Event Coverage Blown up 9 inch, Zombies, Desert Center, and mooneyes

So I left phoenix at 3pm on friday to make the drive across the desert to the mooneyes christmas show. The trip was going perfect at a cool 80mph with only stopping for gas and the bathroom break. 10 miles before Desert Center CA which I-10 and 177 meet. I begin to hear a noise coming out of the rear end of the car that gets louder and louder with more metal carinage beginning to take shape.

I limped the car the next six miles and made it to Desert Center. now for a brief description of desert center. This a small town with a diner, post office and two closed down gas stations and some population of 100 -150 people. First person I get too meet is Rodger Ragsdale who's first questions to me is what is kid like you driving a car like that through MY town. After more discussion I get to find out that Mr. Ragsdale is the grandson of the founder of the town in 1921 by Stephan Ragsdale who thought the new deal program of the 1930's was a rip off deal. During this discussion I am trying to get my 3G droid phone to work and it locks up so badly that it becomes a paperweight. Mr Rodger Ragsdale then proceeds to tell me that fancy phones are crap and hands me his and phone and says use this. I call the wife and let here know what is going on and we then make a 3 way call to Elpolacko and give the info on what is going on. ElPolacko agrees to come out with the truck and trailer to rescue me and the coupe. In the mean time Mr Rodger Ragsdale tells me to go on up too the diner and see Britney who will cook me some good down home BBQ. I spent the next four hours with Britney who is 19 and loves working in the diner and tells me all about the the Ragsdale family. Upon hearing the whole story about 7 kids of this family fighting over who owns what part of town and get to witness the one sister of Rodger who calls him the "mean ole sum bitch ass hole" get into a family fight about town.

After the family feud goes down and get too hear all about the family from Suzanne Ragsdale who is attempting to restore the diner and make it back to where people will want to stop by. I got too become one the special people who are now part of the "Friends of the desert center diner" complete with being on the mailing list and I had to write a small paragraph on who I was, info about my car and what I thought about the town. During this I also find out that ATT and Verizon came in last year and took out all the hard line phone system and there is no service there any more put cell service for those who do not have "fancy phones" Brintey get's a phone call from Rodger Ragsdale wanting to know if I made it ok and says have my dinner ready I coming by. I then get to hear about another family argument where Rodger will not come into the diner for his dinner and every night Britney has to have it ready for him and pulls up to the front door and she brings it out to him. I elected to stand out front with Britney to make sure she is ok and I get to see Mr Rodger drive up so piss drunk with a open Corona in car with him and pick up his dinner and tells his sister to go to hell. Mr Rodger Ragsdale then proceeds to tell me that I am welcome back any time to HIS town and we can hang out at his tow yard and look at some cars of his. I agree and tell him Thanks again for his towns hospitaly and I will for sure be back to visit.

In the end it was hell of a trip and I am bumed out that I could not make mooneyes to see all my LA friends but there is grand national show and la roadster show next year. Here some pics on the diner and use google satilite to see the town.

I have say that ElPalcko is the salt of the earth and to have someone drop everything and come get me is true friend for witch I would do the same thing even if its a triumph motorcycle. Thanks again Elpalcko for helping me out and I will be bringing in the remnants of what is left of my 9 inch so we can see what happen.








I thinks Elpalcko dispcription is a little bit better of what went down quoted from another post of missing the So-Cal phoenix open house.

I knew I was missing something last night. Instead I was needed in a man-love road adventure. The cast was a "biker lookin' dude" and a greasy haired ginger boy rescuing a precious 5W Ford from a scraggly gang of inbred cannibals.

We won, unfortunately the cannibals are now ZOMBIE cannibals. But they cant run to far with only low calorie teenager brains for food and are now restricted to a five mile radius of Desert Center CA.

The Deuce is safe at home.

MMMMM, BRAINS!

 

The breakdowns are what makes roadtrips memorable. >That and zombie cannibals. So what was your fortune on the old "weigh" your fate machine. In 4 hours I know you had to try it...

Hans

 

Sounds, like you had yourself quite an adventure. Now was there anybody else scurying through the town other than the main players Rodger, Suzanne and Britney? Sorry you're missing the Mooneyes show. It looks like you got to see a forgotten part of Americana. Something you would have passed by without thinking twice.

Fryguy

 

I have been there... it is a.... unique place. Glad you made it back, get her fixed and back on the road!

 

Hahaha, you shoulda went to Rodger's yard!

 

Yeah, I thought the story was gonna end with "we went to his tow yard and I bought a 9" center section off him ... installed it and on I went to Mooneyes".

So, do you think Britney is really Suzanne and Rodgers daughter ... I mean come on, if the town is THAT small.

 

Thats an awesome story, but the summary is hilarious!

 

Stopped by there a few times,never saw much in the way of people.

 

Not sure if the story sounds like a COEN BROS. film or one made by DAVID LYNCH (movie-nerd reference).

Here's to Mooneyes next year.

 

I did try it more than once and it was still only a penny. some pretty funny stuff on that machine.

I tried but it was dark as coal and you could not see you hand in front of your face when you got away from the two buildings that still have electricity . I have made a plans to go back and see him and the yard.

NO WAY!!! those two fought like cats and dogs and won't get within 20 feet of each other.

 

I don't stop in Desert Center much anymore. It was a quick gas stop on the way to the river and it's now a non-stop trip.

Definitely an interesting "town" and people. Especially the old guy that worked at the gas station across from the diner. I guess I never noticed that it had closed. It's fun to drive through the under pass and that huge ditch in front of the diner after a hard rain.

Cool story.

 

That is a rad little story very cool!

 

Some guys have all the fun

 

Ginger haired boys are dreamy. . .

I've always wanted to stop in Desert Center. Now I really want to. One of my favorite bands, Kyuss (later evolved into Queens of the Stone Age) comes from there.

 

Oh, and last year coming from the LA show, we had a similar incident in my uncle's 39 Woody, but we were lucky enough to get stuck at the In 'n Out in Palm Desert off the I10. Had a friend who was in Phx grab a truck and trailer and come save us. Good times. . . .

 

BRAINS!

Sorry, been edgy since I awoke this morning.

 

Dude! I would have gone in a heart beat! Welcome to the tradition of a big breakdown in a far away place... Let me know when you set it on fire beside HWY8 in Dateland at 11:00 on Sunday night! 'Bout the same as Desert center! I had fire trucks though. Pollacko saved my bacon on that one too! Aint having friends with trucks and trailers grand? Might ask him about my stealing his dad's truck to haul him and said Triumph home from Beaver springs exit one time though... Wait, you and your dad spectated that on that one though! Breakdowns are the best...

 

I did bring a doggy bag home and I can cure you of the craving or send you back to the inner circle of desert center

 

So, how bad is it?

 

Used to stop at the now defunct Texaco to wiz on the way to Havasu. Have never had any desire to eat anywhere in town.

 

Screw the Mooneyes show, it happens every year - this on the other hand happens only once. That is a story you'll remember and tell for ever!

 

I hope you got one of them Desert Center Cafe Tshirts as a souvenir.

 

You really need to see his yard, if he takes you in you will be like wtf? this stuff is still here after 80 years? I grew up in Blythe and getting in his yard is no small task. Its a shame they lost the gas station and the town is pretty much a ghost town. Lots of people pass by few stop.-Weeks

 

That is how I am looking at it at this point and I get to go though the junk yard 3rd member that was in the car for 4 years now and do it all with new parts which makes it a one less part to fail since I drive the car on road trips all the time.

No way in hell I would fall asleep in that town to much weird and cool stuff to see.

Of course I did I had four hours to hang out.

That is the plan the next couple of months and see what is there you never know what could happen and besides its another adventurer that could pay off big.

 

yeh another indestructible 9 inch self destructing never owned one,never had a rearend go south either

 

So I tore the car down today and so far found that both axle bearings are shot. Since I find this kind of weird that both would go bad at the same time I went ahead and tore down the entire rear end assy and found that so far the 3rd member seems too be ok but now I am questioning the trueness of the rear end housing so that will be going over to ElPalcko to have him check it in his jig and see where we are at, more updates soon.

 

HHHMMMM... Those were new bearings just a couple of months ago...

 

And custom made axle by dutchman. I do not think that both bearings would go at that same time unless both bearings were defective but I thinking not. I am thinking that the housing may have bow in it but will see what ElPalcko says.

 

A friend in need is a friend indeed. Glad you made it back OK.

 

Desert Center is right on the edge of Manson country, so zombies are no surprise.

Glad ElP got you back home safe. He's tops.

Reminds me of the time me and the Swedes (Lars & Sven) did a late night blast out to Yuma to rescue Big Jim and his '58 Chevy wagon with a truck and trailer that were quasi-stolen from the Volvo prooving grounds. Got lost in Yuma trying to get back to the freeway. Swedes getting hassled by the Border Patrol (Your paperzz pleezzz...)in the middle of the desert at 2:00 am. Luckily that trip was zombie free.