I've Started Working On The Wagon !

 Being retired doesn't mean being idle. The other day I looked at my poor 1965 Valiant  station wagon sitting in my work space just rusting away and I decided to make bringing her back to life a priority . I dragged out the power washer and began.I know, this probably means that all those grand plans to travel get shelved but this is more important to me . I can travel after, maybe not this year but after.I'm still waiting on parts for the Moto Guzzi and the bike is usable locally as is so it can wait. The car on the other hand is at the do it or lose it point and I don't want to lose it.So I started ! Here are a few photos of just how bad it has become and how the transformation from being a rust bucket ready for the scrap yard to being a nice driver once again is progressing .

The Beginning:

After a complete washing and airing out I attacked :

After the fender removal I went down into the basement and dug out the two straight rust free fenders I had put away 25 years ago knowing that at some point I'd need them. You see, this car has been an ongoing project from the day I first laid eyes on it. That was back in 1989. I saw it in a parking lot.It was in mint original condition. I left a note on the window to try to buy it but the guy wanted to use it. I sold him a set of doors and side windows for it that I had for 175 bucks and forgot all about it. Seven years later in 1996 I get a phone call and it's the guy with the wagon.He tells me the car is pretty much trashed and I can have it for free if I buy back the parts I sold him for what he paid me . I said yes and this is what I brought home:

I fixed it up and used it for work and to travel up to my camp in the Adirondacks for the next twenty five years. She went thru a few phases and served me well .I carried lumber on the roof,my kayak ,tools and camping gear inside , kept her in good running condition and now it's time to do it again . The other fix ups were just so I could use it as a work vehicle, this time I'm going to make her pretty. Got some cool wheels and a rebuilt 170 cu in motor to put in front of the 4 speed I put in when the automatic took a shit at 350,000 miles. This will probably be the last car I build so I'm gonna have some fun.

As you can see, she's been through some changes over the years . So now the fun begins !

The Time To Hit The Road Is Near

 I retired after the job in my neighbors basement but still haven't finished working. After a couple days off I attacked the porch on the house we live in.Needed to scrape all the peeling paint off the ceiling and get a few coats of paint on it to get the house all finished.Well, got that done and did some other shit with my friend Steve.We bought out an old guys Valiant parts.I ended up with two good front bucket seats and a set of 4 Cragar wheels with new tires  all for 400 bucks!

 

 Steve got good front fenders ,a hood,bumpers,doors,and all sorts of other bits and pieces for a grand . It was a score ! So, now we have the raw materials to do my 65 Valiant Wagon and his 65 Barracuda. Today I head down to his house in my 66 Valiant convertible to see what's going on with the power steering in this other 65 Barracuda he has been going over to sell. This is retirement , well, at least the. very beginnings of it anyway. I put my BMW K100 up for sale on Craigslist.

 https://longisland.craigslist.org/mcy/d/huntington-1988-bmw-k100-rs/7761948598.html

 Not getting much action on it but all of a sudden someone will come along and buy it.It's a good running machine that I just can't ride with my screwed up leg without being in pain. The leg is improving and riding the Moto Guzzi is no problem at all so I'm prepping it for a good long camping trip down south along the Blue Ridge Parkway and possibly to the Barber  vintage motorcycle festival if my leg allows.So, this is the beginning of a post that I have no idea where it's heading other than my fluid plans that are changing daily as my leg ,my bike,and my finances dictate. It's Saturday July 20. The Moto Guzzi meet I want to start this adventure off with is September 28th or so. Got most of the parts to do a major fix up on the Guzzi so I have my work cut out for me. I also started working on the 1975 Yamaha Pete gave me.I'm getting it running and cleaned up to bring to the vintage Japanese bike show and swap meet in PA in mid August to sell. It's almost finished now.

to be continued