What we did during the Deep Freeze and Great Southern Blizzard of 2014

[lakeholme]

Or in other words, here's a few pics of my January bad weather project... every classic car lover needs one!
Interior restoration: dash pad, seats, seat belts, a few repairs under the dash, re-tighten headliner, new bumpers (re-chromed), and last but not least some Dynamat to make the car a little quieter and the boss lady happy.
(Steve, most of the interior stuff we glanced at briefly last Fall in Charlotte.  Hate to give up original interior, but the car is a driver and now more driveable.)
And BTW, thought you might enjoy a picture of my retirement cake.

[69Z28-RS]

Congratulations!!!        I've been retired for a few months now (I call it semi retired.. .. but I just updated my Linked In account to reflect that face this week.  I got congratulated on my 'new job'..     Retirement is sorta like getting out of the military; something to look forward to and count down!~       My wife and I are going to dinner tonight with a friend (who worked his last day today) and his wife...  so retirements seem to be the 'thing' nowadays..

PS.  I like what you're doing to your Camaro..  it's looking good, and will look even better this Spring.   I assume we can see it at the Lowes Speedway spring event?

[Mike S]

 I still have a few years to go before retiring. I wish I had a garage that large to work in!

Mike

[lakeholme]

Gary,
Congrats, right back at you!
Yes, retirement (if you can afford it) is the "in-thing" nowadays.  A good friend who retired last year told me you spend more money in your first year of retirement than any year of your life.  I'm definitely finding that to be true!
Thanks for the compliment on the car.  I got tired of riding around with the car seat and my seat sprung....
Yes, it will be at Charlotte (Lowes is out. Maybe if Steve's wife could print us about a million shirts, we could make it CRG Speedway!?!) Motor Speedway this Spring. Hope to see you (and yes, my offer still stands).
Right after the retirement party, our exec. director with HNR (the guys in the yellow hats) asked me to be meet chair for the AACA Spring Meet (Not as big a deal as it sounds, the chief judge does the real work.)  I had the right to remain silent but not the good sense. (I'm going to start a thread when I have more information about that later.)

[lakeholme]

I still have a few years to go before retiring. I wish I had a garage that large to work in!

Mike

Mike, all you need is a good 401k and know someone with a big garage... That's the back garage at Klassic Rides Restoration.  They have three of them... Here's the only pic I took that shows most of the room...

[Steve68]

Phillip, congratulations on the retirement.  I've found that I am busier now than before retirement.  "Requests" for assistance from just the family to help them out with things quadrupled!  HR people would always say, before you decide to retire just make sure you will have things to do........not a problem in my case.  I can tell you I would welcome some down time.   

As for replacing original parts I always like to try and fix/repair them than replace but I can understand installing new things when parts are just too far gone.  Especially when the repair looks worse than it did before.   

CRG speedway.......I like it!  Has a great sound to it

Now that you are the meet chair I know that we will be attending the best spring and fall shows yet!  No pressure there......right?  Hey, with the new position it won't keep you from wearing your CRG shirt will it?

Steve

[lakeholme]

Steve,
If I ever sell it, all the junk will be in the trunk.  I'm with you on originality.  After all, that's the restoration formula: authenticity and condition equals originality.

Okay, the way I figure, if everyone registered for the forum sold 30 shirts at four times the cost, then we could get a sign out front for one day of the Autofair.  But I'm not volunteering to be there when you tell your lovely and gracious wife that we need 135,000 shirts asap....  

Hey, no pressure!   I'm only the "front man" at the meet.   There will be around 250 people nationwide and 450 in the greater Charlotte area making it a great meet....  

Phillip

[ko-lek-tor]

I still have a few years to go before retiring. I wish I had a garage that large to work in!

Mike

What's that gray stuff the car is sitting on? I haven't seen that in my shop for a long,long time,lol.

[lakeholme]

I still have a few years to go before retiring. I wish I had a garage that large to work in!

Mike

What's that gray stuff the car is sitting on? I haven't seen that in my shop for a long,long time,lol.

...That's the way they came from the factory.... 

[ko-lek-tor]

I still have a few years to go before retiring. I wish I had a garage that large to work in!

Mike

What's that gray stuff the car is sitting on? I haven't seen that in my shop for a long,long time,lol.

...That's the way they came from the factory.... 

Huh! I was talking about the FLOOR!

[JohnZ]

Here's what WE did last week (snowiest month in metro Detroit history since they started keeping records) - shot these yesterday morning.   

[ko-lek-tor]

Lot of work there John, get out the heating pad for the back. Lovely place though and picturesque. I am afraid I am not that ambitious. I just looked out the window and counted cardinals.

[Mike S]

   So much for global warming....or is the PC word now 'climate change'  
I have never seen so many cardinals in one place in all my life, outside the baseball team that is.
We have only 1 pair that live by me. We have plenty of Canadian Geese and deer whoever.

Mike

[69Z28-RS]

   So much for global warming....or is the PC word now 'climate change' 
I have never seen so many cardinals in one place in all my life, outside the baseball team that is.
We have only 1 pair that live by me. We have plenty of Canadian Geese and deer whoever.

I agree on the quantity of cardinals..  I'm thinking they are being attracted to Ko-lec-tor's yellow camaro?   oK.. maybe the feeder has something to do with it as well.. 

PS. 'global warming' is the 'political speak' for the loss of the insulation layer around the earth, which, if it's really happening, will allow more extreme temperatures on both ends of the spectrum, both HOT and COLD.. (and i agree we have had the coldest winter in many many years here in north Alabama..).

[lakeholme]

I still have a few years to go before retiring. I wish I had a garage that large to work in!

Mike

What's that gray stuff the car is sitting on? I haven't seen that in my shop for a long,long time,lol.

...That's the way they came from the factory.... 

Huh! I was talking about the FLOOR!

So, am I... when you picked them up, they were sitting on the floor (or on the road). 
I do get it... apparently your wife does not walk out in the garage very often.... 

[lakeholme]

Here's what WE did last week (snowiest month in metro Detroit history since they started keeping records) - shot these yesterday morning.  

Lot of work there John, get out the heating pad for the back. Lovely place though and picturesque. I am afraid I am not that ambitious. I just looked out the window and counted cardinals.

John, please tell us you have a snow blower!!!  

Okay, now you guys are making me feel a bit guilty.  I'd post a picture of our cove with about 1/8 inch ice on it.  But John would probably hurt himself laughing at what we call winter here in NC.  

Ko-lec-tor, love the cardinals.  We share the same state bird.  Hate to see that 69 covered in snow!  

We've got plenty of Canadian geese here.  If anyone wants them, I'd be glad to pay for the bus ticket....  

If it makes anyone feel better, I'll be in the snow in Philly later this week....

[z28z11]

I like to kick back and choose which one I'm gonna start today, only I don't want to mess up the laser alignment of the tire treads on the floor. LOL -

[69Z28-RS]

   I don't think you could go wrong with any choice..   OR..  you could begin cleaning and checking parts of your '69 Z for putting back together?     I DO want to see it whole again one day, along with mine..  (I'll race ya??)..

[lakeholme]

If you had that many cars, you would have a mechanic, who started them for you.... 

[cook_dw]

I like to kick back and choose which one I'm gonna start today, only I don't want to mess up the laser alignment of the tire treads on the floor. LOL -

If that was my garage there would be a bed over in the corner.  Cause that's were I'd be sleeping..  Not by choice...  Unless it was all Camaros then it would be my choice..  Lol

[z28z11]

If you look closely at the pic, you'll notice there is not a single F body in the house. Every convertible Chevy made from 1926 on, but no Camaros - one good way to tell this is not me !

The Z will get assembled one day - hopefully by me. Too long a stretch like it is.

Regards

[cook_dw]

The Z will get assembled one day - hopefully by me. Too long a stretch like it is.

Regards

Ill put it together for you and might even let you drive it every once and a while.     Seriously though, you know you can ask me anytime if you need any help.  I want to see if cruising again too.!!.

[69Z28-RS]

The Z will get assembled one day - hopefully by me. Too long a stretch like it is.
Regards

Ill put it together for you and might even let you drive it every once and a while.     Seriously though, you know you can ask me anytime if you need any help.  I want to see if cruising again too.!!.

You know, sometimes we do need another pair of hands.. or other times we need someone to think thru a problem with us.. give us encouragement and confidence so we proceed to get it done...  so let's all encourage one another.. especially those of us who have had our cars for a long time.. 'resting in our garages'.. ...

[cook_dw]

Ill make you a deal.  Ill come down to "Alabamy" and help you get yours going for trade for that 55 Nomad..  


Edit:

You know you have the same offer as Steve or anyone for that matter in this region.  Just might be a little harder for me due to the distance.  

[lakeholme]

Here we go again....
Fortunately, the Camaro is in the garage!

[69Z28-RS]

It looked like that here in north Alabama this morning also, Phillip.. but it's warming up nicely, so I think the roads will be clear by mid afternoon..  
that's the way snow usually works here.. 

[lakeholme]

It looked like that here in north Alabama this morning also, Phillip.. but it's warming up nicely, so I think the roads will be clear by mid afternoon..  
that's the way snow usually works here.. 

Here, too.  In fact, we're supposed to get rain tomorrow, which should clear the roads. Then, Saturday, the Camaro is coming out of the garage (I hope!) to a "First Time Showing" training event.

Now, I'm thinking about the folks up north in the US and across the pond in England's flooding.

[KurtS]

Our banana tree was leaning over. I just realized it's loaded with bananas. It will be another month or two before they are ripe...

[lakeholme]

Our banana tree was leaning over. I just realized it's loaded with bananas. It will be another month or two before they are ripe...

Hey Kurt,
Me encanta la fruta fresca en el mercado de San José.
Now, you're rubbing rock salt in the snow wound!