What else do you work on?

dahreno

dahreno

Well Oiled
Mar 21, 2012
2,082
Reno
First Name
Dave
Willys Model
  1. Wagon
Willys Year:
  1. 1961
I love old stuff. It seems that things that were made in the USA so many years ago were made with class, style, strength, simplicity, and made to last. Maybe that's the reason I like old stuff, I own old stuff, and work on it. I had a job over 45 years ago restoring antique slot machines and it set me up for a lifetime of loving antiques. Throughout the years, I restored some stuff but not much, raising Kids and a Family kept me working a job where the bills could get paid but I always loved antiques. Now that the Kids are out and have their own Families and I'm retired, I've decided to restore some stuff I've had around for years. One of them was an old slot machine mechanism with no case for it. I restored it, posted it on slot sites and had people from all over the country wanting me to do restorations for them but, I'm retired. One guy did get a hold of me to do some work for him because he made it easy by dropping off the work and picking it up with cash in hand so, it was hard to say no. So, I'm now a slot machine restorer/ repair guy once again and having fun doing it. So, my question is, being that we all love our old Willys and, many of us do our own work, what else do you work on that is old ? Let's hear it and lets see some pics. !IMG_1725.JPG
 
Vehicles I had or remember from the 50's to 60's. This Ford model 801 diesel was a light refurbish/restomod that I used as my everyday tractor for a while. Just a solid, reliable piece of equipment that went through diesel fuel like it was 10 cents a gallon. But finally decided my back would appreciate a front-end loader. So the 801 went too cheap at an auction and I bought the same Kubota everyone else has...
And the Kubota is great. A front end loader is great.
 

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I just got rid of my last repair job. It was a non running 1960 Harley Topper scooter. I cleaned it up. Made it run and put some tires an spray paint on it.. Then I tried to give it away to some friends with young boys. Practically forced me to take some money for it.. They'll have some fun with it.

I also got rid of 1969 Harley engine I went thru. I had forgotten saying I'd "look over" an engine for a friend about a year ago. He bought it with a frame and other parts. The heads and cases were painted black and the timing cover and rocker boxes were covered in blistering crappy chrome. I've gotta learn to quit offering free labor on other folks projects.

My last little job was on Friday. I had to remove a rattler from my garage window frame. I started to close the window and it wouldn't slide. Mr. Snakey was lying in the window track and I hadn't noticed. The window is behind garage shelves and stuff. I shot him thru the skull with a 22 short and then bashed his head to mush in the window frame. Then I grabbed him by the rattles and tossed him on the driveway for a photo. He sure was a bleeder. Made a mess.
 

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Right now, since I finally retired and have some time, I'm tied up with catching up on old jeeps. They're big, take up space, and will be junked when I die if I don't get to them first. I always liked old stuff, since I was a kid, but feel forced, by parts availablilty and related reliability (ability to get repair parts fast) to drive newer daily drivers (but it's still 9 years old), but whenever it's a non-urgent drive I use whatever old iron is running, licensed, and insured at the time. Back burner projects that still have a chance of being completed include a backpowder .50 caliber flintlock rifle (I made the barrel but the rifling didn't turn out good enough for me so I bought a barrel decades ago), a trail-rig fiberglass CJ6 with Dodge Ram 3/4 ton running gear and front suspensions on both ends, and a complete remodel of the house (which currently is a trip to 1978). Just maintaining this house is equivalent to a part time job!
 
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I used to do repair and restoration on antique firearms. My fellow gunsmith passed away
a few yrs ago, and I kind of lost interest since then. I'm currently doing metal casting making replicas of Bronze Age daggers and axes. The pic kinda sucks, don't know how to do the lighting.IMG_20220618_225854 (2).jpg
 
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I started building 1/8 scale remote control 1932 Ford roadsters a couple years ago. I have built a prototype (several times to improve it) and have collected enough parts to build about a dozen or so. I even built a “factory” as we call it to house all the parts and tools. I took on more responsibility with my daily business and don’t take the time to focus on this hobby these days. Looking forward to that time!07E85F14-4100-4F17-A757-F32AA13D93F2.jpeg92EE3B1E-1E36-4CFA-97C7-10D72CA7E51A.jpeg6C650C8E-824D-4B4C-8894-198A4564BEEF.jpeg7678F5A6-A1AD-4AE0-A870-B9F408E436F1.jpeg6589C987-ACAC-41E5-81C7-2A3148A39851.jpeg67868F02-AF1B-4B89-A09E-F646962119A7.jpeg55601AC4-99E4-4B45-A99B-AF12E562FEF0.jpeg
 
Inferno said:
I started building 1/8 scale remote control 1932 Ford roadsters a couple years ago. I have built a prototype (several times to improve it) and have collected enough parts to build about a dozen or so. I even built a “factory” as we call it to house all the parts and tools. I took on more responsibility with my daily business and don’t take the time to focus on this hobby these days. Looking forward to that time!View attachment 127700View attachment 127701View attachment 127702View attachment 127703View attachment 127704View attachment 127705View attachment 127706
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That is very impressive Michael! You must have a lot of patience! :)
 
Blindmelon said:
I just got rid of my last repair job. It was a non running 1960 Harley Topper scooter. I cleaned it up. Made it run and put some tires an spray paint on it.. Then I tried to give it away to some friends with young boys. Practically forced me to take some money for it.. They'll have some fun with it.

I also got rid of 1969 Harley engine I went thru. I had forgotten saying I'd "look over" an engine for a friend about a year ago. He bought it with a frame and other parts. The heads and cases were painted black and the timing cover and rocker boxes were covered in blistering crappy chrome. I've gotta learn to quit offering free labor on other folks projects.

My last little job was on Friday. I had to remove a rattler from my garage window frame. I started to close the window and it wouldn't slide. Mr. Snakey was lying in the window track and I hadn't noticed. The window is behind garage shelves and stuff. I shot him thru the skull with a 22 short and then bashed his head to mush in the window frame. Then I grabbed him by the rattles and tossed him on the driveway for a photo. He sure was a bleeder. Made a mess.
Click to expand...
Flat side Shovel! Sweet!
 
skratch said:
That is very impressive Michael! You must have a lot of patience! :)
Click to expand...
Thanks John! I found my body with cancer and I lost most physical strength and stamina. I raced RC cars as a teenager (Sacramento 1989 season campion, my claim to fame haha! ). My body wouldn’t let me build 1:1 cars, so I jumped into hand built RC cars, where patience is better than stamina! I put probably 50 hours in building the first bare chassis.
 
Inferno said:
I started building 1/8 scale remote control 1932 Ford roadsters a couple years ago. I have built a prototype (several times to improve it) and have collected enough parts to build about a dozen or so. I even built a “factory” as we call it to house all the parts and tools. I took on more responsibility with my daily business and don’t take the time to focus on this hobby these days. Looking forward to that time!View attachment 127700View attachment 127701View attachment 127702View attachment 127703View attachment 127704View attachment 127705View attachment 127706
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Please...please? Put one of these in one?
 
Inferno said:
Thanks John! I found my body with cancer and I lost most physical strength and stamina. I raced RC cars as a teenager (Sacramento 1989 season campion, my claim to fame haha! ). My body wouldn’t let me build 1:1 cars, so I jumped into hand built RC cars, where patience is better than stamina! I put probably 50 hours in building the first bare chassis.
Click to expand...
Cancer sucks like little else. Steals so much, especially your time. Keep on fighting! Keep on DOING!
 
JABJEEP said:
Right now, since I finally retired and have some time, I'm tied up with catching up on old jeeps. They're big, take up space, and will be junked when I die if I don't get to them first. I always liked old stuff, since I was a kid, but feel forced, by parts availablilty and related reliability (ability to get repair parts fast) to drive newer daily drivers (but it's still 9 years old), but whenever it's a non-urgent drive I use whatever old iron is running, licensed, and insured at the time. Back burner projects that still have a chance of being completed include a backpowder .50 caliber flintlock rifle (I made the barrel but the rifling didn't turn out good enough for me so I bought a barrel decades ago), a trail-rig fiberglass CJ6 with Dodge Ram 3/4 ton running gear and front suspensions on both ends, and a complete remodel of the house (which currently is a trip to 1978). Just maintaining this house is equivalent to a part time job!
Click to expand...
Same here, retired and wanting to get some projects done before I die and they get tossed ! lol
 
DzlFC said:
Cancer sucks like little else. Steals so much, especially your time. Keep on fighting! Keep on DOING!
Click to expand...

Thanks Andy! I have found you're correct! I'm still working full time and find that the more I keep busy, the better I feel. I feel the worst on the weekends with nothing scheduled to do. So, I keep working. Just before my Mother past away, she told me to "Never give up" (she died of Cancer BTW). Frankly cancer, as bad as it has been, does offer a blessing. Sunsets have never been so powerfully beautiful. :) And it doesn't get better than a Jeep ride with great people.

I have not ruled out a little V8 for one of my RC's! I have built them electric, but a nitro methane breathing V8 would be very cool. I might build one that is "top notch" and it needs a V8.
 
Inferno said:
Thanks Andy! I have found you're correct! I'm still working full time and find that the more I keep busy, the better I feel. I feel the worst on the weekends with nothing scheduled to do. So, I keep working. Just before my Mother past away, she told me to "Never give up" (she died of Cancer BTW). Frankly cancer, as bad as it has been, does offer a blessing. Sunsets have never been so powerfully beautiful. :) And it doesn't get better than a Jeep ride with great people.

I have not ruled out a little V8 for one of my RC's! I have built them electric, but a nitro methane breathing V8 would be very cool. I might build one that is "top notch" and it needs a V8.
Click to expand...
Once we get over the "this is gonna kill you, sooner or later," we can start seeing things like never before. Sunsets and kisses are brand new again. Grandkids get a new coating of frosting! I just left my cancer doc a few hours ago, and things are looking good right now. But I'm never again hanging my hopes on numbers or treatments. Just taking every single day for the gifts they are.

And for you guys that haven't had to fight the "C" word yet, trust your instincts! Each time I was diagnosed, I KNEW in my heart what was going on, and didn't put it off. I had stage three prostate cancer that had already consumed by Bladder neck by the time I was barely showing any symptoms. Caught it in time, even though my doctor at my initial appointment said he didn't think my symptoms were bad enough to warrant an in depth search. It was. And with recent melanoma last month, two very good doctors told me it didn't "look" that bad. It didn't. On the surface. But once they started cutting, a 45 minute surgery became several hours worth, and what was supposed to be a 2" x 4" diamond shaped excision turned into a 12" x 4", 1.25 inches deep. It was growing fast! I'm writing too much, but I just want people to trust that niggling feeling. Saved my life, twice. This is not something to be a man on, and put it off....
 
Awesome! I live in P&W country … Central Connecticut, have a neighbor on the legacy engines support team and regularly hear/see Massachusetts Air National Guard F-15’s flying overhead. Thanks for keeping the fleet healthy.

John
 
I enjoy wrenching on (pre-1990) Alfa Romeo’s. Had a couple over a solid 25 year stretch. Their twin cam 4 cylinder, 5-speed manual trans, simple chassis as used on coupe, sedan and spider can be driven hard all day/all night long. They were made from nice materials and are (mostly) sweet little things to work on. But they did/do rust.

John
 
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