Getting closer!!

Before: Shade built and ready to go!!

After: Tranny on the ground!!

DAY TWO: Remove transmission. The case on this one is broken, so I will have to replace it with one from The Rings' Ol' V.W. Shoppe.

As you can see, I had to set up a sweet shade to work under. It worked awesome!! Denver and I got extremely dirty climbing around the bug; cleaning it out and jacking it up. I really can not think of a better way to spend an Easter afternoon. Well, maybe hiking up on the Rim and fishing for some trout would be a little better.

We are under way!!

This is the '56 oval-window bug that will be gracing the road in a "rat rod" style instead of its more glorious fully restored condition.

Dillon giving me a hand---even though it looks more like he is just watching!!!

DAY ONE: Complete engine teardown to get parts ready for machinist. Over the years, I have always gone to Tom Bowman for my machine work. Since my last rebuild he has passed away from cancer. He was a very cool dude, did amazing work, and always treated me right. I will miss him and I am at a loss as to where to go for my machine work.

Yep, we will be a "V.W. Family" real soon. Since the bus needs so much work, and the '56 oval window bug will never be restored in my lifetime, I have decided on a new route. While I am restoring the bus, I will be driving the '56 oval in its natural unrestored state. That's right. Dented, rusted, parts missing-----all natural baby!! I have been dying to drive a V.W. lately since it has probably been six years. OUCH!!

Well, there was the one time when I was trying to get the white '66 bug back on the road a couple of years ago......

Its motor had died and I had a hard time getting things rolling on it. I happened across a used motor and plopped it in. The family was very anxious to go for a trial cruise, so we jumped in and tore down the road!! At about 15 miles per hour. There was something wrong with the used motor, and that was all the faster she would go. The wife was shaking her head, the kids were laughing, and I just slumped low in the seat and limped her home.

Today is a new and exciting day!! I completely tore down another motor to start from scratch. (I believe this motor has better Karma.) Monica even lent a hand. She helped with some motor-lifting skills. She gave me a fudge popsicle at one point. She made me lunch. That's true love.

When I get it back together, it shouldn't be long before we are cruising in our dusty, dented, decrepid, devoid of paint 54-year old car. Yee-haw!!

I am finally done!!

Have you ever seen a house made out of big storm drains? Now you have.

I thought this was a great windmill picture with all the saguaros behind it. It is also the first one that I have seen that was made in Tucson. (You have to look at the tiny little lettering on the tail fin.)

Yep, I am finally done in San Simon!!! San Simon is about 40 miles east of Ajo on the Papago Indian Reservation. My family has been missing me, so maybe I will get a job in Phoenix for a while. That sure would be nice. It has been an adventure living in an old mining shack. The front porch table was an old door laying across a rusted out bathtub!! Awesome!!

Well, I guess we will see what happens.........

I Said It Wouldn't Be Long..............

Just a "teaser pic" for you..........

I already have my new "Iron Horse". The stars aligned perfectly and I really scored!!! A father and son were travelling in a van from Ohio looking for work. The father decided to sell his Harley for much needed cash. It was awesome when they moved some things out of the way, and fired the bike up in the van. In the van!!! Well, it shouldn't be long now and I'll be on the road again. SWEET!!!!

I Have Done The UNTHINKABLE !!!!!

My baby is gone....................................... ;(

Yes, it is true. I sold my beautiful bike. Thankfully, it was like ripping off a scab. The guy came, drooled over it, and asked to see it run. He then asked to test ride it......uh....no. I rode it around a bit and then he bought it. Bing, bang, boom. Ten minutes tops. And now I can barely see to type these sad words out through the tears that are falling on my keyboard. I will not be bike-less for long. I guarantee that my motorcycle mama and I will be flying down the road in no time !!!

At the rate I am selling things off around here, there a couple of boys that need to be worried.

The Next V.W. Project Has Officially Started

I do not know how long it will take, but we have started on the '66 bus. The first thing we had to do was clean out a decade worth of tossing parts into it. These old busses can haul more than their own weight in their cargo area----one of the first vehicles to do so. We put that attribute to the test!! It was loaded with tons of old V.W. parts---enough to hold our parts swap meet!! It took the boys and I half a day to finish cleaning it out. We built shelves the night before to put alot of it on.

Now that it is all ready to go, you can see it needs a bunch of work. We are excited to get it on the road. As I am up to my elbows in rust, oil, dirt, paint, and a little sweat for the next few months, I will just keep the vision of cruising down the road in my sweet old bus to stay motivated. We will keep you posted.

It is a Sad Sad Day.........&(

My beautiful car going away..............

I do not know if anybody cares, but today was a heart-wrenching day. I had to watch my 1966 V.W. bug being hauled away to its new owner's house. I have had it for over five years, and it has been sitting for 98% of that time. It was time to let it go. Morgan is upset also because she had this fantasy of being able to drive around town racing guys in their jap cars.

Well, I do have another project. So, who knows? Maybe I can get that one going. I just need the right motivation, I guess.........