sireland67
Well-Known Member
Yes more updates
Captainkirk's Duster project
- Thread starter Captainkirk
- Start date
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Yeah any new updates Capt . hope all is well
fastnos
Jack of all trades, Master of none!
Just tried a PM to the Capt, but inbox was full. Not been on for a long time, anyone hear from him, of know how to contact and see if everything is okay¿??
Captainkirk
Old School Mopar Warrior
I can't figure out how to empty my inbox! D'oh!
Everything is OK!
Good morning Captian, best I can explain it is go to one of your private conversations and find the option to Leave conversation, that will empty that one.. our staff member toolmanmike can put the example or direction directly to this thread for you this morning I am sure because he will be at his computer (I am on my phone) @toolmanmike
Here's some instructions. Like @memike said, "leave conversation" deletes it from your list. Click on the little box next to the conversation you want to delete. Joey's instructions will show you that.
Because you are not a paid member (Gold member) you have limited private message space.
How to delete conversations from your inbox...
Here is How to delete conversations from your inbox... Click the envelope on the top right, then click SHOW ALL You can also go to your conversation list and click to open one and below the title are some options. Click on "Leave" and follow the options. Click the check boxes of the...
www.forabodiesonly.com
abdywgn
dismantler
belated Happy Birthday! hope your day was special and you could have your cake and eat it too!
Captainkirk
Old School Mopar Warrior
Thanks to all of you for the help. Inbox should now be empty!
Joe Mc
No Car Like A MoPar!
Hey Cap'n glad to see you're back
Captainkirk
Old School Mopar Warrior
Thanks! I'm here checking in from time to time but nothing newsworthy to report.
Same here, nothing much going on.
Captainkirk
Old School Mopar Warrior
My youngest son called me out of the blue the other night to ask me when we were gonna get going on The Duke. Could this be a sign?
Joe Mc
No Car Like A MoPar!
Absolutely. Tell him "let's get it going!"
All the wonderfully written stories have been told. The engine build has been discussed for years. A long hiatus from this forum looks like it’s coming to a close. Now get going!My youngest son called me out of the blue the other night to ask me when we were gonna get going on The Duke. Could this be a sign?
“Yoda say, no try, do.”
I say this with love….
Joe Mc
No Car Like A MoPar!
Captainkirk
Old School Mopar Warrior
I was in the garage tonight getting some various "shovels and rakes and implements of destruction" (nod to Arlo Guthrie) and walking past The Duke without seeing him as I've done maybe a couple thousand times over the last couple years...sort of like when you look at a loved one every day, but don't really 'see' them...just goin' about my bid'ness, when he spoke.
"Hello, Cappy!" I nearly jumped out of my skin. Dammit, Duke, don't DO that! You know it scares the living **** outta me! And don't call me Cappy!
He chuckled and cocked his head sideways, giving that crooked grin; "Yessir, I know it does. That's why I did it. How long you gonna leave me under this damn horse blanket?" (referring to the tarp covering him, I'm assuming)
Look, I...
The grin faded and there was steel in those eyes. "Excuses are like noses, son. Everybody has one, and they all smell. Are you gonna finish me, or let me sit here and rot?"
This was really not the time for this. I had yard stuff to do. But he pressed on..."You've been busy doing your life the last 40 years or so. I've been stuck here in this horse barn hoosegow while you're getting on with life. Now, is that fair?"
Well, no...I reckon it's not, Duke. But...
"Everyone's got one of those too, son. And they smell too." I tried not to smile at that, but failed miserably.
OK, OK. Point taken. What do you want from me?
"Finish the job you started, Cappy. A man makes a promise, he's bound to keep it. Honor bound, Cappy. A man's word is his bond."
He's right, of course. He's always right. Looking back at the battles we've fought, from the Battle of the Land Down Under to the painstaking painting underneath and all the engine woes, we've come through the worst of it. What happened, I wondered? I had sat down to rest, and it slipped away again. Duke, sez I, you gotta trust me. The worst is behind us now. I reached down and grasped his leathery hand...friends?
His eyes softened, then. "Cappy...you're the only friend I ever had". His iron grip squeezed my hand so hard I could damn near hear the bones crack. And damn it if there wasn't something in my eyes again. I'll be back, I murmured, and then suddenly I was alone again holding a bunch of gardening tools and talking to nobody.
Things go south in a hurry sometimes. A lot of Life has happened since my last updates, Nothing bad, really, but enough to keep me hoppin'. Everyone has a nose, he said, and he's right. There were little things that could have been done...SHOULD have been done...but just weren't. I'll update you all on that kinda boring stuff as we move forward. But forward is where we're going. Time is ticking I came to the realization that this is it; do or die. Finish the Duke or fail. And we shook on it. What was it he said? "A man's word is his bond?" I guess it is, after all. "Saddle up, we're burning daylight."
"Hello, Cappy!" I nearly jumped out of my skin. Dammit, Duke, don't DO that! You know it scares the living **** outta me! And don't call me Cappy!
He chuckled and cocked his head sideways, giving that crooked grin; "Yessir, I know it does. That's why I did it. How long you gonna leave me under this damn horse blanket?" (referring to the tarp covering him, I'm assuming)
Look, I...
The grin faded and there was steel in those eyes. "Excuses are like noses, son. Everybody has one, and they all smell. Are you gonna finish me, or let me sit here and rot?"
This was really not the time for this. I had yard stuff to do. But he pressed on..."You've been busy doing your life the last 40 years or so. I've been stuck here in this horse barn hoosegow while you're getting on with life. Now, is that fair?"
Well, no...I reckon it's not, Duke. But...
"Everyone's got one of those too, son. And they smell too." I tried not to smile at that, but failed miserably.
OK, OK. Point taken. What do you want from me?
"Finish the job you started, Cappy. A man makes a promise, he's bound to keep it. Honor bound, Cappy. A man's word is his bond."
He's right, of course. He's always right. Looking back at the battles we've fought, from the Battle of the Land Down Under to the painstaking painting underneath and all the engine woes, we've come through the worst of it. What happened, I wondered? I had sat down to rest, and it slipped away again. Duke, sez I, you gotta trust me. The worst is behind us now. I reached down and grasped his leathery hand...friends?
His eyes softened, then. "Cappy...you're the only friend I ever had". His iron grip squeezed my hand so hard I could damn near hear the bones crack. And damn it if there wasn't something in my eyes again. I'll be back, I murmured, and then suddenly I was alone again holding a bunch of gardening tools and talking to nobody.
Things go south in a hurry sometimes. A lot of Life has happened since my last updates, Nothing bad, really, but enough to keep me hoppin'. Everyone has a nose, he said, and he's right. There were little things that could have been done...SHOULD have been done...but just weren't. I'll update you all on that kinda boring stuff as we move forward. But forward is where we're going. Time is ticking I came to the realization that this is it; do or die. Finish the Duke or fail. And we shook on it. What was it he said? "A man's word is his bond?" I guess it is, after all. "Saddle up, we're burning daylight."
here is an idea......sell your Duster a.k.a. Duke to someone (like me) that will actually work on it. Part of the deal is you get monthly progress reports and you can write about it.
win / win / win for everybody, especially your neglected project.
win / win / win for everybody, especially your neglected project.
Captainkirk
Old School Mopar Warrior
Ouch. That was a kick in the nuts. But fair enough, I reckon. I'm still gonna forge ahead, but I'll put your name at the top of the list.
Captainkirk
Old School Mopar Warrior
Soooooo....
Called up my youngest and we had a chat. A long chat. He so wants this car done, and has offered to help; wants to get in on a ground-up, which is pretty much where we are starting out, with a shell of a body up on jack stands. Now, he's a busy guy himself, with a young family and work to keep him occupied (been there, done that!) but nice to know I have an extra set of hands for doing some of the heavy stuff, and maybe push me a little as well. He's actually got some skin in the game, as he or my other son may end up with this car down the line (hope it's WAY down the line, if you get my drift!) Just hope it doesn't end up in a street brawl! My older boy (dusterman79 on here) already has his own A-body, a '74 Duster which he's had on "project-hold" a good while. I guess the acorn doesn't fall far from the tree? Anyway, hoping I can soon forfeit my spot as President of the Procrastinator's Club and maybe even get thrown out on my ear for misconduct.
"What lit the fire this time Cap", you're thinkin'? "Car show, magazine, motorhead discussions?" No, it's different this time. See, retirement is sneaking up on me, ain't gonna say how long because I really don't know (truth be told I could be retired now), but I can smell it's hot breath on my neck. And I know sure as shootin' that once I retire, any plans of buying this or that restoration part with mad money goes out the window. Yep. Time to buy those things is NOW while I'm still working, can still move around pretty well, and get up and walk after being under the Duke on a creeper for an hour. The sands of time are running out and it's time to put up or shut up...before something goes to hell in a hand basket and the choice is taken from me. Yeah, it's time.
So I stepped out into the House that Duke Built tonight in the pouring rain, and after shaking the raindrops off like a dog coming out of the mill pond, took stock of what I have to get done. After rifling through the front end suspension, I see a bunch of rusty parts that need de-rusting and painting (or powder coat) and re-bushing/new rubber and seals. I'm not gonna bother with stuff like brake lines and such; they'll get replaced with new parts. It's way less complicated than it probably looks; if I took it apart I'm sure I can put it back together with a little guidance. I never should have taken it down as far as I did all at once, but that's water under the bridge now.
There's a plan, and it starts with the rear axle.
Called up my youngest and we had a chat. A long chat. He so wants this car done, and has offered to help; wants to get in on a ground-up, which is pretty much where we are starting out, with a shell of a body up on jack stands. Now, he's a busy guy himself, with a young family and work to keep him occupied (been there, done that!) but nice to know I have an extra set of hands for doing some of the heavy stuff, and maybe push me a little as well. He's actually got some skin in the game, as he or my other son may end up with this car down the line (hope it's WAY down the line, if you get my drift!) Just hope it doesn't end up in a street brawl! My older boy (dusterman79 on here) already has his own A-body, a '74 Duster which he's had on "project-hold" a good while. I guess the acorn doesn't fall far from the tree? Anyway, hoping I can soon forfeit my spot as President of the Procrastinator's Club and maybe even get thrown out on my ear for misconduct.
"What lit the fire this time Cap", you're thinkin'? "Car show, magazine, motorhead discussions?" No, it's different this time. See, retirement is sneaking up on me, ain't gonna say how long because I really don't know (truth be told I could be retired now), but I can smell it's hot breath on my neck. And I know sure as shootin' that once I retire, any plans of buying this or that restoration part with mad money goes out the window. Yep. Time to buy those things is NOW while I'm still working, can still move around pretty well, and get up and walk after being under the Duke on a creeper for an hour. The sands of time are running out and it's time to put up or shut up...before something goes to hell in a hand basket and the choice is taken from me. Yeah, it's time.
So I stepped out into the House that Duke Built tonight in the pouring rain, and after shaking the raindrops off like a dog coming out of the mill pond, took stock of what I have to get done. After rifling through the front end suspension, I see a bunch of rusty parts that need de-rusting and painting (or powder coat) and re-bushing/new rubber and seals. I'm not gonna bother with stuff like brake lines and such; they'll get replaced with new parts. It's way less complicated than it probably looks; if I took it apart I'm sure I can put it back together with a little guidance. I never should have taken it down as far as I did all at once, but that's water under the bridge now.
There's a plan, and it starts with the rear axle.
Captainkirk
Old School Mopar Warrior
Discussion (looooong discussion!) with my son tonight about the best way to approach the diff situation. It's got 50 years of rust built up on the outside of it. He was quick to suggest a needle scaler as opposed to my old-skool approach of a drill and wire wheel, but then I got to thinking...having just power washed and stained my deck, I wonder if power washing would take most of the rust off super quick, so long as the axle ends are wrapped in plastic trash bags? Gonna find out this weekend, anyway. I've decided (initially) to go with the 3.55 that came out of the car, as I know it should slide right back in. I'll see how I like it and will still have the option of dropping the 3.91 in later, if I decide to. Having no springs or shackles on the 3.91, this just seems the best option rather than switching all that stuff from one diff to the other...
NC Engine Builder
Grumpy Old Man
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2008
- Messages
- 7,245
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Amazing this thread is what....nearly 20 years old?
abdywgn
dismantler
I wonder if you spray it down with vinegar and let it sit if that would help loosen the rust?
Captainkirk
Old School Mopar Warrior
We'll see. I might give that a whirl if straight water doesn't work? Gonna try a test run tonight and see what happens.
Captainkirk
Old School Mopar Warrior
And I appreciate you crackin' the whip on me, Denny. Us humans is a lazy bunch if left to our own instincts
I was thinking more in the line of "shameful" but I'll take "amazing"!
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