From the pasture; The valiant story of my '66 Valiant
So one night, while laying on my couch (suspended by styrofoam blocks off the floor), drinking a bourbonish beverage, I began to search the market place. I have noticed that if placed on a chart, the line indicating items bought correlates heavily with the line indicating bourbonish beverages consumed. I may have to think about that a bit. While doing such, I found a set of wheels in my bolt pattern (5x4) not too incredibly far away, in brand new shape, with brand new lugs, and with brand new tires. I wasn't really planning on buying wheels at this point, but after watching the ad for several weeks, the price dropped low enough that a road trip was now in order. As per my usual, I asked my buddy Parker if he would like to go, and as per his usual, Parker said he would.
Trucks were fueled, Buddy Parker was grabbed, and aways we go.
To occupy his time, my navigator Parker researched where the best eating places where we were headed, Malvern, Arkansas. He settled on a place called Keeny's, a local hole in the wall promising the best American fare around. Sounds good to me, because everyone knows road trips are all about the food anyway.
Once we arrived, we met fellow Mopar enthusiast Dave. Super nice guy, and he brought the wheels. I was a bit confused about how they were hauled, but he was so nice it didn't matter. The Valiant now had some "bling".
In addition to being the wheel bringer, Dave confirmed that Keeny's was the place to eat. Old man cooking great food in the back of an old Market. Sounds good, I'm in. Mopar stories were swapped, goodbyes given, onward to lunch!Nice to meet you Dave!
Keeny's, located off in a residential district, was accessible by roads and alleyways barely wider than my truck, and was just as I hoped it would be. Small, homey and smelled phenomenal. As you approach the restaurant, just in case the large letters telling you that you found the lunch time Valhalla were missed, is a vintage Coca Cola sign with letters as aged as its owner, revealing that yes, honey, you found the right place.
Mr. Keeny himself still works, cooks and greets you with a smile. His menus are done by the day, and on this day, we could have whatever we wanted as long whatever we wanted was catfish or a BBQ sandwich. We ate the fish and took the sandwich to go. You know, just in case we were in danger of starving to death on the four hour trek home. One can never be too careful.
When I remarked that we came from Texas, and that the food was great, he dropped me a jaunty little wink and said "Well I know how Texans are, but we can make SOME stuff in Arkansas ya know?" I liked him immediately. If you ever find yourself in Malvern, Arkansas, you gotta stop by. Trust me on this.
Back on the road, it began to rain, then Rain, then RAIN, progress was slow. Conversation lagged, BBQ sandwich smell filled the truck. We stopped for gas and such about the time the rain let up. Parked in the lot, like a beacon of light, was a Yuengling truck.
Yuengling is apparently not available anywhere further west than Arkansas so Parker, resident beer connoisseur among my friends, lit out after the beer guy like a moth to a hot bulb. After his initial confusion, the beer man was super cool, and Parker bought enough beer that I thought we might need a Trans Am to run interference back to the border. I threw a couple in the bed for a photo op.
Several hours later, I decided to have a snack and grabbed my sandwich. It was several hours older by that point, but still delicious. I wanted a cold Yuengling to wash it down, but since I am a rule follower, and was driving in the rain, I settled for a several hour old Gatorade instead. Responsibility, thy name is boring.
Once home, I couldn't wait to bolt them up to see how they look. I like them! They are quite large, comparatively however, when compared to the stock 13" wheel/tire combo.
It was about the time I was going to install the passenger side wheel that I realized I did not have left hand lugs for that side.
Crap. Stocks back on, lugs ordered. BUT for that one brief shining moment, it looked great! Like a bit of old dead skin had been peeled away to show the bright pink new life beneath. These tires are a bit large, and may not make the final cut, but I will get them all mounted and see exactly what I am working with, when the lugs come in.
So now we wait! That's my overdone update for now, Constant Reader. Here is hoping my house dries and the Valiant can move back indoors, so work can continue. Until next time, Confucius say "Man who neglect water heater maintenance is destined to sleep on couch."
So one night, while laying on my couch (suspended by styrofoam blocks off the floor), drinking a bourbonish beverage, I began to search the market place. I have noticed that if placed on a chart, the line indicating items bought correlates heavily with the line indicating bourbonish beverages consumed. I may have to think about that a bit. While doing such, I found a set of wheels in my bolt pattern (5x4) not too incredibly far away, in brand new shape, with brand new lugs, and with brand new tires. I wasn't really planning on buying wheels at this point, but after watching the ad for several weeks, the price dropped low enough that a road trip was now in order. As per my usual, I asked my buddy Parker if he would like to go, and as per his usual, Parker said he would.
Trucks were fueled, Buddy Parker was grabbed, and aways we go.
To occupy his time, my navigator Parker researched where the best eating places where we were headed, Malvern, Arkansas. He settled on a place called Keeny's, a local hole in the wall promising the best American fare around. Sounds good to me, because everyone knows road trips are all about the food anyway.
Once we arrived, we met fellow Mopar enthusiast Dave. Super nice guy, and he brought the wheels. I was a bit confused about how they were hauled, but he was so nice it didn't matter. The Valiant now had some "bling".
In addition to being the wheel bringer, Dave confirmed that Keeny's was the place to eat. Old man cooking great food in the back of an old Market. Sounds good, I'm in. Mopar stories were swapped, goodbyes given, onward to lunch!Nice to meet you Dave!
Keeny's, located off in a residential district, was accessible by roads and alleyways barely wider than my truck, and was just as I hoped it would be. Small, homey and smelled phenomenal. As you approach the restaurant, just in case the large letters telling you that you found the lunch time Valhalla were missed, is a vintage Coca Cola sign with letters as aged as its owner, revealing that yes, honey, you found the right place.
Mr. Keeny himself still works, cooks and greets you with a smile. His menus are done by the day, and on this day, we could have whatever we wanted as long whatever we wanted was catfish or a BBQ sandwich. We ate the fish and took the sandwich to go. You know, just in case we were in danger of starving to death on the four hour trek home. One can never be too careful.
When I remarked that we came from Texas, and that the food was great, he dropped me a jaunty little wink and said "Well I know how Texans are, but we can make SOME stuff in Arkansas ya know?" I liked him immediately. If you ever find yourself in Malvern, Arkansas, you gotta stop by. Trust me on this.
Back on the road, it began to rain, then Rain, then RAIN, progress was slow. Conversation lagged, BBQ sandwich smell filled the truck. We stopped for gas and such about the time the rain let up. Parked in the lot, like a beacon of light, was a Yuengling truck.
Yuengling is apparently not available anywhere further west than Arkansas so Parker, resident beer connoisseur among my friends, lit out after the beer guy like a moth to a hot bulb. After his initial confusion, the beer man was super cool, and Parker bought enough beer that I thought we might need a Trans Am to run interference back to the border. I threw a couple in the bed for a photo op.
Several hours later, I decided to have a snack and grabbed my sandwich. It was several hours older by that point, but still delicious. I wanted a cold Yuengling to wash it down, but since I am a rule follower, and was driving in the rain, I settled for a several hour old Gatorade instead. Responsibility, thy name is boring.
Once home, I couldn't wait to bolt them up to see how they look. I like them! They are quite large, comparatively however, when compared to the stock 13" wheel/tire combo.
It was about the time I was going to install the passenger side wheel that I realized I did not have left hand lugs for that side.
Crap. Stocks back on, lugs ordered. BUT for that one brief shining moment, it looked great! Like a bit of old dead skin had been peeled away to show the bright pink new life beneath. These tires are a bit large, and may not make the final cut, but I will get them all mounted and see exactly what I am working with, when the lugs come in.
So now we wait! That's my overdone update for now, Constant Reader. Here is hoping my house dries and the Valiant can move back indoors, so work can continue. Until next time, Confucius say "Man who neglect water heater maintenance is destined to sleep on couch."
