Between 485 & 705 SQ/FT Bob Heine's Auto Emporium

[Bob Heine]

This one is for Rian. You have a wooden steering wheel in your S10 and are considering switching to the original one.

When I bought my '87 Corvette in '91 it had a nasty steering wheel already. The Florida heat had loosened the cover and it was twisted in several places. This year Corvette had no air bags but GM put a huge blob on the passenger side dash for the coming devices. The steering wheel didn't have the air bag bulge but you could see they were getting us ready for one. Here's the stock setup (imagine the rim leather all twisted). You can see the bulge on the right. I copied this photo from the internet and only now noticed the radio. It's the same one I bought years ago and it's the only 1.5 DIN I've come across. It's either this one or a 1.0 DIN with a big bezel.

The previous owner had the dash, console and door inserts covered with real Brazilian Rosewood dash covers so rather than replacing the stock steering wheel with a refurbished one, I bought a Monza real wood steering wheel. Only time it's a problem is when the sun is behind the car -- the polished aluminum can be blinding. Last month I broke down and purchased a real steering spinner with a wood knob (naturally). The location might seem odd but even after 55 years I drive with my hand on the wheel at 2:00 o'clock.

They no longer make real wood dash pieces so when the center console stuff completely bleached out I had to replace it with plastic stuff. I bought some rosewood veneer and will tackle making new ones one of these days. In the meantime I try not to look down there when I'm in the car..

 

[OutlawDrifter]

Gil, I carried my luggable by its handle once with a garment bag over my shoulder and saw someone with a wheeled carry-on while in the airport. Bought a carry-on without even looking at the price. With the machine onboard, I had room for toiletries, a pair of khakis, two dress shirts, three pair of socks and five boxer shorts. On some trips one shirt was at the cleaners while the other was on my back. At AOL I left several pair of jeans and four dress shirts at the cleaners and picked them up a week later on my return.

Marc, IBM had a typewriter division and they spent decades evolving a keyboard with just the right touch and that little click. It became an industry standard and the flat odd-size keys on laptops still drive me crazy. I can touch-type one-handed without looking at an IBM keyboard but am completely lost on a laptop (don't get me started on the phone thing!!! I'm afraid to use a phone unless I'm sitting down with the phone on a surface. I feel like a an impala grazing in a pride of lions when I'm standing and staring down at the thing.

Bob, thanks for the laugh this morning!

Also, good, portable, luggage when you travel for business is a must. I had the perfect "go bag" and accessories when I travelled in my last job. Took a while to figure out the right configuration, but I nailed it down. Carried a midsized duffel with my clothes and toiletries (which were in an American Tourister "shaving kit"), my leather soft briefcase that housed my laptop/charge cord, extra pens, hand written sales orders, sales book, business cards, and my GPS unit(started with a an el cheapo Omni and moved up to a Garmin which I still use), and whatever else I deemed necessary. All were well weathered when I hung up my spurs at that job, I was travelling 120-135k miles per year in a 3 state territory(all driven in a pickup or Suburban towing a trailer).

 

[Grizz1963]

.

Is there any way you could refurbish the original parts?


Or are there any companies who specialises in refurbishment?

 

[OutlawDrifter]

Bob, somehow I missed the post about the steering wheels in my earlier post.

I have that exact 1.5DIN stereo on the shelf. It was pulled from my 1989 K5 Jimmy, and I wanted to put it in the Z28, but the CD portion no longer works. This was THE GM aftermarket radio to have back in the day!

 

[xtremek]

I almost always go with the large bezel and new radio. I think I've put in 3 Alpine radios in the last 4 years. Thinking that before the year is out, Smooth will get one as well. Handsfree (external mic), Blutooth, RCA outs, front aux jack, and remote USB port for like $250. Good bang for the buck.

 

[Jeff Ivers]

The location might seem odd but even after 55 years I drive with my hand on the wheel at 2:00 o'clock.

.

I don't understand. If you always drive with your hand at 2:00, why is the necker knob at 4:00?

 

[Lyndon]

Bob

My XJR has a 1.5 DIN radio of a very odd shape..... I think that's why very few people bother changing them over to something else.

You end up with a very blank fill in arrangement, and lose functionality like the phone, navigation system etc:

Lyndon

 

[Bob Heine]

Bob, thanks for the laugh this morning!

Also, good, portable, luggage when you travel for business is a must. I had the perfect "go bag" and accessories when I travelled in my last job. Took a while to figure out the right configuration, but I nailed it down. Carried a midsized duffel with my clothes and toiletries (which were in an American Tourister "shaving kit"), my leather soft briefcase that housed my laptop/charge cord, extra pens, hand written sales orders, sales book, business cards, and my GPS unit(started with a an el cheapo Omni and moved up to a Garmin which I still use), and whatever else I deemed necessary. All were well weathered when I hung up my spurs at that job, I was travelling 120-135k miles per year in a 3 state territory(all driven in a pickup or Suburban towing a trailer).

Marc, most of my working career I didn't have to travel a lot. My consulting job at AOL (after retirement from IBM) had me working at their office in Herndon and Tysons Corners Virginia for five days and the following nine days working from my home in Florida. FedEx was my friend, overnighting printed documents to VA. My miles weren't that high but I made at least 100 flights a year, putting me into Delta's Platinum status. Didn't take long to realize checked baggage was a huge liability with either lost bags or looooong waits at the baggage claim.

One round-the-world trip (business class) was a piece of cake because my papers and little laptop fit in the soft laptop bag and all my clothes for two weeks fit in an overhead carry-on. Delta missed a Frankfurt to Bombay (Mumbai) connection and switched me to Air India with a stopover in New Delhi. Arrived in New Delhi and was escorted off the plane to the curb outside the airport in the middle of the night. Told my ****** I was to be in Mumbai in the morning. He offered to hail me a cab. Back in the airport I explained I knew nothing about running an airline but my itinerary showed my next destination was Mumbai, not New Delhi. A lot of typing and printing later had me in business class arriving in Mumbai four hours late for the "limo" picking me up. Had to call my wife at home in Florida and have her call my boss in Mumbai to let him know I would be late. I have no idea where checked baggage on that trip would have ended up but I suspect it would still be out there 25 years later.

A limo in India in 1996 was a version of a 1948 Fiat they renamed the Ambassador.

To us in the US, that's a ridiculous car to call a limo but many of my cab rides were in one of these with three of us American-size people in the back:

.

Is there any way you could refurbish the original parts?


Or are there any companies who specialises in refurbishment?

Rian, they sell kits with leather and thread for less than $100 and restored wheels for two or three times that price. Then there's another $80 to get a refurbished horn button covered in leather. I like the feel of the wood wheel a lot better.

Bob, somehow I missed the post about the steering wheels in my earlier post.

I have that exact 1.5DIN stereo on the shelf. It was pulled from my 1989 K5 Jimmy, and I wanted to put it in the Z28, but the CD portion no longer works. This was THE GM aftermarket radio to have back in the day!

Marc, it's weird that size head unit is so rare. I haven't tried it lately but I think the single CD still works. There's a Pioneer 12-CD changer behind the driver seat and an iPod adapter as well. I mostly use the iPod to randomly play 1,400 songs stored in it.

I almost always go with the large bezel and new radio. I think I've put in 3 Alpine radios in the last 4 years. Thinking that before the year is out, Smooth will get one as well. Handsfree (external mic), Blutooth, RCA outs, front aux jack, and remote USB port for like $250. Good bang for the buck.

Kirk,when I bought the car it had a single DIN Sony head unit with a Sony changer in a box behind the seats. To fill the 1/2 DIN, the previous owner had them install a Sony equalizer. A couple of years later the system let the smoke out and I discovered twisted wires with electrical tape filling the space behind the system.

The icing on the audio system cake was the CD changer box. It completely filled the luggage compartment in the convertible, which is minuscule to start with. It also housed a huge 2-channel amplifier that put out about 100 watts and a 12" woofer facing down at the compartment floor. I removed all that and put two compact woofers behind the seatbacks and two amps on the back wall (a 4-channel and a 2-channel.

 

[Bob Heine]

Seems like I didn't reply to a couple of posts last month. My bad.

I don't understand. If you always drive with your hand at 2:00, why is the necker knob at 4:00?

Jeff, I prefer using the steering wheel as designed most of the time. The necker knob is mostly for tight quarter maneuvers like parking, U- or K-turns. Additionally, the Monza wheel has a thick grip area at 2:00 so the knob would have to be closer to 1:00. For some reason that feels odd to me -- although I sometimes hold the wheel at the Noon position to block the reflection of the sun.

Bob

My XJR has a 1.5 DIN radio of a very odd shape..... I think that's why very few people bother changing them over to something else.

You end up with a very blank fill in arrangement, and lose functionality like the phone, navigation system etc:

Lyndon

Lyndon, that is a pretty unique setup. A fair number of manufacturers make it hard to install aftermarket head units. Our PT Cruiser, for one, has an oval opening so all the rectangular heads need a bezel. Not as bad as your Jag but still...

Our '72 Corvette also had a unique radio setup with a very small rectangle and close knobs.

 

[mybigwarwagon]

Auto manufacturers do stuff like that so you are stuck with thier stereos. In the late 90s Ford came out with an oval stereo/climate control in the Taurus. It was about impossible to change it.

 

[Bob Heine]

Not much going on here. I noticed some pretty long shelves in our glassware cabinet in the kitchen were sagging. The shelves had moved toward the front just enough to clear the little plastic pins holding the center of the shelves up. In fact, the pins had fallen out.

I cleared off the center shelf and replaced all five plastic pins with 'L' pins that have holes. Three screws should keep the shelves from moving. This may not help if the city decides to re-pave our street (those vibrating steamrollers make a lot of stuff in our house move around.

This woulda, shoulda, coulda been a quick project but I decided to take the crystal on the top shelf down before I started drilling, lifting and positioning the top shelf. I couldn't put the dusty/greasy crystal back so I hand washed them all. Next decade we may take them down again.

 

[Bob Heine]

Like a lot of the country, we've had some breezy weather lately. I don't think it killed one of the Christmas palms but it helped the tree from a lingering decline. When the center frond on a palm tree breaks, it's a sign the tree has given up.

After I tied a rope to the palm's trunk about 10-feet up and secured the other end to a healthy Live Oak branch, I made a notch and cut about five feet above the ground. I prefer to be standing when cutting a tree so I can hobble out of the way as quickly as possible. I cut through the trunk until the chain started to bind, indicating the trunk was moving. I had already moved all the banana leaves behind the palm trunk (it's a serious offense to hurt a banana tree in SWMBO's world).

I guessed at the length of the trunk and walked another ten feet down the rope. Then it was just a little downward pressure on the rope to bring the tree down exactly where I wanted it.

My calculation was off by a little bit and the tips of the fronds hit where I was standing. I had moved back another ten feet when the tree started coming down. It made a surprisingly loud thud when it hit the ground. After cutting the trunk up into 4-foot lengths I could easily lift I went back to the trunk and cut it off six inches off the ground. To help it disintegrate I cut a cross in the trunk down to ground level. No bananas were hurt in the removal of this tree.

 

[Bob Heine]

Auto manufacturers do stuff like that so you are stuck with thier stereos. In the late 90s Ford came out with an oval stereo/climate control in the Taurus. It was about impossible to change it.

Uncle Willie, I remember those Fords . Rental companies loved the Taurus. Those radios probably prevented a lot of broken windows and stolen cars. Considering how many were sold, only about a thousand were stolen each year.

 

[xtremek]

Nice job on dropping the tree. I've got a few more I need dropped. Feel free to come on by anytime to complete the job Although I'd wait until the Covid has died down up here.

 

[Bob Heine]

Nice job on dropping the tree. I've got a few more I need dropped. Feel free to come on by anytime to complete the job Although I'd wait until the Covid has died down up here.

Kirk, I do enjoy trimming and cutting down trees but you're right about Covid. We used to call it Senioritis when graduation was fast approaching. All we had to do was study a little bit more for those final finals and we'd be good to go. Nope, it was time to party! Michigan beat Florida yesterday with a new cases score of 8,539 to 7,939. Especially impressive with only half the population and fewer Spring Break parties. We get our second shots a week from Monday so we can meet our great granddaughter in person before her first birthday in July!

 

[drivesitfar]

BOB: I swear you live in a PARK with all the trees and paths and such in your backyard.

nice job cutting down that broken palm tree and i agree much easier to cut up a bit higher and trim later if you are not using the tree's trunk for lumber. I'm trimming my daughter's trees and eventually cutting them down. their limbs are too close to her house and neighbors so it's a process, but the bid to cut them down was $3800 per tree and she's got 3 that need to be cut and i love my little Ryobi 18v chainsaw and it's good exercise.

I hope your covid shots don't have any of the side effects i'm hearing. glad to hear you are planning on going to see your great granddaughter too.

 

[Bob Heine]

BOB: I swear you live in a PARK with all the trees and paths and such in your backyard.

nice job cutting down that broken palm tree and i agree much easier to cut up a bit higher and trim later if you are not using the tree's trunk for lumber. I'm trimming my daughter's trees and eventually cutting them down. their limbs are too close to her house and neighbors so it's a process, but the bid to cut them down was $3800 per tree and she's got 3 that need to be cut and i love my little Ryobi 18v chainsaw and it's good exercise.

I hope your covid shots don't have any of the side effects i'm hearing. glad to hear you are planning on going to see your great granddaughter too.

Drives, we've been in this house for 25 years and most of the trees are younger than that. Things grow year-round in South Florida, with leaves dropping at odd times (some in mid-winter and others in mid-spring).

Palm trees are like celery stalks and are quite flexible. I don't recall ever seeing anyone use palm tree trunks for lumber but I bet someone has tried. I understand completely about the tree removal issue. I ended up paying around $10,000 to have that ficus cut down and that didn't include removing the stump.

We had no symptoms from the first shot so I don't expect anything life-threatening from the second. So far pain at the injection site and some aches and pains for a day are the side effects I've heard about. To prevent me from breaking out in itchy hives that erupt all over my body, I get two Xolair injections every month. Those shots require me to have an Epi pen with me and to wait a half hour after the shots before I can leave the doctor's office. The vaccination is a nothing muffin for me (15 minute wait).

 

[shortykorte]

Nice looking palm to lose. You going to carve some tikis?


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[shopnut]

It made a surprisingly loud thud when it hit the ground.

Those palms are surprisingly dense. And with their water content and flexibility, it sort of reminds me of using a dead-blow hammer when they hit the ground. They don't seem to bounce at all.

Glad to see you made it through safety and don't need to take the refresher class from the GJ Safety Marshall (Shorty) LOL

 

[cbacres]

Nice looking palm to lose. You going to carve some tikis?


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Bob, I agree, a carving on a tree trunk from your property.

I know there’s a picture of you somewhere that would make a great guide.

 

[xtremek]

We get our second on Monday. Both of us had sore arms for 2 days. I had a nasty headache the first day. but other than that, no big. I don't know anyone who's had any real side effects, and I know a few dozen who've got their shots already.

 

[mybigwarwagon]

Nice job dropping that tree with no banana damage.

 

[patlun]

For me it would be very interesting to have some banana trees to avoid hurting, but I don't think they like the snow You inspired me to go out and look at one of the two tree stumps that I need to remove. After looking at it for a while I went out for a walk instead. The life is coming back after the winter. Some of the migratory birds have come back and there is some spring flowers that are blooming, And we have light!

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

We had no symptoms from the first shot so I don't expect anything life-threatening from the second. So far pain at the injection site and some aches and pains for a day are the side effects I've heard about. To prevent me from breaking out in itchy hives that erupt all over my body, I get two Xolair injections every month. Those shots require me to have an Epi pen with me and to wait a half hour after the shots before I can leave the doctor's office. The vaccination is a nothing muffin for me (15 minute wait).

Maybe I missed if you posted which vaccine you received. We were given the Pfizer vaccine. I've had both shots now and had no reactions. The shots were given by National Guardsmen and the 1st one was was so good I didn't even feel the injection. The second guy wasn't as good but it was fine. Very minor arm soreness for a few hours the next day and I noticed nothing thereafter.

Last I read there have been 167 million shots given and no reaction deaths in the U.S. But there have been 560 thousand deaths from COVID so why anyone hesitates to get the vaccination is beyond me.

 

[Bob Heine]

Nice looking palm to lose. You going to carve some tikis?


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Stewart, I'm probably safe carving a tiki in the palm trees but I worry a little about offending my neighbors. On one side I have a nice Latino family and on the other side a nice Jewish couple. Tikis don't have the same fun party vibe they once had.

Those palms are surprisingly dense. And with their water content and flexibility, it sort of reminds me of using a dead-blow hammer when they hit the ground. They don't seem to bounce at all.

Glad to see you made it through safety and don't need to take the refresher class from the GJ Safety Marshall (Shorty) LOL

Mark, you obviously have taken down your share of palms. The only thing that seems to hold more water are the bananas but they are even more celery-like. Your dead-blow hammer analogy is perfect.

I do need a refresher class. Hopefully the GJ Safety Marshall can teach me how to start a "peripherally inserted central catheter" just in case a simple IV isn't enough.

Bob, I agree, a carving on a tree trunk from your property.

I know there’s a picture of you somewhere that would make a great guide.

Craig, I do have a couple of life masks to work with. I have good days and well, you know.

We get our second on Monday. Both of us had sore arms for 2 days. I had a nasty headache the first day. but other than that, no big. I don't know anyone who's had any real side effects, and I know a few dozen who've got their shots already.

Kirk, just having the first one is a relief. It's supposed to give 80% immunity with the second booster getting you to mid-90s.

Nice job dropping that tree with no banana damage.

Uncle Willie, it's a fun plant. You watch it grow for months and then get a huge bunch of fruit that goes from green and nearly inedible to brown and nearly inedible before you know it. We give almost all of the bananas away to families with kids.

For me it would be very interesting to have some banana trees to avoid hurting, but I don't think they like the snow You inspired me to go out and look at one of the two tree stumps that I need to remove. After looking at it for a while I went out for a walk instead. The life is coming back after the winter. Some of the migratory birds have come back and there is some spring flowers that are blooming, And we have light!

Patrik, I think it's possible but difficult to grow bananas indoors. Some species grow 25 feet (7.62 meters) tall so you need to choose carefully. The typical banana plant (it's not a real tree) grows quickly in ideal conditions: "A banana pseudostem needs 10 to 15 months of frost-free weather to grow flowers that yield young bananas. The bananas typically mature in 60 to 90 days after the flowers appear." When you cut the banana stalk, the plant dies and the rotting stem smells like an open sewer. A new plant sprouts from the base of the old plant and you start all over again.

I'm with you on taking a walk instead. Only thing that got me going was the screening over the patio. If that bunch of palm fronds had broken off completely, I would be calling for a screen demon. I call them that because they walk across those skinny aluminum trusses with no safety gear and act like they are "out for a walk" while installing the screening.

Maybe I missed if you posted which vaccine you received. We were given the Pfizer vaccine. I've had both shots now and had no reactions. The shots were given by National Guardsmen and the 1st one was was so good I didn't even feel the injection. The second guy wasn't as good but it was fine. Very minor arm soreness for a few hours the next day and I noticed nothing thereafter.

Last I read there have been 167 million shots given and no reaction deaths in the U.S. But there have been 560 thousand deaths from COVID so why anyone hesitates to get the vaccination is beyond me.

Dan, we got the Moderna vaccine. The pharmacist at one of the Publix grocery stores near us (8 miles away) gave us the shots. I thought the second shot was going to be given three weeks later but they scheduled us for four.

I was born during WWII and grew up in the 1950s. Polio was the epidemic back then, with lots of cases but only 1% resulted in paralysis. That meant between 13,000 and 20,000 people a year being paralyzed. Of the paralyzed, 2%-5% of children died and 15%-30% of adults died. Our next door neighbor's daughter caught it and was thrilled when she recovered enough to be allowed out of her iron lung. A few years ago we gave away the kitchen chairs that bore the scars from her leg braces when she babysat our kids. We were the only couple who let her watch their kids and she never forgot that "gift". I don't recall anyone balking at getting the Salk vaccine or letting their kids get vaccinated. Times change....

 

[xtremek]

We're renting a mini excavator next weekend to remove the stumps of the trees I cut down. If you want, I'll drop by and dig up yours. You just need to cover the 400 gallons of gas it'll take to get down there and back.

 

[pi_guy]

Second shot tomorrow.
Back to class today more on plotting.
Class at night all next week, have my 92 mile trip home with boat on Tuesday.
Just hope they finish it, little details like no engine connection to Garmin, and the freaking windshield washer didn't work.

Stay safe have fun

 

[shortykorte]

We're renting a mini excavator next weekend to remove the stumps of the trees I cut down. If you want, I'll drop by and dig up yours. You just need to cover the 400 gallons of gas it'll take to get down there and back.

Hey I got a twofer. On way down, stop at my shop, I have 3 oaks that could use a good trim....to the ground.


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[Bob Heine]

We're renting a mini excavator next weekend to remove the stumps of the trees I cut down. If you want, I'll drop by and dig up yours. You just need to cover the 400 gallons of gas it'll take to get down there and back.

Kirk, I appreciate the offer but I have a couple million leettle friends who are removing my stumps. They haven't really started on the palm stump but are doing a wonderful job on the ficus we had removed about two years ago.

2019:

2021:

I would remove more of the rotted stumps but Liane thinks it looks 'romantic' in the garden. Did I mention that things grow fast in South Florida?

Second shot tomorrow.
Back to class today more on plotting.
Class at night all next week, have my 92 mile trip home with boat on Tuesday.
Just hope they finish it, little details like no engine connection to Garmin, and the freaking windshield washer didn't work.

Stay safe have fun

Michael, where are you going to pick up your boat? Last time I shopped for a used boat I found it on Long Island, 96 miles from home. I would have had to pay a premium for a boat in the Poughkeepsie area because they don't see much salt water. The year-old 1972 Century Raven 19-foot runabout was $4,200 for the boat and tandem axle trailer but there were tiny barnacles already growing in the intake holes on the Mercruiser 188 I/O unit. In the Hudson Valley that boat would have sold for $1,500 more.

Hey I got a twofer. On way down, stop at my shop, I have 3 oaks that could use a good trim....to the ground.


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Stewart, you should contact Bobby (bolensboneyard) because he has a sawmill, a truck and a trailer. I'm sure he'd be thrilled to head south in a month or three when it warms up a little. I mean, it's not going to get above 90°F in Tallahassee this week.

 

[Grizz1963]

Evening Bob,

Confession first... had a Steak n Kidney pie in a tin this week, was nice.

I do love to see your garden and how it evolves.

 

[xtremek]

Bob, your last post was just the chuckle these tired bones needed

 

[pi_guy]

Michael, where are you going to pick up your boat? Last time I shopped for a used boat I found it on Long Island, 96 miles from home. I would have had to pay a premium for a boat in the Poughkeepsie area because they don't see much salt water. The year-old 1972 Century Raven 19-foot runabout was $4,200 for the boat and tandem axle trailer but there were tiny barnacles already growing in the intake holes on the Mercruiser 188 I/O unit. In the Hudson Valley that boat would have sold for $1,500 more.

The boat was bought in Westhampton. It is 92 miles by water to home in PW.
The big issues is the exit at Center Moriches is not marked for navigation aids and needs to be dredged. My forward scanning sonar is going to get a workout in that location.
It was 1K to fuel up the boat but it did hit 52mph untrimed. It will do circles about its center axis and will go sideways. The joystick will only operate the motors at a max of 2400rpm. The Autopilot has a zig zag feature, told the sales man that it will be great the next time I am being shot at.

Second shot in a hour then back to class.

 

[driftpin]

Kirk, I appreciate the offer but I have a couple million leettle friends who are removing my stumps. They haven't really started on the palm stump but are doing a wonderful job on the ficus we had removed about two years ago.

2019:

2021:

I would remove more of the rotted stumps but Liane thinks it looks 'romantic' in the garden. Did I mention that things grow fast in South Florida?


Michael, where are you going to pick up your boat? Last time I shopped for a used boat I found it on Long Island, 96 miles from home. I would have had to pay a premium for a boat in the Poughkeepsie area because they don't see much salt water. The year-old 1972 Century Raven 19-foot runabout was $4,200 for the boat and tandem axle trailer but there were tiny barnacles already growing in the intake holes on the Mercruiser 188 I/O unit. In the Hudson Valley that boat would have sold for $1,500 more.

Stewart, you should contact Bobby (bolensboneyard) because he has a sawmill, a truck and a trailer. I'm sure he'd be thrilled to head south in a month or three when it warms up a little. I mean, it's not going to get above 90°F in Tallahassee this week.

Bob, a friend of mine in MI had a Century twin-cockpit wood runabout w/a Ford Interceptor marine V8 in it. A few years ago I went for a ride in it, fishing too, it was a lot of fun. The exhaust note was wonderful. The Ford 260 cu. in. engine was the same one the first few-dozen Shelby AC Cobras got, before the 289 and then the FE 427. The boat I'd guess was about 17'-18' and an early 1960's build, Not sure of the exact date, I'd guesstimate 1962-1963.

Yes to the insects doing the stump removal. Maybe some sugar water on the stump to hasten the removal?

I had some royal palms cut in sections and removed, they weren't where the drops would endanger anything, and the ground shook when they landed. They were probably close-to 24" in dia & 2' to 2-1/2' H. I was worried that the full-height palms would come-down on the house and kill us. I had planted them from seedlings. When they departed, I breathed a sigh of relief.

Speaking of AC Cobras, here's the most-unusual use of an AC Cobra, I think it's safe to-say.

 

[Bob Heine]

Evening Bob,

Confession first... had a Steak n Kidney pie in a tin this week, was nice.

I do love to see your garden and how it evolves.

Rian, I'm going to go shopping next week....

Florida is an interesting place to garden. Those of us who moved here from cold places tend to over plant our gardens thinking it will take years to fill out. Our neighbor puts huge piles of yard cuttings at the curb every week. I add our much smaller pile to theirs so the claw truck makes fewer stops.

Bob, your last post was just the chuckle these tired bones needed

Kirk, happy to help!

The boat was bought in Westhampton. It is 92 miles by water to home in PW.
The big issues is the exit at Center Moriches is not marked for navigation aids and needs to be dredged. My forward scanning sonar is going to get a workout in that location.
It was 1K to fuel up the boat but it did hit 52mph untrimed. It will do circles about its center axis and will go sideways. The joystick will only operate the motors at a max of 2400rpm. The Autopilot has a zig zag feature, told the sales man that it will be great the next time I am being shot at.

Second shot in a hour then back to class.

Michael, are you going east around Montauk Point or west to Verrazzano Narrows? I never attempted the Moriches Inlet and without any radio stayed close to the Fire Island Inlet. I really enjoyed camping at the National Seashore during the day but we had to abandon the tent at night because of the bugs. Four of us slept on the boat moored outside the harbor at Sailors Haven. When the weather turned nasty we did get a berth for a night.

Sounds like your new Cobia is a delight. Much bigger and better equipped than our runabout. I did make good time cruising the 45 miles up the Hudson River from the Tarrytown Yacht Club to the New Hamburg Yacht club in less than an hour. River was dead calm the whole way. Liane drove the GTO and trailer the same route on land (mostly Route 9D) and took a half hour longer. The 302 Ford V8 sipped gas with its 2-barrel carb. I'm comfortable in a boat that goes 50- to 60-mph but the couple of rides I've taken in offshore power boats had me on edge when they got past 80-mph. It feels so much faster on the water. I'd probably feel the same way in a racing go-cart.

Bob, a friend of mine in MI had a Century twin-cockpit wood runabout w/a Ford Interceptor marine V8 in it. A few years ago I went for a ride in it, fishing too, it was a lot of fun. The exhaust note was wonderful. The Ford 260 cu. in. engine was the same one the first few-dozen Shelby AC Cobras got, before the 289 and then the FE 427. The boat I'd guess was about 17'-18' and an early 1960's build, Not sure of the exact date, I'd guesstimate 1962-1963.

Yes to the insects doing the stump removal. Maybe some sugar water on the stump to hasten the removal?

I had some royal palms cut in sections and removed, they weren't where the drops would endanger anything, and the ground shook when they landed. They were probably close-to 24" in dia & 2' to 2-1/2' H. I was worried that the full-height palms would come-down on the house and kill us. I had planted them from seedlings. When they departed, I breathed a sigh of relief.

Speaking of AC Cobras, here's the most-unusual use of an AC Cobra, I think it's safe to-say.

Philip, every time we had that ficus trimmed they would drop a chunk from the upper branches and it always made my heart skip a beat. Sounded too much like what I thought was a body landing.

I put some chemicals on the stump but I see no difference from the untreated areas. Ficus trees don't have very solid wood.

The Inboard/Outboard on my Century Raven was a 302, the larger descendant of those 260 and 289 Small Block Fords. It was very quiet until you got it up to speed and trimmed the drive so the prop, which had the exhaust exiting through the center, was mostly out of the water. The direct and V-drive setups have the exhaust go out the transom above the waterline and the only muffling came from the water mixed with the exhaust.

My uncle was a boater and I remember crossing the Great South Bay in his sailboat when I was five. It took forever and you always got wet but my brother liked it because it was quiet. Uncle Harvey traded up to a J.C. Higgins plywood speedboat powered by a Packard straight 8. The sound was deafening and it beat you to a pulp crossing the bay but the trip only took five minutes. My brother crawled under the seat and wouldn't come out until the engine was shut off. This is the only photo I have of the J.C. Higgins, showing my boating uncle saving my father from going overboard trying to pull in the anchor. Dad and boating was like oil and water.

 

[xtremek]

Does every guy go through a boat phase?

 

[pi_guy]

Michael, are you going east around Montauk Point or west to Verrazzano Narrows? I never attempted the Moriches Inlet and without any radio stayed close to the Fire Island Inlet. I really enjoyed camping at the National Seashore during the day but we had to abandon the tent at night because of the bugs. Four of us slept on the boat moored outside the harbor at Sailors Haven. When the weather turned nasty we did get a berth for a night.

Sounds like your new Cobia is a delight. Much bigger and better equipped than our runabout. I did make good time cruising the 45 miles up the Hudson River from the Tarrytown Yacht Club to the New Hamburg Yacht club in less than an hour. River was dead calm the whole way. Liane drove the GTO and trailer the same route on land (mostly Route 9D) and took a half hour longer. The 302 Ford V8 sipped gas with its 2-barrel carb. I'm comfortable in a boat that goes 50- to 60-mph but the couple of rides I've taken in offshore power boats had me on edge when they got past 80-mph. It feels so much faster on the water. I'd probably feel the same way in a racing go-cart.

I am hoping so. Trip is tomorrow, getting prepped today. Small craft advisory was called today with waves of 3 to 5 so that is a little tough.
We are taking the city route.

I don't mind fast cars, boats at high speed need survival cockpits, I would rather fish in peace than rocket on the water and sound like a race track.

I don't know if every guy goes through a boat phase. But I was born in Hull now live in PW and both are surrounded by water on three sides and both are nautical towns so that helps fuel the boating desire.

 

[madison069]

Does every guy go through a boat phase?

Some do, some don't. But my Dad did and now it's my phase. Planning to go out fishing 2 times this weekend if the weather holds out. Taking the kids with me so hoping to make it a decent trip.

 

[pi_guy]

I gave up that anchor tugging **** with last boat normally the guest would get the job. But now all I do is disconnect safety grab the remote and lower the anchor.
The other option is use spot lock will keep me in same position, many of the boats are adding trolling motors and using the spot lock features but it is built into the Yamaha.

 

[madison069]

I gave up that anchor tugging **** with last boat normally the guest would get the job. But now all I do is disconnect safety grab the remote and lower the anchor.
The other option is use spot lock will keep me in same position, many of the boats are adding trolling motors and using the spot lock features but it is built into the Yamaha.

Yep, I currently have a trolling motor that has the "Spot Lock" option as you mention.

 

[pi_guy]

Yep, I currently have a trolling motor that has the "Spot Lock" option as you mention.

Technology sure changes things. I have a picture of my boat route coming into dock the trace goes into the apt building about 100 feet away. I showed it to the teacher and said the boat buffed right out. So I want to be double sure how well it holds fishing next to a rock pile.
My hot fishing spot GPS mark in Rye has been moving since I marked it. I look at my forward scanning sonar get a picture of the rock pile and when I look at marked point it has drifted west ward I had marked top of rock pile.