It could have been worse...I guess....

If you read my previous post then you know what happened to Big Secz. The poor road conditions prevented me from getting to my parent’s house to assess the damage. My parents and some neighbors however were able to get her uncovered and one of the neighbors sent me some pictures of the damage.

I guess I should consider myself fortunate because the damage could have been much worse. I still have not been able to see it in person but based on the pictures, aside from a new top, it looks like I’ll probably need a new fender. So that is the optimistic point of view.

The pessimistic in me wonders what I did to deserve this run of bad luck with this car. She still isn’t running right between the valve tapping and smoke pouring out of her tailpipe and now I have to deal with this on top of it. Getting her ready by Spring is looking more and more unrealistic.

You have got to be kidding me!!!!!

A few days before Christmas and we get a blizzard, for most people this would be a happy time. I was one of those people up until about the middle of Saturday.

With me living in a townhouse I had thought the optimum place to store Big Secz for the winter would be at my parent’s house. In their back yard they have, or should I say had, a 16x20 Portable Garage, a metal framed structure covered with heavy plastic tarp like material.

My wife was on the phone with my mother and from my end it sounded like a typical conversations. Then my wife said “What happened?” and there was a pause, “What? What garage?”, and then there was the “Oh my God, you’re kidding.”

The garage had collapsed on Big Secz. At this point I have no idea what the extent of the damage is, but rest assured the will be some. More than likely the convertible top is complete caved in and all the glass is busted. When you look at the picture the white mound next to the swing set is the collapsed garage with Big Secz buried underneath.


Hopefully I can get there by Monday to find out just how bad everything is. Merry flippin’ Christmas to me…..

The All New BDL

This past Wednesday night was the re-grand opening of Big Daddy Leather (BDL) after my Dad purchased it a month ago. The store was closed Sunday through Tuesday for remodeling and reopened on Wednesday.

Sunday Morning I got to the store just before 8 AM to offer a helping hand. It didn’t take long before the improvements were noticeable. The store’s layout previously was less than adequate if you had any more than about 10 customers at one time. It was chaotic with no rhyme or reason as to why stuff was where it was. After putting in nine hours on Sunday I had to call it a day. I was anxious to see the improvements at Bike Night Wednesday night.

Wednesday night came and I was not disappointed. The store looked great. A million times better than before. It truly lets customers know that this is a whole new BDL. Everything was organized, opened up, repainted and did not look like a store that had been there for five years.

A good friend of my Dad’s built a beautiful new counter, put wood paneling accents along the bottom of the wall, and built custom boxes to hold cleaning supplies and hand on garage or trailer walls. It was a whole new store.

Even though it was a little chilly out Wednesday some dedicated rider brought their bikes. I counted about 20 motorcycles at one point and every bit of fifty people. The best part was at one point everyone was inside the store and you could still move around the store.

I listened to what some people were saying and not one comment was bad. All pretty much agreed that all the improvements were much needed and the store had changed for the better. I even had my ego stroked a bit with customers saying how much they liked the new logo, since I’m the one that designed it, it was nice to hear some unbiased feedback.

“Bike Night in the Burg” happens every Wednesday night all year long. People start showing up around 5 and leave around 8. If you’re looking for something to do you should come on out.

Heart Transplant

If you’ve been following my blog then you know all about the engine issues I’ve been having with Big Secz. This has been a very frustrating summer. I’ve missed several events that I would like to have gone to due to fearing I’d break down along the way. Recently things got worse. Now instead of just and engine tap, I have a knock to go with it. As if that wasn’t enough she’s blowing grey smoke and the engine vibrates terribly.

For the past couple months I’ve been talking to different people and exploring my options. Everything from attempting to fix the problem, rebuilding the engine, or buying a create engine has been explored and discussed. Each comes with their own set of pros and cons. Of course the downside to talking to a bunch of people is that you get a bunch of different opinions, “well if it were me this is what I’d do”.

The first option, fixing the problems, can’t really be accomplished without tearing into the engine. I’ve received opinions ranging from bad lifters to a piston slap. Still if I replace the lifters there is no guarantee that will fix the problem, and in order to tell if there is a bad piston you still have to tear deep into the engine. So this really wasn’t a viable option due to the amount of work and not knowing what the end result would be. I think by going this route I would be fixing the symptoms and not really fixing the problem, and like everyone knows your engine is only as strong as your weakest link.

This brings me to my next option, rebuilding my engine. Since the engine that is currently in the car is the original numbers matching engine, I was really leaning toward this option. I’ve priced this job out with several local shops and they all quoted me roughly the same price, and that was with replacing it with stock-type components. Knowing that if I was going to rebuild the engine, I’d want to upgrade some of it’s components to improve reliability. This isn’t the type of project you want to face again any time soon.

Now that brings me to the option of buying a crate engine. In comparing the pros and cons against rebuilding my existing engine, I chose this option. Here’s why; I can get a crate engine cheaper than having mine rebuilt. The money that I save by going this route allows me to get better than stock parts which will improve reliability. In addition I can get improved performance. Upon the recommendation of someone that knows the owner, I contacted AA Speed in Woodbridge , VA and spoke to the owner, a real nice guy by the name of, Dan.

Dan called me this past Friday and we spoke for a while about these options. Dan emphasized that “it’s not about what anyone else wants it’s about what you want”. He started explaining to me what I would be looking at by rebuilding as opposed to buying a crate. Finally I asked him, “if this were your car what would you do?” He told me that he has a ’66 Nova with a numbers matching engine and he opted to keep that engine but drop in a crate. He said this gives you more flexibility when/if I ever sell it. The buyer will not only have a good performance engine, but the original as well which allows for different restoration options; go back to original or keep it a restomod.

We then talked about the crate option. This appealed to me the most. Dan explained that we can not only improve performance, but increase reliability, and save a few dollars. So then next question then was, “what type of crate?”

Choosing the type of crate engine as well as the components depends on my intended use. I have no desire to hit the track, burn tires, or flex my muscle at stoplights. I’m looking for something with a little more horsepower and reliable. I want to be able to start her up and go on a cruise confident that she won’t leave me stranded. Occasionally that will mean taking her on the interstate.

Dan suggested that I go with a 347 stroker. He’s had a lot of success with these in the past and has used several crates from Proformance Engines. From there he will reuse my Edelbrock Performer intake, Holley 600 cfm carb and MSD billet distributor. He explained that it’s good that I have these parts since that’s what he would have put on it anyway. This Friday I’m going to meet him and talk about details. So after Friday I will be able to post some specs.

Now with a new engine I face a similar dilemma when it comes to my transmission. I’m starting to have a few issues with my transmission so after pricing that out I’ve discovered that it would be worth a couple hundred more dollars and drop in a new transmission.

So hopefully by the end of November Big Secz will be ready to stampede down the highway. To be continued…

Winds of Change

The wind we experienced this past week I think had less to do with the weather and was contributed more so to the collective sigh of bikers from the Stafford, Fredericksburg, and Spotsylvania area.

A few weeks ago local bikers learned that their favorite Wednesday night hang-out spot, Big Daddy Leather, was up for sale. This tight niche group of bikers was left to worry about who the potentially new owners would be. Bikers all over the area had their fingers crossed that the new owners would be someone from within their close circle. Their wish came true. Late last week my father purchased the store. I don’t know who’s happier, the bikers or my father.


Big Daddy Leather (BDL) was established in 2004 starting from a roadside stand and moving into retail space located in downtown Fredericksburg. BDL has established itself in the biker community as the go-to shop for their bike accessory and leather bike-wear needs. For the past few years BDL is known in the local community for their contributions to charities. Some of the most notable charitable events are the ChildHelp Toy Run, Some Gave All Memorial Ride, and Locks of Love.


The Locks of Love charity consist of bikers cutting their ponytails and donating the hair which is then used to make wigs for cancer patients. The Some Gave All Memorial Ride is in memory of the sons of two bikers that were killed in the Iraq war. These events and their weekly Wednesday night bike night, which had a record turn-out of 168 bikes last year, were all in jeopardy depending on if the new owners would keep them going.

This past Wednesday night at bike night when the announcement was made that my father and his wife, members of this biker fraternity, purchased the business they were greeted with congratulatory cheers of relief.

My only regret now is that I don’t have a bike so I can’t contribute. I told him after he told me that he purchased BDL, “Damn, why couldn’t you have purchased a Mustang parts store.” In all seriousness I whish him the best of luck and he knows that I’m always here to help out in anyway I can for this to be a continued and growing success.

So if you know anyone with a bike or in need of bike accessories send them to:

Big Daddy Leather
http://bigdaddyleather.com/news.php
1900 Princess Anne St
Fredericksburg, VA 22401
Phone: 540-899-0048

Till Death Do We Part…

One thing I have learned after attending a few local car shows and cruise-ins is that it is nearly impossible to know everyone by name, but in fact it is more likely you know them by their car. Some cars you can see at nearly every show and cruise-in and you know them as regulars. This makes cars you have never seen before more prominent.

One car in particular that was a regular at shows and cruise-ins and always stuck out was a teal colored VW Baja Bug. Beautiful metallic teal paint and snow white interior, this car was always immaculate and a beautiful example of lovingly restored automobile. I never had the pleasure of meeting the owner but I knew him by face and by his car. No matter what show I attended the license plate “POPS VW” and the inscription under the hood “Till Death Do We Part” was the trademarks of Harold “Pop” Wilson’s car.

On September 17, 2009, Pop Wilson succumbed to his battle with cancer with his wife, Sue by his side. Sue is the president of the Fredericksburg Classic and Muscle Car Club. Pop and Sue are perfect examples of what it is to be an enthusiast with immense time and devotion given to the hobby and to their cars.

As I learned of Pop’s passing I couldn’t help but to think of what it will be like to attend a show and not see Pop’s VW, or see the VW and not Pop. Either way it will be hard to ignore the fact that something is missing from the show or cruise-in.

One can only find comfort in thinking that Pop is in a better place riding around in his VW. Here on Earth as we gaze in admiration at Pop’s VW although Pop may be gone he has left a piece of himself behind for everyone to enjoy. As we read the transcription under his hood that at one time had a comical undertone, now takes on a more serious meaning. The reality that we can only enjoy these precious gems for our limited time we have here on earth. But yet we can leave them behind for others to continue to enjoy long after we are gone.

RIP, Harold “Pop” Wilson.

If it were a real horse…I’d shoot it…

I’m beginning to think I’m cursed. After fixing the starting, stalling, and running hot issues she’s still tapping. I took her to B&R and got her exhaust leak squared away but she still taps badly when she gets above 30 miles per hour. As if that were not enough the transmission is acting up. My first quote for taking care of the transmission was $1,100-$1,200.

So will ALL the great news I decided to say the hell with it and take Big Secz to Fredericksburg Friday night to meet up with the Stangs and Fangs club for their weekly cruise. Everyone I met was great. Good group of friendly people. There were over 30 Mustangs that came out all but two were 90’s or newer. I had the oldest mustang there until one guy pulled up in his ’66 coupe dragster.

I got a lot of compliments on Big Secz and she drew a lot of attention, especially because for the first two hours I had the only classic there. Two that caught my eye were Brian’s yellow tricked out GT complete with supercharger, Xbox and Lambo doors.








Another one well worth mentioning is Dave’s GT with an unbelievable paint job. The detail work under the hood was unbelievable. I like the horse heads in place of the stars, a nice touch.





Saturday night the wife and I dropped the top, enjoyed a good dinner out sans kids, and headed on over to Bruster’s Ice Cream for the Stafford Classics weekly cruise. It was a great night. We got to chat with some really good people. I look forward to seeing Bobby and Nina at future cruises. Bobby has a ’71 Ford F150 with a 302 that would stand up to just about any big block.

I met a guy, Nick, who brought his ’65 Shelby GT 350, and as I told him my issues with Big Secz he recommended that I call A-1 Speed and Customs in Fredericksburg. He’s about the third person to recommend them. So I think I’m going to give them a call next week to get their take on what my issues could be. It seems like just as one thing gets fixed something else pops up.