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 9

SITREP

It's departure day. Some of the group left yesterday, Greg Hill, among others. Greg gave me a spare 1954 flywheel, clutch disk, pressure plate and throwout bearing that he had left over when he converted his truck to Hydramatic. Bill Burch and I got up to see those off who were leaving today (everyone who's left except me).

Sunday, May 25th 2008
Departure day

First out of the chute were the northeast boys. Rob English poses with Bill Burch and traveling companions Bill Miles and Tim Lederman. They have to catch an early flight. Bill Miles was one of the first of the OldGMCtrucks group that I met last year at YeeHaw Junction. I met Rob and Tim and Bill Burch shortly thereafter at Macungie.

Next to take off were Jerry Van Cleve, Arlyn Unrein, and Bob Dyck. I first met Arlyn at Macungie. His Demo engine this year was a big hit. I think our corner of the show would have been a bit dull without it. Bob's efforts to set up our dinner events and secure our lodgings made for a great time for all of us. Thanx again, Bob.

Bruce Cowie headed off in solo mode. I met Bruce at Macungie. He brought his newly aquired '54 GMC Hydromatic to that show.

Next out of the gate back to Missouri were Steve (KCMongo) and Rick Wagner in the mighty Suburban. This was my first pleasant meeting with both of them. It won't be the last.

Went to breakfast with Bill Burch and Ken and Lisa Brown. Unfortunately, we missed the departure of several during our absence. I missed saying goodbye to Grigg Mullen, Warren Foster, Loretta & Karl Gortmaker, Martin & Alice Das, Charlie Hardin, Neil & Cheryl Rowe, and Greg Macha. After breakfast, It was time for Bill Burch and John Christ to head out back to northern California.

I hung out in the hotel lobby with Lisa and Ken Brown until it was time for then to go too. Ken spent considerable time on the phone tracking down a fuel pump so he can hit the ground running when they get back to Washington state. Helped me out with my longstanding question regarding the shift linkage bellcrank too.

Aftermath

Walking back to my room, I recalled a Kris Kristofferson song title "Sunday Morning Coming Down". My door read red when I inserted my card key. I was registered for four days but the front desk had checked me out. Fortunately, it only took a few minutes to straighten things out. In the afernoon, I messed around with BillyBob a bit trying to resolve the "sluggish" symptoms. I didn't end up with a solution. Plugs, points and timing were all OK. Maybe it's just a bad load of fuel and the problem will resolve itself (I like those kinds of problems).