Itchin' to Drive

49 DAYS TO SPRING!
Four break drums. All the front bearings. Install and bleed the brakes.

That's how close we are. And the anticipation grows that much more when the temperature hits the 50's (as the forecast calls for today), providing that little hint of Spring.

I was a passenger many times back in the day, but I have never driven this truck. It will be another momentous day when we can finally take this old thing off the blocks and take it down the road once again. And as you might imagine, I'm already conjuring up production ideas for the video. Meanwhile, the view total on the original video continues to grow. We're up to 200-plus hits almost every day.

Of course, progress on this project depends largely on the job situation, which as of this writing still has not changed. I've been told I'm one of the leading candidates for the radio gig I auditioned for recently, but still waiting for the official word either way. Hopefully soon...

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Ten Thousand Views!

57 DAYS TO SPRING!
We got the truck running on July 9th, 2011 and I posted the Old Truck Runs Again video the next day. I had checked the view total just a couple of times when in early November I was surprised to see it up over 1400, so I decided to start a daily tally. We were getting 80-100 views virtually every day (sometimes more) until last week, when there were a couple of days with over 200. Finally, 251 views over the last 24 hours has put us over the 10,000 mark.

It might still be far less popular than a lot of videos out there, but I think 10,000 views is pretty cool regardless, and I'm very appreciative of all the people who have liked the video enough to share it with others. We do have one “dislike” so far, from Norway. Probably a Ford fan.

I will also be forever appreciative of several people without whom this never would have happened: First of all my brother Peter, who bought the truck, drove it home from Missouri in 1981 and let it sit in his garage without selling it until he needed the space and agreed to sell it to us. And my brother Chris, who appears in the video with his kids (Michael, Kelly and Tim) and was holding the camera when the magic moment happened . Also our life long friend Brian, far more mechanically inclined than I am, who rebuilt the carburetor and got the fuel pump that was giving me fits to go on in about 30 seconds. And of course my good friend Jim, star of the video, an electrical whiz who got us the all important spark we needed, and whose infectious enthusiasm for the project has been a major inspiration.

Finally, I'm quite sure Mom and Dad have been here in spirit the entire time, helping the project along. I know they'll be riding with us when Peter and I finally go for that first drive together, taking this truck down the road for the first time since 1984. Hopefully you'll be watching THAT video sometime this spring!

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Barrett-Jackson Auction: Droolin' & Dreamin'

61 DAYS TO SPRING!
The latest Barrett-Jackson auction is happening this week in Scottsdale, Arizona. I've been watching a lot of it live on Speed Channel, drooling and dreaming the whole time. I've seen some amazing cars and trucks so far, but they always save the really good, top dollar stuff for the last couple of days. If you're a fan of the classics, you should really check it out. Having to listen to the barking auctioneer in the background while the Speed guys talk about the vehicles can get a little tedious, but it's bearable. And if need be, you can just turn down the sound and look.

Of course, marveling at all the perfect looking pieces of automotive yesteryear is the biggest part of the whole thing, but I also marvel at the size of the crowd, and the fact that the people bidding on these classics, who all outwardly appear to be just regular schmoes like you and me, are throwing around tens of thousands of dollars without blinking an eye. Just goes to show that you should be nice to everybody – you never know who's got all the money!

On the job front: I missed the cut on the emergency dispatcher job by less than 4 percentage points. Needed 90% on the written test to be considered, ended up with 86.25%. 173 people applied for the position, and 124 actually showed up for the test. All for ONE position. Don't know how many made the 90%... Still waiting to hear either way about the full time radio gig I auditioned for last week. Judging from the interaction we've had so far, I really don't think they would blow me off without saying anything if I didn't get the job, and I'm pretty sure they haven't hired anyone else yet. Gotta hope there's still a chance.

Stay tuned for next week's post, when we could very well be marking another significant milestone in the ongoing story of John's Old Truck!

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