Grizz's Redneck Express 1966 Chevy Short Fleetside RESTO-GO!

[Grizz1963]

Sometimes the stars aligning makes all the difference


Well....

I created one. (A wagon)

Craig really wanted a Radio Flyer based wagon to drag around autojumbles and bootfairs as well as other uses. Thank

Last night Sally saw one listed on FB Marketplace for £15.00 which is crazy low, 22 minutes after it got listed. So we jumped on it from here and got @CraigRK onto it.

Today he did a detour from London to Streatham to pick it up.

Happy camper.

Couple of stations.





Little Red Wagon on an adventure. A road trip really.



On the train.

Standing room only.



Back to Leatherhead and into the back of the AMG ML500 donor for the 50 Chevy truck.

Happy wagon.

[Grizz1963]

Sally and I popped over to Essex and IKEA yesterday, making a detour to meet up with @PaulY and Lulu at J28 of the M25 to collect @CraigRK ‘s new Chevy Tailgate that Paul had collected in Luton last week, so next stop Leatherhead.

Sally was eager with the camera and got it, including Lulu first.



A really neat tailgate




I guess it’s Bound to happen some times.

Bootfair mainly sucked for me today

Always interesting sellers though, this guy is a regular with cameo stuff.

I like NATO or Cammo green.



But @CraigRK was the winner with this large set of Augers for £6.00







The total haul.

Included:

Bicycle side stand for Craig’s daughter £1.00
Four coffee mugs unused, for their caravan site 50p each
Nodding head dog for someone in the USA 50p
Pink scarf, unused 50p
Large phone booth mug, unused 20p
Glass skull bottle 50p
Some plasterboard jointing tape for Sally’s bedroom job 20p
3 Union Jack lapel pins 50p
Star Wars shooter glasses, unused 50p
Metal Millennium Falcon and bunch of figurines £1.00
Dog grass anchor for Sally’s dog £1.00
Load of fresh fruit for £2.50

That’s the lot.

Total spend, under £15.00

Cheap entertainment

[Grizz1963]

Just a quicky.

Got home this week to another parcel from Jonesboro in Arkansas

My friend Steve of the two Purple Hearts, had gathered me some plates that fit right into my box of interest.

The RC Cola vanity plate is cool, as I used to drink it years ago in South Africa.







Randomly other stuff.


It is winter in South Africa right now. And COLD.

I saw 37’C in my car this week.

A friend sent me this pic, spotted on the way to work, yes, real central heating.


Note the street sign.

In South Africa, a Traffic light is known as. ROBOT......




New meaning to getting on your high horse??

[Grizz1963]

A few random bits.

Dennis put up a long distance telephone to support the call box.



One of my current favourite builds.

Started out with a rotted out VW Beetle.

BUILD THREAD AND MANY PHOTOS HERE:

http://forum.retro-rides.org/thread/...-beetle-thread


Resulted in a prize winner.



Unseasonably hot weather has resulted in early harvesting out back behind my house.




Really good yields this year. Enough to waste too.



Even Harley was not enjoying it.

Seeking coolness on the lawn.




And after a stream or is that bunch of time wasters so far, I washed the Blazer this morning early and put it out front with the For Sale signs up.

You never know, you know.







Still a neat looking rear end.






.

[Grizz1963]

Today was a busy one.

We did loads, saw much, ate well.

And laughed a lot, visiting various friends

Bought, scavenged and collected stuff.

All I want to share is a bunch of kids toys seen really.


So off to Faversham for a market, and then visiting mate Neil nearby.

Saw one of these, would love too find one or more of them.



Council,offices, from a loooong time ago.




Decommissioned water pump.



Then my highlight of the day.











Love this one. Not for sale.



Loads more done, tools and machines collected, bought etc.

More later.

[Grizz1963]

Bootfairs were big today, both had large fields filled to the brim.

However, as @johnnybravo says, loads of Pink stuff.

For those who do not know Bootfairs, side view.



Some small wooden masks.



Managed to convince @CraigRK that he needed one of these.



Massive length of 3M double sided tape, cheap.



I love the romantic notion of Cuba, and the cars there, possibly linked to my current want, to change the Blazer for something older.

This picture cost me a whole 30p and it’s love.y.



And all together now......

Listed below.



So.

Lovely Vintage gate bolt for Craig 20p
Two small wooden masks for me £1.00
Ice trays for Sally 70p the lot
3M double sides tape Martin £2.00
Stars scarf for me £1.00
Cuban picture for me 30p
London Bus £1.00
Clay bottle for garden 50p
VW mug 20p
Extendable metal Shoe rack for Sally £2.00
“Radio Flyer” Cookie jar for Craig £2.00
Buy of the day for me. MEXICAN BLANKET £2.00



In other news, the “Hotrod Shopper Bike” I did a few years ago, came back from Mickey, headed to Craig’s caravan site.




Weekend almost over.

All that left is to go for another nice drive in the Blazer.

Yup, needs must.

[Grizz1963]

Rubbish Bootfairs today.

Two fields and only this.

Flamingo, Unicorn for a friend £1.00 pair.
4 Jack Daniels plectrums for Craig 5p each
JD harmonica £1.00
Wonder Woman toy 50p
Pedal bin new 50p
Bad taste bear £1.00
Lego keyring £1.00
VW bus photo stands 50p
Shopping bag new 50p



Did like these glass coasters. @50p the pair.

Pinups are always cool.



Been looking for a pair of Pinup cufflinks

Found a pair of Paul Smith for £2.00

[Grizz1963]

In other news.....

Remember last years USA Road trip included Andy in Oklahoma where we cast aluminium and Alu-Bronze.

He has been going on a bit more after I made a comment.

Posted this pic yesterday

Next up will be casting a gas pedal.

Certainly will be a Marmite thing, to love or hate.

[Grizz1963]

Sorry, Bit back to front.

https://youtu.be/ti_Y_xfEjBA

After casting the mould.

[Grizz1963]

And in other news.


Yup, it may be news for some of you.

@CraigRK and I are off on the 2019 USA 🇺🇸Road Trip.

THREAD HERE: http://forum.retro-rides.org/thread/...ennis-reloaded


Will update as we go along as usual.

Plans include Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa, Illinois and a few more.

We will go wherever interesting takes us.

[Grizz1963]

Out for a nice long drive and then home via Morrissons for gas and some food.

It’s really a pleasure now, only filling up gas and checking vitals, driving the rest of the time.

Every time I park it in a regular carpark I realise its large.





And home via a spot above Rochester and the Medway river.



The last part of the drive is dual carriageway and it keeps surprising me in how easily it approaches license threatening non-Warp speed.

Makes me smile.

Then of course reverse down the side of the house.

Done in one action.

Andy cast another gas pedal as he was not happy with the previous one.

Looks just fine to me.

[Grizz1963]

For those interested in Mate Dirks Thames Trader cab he found.

Collection on Saturday morning at sparrows fart and then homeward







Unloading made easy if your friend says just put in some Diesel.












Dirk had hardly unloaded and the boys were straight in.

Even if nothing gets done, its a place to expand the imagination



And maybe less rust but certainly a Love it or Hate it car at a dealers.

[Grizz1963]

Right.........


Associated Charity time.


On our 2019 Road Trip Dennis, Craig and I will be visiting Clem and Kim Johnson in Fayetteville Arkansas again this year.

Trip reporting thread will be here:

http://forum.retro-rides.org/thread/...ennis-reloaded

Unfortunately we are traveling too early by a month this year.

I have mode two of these amazing charity events in the past.


HOWEVER.....


I would still like to appeal to anyone who has the financial ability or inclination, to support Clem’s attempt to support for the Toys for Tots campaign in Fayetteville where he has yearly shindig with food, trucks and music at the Tuba Trucks workshop www.tubatrucks.com
Clem arranges and Sponsors a large part of it himself.

Toy Drive is described by Wikipedia as:

Toys for Tots is a program run by the United States Marine Corps Reserve which distributes toys to children whose parents cannot afford to buy them gifts for Christmas. The program was founded in 1947 by reservist Major Bill Hendricks.

More info here.

https://www.toysfortots.org/

So if you feel compelled to contribute a toy or support to the drive please contact Clem via Tuba Trucks website and email or call to establish how you can help.

Poster lifted from FB.




I do hope that those who can attend and bring a toy in October will do so and get to meet some amazing people in the deal.

[Grizz1963]

On my drive tonight.



Under the bonnet/hood.

Check out the paint.



Garage find after 12 years locked away.



Far from perfect, but certainly responded to all the attention it gets.




Looking for a very good tailgate, and an original, working Radio if anyone has a lead please.

[Grizz1963]

.


FFS !!!


I am getting old.

Had to use my Poundland reading glasses yesterday on the Blazer as I found it all a bit blurry.





The radio in the Blazer has been non functioning for some time, since it stopped working, and then when I investigated it, it became apparent that there was a mass of spaghetti behind and under the dash.

Included were household box junctions, crimped junctions, ducktape, twisted connections and to rop it all off.........

Yup, even some twin core flex, one assumes from a long discarded IKEA bedside lamp.

So yesterday afternoon after work, I decided to see if I could get me David Allen Coe ( Too rude to post on a family forum, but all over YouTube) CD out the machine and get it working.

Fixed the hooter button too, which for some reason had stopped working since last weekend when I used it on Sally.

Anyway, found a place for all the loose wires, reconnected them and the rest a bit more securely, and recovered my CD.

Now we can have music when not listening to the V8 burbling away.





Bank Holiday weekend and it certainly will be picking up more miles.


One more day to go work next week, then break and off to the USA

[Grizz1963]

2019 USA Road trip.....

Going to be interesting.

Who knows.......?

Been awake since 03.30

Spoke to Dennis and Craig earlier on.

Seems there are four guys on the trip now.

Our new driver.......



Loves Horsepower

Then



Now




More about how this is unfolding later.

[Grizz1963]

Just been down to the Thames river walking the dog.


Found this manifold in the water.


Question is “what is it from?”

[Grizz1963]

Big boot fair today, only one but good stuff.

Bought a tall wooden cat for my garden for £2.00



Sally clocked a Mexican blanket over a cars bonnet, I know the lady sells weird, random stuff but always stiff, hardly negotiable prices.
So took a pic, texted @CraigRK to counter offer whatever she wanted via WhatsApp, and showed her the offer.....

She wanted £5.00 which he was happy with, but he texted back £3.00 or £4.00.

She took £4.00 when I nagged, I know she was not overly impressed, but Craig got a cheap blanket for Ouma LiL http://forum.retro-rides.org/thread/...osedan-company



Between us Sally and I bought quite a few bits.

One of two of my favourite things was this riding crop, clearly old.

Note the woodwork, it’s a spiral, cut from one piece. @50p it was a bit cheap, and clearly has age.

Same seller sold me a beautiful military swagger stick for £1.00 covered in very fine leather I wish I knew someone who would love it as much as me.



Not at all everything we got, but some of it.

New IOM TT Races T-Shirt £1.00
Two Jack Daniels T-shirts new 50p each.
Mexican blanket £4.00
3 rolls of wide masking tape 50p for them all.
Riding Crop 50p
Swagger stick £1.00
Racing duck 20p
London scarf £1.00
Strawberry Glass bowls and holder 50p
4 Guineas coasters 50p
Dog toy dragon 50p




And as a “special treat” because I am heading to the USA next week, took Sally to Maccy D’s for breakfast.

Both of us on CCTV screen.




Then back home.

Next job, unpack and clean company car.
Remove personal stuff from Blazer. Potential buyer Tuesday.
Wash and hoover Prozac the Berlingo, MOT due 20 October so nice to have it clean for then.


Best part of the weekend......?


Public Holiday Monday.

[Grizz1963]

Sally took me to meet Uncle Bob yesterday.

She had previously taken photos and sent them to me.....

This time I got to go see for myself.

Snowy the rescue *****.



Owl sh!t meet car in barn.



One of soooo many tractors



Yes, it is for sale.

Pity it is 2200mm wide over the mudguards.... never fit down my drive.



First find........

Uncle Bob offered it to me for Dennis.



And offered me this Land-rover

But what to do with it??





Fag break.



Offer number two for Dennis’ gas station



And a Dunlop puncture repair kit dispenser.



Rover 3500 S

He has three, this is manual, the two Autos are for sale.



More once the Photophukit sorts itself out.

[Grizz1963]

Prize winner.



What does £20.00 or $25.00 buy you at a steam and traction show?

One large tap



I felt pretty privileged being offered shed and barn afyer barn just look around, dig around and smell the dust and oil.

Such a perfect counter balance to my day job in the hospitals.



After two hours we sat down and Bob was asking me about America, American cars and tractors

Of course told him about Andy in Oklahoma.




Once we got home I gave Dennis’ prezzies from Uncle Bob a preliminary clean.

Inside was mucky as a mucky thing.



Dunlop dispenser is covered in grey primer.

Dennis will know what to do next.



All done.




What a great afternoon I had.

[Grizz1963]

Bit behind here.

Monday was of course hot, sunny and a public holiday.

Sally had to work, so after bootfair, I took the Blazer and went shopping and driving it around with a friend.



Looking right at home.



When I got home, I had a coffee, then decided to go up to the farm to see if there were any good photos to be taken.





My favourite



Then created a chicane outside my house for all the speeding idiots while opening the side gate.




Of course the farm is super dry, so the Blazer needed a wash.

I do like it clean.




And of course, in case the potential buyer, who messaged me on the 4th of August, that’s 24 days ago about buying it, did actually show.


Selling the Blazer has become a real BALL ACHE with so many d!ckheads and random time wasters.


Anyway, it needed to be clean.


Done.

[Grizz1963]

Well.

This Blazer sales negotiation started on 4th August with a hit via FB Messenger from Matthew.
“Hi Bud, is your Blazer still for sale?”
“I need it for a movie.”

He used to own a 4x4 Blazer before.

This one seen at Wheels Day this year.





So yesterday at 11.57 I went out to start the Blazer and move it out onto the middle of my drive because he was coming to look at it having said on the phone he was going to buy it.

Tucked into the tight alley .



FFS !!!!

Blipping the throttle to push a bit of fuel into the carburettor for starting it, the gas pedal just dropped flat.



BUGGGERRR....!!!

Why would they fit a plastic Ferrule to a throttle cable??

Anyway, more importantly, WTF do I do now? Viewing booked for three minutes hence which is not a problem because I expect him to be ten or fifteen minutes late anyway based on the last three weeks worth


Bodgetastic !!

Old door lock and hacksaw to the rescue.

.

“New part” made up.

Got back to the Blazer from the garage and viewer was there. Ooopps.
Explained what happened and proceeded to disappear under the dash for 3 minutes.

Fitted and ducktape added for extra security.




His dad had come along to look as well.

So started the Blazer up, he hopped in and we drove a mile down the road by which time he said, its all good let’s go back and do the paperwork.

Parked up

Inside.

Cash transfered.

V5c completed.

Posted out.




So the Blazer has gone to its new life in the movies.

Look out for it coming back looking a bit like this.







Buyer has agreed to send me some photos of it once its done up and the movie breaks cover.


No idea what may be next.


Watch this space.

[Grizz1963]

Now another 3 hour connection.
Then baggage collection
Then evening traffic for an hour to Dennis.

An beeeeer !!

[Grizz1963]

Just headed out for breakfast now then on the road.



My life is complete.

[Grizz1963]

Road trip continues unabated.

Anastasia.






Angie.













And much more......