Renee’, thanks for identifying the group photo!! I was starting to do that, but will do this instead! In no particular order, but a couple to the last
Neil Hoppe: Neil! I do want you to adopt me! You remind me so much of my father! A wealth of mechanical knowledge! Your experiences over the years are things that I would have liked to experience myself. Your quick and genuine smile and hardy laugh is a mirror to your soul. You are the godfather of our experience. Ya, you say you are old and let us young guys run amuck with our thoughts on cars, but we respect and seek your opinion. To hear you confirm our thoughts makes us feel like Yoda blessed our conclusions.
Robert Murphy (sarge): I only met you briefly, but your enthusiasm and your beautiful car are a testament to the great family we have. You were humble and let some of us take the lead, when I bet you had your own ideas. I look forward to meeting you again. Another beautiful blue GT/CS!!! Your engine has great adds with the MSD distributor and the Holley double pumper carb.
Steve Wick (rvrtrash): Steve, I think we were separated at birth!! Except I am fatter! Your knowledge of electrical stuff is well known, but your overall knowledge of cars is amazing. Your suggestions on the simple things we did to help some of our family reveal a huge knowledge of all things Ford!! You let me take the lead on doing some carb linkage and tuning, but you did not fool me! You knew as much or more than I do. What a team we could be! I want to open a shop with you so we can close it in the summer to float rivers and lay at lakes. Slow rivers for the old guy please!!
Cory, Trina, and Jace: What a family! Jace and Trina, thank you for sharing Cory! He put so many hours into this book that we will never know. Cory, your tears at the signing were genuine! But I want you to know that you did genuinely impart that you do not feel “special”, but lucky to put our family in print. Trina, you were a grin!! I loved your stories about home construction and, yes if I was forced to kill meat to eat, I would be a vegetarian!! A great balance for the hunting boys you live with! You remind me of my wife who keeps me honest when she is present in the conversation. She ensures I never get too bossy or full of myself!!
Ron Moore (clubpro): Did not spend a great deal of time with you, but your help for Amy will be forever in her, and all of our debts. Your selfless acts of kindness to a perfect stranger are a mirror into the honesty of your business and yourself. The way your wife opened up your home and your offer to give your Explorer and a trailer to Amy was beyond generous. And then instead you drive Satan to Seattle! She is a project (they all are) as you know, but one day Satan will be a pussycat. Thanks for the catalog and I will be doing business with you!!
Roy Christiansen: We met briefly. Hope you can join our site and be part of the family! And thanks for helping Ron get Satan home!!
Ralph and Karen (powell): Wow!! Where do I start? Amy told me you guys were the bomb!! Ok, that means “way cool” in way younger than me terms!!! Amy was right! The effort you put in the nametags and the trophy real finished the whole gathering. Made it so easy on us to recognize each other. Your love for friends and their gathering shown right through. To let TJ wheel your new GT/CS around!! You made a young mans weekend! At the same time TJ is such a fine young man! Thanks for breakfast on Saturday. But most of all thanks for making the whole weekend complete! You ARE the bomb!
Scott Behncke (CougarCJ): You are an encyclopedia of Ford numbers and options. I got to sit and listen a bit to you and Steve talk options and cars. Just when you think you have heard it all something else pops up. So glad you made it! You ARE the source of this stuff and I always wait for you to weigh in on the posts. The collective knowledge of this site is overwhelming! Thanks for your help on our site. Hope to see your 428 CJ Cougar someday. I have fond memories of these cars, but never sat in one.
Renee’: We don’t need your site name to know who you are! What a greeting at the airport! To ride in golden girl with the windows down on a sunny day! All this new trash driving by and then the sound of 40 series “flows” on a small block Ford. Music to my ears. And then to be given the keys to the blue beauty! But you did earn your new nick name “Fast Lane Foster”. Rob, in an unfamiliar (expensive) car heading up the freeway without a clue as to where he is going….. And Renee’ is singing a tune with her foot to the floor in golden girl, not a care in the world! KEEP UP or get LOST!!! All was well, but you certainly don’t leave any gas left in the cylinders as you head up the road!!! And then all the meals. You led the way and all of the women chipped in to take car of us useless men!! But your love of doing this was evident! You did it out of love, with a huge smile on your face! I was honored to tweak a couple things on your beautiful car!
And the best for last! Tim, Francis, and TJ: THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! To open up your house and to flip keys to any car you wanted to drive. Your gas bill must be enormous!! Francis, you are a hoot! I had such a great time talking to you! Did not take us long to realize how down to earth we both are. Mustang people are blue collar people as evidenced in all who attended!! “If you can’t laugh at yourself, you are in big trouble, as the rest of us will help!!” Rob looking around for Amy’s green pen, accusing everyone, while it is in his pocket…. “Old-heimers” for Rob. Tim, putting up with Rob constantly badgering you for a tool or something! Giving me the “executive suite” in your home! It was all perfect. And your son TJ! Sometimes the measure of people and a marriage is how their offspring turn out. What a centered, polite, intelligent young man. When they turn out this good take full credit!! I would!! And please tell Carol I had a wonderful time in the 70 Mach as she “wheeled” it around! She is no stranger to speed and it amazed me how comfortable she was in the car!! By the way, she says it is her favorite.
TJ, that engine has a big cam in it!!! Enjoy! Put the 4 barrel back on and get dual exhaust. Have you dad help you sneek that timing ahead a bit. What a great start for a great young man!
And lastly, all of you need a personal ride with Tim at the wheel of Midnight Special, his 390 4 speed GT/CS, and his first purchase. Tim is a true hot rodder and his cars are to be driven and driven HARD! We went through his neighborhood windy roads with the tires protesting loudly and the neighbors, I guess, just used to it!!! Up and down between second and third with the foot on the firewall at times. Way fun!!! Midnight Special is low to the ground and set up with sway bars and ready to corner. Steve (rvrtrash) was on our tail in the Cleveland powered 70 Mach. Steve has done some road racing in his cars and the tires on the Mach were protesting just as loud. Those 5 minutes were the highlight of my weekend as I dug my fingers into the dash and carpet!! Trust me Tim, I will return the favor if you come my way!! Better buckle up hard!
What a prefect weekend. What perfect people!! Hope to see some of you next July 15-18 in Seattle. Rob and Amy will do our best to roll out the red carpet. Better bring you cars though. We only have four……
Rob
