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Hey All,
I live in Eastern Iowa so the car season can be somewhat "short". Sell packaging machinery and materials for a living. Get to work with a ton of mechanics, PLC's, funky wiring, pneumatics, hydraulics basically anything kind of machinery. I pretty much have the attitude of being able to capably fix anything. Sometimes that gets me in trouble.
My latest project is a 1970 442 convertible, 455 4 spd car. Ive always been a mopar guy and absolutely love my 70 Cuda (500 cubic inch stroker w/ aluminum heads and a kick ass 6-pack intake) The cuda by far is the most powerful car Ive ever owned. The 455 in the olds sounds big, but's it's no comparison. Ive had the Cuda for about 10 years. The 442 for about 2-1/2.
The 442 was bought as a project to make a few bucks. The restoration has pretty much gotten out of control and a few bucks will literally be about what I clear on this car when it's hopefully sold this June.
The plan was to have the car 100% perfect-done so that I could take it on the Hot Rod Magazine Power Tour. The hotels are booked and the car is about 98 % complete now. Im just waiting for an opening at the uphulstry shop to put the new top on. The 2nd week of June, she will be get driven from Eastern Iowa to Little Rock, AR and then to Madison, WI and back to Iowa. Overall about a 3,000 mile round trip. I will be listing the car on EBAY that week listing the venues where it can be seen. If it gets sold along the way, Im hitching a ride with one of my buddies!
It's been a very fun project. Expensive, but fun. Seeing it all come to fruition makes me think seriously about keeping it. Id have to get a new wife at that point, but what the hell.. Ive kept her for 15 years... Nah, the car has to go. She has her heart set on a Smokey & the Bandit Trans AM. That will probably be next when the 442 goes if I can find a good one.
Im also working on acquiring a 62 corvette conv. 4sp with fuel injection. A one owner car with all documentation. 100% original with 34,000 miles. An old friend of mine bought it new at the age of 16 (in 1961) and has kept it ever since. He's retiring and unloading some of his toys. He made me an offer to good to refuse, so we will soon have to make room for another toy! Should know for sure on that by mid next week. Even at a good deal, it's a very expensive car. I'l probably have to sell it. SIm sure I'l make a few bucks on that deal! If not, hang on to it for a while. Who knows.. Never been a real vette guy, but I might get attached!
During the off months, I spend a lot of time in the garage. It's fully furnished so there's plenty of room and it's comfortable to work in.
Summer months I try to fish and boat on the Mississippi River as often as possible. It's about 200 yards from my house so it's closeness is always appealing. Catfishing is a blast. It's mostly beer drinking between catching so it works out well for me.
Weekends are usually booked up with car shows. We try to get out about 150 miles or so to mix things up.
Enough about me.
Gotta go 4 now
Todd
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