12/29/03

Hello again MoFins faithful! Yes, I have finally updated the site. Surprised? HA! Me too!

Yes, things have changed with the Belvy and if I can get a change, I will also add the pictures I have of the `61 DeSoto as well. The Belvy has been stripped, sanded down to bare metal, primed it's first coat, had the front fenders completed, had the engine removed along with the tranny, had the firewall stripped, and now is in the process of having her interior torn apart. Why the sudden rush of energy? Well, looks like the back problems that have been plaguing me over the last 3 years have taken their toll. Sometime in January 2004 I will go in for a Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (ALIF) which will hopefully get me back to snuff. One of the side effects to having this done though is I wont be able to touch ANYTHING on the Belvy for a minimum of 6-8 months. And even after that it will only be lite items. So, I'm doing everything I can so the car can be handed over to Advanced Restoration and Collision so they can work their magic on her.

What else has been happening you ask? Well, I am still unemployed, and quite a bit bitter about that whole situation. Seems that with a little detective work I have found the reason behind my removal from the company. Nepotism, what a wonderful thing. Anyway, no since crying over spilled milk. The greedy ones there will eventually have their day. So what have I done? Opened http://www.MoCarz.com! This is the MoPar only wearable's and collectibles store that was recently seen in MoPar Collectors Guide! Also, as promised, I have a section there dedicated to Forward Look ONLY designs! Some great shirt designs with plenty more on the way! If you have a minute, stop and check it out and let me know what you think!

Well, that's about all for now, be sure and tune in soon for the QUARTER PANEL REMOVAL update. It's sure to be VERY scary!! He he he!

Thanks for visiting and take care. And Ray, thanks for keeping a promise.

Yeah, right.

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02/11/03

Where have I been? Well...

Since we last met things have once again changed in our lives here at Camp MyDeSoto.

On January 7th, I became part of the 56 percentile in the Houston area when I was laid off from my job. It wouldn't be so bad if I hadn't been there since the word go. Well, that and the fact that I walked out the door with nothing. I was promised a very wealthy future many many times by very important people there, even given an option to buy shares of the company, but those were just lies to get me to work I guess. I just felt that with my tenor and my work ethics, I would have had a job for a long time to come. But, as with life, there are no sure things.

The job market in Houston is at an all time low and finding work has been very difficult, but the shining hope in all of this is now I have finally been forced to do my own thing. What I will do, I don't know yet, but have plenty of irons in the fire. Anything from buying, selling, and trading old cars and parts to T-shirt and label designs to contract and freelance work. Of course my resume is still available should anyone be interested. Just e-mail me.

Now, since we are through with that, here is one of my T-shirt ideas! I am thinking about a Forward Look line of shirts (since I have yet to see any original ideas out there for these cars). You can see the design ideas here first! Just be sure and check back often and watch for links to design ideas and items for sale.

As for the cars, the Belvedere is set to have some serious work done to it. The front fenders (thanks to Paul Wright) are just about done. Next on the agenda is the rust on the body. Hopefully will start tackling that in the next month or so.

That's about all for this time round, check back soon for my updates!~

ADDED - Belvedere Resto pics

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12/13/02

Much has been happening in the MoFins camp!

First and foremost is the birth of my second child, Madison Rae. She was born November, 27th, 2002 at 11:58pm (two minutes away from being a Turkey Baby! Whew!) No complications, no problems, no nothing. Just a beautiful healthy baby girl.

With the addition to my family, progress on the restorations of my cars will probably come slowly, but as we get more familiar with Madi and she with us, I am sure it will be back to business as usual rather quickly.

Second bit of news. I have finally scored a pair of the 'football' style air cleaners for Project Belvy's 2x4 setup! "You have a dual quad setup?" Yes I do! This will be about the only detour from the original car, minus the paint color, that will be done to her. There will be a few 'behind the scenes' type things, but nothing to take away from the original car. Check the Resto page and choose the Belvedere icon for more information.

Next, is the 61 DeSoto. I have been in touch with Dean Mullinax, president of the National DeSoto Club (www.desoto.org) in regards to information about my car. Although she is not THE last DeSoto built, in true Chrysler fashion, her records have some interesting information. Seems that she is one of the only 4 door cars on file so far with the National DeSoto Club. Also, her sequential's (order in which they were built) is the highest to date! The largest number on file is 3085 (each morning, production started with 3001 and ran till end of day, giving you total number of units built per day). My 61, however, has a sequential of 3115, which according to Dean, makes no sense. Did I forget to mention she WAS built on the last day of production? Need proof? Check out the resto page and choose the 1961 DeSoto icon and see a scan of the original build sheet. Dean also made mention that he hasn't seen, nor heard, of car with as many options as mine has. The only option that was left out on her was the RCA Victor Victrola record player! Since my conversation with Dean and with a very welcome invitation from Larry Zappone, I sent off my registration information to become a member of this fine organization.

That's about all for right now, but be sure to check back often for updates and more news!