rock-a-billy

August 30, 2014May 16, 2023

Bigfoot Talisman (Post #510) 8/30/2014

I saw this fused glass Bigfoot at the Midsummer’s Night Fair a couple of weeks ago. I was there to see the Oh! Johnny Girls.

They were as awesome as I expected them to be. But the Bigfoot Talisman haunted me on the bicycle ride home. I told Mr. Fisher that it was imparitive that I get one for the Big White Bus.

So I checked with Mrs. Fisher who had very adepty stalked them and hooked me up with them on Facebook. I found out they were setting up at the Oklahoma City Arts Festival. I dragged Mrs. Okierover to the festival to pick up a fused glass Oklahoma necklace for her and my talisman.

They both look great and now when go down to Southeast Oklahoma to cruise the back roads like outlaws, we won’t have any trouble with Bigfoot due to the supreme mojo of the talisman.

I urge you to check out Jim Shelley’s work. I know you will see something you like. And if you want protection from Bigfoot while in the bush, this is the only place you can get a fused glass Bigfoot Talisman.

Thanks for reading and Happy Rovering.

September 12, 2013May 15, 2023

A Wiper Assembly, a Classic Man, and a Cannibal (Post #388) 9/12/2013

This could not have been better. When I close my eyes, the guitar sounds in this song are what bounce around in my brain. Right now I have a hundred images swimming around in my head. When I started this post “Shrunken Head” was playing on the Pandora Road Kings Radio Station. One of my best friends, Bear Bechtold, who you have seen in pictures with me back in my Marine Corps days, created this station. It’s rock-a-billy and hard country music, perfect for working on cars in a “garage” if you get my meaning.

I had a medical appointment this morning, more trouble with the vertebra in my neck. For now we are trying the true 1980s mantra “better living through chemistry” to put another surgery off as long as possible.

So after it was done I had an hour to kill before I was required back at work, so I stopped by Rover Cannibal to pick up some bits for the Range Rover. Ryan greeted me as usual. I told him what I thought I needed today and he called for K.C. to help me out. K.C. is the inspiration for this post.

K.C. is a grizzled veteran of the garage scene from days gone by. He seriously has the look. Today he was sporting a sleeveless work shirt and the quintessential bandanna tied on his head. On his right bicep he sports a “Born to lose” tattoo. If you were standing in a parking lot and an old Harley rolled up, this is the guy you’d expect to be riding it. Truly classic.

K.C. disappeared to find two dust caps for my front axle. He returned with a single dust cap and told me they were hard to come by, I got the last one.

Note to self: add these to my “Parts I Strip off Salvage Land Rovers”

While he was gone I went through my mental list of things I will soon be working on. The only thing that came to mind was windshield wiper assembly. Ryan showed K.C. a picture of what we were looking for. K.C. and I scrambled up the stairs to find a wiper assembly. The wiper assembly consists of the arms and such that the electric motor is attached to that moves the wipers to and fro. You regular readers have seen the picture of the rust that has been accumulating.

K.C. went right to it. The one he grabbed had the motor still attached. I didn’t need the motor so he removed it. He tagged the motor with the year and put it on the appropriate shelf. When you have as many parts as they do, it doesn’t pay to just leave it sitting. It would take twice as long to figure out what it was later than to just take care of it immediately.

I headed back down stairs to square up with Ryan. He asked me if K.C. found everything. I responded in the affirmative. Ryan said, “K.C. is the man. I don’t know what I’d do without him.” I can see it too. He is the man.

So the next time you are reminiscing about the olden days of speed shops and rock-a-billy, remember that in the gritty part of Oklahoma City there is a living time capsule earning his daily bread the hard way with sweat and grease and tools down at Rover Cannibal.

Thanks for reading, keep on rocking, and Happy Rovering.

October 27, 2008May 15, 2023

The Magic of the Service Engine Light (Post #110) 10/27/2008

I was under the hood of the Discovery just the other weekend looking for the vacuum leak that was causing the pre-heater to throw codes. I found it and got that sorted out. While in there I noticed some things. The coolant leak I found when I was swapping the plugs and wires. Well it is looking like that again.

And guess what? Yeah I’m overheating. And this morning the coldest day of the fall I had NO HEAT. So I’m guessing I’ve got a coolant issue somewhere. I’m going to fill it up tonight to see if I’m just low on fluid. I hope that’s what it is. I, like many others, are having a bad fall quarter financially and car repairs are way down the list of necessities right now. The potential expenses on the other current problems doesn’t leave us much left for a new serious problem. So lets just hope it’s just low coolant.

Also a couple of weekends ago I changed out the differential lubricant on the Range Rover Classic. It came out the consistency of goo. The only way to describe it is a cross between the 90-140 and the grease for the CV joints. Kind of a black slurry. It couldn’t possibly have been doing it’s job. I have to order some new pre-measured CV lube and get that in there quickly.

I can’t seem to find the swivel grease at Atlantic British site. I know they have it…but it’s not on the site, or I’m using a different name than they do.

So to recap, we need oxygen sensors and swivel grease for the Range Rover and for the Discovery we need a solution for the window regulator and to sort out the coolant/no heat issue.

Geee, aren’t cars fun?

Speaking of fun. I ran across a really good site the other day. And I’ll pass it along to you.

It’s got all the fun pics of hot rods and motorcycles and some chicks too. I really liked the design and content. Lots to see and lots of pictures. I’m not a “hot rod” kinda guy. I do like old cars and I do like motorcycles. Mostly old motorcycles. And I really like the 50-60s culture. Rock-a-billy is fun to listen to and just counter cultural enough to keep out the posers (like me) but easy enough to get into. Just buy a old bike or build yourself a hot rod or cruiser and some boss clothes.

I really enjoyed some of the hot rod pics. This one caught my eye. With my buddy JagGuy building a car hauler out of a 1940s truck, I thought this guy has a really nice rig.

That is taking a concept and throwing away any sort of budget and just getting in there and making something great. The best part is, I know a place in Newcastle Oklahoma that has a similar truck in his driveway. They’ve been just sitting and rusting in his yard since I was a boy. I drove by there last month and they are still sitting there.

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If you keep going west on NW 10th you’ll see a nice Google Glitch if you are looking North.

When I see “potential projects” like this I wonder what people are thinking. I wonder if when they buy that old truck they had plans to “do something” with it. I know I’ve driven by at least 50 cars I wish I had the time and money to make into fun projects to drive. From a Volkswagon bus in Willow, Oklahoma to numerous 1960s and older camper trailers, to this 1940s behemoth (I’m guessing a Packer) that’s been just sitting in this guys backyard on Carter Avenue for at least 15 years I know about.

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It’s the blue blob there in the middle. It looks like it has all the parts. Just never been worked on. My dad’s friend had a bunch of cars sitting in a field in Tuttle Oklahoma when I was growing up that I thought would have made great hot rods. With my more mature age today, I know they would have made great restoration projects.

Until next time… fire up some Rock-a-billy at the nutSie website and cruise over to the Blacktop site and check out the bitchin’ rides.