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G749 preservation

rustystud

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I have 2 unknown transmissions sitting on a pallet that would like some warmer weather. I offered one to Montana as a Christmas gift last spring so if you're not finding something to work on, we should chat about a transport plan. I'd even give them a ride to Lethbridge, slip them in your truck and eat about $100 in appetizers, steak and creme brule' in front of you so you feel good about a free transmission. I just look forward to more pictures of a hydromatic tear-down.

There are 2 transmissions on shop floors not far from me, one is a take out and one is a rebuild that has been sitting in its crate for a long time. The guys were pricing them around $750 as a buddy price. I still have 3 in parts trucks, 4 in salvageable trucks, 1 as a donation from another project, 1 rebuild on loan, and 1 with newish parts in a box so it'd be easy if you were here.

If you don't find what you're looking for down there in the refrigerator, just open the door on the deep freezer up here.

We're still shopping for a better price on spark plugs so that is one item that we could use more of if you come across a good deal.
I'll keep my eyes peeled for any plugs down here. I still kick myself about this old fart down south of Chehalis WA. that had over ten acres of nothing but old M135 trucks and parts. He was going to give me some great deals if I took a large portion of his parts. The sad part is I said no. He's long gone now and who knows what happened to all the trucks and parts. Probably melted down long ago. :cry:
 

m1010plowboy

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It's cold, it's hot, it's cold

Speaking of melting down, we warmed up enough to escape the bunker and get out to the G749 farm.

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Goose fired up real nice after sitting in the deep freeze for a few weeks, just an amazing truck. I was going out just to remove batteries but it was a beautiful day so we went for a Jan. 3, 2018 Goose ride.

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1944mb

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Big Timber, MT
Hey Plowboy, have some work to finish up here, then we can talk about meeting. Would be fun to see something new. Finally got through 2 weeks of -20F, things are on the warm up...which is nice
 

m1010plowboy

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March 16, 1927 and 1956 birthday

Here we go again using birthdays for a reason to party.........let's Dance and Celebrate with a bonus track from Mom's 2nd best son Lester Quitzau. With Mom celebrating on March 12th, Dad on March 16th a sister and nephews mixed in there, it's time to pour the Frangelico.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdeENBkNPOE

The folks turn 180 this week and with Lester in town she brought out her first signed copy from the blues meister when he played with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. The guy is good, earthy, solid so shut him off and jump on the back of an M135 for the sounds of a real orchestra.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvG373qprJg&feature=youtu.be


Here's Grannie a few years ago when Elmo went missing and she had to go find it. Goose was running a little rougher 5 years ago and Ma was running harder.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UPd5fKMQ6Q

Just a great start to pulling summer a little bit closer.

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m1010plowboy

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G749 Farm Celebration

With it being impossible to fully express the appreciation of knowing great human beings, I have the honour to try. On Thursday March 28th our 91 year old father woke up to the daily routine of grabbing the news paper at their apartment front door. Although diagnosed with alzheimers, he remembered the routine, the family and managed his husband life with tolerant class.

He fell and broke his hip on that Thursday morning while reaching for his last newspaper before Good Friday. Mom was close by so she followed the routine and got him hauled to the hospital, again. We knew it was serious when they pushed him into surgery that afternoon. It wouldn't be the first time the family would take shifts at the hospital reminding him not to pull the tubes out or remove the oxygen mask during one of his recoveries. An entire hospital staff couldn't do what my 98 pound mother did for 68 years, handle my Dad. My brother was on the night shift and just after midnight, Dad asked him to check to see if everyone was going to be ok. I received that odd text message from my brother that asked, "Are you going to be ok? just after midnight. By 3:30 AM on the morning of Good Friday, almost the entire clan had gathered at the hospital and Dad had peacefully gone to sleep one last time.

Knowing him first as.....'father', I first knew him as the hot headed Irish guy. Later, I knew the guy that couldn't be in a room without seeing everyone smile. Even in the last years, he remembered every joke he ever heard and told them often. We don't think his humour ended when he said goodbye. The timing of his passing meant that family needed to be phoned over the Easter Weekend. Everyone answers the phone with "Happy Easter" on the Easter weekend so traditionally, we decided to hold off some of our calls until the following Monday. The following Monday after Easter weekend just happens to be April 1st so letting family know about a family death on April Fools Day would also turn out to be impractical. Four days after his passing we still can't call people and now we know we've been set up by an impractical joker.

Dad had various levels of memory loss over the last ten years and we had great local support from our local professionals to find the tools to enjoy it. If you have someone in your family with memory challenges, reach out to your local societies for help. It's amazing what a shiny set of keys or an old coin will do to carry a happy conversation forward for hours. http://alzheimer.ca/en/ab

This photo of a photo best represents how I remember it. I kept getting stuck with bigger and bigger trucks, but he would always pull me out.

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The most important reason for this post was a grand surprise he left behind that we didn't see coming. He had written 71 pages of life experiences, stories and memories that is one of the most interesting autobiographies I have ever taken the time to read. That one connection with his past and family history is more important than I can say. If you haven't already started your story, whoever you are, seriously think about leaving that written legacy behind. You might just find someone who really appreciates it.

We will be holding a massive party at the G749 farm on June 16th, fathers day, Mom and Dad's 68th wedding anniversary and details will be coming.

Get that autobiography started and build a cool truck for someone you appreciate now.......not later.
 

rustystud

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It's been 21 years since my father passed away and I still miss him. I keep his memory alive by telling my family stories about him and all he accomplished and the lives he touched. I hold on to the hope of seeing him in the next life.
Just remember this life is temporary. Soon the real adventure begins !
God Bless and keep you in this time of loss.
 

USMC 00-08

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Skiatook, OK
I am sorry for your loss Dave. It sounds like your dad was a truly great man. Very neat that he left those 71 pages about his life. What a priceless thing to leave his family!!

You are in our thought and prayers down here. If you need anything or just need to talk, let me know

I have to ask....what in the world were you doing in that pond with your truck?! :D
 

m1010plowboy

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Onward

Thank you gentlemen! He'd be disappointed if we didn't kick it in gear and get things done so the gardens are in, the barley is seeded, Gracie got a new bed, the farm is getting clean and the party is a go. It's an open house for the locals but if you're traveling by on June 16th, Goose and Gracie are both up for a spring run.

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There's a dress code up here so make sure you stop at a campers village and grab some net. Net stockings on some of you guys would be an improvement.

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The camera flash caught a neat shot of the nasty net requiring critters just as the sun set. Objects in this photo may or may not be actual size

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Here are a few paragraphs out of the autobiography that the nieces enlarged and put on display. Documenting the story about jumping in a moving rail box car in the 40's and finding a bull in it is priceless. We know some stories aren't told, but everyone has a story that should be.

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m1010plowboy

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Edmonton, Canada
Fathers Day will be different one day

We had some very special guests wheel in to the G749 farm for Pop's interment. Father's day was a little different today and you don't realize it until you wake up. Then I remember all the other stories, especially from my lady friends, that some folks never had great male role models as Dad's and my gratitude jar overflows for my good fortune. To those who have a crappy fathers day and to the guy on the right......I celebrated, beyond memories, for you last night.

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This 1952 M135 visitor is the much talked about .......nameless....wink wink...... completely rebuilt and fitted with all the Goods' ......NOS Girly truck. She's been in the barn so much it Moo's when you start it. However......she's under new ownership, she's out of the barn and the new owner let me drive it. I thought Goose was a tight truck but this thing is like it's off the assembly line. The nephews needed to check it over but it's not the usual drool way, it's back of hand hub temps, wheel nuts, air pressure...then they get to look inside. If you want to throw a name at it keep in mind the M135 fleet started with Goose, added Gizmo and Goat....so.....try and stick with the theme.

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Goose gave a lot of rides and one of our special guests was Alberta's Chip Foose of automotive paintings. With a little haggling and some stick time in the trails, Goose the Deuce,,,,and all other M135's will be put on canvas. Not sure how he keeps the beard out of the paint.


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With the nameless Deuce parked out of the hail and Goose watching over, the sunset left us with an evening of images that were unforgettable.

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m1010plowboy

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Edmonton, Canada
Gander

I'm going to throw a name in the hat. How about "Gander".
Merle, that gave me goosebumps, It's great. Gander has several meanings here and the loss of 248 American soldiers 33 years ago will always be remembered. Couldn't think of a better name.

The little town also housed 7000 travelers on 911 so a tribute truck makes a lot of sense. During WW11, 10,000 Canadian and American soldiers were stationed in Gander with the airport seeing as many as 20,000 aircraft.

We can't forget about Gander, the male Canadian Goose that had a movie made about it not that long ago. Something about The Hudson and skully and a jet engine?

This would be a 1952 M135 built in the heart of Canada, Rebuilt in British Colombia and commemorating our American brothers in a historic location on the East coast called Gander. Goosebumps.
 

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Merle

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Goose, Gizmo, Goat, Gander. They do go together. Ponder on it awhile and see if the other M135's like it. A name is very personal, My M135 is a deuce, I call it the deuce, but it is not personal like Goose, Gizmo, Goat or Gander. Haven't come up with a name for mine. A very difficult task. Gander is personal and very Canadian. [thumbzup]
 

m1010plowboy

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Edmonton, Canada
0 -50mph

Had the opportunity and burden to take the New Deuce on a 50 mile run. The opportunity because WOW WHAT A TRUCK and the burden because the New Owner hadn't run through the PM's and it mostly sat for the last year. It takes hours to torque and top everything up but all 120 minutes was worth it.

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Took the opportunity to put the 4 runners together for a rare photo. The 1952 M135 - 1954 M207 Shop Van - 1955 M211 and Goose the 1956 M135.

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I was real proud of Goose after running this 52' down the road. Goose makes a little more transmission noise but it drives just about the same as this brand new rebuild.

With nothing but 50 miles of highway in front of me I nursed the ol' girl along at 50 mph. The biggest hill knocked us back to 30mph so a cummins would be nice.

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Destination Drayton Valley, Reward for delivering a truck......steak.

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Testing and holding 3rd gear shift in hilly range to grab a higher RPM shift to 4th in a 0-50mph run.....priceless.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzKKrvNOnkY&feature=youtu.be
 
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m1010plowboy

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Edmonton, Canada
302 parts preservation pervert

I went down and gone done and did it good. I bought em! Short story, in the old days a guy bought and collected everything. I spotted them and boughted them and offered 1st right of refusal on everything green that he gets access to in his dense yard.

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It's a surprise in a box with many of the 25+ crates still sealed. We can't tell how many there are because I've been in the yard 10 times and just found another deuce hidden in there. It's a jungle with little access. This girl is a 1956, No 6118 and it's a June 12 Delivery. I must have this truck but she's got 3 acres of scrap surrounding her. Maybe one day.

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Our guy says there are 3 different colors of take-out engines, brownish/blue, green and grey. Brown/ blue and green being original and grey....or partly grey like the 3rd one for rebuilds.

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This one shows that winter heat temp valve that helps crack the exhaust manifold if it's not in the correct position in the summer. I should have access to 20 or more good manifolds so check yours for cracks.

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Since the removal method was a little intense for my bones we only pulled the first 2 in a pile of 5. We'll go back with a plan B....like a Chinook or Huey. It actually went real smooth but mickey mouse don't play guitar and I do so when the fingers say run....I run.

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There's still a ton of gold in this yard hidden in the piles. Anyone know what this alcohol looking bottle might belong to???

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