ATL/Southeast Shows & Meets

[Rick W]

You oughta come to one of our Cars & Coffees, @Rick W. It's at the Michelin NA headquarters, Exit 54 on I-85 in Greenville, SC. The lot can't accommodate thousands of cars, but a few hundred maybe. Still a good little show.

When?

 

[Rick W]

I don’t know what happened with that post showing some of the other cars and trucks. I’m pretty sure I just did it once but somehow it split into a duplicate. But it’s not beyond reality that my head was so baked in the sun. I may have done it twice.

And I apologize to all you guys that I can’t wander around and get better pictures of all the stuff that’s out there. The legs just don’t cooperate these days, especially when it’s above 95.

I did run up on four Ranger owners, and I suggested they all park in that same area with me and they seemed interested. A couple had heard of TRS, but two young guys weren’t familiar. I chatted it up as much as I could without sounding like a salesman.

And for next time, I’ll add in something else, there is a lot of eye candy walking around. All shapes and sizes, from Georgia debutants to punk rockers I’d post some pictures, but some of you guys are too young. And I’d probably get my face punched in for taking them in the first place.

Somebody should host next month, I’m going be up at the Carlisle Truck Nationals. Come join me there! I got my credentials this week, but I haven’t looked at them yet.

 

[Rick W]

Oh, and some good will. The RWB decorations on the truck went over big. When I got there, I drafted a couple little kids, maybe six years old?, And they helped me spread that stuff out. It’s all stuff I had sitting in my toy closet from when my kids were little, probably 30 years old. They had a blast.

Of course, when their parents took them to go see other things, I straightened it all out. But it was probably the best part of the day so far.

 

[Curious Hound]

I thought that got installed on the TRS jet?

Had to take it back out. Pilot complained about all the moving center of gravity or something. I think he was just jealous that he was stuck flying the plane.

 

[Li'l Work Truck]

Had to take it back out. Pilot complained about all the moving center of gravity or something. I think he was just jealous that he was stuck flying the plane.

Sounds like he had a pole up his... Plane.

 

[Li'l Work Truck]

When?

Closest one coming up is at the end of this month, or we could wait until God forgives us of our sins and blesses us with Fall... @Curious Hound, you in? Wanna make it official and see who else might drop in?

 

[Rick W]

Hmmm, 98 miles to the Michelin plant for me. I’m not making any promises, but I might do that. Who’s got a guest bedroom if I come up the night before? Me and Lincoln of course.

 

[Rick W]

Another funny from caffeine and octane yesterday. My lot as a half acre, hundred feet wide and 200 feet deep. The house is a third of the way back, and the garage is behind the house on the left side about 50 feet behind that. If i play musical chairs with the truck and trailer, I can disconnect the trailer, turn it around, and then hook it back up so I can drive out straight.

The driveway in front of the house, from the house runs about 20 feet pretty level with a curve towards the front of the house, then there’s a 20 foot pretty steep incline (since the city decided to widen the road so they can build more skyscrapers over by the mall), and then it levels out where the sidewalk is. It’s a 2 lane narrow busy road.

I never disconnected the truck from Ford nationals, and I (used to be) a pretty good small truck driver, so I decided to just back it out from the side of the house onto the road.

That’s where the fun began. In my earlier years, I could back up a regular trailer with the axles in the middle better than I could drive it forward. Tractor trailer set up is just enough different, that no matter how I try, I have to watch it very closely. If you consider the set upI just mentioned, I’ve got a relatively narrow angle next to the house, curves a little in front of the house, and then I kind of have to gun it up the steep part of the driveway almost before I can see if anybody’s coming. With my open rear end, if I stop on the ramp, it just wants to spin the tire with that 1350 pound trailer.

Fortunately, there was no traffic when I started, but there were a couple cars who stopped and let me out come from each direction by the time I got out. Well, several times back-and-forth screaming the clutch for the last 30 feet going out onto the pavement. I finally ended up backing the trailer about 2 1/2 feet up on the opposite sidewalk so I could cut it enough to pull out of there, just to get out of there. I was afraid that when I got home, those four drivers would still be sitting there laughing their asses off.

Next time I try that, I’m going put a sign in front of my house for about a week in advance announcing the time. That way, people can set up lawn chairs the day before like they did for the parade and get a pretty good laugh.

Afterthought, I’m going to have to go to the church parking lot across the street and practice backing up with some orange cones

 

[Curious Hound]

Closest one coming up is at the end of this month, or we could wait until God forgives us of our sins and blesses us with Fall... @Curious Hound, you in? Wanna make it official and see who else might drop in?

I could show up and hang out. The Superduty is no show truck. And the Ranger's status will not start with an R and end with unning. But I could easily go. I'm not set up for guests at the moment.

Rick, the Michelin site is their North American headquarters. Pleasant looking offuce building right next to I-85, Pelham Rd exit. You've driven past it many times.
1 Parkway S, Greenville, SC 29615

 

[Rick W]

I could show up and hang out. The Superduty is no show truck. And the Ranger's status will not start with an R and end with unning. But I could easily go. I'm not set up for guests at the moment.

Rick, the Michelin site is their North American headquarters. Pleasant looking offuce building right next to I-85, Pelham Rd exit. You've driven past it many times.
1 Parkway S, Greenville, SC 29615
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I probably can’t do it this month because I’m going to Carlisle truck Nationals August 6 for the weekend. And that would probably exclude me for August as well since I’m a retired old man. But I’m open to the idea, and we should ring the bell to get more guys involved.

And I didn’t mean to sound like I was inviting myself over, I was just throwing that out there. All I need is a clean bed and a shower, and I could bring my own air mattress and sheets…