Back in circulation...

[FORDification]

Hey everyone...

Yeah, it's me...I'm sorry I suddenly dropped out of sight without any warning for the past couple months, and for not answering the PM's and e-mails. Sometimes I go off on a tangent with my one-track mind and blinders on, and ignore everything else around me. Yeah, life goes on, but that's no excuse by any means. I'm truly sorry...

For what it's worth, I've been keeping busy. The last few posts I made were about me looking around for a dentside truck to use as a daily driver. I had the funds and was actively searching, but after some soul-searching I decided that before I went off buying another vehicle, I really needed to finish up one of the many other projects I already had going. So I went gung-ho on my '67 Olds 442, since the bare frame was already in our one-car garage, and with what little spare time I had left (usually after all the kids went to bed) I was researching what I needed to get this one done.

It's been a very busy summer...I got a lot done on the Olds, and I'm not slowing down on it either. The goal is to have it drivable before snowfall, and considering that I had nothing but a bare frame 90 days ago, I'm doing pretty well. (I've been posting progress updates at RealOldsPower.com, and if anyone's interested in checking it out, they can go to the following link: http://www.realoldspower.com/phpBB2/vie ... hp?t=69281 )

Yes, I do sometimes have a bad habit of spreading myself a little thin, but for those of you who know me, that's just me. It's not an excuse, it's just how it is. I can't sit still...I have to always have several irons in the fire, and I'm not happy unless I'm going like a bat out of hell. And I'll be straight, it kinda felt good to get out of the Ford truck mode for a few months and totally immerse myself into classic musclecars for a while, but I realize that's not fair (or cool) to you all, and especially to the FORDification forum moderators to had to pick up the slack. To them especially...Thank you! And I'm sorry.

FWIW I've made a promise to myself that I'll be here daily from here on out. I really missed you all, and appreciate your patience (or impatience, as the case may be) in allowing me to take a short sabbatical from the clubhouse and indulging in a little selfish playtime. But I'm back now, promise not to do this again without keeping everyone informed and staying in touch.

[mk]

Great to hear everthing's okay, Keith. It's a fact of life that you can't keep everyone else happy (for long) if you're not happy yourself
Cool to see the car's coming along so quickly. Nice work.

mike

[fordman]

i am the same way i have to be doing something or i get bored really fast. thats pretty cool how you got the body off the frame. kind o flike how you put a double wide trailer together. sort of. thats what i t reminded me of.

[flyboy71]

Welcome back to your own website!! We will give you a pass this time but lets not let that happen again. The Olds project looks good. Keep chugging along on it! You sound like me except I have one project and Im all over the map with it but Id rather be that than bored.

Oh and just so ya know

[67mann]

on the Old's project very

[basketcase0302]

Keith,
Didn't even realize you were gone! Knew it musta' been something important, progress on the Olds looks good, (especially working outside like I've been doing).
Are those 55 gallon drums osha approved?
Glad you're back.

[DuckRyder]

Glad to hear everything is O.K. we were all a bit worried.

The Olds is looking great, you've obviously been hard at work on it...

[mrsnicks]

I think the bumps are going to be jealous.. Spending some serious cash on new parts for the car and the bumps got reused/recycled parts. Looks good now get back to the trucks!

[1970FordTK]

Those of us who suffer from obsessive compulsive disorder can understand all to well. To have made the best web site on
this era truck one has to have had a touch of this, so it is completely understandable when you dive off into a project with both feet so hard as to be a little absent.(having a real life with a wife and kids and doing just this web site is a huge thing let alone working on project vehicles too) Just glad you are back.

[JWW]

The Olds is coming along great. I'm glad you have been able to work on it.

[jp2005]

Welcome back to the ford side of things! Always was a fan of Olds

[ford4x4fun]

Hey Kieth,

Welcome back. I believe everyone needs a break from day to day. Glad to see you back over here, and glad you have been keeping yourself busy!

[brandon.k]

That thing is looking good! Those are some really nice suspension pieces

[FORDification]

Yeah, I have been dumping a ton of $$$ into the 442...mainly because it's going to be a street/strip car and I want the best, whereas the truck is more of a daily driver, so good-quality replacement parts will work just fine. I really wish I could also work on the truck, but with no shop right now, that's just not happening. My wife and I are actively looking for that small acreage with a shop (looked at several different places last week) but haven't found anything yet. But we're not giving up...

I've got the Olds' cylinder heads at a racing shop right now getting the full-tilt racing setup...professionally ported and polished, bigger valves and machined for roller rockers. I'll be finally dropping the body back onto the chassis this weekend, and then I'll be getting started on getting the short-block freshened up. The goal is to have it drivable before winter. It'll still look mundane, since the exterior body panels won't be touched, but then again it really doesn't need any repairs, since the body is very solid (no rust/dents). But when you look under the hood (or under the car itself), it'll be obvious I mean business.

Winter is actually just around the corner, which is why I'm going like gang-busters on this. Since my one-car garage has no heat or insulation, I won't be able to work out there once the temps drop...so I'll be inside in front of the computer monitor working on this site again. I've been slowly accumulating a bunch of cool Ford truck stuff that needs digitized (brochures, filmstrips, etc.), so before too much longer you guys will have some more stuff to check out here on the site.

[Ranchero50]

Good deal, stay focused. The trucks will be waiting patiently.

Jamie