Well, today it's raining... but yesterday, actually... no kidding... drove my car - on a real road, at 55 mph, and everything... and it was Freaken AWESOME!!! ::thumb::
Yesterday was the 'Ruckus at the Rec Camp,' which has replaced the annual Goodfellow AFB Rec Camp Car Show. They decided to combine the annual car show with the Armed Forces Chili Cook-Off, and had a concert immediately following. To sweeten the pot, Horny Mike and Ryan from Count's Kustoms/Counting Cars were invited. About 60 cars showed up, not a slouch in the crowd, and it was a pretty good turn-out considering the event wasn't as well-publicized as it should've been (which I was actually asked to help the cause for next year's event).
Horny Mike and Ryan are absolutely awesome! They're friendly, they goof on each other, they really love cars (all cars), and talking with their fans, car guys or not. Class acts, both of them... they represented Danny Koker, Count's Kustoms, Counting Cars, and themselves extremely well. I hope we can get them and/or some of the other guys at Count's Kustoms to come out again next year!
My pal Jim and I started out the day meeting up at my house to drive to the show together... I was actually afraid of not making it to the closest gas station, since my gas gauge was only slightly above "E." This turned out to be another "Jim & Eric Adventure." We're driving along, Jim behind me in his awesome '75 CJ-5, and as I pull into the gas station, my phone rings (through the Retrosound stereo... which freaked me right the Hell out, since I don't have 'hands-free' in any of my other cars). It was Jim - he's out of gas. WTF? I look around, and notice he's nowhere around. Crap. So, I gassed up with about 10 gallons, any my fuel gauge is now reading slightly below "F." OK... so the gauge or the sender is having issues... hmmmm. Whatever. I drove back to where Jim was and grabbed one of his 5-gallon Jerry cans and went back to the gas station, filled it up, went back to Jim and poured it into his new 21-gallon tank - which he had just put 5-gallons in the day before. WTF? So, after getting his heat-soaked carb to cooperate, we fired up and went back to the gas station. We added another 10 gallons, and now he's only showing 1/2 tank. OK - so he's got sender issues, too. Whatever - we have a car show to go to.
Grabbed some cold drinks and took off down Knickerbocker road (4-lane w/turning lane, 55 mph) and the whole time I'm praying, "please don't drop the drive shaft... please don't drop the drive shaft... please don't drop the drive shaft..." (since the last time I drove it around the back streets at 30 mph, I dropped the drive shaft...). I fell into 'formation' with a Honda Pilot and kept pace (since I still don't have my speedometer cable installed) and next thing I know - we're there! The Mach 1 did GREAT!! Temp was good (1/3-ish), oil pressure stayed good, brakes stopped me just fine, but the transmission shifted a little hard and a little bit late for my liking... more adjustment on the TV needed.
Got our car show tickets at the gate, and we rolled down the main drag of the Rec Camp and headed toward our slots, which my other friend Harry had reserved for us. I barely made it to my slot, because everybody was crowding me out, trying to get a look while I'm making my way to the other end of the car show area. I finally get there and try to back it in... almost missed... and tried to re-park it to be a little more centered, but it was too late - about 30 people had already gathered around the car. Holy Cow! I was blown away by how many people were checking it out. I had intended on running the duster over the car again, shaking the floor mats one last time, and even hitting the chrome one last time just in case I'd gotten some fingerprints anywhere. Nope - not gonna happen. I barely got a chance to sit down maybe 3 times during the whole show, everybody wanted to talk about the car and tell me their stories of how much they loved the '71-'73 Mustangs that had been in their lives 'back in the day.'
The show concluded as it was starting into dusk, with a looming thunderstorm helping it get darker quicker. Horny Mike and Ryan helped hand out the awards, took pictures with everybody, and just made the whole thing so much better, considering it seemed like everything was falling apart (new car show management rookie mistakes... no biggie). I was SO happy when the Mustang won Best In Class - '70-'79 Modified - Ryan shook my hand and handed me the plaque! But then, I was blown away when I got called up again for the "People's Choice Award." OMG!!! No Way!! Horny Mike and Ryan presented and posed for a pic (which I need to get a copy of from Wing Public Affairs).
We had to get out of there since it was getting dark and my headlights are currently aimed worse than Marty Feldman's eyes, and they were getting ready to kick off the concert. Grabbed a couple of quick pics on the cell phone and took off again. Jim took the lead, and once again, the Mach 1 drove at around 55-60 mph with no issues. I paid a little closer attention this time and it ran like a Champ - drove nice and everything!
Wow! What a day!
Here's one of the rare moments there wasn't anybody checking it out.
And here are a couple more as the show finished up just before we left the show area.
Sorry for the novel - I just wanted to share how cool my day went. It finally sunk in for me a bit of just how far my Mustang's come along since I've owned it... literally a rust pile in the shape of a '71 Mach 1 with a seized engine, Fred Flintstone floors, and a chain holding the gas tank in-place. Now, it's legal to drive, quite the eye-catcher, and total blast as well... not to mention I did pretty much everything myself with all y'all's help, excellent advice, and unfailing encouragement. Thank you all SO much for being part of this experience with me!
EDIT: Almost forgot - here's the hardware. :whistling:
