Vernmotor
Well-known member
Flag pole and Flag Look great ! Really like that 
Above 1200 Sq/FT Restored 1930's Auto Shop
- Thread starter BB767
- Start date
Wokspaces above 1200 squarefeet.
9C1
Well-known member
Chris & Tom
I'll look for you in Indianapolis, but it will be easier for you to find me. The judged cars are under the grandstand, to the west (If I have my compass calibrated) of the swap meet. The L88s and Special Collection are in the tent as usual. Lots of L88s here. I am at the meet already -- all these judging meetings before the big show don't you know. Thursday is an almost free day for me. I work Friday and Saturday. I hope we can get together.
I'll look for you in Indianapolis, but it will be easier for you to find me. The judged cars are under the grandstand, to the west (If I have my compass calibrated) of the swap meet. The L88s and Special Collection are in the tent as usual. Lots of L88s here. I am at the meet already -- all these judging meetings before the big show don't you know. Thursday is an almost free day for me. I work Friday and Saturday. I hope we can get together.
bulletpruf
Well-known member
Thomas and Chris -
Checking in after a long hiatus. Really impressed with how the house has turned out. Thanks for taking the time to document and explain what you have done. I have learned a lot.
Best,
Scott
Checking in after a long hiatus. Really impressed with how the house has turned out. Thanks for taking the time to document and explain what you have done. I have learned a lot.
Best,
Scott
Thomas and Chris,
Congrats on the PACA Heritage Award. I have been heavily involved with the Natural History Building renovation as part of my job at the UofI (also an award winner). So, I understand how serious the PACA folks are about preservation and their awards. It is great to see yet more kudos on your projects.
Best,
-Derek
Congrats on the PACA Heritage Award. I have been heavily involved with the Natural History Building renovation as part of my job at the UofI (also an award winner). So, I understand how serious the PACA folks are about preservation and their awards. It is great to see yet more kudos on your projects.
Best,
-Derek
old salt racer
Active member
GOOD NEWS After a close examination and evaluating the information my theory has been proven. Thomas has been vindicated. The infamous switch plate is straight !! It is the building that is crooked !! A time for celebration. Photo #1 the crooked switch, Photo #2 the building, Photo #3 switch vertical, Photo #4 switch horizontal.-----Lou-----
Attachments
MetalMangler
Well-known member
So I assume the next "mini-project" will be leveling the building?
MM
MM
rmalkow2
Well-known member
So I assume the next "mini-project" will be leveling the building?
MM
But the building is located at the center of the universe so does the mean the universe needs to be leveled????
markviii
Well-known member
The CUTU is the vortex. It's level and everything else is out of kilter. Doesn't the news worldwide confirm this?
Chris
Chris
jbmatth
Well-known member
Now knowing the crooked switch plate is in fact level I feel as though my entire life is out of wack. I will be in the corner sobbing and reevaluating my life.
JB
JB
I've been doing that ever since the day I stumbled onto this thread....
56vette461
Well-known member
I'm finishing the reading of Beltsville Shell. I sent a PM for list of next readers. Thanks, al
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Amitygravel
Well-known member
rixtrix1
Well-known member
BlueBomber
Well-known member
Long dormant period for this thread...Thomas and Chris must be busy with their off-line life!
kbuhagiar
Well-known member
Life DOES happen...and if we know anything about Thomas and Chris, it's that they have quite a life!
rmalkow2
Well-known member
I'm sure they are busy getting ready for Bonneville Speed Week. Hoping I spot them there this year as I make my first ever trek to the salt for a bucket list experience.
What's Going On.............
I'm present and accounted for, honest!!
Boy, has it been a busy summer for me. Still doing 10-12 hour work days around here. The following are just some what have been typical days.
Getting ready to go vintage racing at Indy. You don't see this mixture of vehicles in someone's backyard very often. In front of the barn to the left is Rodger Pensky's/Mark Donahue's old Lola T70 which you've seen here on several occasions. Part of the body work has been removed to facilitate some work being done. Crew chief Roland Johnson is leaning on the Shelby Cobra in the background.
Add my Kubota mower to the mix and I thought it was an interesting group. That's the old shop in the background.
I'm driving the Cobra...
...into my trailer prior to taking it to Indy. The car's a brute with 650+ horse power!
Here's our pit at Indy. We were supporting 4 cars this year.
This is the owner/driver of the Cobra, Vince and his charming/excited wife Cathy, just after Vince finished 3rd at Indy.
Vince managed another 3rd place finish the following day in another race. His first podium visits ever at Indy. The interesting backstory is the throwout bearing in the Cobra needing to be replaced along with the clutch and pressure plate on Friday afternoon. It took 4 of us, 2 working above and 2 working below the car to get that work done track side. We spent 6-7 hours at it and were absolutely wringing wet from sweat when we finished but 2 podium finishes made it all worthwhile.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch...
...high winds during a rainstorm blew over the pecan tree just south of the house. That tree had been hit by lightening 30-40 years ago and had a rotted trunk as a result. I knew it was only a mater of time until it would come down. All the weight of the limbs were on the side away from the house so I was confident if it fell, it would do so away from the house and deck.
You can see it was rotted all around the base.
It's all cleaned up except for the stump which I'll be removing this week. Pecan is among the most desirable firewood's so once it drys down in a couple years, I'll have a generous supply.
The fellow I bought my 1966 Corvette coupe from a few years back drove down from Thunder Bay, Canada for a visit.
He brought his white '79 Corvette and we drove both our cars to the Bloomington Gold Corvette show held at the Indy 500 race track.
We got to drive our cars out on the track as part of the cruise night. Corvettes in front and...
...and behind as far as the eye could see. There were only a handful of early cars, most were newer ones. After the show we drove to Bowling Green, Kentucky to the...
...the National Corvette Museum. In 4 days we drove about 450 miles and I averaged 17 miles per gallon. I was very happy with that.
Next up was crewing at Road America, Elkhart, Wisconsin.
We helped out with both Formula Fords and the Cobra. The team got a 1st, 3rd and 4th in various races and the cars were running well at the end of the race week with nothing broken so anther successful race event.
I got the lighting for the flag pole installed and also been doing some additional shop projects along with planting and mulching new trees and plants all summer long. The count right now is over 70 new trees and plants with more coming. I'll get some additional pictures on here along with some new aerial pictures of Timber Haven and the alfalfa field.
Lou and I are getting ready for our trip to Bonneville, so I'll send rmalkow2 a PM and hopefully we'll get to meet up out there. I always enjoy getting to meet my friends from here and so does Lou.
More is in store so check back. Thanks everyone for your continued interest. Still living the dream in The Center Of The Universe!
Thomas
I'm present and accounted for, honest!!
Boy, has it been a busy summer for me. Still doing 10-12 hour work days around here. The following are just some what have been typical days.
Getting ready to go vintage racing at Indy. You don't see this mixture of vehicles in someone's backyard very often. In front of the barn to the left is Rodger Pensky's/Mark Donahue's old Lola T70 which you've seen here on several occasions. Part of the body work has been removed to facilitate some work being done. Crew chief Roland Johnson is leaning on the Shelby Cobra in the background.
Add my Kubota mower to the mix and I thought it was an interesting group. That's the old shop in the background.
I'm driving the Cobra...
...into my trailer prior to taking it to Indy. The car's a brute with 650+ horse power!
Here's our pit at Indy. We were supporting 4 cars this year.
This is the owner/driver of the Cobra, Vince and his charming/excited wife Cathy, just after Vince finished 3rd at Indy.
Vince managed another 3rd place finish the following day in another race. His first podium visits ever at Indy. The interesting backstory is the throwout bearing in the Cobra needing to be replaced along with the clutch and pressure plate on Friday afternoon. It took 4 of us, 2 working above and 2 working below the car to get that work done track side. We spent 6-7 hours at it and were absolutely wringing wet from sweat when we finished but 2 podium finishes made it all worthwhile.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch...
...high winds during a rainstorm blew over the pecan tree just south of the house. That tree had been hit by lightening 30-40 years ago and had a rotted trunk as a result. I knew it was only a mater of time until it would come down. All the weight of the limbs were on the side away from the house so I was confident if it fell, it would do so away from the house and deck.
You can see it was rotted all around the base.
It's all cleaned up except for the stump which I'll be removing this week. Pecan is among the most desirable firewood's so once it drys down in a couple years, I'll have a generous supply.
The fellow I bought my 1966 Corvette coupe from a few years back drove down from Thunder Bay, Canada for a visit.
He brought his white '79 Corvette and we drove both our cars to the Bloomington Gold Corvette show held at the Indy 500 race track.
We got to drive our cars out on the track as part of the cruise night. Corvettes in front and...
...and behind as far as the eye could see. There were only a handful of early cars, most were newer ones. After the show we drove to Bowling Green, Kentucky to the...
...the National Corvette Museum. In 4 days we drove about 450 miles and I averaged 17 miles per gallon. I was very happy with that.
Next up was crewing at Road America, Elkhart, Wisconsin.
We helped out with both Formula Fords and the Cobra. The team got a 1st, 3rd and 4th in various races and the cars were running well at the end of the race week with nothing broken so anther successful race event.
I got the lighting for the flag pole installed and also been doing some additional shop projects along with planting and mulching new trees and plants all summer long. The count right now is over 70 new trees and plants with more coming. I'll get some additional pictures on here along with some new aerial pictures of Timber Haven and the alfalfa field.
Lou and I are getting ready for our trip to Bonneville, so I'll send rmalkow2 a PM and hopefully we'll get to meet up out there. I always enjoy getting to meet my friends from here and so does Lou.
More is in store so check back. Thanks everyone for your continued interest. Still living the dream in The Center Of The Universe!
Thomas
markviii
Well-known member
And I've been busy, too! I helped move some of the cut up branches off the lawn so it wouldn't kill the grass. I'm also part of the race team pit crew, so that kept me busy at Indy and Road America.
I went up to Pontiac, IL, yesterday to meet up with some of my northern IL Lincoln friends who were on a cruise. We met up at a local iconic restaurant, toured the Pontiac-Oakland Museum (a must-see museum if you're in the area - free admission) and visited the local air brush artist. He's a renowned air brush artist from China - painted for the Olympics when it was in China. He and his wife moved their family (1 and 7 year old kids at the time - had another kid 3 years ago) to Pontiac, IL, 7 years ago to open an air brushing school. He is now associated with two local colleges that send art students to him. He's also been appointed the assistant tourism director. They have many Chinese tourist groups come through every month - 5 small groups were in town yesterday. And one of the best things is he will become an American citizen next week up at the Peoria, IL, courthouse!
Pontiac is home to a wonderful Route 66 museum - it's on part of the old Rte 66. The Wall Dogs Museum is also there. I love going to Pontiac, 90 miles away from the COTU. Go to visitpontiac.org for all things Pontiac. I took my Mark VIII, of course. It's such a good road trip car! I doubt that we'll get to the Route 66 Mother Road Festival in Springfield, IL at the end of September, but that's definitely a festival to attend if you're at all interested in Route 66 which starts in IL (opened in 1926) and ends in CA.
I've been working with our car club team planning the August 18 car show which is a fund raising benefit for Cunningham Children's Home in Urbana. We're having it alongside the EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) Ford Tri-Motor event at a local airport (Frasca Field) in Urbana, IL, so we should hae lots of spectators this year. We'll have around 200 antique vehicles (1993 and earlier only. with a spotlight on 1920s vehicles), about double the size of any of our prior shows over the past 50+ years. Spectators coming to our show get in free. They can buy a ride on the Ford Tri-Motor, the first luxury airliner that revolutionized air travel. We have a Roaring 20s theme, so we're working on decorations, and activities to go along with the theme.
Library, alumni association, and apartment work are keeping me busy between racing and car show activities.
Never a dull moment around here!
Chris
I went up to Pontiac, IL, yesterday to meet up with some of my northern IL Lincoln friends who were on a cruise. We met up at a local iconic restaurant, toured the Pontiac-Oakland Museum (a must-see museum if you're in the area - free admission) and visited the local air brush artist. He's a renowned air brush artist from China - painted for the Olympics when it was in China. He and his wife moved their family (1 and 7 year old kids at the time - had another kid 3 years ago) to Pontiac, IL, 7 years ago to open an air brushing school. He is now associated with two local colleges that send art students to him. He's also been appointed the assistant tourism director. They have many Chinese tourist groups come through every month - 5 small groups were in town yesterday. And one of the best things is he will become an American citizen next week up at the Peoria, IL, courthouse!
Pontiac is home to a wonderful Route 66 museum - it's on part of the old Rte 66. The Wall Dogs Museum is also there. I love going to Pontiac, 90 miles away from the COTU. Go to visitpontiac.org for all things Pontiac. I took my Mark VIII, of course. It's such a good road trip car! I doubt that we'll get to the Route 66 Mother Road Festival in Springfield, IL at the end of September, but that's definitely a festival to attend if you're at all interested in Route 66 which starts in IL (opened in 1926) and ends in CA.
I've been working with our car club team planning the August 18 car show which is a fund raising benefit for Cunningham Children's Home in Urbana. We're having it alongside the EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) Ford Tri-Motor event at a local airport (Frasca Field) in Urbana, IL, so we should hae lots of spectators this year. We'll have around 200 antique vehicles (1993 and earlier only. with a spotlight on 1920s vehicles), about double the size of any of our prior shows over the past 50+ years. Spectators coming to our show get in free. They can buy a ride on the Ford Tri-Motor, the first luxury airliner that revolutionized air travel. We have a Roaring 20s theme, so we're working on decorations, and activities to go along with the theme.
Library, alumni association, and apartment work are keeping me busy between racing and car show activities.
Never a dull moment around here!
Chris
Grizz1963
Well-known member
Great reports Chris and Thomas.
That museum in Pontiac sounds like the kind of place Craig and I should add to our road trip in September.
How long do you think a gobsmacked tourist would need conservatively to walk through and enjoy it? Remember, we would be coming in from St Louis side near Wentzville.
Thomas,sad to see the tree gone, I remember rummaging around under it, in the hope to find a good Pecan or two that the squirrels had missed the last time Dennis and I were there.
But fortunately, like you say, it will live on in your fireplace.
Back to your 10-12hour days.
That museum in Pontiac sounds like the kind of place Craig and I should add to our road trip in September.
How long do you think a gobsmacked tourist would need conservatively to walk through and enjoy it? Remember, we would be coming in from St Louis side near Wentzville.
Thomas,sad to see the tree gone, I remember rummaging around under it, in the hope to find a good Pecan or two that the squirrels had missed the last time Dennis and I were there.
But fortunately, like you say, it will live on in your fireplace.
Back to your 10-12hour days.
rmalkow2
Well-known member
Re: What's Going On.............
PM received and replied back. Looks like we will overlap time there for a couple days so I hope to see you there.
Bob
PM received and replied back. Looks like we will overlap time there for a couple days so I hope to see you there.
Bob
Stuart in MN
Well-known member
As a lifelong Pontiac enthusiast, one of these days I need to get down to Illinois to visit the Pontiac-Oakland museum. It's run by a guy named Tim Dye; everything I've heard about him and the museum is positive. http://www.pontiacoaklandmuseum.org/
markviii
Well-known member
Stuart in MN - Tim and his wife are wonderful stewards of everything Pontiac and Oakland related. Tim is also a collector of other things, such as the Roof Ranger riding lawn mower produced in Pontiac, hubcaps, model cars in original boxes, and every brand of oil in cans (most still full) under the sun.
Rian - a visit to Pontiac would be a good, long day trip for you and Dennis (at least a 4 hour drive each way). It's 90 miles north of the COTU, though you'll probably go up I-55 through Springfield, IL (the 1/2 way point from Wentzville). The mayor of Pontiac toured us around, so we went places not many get to ordinarily see. You can view the Pontiac Oakland Museum in an hour tops, depending on how much reading of signage you do, and how many pictures you take. If they let you view the basement and 2nd floor, count on another 1/2 hour. The other museums (including the Route 66 Museum and Wall Dogs Mural Museum) in Pontiac are in one building down the street. You can tour those in a 1/2 hour.
On the internet, visit http://visitpontiac.org/ It's best to alert Ellie at the Pontiac tourism office. They love international visitors. Last Saturday, there were 5 different Chinese groups and assorted vacationing couples from Brazil, Netherlands, Germany and Canada.
The Pontiac Oakland Museum isn't that big, but some people like to go into its library and linger in some of the exhibits on the main floor. Some tourists are lucky to get access to the basement and then upstairs where there are many original concept drawings signed by the designers themselves.
Let us know what you decide, Rian and Dennis. If we can, instead of meeting up in Philo, maybe we'll go up to Pontiac to meet you and have lunch at one of the local places.
Rian - a visit to Pontiac would be a good, long day trip for you and Dennis (at least a 4 hour drive each way). It's 90 miles north of the COTU, though you'll probably go up I-55 through Springfield, IL (the 1/2 way point from Wentzville). The mayor of Pontiac toured us around, so we went places not many get to ordinarily see. You can view the Pontiac Oakland Museum in an hour tops, depending on how much reading of signage you do, and how many pictures you take. If they let you view the basement and 2nd floor, count on another 1/2 hour. The other museums (including the Route 66 Museum and Wall Dogs Mural Museum) in Pontiac are in one building down the street. You can tour those in a 1/2 hour.
On the internet, visit http://visitpontiac.org/ It's best to alert Ellie at the Pontiac tourism office. They love international visitors. Last Saturday, there were 5 different Chinese groups and assorted vacationing couples from Brazil, Netherlands, Germany and Canada.
The Pontiac Oakland Museum isn't that big, but some people like to go into its library and linger in some of the exhibits on the main floor. Some tourists are lucky to get access to the basement and then upstairs where there are many original concept drawings signed by the designers themselves.
Let us know what you decide, Rian and Dennis. If we can, instead of meeting up in Philo, maybe we'll go up to Pontiac to meet you and have lunch at one of the local places.
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9C1
Well-known member
A little farther up the Mother Road from Pontiac is a new Route 66 Museum 706 W. Baltimore St, Wilmington, IL . 815-926-2542. They have more cars than Pontiac, and a variety of makes. It just opened a month or 6 weeks ago.
While in Wilmington one can see the Rocket Man and dine at the restaurant of the same name. I rate it worth a stop.
Terry
While in Wilmington one can see the Rocket Man and dine at the restaurant of the same name. I rate it worth a stop.
Terry
Thank you Terry, that's good to know. I'm likely to be doing a Route 66 tour next year and want to make sure I check it out. I'm slowly pulling all the necessary information together.
Rian, if you think you might be able to stop by, the only thing I know for sure I've got going around then is drag racing Sept 13-15th. It'd be fun to see you again. Things have changed around here since we last saw you.
Thomas
Since we're talking about Pontiac IL, I'll throw out some info on the Central States Thershermen's Reunion that is held there every year on Labor Day weekend (Aug. 30-Sept 3rd this year). Here's a link: http://www.threshermensreunion.org/ I'm a member of the Illinois Valley Blacksmith Association which runs the blacksmiths shop there.
Pontiac is an interesting place!
-Derek
Pontiac is an interesting place!
-Derek
Good deal Derek,
Lou and I might get out that way after we get back from Bonneville. We hope we can meet up with you.
The preliminary salt report is that the salt is hard and dry. We may have the best conditions in several years for some very fast runs. It starts Friday and as always, I'll report once we get back. Stand by!
Thomas
XJSuperman
Well-known member
I'm coming through in the next couple hours....if it's ok I'd like to stop and snap a pic. What town is it again?
Thirdyfivepickup
Well-known member
XJSuperman
Well-known member
I'll admit I havent studied in awhile. It was a last minute realization that I was going to be close by.
Lotusnut
Well-known member
It is Philo and they are on the very south west edge of the town
XJSuperman
Well-known member
Thank you! I actually made it to philo and couldn't find it! Im turning around!!!
markviii
Well-known member
I'm so sorry to have missed you XJSuperman! I was off doing apartment work and just returned home to see your post. Philo's so small, you could have just driven the perimeter of town and found our place 1 block off the highway. Anyone can snap a picture from the side of the road (and many do lol). Oh, well. Next time give us some warning and we'll show you around.
Chris
P.S. Study hard...
Chris
P.S. Study hard...
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markviii
Well-known member
I just got word from Tom from the Bonneville Salt Flats. Danny Thompson, the son of drag racing and Indy 500 impresario Mickey Thompson, just ran 446+ mph to qualify for a new record this morning. Today was the first day of Speed Week. If I remember correctly, the car goes into impound and he'll have to run it again tomorrow to back this up.
If you remember back to 2016, "Thompson, then 68, pedaled his Challenger 2 streamliner with its twin 500-cubic-inch Hemi V-8s to a class record of 406.7 mph, topping his father’s best recorded speed by 0.1 mph and absolutely crushing the previous record for a non-blown, non-gas fuel streamliner, which since 2009 has stood at 392.5 mph." (I took that quote from an August 16, 2016, Car & Driver magazine article.)
This is quite the milestone!
Chris
If you remember back to 2016, "Thompson, then 68, pedaled his Challenger 2 streamliner with its twin 500-cubic-inch Hemi V-8s to a class record of 406.7 mph, topping his father’s best recorded speed by 0.1 mph and absolutely crushing the previous record for a non-blown, non-gas fuel streamliner, which since 2009 has stood at 392.5 mph." (I took that quote from an August 16, 2016, Car & Driver magazine article.)
This is quite the milestone!
Chris
1/2 Cup
Member Emeritus
Nuts
Well-known member
Bonneville, a definite bucket list item. Someday.
The last flag pole that I saw installed was hinged at the bottom.
Made for easy painting and replacement of the rope.
Nuts
The last flag pole that I saw installed was hinged at the bottom.
Made for easy painting and replacement of the rope.
Nuts
stillp
Well-known member
Wow, that's fast! Wheel-driven too, a proper car, not like the fighter-plane-with-wheels record holder. Not that that isn't an achievement in itself, but it's not a proper car if it isn't wheel-driven!
Pete
markviii
Well-known member
Well, Danny Thompson did the deed this morning around 4:30am Utah time! He backed up his record-breaking time from yesterday. Tom says he got great pictures around the starting line.
Later,
Chris
Later,
Chris