9/15/10
I have not been up to see Joe, as I have not had the dough, and the dually was sketchy.
Firstly, the radiator failed, I think from the pounding of the off-road washboard roads. It was also filled with oil sludge. The radiator swap ultimately worked, but took some doing. Gary had remade the mounts.
In any event, I may now get back up there to push Joe along. He has not returned my most recent calls.
I got a scare from DMV. They said the VIN # did not match my insurance policy on the KiloKub. They were correct. It appears I sent Grundy the blue-rag CHP # from years back and that tag is nowhere to be seen. Joe did give me the original ser# tag plate a few months ago, and I had Grundy confirm that as the correct # and issue me new certificates of insurance based on that. I mailed that off to DMV today. There was also an issue of the NAME under which I registered the truck. California DMV has made me go to Richard R. Wagner for ID, and for registering the cars. So some say Dick R. Wagner, others the formal name. I had the certificates altered to include both names.
9/16/10
Joe called me this morning, and will not be available until next Friday the 24th. He has done some mockup on the running boards, and has not started the front end clean out work yet. Same old shit.
10/27/10
Jerry and I are scheduled to go there this coming Friday, as last week didn’t work for Joe or me.
More frequent visits will get more done.
I need to make the Bimba strut adapters.
11/11/10
I had AL at H&R Machine do the adapters for $40. They came out perfect.
Today Randy and I went to Pomona for the NHRA finals (first day qualifying), and I saw in the manufacturer’s display area a tractor puller with FOUR blown Hemis. I spoke with the owner, Clarence, and he was VERY helpful regarding the 3-engine connection issue. In short, he said get the third motor OUT of the direct connect lopp. He claims that putting 800 HP into the rea motor crank nose will spell certain death.
Our discussion was long and technical. The short of it is he suggested some alternative connections, people, and hardware. I noted I had envisioned a jackshaft running alongside the motors, and he said that could work. He suggested gears, not a blower belt or other drive mechanisms. So I will be researching what it would take to make 3 or four such transfer cases. A big deal is getting the power BACK into the trans, meaning another transfer case to bring it all together.
I like the idea, and it is more real now.
Of course, getting the body back would be helpful. Joe will see me next week if he calls me to confirm.
I will also order the steering column, get it shipped to him, and take him the brake pedal assembly as well as the Bimba strut adapters, and some Heim joints.
12/2/10
Joe finally returned my calls and set Dec 10th for the next “viewing.”
