Beverly Hillbillies, Part Deux

Vehicles and items that do not fall into the general M151 categories

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Re: Beverly Hillbillies, Part Deux

Unread post by m3a1 » June 9th, 2021, 11:20 am

Mark,
I'm not sure how the place is set up organizationally. A lot of the stuff there is privately owned.

Island Air Lines, whose fleet consisted of Ford Trimotors, ran their business out of this facility at Port Clinton. Is there a connection between the former Island Airlines and Liberty Aviation Museum? I'm guessing there is.

As a youth, I had the pleasure of flying with my Dad in his first airplane, a Piper Vagabond called 'Johnny Jump-Up'. I usually referred to it as 334-Hotel because that's the name the grownups used. We often crossing paths with one of the Island Airlines birds while we were flying around Lake Erie.


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Their aircraft provided service to the islands and other destinations. It was always sobering being passed up by the boxy-looking Trimotor. To a child's mind, our little bird should have been faster but of course, an aircraft with THREE motors made short work of us every time. But we'd fly alongside and wave to the people riding in the Trimotor.

Insofar as the museum is concerned, it is a hodgepodge of all sorts of things, including big boy toys such as a Sherp (which really has NO business being in there at all) and a scaled down and perfectly represented Tiger tank as well as a scaled down Hetzer which I would grudgingly allow as they are excellent examples of those vehicles (albeit quite a bit smaller) and yes, they DO run and drive. YIKES!


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The rest is soup to nuts. The dive bomber is privately owned...

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The museum owns the PT boat which was "restored" and almost sank on its return to the water (literally) and is now torn down again for another try at restoration (and hopefully this time the work will be done properly). Docents in the museum are not shy telling how bad it was but they won't name names. Just another one of those unfortunate circumstances that occasionally happens in the MV hobby, I suppose.

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And there are a great many other goodies presented there which, I suspect, really represents the diverse interests and years of collecting by the person or persons who put this museum together. Still, much of that is speculation on my part.

It's a lovely, quirky, museum. Immaculately clean and just crammed full of stuff. The nice thing is, the scale of the place is not too large. You can visit and really spend a bit of time chewing the fat with some of the fellas that work there. I'm talking about the guys who are there with their sleeves rolled up, doing the work.


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Cheers,
TJ
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Re: Beverly Hillbillies, Part Deux

Unread post by rickf » June 9th, 2021, 11:53 am

I will bet Dave P knows the story of that PT boat right down to the names.
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Re: Beverly Hillbillies, Part Deux

Unread post by m3a1 » June 9th, 2021, 1:03 pm

Well, I am no expert but I saw some stuff in the stripped-down version you see in the photos that would have certainly given me pause and that's about as far as I'm prepared to go on the matter.

Boats and aircraft are best left to professionals, IMHO.

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Re: Beverly Hillbillies, Part Deux

Unread post by rickf » June 9th, 2021, 3:32 pm

Have you ever read Dave's page on the river boat restoration? I think he pretty much fits the expert qualification.

Here is a link to Dave's boat project. To anyone who thinks a vehicle project was tough................... You ain't seen noting yet!!!!!!!!

http://www.pbr6927.com/My-Story.html

And if you ever have the chance to meet Dave at a show I strongly suggest you introduce yourself. He is a great guy to talk to. Just be careful, once he gets to know you he has a wicked sense of humor! :twisted: :lol:
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Re: Beverly Hillbillies, Part Deux

Unread post by D Pizzoferrato » June 10th, 2021, 8:34 am

TJ,
Was the Tin Goose Diner opened up yet (closed due to Covid)? Here's a historical tidbit about the diner attached to the museum. That diner came from Jim Thorpe PA. It was next door to a tavern called JTs. The tavern is the ground floor of an old, but still active hotel owned by the same guy that owned the diner and tavern. For financing renovations on the hotel/tavern building, the diner was listed as an asset in the collateral column of the financing. Then the diner was sold, and moved to Port Clinton. As I understand, from a friend in Jim Thorpe, the bank was less than pleased with the sale and removal of their asset.
I have had the pleasure of dining, in that diner, in both locations on several occasions. BTW, the fried bologna sandwich (at the current location) is the bomb!

Rick, you're making me blush!
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Re: Beverly Hillbillies, Part Deux

Unread post by m3a1 » June 10th, 2021, 12:13 pm

Oh yeah, the diner IS open. Social distancing is going right out the window, so to speak. My personal favorite is the roast beef, served open-face over bread with that delicious, rich, dark brown gravy. Guaranteed to satisfy! I have it every time I go there.

Since my wife is still immersed in the world of Covid, a brief word on the topic. The new mutation is making the rounds. That means that many of us who have chosen to get the vaccine will probably need to get a booster for more complete protection. For the unvaccinated, I sincerely wish you good luck.

Like the flu, which presents itself a bit differently every year, this Covid bug is going to be a critter we will have to chase constantly as well. That said, as much as we would like to be free of these masks and pack ourselves into diners with other happy customers, keep in mind that the new strain IS out there and is an existential threat. DO NOT assume that all is well because it is not. Not YET, anyway.

Please do what you can to protect yourselves (and others) because the world would certainly be a little bit less interesting without you in it.

More photos from LAM. Enjoy.

Cheers,
TJ


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Re: Beverly Hillbillies, Part Deux

Unread post by m3a1 » June 10th, 2021, 5:49 pm

As if there isn't ENOUGH going on around here, I brought home a sulky from a Gravely Model L.

Why, you ask?

Because, says I.

Which is to say, because my golf cart only seats two. I want it to seat at least three. And in order to massage my cart into a four seater using the commercial kit, that's $300, PLUS whatever the expense is for putting the heavy duty springs on the rear suspension.

OR, I go to the trouble of building a seat kit and I haven't the time for it because of the extra labor of making it look professionally produced (I'm capable of that but it takes time)....and because of the half track project which is more important to me than good hygene at the moment. (Yes, boys and girls, the half track project seems to have finally started moving in the right direction again!) I feely admit I have been collecting the stuff I need to build a correct-ish kit for seats 3 & 4, so that may yet happen.

So, the sulky is simply a quick fix; just a mother-in-law seat for the golf cart and since the only place/time this is really needed is when I drive around the bi-annual rummage bacchanalia (at a walking pace) while surrounded by other, less fortunate people who are...well, walking. I reckon it will be perfectly safe with the addition of grab handles or handlebars and maybe a cup-holder for holding several ounces of liquid courage. Think: Rat Rod-ish and there you have it.

After a brief internet search, I determined the second, broken seat spring on this thing was an add-on (the previous owner was apparently a fatty who needed the extra support) so that bit got pulled off and thrown on the pile of Things Meant To Become Something Else.

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The sulky also came with two tractor seats, one nested inside the other (starting to see a pattern here?) and both were toast but.... lucky me ....I just happened to have a replacement seat on hand; one that I picked up on the sly (a close-out deal at Tractor Supply) because HEY! one never knows when one is going to need a tractor seat on the quick time. So I threw that on.

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And YES, I replaced the bolt with a carriage bolt because having a hex head sticking up in that strategic location taint right (if you take my meaning). :lol:

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The two-piece hitch is a clever little device that clamps around an odd sized ball that is mounted upside down (Gravely apparently practiced proprietary designs and sizes way back when and STILL do because a replacement ball, at the present date, is right around $61.00) :shock: The claim online is that it is 1.5" but in reality it must be just under that. But, before you can say "Just Shoot Me NOW", McMaster Carr offers a ball off a workable size that comes already drilled and tapped for a bit less than $6.00 so, you know where my money is goin'. Gravely suppliers will have to find some other sucker to make their millions on.

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So, with a workable ball sourced and on the way, I cleaned up the hitch, which went from I've-Been-Sitting-In-The-Dirt-Most-Of-My-Life status to Just-Like-New status after bathing in white vinegar over night with occasional buffings using a red 3M pad and then a final ride on the wire wheel before going into paint. The two halves are drying as we speak.

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This leaves me with the issue of tires (which are without air, and old, and suspiciously hard because they stand up very nicely without air despite there being a rather limp tube installed) but I think I can work my way around that without too much trouble. I don't care much for the straight axle and plan on beefing that up with a truss of sorts because presently it is straight and I would like it to stay that way.

Cheers,
TJ
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Re: Beverly Hillbillies, Part Deux

Unread post by rickf » June 10th, 2021, 9:56 pm

And the missus is going to sit there? Uh huh, I want video of that!!!!
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Re: Beverly Hillbillies, Part Deux

Unread post by m3a1 » June 10th, 2021, 11:58 pm

Hey, I DID say "Mother-in-law" but since you brought it up I will say this. If that durned seat is good enough for a man to sit in to mow the yard or till the garden until he drops dead from heat prostration....well then...a woman getting chauffeured around in it should be quite all right.

And if you EVER tell my wife I said that...... :lol:

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Re: Beverly Hillbillies, Part Deux

Unread post by rickf » June 11th, 2021, 7:55 am

If I remember correctly you told me your wife was of Spanish descent? Which would mean mom in law is also Spanish most likely. My experience with Spanish women has taught me that among other fine traits comes a very hot temper and by the time she got done boxing your ears you would look like Dumbo the elephant. AND, Dumbo would be the one riding the cart! I REALLY want video to go with this proposal! :twisted: :lol:

And I don't need to talk to your wife, I need to talk to your son. "Kid, keep that video camera armed and ready at all times! This is gonna get GOOD!"
1964 M151A1
1984 M1008
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12/1952 M100- Departed
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Re: Beverly Hillbillies, Part Deux

Unread post by m3a1 » June 11th, 2021, 11:09 am

Wow, I bring you all this good content and this is how I'm repaid?

You're killin' me, Smalls!

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Re: Beverly Hillbillies, Part Deux

Unread post by rickf » June 11th, 2021, 1:46 pm

You bring it, we use it. :mrgreen: :lol: :lol: :lol:

NOW, If you find a horses bit and bridle to fit you and some reins that would reach back to the cart I am sure the missus OR the mother in law would be GLAD to ride back there. :twisted:


Hey, YOU started it!!
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12/1952 M100- Departed
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Re: Beverly Hillbillies, Part Deux

Unread post by m3a1 » June 11th, 2021, 2:05 pm

I KNEW this 19th Amendment was going to be trouble....

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Re: Beverly Hillbillies, Part Deux

Unread post by m3a1 » June 18th, 2021, 10:35 pm

Estate sales. Gotta love em and my buddy and I hit one yesterday that was really something. Rich guy...now deceased. It's true, my friends. You can't take it with you... and he didn't. Wherever his personal interests took him, this fella just poured more concrete and put up one fabulous metal building after another (and in fine style, I might add) so as to provide accommodation for his latest passion. Chief among them was wood working (the last fully intact shop on the estate and of commercial quality). It was a humdinger. Racing was certainly a biggie; stock car, NASCAR among others with an absolute ton of racing goodies but alas, somebody grabbed the all important go-fast stuff so it never made it into the estate sale but, racing memorabilia...OH YEAH!....tons of that, including old fire resistant racing suits


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and yes, even stock car body panels showing their former racing colors and their many scars from rubbin' and racin'.

There was also plenty of stuff for less intrepid individuals; side-by-sides, a zero turn, a manure spreader and a small (but yet full sized) John Deere tractor all of which was thoroughly used but, kept up nicely.

Besides the meandering shop/barn conglomerations there were two houses, both with the same floor plan, same building materials, same tile, same woodwork. All of it custom. One was just slightly more grand than the other in terms of its accoutrements and with slightly different outdoor amenities. The residences contained all the usual household goodies and more. Some of it carry-overs from previous estate sales.

And then there was the ONE thing that caught my eye. Off to the side of all the really good, really nice stuff was an old, apparently unloved Roper Whitney PEXTO, Model 152K, 52" foot shear for cutting metal sheet; of the variety which requires a fatty (such as myself) to power the cutting edge by means of a step. Let's call it a treadle. Mechanical advantage allows one to step up on the diamond plate treadle which is actually big enough for a couple of fellas (if they're friendly) and that brings the cutter down past the heavy table, shearing the metal much like guillotine. But this machine had been retired and I'm guessing last used to create stock car bodies. There are other, better, powered shears out there, of course. Out of a job, this old machine had been stored in what appeared to be a general purpose outbuilding for just such things. Forgotten, it was covered in barn filth, a bit rusty, yet, still fully mobile....and waiting for the right fella to come along and promise it some lovin'.

I took one look and smelled a bargain. My gift (or my curse depending upon your particular point of view) is being able to see beyond rust. In the modern world, a 'smart phone' can help you sniff out the finer details of a potential bargain in a New York Microsecond. What was the general retail price, used? A big number. New, a far bigger number and nearly twice that of used. What was the asking price? A little number. What was the problem, then? Some ancillary pieces were missing. Nothing that I couldn't whip up on my own, to be sure. We scoured the place for those missing bits. Alas, they were nowhere to be found. The cutting edge was not terrific but still, rather sharp with no nicks or gouges and perfectly capable of taking a finger, or two, or four. So it was just ugly...and ancient. I love that combination. Just my cup of tea.

The following day was hailed to be 25% off listed sale price. The day after, 50% off. I was feeling froggy so I went to the sales rep and asked if they were entertaining bids. Yup. So, I thought I would be sly and offered up a bid just above the 50% valuation which meant that by close of business on 25%-Off Day, if no one had already purchased it, it would officially be mine.

All that was yesterday.

I got up today (this being 25%-Off Day) and after much cogitation, decided that if it was still sitting there today, I would simply buy it at the 25%-off price rather than risk missing out because I was greedy but also wanted bragging rights for buying it at 50% off (which was effectively ten percent of average retail, used). That would have been a nice round number to be sure but hardly braggable if I failed to close the deal. The capstone on the decision as to how to proceed was that my buddy wouldn't be around to assist in moving it on Saturday. So, I took that as a sign, and I bought it at the 25%-off price. It was now mine - all 1000 lbs of it.

We came prepared. We winched it up onto my motorcycle trailer, strapped it down and made off with it like two thieves in the night.


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Oddly, the trip home blew off most of the detritus and it really looked a lot better when it came time to unload it. Marvelous. Took my old forklift and with the new longer forks, I picked it up, gently lifted it over the rail, backed off and then deposited it gently onto the driveway. Gawd I love that forklift. it really makes the world a much sweeter place.


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So, you are probably wondering if the shear actually works. In fact, it does BUT, the table, which forms the fixed edge of the shear, is absolutely out of adjustment and is far too close to the knife (which is the correct term for the mobile cutting edge above) and that little bit of interference is creating difficulty. I did get a short cut made until the knife stalled out against the table. The cut was a very sharp, very straight line but the whole machine is equally out of adjustment with the treadle also being far too high at its inception point. So, ahead of me I have a great deal of laying on PB Blaster, unbolting things, chasing out bolt holes and replacing nuts and bolts with new, nicely plated hardware and of course laying new paint. Not hard work, mind you, just tedium and a lot of it. It will be a great project in that it lends itself to being accomplished a little bit here and a little bit there. Perfect.

Yeah, there's always something going on at the Beverly Hillbillies!

Cheers,
TJ
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Re: Beverly Hillbillies, Part Deux

Unread post by rickf » June 18th, 2021, 10:53 pm

That knife to die clearance is set depending on the thickness of the metal it was cutting. If it was set up for race cars I will bet it was set for 24 Ga. sheet. Pretty thin stuff.
1964 M151A1
1984 M1008
1967 M416
04/1952 M100
12/1952 M100- Departed
AN/TSQ-114A Trailblazer- Gone

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