Patch Panels

Today I received my first set of patch panels for the Gow Cart Project. They are rear quarter panels that I found for $35 on ebay with free shipping from Texas. I couldn't beat it and I wanted to start feeling like I was making a little progress despite the fact that snow is falling here in the motor city and the body who's probably never even seen snow in it's life is being fallen upon outside. There was a lot of rot to the rear end of that car so this will be the first of many 28-29 patches I'll require. Corporate Sponsorship Anyone?

Meanwhile, I'm reading the story about this '39 Ford Custom from Hawaii and dreaming of what it's like to cruise without a top in 70º all year round? BASTARDS! Notice the Road Devils on the cover?! Read the article here

And speaking of Patches, the GOW CART support patches will be in this week. Help make someones xmas bad ass with a patch... more details later.

Gow Cart comes HOME!

Is it weird to think of a car as a body alone? I suppose it's what defines a hot rod, perhaps even more than the engine in the sense of that is how it's truly identified. Today the body came off the back of the truck after leaving Texas on Saturday morning, driving over 1000 miles, arriving Sunday morning and resting until today. 

So after driving straight down immediately after Thanksgiving dinner, We arrived first in Oklahoma to meet up with some of our Road Devil brethren in the Tornado Alley. Driving straight through didn't allow for much rest for Chris "Hyman" or myself. We stopped in Moore OK. at the Blue Koi Tattoo shop where we both got some ink. It was only fitting that we did something 'devilish' from Prospect Reverend Jimmy Vegas. 

Immediately leaving and attempting to play Beat the Clock as the sun was setting over the OK/TX border, we finally rolled into the Tornado Alley HQ where we we greeted by many of the Texas members with beer in hand.

I can safely say that we drank 'til we fell down. I tapped out around 12:30 am and Hyman around 2 am. In the morning the body was hosted into the back of my F150 and after breakfast at Denny's, we drove straight back to Detroit.

There is entirely more than this basic synopsis I just banged out here, but it will take me some time to formulate a way to put it into words.  I will break it down later, but for now I can do it in four words:

CHUCK NORRIS ACTION JEANS

Body Snatachers

In some strange way I feel like building this hot rod is just retrieving the parts that have been scattered to the four corners of the USA and bringing them back to where they came from, right here in Detroit. These pieces were meant to be together and I'm just a facilitator in doing so.

Catching you up to date on what has been recovered:

The Engine for the Gow Cart was the first piece in this big old puzzle and it was recovered deep in the middle of Tennessee back in 2004 pulled from an old Cadillac by my wife and I about a week after we were married. 

The Chassis is currently a 30-31 frame that was recovered in Illinois, approximately 10 miles from the Iowa border.

The Rear axle (48 Ford Truck, banjo rear end) was recovered with help from my friend Jason in Michigan. That was an easy one.

Now, the body is next. 1929 Sport Coupe which will be used as the base for a roadster. It's a long haul but this one has been target practice for kids way down in Texas for years now and tomorrow, right after Thanksgiving dinner, Hyman and I are hitting the road to bring this Original Detroit Tin home. 18 hours straight through. 

The body is in the hands of fellow Road Devil Woody from the Tornado Alley chapter. 

Stay Tuned for updates because this is looking like it's gonna be one crazy ass trip.