Inside DynoDave's Garage

[DynoDave]

More life delays (virus, work from home, kids moved from and back to University, etc)....just the usual stuff I guess. But I have not been at a complete standstill. Aside from coolant, I "think" I have just about everything ordered and received to get the car back together. RockAuto, Herbs, Ebay, National Parts Depot, InLine Tube, etc. The last parts are in, so time to get back on it. Low on the excitement scale, but necessary, the new water pump is getting wiped down with Pre, etch primed, and painted today. While that cures over the coming days, I'll get the block flushed out, and the tension rod for the radiator made. Then more cleaning, prep and touch-up in the engine compartment.

I started to slide down that slippery slope of "while I'm at it I will....", but stopped myself. Just bought a good iron pump off Rock. I'll get a nicer aluminum piece when the engine comes out. Same with swapping to an aluminum pump housing....that's for another day.

[DynoDave]

I hate these lull's in progress on the cars. Just too many other things going otherwise.

I did get to attend a nice event last night. I think aside from Woodward and the Culver's Cruise in Lake Orion, this is about the only other thing I've done with the car this year, aside from just pleasure drives here and there. A small cruise gathering at the Rhythm Rodders Car Club in Otter Lake, MI. Quite a few POCI Chapter 16 Widetrackers in attendance too. Beautiful clear evening. Getting a little cool toward the end, but a great drive up and back, and a very nice gathering.

[DynoDave]

Oh, and I did get that pump painted! LOL

[hanks73340]

Thanks for the pics. Looked like a very nice gathering of many cars.

[DynoDave]

It was. A nice drive up there and back, a beautiful fall day, nice people. What a car gathering in the fall should be, but just hasn't been for the most part this year.

The same club is doing a fall color tour in a few weeks. If it's not on a weekend I'm camping, or the same weekend as the Pontiac club's color tour, I just might go.

[DynoDave]

Had a beautiful evening of weather last night, so I snuck out to our local Culvers cruise night. About 200 cars they said, and a very unusual mix. I can't recall the last cruise night I was at that included 3 Packards, a Kaiser Darrin, a Willy's Americar, and a Hudson Terraplane!

1960 Cadillac, still in the same family since new.



One of three 3rd gen F-bodies, counting mine.




Part of the show field.


I always liked these cars. Would love to have one with a Hemi transplanted into it.



The Willys Americar.


The Hudson Terraplane.


One of the Packards.


Kaiser Darrin. I have seen several of these over the years, with and without the door slid open. But this was the first time I saw one get out of one. Not possible to do in a graceful manner.




Oh, and a Studebaker. Forgot about this one.


Packard #2. This was a sweet car. Per the owner, custom body by Murray, also made here in Detroit, as was the Packard chassis, engine, etc. Also bears the Dietrich name, as he designed these bodies in '32, like today years before they were produced. He left Murray, and they built a batch of these bodies for Packard in '36. But there were 4 or 5 bodies left, that were then sold in '37. This is one of 2 '37s left known to exist.


It's Packard engine. The engine is cast aluminum crank case and head, iron cylinder block. As a "Senior" car, the aluminum rank case and head were hand polished. A std. or junior car would have been left as-cast.


A fairly unusual turbo 2.3L GT.


A real MG (not a kit).


All generations of Firebird were represented here.


Reflective side stripe glowing in the setting sun.



Packard #3, the hotrod of the bunch.



I wonder if these would clear a 3rd gen T/A hood?






Pontiac Oakland Club International (POCI) Chapter #16 Michigan Widetrackers Fall Color Tour this weekend! Maybe a trip to Woodward on Friday night. and then that's probably about it for the year.

[hanks73340]

Thanks for those pics. Some awesome cars there. Some of those show up on our Monday night cruise-in. You put a Hemi in that Crossfire and you will be doing, Back To The Future. Those Packards are gorgeous and that 60's Caddy , would love to drive that.

[DynoDave]

The '60 Cad was interesting. all original. It was the last in a long line of new Cadillacs that his uncle had owned. We the uncle passed away, the car came to him, as his first car in high school! He's had it ever since.

[DynoDave]

While we missed Woodward on Friday night, we did have a fun weekend with the T/A.

We had near-perfect fall weather on Saturday and Sunday. Could have used a few more rays of sunshine on Saturday, but it was still quite nice.

Our Pontiac Oakland Club International (POCI) Chapter #16 Michigan Widetrackers held a combined Fall Color Tour and October club meeting on Saturday. We all met at the A&W in Almont, MI as a starting point. Fifteen cars this year, all Pontiacs except for one Chevy, one Buick, and one Saturn.





While this is far from turn-by-turn accurate, it will give you some idea of the winding route we took to Lexington, MI.



A few pictures from the drive there.







We arrived at the lakeside park in Lexington. Fantastic view and colors.



Not really visible in this photo, there's a great lakes freighter out on the horizon.



Just enough lens to reach out and see it.



Back up the hill, members ready the pavilion under two giant pines for our meeting, including laying out donuts and cider.




Our cars lined up in the parking lot. Just enough space!








One more peak out across the water during a moment of direct sunshine....



...and then off to Port Huron and the International Flag Plaza at the foot of the Bluewater bridge.




Across the way, two of our active club members are waving hello. They have been unable to join us most of this year due to covid, and this event was no different. We miss them as much as they miss us. So we drove down to wave hello.



Somewhat less scenic, but more high speed and just as colorful, a run across I69 on the way home.




Since my wife was not able participate in yesterdays tour, she asked for one of her own today. I just captured this one photo.



A quick stop in the Kroger for a fresh tank of 90 octane alcohol-free gas, and she's back in her bed, hoping this isn't the last drive of the already-too-short season.

[Admin]

From the "Things you never want to see at your house" department...