Falcon Ranchero

on the shoulders

Blue ‘66 or ‘67 GTO parked in someone’s driveway.

Wow that is a nice one.

Even though it still needs some things, the Highway Star has passed both the safety and mechanical. Hopefully the weather is nice tomorrow so we can go about.

I have to agree that we made the right call on buying the LeMans; I mentioned before somewhere on the forum that we also looked at a 1980 Camaro Z/28 that had been parked in a garage since 1982-ish. That car was exremely complete, but since it sat for so long, it definitely needed quite a bit. Price was $10,000 firm, no lower, and I can guarentee by the time you could actually get it on the road you would've spent maybe an extra 10-15 thousand on it. The LeMans was $25,000, and it is in pristine body/interior/mechainical condition, but so far we might have spent an extra $2,000 already, probably won't spend any more than $5,000 to get it all together. As for junkyard parts, there maybe used to be an option like that, but living on a border town that makes metal, any cars in a junkyard or in the bush were at one point totally extracted due to a metal shortage a while back. Only places where there's no chance of ever being retrieved easlily are there still some cars. That being said there are people in town with parts; our own mechanic has a friend who might have quite a bit of parts we need so eventually we'll get everything.

So, the Highway Star didn't come back with a wiper motor because there is apparently one other piece missing for it that we didn't know about. Did come back with, however, a list of other little things that aren't working that we really didn't know, like the dash lights for example. So it's going to take a little longer than expected to get the car to 100% but I believe my parents are going into the MTO (DMV) to get either the safety or the mechanical passed. Either way it's one step closer to being able to drive more often, and hopefully ready for the June 20th local cruise night.

I remeber two other bird instances; both while camping. At one campground, I was in the trailer watching the TV, when I heard a quite loud "thonk" outside and the trailer shook. Nothing hit the window because I was right by it. Went out and there was a very dead Ovenbird or Thrush laying on the ground right where I heard the noise. What I think happend is that this bird was trying to fly underneath the trailer but misjudged the amount of room it should've left below it and actually flew into the side of the trailer even though it's not see-through. Plus the windows are pretty tinted so I don't think it hit the window. And at a different campground I rode my bike up to the park office there and in front of the door on the ground was a Red-eyed Vierio, wings spread, head up, beak wide open, and breathing very heavily. Obviously hit the park office door window, but no-one was around. So I picked it up, and put it in the low fork of a nearby red pine and it started looking better. Came back later to hear it singing in that tree so that was nice. Some are more lucky than others when they hit a window.

On Saturday morning a deer was just randomly in our neighbourhood, walking down the street. Probably hasn't been one around here in years. Usually they stick to the more bush properties that are found on main roads around our neighbourhood, but this one was quite out of place here; must've got lost.

The Highway Star went into Jiggerz yesterday to get the exhaust work done. Had thrush mufflers with exhaust coming right out behind them, and in the center, which is a no-no around here, so those were taken off and new mufflers as well as exhaust pipes were installed, the pipes now going up and over the rear diff and out behind the the car on each side. Doesn't sound as rumbly now as it did, but it is legal now and still pretty nice. My dad took these photos since he brought the car in and stuck around to make sure everything was going good. Another check off the list of things needed for the safety. Went into our regular mechanic today and should come back with a wiper motor, and maybe a horn 🤞.

When the world is running down, you make the best of what's still around

Wow this I like; rarely do we get to see one of these models.

Looks good. Turns out that GLH, according to Carrol Shelby, means "Goes Like Hell".

It is I believe a 2023/2024 issue so really it shouldn't be that bad

Was able to get the Highway Star out of hiding yesterday (not me driving it of course) as it had been a week in the garage. Got the temporary plates but no safety/mechanical yet, which technically you can only drive it to a place of car service, but we didn't go far. Stopped in at my grandma's to show her and one of my aunts the car. Both impressed. Then went to my Great Uncle's to show him as he came with us when we went to look at the car. Still working on getting his T-bird on the road; needs a couple things. The Highway Star goes into the Mechanic shop tomorrow to get some work done for the safety/mechanical so then we can drive it more often.

Wanted to build one of these for a while, and was finally able to order one for $26. Went together pretty ok, the front end was a bit wonky to fit but it's ok. But the decals. Holy smokes. Lately i've been noticing that AMT's been cheaping out on their decals; every time now it seems when I have an AMT kit with large body decals, and even emblem decals, they are absolute c-r-a-p. The decals you see on the car have ripped in many places, and on one side they're peeling off. Fought me every step of the way; must've been an hour trying to perfect them. It was really bad; I did not enjoy applying these decals. 2 years ago I built a same year Fairlane GT, also AMT, and as I recal the body stripe decals were actually ok. So I don't know what's up with AMT decals nowadays, but it was frustrating. That being said I do like how the car looks; has Duplicolour Maui Blue paint; a GM colour but looks good on this car. Also I robbed the set of hubcaps off my '77 Ford Van since they resemble more of the XL GT rims and actually the sporty full size Canadian 1970 Meteor S-33 (Which is like an XL GT) came factory with those hubcaps. I like them on this car anyway.

This weekend's sightings. Saw that '65 New Yorker again and got video footage of it leaving the parking lot and a mid-80s Lincoln Town car at one of the churches yesterday afternoon while I was there doing some volunteer work in the community gardens out back. Very clean car. In Motion.mp4

the weird guy

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker just hit my grandma's front window of the house. And it is dead now unfortunately. Was about to sit down when I heard knock at the front window. Looked down out the window and there it was, still breathing, but by the time I got out there it had died. Beautiful bird too. A shame, really. Going to bury it somewhere later.

That is way cool

That's right; I read about that concept of the Mustang and it had a Cougar in the center grille instead of a horse; would've been a Ford Cougar otherwise, but Mercury Cougar has a better ring to it.

The Highway Star had a wrong VIN on the registration. A guy is supposed to come later today and read in on the car to confirm it's wrong. Whoever typed the VIN in 6 years ago was one number off. Really that's not something you can screw up, you got to be very sure that the VIN is correct.

Very close to finishing my '69 XL GT

That's actually a smart idea

find that it's

Well for now they're pretty good. It's not like they're very old, I don't think there's any chance of those scratching the windshield. It's not like we're going to drive it in intense rain anyway. But yes down the road some new ones should probably be used.