PERCEPTION - REPUTATION

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=9w3MToEIGtg

PROJECT 2 - The "BULLDOG GT"

This car started life as a rebody kit, it never made it onto the road. I traded for it and brought it home on a snow mobile trailer I then mocked up a midengine frame and found a 3.8 liter GM FWD engine from a 95 Bonneville. I fabricated a Lamborghini rear suspension using "A" Arm and "H" arm links.
Now I am widening the body and reworking it to get the low and wide stance that I am looking for- kinda like a bull dog. Sinister and foreboding. Deb has spent the morning with me sculpting fiberglass and bondo arount the side pod extensions and tail lights. This has been fun a she doesn't mind getting bondo on her fingers. She actually was pushing bondo into cracks and smoothing ripples out with her fingers.

Who knows, maybe between the two of us we can get the BEAST on the road come spring.
I found a set of Alpine bucket seats on Ebay and they will fit the high tech bill for this car. I also set up the dash to lert the gauges disappear into it when the car is turned off and raise out of the dash when the key is inserted. Cool! The stick shift has a number of buttons on it to dim the headkights, honk the horn, change radio stations, and turn on the back up lights should someone creep up behind me with their brights on.


I made an overhead console to house all my electrical. let's see if I can work it into the headliner.

PROJECTS, PROJECTS, PROJECTS

I went out into my garage the other day and just had to shake my head. I have soo many projects that I need to get done and they all are waiting on one thing or another. A head light bucket, brake lines, an adapter plate to be made, and one just needs some wiring.

All were started in high hopes of finishing "last Year" but, as things worked out I didn't get them done. I can't operate a DA sander for more than 4 minutes before my hands start to swell. I find it hard to kneel for extended time before my legs lock up. So I have just been doing a little here and there to get them at least moving forward. Some may say- you have too much stuff. Is that really possible? Some of these cars I looked for for 12 years. They aren't made anymore so you have to fabricte what you don't have in the way of parts. I used to like to comb the auto salvage yards for that right part. But now, I work and can't seem to find the time to go looking when I do have the time.

If I could just have 3,000 to play with and 2 weeks of non interruption, maybe, just maybe I could make a dent. Deb has been helping me rewire the streetfighter. Last night I got it to run and got the seats remounted. ( they still need re covering due to mice) I was hoping to drive it at least one time this year. Still could happen. The Bulldog GT is still waiting on some welding and some bodywork.
I guess all good things come to those who wait........ Naaaaaw- ya have to make it happen.

SEATTLE TRIP

To those of you who were present at the Iowa Bobbe seminar, this will make perfect sense.

Deb and I arrived at the SeaTac airport to see Bobbe and we were wearing blue “T” shirts one of the “T” shirts said -“I’M BUZZ”, the other said - “I’M BUZZ’S CHICK. The look on Bobbe’s face was priceless. And when we handed him another blue “T” shirt that said “I’M BUZZ’S BUD” it was a Kodak moment. And of course there was but one last “T” shirt that said – So…Who’s Buzz, which of course was for Caren.

I finally found out what makes Bobbe so hyper- seems his coffee is 3 times as strong as I am used to. He must be immune to it, or it has replaced his blood because once he is up- he is UP.

Bobbe and his better half ,Caren, are consummate cooks. If it doesn’t have 4 different spices and requires 6 steps to make, it ain’t real food. Me, I’m a meat and potatoes type of guy. The week was spent stuffing our faces with all types of cuisine Malay,Chinese, Hawaiian, Indonesian, and Filipino.. We spent 3 days searching for a cinnamon donut. I just had to have one. Finally found one around the corner from Bobbe's place. We went to the Malaysian Restaurant and had already offered to take Caren out for dinner. When the check came, Deb snatched it up, Bobbe argued in vain for a few minutes but to no avail. Deb looked him right in the face and said ”don’t mess with the midget chick”. He looked at me and I replied - "even I don’t mess with the midget chick." This was the first time I saw Bobbe speechless. (I have no idea where the midget chick term came from)

The last time I was in Seattle was in 1972 while attending the Seattle Seafair
with the US Navy. This means- I had no idea where to go or what to do.
Deb did a few searches online before we left and that gave us a starting point.

We went to the space needle and you could see that Deb was turning a bit
white in anticipation. Seems she has an aversion to heights. But, like
a trooper, she went up the elevator and even looked out into space. At
the top she looked over the edge and even walked clear around the
upstairs observation lounge. The view was spectacular. The weather was
in our favor and it was pretty clear for as far as you could see.


Bobbe gave us a ride (jeepney fashion ) to the Kubota
Gardens. This place is not heavily advertised and it was a wonderful
place to walk around looking at all the plants and the water features.
Almost a Japanese Garden but with a lot of just plain plantings. I
think we took the most pictures here.

I notified Bobbe that his passenger brake wasn't working, Deb chimed in that the rear passenger brake didn't work as well. (We live back in the woods where we deal with tractors and tourists,not Indy 500 drivers)

“I beat you old man” said Bobbe on the 7th day, “one victory out of 7 does not a conquest make, first you have to wake up not using the alarm.” This was brought on because we wake up early and we had been gone before Bobbe or Caren woke up. Seems that we are early risers and like to get moving in the morning and Bobbe is
more of a night personality. Deb and I wake on our own at 5 or 6 am. Bobbe rolls out of bed sometime after 10 am. So we went out for breakfast each morning and arrived back to start our days touring or checking out the local shops or sights. The local bus system will take you almost anywhere .Besides, I didn't feel comfortable borrowing Bobbe's car. Tho we did end up borrowing a few times.

Things we did, places we went:
Kubota Garden
Bellevue Mall
Space Needle and Monorail
Pike Place Market
Chinatown tour
Mount Rainier and Scenic Railroad
Private Classes for Bobbe and his students

I did a couple of class workshops with Bobbe's guys to introduce them to this strange brand of Kuntaw. I hope they all got what they wanted, I know I showed a lot.
They
were quick studies. Friday before we left we had a small seminar where
each student could pick and choose from the menu. All were very
receptive to what was shown.

On
Saturday, before we had to run to the airport, Bobbe and Caren hosted a
small party for Franklin , one of Bobbe's senior students. He is
retiring from the military and about to move to Florida. Talk about a
smorgasbord . Stuffed potatoes, Filipino Ribs, strawberry shortcake, 3
types of fried chicken, veggies and dips of several varieties, cheeses,
wines, beers of many flavors.


The backyard was askew with people
eating, drinking, and comparing notes as well as telling war stories.


I guess Mushtaq Ali had similar problems with the passenger brake too.


Words To Live By
1. A day without sunshine is like night.
2. On the other hand, you have different fingers.
3. 42.7 percent of all statistics are made up on the spot.
4. 99 percent of lawyers give the rest a bad name.
5. Remember, half the people you know are below average.
6. He who laughs last thinks slowest.
7. Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.
8. The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets The cheese in the trap.
9. Support bacteria. They're the only culture some people have.
10. A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.
11. Change is inevitable, except from vending machines.
12. If you think nobody cares, try missing a couple of payments.
13. How many of you believe in psychokinesis? Raise my hand.
14. OK, so what's the speed of dark?
15. When everything is coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
16. Hard work pays off in the future. Laziness pays off now.
17. How much deeper would the ocean be without sponges?
18. Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.
19. What happens if you get scared half to death, twice?
20. Why do psychics have to ask you your name?
21. Inside every older person is a younger person wondering, 'What the heck happened?'
22. Just remember -- if the world didn't suck, we would all fall off.
23. Light travels faster than sound.. That's why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
24. Life isn't like a box of chocolates. It's more like a jar of jalapenos. What you do today, might burn your butt tomorrow.