3Erestraints equals bouncing around the cab. %0D%0A%0D%0AIn fairness to Dodge%2C that%27s more a matter of timing than manufacturer preference.  The %2766 has them because they became mandatory in that year%3B I%27m sure if Angus were a %2762 Chevy%2C it wouldn%27t have them.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EManual choke%3F  Check.%0D%0A%0D%0AOh man%2C I forgot about the choke.  What a procedure starting one of those old engines in the winter was.%0D%0A%0D%0AI have to be honest about this%3A I grumbled about heritage a few lines ago%2C but man%2C I do %5Bi%5Dnot%5B%2Fi%5D miss carburetion.  Now that the technology is mature%2C fuel injection is superior in every practical way.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EThree-speed transmission%2C on the column%3F%0D%0A%0D%0AHeh%2C we managed to avoid that with Angus %28as previously noted%2C we put in a floor shifter when we took out the Powerglide%29%2C but when I was maybe 10 or 12%2C my dad bought a mid-%2770s GMC flatbed conversion %28translation%3A the bed rusted out and the owner just put some boards on there%29 that had either a three or four on the column.  The linkage was worn out and would occasionally jam%2C usually when you were someplace where you really didn%27t want to be climbing out and monkeying around under the hood to be able to put the truck in gear.  I remember my sainted mother%2C who is something like 4%2711%22 tall%2C having to do that once in the drive-thru lane at McDonald%27s.  She was %5Bi%5Dnot%5B%2Fi%5D pleased.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3ECheck%2C but don%27t shift into first unless you%27re stopped dead %0D%0A%3Estill. %0D%0A%0D%0AI was fortunate in that the four-speed we had in Angus for a while during the Unreliable Clutch era did have synchro on all four.  The three-speed we replaced it with didn%27t%2C but was so worn that it didn%27t really matter. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EWe were coming up on a stop sign to a US highway at about 30mph when %0D%0A%3Ethe brake pedal when %22THUNK.%22 on the floor.  Pa stood%2C started pumping %0D%0A%3Ethe pedal%2C said %22Hang on.%22 in that oh-so-calm-voice%0D%0A%0D%0AAh%2C the %22well%2C %5Bi%5Dthat%5B%2Fi%5D happened%22 voice.  My dad isn%27t very good at that%26mdash%3Ba bit too high-strung%26mdash%3Bbut my grandfather was always a dab hand at it.  I remember him once uttering something to that effect when we were about to get dumped out of a canoe in a section of river that proved to have a steeper drop than we were expecting. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EAfter we stopped%2C I went back and looked over the corner.  On the %0D%0A%3Egravel shoulder%2C our tracks were a half-inch from the 3%27-4%27 ditch.  %0D%0A%3ELike I said%2C the old man can drive. %0D%0A%0D%0AThere%27s no substitute for experience. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%3ESherman shared this.  If the tank%27s only half-full and conditions are %0D%0A%3Eslidy%2C sloshing gasoline changed your handling. %0D%0A%0D%0AI guess pickup designers of the time thought it was more secure to put the tank in there than underneath the bed%3F  I know GM had some problems with the frame-mounted saddle tanks in the %2773-%2787 generation of pickups.  Seems like a daft idea nowadays%2C though.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EDad bought Sherman as a replacement for his last pickup%2C a Ford of %0D%0A%3Esome breed.  What we %2Ashould%2A have done was taken this very good %0D%0A%3Econdition antique and restored it.  But it was to be a working truck%2C %0D%0A%3Eand we used it hard. %0D%0A%0D%0AOn the one hand%2C you%27re probably right%3B on the other%2C you had certain needs%2C and that%27s what those vehicles were intended for.  I think one of the least attractive features of the classic car scene is that particular strain of holier-than-thou snobbery where people get prissily prescriptive about what other people should do with their old cars.  I%27m with Jay on this one%26mdash%3Bif I had a 1928 Bugatti and the wherewithal to operate it%2C I%27d be out there roaring around in it whenever the weather was good enough. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EI joke that this truck made a man outta me%2C but truthfully it was a %0D%0A%3Egood vehicle to learn driving.  Quirks and all%2C you learned why things %0D%0A%3Eworked and how to drive without any filters.%0D%0A%0D%0AIf nothing else%2C you learn how to manage contingencies like%2C well%2C like the clutch linkage failing.  Or the electrical system excusing itself and leaving the room for a while%2C which was one of Hagbard the Beetle%27s party tricks.%0D%0A%0D%0AStill%2C I have to acknowledge that there are bits of classic pickuping that I don%27t miss.  Manual locking front hubs on 4WD systems%2C for example.  That 1980 Power Wagon I learned to drive stick in had those%2C %5Bi%5Dwhat%5B%2Fi%5D a pain in the ass.  Because if you%27re a little thick like Dad and me%2C you never actually needed them to %5Bi%5Dbe%5B%2Fi%5D locked until you%27d driven the damn thing into a spot it couldn%27t get out of without them%2C and then you%27re out there groveling around in the dark and the pouring rain and the mud %28or the driving snow and the... well%2C snow%29 trying to get those stupid little dials to turn%2C and of course they don%27t want to because they%27re %5Bi%5Dall full of mud%5B%2Fi%5D %28or frozen%29 and just%2C just no. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited  http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D
5|1|0|||1||RE%3A Car Adventures%3A Angus|Gryphon||12:31:40|04/08/2019|[updated:LAST EDITED ON Apr-08-19 AT 12:35 PM (EDT)]Hey%2C I found a picture%2C not of Angus%2C but the Christmas truck.%0D%0A%0D%0Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2FG-GFX%2Fcars%2FChristmas%2520truck.jpg%0D%0A%0D%0ANote that I had misremembered the situation with the truck bed.  You can see the red top rail is still there%3B only the fenders rusted out%2C and they weren%27t replaced with ones from another truck%E2%80%94my grandfather built the replacement ones out of wood.  Why he decided to paint them green%2C I have no idea.%0D%0A%0D%0A%28I know they look black in this photo%2C but trust me%2C they were green.  As was my grandparents%27 old Nova%2C there.  Also%2C oh hey%2C my grandparents%27 old Nova.%29%0D%0A%0D%0AWhile we%27re here%2C could my old man have been any more %2770s%3F  I guess he could%27ve been wearing flares instead of boot-cut jeans%2C but seriously%2C that hair%2C the brown cowboy boots...%0D%0A%0D%0AThis was taken in my grandparents%27 driveway back at the old Oxbow Lodge.  Note the garage-conversion barn%2C the little playhouse out back%2C and the smaller garage-type structure off to the left.  In my day%2C that was my grandfather%27s fur shed%2C where he kept his trapping supplies and equipment%2C but back in the %2760s it was where my father used to work on his aforementioned selection of hoopties.  One day%2C while he was adjusting a balky carburetor%2C he accidentally introduced enough aerosolized gasoline into the enclosed space to create a decent fuel-air explosive.  When the car he was working on finally fired%2C the resulting explosion relieved him of his eyebrows and blew the one-piece garage door into the middle of the driveway.  My grandmother was reportedly very displeased.%0D%0A%0D%0AThere are so many occasions in his recollections when my own existence%2C by rights%2C should have been prevented.  It really makes a man wonder at the vagaries of existence.%0D%0A%0D%0AI%27m not sure%2C but I think the vehicle lurking just out of sight behind the corner of the garage there is my grandfather%27s %2776 Chevy pickup%2C which would have been fairly new at the time of this pic%2C and which he and I once spent an afternoon repainting%2C some years later.  Its original white paint had turned all chalky and gross%2C as happened to automobile paints of the %2770s and %2780s sometimes%2C and we refinished it in Sears Weatherbeater Off-White.  Yes%2C house paint.  With brushes.  I was... maybe eight or nine%3F  It was a special time.%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited  http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D
6|2|5|||||RE%3A Car Adventures%3A Angus|thorr_kan||12:35:08|04/08/2019|%3EHey%2C I found a picture%2C not of Angus%2C but the Christmas truck. %0D%0A%0D%0AThat is %2Atotally%2A a Christmas truck.  Your child-self%27s logic is impeccable.
8|1|0|||||RE%3A Car Adventures%3A Angus|jonathanlennox||14:46:40|04/08/2019|%3E%28Is AM commercial radio even still a thing%3F It was 30 years ago%2C but only in the sense that there were some stations whose owners seemed to have forgotten to turn them off.%29%0D%0A%0D%0AIt is here in the more densely populated parts of the world%2C where you actually have to pay non-trivial amounts of money for an FM license%2C but it looks largely not in northern Maine.%0D%0A%0D%0ASearches show there is still a licensed AM station in Millinocket%2C %5Blink%3Aen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FWSYY_%28AM%29%7CWSYY-AM%5D%2C but judging by its Wikipedia article it definitely seems to fall into the %22forgot to turn it off%22 category.
9|2|8|||1||RE%3A Car Adventures%3A Angus|Gryphon||16:40:56|04/08/2019|%3ESearches show there is still a licensed AM station in Millinocket%2C %0D%0A%3E%5Blink%3Aen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FWSYY_%28AM%29%7CWSYY-AM%5D%2C but judging by its %0D%0A%3EWikipedia article it definitely seems to fall into the %22forgot to turn %0D%0A%3Eit off%22 category. %0D%0A%0D%0AYeah%2C I haven%27t heard anything on AM 1240 for a long time %28I idly check it sometimes while I%27m waiting around in the supermarket parking lot and stuff%29.  I assumed they%27d taken it off the air.%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited  http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D