Captainkirk's Duster project
Lol I bet . . . now you can get back to more oimportant tasks. . . grindin' and sandin' . . . Rog
........and that's exactly what I did tonight-grinding & sanding (and priming)! Once again, not a LOT of progress in the larger scheme of things, but a few steps closer to where I'd like to be. I realized, much to my chagrin tonight that next week marks half of June over. The chances of getting the engine in and running before winter are slim, considering what I have left to do before I reach that point. So, this is the point where I generally get discouraged.....but I won't! I've made a lot of progress in the last few weeks despite my plumbing nightmare, and every step forward brings me closer to my goal. I will continue to press on.
I covered up the bikes tonight due to all the rust and paint overspray floating about......I'm quite sure I saw The Duke smiling that sly John Wayne smile at the bikes....."My turn tonight, pilgrims" I heard him drawl. Indeed.
I realized two things while work progressed tonight;
1) I can't "slap-dab" this thing back together just to hear it run. Even if it means not finishing it....ever. Part of who I am is to have everything clean, neat, freshly painted, with new or refurbished parts where they are needed. This is a basic instinct I can't bypass or overcome, so I might as well work with it.
2) With the above being stated, I realize I'm not building a concours restoration or museum piece, and I don't have the tools and techniques (and unlimited budget!) that many of those restos require. As with the L'il Red Minx (see part I for those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about) I have to stay within my means and do as much of the work as possible myself. It's sorta like buying an air compressor....you need one; you don't want the El Cheapo model that won't serve your needs and can't afford the top of the line so you settle on something in between that you can live with. That's me; that's The Duke's legacy. I can't sandblast the car on a rotisserie and dip the body, nor powder coat the suspension parts. Yankee inginuity, Rust-Oleum and persistance will have to win the day. And so what if it won't fetch top-dollar at a Harrah's auction? I'm never gonna sell it anyway, so who gives a rat's ***? I know that when it's finished, I can cruise it with pride, knowing I did the best I could with what I had and
did it myself. And that's worth something to me, folks.
Anyway, for those of you who've followed this thread from the beginning, rest assured that The Duke is no longer sleeping, or quiet, for that matter! As I step into the garage he shouts, "Saddle up-we're burning daylight!" and so, I swing a leg over and we ride...hard, and hell-bent-for-leather...into the setting sun, occasionally stopping to rest the horses, but pressing on towards our destination. And we're closer tonight than we were last night.
Richard Boone;
"Who're you?"
John Wayne:
"Jacob McCandles"
RB:
"I thought you was dead?"
JW:
"Not hardly"
John Wayne; "Big Jake"
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