Rodney Rucker, who builds custom vehicles and who also collects them, had finished a project for Steve's boss and we headed up to retrieve it.
We'd been there before in September, and I photographed many of his unique collection.
View those here: http://squeakyteepee.blogspot.com/2008/09/car-adventure.html
As we traveled, I stayed in the sleeper of the Freightliner because I could read my book, play on the computer, and listen to my ipod. Steve and Mike drove up front. I had also decided that it was a "cowboy day," and I dressed like an idiot. Here's me in the sleeper. Not a normal sized semi truck sleeper, as you can tell:
After driving for three hours, we discovered this foreign substance all over the ground. Preliminary testing was inconclusive as it melted as soon as we brought it into the labs:
The work was being completed on some last minute items at Rodney's shop in Winslow, so we milled around and watched. This "tank car" was something Rodney had built for himself and he has actually driven it in some of the most prestigeous racing events in America. The Great Race is one, for example. New York to San Francisco. Of course on this last trip he stopped in Omaha Nebraska and the car was broken into. Everything he had in there, including some irreplaceable memorabilia, was stolen. Yep, that sounds just like Omaha.
So here's the vehicle, it's named "Sneaky Pete" because the body is a Peterbilt. The engine is a V12 tank motor.
After Mike bought the car he had Rodney install THESE on either side of the engine:
This is Mike, Steve, and Rodney going over some details:
We met Lucky, the Shop Dog, who Rodney rescued from Gallup New Mexico. He runs a company that takes care of the major construction and maintenance on the BNSF Railroad, and while in Gallup he discovered her hiding under some equipment.
She was such a sweet girl. Can't imagine a family turning her out in the middle of winter. But I guess that's the world we're in.
We stayed that night in a very old historic hotel, that had a gorgeous gift shop in the lobby. I couldn't help but photograph some of the over priced trinkets:
I learned something about historic hotels; it is always cold, you can hear even the slightest noise coming from every single room in your hallway, and the shower takes about 10 minutes to warm up. I'm glad we brought ear plugs, otherwise we wouldn't have gotten any sleep. The next morning, Steve called Mike's phone to wake him up (cell phone--because there were no phones in the rooms) and we could hear Mike's phone ringing. He was two doors down and across the hall. Wow.
It would've been nice if the staff was the least bit friendly. They were all pretty grumpy, and the owner was the worst of them. He was downright rude. No use in complaining to him, huh?
We went to breakfast at a wonderful old cafe, like, at least 50 years old. The food was tremendous. Great staff, great service, oh, the food. Some of the best Mexican food we've had in a while. And there were functioning antiques, like these:
As we made our way back to Rodney's shop, we heard the weather forecast that included snow. What is snow?
I stayed in the Freightliner, reading, while the boys worked in the shop:
I ventured out to the shop around the yard at one point, to take pictures of the Blues Mobile parked nearby. This is one of the few remaining vehicles from the Blues Brothers movie. Many were destroyed, some were sold off and scrapped, but this one has survived!
The dash is autographed by Charles Napier, who was Tucker in the movie. Too funny.
The Blues Mobile was parked next to the Shopping Cart, the Blazing Saddles Stagecoach (Not from the movie) and a new acquisition, the Fire Truck:
Finally, it was time to head out and get home. The four hour drive would be eating up much of our day so we needed to get started on it. Rodney pulled Sneaky Pete out of the shop with the guidance of Tim, his shop manager:
We climbed in the Freightliner, and headed down the road.
Shortly after leaving, this strange white stuff started accumulating everywhere:
Didn't know what to think about that!!
After a long ride, we made it home. And reveled in the warm temperatures. I think it was 60 degrees in Havasu. Sneaky Pete is in his new enclosure, the hangar out at the airport.
