Pickups N Panels Truck Club

Pickups N Panels Truck Club
Based in NORTH TEXAS
President
VP
Treasurer
Webmaster
Editor
Kirk Wilson
Tom Doty
Steve Pace
Steve Johnson
Mick Dixon
469-877-4491
817-439-4428
214-415-8255
webmaster@pickupsnpanels.com
mick@propanels.com
OCTOBER 2013
VOL 22 ISSUE 10
Pic of the Month 2013 Pickup n Panels shootout
The Prez Says
There is a lot going on this time of year. We just finished a successful shootout. We
were invited to the GM exhibit at the State Fair. There was the Decatur swap meet,
the Fort Worth prostate cancer show, and the trip to Biloxi upcoming as well as Good
Guys next weekend. Weather has cooled off and it’s great for driving.
My next project is club shirts and jackets. I like long sleeve cotton with a collar and
pocket. I prefer embroidery to silk screening. What kind of shirt would y’all like? What
price point should we shoot for? What about jackets? Letter jackets, micromesh
jackets, and wind breakers are some of our choices. What color jacket would you
want? Do we have club colors? Is there a Chevy / GM logo that we could modify for
our purposes. Lastly, what about personalizing with names, nick names, or initials. Let
me know your thoughts.
Kirk
Looking for a new Newsletter Editor!
Two more issues before Mick Retires. Need someone to
step up. Not that hard, just takes 3-4 hours a month to gather
articles and lay it out. Call Mick 214 546 6425
Hi All
Below is a tentative itinerary for our trip to Cruisn The Coast. I have included just the
first half to gauge consensus. It is my plan to cruise between 60 mph and 65 mph.
We will stay at the Best Western Hotel in Vicksburg Ms. on the way down and the
Best Western Hotel in Natchitoches La. on the way back. Both have continental
breakfasts and are reasonably priced. I will reserve 10 rooms with 2 beds at each
hotel. We already have 10 rooms reserved at the Beau Rivage. Feel free to suggest
any modifications.
Kirk
Cruisin’ the Coast 2013
Tuesday October 8th
8:00 AM Depart Travel Centers of America Terrell Texas * Note ‘NEW DEPARTURE LOCATION’
9:00 AM 1st Gas Stop Lindale Texas 65Mi.
9:20 AM Depart
10:35 AM 2nd Gas Stop Shreveport 87Mi.
11:00 AM Lunch Shreveport Brother's Seafood
Noon Depart Shreveport
1:15 PM 3rd Gas Stop Monroe Louisiana 82 Mi.
1:35 PM Depart Monroe
2:50 PM Arrive @ Vicksburg Check in to the Hotel
3:45 PM Depart for Cocoa Cola Factory Tour
5:00 PM Depart for Dinner @ Rusty's Riverfront Grill
Wednesday October 9th
8:00 AM Depart Vicksburg
9:15 AM 1st gas stop 87 Mi
9:35 AM Depart Magee
10:50 AM 2ng Gas Stop Gulfport 118Mi
11:10 AM Lunch @ Salute Italian Restaurant
12:30 Depart for Cruise Checkin
12:45 Checkin
3:00 PM Check into Beau Rivage Hotel
5:30 Dinner to be determined
Return trip
Saturday 10/12
8:00 AM Depart Biloxi
9:37 AM 1st Gas Stop Hammond La. 90 Min. 97 Mi.
11:30 AM 2nd Gas Stop Lafayette La. 90 Min. 97 Mi.
11:50 AM Lunch Lafayette, LA, Prejeans
3:00 PM 3rd Gas Stop Alexandria, LA. 80 Min. 90 Mi.
4:15 PM Hotel Natchitoches La. 43 min. 48 Mi.
6:00 PM Dinner Mariners Restaurant
Sunday 10/13
8:00 AM Depart Natchitoches La.
9:20 AM 1st Gas Stop Waskom, TX 78 Min. 83 Mi.
11:10 AM 2nd Gas Stop Mineola TX. 88 Min 92 Mi.
11:30 AM Lunch Mineola TX. East Texas Burger Company
1:30 PM End of Trip Terrell TX. 53 Min. 47 Mi.
The 14th Annual PnP Car-Truck Shootout was another successful day for our club. The weather was
beautiful, as were the many vehicles on display. I sincerely hope that everyone, members and non-members, had a
good time. I am extremely grateful for the help of our members before and during the show. You all make organizing
the show incredibly easy. We had 48 entrants in addition to our member’s trucks and we netted over $10,000, which is
$1,500 more than previous years.
The show would not have been possible without the hard work of so many of our club members and their
families. There are so many people to thank; I hope that I don’t miss anyone. Please forgive me if I do – it is much
more a reflection on my aging memory than it is on my appreciation for each and every one of you.
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James Dotson, thank you for donating your time to create the art for our T-Shirts. As usual, it was
outstanding.
Thank you to everyone that secured sponsorships. We collected $7,700 in sponsorships this year, a
record (at least since I have been a member). If you happen to run into Tina Southard’s niece, Brandi
Baker, please say thank you to her. She was responsible for almost half of our sponsorship money.
To Gunnar Grove, Rey Duran and everyone else that collected door prizes – Thank you! We had an
excellent selection of door prizes and the entrants left very happy.
Jill Garrett, thank you so much for donating the beautiful print of your original painting.
Mick Dixon, the benches you built were so special. Between the benches, Jill’s print and the Sprint car
wing, we took in $1,300 on the auction.
Bill Bush, proved that someone can be in two places at once. Even though he had a wedding to cater
yesterday, Bill got everything set up for concessions and made sure we were well taken care of. Thank you
Bill, and thank you to Scott Wood and the rest of the concessions crew for keeping everything running
smoothly all day.
To Rey Duran, please pass our thanks on to your family for supplying the sno-cones and watching over
the bounce house.
Tina Southard – thank you for making the registration run so well. I heard several people comment on
how much better our registration process is compared with the other shows they go to.
Many thanks to Ben Leal for the photography. The photos to put in the awards really make us stand out
from other shows.
Tom Doty – thank you for coordinating the judging. I am amazed at how you handle the judging with such
calm – and manage to get us ready for awards exactly on time.
Ron McCuller and Jay Gallagher – thank you for coordinating the parking crew. The parking
configuration was great this year and everything flowed so well, even when we had a rush at the beginning
of the show.
To my wonderful, and very patient, husband Steve Johnson. Many thanks for the technology support that
makes it possible for us to do the registration, compile the judging scores and get photo printed for the
awards. Many additional thanks for not getting angry at me when I get a bit anxious and nervous when
award compilation time comes each year.
Many thanks to Debbie Williams and Noelle Reding for overseeing the front gate during registration. You
unselfishly volunteer for this each year and I can’t tell you how thankful I am for that.
Kirk Wilson & Scott Hogue – thank you for gamely manning the front gate and collecting donations even
after registration was completed.
Roxie McCuller and Janice Doty – knowing that the two of you are running the t-shirt booth is so
comforting – especially since we keep adding to your duties – goody bags and auction items last year, ice
and 50/50 tickets this year – who knows what next year.
Patrick Neff – MC extraordinaire – need I say more?
Kirk Wilson – thank you, thank you, thank you for doing the t-shirts. This is a task that takes a lot of
coordination prior to the show and I am so appreciative not to have to worry about it.
Steve Pack – there is so much to thank you for – storing our show items all year, providing water for us to
sell, taking care of our accounting needs, etc.
John Fawley & Jim Barr, thank you for doing a bit of everything and making sure everything runs
smoothly before, during and after the show. I couldn’t do it without the two of you.
And last, but certainly not least, to all of you that I have not named that volunteered yesterday and helped out in so
many ways. You make it a pleasure to be a part of the show and the club.
Sue Johnson
Upcoming Events
Check the calendar often – www.pickupsnpanels.com
October 4-6
October 12
October 8-13
October 25-26
Goodguys show at Texas Motor Speedway. Meet Somewhere?
PNP Breakfast Meeting- Golden Corral Forest Ln.
Crusin the Coast, Biloxi, MS
DFW Swap Fall Meet, LoneStar Park, Grand Prairie
November 1-3
November 9
NASCAR, Trucks,Nationwide, Sprint Cup TMS
PNP Breakfast Meeting-where?
December 7
PNP Annual Christmas Party, Hedrick House, Lewisville
Discounts to PNP members “use or lose” • Van Chevrolet, 25% on parts, 1700 S. 35E, Carrolton, TX, 972-389-6792
PNP account # P101223 (35E, West side frontage rd, north of 635)
• English Color and Supply, PNP account # 76845
• O’ Reilly Auto Parts, use this number to receive discount and build credit for the
club, #382249
• Use our sponsors if possible, check the sponsors tab on the PNP website
Running or not running, That is the Question???
As many of you know one of my service trucks was involved in a traffic accident. The
insured had Fred Loya insurance. I was offered $500 for my truck because it was an
old work truck. According to the adjuster I should be able to replace my vehicle for
that amount of money. Although my truck looked every bit like the 387,452 it had on it,
mechanically, it was in top shape. Cosmetically it was hard to tell where the new
damage started and the old damage stopped. Anyway, I sued the insured for
damages and finally won an $8,000 settlement. I achieved this minor miracle by
finding an 87 C10 that didn't run for $600 and proceeded to swap out the drive train,
tool boxes, and lift gate from my old truck to the 87. Although, the body was in good
shape just about everything else was crap. After I got the truck drivable I began to
discover additional issues. I had to completely overhaul the brakes and front end. One
of the gas tanks had a large leak and the tank selector switch was inoperative. The
heater core leaked and the driver's side power window motor doesn't work. I have
spent $6,200 so far resurrecting this vehicle. In hind sight, I should have held out for a
drivable truck. On another note this is the truck that I put the ramjet 350 motor into. I
will bring it to the November meeting. It runs goooooooood. Kirk
The journey to free a seized engine
Charlie Gillespie
9/24/13
We obviously all love the old trucks. Bringing one back to life can be a challenging event. Bringing
one back with an engine locked up is even more of a challenge. Most of us are working on these
projects with limited funds and time constraints so if you can salvage a component, it’s usually worth
the effort. Eventually most trucks end up with a rebuilt or new engine but to get it going, to move it
around, or to drive it short distances, bringing an old engine to life can be a great benefit. Or, by
chance, they can prove to be reliable and steady engines that continue to perform at the expectations
we desire.
I am a tried and true Chevy guy, always had one, always will. I currently have a 1972, 1974 and
2009. That being said, this project started with a 1959 International Harvester B122 4x4 pickup.
Since I learned to drive in one when I was way under age, I had been looking for it. This one had a
bonus of being a four wheel drive and it only cost $400.00. Regardless of the make of the truck the
adventures the same.
This one had sat for 34 years in a pasture under a mesquite tree. The hood was closed, the windows
were up, tires long gone and a host of mice and mud daubers had made it into a nice home. The
carburetor had a mud dauber nest sealing it off and the rest of the engine appeared to be intact.
The engine wouldn’t move at all with a break over and a small cheater. The first step was to remove
the plugs and fill the cylinders with Marvel Mystery Oil©. After it sat a week, all of the oil had flowed
through to the pan. Still locked. I poured diesel in the engine to the top to let it soak another week.
Still locked. Next step was to pull the belt off, remove the radiator and shroud and connect a six foot
cheater to the crank bolt. Still locked. Tried some Miracle Rust Remover© down the cylinders,
thinking there might be rusted rings. Still locked. Pulled the valve covers, verified all of the push rods
were loose and all of the valves were free and seating well and lubed everything with engine break in
oil. Still locked. Pulled the oil pan and scrapped a 1” layer of hardened oil (remember this) and
verified everything was in good shape from underneath. Rebuilt the oil pump and verified it was
working. Sprayed everything down with PB Blaster©. Partially filled the cylinders and spayed it all up
inside the engine. Let it soak another week and used the six foot cheater. Still locked. Banged my
head on the hood for a while and was running out of ideas. Dropped the crank caps and rod caps
and found the culprit. The oil had dried and hardened on the bearings and crank. A lot of scrubbing
with mineral spirits, soaking in penetrating oil then engine break in oil and I put it all back together.
After rebuilding the starter, because of the infestation of mud daubers, I hooked up a remote starter
switch and spun it over. I ran it without plugs until the battery was done. Everything was lubing and
flowing and the engine was turning well. Installed the plugs, set the timing, poured gas in the carb,
after connecting my fancy gas can to the pump, and hit the button. A little smoke and a lot of rust
from the tail pipes, but it ran. After ten minutes of running it had smoothed out and quit smoking.
Compression on that engine should be around 130 and I read 128 or so on each one, so I believe the
rings are good. It fires easily each day and I’ve had no problems with it – yet.
Internet searches had led me to many of these processes, but none of them looked at the crank and
the old oil drying up. Just another little tidbit to keep in your toolbox. Good luck!
The “Bubble Top” Question
Is a 1961, or a 1962, or both, Chevy Sport Coupes called a Bubble Top? Many believe the 62 was
the only car labeled this way. Well the question may still not be answered. I just looked at every 61
and 62 Chevy brochure I could find on line and "Bubble Top" is never mentioned by Chevrolet.
Chevy only referred to both years of this special top as Sport Coupes. I do see magazines,
YouTube’s, eBay and other sales referring to both years as bubbles.
Wiki gives the following answer: Answer: 1961 or 1962
Can Wiki actually be the definitive answer? Doubt it. So if Chevy didn’t give them bubble top labels,
who did and which year. It could have been some major magazine article or a famous driver
referring to his racecar. Maybe alcohol was evolved. Maybe I don’t really care.
Ahhh!!!! Grasshopper, the question continues.
1962 Bubble Top 1961 Bubble Top John Fawley reporter; with way to much time on hand, huh!
CROW KILLS
Researchers for the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority found over 200 dead crows near greater Boston recently, and there was concern that they may have died from Avian Flu.
A Bird Pathologist examined the remains of all the crows, and, to everyone's relief, confirmed the problem was definitely NOT Avian Flu. The cause of death appeared to be vehicular impacts.
However, during the detailed analysis it was noted that varying colors of paints appeared on
the bird's beaks and claws. By analyzing these paint residues it was determined that 98% of
the crows had been killed by impact with trucks, while only 2% were killed by an impact with a
car. MTA then hired an Ornithological Behaviorist to determine if there was a cause for the
disproportionate percentages of truck kills versus car kills. The Ornithological Behaviorist
very quickly concluded the cause: when crows eat road kill, they always have a look-out crow
in a nearby tree to warn of impending danger.
They discovered that while all the lookout crows could shout "Cah", not a single one could
shout "Truck." Absolutely amazing!