Travels with BillyBob Log

UPDATES:

WHAT'S NEW is a chronological listing of updates to the BillyBob site.

RESEARCH:

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.

HISTORY:

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 is the restoration of parts of BillyBob that I can accomplish without a garage.

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.

MAINTENANCE:

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

PARTS SHOP The Parts Shop is a repository of How-To articles. Things that I have done over and over enough times to have developed a procedure. This gives me a checklist and saves brain cells.

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

Day 9 SITREP

Click to display large 385Kb image in separate windowCheck out day. Bill Miles and Rob English got up early at 4 am to see the guys off who had to get to the Airport to fly out (Ken Brown, Josh, Bill Birch and Arlen). Since Bill and Rob were already up, they were planning to leave by 6 am. Those of us who could got up to see them off in turn. Bill and Tim have a last minute discussion about trucks. Besides Women and beer, what else is there to talk about?

Click to display large 512Kb image in separate windowThe Kook wanted to get several pics of the guys posing with BillyBob. Here's Tim, Tony, Bill, Bruce (waterflea) and Rob with Mike's "Langsford" in the background and me behind the camera.

Click to display large 566Kb image in separate windowEverybody who had a camera took a shot and Rob, I think, took a shot of me with my camera. The guys were getting tired of posing by this time and it was like herding cats to get any more photos.

Click to display large 345Kb image in separate windowBruce was the first to depart after that on his BMW personal rocket. Tony's hotrod truck in the background would soon be on the road back to upstate New York. Today's traveling weather promised to be good for most of us.

Click to display large 742Kb image in separate windowBill and Rob were the next to depart in their convoy back to the Boston area. These boys cruise at high speed as does Tony. BillyBob would not be able to keep up. Bill has his earphones on so he won't hear Rob calling on the cell phone.

Click to display large 404Kb image in separate windowThe parking lot is clearing out fast. This is like a road rally start. This is Tim's '54 Chevy Suburban, flanked by Phillip's GMC and Chris's Chevy. In the background is Tim's newly aquired '54 GMC COE flatbed with Randy's (Mapleleaf) cab strapped on the back. It's pulled by Grigg's sleeper, a '61 Ford with a twin turbo Detroit Diesel under the hood.

Click to display large 402Kb image in separate windowNext to leave were Chris Sweet and Phillip Pierce. They were going back to Virginia. Chris is taking the lead here. Both these trucks are fast movers with dual carb setups.

We later found out that Phil would experience overheating problems all the way home. Tim, Tony and I went inside to wait for the continental breakfast to be setup at 7 am. While we were waiting, I checked out and checked BillyBob.

Sunday, June 17, 2007
Day 9 PRE Check

Checked BillyBob's oil and did a visual inspection of everything else. Had breakfast with Tony and Tim and watched Tony head out. I was next.

1. Date and Time June 17, 2007 7:45 AM
2. Odometer 22,209
3. Comfort Supplies Cellphone, AAA+ membership, reading glasses, my lucky WWII Army Air Corps mechanics cap, cheap aviator sunglasses, small cooler with water and trail mix
4. Roadtrip Supplies Inventory
5. Prep pack up, mount navigator

Engage

Click to display large 336Kb image in separate windowMore of Pennslyvania's rolling hills and farm country greeted me as I left Fogelsville. The weather was perfect again. "Mother" first took me north to Hazelton. Even tho' she is programmed to avoid highways, she put me on I-80 for some distance. She took me to within fifty miles of my home town before veering off in the direction of State College, Pa. Before I knew it, I was traveling down college avenue, one of old haunts over 35 years ago. I passed by the acursed Hammond Building, the bain of engineering and architectual students throughout the ages at PSU.

Click to display large 353Kb image in separate windowBillyBob started popping out of third gear while climbing some long hills. He's never done this before but, on the other hand, there are no long hills in South Florida. Mother then took me on the north side of johnstown to Armaugh, then down thru Ligonier. Pa. From there she took me on the Monroeville and my Brother's house. JR was there to greet me with a beer he brewed for the ocasion, "Crank Case Stout" with BillyBob on the label!

Day 9 POST Check

1. Date and Time June 17, 2007 3:30 PM
2. Odometer 22,532
3. Mileage 323
4. Elapsed Time 7 hrs, 45 minutes

Time to decompress for a couple of days. I won't be back on the road until wednesday. JR took the day off for tomorrow and we'll fiddle around with BillyBob.

You can email me at  webmaster@laroke.com

Issued Tuesday June 19, 2007

Updated Tuesday February 7, 2017

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