DavesJunk.Com

Well, it is getting nice and warm and I still have not gotten my truck fixed.  I have had to fix a starter on the Camaro (several times) and do multiple deeds but still have not got the truck fixed….sigh.  Anyway, Daniel called us up and said that he was taking a trip on the mountain, nothing too rough, and wanted to know if we wanted to go.  After a very short discussion about whether to go or not, we went.  We had a good time and saw just how different the terrain has changed in the past year.  We even stopped a little while for the kids to play in a good sized mud puddle before Daniel decided to disrupt the calm waters with his Durango.

The kids had a lot of fun throwing stuff in the puddle. 

They even discovered some tadpoles!!!!!

And now Daniel messes up the water.

Then we inspect the mud coverage of the Durango.  Not too bad for a leisurely trip.

It is a beautiful view from the top of the mountain.

Well this trip has inspired me even more to get my butt in gear to fixing my truck.  When I have it done I can begin to take rougher trips that will involve more vehicles.  In essence, I need other people to have around so we can pull each other out of holes we are ignorant enough to put ourselves in.  lol.  So hopefully my next muddin’ entry will be picturing my truck in all it’s rusty glory. 

Well the Power Wheels Jeep is getting a little cramped for Rory.  Becky and I have been talking about this for a little while now and knew that inevitably we would have to get her something else soon.  We came across a good deal and a mostly new Power Wheels Ford Mustang.  Now I am not much of a Ford guy, but I saw little comparison with this and an everyday Ford vehicle.  So we took it.

One good thing about this car as opposed to the Jeep is that this has permanent doors.  RaeLynne even gets to ride with her sister on some trips.  She really loves that.  Frankly, riding with Rory would scare the…well you know…out of me.  She misses trees by mere inches.  But, she has yet to hit anything.  So, que sera sera.

Not to let her new car look dusty.  Rory quickly (very quickly) cleans it off.

And then poses with it.

This thing has a faux radio that play songs, beeps a horn, lights for a tachometer, lights for a speedometer, makes engine noises, and startup noises.  Wow, I would like to have had one of these when I was growing up.

And they are off….

Addendum:

When we bought this car we had a little problem.  The wiring melted down to the battery.  Someone had lost the plug to it and rigged up a different one with the wrong battery and wrong size wire.  We had a similar experience with the Jeep.  My brother and I changed out the Power Wheels battery with a lawn mower batter and put in some appropriate sized wire with insulated terminals.  The thing runs like a top.  I use a 12 volt battery charger, like the ones for motorcycles, to keep it charged.  It lasts longer and is half the price of the Power Wheels battery.  The only problem was cramming it into the housing for the battery under the hood.  Power Wheels must have realized their error in allowing this much space (barely) and made it even smaller of an opening when it came to newer models.  Thus when I came upon modifying the Mustang in this manner, an alternative had to be found.  Hidden under the seat/trunk area is a plethora amount of room.  All that is housed in this area is two small motors for the wheels.  I rigged up a battery holder, re-routed the wires, and hooked it up.  VVRROOOOOMMM!!!  It has made the car more of a 50/50 weight distribution and gives it more traction in the rear.  It also gave Rory a trunk in under the hood.  That really seems wrong though.  If you would like to do you child’s Power Wheels like this, feel free to ask for help in the comment section below.

You would have to be living under a rock to not notice that muscle cars have made a rebirth in the automotive industry.  The reemergence of the Camaro, GTO, and Challenger along with a drastic remolding of the Mustang hold so many cues to the late 60’s and 70’s which spawned the most prominent vehicles that brought about what is now called the muscle car lot.  Interestingly enough most of these cars are taking cues from their predecessors in order to receive a “new” look. 

What is also interesting is not only are these classic names coming back to flood the 1/4 mile, but people (mainly deep pocketed people) are not satisfied with what the manufacturing are producing.  In many cases, aftermarket items are hitting shelves before the actual car even gets to the lots.  One current trend is to not just slap on some ground effects and spoilers but to actually re-create the modern car to look like something that is more relevant to it’s predecessor. 

Basic Camaro mods

The Camaro is oddly the subject of three major modifications.  The first is the least extreme.  This is the most basic.  People and companies are doing what every hot rodder does.  Motor changes, ground effect packages, spoiler up grades and add-ons are among the most popular.  Super chargers are very popular here and pin striping is oddly prominent.

Trans Am

The next major Camaro morph is a company picking up where Pontiac got closed down.  Many had been interested when the Camaro came out if there would be a Trans Am equivalent.  But the demise of Pontiac ended such speculation.  Now one company called Trans Am Depot ( website ) decided that it should be built.  They made several major modifications in order to make a Camaro into a modern day Trans Am.  So if you have some deep pockets and the need to make this car your own, you can call them to do it for you or simply buy the kit from them for only around $10,000 to $20,000 on top of your original car purchase.  What are you waiting for?  Shown below is a pic of the completed project and a side by side of before and after transformation.

Trans Am a little earlier

Another depiction of the same scheme as above is to appeal to the fans of the earlier 70’s models of the Trans Am.  This one is done by Lingenfelter Performance Engineering ( website ).  These guys have taken their transformation very seriously.  Notice all the usual styling cues right down to the bright blue – white contrast along with the massive honey comb wheels and functional shaker hood. 

Dodge Daytona

Even the Dodge boys are getting in on the act.  Here we have a project that Heide Performance Products ( website ) has created their rendition of a modern day Dodge Daytona.  You know the famous “winged warrior” from the early 70’s.  The same body style that made Richard Petty famous.  Oddly enough despite the 3 decade gap between model years, these two cars share the same wheel base width of 116 inches.  This new version actually looks more like the 1970 Superbird, but still you have to admit that it is a great translation.  Either way, I want one.

Ford Mustang remodel

Ford, not to be left in the dust after a long term of being the only muscle car on the market, refurbished the entire shape of the Mustang.  It is not hard to see that some drastic changes have been made.  Most noticeably is the radical nose change.  It is definitely more streamlined and aerodynamic.  The stance is much more sports car.  Die hard Mustang fans should be pleased.  Amazing what two years and a little competition can bring forth.

Most of these photos came from the respective company’s websites while others came from private sites.  You should go check them out.

Well, since the purchase of the minivan, it has been inevitable that one vehicle has to be sold.  We have no need of three primary vehicles and really could not afford to insure them all on a full time basis.  After much debate and consideration, I decided the Jeep was the one to go.  Honestly, I should have kept it, but just could not part with the Camaro. 

After a very quick posting on Craigslist.com and golsn.com it sold in less than 24 hours of posting.  I was quite impressed.  I will miss the Jeep, however.  It was never my favorite vehicle to drive, but it did get us around in the snow and harsh weather.  It also had more room in the inside.  What the Jeep lacked in was the driving experience genre.  I just could not get used to the idea of not being able to take a corner any faster than 30 MPH.  Also every time I went to pick up the girls, Rory would throw a fit.  Funny, when I picked them up in the Camaro she loved every minute of the journey home.  She commented often that, “Daddy your car goes fast!”  I can only grin and agree with every adrenaline pushing gear shift.  grunt grunt grunt. 

So goodbye Jeep Cherokee Classic.  You will be missed.  I will not miss that impending project that I was about to have to undertake of fixing the nose though.  Hurray for two birds with one stone theory. 

Well, now with the forthcoming arrival of our third child, it has become necessary to get another vehicle.  We need something with more room, third row seats, DVD player, and good gas mileage.  Anyone know of a muscle car that fits that description…how about a sports car?  Any body….please…..sigh.  So we went into town and bought a minivan.  Yes that is right we are that family now.  I will have to say that it turned out to be a better looking vehicle than I had feared.  I had already pictured us in a proverbial cracker box on wheels.  Instead we purchased a 2004 Pontiac Montana.

This is a stock photo as it was too dark to take a picture for this entry.  I will add a real picture later.

This thing is awesome in the way of creature comforts (compared to what I am used to).  It appears that all of the stuff works too (amazing).  It has an automatic sliding side door, sliding doors on both sides, 3 rows of seats, a DVD player built into the back, rear heating, folding down back two rows of seats, a backup assistant (Becky already found this one to work fine), and all kinds of other stuff that will take another year to find.  It is like a treasure hunt on wheels. 

Another thing that I do like about it is that you don’t see too many of these out there.  It seems that the roads are flooded with Dodge Grand Caravans and their brethren.  My sister in law also falls into this category.  I like those but it is good to be a little different.  I am also impressed with the sportiness of the van.  It has that “I am a soccer mom that will run your butt over anyway” look.  I attribute this mainly to the position of the fog lights which also work splendidly. 

All in all, I am not totally sold on it but I do not hate it either.  It definitely is what we are needing though.  Becky is happy and that is what matters.  It IS  her vehicle, and what she wanted.  As the saying goes “Happy wife, happy life”. 

There is a joke that goes:

“Did you hear that in the seventies the Chevy Nova was no longer to be sold in Mexico?”

“No, really, Why?”

“Well in Spanish, Nova means “No Go””.

So taking that into consideration, if you figure

Slush+Morning sleet and rain+1993 Chevy Camaro = Nova

So I just got back from an outing, figuring with the multitude of road trucks that I have seen working, that I would have no problem making my rounds.  WRONG!  It all began with my driveway, which I have to admit was the worst of my troubles, and went from there.  I spun all the way out….sideways.  Which I have to admit was fun.  I also made a decent rut in the slush and ice just digging down to get to the gravel.  As long as I remained on major roadways I was fine, but to venture off was nothing more than to sit still spinning my tires…wheeee!  I did, however, make it back home safely and without incident.  I was actually delighted that I even made it back into my proper parking place ( a pet peeve of mine is not being able to be in my parking spot, so stay out of it). 

Ok if you are just interested in the Pumpkin Festival you need to look below at my previous entry.  If you like cool cars and motorcycles, then please continue.  I have posted some of the cars and bikes that really caught my eye.  I have created a Flikr account to show all of the cars that stood out. 

This year was also exceptional as I gave an estimate of over 150 cars present at this years showing.  Cars ranged in every form of automobile.  If you could not come here and find a vehicle that you would want to drive home in, then you just won’t ever find one.  There were trucks, muscle cars, new cars, rat rods, clunkers, customs, and the list goes on.  I was really amazed at the diversity of it all.  It was also neat to talk with the owners as many set up lawn chairs and greeted those willing to talk.  One could get a complete vehicle history from some of these friendly persons.  I say persons because one of the nicest Corvettes here was owned by a lady.  No guys, I don’t think she is single.  So wade through the pictures below.  If you want to see more then go here to my Flikr site.  Don’t forget to hover over pix for more info.

Below are some examples of the motorcycles that were in the Motorcycle Show.  Pay special attention to the first and last entries, they may surprise you.

It seems like all I work on this site is the cars now, right?  Not really.  These are just the benefits of several weeks of working just now coming to fruition.  But if you refresh the page in order to see the various cars, you will see a 1979 Camaro running across the top of the screen.  Tom did an outstanding job with this one as well.  The dark coloration with the shadows made this one a challenge for him.  Nathan also got this one out at record time.  Thanx guys, the list will cars will end…someday.

I have added yet another car in the lineup of cars that race across the screen as you load up my site.  As usual, the artwork was done by my friend Tom.  He went to great pains on this one as the grid design was quite a pain in the butt.  Nathan got this one on in record time.  I do believe that he has gotten the knack of this (seeing how he does this kinda thing for a living). 

I am so pleased with this one, just as much as the rest.  If you want to see the older post concerning the 1972 Nova, go to the rebuild, cleanup, and tire spinning of the car.  Thanks again to Tom and Nathan, without which this site would not be up or look near as cool.

You may have noticed, as I mentioned, that there is a new car in my line up of cars that come across the top of the screen.  This is my dad’s 1971 Pontiac GT 37.  I will be doing an entry on it soon.  My friend, Tom, cartoonized this car for my sight recently and now it has been implemented into the new reconstruction of this site.  As usual he has done an excellent job.  He is currently working on another car which will soon join the others.  I can’t wait.

Thanx again Tom.  You truly help to make my site better and better.  And a big thank you to Nathan who made it possible to put these pictures up and have them scrolling across the screen.

If anyone out there would like something like this “cartoonization” use the “contact me” tab and he may be able to help.