Chapter 13:
La Béstia emígra al sur
10 April 2000 Whoa! Really?
As I write this, Faithful Reader, the Panel Delivery is back in Santa Cruz, Where Karen has been driving it around since March 14. It only seemed fair. I've halted major cash outlay for the restoration project until I have a handle on this year's tax situation. And at this point, the only jobs left involve big-ticket items like body, paint, driveline and suspension work. So Karen gets to drive it around.
I have managed to do a few really cool fixes and such to the truck these last few months, through. In no particular chronological order:
Here's a nice before and after picture of the inside roof. Dramatic difference, no? • The inside of the roof was originally unpainted, as it was supposed to be covered with a headliner. Therefore, it was now a solid expanse of rust-- not too thick, but an even dappled layer of spalling from windshield to tail gate. I thought the best way to control this large area of oxidation was to apply a rust transformer. At an automotive paint outlet in South San Francisco I picked up a bottle of SEM Rust-Seal (part # 39304). Section by section, I sanded the roof, then brushed on a layer of the milky liquid. After a few minutes, it turned a strange purple-black color. That means it's working, I guessed. A second coat turned it it uniform black, and after it cured a bit it was as hard as nails. Looks a little strange, but it indeed polymerized the rust. Pretty cool stuff.
This is the gas tank, right after I pulled it out from under. I had to drop it with the fuel line attached, because there was just no leverage under there. And this is it after renovation, freshly painted, with new anti-rattle pads glued on. • The fuel tank, which works pretty well as a container for gas, needed some attention. I pulled it out and gave it a good going-over (whoops, that sounds a bit suggestive. What I meant to say is I unbolted it and... no, that's not it either.. I removed the gas tank and commenced to renovate it. Ah.). There was crud inside the tank, all right, but not all that much, and the sender unit was in pretty good shape. I cleaned it inside and out, coated the outside with what was left of the SEM Rust-Seal, and primered it. After testing the fuel gauge circuit, it seems the sending unit was perfectly good, but the dashboard fuel gauge is faulty. 1/2 tank means full: empty means empty (there's still a few gallons left in the tank when it's on E, but that's a good thing). It ain't a perfect situation, but it's that much less to worry about.
• Added floor mats, pedal gaskets, and seat belts. Actually, adding the seat belts required I drill holes in the cab floor, one right over the gas tank. So you could say I renovated the gas tank to get the seat belts in.
• Running along the inside of the cargo area of stock Panel Deliveries are a pair of oak rails. They bolt onto the ribs and allow you to store stuff behind them. Very nice little period details, completely unavailable in the old-car-parts market, and the only nice wood on the Beast (there's a wooden floor, but where it's yellow pine on pickup trucks there is plywood flooring in vans). They're in remarkably good shape, too. However, the varnish on 'em is all discolored, so I unbolted 'em and gave them to a friend of mine who's pretty good with wood for refinishing.
The beast shows off her stock rearview mirrors. As I have reached a temporary renovation impasse, It was decided that the Beast spend some time in Santa Cruz,, where at least the engine can get a 1000 mile head bolt tightening from Lazlo. So Karen drove it back home with her. In preparation of this, I attached all the little items I had in the garage onto the Beast, like the visor, stick rearview mirrors, traffic light viewer, and the hood ornament. I think I actually stuck them on a bit prematurely because the body and paint every bit as shot as it was last June, but there's something about having truck parts spread out over 80 or so miles bugs me.
At this point, the story becomes my sister's. Here's her (slightly edited) take on life with the Beast.
The beast has been in my possession for the last three weeks. I drove the 110 miles between San Francisco and Santa Cruz on the coastal highway 1 route in very heavy fog... It was beautiful. I didn't need to see the blue Pacific Ocean or the rolling hills and beaches, I was busy driving. There wasn't much traffic that day and my 55-60 mph speed was perfect for that road. Nobody attempted to pass.
A recent photo of Karen, standing in an anti-aircraft artillery placement in Levenham, UK. My little Honda has only been moved once since I've had the truck. It's pathetically covered in dust and dirt. Even now that the price of gas has skyrocketed I walk out of my studio and walk strait by my economical little car and head right for the beast. I say to myself its a small price to pay. I always take the long way to work along the cliffs here in Santa Cruz. I found a cup holder that works and sort of found my routine. I even have a parking spot that I will circle the block for, so I can see it from the window of my salon.
I have been noticing that people often are shocked to see me driving the truck. I'm a petite 127 pounds, not too tall, but plenty of muscle (for steering the Beast, apparently). I think people assume that a man is driving because of the primer gray and the hugeness of it. But their assumptions are wrong. When I look at her I see her softly curved fenders and rounded hood and it's quite plain to me that she not the least bit Beastly after all. I have another vision for her. When you look at her I want her to look back at you and say good morning to you with her sea foam green and warm cream paint, and smile at you with her white wall tires. I want her to tell a story of the naivety of the fifties and show the innocence of that time. I can picture the Clovis Laundry Service man dressed in white with a stiff white hat delivering beautifully pressed linens to charming country inns. Or perhaps a smiling sharpener who drives around to restaurants and barber shops to sharpen knives and shears.
I have found that Santa Cruz is full of old Chevy lovers. As I drive around it seems that anything older than 1965 is giving the thumbs up, which I happily return. I have also been late for several social engagements because I will stop off for gas or a soda and some admiring Chevy fan (usually male) will ask what year she is or say in a longing way that they would love to get their hands on an old truck like that one day. I could use the Beast as a real guy magnet if I wanted to! I then start chatting about why were going stock, or why I'm not considering a V8, or what colors I hope she will be by summer. The next thing I know I'm lifting the hood and showing off the freshly painted rebuilt engine with it's dusty rose linkages and majestic simplicity. Having such a conversation-worthy vehicle is great, but it can really put me behind schedule sometimes.
When I was cleaning the wraparound headliner for repair and repainting, I sprayed citrus cleaner on it. It caused disgusting yellow nicotine deposits to come loose and flow off of it. Eeew. I concur on Karen's opinion that Santa Cruz is a haven for old car lovers, because it's filled with old cars. It really is. If you find yourself in that neck of the woods some weekend, I recommend taking a drive across town ( I suggest the scenic route from Natural Bridges State Beach to Capitola-By-The-Sea) and just check out the sheer amount of old iron still chugging around town. VW Bugs and vans (the old ones) are extremely common, as are Ford Falcons, Plymouth Valiants, and every type of old Volvo. My theory: Santa Cruz is sort of an island ecosystem for cars, where people (UCSC students, mostly) drive their jalopies into town, then sell them when they leave. The old cars don't succumb to the natural elements (because there aren't any, really), and the owners just drive them around town, so they wear out very slowly. It reminds me a lot of Cuba, where all manner of pre-1959 American-made cars still prowl the streets of Havana and Santiago. By some amazing coincidence, the general political alignments of Cuba and Santa Cruz are very similar as well.¡Viva La Revolucíon!
This Week's Offbeat Idea: Has anyone out there had any experiences with paint and body work in Mexico, or know someone who has? I thought it would make not only a potentially unique adventure, but a cheap way to get the final work done. If you have any insights, drop me a line!
