Projects DB/Mopar Roadster Build or... Hodgepodge Dodge

I'll be crossing my fingers for ya!

 

Thanks fellas. Nice to have you all rooting for me. Means a lot. Helps a lot.

 

That's for sure, Paul. You're so right. Amazing things they do these days compared to only a couple decades ago. We all have an affinity for times past. But when it comes to this stuff, I'm glad it's 2021.

But it can still get tense at times. Doesn't always go as planned. They tried to install stents in my father's heart but were unable to.

During an earlier episode a couple of years ago, when they put my stents in, I was awake and watched on a huge monitor AS IT HAPPENED. The image of my heart was about 3 feet in diameter! You think of an operating room with a bunch of people in it. But in this case, it was just the surgeon, the anesthesiologist and me. Nobody else. It was at first strange to me but seemed to provide a sort of rapport between the three of us. So here we go. The first stent went into place with no problem... bloop. Cool. But the second one was being stubborn. I detected a slight change in their tone of voice and demeanor... some concern. I also detected that they tried to hide their concern from me. Too late... now I was also aware and a little concerned. I remembered my father. We all watched the monitor intently as Dr. Samaan worked in perfect silence. Suddenly... bloop... in it went. The anesthesiologist (I think for my benefit) actually raised both of his arms above his head with fists clenched and yelled, "Yes!", as if somebody had just made a touchdown LOL! I had a big smile and a tear or two in my eyes. I reached up and patted Dr Samaan on the shoulder to thank and congratulate him. "Good job, Doc." He's quite a serious man, but managed a smile.

 

I'll be praying for your quick recovery. Heal up, the Hodge Podge Dodge will be waiting for you, and we will be here as well. Gene

 

That's a great point, Ricky.
I'm glad you didn't say "I'm a HAMBer and I want it done the "old school" way.

Glad you are doing so well, and in good spirits.

 

HAMB friendly procedures only… here, take a shot of this and bite down on this belt.

 

Doctor Hines... calling Dr. Hines...
"You're going to feel just a little pressure..."

 

Gonna fix me up.
Port and polish job tomorrow. Maybe a spring in my radiator hose. Maybe a little work on the wiring in a month or two if needed.

Doctor stopped by my room this morning. Middle Eastern fella.
Big day tomorrow.
Yeah man.
I told him how we port heads to get good flow. He enjoyed the analogy. Laughed pretty good. Told him we always have to be careful not to break through. He said... We be sure NOT to do that!

 

You’re gonna come back chopped, channeled and with brand new tuck & roll upholstery.

 

Hahahahaha.
Thanks, Trevor.

Surgery 7:30 a.m.
As long as they get my engine running good and strong, I don't even care if I'm not a show rod.
New tuck and roll would be nice, though. And a chopped top. Can I be a highboy?

 

LMAO. At our age, we're way past being "Show Rods"...we're more like old "beaters", in the shop for a maintenance and a few upgrades so the can get a few more miles out of us.
Hoping all went well and they kick you outta that "shop" soon.

 

That's right, Jack. All we want is a few more miles.
Hello my good friends.
Correction... my best friends.
Well, I feel worse than I did before the procedure. This old beater feels like I've been hit by a truck. But the surgery went well and the post-op pain and overall icky achy feeling is gradually subsiding. Going home tomorrow. After some rest and recuperation, I'm sure I'll be feeling much better than I have been for a while.
Thanks for hanging out with me for this, you guys.

3 collapsed arteries.
3 stents. (radiator hose springs)
Pictures or it didn't happen.

Before


After


Before


After

 

Good the hear the surgery went well, when you get home rest as long as the doctors say you need to before painting the barn or washing the deer. HRP

 

Great news. 2X what HRP said

 

@Rickybop
Glad to hear your voice..........(you all know what I mean). Check out a mirror and see if you look pink. Weird, I know, but we couldn't beleive how pink my Dad looked after his quintuple bypass surgery years ago at the age of 60. I guess "better flow, better glow". He is still going well at coming up 81, after also having bowel cancer surgery a couple of years ago.
Be thankful for every day................and again, really good to hear your voice.

 

Hey Ricky, are you sure that's not picture of the wiring under your dash?

 

Don't worry, I'm gonna be real lazy for a while.

Yup... lots of people enjoy long lives after major cardiac procedures.

I'll be happy if I can have a few more productive years. Really didn't wanna check out before Zander and I finish building his badass mini bike. And maybe a couple more projects with him. And have Judy know that everything's taken care of here on the farm. Keep all the deer washed up real nice... LOL. And of course, see if I can actually get this roadster put together... something I've wanted to do my whole life... but for whatever reasons, fell short of. And have all you guys gather around it and say, "Wow, he did it. And it's awesome." And even more importantly, have me stand back and look at it and jump in it and take 'er for a blast down the road and say, "Wow, I did it. And it's awesome."

 

Oh jeez... I hope not!
Otherwise we're all gonna be saying, "Wow, he did it. And it's really fucked up."
Hahahahahahaha!!!

 

@THE FRENCHTOWN FLYER
said that some of us should think about updating our our build threads. It's only been a month, and I didn't leave you guys hanging... you know I got sidelined. And there's really nothing to report about the build, and I don't want to keep going on about my personal physical challenges.
But we can do a quickie.

My personal recuperation is going kinda slow. Still feeling a little crappy and not a lot of energy yet after the heart surgery. And recovery from the shoulder surgery is gonna take a while. It's still really tender. But I'm better than I was a month ago.

Of course, I haven't been able to do much lately. But I can't just sit and do nothing. I managed to work on Zander's mini bike a little more. Finally got the electric start wired up and working. He was here today. Tested 'er out. High approval rating.

Hamber Terry was good enough to bring my grille shells back from Hershey and he's hanging on to them until I'm up to going for the hour drive to his place. And that'll be real soon. And then after that, look into going to get that 1926 Dodge.

So... still alive and hopefully able to pick up where I left off before very long.

 

Do not feel pressure to deliver...get well young fella...

We know where to find you..........and I guess you know where to find me too eh...

 

You get an attaboy with that. I spent a lot of time designing my rear suspension so I could show of that quick change

 

That's awesome, Bert.
A quick change rear axle is one of those iconic hot rod components that I may do whatever I need to to have.

 

Hey Ricky, An updated recuperation post trumps an updated build thread all day long.
Glad to hear you are on the mend, albeit slower than you'd like...but don't be rushing it. Pretty soon you'll be good as new (old).

 

Shoulder is aching.
Wakes me up.

Thanks, Jack.
Yeah, I just wanna get back to feeling like my old self.
Wait...
I'd rather feel like my young self.
Well... actually, I'll be plenty happy just to feel like my old self again.
C'mon, old self!
Go, old self!
Yay, old self!!!
Hahahahahahaha...

I don't wanna give anybody the wrong impression. Even though there hasn't been a whole lot of detectable improvement over this last month, I can tell that I'm cresting a big hill and feeling that I'll soon again be coasting downhill smooth and fast in the big sunny soap box derby of life. Plenty of miles left in this old chassis.

And... one more thing.
I have an announcement to make. A confession of sorts. Something I haven't shared with hardly anybody else because it's a personal battle, and because anybody who hasn't experienced having their balls in the vice of addiction doesn't really understand.
I'm a stupid man. A slow learner. Weak. Even after my first two heart attacks, I continued smoking cigarettes. But I finally quit the stupid filthy poisonous things.
It's not easy.
It's a bitch.
It'll literally make you cry if you try to fight it.
But it's not the boss.
I am... MF.

Please wish me continued success.
Thanks, you guys.

 

A very nice day to you all.

 

Just read this thread, Rickybop. Happy for the improvement. Just you wait until that tobacco smell and taste leaves your system! And food has a TASTE again.

Good luck, man.

Ben

 

That will be one of the very best things you do in your life. I finally managed to give up at Easter 2019, and you are right, it will be a hard fight. It is a fight you can win. Beleive me, you will feel and be so much better for it......

 

It's been a month. I still keep reaching for a cigarette. Then I punch myself in the face. Or the balls. Seems to be working. I'm reaching for a cigarette less often. LOL

 

No wonder you feel like shit.............shoulder, stents, quitting smoking, and punching yourself in the balls...dealing with all of this at the same time...

Don't you dare touch a cigarette again. The hardest four weeks have been done. It does get easier the further you go, but a single cigarette can bring it all undone. It is worth the fight...........
I wouldn't have one now if you paid me. You will get there too....