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Dad's stang...

crash said:
So my dad is still doing his chemo and started his 18th--yes 18th round last weds. He has been super excited to hit every car show he can and finally got a 3rd place for his class--all he could talk about...

So this morning he came over to hang for a while and work on his car. We had 2 projects to do but only was able to do one due to more parts needed for the second.

But he rolled up with a smile as it was a nice sunny day and he simply LOVES to drive the car. Today my mom had said its crazy how much that car has helped his quality of life. When he's beat down due to the chemo (usually about 10 days after his treatment) he will slowly wander out to his car and do something to it.
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Thats great Mike. You honestly probably added more time to his life. Its funny how a big piece of steel can bring so much joy to us:awesomework:
 
So as I was putting it back in I kept telling my dad I wish I would have used a better/stronger paint on the dash. But my dad kept saying it looks just fine and is 1000% better than it was--but for me its not good enough,lol. I told him I would not mind this winter stripping it down again and using some good quality single stage enamel on it that will hold up to typical use. My dad just simply said--it looks fine son,lol.

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One thing that drove my parents nuts--no damn cup holders (its one of those things that once you have--you can't go without. heck I am the same way). But he found one that was just perfect. The color and stitch was a perfact match to the new interior.

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So we looked up some needed part numbers--dad said goodbye and hopped in his baby and drove off with a smile.... Was a good day....
 
Happiness makes life better no matter what.
I haven't been around because I've been wrapped up in family cancer issues (my mother passed of lung/heart cancer a year ago and father in law in Feb of leukemia with mother in law about to go any time since he's not here to care for her) and health issues of my own (high BP, diverticulitis and messed up thyroid) and my wife's (knee replacement in Jan and surgery on the other last week)
Now we're spending time with the kids and grandkids visiting all week and just enjoying what we have. Life only comes around once. There are NO do overs!
 
Figured I would give an update..

Dad is doing great and so far no really bad side effects from this round of chemo except short term memory which we noticed shortly after his first number of rounds of chemo. He went in about 2 weeks ago for another CT scan and the leasions on his liver and tumor have shrunk again but not allot but we will take that..

So his number one passion is photography. He has done it at a professional level for many years and 3 years ago he got one of those things of a lifetime and that was the main photographer for the Evergreen state fair. Some may remember last year after he was diagnosed he still went and did the fair. Well that time came again 13 days ago and he eagerly jumped in with my mom being his sidekick this year. Both my parents have had a blast I got a chance to hang/help him yesterday and something I will remember for the rest of my life and I pray he is able to do it again next year.

So a week before fair he went to another car show(like his 12th) and finally got himself a big old trophy and boy was he proud.Here is an article from the local monroe paper granted they got a few facts messed up but thats alright by me.
http://www.monroemonitor.com/main.asp?SectionID=13&SubSectionID=76&ArticleID=2416

My dad also has another stack of parts sitting here at my shop and soon will be back so we can give it a little more love and hang with dad some more.

Thanks for everybody's support thru this last year as it has not been easy but memory making..
 
I just wanted to share this one picture I was able to take while me and the wife was at the One Republic concert at the fair--my dad doing what he loves.

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Thanks for all of the support to this point and onward as me and my family do appreciate it.

First an update on my dad. He came down with phenomia and they caught it soon enough and able to treat it. But the down side is he has just had little to no energy.

He missed the last 2 car shows of the year due to being rained out but he was ok with it. Him and my mom fly back to kentucky on sunday for a couple weeks and he is getting a tour of the corvett assembly plant--he is super excited for that.

As for the car he had ordered some odds/ends for it and drove the car to my shop on monday to give it a little love.
 
So the first couple items were easy. A new starter to fix the bendix from not fully engaging at times(tore the starter apart and tried to fix it). The second was a new boot from the filler neck to the tank. After filling up my dad said he could smell fuel and the boot was in bad shape. Plus it let me replace the screws holding the neck to the body with nice stainless ones. But those were the easy ones,lol..
 
So the third one was a little harder. The pedal assembly(brake/clutch) were badly worn out with tons of slop side to side. I assume its a common problem as drake sells a nice kit to fix it.

So the hard part was getting the pedals out due to the ebrake and driver fresh air vent. I had never removed the E-brake assembly so I was a little nervous about that but with a little work/effort I was able to remove it. My dad sat back in his chair and just kinda chuckled as I worked it out.

But damn was it all worn out.

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The inserts that ride in the bracket and the pivat pin rides in were just trashed. I can see why they were made from aluminum so they would wear out instead on the main bracket.

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I was kinda scratching my head since the replacement pin was by itself and the pin on the pedal was attached. It wasn't till I got the pedal out and noticed its just staked into place. So a little grinding/ pounding I got it removed. Compared to the new one its totaly shot.

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So I cleaned the pedal, lined the pin and welded it to the pedal and turned out perfect.

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Up to this point it was easy,lol. The Drake kit was designed to weld big washers to the pedal mount but that was not going to happen or at least right now. But with some patience and carefull work I got it all put in and damn its nice and tight now. I talked to my dad after he drove it home and his words were "perfect"....
 
I figured I would update folks.

On the car. Its just sitting in its nice and comphy cave since the weather has gone downhill. My dad found a factory carb and I still gotta rebuild it and once I do and get other rigs out of my shop it is going to come back for a short spell to get a few things done.

My mom/dad had a BLAST in Tennessee. I did not realize but my parents flew back there because my dad had a brother there that he had never met before. Once they got back my mom could not talk fast enough about how much fun they had and how much my dad/his brother were alike. But they are are talking about a European trip this spring on a cruise liner with him and his wife..

My dad went in for another CT scan and they found 2 more spots on his liver and one pin sized spot on one of his lungs. He started chemo again last friday and I am not sure of how strong it is but he's still staying as active as he can.

He is still staying positive and I am trying too..

Thanks everybody...
 
mike awesome work buddy!
i seen the car several times this summer,and even in show.. your parents look happy,and were deffinatly excited to talk about the car..

and my thoughts are with you on your dads recovery.. my mother just had brain surgery nov. 2 to remove an aneurysm they found on a recent cat scan..its not easy to watch our folks go thru this kinda stuff.
 
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