Streching the Charger's tired legs

Last weekend I went to the Carlisle Mopar car show, it was amazing, I got to meet Catherine Bach and Ben Jones. Inspired by shaking the hands that actually worked on the General Lee, I started the restoration of my 1974 Dodge Charger.
First thing was first, I need to do what I can do on my own before I pay a body man to do the rest. This will keep the cost down, fixing some things on my own. There are some things I just won't be able to do and I fully understand that, but I'm also not paying a guy to do what I can do myself.

Friday night I turned the Charger on to let it run, it has been running on a daily basis for the last two weeks, just part of the process, I want that engine moving much more than it had been. Running the engine is one thing but the gears and transmission need to get moving too, and my dad said he drove it down the driveway and back up the other day. I decided it was time for a bit longer trip. I drove it all the way down to the fire hall, not even knowing if I could make it back! Later I heard my dad was mad that I did that saying it was too far, but if something was going to happen, it was going to happen out there. I made 3 more fire hall trips and it did fine. Each time was a smoother ride. I understand it is far from road worthy but it needs to get used to driving. On my last trip my dad came with me, he said, "this is about as illegal as you can get, it isn't inspected, it isn't insured, and I'm drinking from an open alcohol container." I told my dad I would be damned if I was going to get caught in Westoever PA.

My Charger video

I decided to inspire myself, so I made this video.
When I first tried to turn on the Charger it wouldn't start. It had been sitting for months so I assumed it was the battery. I used my civic to jump it and it ran for a while, I just let it idle so all the engine parts could get used to moving again. It shut off on its own and wouldn't start again, so I needed to jump it again. After running for a while it shut off on it's own again, this time because it ran out of gas. I went to the gas station and came back, I only put in 4 and a half gallons because I didn't plan on driving it anywhere. Again I had to jump it AND pour some gas down the carberator. I wouldn't suggest letting an old car run out of gas. It eventually shut off again and needed to be jumped again. This was getting old and my idea of letting the alternator charge up the battery didn't seem to be working. I hooked up a battery charger to the battery and after an hour it almost started on its own. I jumped it and let it run for a little while before I turned on the lights which caused it to stall out, not enough juice in the battery just yet. Once again I found myself hooking up the battery charger. It then started on its own finally! I took this video then, since it was getting dark out. The lights work fine and the battery now has enough power to run them. The sound of the V8 and the darkness make my car look so menacing. I added a little preview at the end of this short clip to tell the world that I was going to restore the Charger. I consider this day one.

1974 Dodge Charger Restoration

Monday night I was watching a reality show on a place that restores classic cars and then sells them. They did amazing work and it made me wonder why my charger couldn't be fixed up to be as nice as the GTO they made on tv. I hadn't looked up parts for that car for probably 10 years so my curiosity got the best of me, as it usually does, and I checked out ebay. I was shocked to find all the parts I ever needed, and how low in price they all were. The interent has come along way in the past 10 years, not that 10 years ago it was too shabby, but even then it was much harder to find the parts I needed, and when I did, they usually cost an arm and a leg. Why not restore the charger? Why not? I couldn't come up with a good enough reason NOT to. And so I decided then and there that I would finally restore the charger.
I had given up on that idea years ago and even tried selling this thing a few times, each buyer fell through and now, I'm really glad they did. I plan to sell my 99 Dodge Dakota and my fourwheeler, with all that extra money to put into the charger, I'll be able to do quite a bit.

I'm not looking to take this car to car shows and win, but if I do take it to a car show I at least don't want to be embarassed. And so I'll start my mission to restore the Charger.

TV: THE NEW DALLAS

So I just found out that Dallas will be returning to television. Oh no, not on CBS where it originally aired, but now on TNT. I didn't even know TNT was still around but I guess it is.

Now I know what you're thinking, this show will suck. Well let's just hold on and take a second to think about that. It is true that when a tv series run it's course its best just to leave them in the past, however there has been an 80's renaissance recently of 80's movies and shows. Again, I know what you're thinking, but they ALL SUCKED. Yes they did, I won't mention the new movies that blew goats worse than the farmer down the road, yes I will. The Dukes of Hazzard, the A-team, the smurfs are just a few movies that did horrible and were horrible and the people who made them should FEEL horrible, about as much as the suckers that went to see them. ( I didn't watch any of them) But what about the tv shows? Again all terrible, such as the new knight rider, the new He-man, and the new Thundercats. So why would I be excited about a new Dallas?

Well that's pretty easy, the reason why those movies and tv shows sucked is because they changed so much about them, not just the cast but the music, the setting, and the plain attitudes of the shows themselves. It isn't the 1980's anymore and the people remaking Dallas have that in mind. Instead of recasting or just plain coming up with their own idea and calling it by an old familiar and well-known name, they actually are just continuing the story.

J.R. Ewing, Bobby Ewing and Sue Ellen are still on the show, now old and with their own kids grown up. J.R., Bobby and Sue Ellen are still played by the same actors, Larry Hagman, Patrick Duffy and Linda Grey. If the show tried to recreate J.R. or Bobby or just act as if they never existed, the show would have been a terrible waste of time BUT with including old story lines, old characters, the SAME house and setting of Dallas, I think this show may actually have some potential. John Ross and Christopher seem to be the new focal point of the show, which makes perfect sense because when the show ended in the early 90's they were small boys, now they are grown up and taking over the family oil business. As we know TV dramas are flourishing right now so there is a good shot this could make it. Its new and exciting for a new audience but still has that old Dallas charm that many of its old viewers, (like me) will be tuning in for.

Check out TNT's first look. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d220ZdzdFTQ

The only thing that could ruin this show at this point would be redoing the amazing theme song. However TNT used it in their commercial so I have a good feeling they will be using it. The new Dallas is coming in the summer of 2012 and I can't wait, but that's just my two cents.

My Orange Trees

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aztyFse89mc See the video!

I decided to plant a few orange seeds. Turns out, this CAN be done and often is, even in our cold climate of PA. Not sure how often it's done this time of year but I can't help it that I just got the idea a few weeks ago.

If you put the seeds in a wet paper towel and then put that in a plastic ziplock bag, they will start to grow tiny roots, then its time for dirt. You can also peel off the seed covering, which I did, to help the process go a bit faster.

I put the seeds into a paper towel on the 2nd of this month, the 18th I put each one into their own small cup of dirt. The very next day 2 of the orange seeds sprouted! Yes, I said sprouted! I couldn't believe it myself, in fact I didn't even think I was looking at little sprout but a closer look revealed the truth, the seedlings had come up!

Only time will tell if these little guys will continue to grow and even more importantly, make it through the tough cold winter months ahead. I would love to have a bunch of little seedlings to take outside for the spring time sun and warmth.

Growing these seeds so far has been really fun! Orange trees, lemon trees, and lime trees make great house plants and I suggest you try growing them yourself, but that's just my two cents.

Michael Vick, why I DON'T hate him

Michael Vick, if you do not know, was the quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons NFL football team. He got into some trouble for dog fighting, owning, running, and breeding, he then went to jail for this crime. After a few years he has been let out of jail, paid many fines, and is still doing community service for his crime of dog fighting. He now plays for the Philadelphia Eagles and many people still boo him and curse his name, saying he shouldn't be allowed to play in the NFL ever again for his dog fighting crimes. Well I don't agree with that view.

This man served TIME IN JAIL for a few dogs fighting each other. This man PAID FINES, and I guarantee a millionaire is going to pay a lot of money. This man DID AND DOES COMMUNITY SERVICE for that crime. He also had to pay back the Atlanta Falcons 19.9 MILLION dollars. How much more do you want? He said he was sorry, he NO LONGER does dog fighting and now just wants to get his life back on track and yet you still say, he doesn't deserve it? Why not? What more should he do? What else can he do? He obviously can't take back what he did in his past. He just wants to move on and better himself, how dare anyone deny him this. What happened to second chances? He only gets one I take it?? What happened to learning from your mistakes? (no matter how stupid) He is proof that our system works for rehabilitating convicts or don't we care about that? How much money would tax payers have to pay to keep a man in jail compared to him out of jail and making money, GOOD MONEY?

Don't get me wrong, I have a problem with people who torture animals and I hate to hear about it and I think it's wrong. However I came up with a list of crimes that I find way worse than dog fighting and here it is!

Murder

Rape

Wife beating

Child sexual abuse

Child physical abuse

Child neglect

drunk driving

Voluntary Manslaughter

Child pornography

armed robbery

drug dealing

drug use

kidnapping

arson

burglay

Fraud

assault

identity theft

forgery

Racketeering

counter fitting

extortion

insider trading

embezzlement

tax evasion

vandalism

shoplifting

Then I suppose Dog fighting, followed by cock fighting and then jay walking. So next time you go to bad mouth Michael Vick, let's remember there are far things worse than a few dogs fighting and killing each other and a man who paid his debt to society and is trying to better himself. But I guess you hold the right to not forgive people? I certainly do not approve with what Michael Vick did, but it's time to let it go. That's just my two cents.

The Gentleman Bandit, 3rd most prolific bank robber in U.S. history, friend of my mothers....

My mother had her 40th graduation reunion tonight. Although nobody mentioned it, the most famous and most successful member of their graduating class was not there...he had been shot to death in a shootout in 1987 in the middle of a bank robbery.

Melvin Dellinger was in my mom's group of friends and I've heard about him my whole life. Not a lot of people can say their mother was friends with a real live bank robber, but I can. He was very hard to catch because he was so smart. My mother always said how intelligent he was. He robbed 27 banks in Colorado alone before he was shot to death, how cool of a way to die is that?! He was known as the gentleman bandit because he was well dressed and very polite during his robberies, often apologizing to the tellers as he robbed them at gun point.

When it comes to bank robbers in U.S. History, including the old west, Melvin ranks 3rd all time, which is pretty good. Not getting caught helps I'm sure. My mom always told me how he was dating the English teacher's daughter. Once they decided to run away together and they stole her parents car, they drove really fast until the gas ran out and so they didn't make it far. With all his potential, somehow Melvin ended up in armed robbery. He robbed banks in Colorado, Minnesota, Washington, New York, Missouri, and Indiana. They believe there may have been more that were unknown. In October of 1987, on the 7th, Melvin decided to rob a bank in Denver, he already had robbed it once before and got away with it, I suppose he felt he could do it again.....he was wrong. The Gentleman Bandit met his end in a heavy gunfire from the police. A note in his pocket read, "My wife knew nothing about this. Please tell her I'm sorry. Thanks."

History happens everyday and sometimes the people we call friends go off and become famous. Who would think a 1971 graduate from little Williamsburg PA would become a nationally known bank robber? Not my mom who said, she would have never thought he could do such a thing.

NFL picks

Well here they are yet again. Every year since i was a teenager i've picked the outcome of the regular NFL season, believe it or not, i've actually guessed the super bowl correct once. Here are my preseason picks!

AFC North

Pittsburgh

Baltimore

Cleveland

Cincinnati

AFC South

Houston

Tennessee

Indianapolis

Jacksonville

AFC East

New England

New Jersey

Buffalo

Miami

AFC West

San Diego

Oakland

Kansas City

Denver

NFC North

Detroit

Green Bay

Chicago

Minnesota

NFC South

Atlanta

New Orleans

Tampa Bay

Carolina

NFC East

Philadelphia

Dallas

New York

Washington

NFC West

Seattle

Arizona

San Fransisco

St. Louis

This wasn't an easy year to pick but my predictions are, no Manning, no success for the colts. The dream team won't live up to the hype although with Vick they will do well. The Jets will not win the AFC championship as they have been trying for the past two years in a row. Green Bay was a flash in the pan last year and the Steelers will be one of the best teams in the NFL. Detroit will earn respect and will have the best season in their last 20 years, but that's not that hard to do. Buffalo will start to climb out of the basement but in such a tough division they can only go so far. I will review this post in December and see where I stand then, after all these are just predictions and you never know what's going to happen throughout the year.