bed, sleep, good, day, long, ya-hoo

Clock in at 18.38 (6.38), clock out at 8.05...lunch from 1.09-1.36; you do the math. That bed is looking mighty tasty right now. Is talking to yourself and having visions of gradure such a bad thing?

and things suddenly get put into perspective...

Just got news that a good friend of mine possibly has a tumor on his brain....what type of fucked up shit is that? When my biggest wory right now is if I'll get approved for a new, out-of-my-price-range car or not, he's worried about a tumor...a fucking tumor. Blood test results come back Thursday, so he'll know then what the deal is. But still, damn. All my prayers and well wished obviously to him. Hopin' for the best, man! Life really knows how to throw you a curve ball, doesn't she?

too tight? you could land a jumbo fuckin' jet in there

I joined my works credit union today in hopes of getting approval for a load for the Goat...I won't know till 24 hours from Monday....on pins and needles, on pins and needles. So, everythign is still up in there air. I was hoping to make it to the Mazda dealer to test drive an RX-8, but that didn't happen. Unfortuatly, my father is leaning towards the RX. I wish he woulda stayed impartial, or at least just not tell me his preference. Oh-well. I look at it like this, if I tell the dealer I want to spend $X/month, they will make sure I spend that full amount. If I'm gonna be paying the same for both cars, I'd rather get the car I actually want, not a car I settled on. I was also thinking on colors of the Goat, if it goes through that is....Go ahead and get teh black with the black/red interior. Then if I'm able to get the car painted, I'll get it repainted a dark charcoal color. That'll make it unquie, one-of-a-kind, and just to my liking. With the black I wouldn't worry about the underhood area not being painted and sticking out like a sore thumb.

it's time to get this party started

Fun day at work today. I actually got to work on the lifts. Although I was rather pissed as the warehouse guys have no respect for the shop guy's break (we take them at different times), and it seemed as if they only called the shop for something right before, or during break. Bastards. But we have to get a lift out from a trailer...you see, not all truck floors are quite the same height, so at every dock door there is a large metal dock plate that is hydrallicaly operated. Press the button, it raises and a lip extends into the trailer, it then comes down to make a ramp from teh dock to the trailer so product can be moved. Well just as a lift was moving across the lip, it failed and slipped off the trailer and down, causing the lift to bottom out and get stuck. The drive wheels on this lift were in the front and were in the air. That was fun to get out...basically drag it up and over the dock plate edge with this uber stong lift we've got. I changed a few load wheels...the wheels at the very front of the outriggers on the fork side of the lift. Changed a rod end for a fork extend cylinder. Retrofitted a new outrigger onto another lift, with new load wheels. Replcaed a horn, and maybe a few other things. I also got my cheack today, and it's quite lovely. Got paid for 76+ hours straight pay, 8 hours holdiay, and 56+ hours OT. That's a two week span there, gotta love it.

Car news....nothing new to report really. Maybe going to test drive the RX-8 tomorrow after we pick up the 302 for the Ranchero. Then again, if all goes well at the credit union, a Goat may be sitting in the driveway. I'm having difficulty deciding on a color now...I saw the red/black interior in person and it is KILLER!! (well worth two !'s). I mean, uh, wow, I need new pants. But, the red/black only comes on black, red, and silver cars....none of which tickle my fancy. The silver looks OK I guess, but I'm not a fan of silver, just makes the car look flat, same for red. Not to mention red screams (LOOK AT ME, PULL ME OVER!". Black is just, eh...black. Not really good looking, flat, all that bad stuff. BUT, with the black, I could get it resprayed a dark charcoal and it wouldn't look that bad if I didn't get the underhood painted to match. The purple is a good looking color, good looking interior, but a lot of crappy cars come in purple. So who knows...

screeeeech.......what, no bang?

Close call going into work today (last nite, whenever)...I had just exited the highway and was behind a box truck, who was behind a semi with no trailor. About 1/2 from the exit off teh highway there is a traffic light at a fairly large intersection, two 4-lanes(each direction) cross. I wasn't tail gating the boxer at all, but I was just far enough behind to where I couldn't see the traffic light. I was already out of the gas with my foot hovering over the brake 'just in case' as I normally do for intersetions (this one is also at the bottom of a small decline). As soon as I entered the intersection I notice my light is red...oh jeeze. Split-second time, do or die. So I slam on the brakes with all my might...only the second panic stop I've done in that truck. I immediatly looked un into my rear view as there was this Impala that was following a bit too close. Either they saw the light or seomthing, cause they had backed off. Surprisingly it was very anticlimatic. Now the ABS wire is cut going to my RF wheel (don't ask why....long story), so I was fully expecting that wheel to lock up. Sure enough, it did, but not till the very end of my stop. The thing I had noticed the most on all the new cars I've test driven is how good the brakes are...tight, good response, and quick...of course, all the recent new cars I've driven have four wheel discs. Given the circumstances, the truck preformed a lot better then I was fearing. I stopped well short of hitting oncoming traffic and was able to back up almost to the stop line (which is illegal, I know). Heck, nothing even flew about teh cabin liek I was expecting. I think the new tires helped a lot. Thier wide contact patch made all teh more wider by goign downhill and by braking just grabbed the road and whoaed me right on down. It's a good thing I'm not having to buy two cars now, one for me, one to replcae my fuck up.

you put your left foot in, you take your left foot out, you put your left foot in and you shake it all about...

No word form the credit union yet on the possibility of the GTO, but, dunno if I've mentioned this here or not, I was looking at a Mazda 6 5-door as a possible fall-back car. That fall-back car is now a Mazda RX-8. The same dealer where I was looking at the 6 has a commercial advertising $6000 off MSRP on the RX-8, which puts it well below the price of a 6, even with the options I want. So if teh Goat falls through, which I really, REALLY hope it does not, at least I'll still have a kick ass car....I"ll fight tooth and nail for that RX-8. The GTO is probably just a little outside my reach...but with $6000 off, the RX-8 is well in my range. Hey John, I might have an 8 afterall, happy yet? Bastard!


Let me clearify a few things here....the RX-8 optioned like I want is cheaper then the 6 5-door optioned like I want that I've already got paper work started on. While the automatice RX-8 has nearly 40 HP less then the manual 8, it's still got that aggressive as hell look to it. The major power drop and low HP number (only 197 on the auto 8, 238 on the 6-speed) is the main reason why the 8 is not on top of my list. That and chances are whatever I get will have four seats and will seat the three in my house more comfortably then the Ranger....so those times when we all go somewhere (not that often, but often enough) we'll all at least be more comfortable. Hmmmmm, a 350Z only has two seats, right? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.........

dealer says:!

Hmmmm....how dumb am I? I COULD be driving my GTO right now....dealer says I'm approved and everythign is a go....but payments would be about double that of waht I wanted to spend. The numbers he was using were for no money down and a reasonable rate...but I'm not dumb enough to get myself into a lot of debt at this time in my life just for a car... I may be able to get the payment down to where I can actaully buy gas for the car through the credit union....right now that is pretty much my last hope. But, things are not lost. I can still get the car, but not at the payment I wanted. I may have to think long and hard about things before I decide on what to do.

Also went by the Mazda dealer to look at RX-8's, 6's, and 3's. The RX-8 is about the same price wise as a GTO....it's a real nice car, but I just don't like it as much as the Goat, and if I can't afford the GTO, I couldn't afford the RX-8. Even though John, the ox bastard, wants me to get an RX-8 or Evolution...but screw him, my car, my money. H'ell like it once he drives it, lol. But I got papers started on a real nice 5-door 6; black leather, sunroof, 6-disc in-dash CD player, auto, EL gauges, sport package, V6, etc, etc. I like the 5-door better then the regular sedan...dunno why, but the slight changes just really appeal to me more. The cabin, at least as me as the driver, is a little more cramped, but still not too bad. Real nice car...has a manual mode automatic...something the GTO really needs, not that it doesn't have the power, but jsut cause it needs it. So the 6 is my fall-back car....and if that doesn't work out, then possibly a Scion tC is my fallback. Who knows...I will come a few days, here's hoping for the best.

ah crikey

Well, went to the dealer today, and I need a cosigner...which I figured, and was afraid of. Since that is teh case, the case very well may be that come in time, there will be no GTO. That pisses me off. Getting the short end of the the stick because of other people's mistakes. Fuckin' A. We'll see at the dealer tomorrow how things shake out. From how the 'rents are reacting to this co-signing business, things are grim indeed. My mom suggested me getting a Kia....uh.......no. My dad is suggesting late-model used........uh, no. If it's gonna be used (other then a 2002 Blackwood or a 2001+ S4), it's gonna be somewhere around 30 years old. Screw that new used crap. I dunno, going to some other Chevy dealer tomorrow, and there is a Pontiac dealer down the road from it...we'll see what they have in stock and if they will work with us.

Got a surprised, and pleasant call today...My mother has my old cell phone and number, and she comes up stairs to my room holding the phone saying it's some female for me. Turns out it was an old friend from middle and high schools. We talked for a lil' bit, first time we've talked in 2 years or something. We BS'd, and it turns out, she's moving to California...didnt say why really, I guess just for a change of pace. She's from Chicago, has lived in Miami for a short spell, moved to Georgia, and now is going to Cali. I'll have to give her a call once she gets moved out there to see how she's holdin up.

senor hardy sez:

Just one more day........just one more day. 12.5-13 glorious hours of work, then home, then dealership....

Scary momnet on the way home...I have to cross a major highway to get home, and it doesn't have stop signs or lights for the highway direction, so it's a bit of a gamble, espcially considering one direction is half blind. Anywho, traffic is heavy, I've been sitting in the median for about 5 mins already, someone has pulled beside me to turn opposite of me and is blocking my view...I see a gap, and I take it. But what do I do? Sit there and spin the tires...creeping across this 55 mph road. Now my 3.slo is no torque monster, but in the last 10-15,000 miles, my stock Firestone have really just lost all thier wet traction. They suck. I can't wait to get my new tires....be it on teh Ranger or a set of four attached to a new car.

I've been thinking, what's to become of the Ranger after I move on to my own car? Chances are I'll be leasing the GTO, which means no mods...which SUCKS. But I won't ever be driving the Ranger any more...I"ll probably still keep it cleaned out and washed..although I've been lacking in that area as well. Whatever...I'll still ahve it to kinda play around with, and teh Ranchero of course. I'm leaving my Dad one wicked ride to drive, even if it is a bit on the rough side. I also think I bottomed out leaving my driveway last nite going to work. It sure sounded like it. Kickass, I rule, you don't, or soemthing like that. I'm getting giddy with excitement now, I think I need some sleep. Hopefully Ivan will rain me out and I won't be able to go to work.....THAT"D be fun.

I got to see the boss-man bust his ass cleaning up some ice from one of the rooms. He was carrying a bigass hamemr drill at the time. It was funny, I laughed. Good times, good times.

oh man.......oh man

Just one day closer to Friday....25 hours left of work...at least.

Speaking of work, got my time sheet yesterday...worked something like 61 hours in a week...well, 4 days. OK, that's a lie to, as I got paid for 8 hours for the holiday, and for 4 for the OSHA training. But still, that's a lot of hours. I know people do more hours then me, but it's kinda a shock to go from working no hours, doing whatever whenever, to doing nothing but sleeping and working. So is the life of a working man. Hopefully the 12.5 hour days will last until I have a good chunk saved up....for GTo downpayment and just cause. Should have no problems paying the monthly payment....insurance on the other hand...ouchie. Now, as much as I love the GTO and would love to see it in my driveway, if the dealer won't work with me and get me down to the payment I want...I may not get it. But that's OK, there is a long list of cars I want, just so happens the GTO was near the top...then I drove it right to the top of the list.

I'm still a genius

Oh man, I had to do some OSHA training today...happy, happy, joy, joy. Wake up Thursday nite at 5 (seems so long ago now...), get home at about 8.30, go to sleep at 9 (more like 9.45...), wake up at 1, go to the training which consisted of nothign mroe but dumbass videos and signing a bunch of papers saying I saw them. Wasn't too bad, couple cool guys there and we were all jokin about, so the 4 or so hours went by fast....and I got paid for it. Go back to work at 6 and wait on my Dad to finish working...while I was waiting I did a lil' work myself...helped unstuck a stuck dock truck, moved some stuff around, shit like that. So on the way home we're talking about my purchasing a new car, of course he doesn't have a problem with it. I knew he wouldn't, I'm making the money to pay for it, I'll be paying for it, so why should he care? Anywho, on the way home we swing by the Pontiac dealer. That was a mistake.

I am in so much trouble. I can just tell my ass is so gonna get tickets in this damn car...I really had no intensions of going on a test drive, as it was about 8, but the salesman basically handed us the keys as we pulled up. For the test drive he had me take it on the highway. Let me tell you this, 100MPH is NOTHING in this car....it feels like 40 mph in my truck, actaully, more like 0 mph in the truck. I mean...damn, all kinds of power....I passed a Suburban, looked down, saw the speedo touch 100.....nice. It got up there scary fast, and was scary smooth as that speed. But of course, considering what I'm used to driving, anything with shocks will seems smooth, lol. Didn't really get to test teh handling or anything, but it feels tight. I did find myself braking way to early...the engine braking first of is much greater, higher compression and two more cylinders will do that...And the brakes themselves were just amazing. I usually take my foot of the gas and lightly hit the brakes to let the guy behind me know I'm slowing down and to kill a little momentum, coast then brake. In the GTO doing that meant stopping 50 feet from where you wanted, damn good brakes.

Interior is superb. Nice leather and suedeish accents, nice gauge lay-out, nice console area, nice, nice, nice, nice. This car is basically the Holden Monaro, just in a LHD version....in fact, the floor mats were in the trunk and were marked "Pontiac, LHD". This car is one of the better ones in Aussie land and uses the best leathers, audio systems, and everythign else. Speaking of audio, for a stock system, it was kickin. It has true seperate up front, co-axials in the back, and twin 7" subs, in dash 6-disc CD player...standard. Of course aftermarket can do better, but for stock, it's fine.

After the test drive the salesman and I were talking basic numbers, and he said I was about right with what I was willing to pay and with what I want to put down. I'm looking for reasonable payments, something where I won't be scraping and saving every penny and dime every month just for the car payment, and still have plenty left over for personal use, insurance, and upkeep....oh, and MODS. Even though I'll probably get the lease option, which means no irreversable mods, so none of my usual style mods....but that's OK, there isn't much I'd change about the car anyhow. Anyway, I WILL be buying one of those bad boys...more likely in Cosmo Metallic Purple...red with red interior is nice, but cop magnet...and the purple looks better...very nice. No matter what John, the ox bastard, says. Fuck you John you jealous nellie! If I could drive a stick I'd get one in a stick, but since I can't, I won't....leave me alone, sit down, shut up, and hang on, bitch! lol....

Oh, and Jeremy...if I could drive a stick, I still may not get a stick GTO....with the constant stop and go traffic and bumper-to-bumper driving that I do, a stick just is a lot of hassle. I'd wear my leg and clutch out in no time. Actually, I'm just making excuses for my inability to drive a 6-speed. I do have a fundemental problem with a performance car in an automatic, but.....I actually do feel that in this case, an auto is better. But I still have a problem with an auto in a performance car....but pull up next to me and my auto will blow you away, lol.

i am a genius

and i said to myself, "now self......"

The more I think about it, the more I think I'm gonna end up getting a new GTO. The more I think about it, the more I wish I knew how to drive a stick, cause a automatic GTO isn't that cool, but still cool as shit. But then again, with the type of stop-and-go driving I do day in and day out, maybe a stick isn't the best of ideas. But still, a 6-speed goat compared to a 5-speed slush-box. Been figuring and I've figured the earliest I can get it is the end of October. Well, the earliest I can get it with the figured downpayment I've been using to figure out monthly payments. That's 4 pay checks worth, not including the one Friday, and including a generous overage. I also figure by that time if there are any '04s on the lots, I can get a helluva deal on one...but I'm counting my sheep before they hatch...

Got my timesheet last nite...80 hours regular, 15.25 hours OT....in 8 days. Yup, 8 days. Just under 12 hour average daily. And that's after lunch break is taken out. Whoever said I was a slacker? Bastards! The lot of you!

I've also decided that I am gonna get my own domain name, and have decided on the host. Meets all my needs; lots of space, lots of bandwidth, and inexpensive. Plus lots more features I don't know what to do with, like subdomains...I'll figure it out one of these days. Now, I just have no idea what to call the site....something, unique. I plan to have it pretty much like this site is now, mostly covering the cars, some personal stuff, and lots of pics...since I"ll have to bandwidth and space for them now. Hmmmmmmm.....hellifiknow

and that's why you measure twice...

Ah yes, work continued on the '66 today...borrowed my brother-in-law's engine hoist, engine stand, and 5.0 engine for mock up. First we pushed the Ranchero out into the driveway...that was fun with no brakes, lol. Taking the engine out really wasn't that difficult, only the clutch linkage and exhaust proved to be a pain in the ass...just ended up cutting the exhaust off, we were gonna get rid of it anyway, so why the hell not? It took I'd say ~1.5 hours to get the I6 pulled out, coulda done it faster but we were no hurry to get it out. Went to drop the 5.0 engine in and realized that first off we're gonna need a drop front oil pan, and possibly a different oil pump or sump to fit the front drop pan. The pan was hitting the engine x-member and tie rods badly. Also realized that the tranny will not bolt up to the engine as originally thought...it looks as if it would, except for the starter...in two different locations on the two engines/trannys. Which, as it turns out, the tranny isn't in as good a shape as we thought, so replacing it with an AOD from a Mustang will be no problem, just a matter getting the tranny and getting a driveshaft to fit...the mounts should be close enough to where we can adapt the tranny mounts. Oh yeah, we'll also need new motor mounts, but we knew that already.

For your viewing pleasure, 7 pickies:
Gotta love the straight axle stance it has with no engine....




You can see the old I6 in the background...oh, and my truck-


You can see the mock up 5.0 in the background here-


Don't worry, the engine bay will be nice and cleaned up, wires and everythign hidden that can be-


Love this shot....

as we get older and time slips by, ask yourself, did i fuck things up enough?

If not, you should really try harder next time. We exist for the sole purpose of fuckinitupagain, something along those lines. Ask me again tomorrow. Anywhoo's, I have a feeling I'm going to make a huge mistake in upcoming months....You see, I mainly took my job for the sole reason of purchasing a car, my selections at the time were a 64-65 Lincon Continental convert, ~65 GTO convert, 70 Cuda, or ~65 Buick Wildcat. All very nice looking auto in thier own respect, and all unique. The Conti is a four door convert, and one of the last to be made (outside of Rolls-Royce I think), the GTO is a rarity that has good looks and a mean spirit, the Cuda just kicks ass and looks drop dead beautiful, and trhe WildCat is a uncommon ride with decent power and a a damn nice cruiser. My original thinking was an older car, preferably a drop-top, or a 2-door hard top...

But, as I'm becoming aware of how much money I"ll be making, I keep getting the new car bug. I know how to spend within my limits, so I'm not worried about getting somethign I can't afford, but getting a new car means monthly payments for a few years, and for some reason, I don't exactly see myself at my job for that long. I don't view it as a permanent thing, dunno why, but I don't... And all my calculations have been based on 12-hour days, so if/when we drop to 8-hour days, I'll be making a considerable amount less. Of course, this is mostly just thinking outloud, I'll probably just end up buying a classic...that way it's mine all the time, no payments, and I can have my money to myself, not send it off to Germany for a car payment...