1-13-07

Vacations........who needs 'em?

   I got to thinkin' today 'bout something. I'm always doing that for some reason. This story is about what happened to me today. I will get into that in a minute. For now let's think about my pontifications. I go on one vacation once a year which is alone to Road Atlanta to the Walter Mitty vintage races. I go do things with my family and the in-laws also but I think that their one week vacations are a little long for me. I usually meet them about half way into the trip. I am not really into this kind of trip. It's usually a beach vacation or Disneyworld. Not so much for me there but I do usually have fun while there. But the main reason I think these kinds of excursions don't appeal to me is because of what happens to me on a daily basis. I am far from bragging here but more thankful that I get to live this kind of life where on any given Saturday I get to do the kinds of things that appeal to me. Crazy adventures that I don't know what to expect to happen. Usually, these things are "car in a barn" related and the cars and people that own them are a diverse and almost always interesting bunch of folk and machine. Today was no exception by far.

  My day started early at about 7:30. I got up and went to the garage to work on the Roadster. It had been running very poorly the last couple of times I drove it. I cleaned the plugs while waiting on Fred to show. Fred is sort of the Chris Beebe to my Peter Egan, or the other way around, depends on who's point of view at the time I guess. Anywho, he shows up and we hit the highway in the Maxima for Grosse Tete to meet my dad. Today we plan on going look at a Triumph GT6 and a 1966 MGB "donor car". We get to the former Texaco station in Grosse Tete and wait for my dad in the Equinox and marvel at the most beat up and rusty 1984 Nissan/Datsun 300ZX Turbo we have ever seen. We wonder if it is abandoned and scour it for sellable parts. Daddy shows up in a couple of minutes, we make a directions call and back on the road now. Our destination is about 30 miles north of Baton Rouge.

  We go through New Roads and head for the St. Francisville ferry to cross the mighty Mississippi river. This is pretty cool in itself. Highway 10 takes us into a small town that looks like a slightly larger version of Grand Coteau, LA with hills and better roads. In a few more miles we arrive at his house. The first thing I am greeted by is his horse at the gate. I end up standing at the gate yelling for someone to hold one side while I keep the horse at bay (yea right). I think he was just curious as he really didn't make a break for it. He was kind of like a big dog. The owner showed up and ran him off so we could come on in. Walking across the yard I say, "So, you into airplanes?". He had an airplane sticker on his mailbox. He says, "We have a Fairchild, Wacos, and a Luscombe." "You familiar with those?". I hear a faint voice now saying "Walk toward the light!" as surely, I have died and gone to heaven. I knew now this would be a very cool place indeed.

  The first car we meet is in a hangar and is a 1973 Triumph GT6. It is in rough shape but not unrestorable. None of the key parts i.e. suspension mount points are rusty.   The next is a 1977 MGB roadster. This car is surprisingly rust free and a good candidate for restoration without too much headache. This could be a really nice little convertible. It is without engine but he has spares. We walk out to a shed in back. Out in the weeds is a 1966 MGB. This car is about halfway back to the mother nature. I tear up a little when  see the chrome three spoke wire steering wheel falling apart inside. No restorer here but enough good parts still to make it worth having. The shed is opened and all of us take a pause at the door to marvel at what we see. This is car guy sensory overload so you have to stop every now and then to soak it in. He asks "Do you know what this is?", asking about a car there on the ground. I guess Fiat and Fred thinks maybe Ginetta. We are both wrong by far but Fred is closer than I. It turns out to be a Berkeley from about 1955 or '56. This little British thing is tiny! All around this shed are wings, a fuselage, engines, and a plethora of other parts and cool stuff. Out around back are some more wings and a rusting bent Piper Super Cub frame.

  We then go over to the next hangar. Inside are some of the most beautiful machines one can focus an eyeball on. These are Wacos from the mid-thirties and are absolutely perfect! There is a homebuilt aerobatic biplane which is really fine and another Waco being rebuilt in the paint booth. I sit in one of the Wacos and it is truly a fine machine!

  Back at the first hangar we look at an awesome Fairchild and a cool Luscombe "Silvaire". The last car to see is a 1917 Franklin. This has an air cooled six cylinder engine. Inside looks like a mix between a stagecoach and a coffin. Inside there is a vase, pull down shades, tiffany glass domelights and a smoking table. This thing is a beast and will be beautiful when restored. We talk for a while in the driveway and we are on our way.

  We are starving now as it is 1:00 in the afternoon. We won't be able to make the ferry so we stop to eat at the first place we come to. We are in a bit of a hurry as we want to make the next ferry ride on the half hour........ we didn't make it. The boat was leaving when we arrived. This turns out to be a good thing anyway. At the dock there are about five old draglines that look like they have been there a while. I asked Fred if he was interested in a restoration project and he declined. I guess he doesn't need a dragline right now. We took pictures and climbed all over these massive rusting hulks of machinery. Surprisingly, no tetanus shots had to be administered after our romp. Here comes the boat now. We cross the "Big Muddy" and are headed home. There is talk of planes, cars, prices, and pictures. Is there a Berkeley in my future? I guess we'll have to wait and see.