BillyBob Pre-Restoration Log

TRUCK LINKS including vendor sites for old parts, custom parts, and tools as well as sites for classic car and truck organizations

STORE Operating in association with Amazon.com, books, recordings and tools can be purchased.

PLANNING for the restoration including project schedule and cost estimates.

TRAVELS WITH BILLYBOB With apologies to Steinbeck, this area of BillyBob's Garage will be used to log the trips BillyBob and I make together.

WORK-IN-PROGRESS was the restoration of parts of BillyBob that I could accomplish without a garage up until the summer of 2010 when I finally got enough warehouse space to work in. Now, it also includes the continuing work on BillyBob in the shop.

PRE-RESTORATION includes log entries of minor repairs and and adventures between time of purchase and the time when I started restoration, a piece at a time.

JR'S KORNER JR's Korner is the history of BillyBob before I got him authored by my brother, Wm. C. Kephart.

BILLYBOB MAINTENANCE Ever changing detailing, oil change, lube, etc. maintenance routines specifically developed for BillyBob, including required tools, materials and procedures.

STEALTH SHOP Urban residence design with large integrated shop and separate living quarters for a relative or renter.

4. I'm not gonna pay a lot for that muffler!

May 7, 1996. BillyBob had an enjoyable "manly" exhaust rumble when I got him. When I started him on this morning though, the rumble had become a roar . . . time for a new muffler and maybe a complete exhaust system. I went to a Mineke Muffler shop near my office. The old system on BillyBob was missing the tailpipe and the muffler was blown out. I told them to replace the whole thing. I left BillyBob in their care and went back to the office. The muffler folks called me mid-afternoon to tell me they were done. I caught a ride over to their shop and settled with them.

They had parked BillyBob out in the communal back parking lot (the muffler shop was one of several auto service facilities in one building). I looked under BillyBob before starting him. I was happy with the work except the welded  connections to the frame. I would have preferred conventional bolted fasteners.

I started BillyBob up . . . Oh-Oh! The engine started to overrev, and I had to quickly reach down and pull back on the accelerator pedal by hand. I shut BillyBob off and lifted the hood. I noticed two rusty, broken springs hanging from the accelerator linkage. One spring was stretched but still connected to both the linkage and a flange low on the block. The other spring was broken in two pieces, one piece hanging from the linkage, the other from the flange. I guessed that when the original spring had worn out, some previous owner had just added another spring without removing the old one. The springs were close to where the exhaust pipe connected to the exhaust header. I suppose the spring broke while the muffler people were working close to it.

I went back to the muffler shop to see if they could help me. They feigned ignorance, but I could see they knew about the problem. They rummaged around in their spare parts to see if we could find a match for the spring but were unsuccessful. I had the feeling this was the second time they had done this. We then tried the other shops in the building . . . again, no luck. The Mineke guys said they were sorry and left me to my own devices. I knew that once I got BillyBob away from this place I would not be coming back.

There was a Bennett Auto Parts store about two blocks away. I should have walked there and back, but I drove BillyBob there instead . . . what an adventure that was. At Bennett's I found a "Universal Spring Kit" that appeared to have an "adaptable" spring in it . . . Out to the parking lot and under BillyBob. After much cursing and a few burns from the hot exhaust pipe, I managed to connect the new spring. BillyBob and I were back in action. I went home and called my office to tell them I would be back as soon as I showered and changed clothes.

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Issued Wednesday February 11, 1998

Updated Tuesday April 16, 2018

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