Maggie’s What's Your View II



Easy there big boy! We need to have a conversation.

There's so many things I see potentially wrong with that car that it could get very expensive real quick!

The steering wheel is the first obvious clue of what could lie beneath that shiny paint job. If the primary point of contact right in front of you has multiple cracks in it..... what's being hidden?

I've seen so many muscle car buyers be led to the gallows by a shiny paint job that covered up some seriously artistic bondo work that concealed fender, door, quarter panel, cowl, and floor pan cancer that was only repairable by panel replacement. To the point that the structural integrity of the body was seriously compromised.

Just for an extreme price example of a decent paint job, here's Mark Stielow's Hellfire Camaro being pounded while cashing Mike Maier's Mustang on the race track at Vegas after being in the Optima Booth at SEMA in 2014, just the cost of the PPG paint materials alone for this paint job were $6,500 in 2013.

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There's some really good buys on very good cars out there, but they're 1 in 10ish. There are so many crooks it's demoralizing, Barrett Jackson and Mecam's auctions created the shiny paint for profit over a rust bucket game IMO.

I'm not trying to shoot you down, just save you from taking a bullet in the back. I've been a mod on a Pro Touring forum for 8 years and have seen way too many members be seriously screwed once their cars were closely inspected. (y)


Even at $12k? This seems like an ok deal if there is no rust or huge issues. I’m not looking for a $10k paint job. I’m not looking for a numbers car. I want an imperfect driver that looks good at 20ft. Lol. I won’t race. Just drive.

I do appreciate your response though.
 
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I don’t want original. I want a modern 8.1 with a carb. And a lumpy cam.... I mean, just listen to a Raylar 8.1.


I just messed my pants.... I’ll be right back.


Keep what you want old for style and add some modern big block for hp and TORQUE!!!
I'm in the middle of swapping an 8.1l vortec into a 76 K5 Blazer. No cam or heads i just really want no carb bullshit and easy low end torque for mountain hunting trails. Should still get about 400 hp and 450 ft lbs with just a tune.
I think the 350 that was in it before was making 250 hp and 45 ft lbs. It was a dog with the big tires.
 
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Keep what you want old for style and add some modern big block for hp and TORQUE!!!
I'm in the middle of swapping an 8.1l vortec into a 76 K5 Blazer. No cam or heads i just really want no carb bullshit and easy low end torque for mountain hunting trails. Should still get about 400 hp and 450 ft lbs with just a tune.
I think the 350 that was in it before was making 250 hp and 45 ft lbs. It was a dog with the big tires.

The GEN III/IV GM Vortec engines are ridiculously awesome to make solid power! With a 5.7, good tune, heads and a mild cam, you're talking 425+ to the wheels no problem.

I'm jealous you have a K5. I would love one with the 6.0L LQ9 engine that came in the 2004-2006 1500HD and GMC Denali lines. Very solid engine with excellent potential to go wild.
 
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View attachment 7054939Our buddy Pat is retired army and a huge patriot. He also likes buying shirts! Got cash a line nine shirt that had his old unit on it. Cash is pretty proud to rock it?
Have a few of those shirts myself, my son retired out of the 160th almost a year to the day (06 April) looks great on him!
 
it is indeed my friend....Partagas Black label....

little strong for my taste, but damn was it a good cigar.


My stepfather was a cigar fan.

He would often have Macanudos on hand and after dinner appreciated if i smoked with him from his stock.

Never really gained an attraction but I guess it was a pretty enjoyable thing after a good meal, especially steak.

When I did like cigars was smoking the cheap ass foil bag "Black and Milds" that look like handrolled cigars fresh from the plant.

They smell and taste like pipe tobacco. No one around is offended by the smoke except.....

mosquitos so I loved them when fishing or by the campfire.

Current job has zero tolerance for any tobacco use. Not the reason I dont smoke them - more so that I dont need the kids seeing me smoke thinking its something they want to try as well since the kids came along I sadly fish and camp less - should be fishing and camping more with them.
 
Many of you remember Christine, Leah's mom, from the videos opening the cards and gifts sent from so many generous members here for Leah's birthday a while back.
You may have also glimpsed Matthew in one or two of the videos. Matthew is Christine's husband and Leah's step dad.
Matthew is a Virginia State Trooper as well.

Yesterday was a gorgeous day here in Virginia, and Matthew was off. He decided to get out and ride is motorcycle and enjoy the nice weather.

He rounded a turn on a secondary paved road and hit loose gravel where the state had been patching some rough spots earlier in the day. There were no warning signs and by the time he was in the slide and realized what had happened it was too late.

They think the bike got on him at least once and he and it went for a tumble.

Christine is an EMT and she gets a text when the calls come in. She also has GPS tracking on Matthew's phone.
She knew he was out riding.
She saw the alert on the text.
She immediately checked his GPS - he was there.
She prayed and reasoned that he'd come upon an accident and stopped to help. It's exactly what he would do in such a case.
Her dad is also on the local volunteer rescue/fire crew. He called her a few seconds after the alert came and confirmed her fears.

He was flown to MCV/VCU in Richmond.

I got word late, because I'd been outside all afternoon doing my things around the place and enjoying the day.

As soon as I knew what was going on I got cleaned up and headed to Richmond.

She was a mess and she started bawling the instant I walked in the ICU bay. I hugged her for a good long while and talked to her, trying to calm and comfort her as best I could.
She's got a million things going through her head - the costs, the time, how it will affect her work, their lives, the long road ahead.
I told her, "None of that matters right now. It will later, but not now, so put it aside. He is here. That's all that matters. You're not making arrangements and he has a good chance of being whole again."

The list:
Broken shoulder - left
Shattered humerus - left (will need surgery)
3 fractured thoracic vertebrae
3 cracked ribs
2 minor brain bleeds, which have improved today
A fractured artery in his neck (spine) with clotting concerns * Edit - The bleeding has stopped with the artery.
An irregular heartbeat
Tons of pain

Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers. I'll update as significant events occur.

He was pretty loopy last night when I was there, but he was conscious in and out and communicative.
I messed with and told him that they'd found his other foot and it would be arriving today via FedEx.
He grinned a little and said, "Good deal man!"

He's got the button and he knows how to use it.

7054983
 
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The GEN III/IV GM Vortec engines are ridiculously awesome to make solid power! With a 5.7, good tune, heads and a mild cam, you're talking 425+ to the wheels no problem.

I'm jealous you have a K5. I would love one with the 6.0L LQ9 engine that came in the 2004-2006 1500HD and GMC Denali lines. Very solid engine with excellent potential to go wild.
That would be a better setup for mud where you need to keep some wheel speed. They make good power but not in the right place for me. A stock 8.1 makes about 300 ft lbs at idle soo....
I have over 2000 cubic inches of chevy motors currently. I may need to start going to meetings.
 
Prayers sent. And will keep sending.

If there is good news (there is, sometimes hard to see) it is these are common injuries with a lot of experience treating them in a trauma center. Lots of good info on best practice and predictions of how he will do.
Gonna hurt for a while.

@Geno C. I agree. My experiences in work for the last 20 yrs has kept me off em. Mostly due to other drivers. Some from the unpredictability.
Plus now I am just a giant pussy....... ?
 
I went down a little hard back in 1982. When I went looking for a new toy a couple years ago, nice Harley’s kept whispering to me, but all I could remember, was pain, and surgery and road rash, out of work etc. I bought a car, despite my love for bikes, so I would have a little more metal around me if things went south.
Prayers for Matthew and his family. It’s going to be a long road back.
 
Closest I came to dropping one was riding up in Canada.

Decided I wanted to roll up my engine on a long, empty, straight ass piece of road.

My 96 Road King has a Merch Performance 120 CI motor which back in early 2000s was a beast of a motor pushing 4.25 inch pistons with a 4.25 inch stroke.

Bike was pulling great and just as I was pulling past 110 the rear end got real squirrely, swaying back and forth like a fish tail. I started contemplating the grass median was the place to dump. I had no idea what was going on, thought it might be a tire throwing off the rim.

I cut back the throttle and wind/backpressure slowed me down and the condition went back to smooth sailing as I bled speed.

The tail fork of a 96 FL is basically connected to the bike frame by two rubber hockey pucks.

I think there is a speed limit that exceeds the ability of those pucks.

4th gear, 3000 rpm at 80 from than on when making miles. 5th gear for passing over 80.

Bikes are fun but they need respect.

Every new license holder should have to ride one to feel vulnerability and learn some respect for the road (says the hypocrite that almost dumped screwing around).

Hope the Trooper has a speedy recovery.
 
Nice Camaro, here's a buddy's Vet and he has spent a small fortune on it. Flared carbon fiber fenders, supercharged, the only original body panel is the top. I can't even begin to remember all he's do to it and it's stupid fast.

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Terrible news @Tucker301. As always let us know what we can do and we'll get it done. Obviously best wishes to him and the family during this crisis. Thank God he's still with us all. Please keep us posted!

Thanks all. For now it's just thoughts and prayers. We'll give it some time to settle and see where they stand. I'll probably slip her some walking around money the next few days. I don't know how long she will stay there with him before she gets home for a night, but knowing her the way I think I do, it's going to be a while. She does have the children being well taken care of by family for now, and they have a solid network for support from family and friends.
 
Prayers sent. And will keep sending.

If there is good news (there is, sometimes hard to see) it is these are common injuries with a lot of experience treating them in a trauma center. Lots of good info on best practice and predictions of how he will do.
Gonna hurt for a while.

@Geno C. I agree. My experiences in work for the last 20 yrs has kept me off em. Mostly due to other drivers. Some from the unpredictability.
Plus now I am just a giant pussy....... ?

He is in a damn good trauma center. If I was in a wreck MCV is where I'd want to go. For anything else I'd rather not go to MCfree.

Had a coworker get up close and personal with a deer going home from work on his bike. Think he was out of work for 6 months.
 
Nice Camaro, here's a buddy's Vet and he has spent a small fortune on it. Flared carbon fiber fenders, supercharged, the only original body panel is the top. I can't even begin to remember all he's do to it and it's stupid fast.

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Nice. Don't recognize the year though. 95 ZR1 here, had it for 20 years now. Old but it still is enough for me. 35K on miles and still good for 155 mph on a smooth road.
 
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Thanks all. For now it's just thoughts and prayers. We'll give it some time to settle and see where they stand. I'll probably slip her some walking around money the next few days. I don't know how long she will stay there with him before she gets home for a night, but knowing her the way I think I do, it's going to be a while. She does have the children being well taken care of by family for now, and they have a solid network for support from family and friends.


Sounds like a plan. You know we're all over this and only a "click" or "text" away. You see the usual suspects are already putting together a battle plan, as it should be. We're here and please pass on our support. Hopefully they'll be enjoying your new backdrop for pics in the near future.
 
Thanks all. For now it's just thoughts and prayers. We'll give it some time to settle and see where they stand. I'll probably slip her some walking around money the next few days. I don't know how long she will stay there with him before she gets home for a night, but knowing her the way I think I do, it's going to be a while. She does have the children being well taken care of by family for now, and they have a solid network for support from family and friends.
My family and I will be keeping them in prayer. Definitely seems like a "Good Guys With Guns" opportunity when the time is right. As a fellow Virginian, I have a lot of respect for VA State Troopers, and they have shown me mercy on the highway on more than one occasion when I was younger and more leaden of foot.
 
View attachment 7055378View attachment 7055379View attachment 7055380

2.3 mil to steel
4.6 to t post by pond
7.2 to tree stump on dam.

50 minutes an 50 rounds.
Its been a high stress few weeks.
Ex has been lieing about medical issues with my son. Not responding to lawyer. Stuck going back to court.
Work has been absolutely a shit show.

Tucker will be praying.


Hang in there stud, it gets better. It really does. Keep a straight head on your shoulders and be a better person. You'll win every time.
 

Sonuvabitch now i needs me some mo shit fo the truck, and I'm supposed to be saving for my sons first centerfire. He turns two in six months so the clock is ticking!

Before I pulled my donor engine I fired it up with headers and no exhaust, it was angry and wanted everybody to know it. The wife said "Holy shit, what do you need that for?" So I asked if she liked how a 4barrel Edelbrock made the exhaust smell.
 
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Thanks all. For now it's just thoughts and prayers. We'll give it some time to settle and see where they stand. I'll probably slip her some walking around money the next few days. I don't know how long she will stay there with him before she gets home for a night, but knowing her the way I think I do, it's going to be a while. She does have the children being well taken care of by family for now, and they have a solid network for support from family and friends.
Please keep us posted in this thread. I'm sure there is lots of help out there but just speaking for myself, I stay out of The Bear Pit for the most part, I'm angry enough as it is.
Praying for his speedy and complete recovery.
 
Thanks again, guys.

He is experiencing some short term memory loss.
Here's what she said last night.
I'll keep you updated and we'll do something for them when we get a better sense of what they need.

Matthew has requested that I take pictures and names of all departments that are coming for his presentation that he’s giving in 5 minutes. On the motor vehicle code....he made a PowerPoint for it. They’re waiting on him so he needs to go now....?

And the pain meds have finally kicked in.

Night night.

This is also probably happening because he was making me practice motor vehicle code with him earlier today. He has to be quizzed every time he wakes up to exercise his brain. He got tired of me asking “what’s today? When is JD/Leah’s birthdays?” And told me to start asking him code numbers for offenses. ???