Monday, December 19, 2005
The Project
Kevin is thrilled about the progress of his ongoing project. For those of you who don't know the history behind this project, here's the story...
A year and a half ago, my husband Kevin purchased a 1964 Ford Galaxie. Not being much of a car enthusiast at the time, I called it "Grandma's Grocery Getter," and taught my daughter to call it the "junky car." Needless to say, the hair on the back of my husband's neck would stand up straight at the sound of those names. According to Kevin, this car was in mint condition. Everything was original and it didn't have a single scratch. The only things that needed to be fixed/worked on, were the brakes and the windshield (it had a small crack). He referred to it as the "Hotrod."
The first thing my husband started on, was the engine. For months, he kicked my van out of the garage so he could work on his precious car. After getting the engine going, he replaced the entire braking system, and it was ready to go! (So I thought! I was wrong!). He then decided he didn't like the cooling system and wanted to replace the original one. $500 later, he replaced the original radiator with a bigger and more "efficient" one. Finally, the car was ready for the road!
It was a bright and sunny afternoon - the perfect day to take his "hotrod" out for it's first official spin. But before my husband could leave, he wanted to fasten a 1964 license plate onto the back of his Galaxie. He parked the car in our driveway, and started working. After tightening the final screw on the license plate, he pulled the "chalk block" from under the car's tire and turned away to put his screw driver back in the garage. It wasn't until he returned from the garage, that he witnessed his car rolling down our backyard, straight into a tree! Remember the newly installed, $500 radiator I mentioned? TOAST! As well as the entire front end and fender.
Well, I have to admit...I wasn't a very nice wife. When I saw his car buried in the pine trees of our back yard, I laughed out loud! My husband was beyond pissed. His "hotrod" was now officially a "junky car," as I had rightfully named it in the beginning. I think my husband actually shed a few tears in that moment, though he will probably deny it today. After initially laughing, I then saw the look on Kevin's face. I decided laughing to myself would be a better option. We didn't speak about it for days. I didn't dare bring it up. I was even sworn to secrecy by my husband. I wasn't allowed to tell anyone of his mishap! I did however secretly tell my sister, best friend, a parents. Let's just say it took months for him to finally see the humor in the situation. I can now say, "Parking brake!" without receiving the look of death.
So now you know the story...After the accident, my husband decided to completely restore his Galaxie. He stripped the car down to the frame and started from scratch. He has replaced every nut, bolt and washer (and a few parts here and there - ie: the front end of the car). The body of the car is now almost complete. He just needs to put the trim pieces back on and replace the windshield. What's next? A 460 "Big Block" engine. Whatever that is!
I am now proud to say I have become an uneducated car enthusiast. No, I cannot name the make and model of "classic" cars, but I do appreciate the work and effort that goes into restoring one! I might eventually consider changing the name of his car from "Grandma's Grocery Getter" to "Hotrod," but don't tell Kevin I said that...
permalink | posted by NaeNae at 7:05 PM
2 Comments:
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soapbox.SUPERSTAR had this to say:
Is that your garage? It looks huge!
- 2:23 PM
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had this to say:
I laugh everytime I hear that story...sorry Kevin, but using a pine tree as a break is hilarious! I am glad to see that the car is in much better shape. I think that I will miss the dent in the front bumper though. Also, even if it is back to new (or better)...It will always be the "junker" to me! FYI-I like the color you choose. Much better than the original paint job!
- 5:26 PM
