Yearly Archives: 2013

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Wed. June 12th: A Collection Worthy of a Kaiser

• CATEGORIES: Features • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

<– Day 39 – Tues. June 11th: Checking Out Butler | Trip Overview | Day 41- Thurs. June 13th: Heinz History Museum –>

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A beautiful Kaiser Darrin. Arrived knowing little about Kaiser Frazer cars, but left far more knowledgable thanks to Dave.

On Wednesday June 12th we drove from Monroeville to Somerset and back.

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On Wednesday the 12th we drove from Monroeville to Somerset, Pennsylvania.

We awoke Wednesday morning in Monroeville’s Extended Stay Motel. With access to our first kitchen since we’d hit the road, I made my lovely bride some breakfast in bed. It is always good to keep one’s wife happy while jeep hunting.

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After breakfast, our big stop of the day was a visit with Dave Antram. He invited Ann and I over to check out some of the barns on his family’s 150 acre farm in Pennsylvania.

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Dave said to look for this sign. That way we’d know we were at the right place.

His family’s been in the area a couple generations. Over time they’ve enjoyed building several different types of collections, including jeeps. As Dave welcomed us and we began our walk he noted there was a lot to show us. He even thought about contacting American Pickers to come visit. But, then he admitted it would be hard for him to sell anything at ‘picker’ prices.

One of the early vehicles they started collection were tractors. One unusual tractor in their collection employs an aftermarket kit from Sears and Roebuck to transform a 1920’s model A into a tractor. The parts painted red are the aftermarket pieces. The ones painted black are the Ford Model T parts.

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Model T with a tractor kit from Sears and Roebuck attached.

Above the tractor collection is a model T that was purchased by the family brand new. It was in bad shape for decades until Dave’s father fulfilled a goal to restore it during the 1990s. These days they use it in parades.

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Dave’s father next to the Model T he restored.

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I don’t know the finer points of a stock Model T, but the quality of the restoration looked good.

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Updates Mid Afternoon

• CATEGORIES: Old Images • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

I tried to do some updates last night, but the internet wasn’t cooperating. For lack of any other reason, I’m going to blame the storm.  I think I should be able to do some updates mid afternoon.

Here’s a pic from a Willys News paper that I spotted while visiting with Dave Antram yesterday (thanks Dave!). More on that visit later.

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Pre-Release Version of AMBER PANELS OF KONIGSBERG

• CATEGORIES: Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: This opportunity is closed. Thanks to everyone for their participation!full-cover-1-without-guides2

I’ve decided to sell a pre-release version of my newest book, and my first historical novel, the Amber Panels of Konigsberg for $30. I will only sell 30 copies. What I’m hoping to do is to give people a chance to help me catch some errors and/or add some input so I can complete the book by the end of July.

What $30 gets you:
1. Advance signed copy of book. You will encounter some errors, but that’s the point and the nature of this process. I am hoping next time I will be able to publish with a professional organization. I will describe how to submit errors when you purchase.
2. A complimentary copy of the final book when published. It should reach you sometime in August.
3. A credit in the final copy that includes your name in the book.
4. An opportunity to participate in the final writing process.
5. The satisfaction that you’ve helped out my writing career.
6. Maybe it will be a collector’s item someday!?!

I will be offering the same deal to people after my presentations on Friday and Saturday at the Bantam Fest.

Reviews so far:
Only one person, Bill Foshay, has read the book in it’s current form. Here’s what he had to say about it:

Amber panels……..never would have picked up such a book in a bookstore…..skimmed thru it backwards and said…this is going to be boring. Not my cup of tea.

Then.. I got bored and needed to read something…so I started in. Holy historical novel, batman, you have a HIT. Could NOT put it down. Another home run. Better than your last, which was great. I loved how you got jeeps involved.

 

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Tues. June 11th: Checking Out Butler

• CATEGORIES: Features • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

<– Day 38 – Mon. June 10th: Trains and Planes | Trip Overview | Day 40 – Wed. June 12th: A Collection Worthy of a Kaiser –>

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My partner-in-crime had a migraine in the morning, so I had to photograph myself. I came, I saw, I photographed!

On Tuesday we did a short tour of Butler then drove to Monroeville, Pennsylvania.

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Tuesday June 11th’s drive from Butler to Monroeville, Pennsylvania.

On Tuesday morning, we woke up at the crack of 9am and were out the door by 10. Our breakfast stop was the CHOP SHOP. If you are in Butler, I can highly recommend the place (check out the menu). My prime rib wrap was great. Ann’s Lamb wrap (very thinly sliced lamb with feta and more) was especially good, but couldn’t eat it all, so she shared half her wrap with me … yum!

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2013-06-11-chop-shop-bulter-pa1After breakfast, Ann came down with a migraine, so I took her back to the motel room to rest. Meanwhile, I took care of a personal task:  locate and photograph the Bantam Factory Marker, one of those holy jeep grail items I can now tick off my list. The marker is at 662 Hansen Ave, Butler, PA and you can see the sign using Google’s street view.

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Mon. June 10th: Trains and Planes

• CATEGORIES: Features • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

<– Day 37 – Sun. June 9th: Defecting to Canada | Trip Overview | Day 39 – Tues. June 11th: Checking Out Butler –>

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So many cool things in this one-of-a-kind toy store!

After our failure to defect in Canada on Sunday, we decided to head south on Monday toward the jeep-mecca-that-is-Bantam: Butler, Pennsylvania.

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On Monday June 10th we drove from Niagara Falls, New York, to Butler, Pennsylvania.

Though we’d spurned Canada, the country seemed to haunt us. I guess we were there long enough to look Canadian. For example, when we stopped by a Niagara Starbucks Monday morning, we were told by a cashier that we could go online and get Starbucks Cash (or points or something) for completing a survey. He then announced the cash (or points) were good in Canada, too. Ann and I looked at each other wondering why he thought we were Canadian. Then I realized I was wearing a “Canada” shirt.

From Buffalo, New York, we drove south through rain until we got bored of the Interstate. I spotted a town called North East, PA. Thinking that was an odd name, especially since it was in northwestern Pennsylvania, we decided to explore it. It was a strange town. For example, they grow plants over their parking meters.

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After lunch at Lacasa De Pizza in downtown North East, we tried to visit their nearby railroad museum, but no one was home. There weren’t any hours posted on the door either. They did have lots of trains and a train station as well.

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I never did learn why the town was called ‘North East’

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Trailer with Willys Generator on eBay

• CATEGORIES: trailer This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Marc spotted this unusual combo.

“You are bidding on a 1951 M100 military trailer and Generator with spotlight. Trailer is in great condition. No rust. Parking brake works. Original tags. Etc. The only thing missing is the landing leg. Original color was Air Force blue, probably repainted by the firefighters later on.

The generator is powered by a 4 cylinder flat head L134 Jeep engine. I was told by the previous owner that he had the generator running and the spotlight shot bright light to 15 story high Bldg. Was used for his son’s birthday party. I cannot verify, I never had it running, but condition and the low hours on the running time meter tells me this should have no problem running as it should. I do not have a battery for it.

See more pictures in my photobucket link:
http://s1232.photobucket.com/user/3familytree/library/Fire%20Fighters%20Trailer

View all the information on ebay

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1962 Wagon Harrison, ID **SOLD**

• CATEGORIES: Willys Wagons This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: **SOLD** Was $3000

This might be worth a look.

“’62 Willys Wagon- complete. Original straight six runs great. Good body-never chopped, cut up or “stump-jumkpered”. Can text or e-mail info or more pics.”

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1961 Truck Pendleton, OR **SOLD**

• CATEGORIES: Willys Trucks • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: **SOLD** Was $4200

This appears solid.

“New tires and wheels. Brakes redone. Hoosier Conversion. Starts easily and runs smoothly. Offers considered.”

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