Travels with BillyBob Log

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

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 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.

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.

10. Hutchinson Roadtrip Day 8

SITREP

Thankfully, we all survived last nite's tornado activity. The worst of the weather went on either side of Hutchinson. We took a group pic yesterday and I fergot to post it in the last dispatch so here it is before I forget it again.

Saturday, May 24th 2008
Show day 3

I followed Arlyn over to the show grounds and we were the only ones there for awhile. The storm left the show site a bit swampy but our area was high ground and dry. The spot they ran us out of yesterday was wet. When Greg Macha arrived, the three of us took another walk around the show. We have some studebakers and Binders (International) in this row.

Greg appears to be 'splaining something about this Studie to Arlyn. Like the first day, Arlyn remains sceptical. I've always liked this model Studebaker. They used the same fender stamping for both front and rear fenders.

I found this Binder interesting with the two windows below the windshield and dashboard. What is even more interesting is that they have their own windshield wipers.

Here's a nice Chebby Advance design softdrink truck, 1-1/2 ton I think. I think I saw another softdrink truck at the show with the old wooden cases and bottles. I don't know what's behind the cargo shutters on this one.

I love the old Dodge Power Wagons. They manufactured them up until around 1967. This is a fine stakebed example. These things topped out at about 45 mph. Nice restored mixer behind it.

This is the chassis for a big GMC Cannonball truck build. The partially restored cab was nearby on a trailer. It's not a pure restoration. The chassis has some modern improvements.

In the states, we had Ferd flatbeds. In Canada, they had Mercurys. I wonder if that was a factory color. What we need now is a country music version of the song "Mercury Blues".

This is one big Peterbilt all wheel drive wrecker. I bet this thing could retrieve tanks. Pretty tricked out with all the chrome and diamond plate. In the previous Mercury pic, you can see the business end of this thing.

For contrast, here is a '44 Peterbilt tractor. Even then, Peterbilts looked heavy-duty. I'm curious about the year designation. Was there any non-military production during WWII?

There was some damage at the showgrounds from last night's storms. Here, the metal framing of this tent structure failed. Elsewhere, a permanent structure lost some of its roofing.

From a distance, I thought this was a GMC similar to the one I think my Dad drove for Clearfield Cheese for a short time. When I got closer, it turned out to be a vintage Binder with a vintage trailer to match.

This is a rare Nash wrecker that was being auctioned. It had a decent restoration. It went for $12,000 and that was the highest dollar amount of any vehicle in the auction. I could have bought this and that's the first time I've been able to say that about any of the auctions I've been to in the last five years.

We told Greg Macha, he couldn't park his Cummings powered Ferd with the Jimmys unless he made it look like a GMC. The old grill fits the Ford's nose pretty well. Later, when Greg was talking about this truck with some passersby, We pulled a prank on him. It was my idea but Kook did the heavy lifting. That's all I'm gonna say 'bout that. What happens in Hutchinson stays in Hutchinson. Greg has a new project, "Messin' with Larry" now and he is very skilled with Photoshop.

Arlyn's demo engine was very popular and many asked him what the sales price was. After awhile he started tellin' them $3,000 and then point at us and say "And these guys will load it up for you". There were no takers. We packed up for good in late afternoon. This was the last day of the show for us.

Party Hearty Show day 3

We gathered together back at the hotel and caravaned for dinner to the Carriage Crossing, a home-style restaurant in the Mennonite community of Yoder. Good food indeed. I rode to the restaurant in Rick's suburban along with Rick, Steve (KCMongo), Arlyn and John (BigSwingDaddy). Arlyn was behind the wheel. He didn't get a deer this time but he did get two bugs on the windshield almost as big as a deer.

After dinner, I enjoyed one of Charlie's (Cletis) cigars with him before we moved to the Mi Tierra bar again to close out the night.

You can email me at  webmaster@laroke.com

Issued Tuesday May 27, 2008

Updated Thursday March 23, 2017

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