My Quest 2004 – 2006

My Quest …

2004 – 2005 – 2006

There is some fun to be had in the winter!  I cranked up the Chevy one afternoon and had some fun in the snow.

There was about 16″ on the ground and we charged right through it. As you can see, the dogs had as much fun as I did! That’s Sherman our black lab, Casey the “Wonder Dog,” yours truly, and Oliver, our chocolate lab and Sherman’s full brother.  We live on an 80 acre farm with several ponds on the end of a dead-end dirt road.  It is the ideal setting for dogs and we and they love our slice of heaven here.

We are in upstate NY about 30 miles west of Albany, NY.  It used to be big farm country – primarily dairy.  With expenses being record high and milk prices at record lows, most have folded up.  Growing up I worked several summers on my uncle’s dairy farm.  Doing hay, feeding cows, cleaning the barn… all hard work, but it cleanses the mind they say.  I bought my property back in 1982 and it had been abandoned for several years.  I wasn’t married and could deal with snow on the living room floor from the broken windows and rough condition of the buildings. It was my dream come true – acreage to do what I want off the beaten path.  My uncle’s farm was only about 6 miles away and was a frequent visitor to offer advice, commentary and local gossip.  My Uncle Bill was a unique individual.  He worked on the farm since he was only 14.  This type of work is 24/7 and he loved the life and the animals.  He was best known though for something we in the family refer to as the “Uncle Bill Factor.”  It was a propensity to follow the ‘path less traveled”.  He always had some critters, animals or activity that would just beg people to ask questions.  He had to have a least one Ayrshire in his herd of Holstein cows.  He had Burgundy Turkeys,  geese that would put the fear of God in most any man, unusual dogs, donkeys, and a sense of humor renowned throughout the valley.  Buying, owning, collecting or taking part in the uncommon is the definition of the “Uncle Bill Factor.” I have often been accused of being the carrier of that gene.  If you are reading this, there is a good chance you have a dose of it too.  When other collectors collect stamps, baseball cards or classic cars, we collect MV’s.  Not just any MV, and certainly not the ever so common jeeps… hell no – we collect WWII Chevy’s and Jimmys!
My uncle never went to church and yet in many ways was a far better person than many bible bangers I know today.  I know of many instances where he came to the aid of someone down and out.  Few people knew he did it and he never looked for recognition.  It was just one farmer helping another.  He kept his dairy going right up to this year – his 85th.  He was often in pain and no longer had the strength he once did, but it was the life he loved and he knew no other.  He passed away this winter.  With him went a legacy and an individual that kept many of us grounded.  After flying around the country with my sales position, there was something therapeutic about seeing my uncle on a Saturday at the farm doing chores.  It cleansed the mind.

Winter update: Cold and windy are the by-words of this winter.  My ’44 cargo truck got moved out of the shop and into the barn to make room for a great “get rich in a weekend” scheme.  I was at a farm auction that had an old Packard, and a fellow standing there asked if I was into old vehicles.  He told me his neighbor’s husband died and she had two Packards for sale down in a very rural part of our county.  After some scouting I located them – a 1954 Packard Clipper parked inside in 1963 and a companion parts car. A friend who is more of an antique car nut suggested, “Let’s buy them.  We can get it running, put it on EBAY and make some serious money!”  We decided to share the costs and profits (one of the few things that were smart in this deal) and brought the cars home.  To make a long story short, over a month later, the Packard is still sitting in the shop, some $300 in parts and untold hours stuffed into it.  We are now reaching the point that we will be lucky if we just get our money out of this ever-so reluctant to start, Packard.  There is something to be said for standard transmissions that can be towed!

Web Update:  I have been in awe at the volume of traffic on the Vehicles of Victory Website.  When I first set up the site, I really believed it was a very small niche where hopefully I could provide a clearing house for information.  I would sell a few parts to pay for it and me and the couple dozen people out there with the Chevy’s would be happy.  Was I wrong.  Just last month (Jan ’04) over 67,000 pages were downloaded off the site by over 2,700 distinct users.  In particular it is a thrill to get email from folks in Australia, Norway, Denmark, Belgium, and Germany with these trucks.  Keep the emails coming, and thanks for the support!

Fall 2004: I have been a member of the NY-Penn Military Collectors Club for several years.  Unfortunately they are based in Binghamton, NY and I usually can’t make the 2 hour drive to make the meetings.  The president, Bill Harris, had the vision to expand the club.  Two sub-chapters were set up – one in Syracuse, NY and one in the Capital District Region known as the Hudson Mohawk Chapter.  The first meeting was held in the Vehicles of Victory shop with about 8 in attendance. We took the leap, electing officers and we were off and running.  We had an opportunity to do our own show at the Empire State Aerosciences Museum and it gave us an immediate focus.

2005

I was able to get many of the fire truck parts sandblasted and primed.  I was hoping to be farther along by winter, but that was not to be.  Progress is being made though!  First, the war department (aka lovely Linda the wife), has settled into merely raising eyebrows when overhearing of a potential truck coming home.  She has realized that we are merely “foster parents” for many of them on their journey to finding permanent homes.  Secondly, progress on the truck is measurable as well with the radiator out for roding and cleaning, water pump being rebuilt and new brakes soon to be installed.
As in last winter, we had a slight detour too with the procurement of a 1942 Ford Snogo. This truck was used at Griffith Airforce Base near Utica, NY during the war.  It was kept in service up until the late ’70′s.  Other than being a Ford, it has been fun getting it into shape.  Everything works and hopefully we will have enough snow to give “Monica” a workout.

Well we didn’t get a big snow, but we got snow.  What a blast!  What a beast!  It could handle anything you could cram into the throat and blow it 75′ away.  It is a bear to steer though!  I can see why it was used on runways.  My hopes of using it on my parking lot and driveway weren’t to be.  It was just too darn hard to maneuver in smaller areas.

I ended up selling this unit to a collector up in Ontario, Canada.  He was not looking to use it just to add to his collection of Ford trucks.  This was a fun truck though and I am glad I had a chance to play with it.  It is always fun to say I once drove a WWII Sno-Go!  After selling this, I did find the sister to it that worked the same airport during the war.

Demonstrating to the wife that you are willing to sell these vehicles gives them a (false) sense of security.  “Honey, that is a great buy on that truck!  I’ll do some work on it and it sell it for twice what I paid for it!”  In fact I encourage everyone to buy a truck now and then that they KNOW they don’t like just so you can sell it. It demonstrates your flexibility, financial shrewdness, and proves to one and all you really aren’t an obsessed idiot about old green trucks.  Most important though (warning – don’t let your wife/girlfriend/significant other read any further) it lets you put the trucks you DO want into a more secure category.  “Gee, honey its just an investment.  Remember, I can sell the CCKW just like I did that Ford anytime I need the money.”  Yeah, right…..

Hudson Mohawk Chapter Update: Our local MV club has grown by leaps and bounds.  We held our first “Wings, Wheels and Tracks” show in May and it was attended by nearly 1500 people and we had over 75 vehicles.  A great success!

Well not to keep you in suspense, I was lured by the sultry allure of yet another iron maiden.  This was a CCKW compressor truck owned by another member of our truck club. I was originally interested in only the chassis, but after visiting Kevin Kronlund (Army Cars, USA) and seeing his great compressor truck, I knew I had to keep it whole.  There seem to be a number of these out there, but very few in any sort of display condition.

Home at last.  If you can read it, this truck was use at “Pilgrim Hill Hospital” which was a mental hospital on Long Island and formerly a VA hospital.  I have been told that most of these compressor trucks that survive came out of these northern hospitals.  After WWII the VA hospitals were still very full of severely wounded GI’s who succumbed to their wounds on a daily basis.  The hospitals could not store the large number of  bodies in mausoleums until spring burial as was historically the case.  The compressor trucks were found to be a solution as the jack hammers and clay bits could break through the frozen ground allowing for burial all winter long.  Regardless, they are a fascinating truck and I am very anxious to collect all the tools and components for it.

Time for a little humor:

Why Men are Rarely Published in Dear Abby…

Dear Abby, I’ve never written to you before, but I really need your advice on what could be a crucial decision.  I’ve suspected for some time now that my wife has been cheating on me.

The usual signs…  Phone rings but if I answer, the caller hangs up.
My wife has been going out with the girls a lot recently although when I ask their names she always says, “Just some friends from work, you don’t know them.”

I always stay awake to look out for her taxi coming home, but she always walks down the drive.  Although I can hear a car driving off, as if she has gotten out of the car round the corner.  Why?  Maybe she wasn’t in a taxi?

I once picked her cell phone up just to see what time it was and she went berserk and screamed that I should never touch her phone again and why was I checking up on her.

Anyway, I have never approached the subject with my wife.  I think deep down I just didn’t want to know the truth, but last night she went out again and I decided to really check on her.

I decided I was going to park my CCKW next to the garage and then hide behind it so I could get a good view of the whole street when she came home.  It was at that moment, crouching behind my GMC, that I noticed that the transfer case seemed to be leaking a little oil.

So I need to know, is this normal, or should I use a higher viscosity oil?
Signed, Confused

2006

Club Update: Our local MV chapter continues to grow with now over 50 members in our local chapter and over 125 statewide. We held our second “Wings, Wheels and Tracks Show” at the Air Museum in May.  We had some spectacular exhibits and vehicles on display.  Unfortunately, it rained, and rained, and rained…. Our entire show was outside and by Sunday we gave up.  It was evident we needed more space, hard surface for the trucks and ideally significant space indoors.  We researched a number of locations and finally were fortunate to link up with the Cobleskill Fairgrounds.  With 17,000 square feet indoors, lots of hardtop and a community that is as excited about it as we are, we are looking forward to a blockbuster show in May 2007.  (For info go to www.wingswheelsandtracks.com)

We have some real characters in our group.  One of the more notable is John Kolanchick, former WWII submariner, Mack truck salesman, and lifelong MV collector.  John is a storyteller extraordinaire and with all the experiences he has had you can be enthralled for hours. He drove his 1941 Dodge WC all the way from NY to Anchorage, Alaska back in 1992 when they re-enacted the opening of the Alaskan Highway.  How many of you have the confidence in your truck to take it over 4,000 miles back into the woods?? Our club has given John a new lease on life and he is the center of attention at many gatherings.

John Kolanchick (on right) regales me with more stories of his WWII days, logging in the north country and working for Mack Truck.

John is one of the most supportive of the club though and offers his wisdom and help whenever needed.  I believe one of the keys of a successful club is that they be mutually supportive.  If I know of a special event, I tell the club; if I hear of an M35 for sale, that’ s not my thing and I tell those that collect them. Most (although unfortunately not all) in our club do the same, and it is what binds it together.  I will say that John exemplifies the best of those qualities.

Other News

The year of 2006 was one of many changes.  The first was some major expansion for Vehicles of Victory!  I live on a farmstead that was built nearly 150 years ago.  The original barn is still here as well as a newer horse barn, machinery shed, and my office and shop.  I had parts in every building including having horse stalls full of parts.  Trying to keep track of what was where was getting increasingly difficult.

Fortunately the winter was mild allowing me and “Babe the Blue Ox” (a vintage  IH TD9) to do the groundwork for Vehicles of Victory’s new parts depot.

I had to drop the grade by around 4′ to accommodate the pitch and headroom I needed.  .By April construction was able to start.  You only have one shot at it and I decided to put in radiant floor heating even though the heat plant itself may be a few years down the road.

The parts depot is clear-span 24 x 50 with another 12′ overhang for covered but outdoor storage.  Shelving runs the entire length and 14′ high along one wall with portable shelving on opposite side. It takes a long time to get things organized, but it is coming together and it is a real advantage having all the parts in one spot.

Summer ended on a rather sad note with the passing of Casey (the Wonder Dog).  She was my shadow for 11years.  She typically knew what I was going to do before I did and always had me in sight usually right there by my side.  Her all time favorite past time was to go fishing with me in the evening.  I have a couple ponds here and although far from adept, I do enjoy fly fishing for the bass.  The second Casey would see me head toward the rods she would go into a fit and squeal with delight.  She had a great life though, and we made many happy memories together.

Unfortunately there was additional loss this year.  88 years of hard work and Parkinson’s disease took their toll on my dad.  Throughout 2006 he lost strength and mobility requiring ever increasing care and frequent overnight vigils with him and my mom.  You end up providing levels of care you never dreamed you would do for a parent.  He insisted that he wanted to stay at home, so we did what we could to accommodate him.  It was terribly difficult on my mom who has a strength few people understand.  I had a good friend who experienced a similar situation tell me that it is one of the hardest things you do in your life that you wouldn’t trade for anything. How true.

My dad was the one that gave me my love of building things.  He built every kind of trailer imaginable, if he needed a tractor attachment that was either too expensive or didn’t exist, he built one.  My dad was a farmer much of his life and known throughout the neighborhood, as the “go to guy” for repairs and farm problems.  He took a keen interest in my truck collecting and restoration and loved to ride with me in parades.

When I was a teen, I wanted to know how to use a 2-man crosscut saw.  My dad thought that was a great idea and having used one much of his teenage years, showed me how to develop the right rhythm.

My dad also loved to fish.  On July 4th this year, my sister and I brought him out to fish in my pond. He caught some bluegills and wanted to use one for bait to see if he could catch one of the monster channel cats that reside here.  He did indeed.  He caught a channel catfish over 30″ that was the biggest fish ever taken out of one of the ponds here.  I had to help hold the rod as his strength was pretty diminished but it was a fabulous day.  It was his last time fishing and he made it ever so special for all of us.

My dad passed away at the end of October. I am just now able to write these things and post the pictures.

The past few weekends my brother and I have been cleaning out some of my Dad’s things.  The big stuff and clothes were not pleasant to deal with but just one of those jobs you need to do.  The rough part was the small knick-knack stuff.  He had a small silver box on his dresser he kept all those small items that were so much a part of him.  I am sure you have one of those small “catch-all” boxes in your room, as do I, and I suspect most any man out there.  It is the one of jackknives, coins, old invitations, buttons, .22 shells, sinkers, your watch and so on.  That box, the smallest of all, is the most difficult. It brings back all those memories of the shop, fishing, and the countless things he has fixed and built. It makes one realize it is often the small items that can be far more precious than the big things.

To those whose email mail and calls were answered late or perhaps forgotten entirely this fall, I apologize.  We all have limits as to the number of balls we can juggle at once, and I found mine.