What a thoughtful and useful gift from my friends at work! A pair of Wiley X Valor polarized sunglasses.
So all I need now is to grow a beard, buy a shemagh and I can be an operator operating operationally like this guy =)
Dude, Srsy? Why don't you just use that pedal on the right hand side of the floor board and leave. Oh, and if you are going to fall out the back of a vehicle like a drunken hooker at least be wearing some platform heels and a mini skirt, K?
Many thanks to my friend over at eIAft for the video! He is a great instructor and passionate about what he does.
Thanks again to my friends for the gift and I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas. Mine has been postponed until Saturday.
I grew up here and that is still the traditional greeting this time of year. Fill in with Hanukkah, meh, etc. as you see fit.
As usual, I win a company Holiday lunch table ornament. Instead of PTO or gift cards sigh....
Of course it suffered some damage on the ride home!
I have many gifts, I wanted to point out that although some say Blogging is dead I without this medium would not have met so many special people in real life. Some dude with dogs in WV, a barrister in MI? An ER doc in OH (I think) a walking encyclopedia on everything that goes bang in IN, another special talented blogger and author there as well? Some old guy that likes to travel in VA =) ? And so many more. If I did not call ya out don't take offense. And that is the point of this gift. There are SO many of you. Thank you for reaching out as well. I want to continue that and look forward to meeting many more of you face to face in the coming year. You have been warned =) I live in a small town and I do have friends here but it has been great to meet so many others!
I wanted to get this post out tonight before it gets crazy for everyone. I suggest in the middle of the madness that you mentally step back and enjoy. These times are fleeting and even with the madness involved should be savored.
I hope all of you look at the magic of this season with the eyes of a child and it is special for you.
So now. What gift for a special lady? Covered!
I knew you and I would get back together again, just a matter of time.
The 64.5 Mustang has the old Eaton power steering on it and now it seems to have adapted a NASCAR setting. Simply meaning "GO LEFT" all the time. There are many things that can go wrong with this system. So I referred to the ancient revered documents for guidance.
Believe it or not, the Ford Motor Company offered them starting in 1955 as a dealer installed option. It was tied into a "Arrive alive in '55" ad campaign. They were not Federally mandated until January 1, 1968.
Finding cars with them prior to the mandate is somewhat rare. Compounding the issue is the fact that dealers could install them prior to the law. This 1964 and a half had them. It appears to be a factory install. Sadly, one belt was cut.
The dealer belts seem to be quite different than factory ones. I had one goal. Replace the buckle hardware for the one that was cut. All the webbing is going to be replaced anyway. 50 year old fabric I don't trust.
Here are the dealer belts I scored on fleabay. The boxes call out a "C5" number stating that the boxes at least were labeled for 1965. On top of one of the boxes is the cut belt from the car.
I'm after the label on the cut one to affix to the the new webbing and buckle.
Date code 7-64. Totally correct for this car.
Here is the bottom of the buckle from the car. Note it sports the correct FoMoCo and date stamping of 1-64.
Then here is the bottom of the dealer buckle. A lot of difference here.
This buckle is sporting a "C3" number denoting a 1963 part yet stamped 1-64. The Ford oval stamping has been replaced with a "Rotunda" as well. Oh, BTW. I need a Macro lens for this camera it seems!
The label on the webbing is totally different as well on these belts.
They also have some markings on them as well that would be excellent for a NOS person but not suited for something that will be driven.
There are some small variances in the buckles as well, but I will take what I can get!
Original is on the bottom, the dealer accessory on top. Close enough!
The grain is much deeper on the original.
Why do I do this? Well, details matter and my Mother will be driving this car.
Keeping a 100 pound meat sack restrained in a 2.5K pound car if it goes bad has made leaps and bounds of advancements in 50 years. Best I can do right now though!
Hey, NFO, My Father found one of the first nav charts you were issued.
He thought it might be handy right now for ya!
Seriously, does this look like the real deal?
My friend Brigid has a wonderful post up tonight on Pieces of History and as happens occasionally I was rummaging around here tonight as it is a rainy day here.
I found this:
I bought this little train set from Monroe Hardware when they announced they were selling everything and moving out of downtown Monroe. Sad really. The building is still there and I remember walking down the wooden floors so worn down by many shoes over the decades.
A faithful reproduction of the "Hooker Chemical" scheme from back in the day, but sadly I think that would mean silicone and meth now.
Then this:
See the difference in packaging? Doesn't the "Southern" look so much more appealing than the box below sitting on a retail shelf? This was made during the much derided "MPC Era". Another footnote in history. Inside we find this:
And everything else to run a train set. At least it says "Made in America" as Lionel is made in China now.
"Pieces of history" my friend said. She wondered who in the future would cherish or discard items. This train is one of my most cherished possessions.
Not even a cataloged set. Apparently the hobby shop cobbled up something for my parents to buy from loose rolling stock. A much derided "Scout" engine to the purists. No matter. To me it is priceless for what it is and what it means. My Mother kept this train for decades and presented it to me a few years ago. I thought it lost in the haze of my youth.
So now we do still run across some items of interest.
ZW and KW train transformers. The largest made. They command a premium now as actually putting 275 watts of AC power on some metal track laying in the floor of the living room would make a corporate lawyers head explode now.
I fear in the age of Xboxes, PS, tablets, etc. that the era of these is done. I don't know who if anyone will be stewards of these pieces of history in the future. Sad, but I am glad they are here to remind me of the sacrifices made so long ago so I could run over green army men with my train!
Way back when a TDR was expensive and huge. I had to sign for one and return the thing when I was done. Now? Pffft!
This just showed up at the house.
Heh! I love upgrading "electronally".
Very close to here. VERY close. If you run a car into a subdivision median divider made of concrete, rock, and steel at about 100 MPH, well all I can say is I'm thankful for that sign. If there was nothing to stop him, he would have possibly taken innocent lives in their home.
