NYC Journal

The fence is all done. It dresses up the house further which now is a contender for maybe the prettiest house on the block because of the gardens, pergola, and all the flowering.

Anyway definitely the cutest on the block.

The fence and gate provides privacy to the back-backyard. The new she-shed was too much in view and it was like an invitation to invade the back-backyard. The lack of fence made “Maggie” feel vulnerable.

I engineered a graveled landing for the gate that will be great for drainage. It also is tied into the posts that support the gate which is 3 feet wide and over 6 feet tall.

Cal
 
Dug into my new surf rod which is rated as a great valve for the dollar. Mine is an older model that is no longer made, but it has the cork handle which I like. The new improved version is way more advance, and my rod is kinda old school, which is fine for me.

I don’t really need another surf rod. This one has legs and only cost me $30.00. What a lucky find.

I have not fished in over 25 years, and I lived in NYC for those 25 years. Had to bone up on this new line called “Braid.” I am acquainted with Dacron, and its lack of stretch. It was actually thinner than monofilament so in bottom fishing you could use lighter weights to hold bottom for better feel.

Also because of the lack of stretch you had a better feel and sensitivity.

The new braid is very thin, and this actually can be a liability it seems. The line can slice you like a knife, but because it has such a fine cross section you can cast further.

So 65 pound test Braid has the same diameter as 15 pound test mono. WOW…

The trick is to use heavier lines with braid to avoid some of the problems of UBER thin lines like wind knots, bleeding fingers…

Because the lines are so thin it has changed the game where reels are scaled down in size for a lighter rig because you still cam have 300-400 yards line capacity if you are lucky to hook say a 60 pound Striper.

My Daiwa Millionaire Tournament is a small baitcasting reel without a level wind. 50 pound braid is the same diameter as 12 pound test mono, and with the 50 pound braid I can have 440 yards capacity.

With 65 pound test braid, the equivalent diameter of 15 pound test I would have 370 yards capacity on my spool.

How cool is that?

This surf rig is mighty light. I love it. Since I used Dacron and have the skill to cast a conventional reel this transition will be easy for me.

BTW my rod is rated a good all-rounder. All I need.

Cal
 
One thing I noticed is that young couples with a child or low income people somehow drive vehicles that are not modest in price. Not many compact cars like my A4, and all the cars seemed either a year or two old if not new.

Seems to me that like the 2007-2008 housing crisis that anyone with a driver’s license could get a car loan. I was really shocked on how everyone could stretch themselves beyond their means.

I started to take notice when a Jeep Gladiator came. What a “bloated” truck. I know from not a cheap vehicle and expensive to fuel and maintain. Then I saw a parade of wealth in all these trucks, SUV’s, and upscale cars.

I also know the manufactures created a shortage of cheap cars, so anyone buying a new one had limited choices and had to “buck-up.” This was to support corporate profit margins and was a form of price manipulation. Limited choices were a result.

Still I did not see the headline of the average age of cars going up: I saw too many new cars; were many leases?

Anyways this comes from a guy who never owned or bought a new car or truck… I try to live within my means, but I judge that many do not just from the amount of new or newish vehicles pulling up to view a trash-house. The disparity creates a strong contrast.

It does seem like credit on auto loans is extended. A sad commentary on our economy and the housing shortage.

Cal
 
Cal,
Thanks for the maps of Blue Mountain, I’ll let you know when I receive them!
The wheels for the Raleigh Mtn Trials are built but the fork is still out at a shop waiting to get a tweak in alignment. Once I get it back, I’ll have the bike built in a day or so.
Now that the weather is nice, I need to get some good cleaner to really get the frame cleaned to prep for paint. I’m just going to be doing some preservative work to prevent rust, nothing too restorative, in order to keep the nasty patina and history of use evident. I just need to cover up the bare metal and primer spots.
Tomorrow evening I’m speaking at National Sawdust in Williamsburg on the topic of moral injury. I was invited to speak on Friday the 2nd as well but I need to be back in Philly for a meeting and some much needed trail riding in the afternoon. I’ll be taking the Breezer out to the Belmont trails in Fairmount Park. I’m definitely going to he getting a rigid fork for that bike. I need to find a proper Ritchey fork though, so it may take some time. It’s a very stable bike with the extra 2.5 inches of lift that the Judy XC gives, but there is a bit of oversteer and wheel flop, definitely a hinderance when navigating roots and tight turns.
Phil Forrest
 
Phil,

Back in the day, pre suspension, Ritchey Logic forks were the fork to have.

My Ti Basso mountain bike (rebranded Litespeed) came with one. Bikes that are not designed for suspension end up riding like choppers with the taller suspension forks. Not good.

Cal
 
The cool thing about my two IBIS’s is that the rigid forks were long as if the bikes were built for suspension.

How cool is that? I have both options.

I’m starting to plan on the new garage roof, and the carriage house style 8x8 garage doors. With these in place the house will become a gem. It makes the statement that our house is the oldest on the street, and the look with the gardens, pergola, shrubbery, the front entrance, and the cedar decorative fence capture the 1912 era.

The wood I’ll be using for the garage doors is reclaimed old growth Douglas Fir. Cost is $12.00 a board foot and just the cost of the wood escalates fast. Most garage doors are 7 foot tall and having 8x8 is not the most common. The 8x8 adds some drama and makes a statement.

I talking with Devil Christian I explored the terms thermal barrier and thermal bridging. Pretty much I never considered how studs and rafters are conductors of heat and cold. I also learned about radiant barriers and how they work.

I’ll be including a radiant barrier on the garage roof, and basically I need to have 3/4”-1 inch gap between my radiant barrier and my roof, but my approach will be to create that gap on top of my existing sheathing. Basically a second layer of sheathing with firing strips as spacers that the tar paper and shingles will sit on. I’ll use this mesh used for ridge vents to keep insects out.

I still need the garage to store the Audi and C-10, but I’m proceeding as if I could use the garage as my workspace, and one day I’ll insulate fully the roof, walls and floor.

I spooled up the conventional surf reel with 15 pound test mono. Used a book as a tensioner with some weight placed on it to create friction. The line I ran on Chapter 13 of a Johnny Cash biography I have been reading. This rod is a whip, and pretty much it is made especially for throwing lightweight lures far (1/2-2 ounces).

My style of fishing is light tackle. I think I would go nuts doing salt water fly fishing, even in the surf. Very exciting catching a big fish on light tackle. A bit of a challenge and a good amount of skill is required.

The tourism in my dead end is subsiding. Still a lot of visitors/tourists.

My neighbor offered me some free firewood. I’m jumping the shark here, but we hope to secure this retro fire pit thing for the “landing.”

Pretty much the last thing after the garage doors and roof will be the graveled area on the area of the back-backyard known as the “table.” This area spans the space in between the two cedar sheds that face each other across the yard. The table has view like an infinity pool that presents a horizon that resembles a cliff.

On the slope I weed whacked some of the tall grass. Basically it was becoming a feral field. Still some of that exists, but the flatter area I mowed with my push mower.

The marsh grass is moving uphill at this point since I eliminated competition from Knotweed.

There is a sense of sculpture as the view is very different from the rear facing second story windows. Lawn, gravel, a cliff, then marsh, then hillside seems to draw the eye as an invitation. Then I have stairs and a terraced walkway that spans the slope, and a second terrace by the marsh grass.

My friend Craig gave me another truckload of mulch, and that really built out the new upper terrace along with some logs he also supplied.

All this in not a lot of space, 40x200.

Cal
 
Had some time to begin assembling the two pickup Cabronita last night. It seems this guitar will be considerably heavier than the single pickup version. Will be interesting because I have two TV Jones Classics that I purposely asked them to limit the amount of wax potting so that the sound is more open and lively.

I don’t do the high gain overdrive thing, and my style is “plug and play.” I should not have any problems with feedback or squeal.

In the single pickup Cabronita I have a higher output TV Jones pickup.

Seems like a dry spring and already a bit of a drought. I have had to water the garden. Last year when it rained though it really poured.

“Maggie” is almost done with her edits. Pretty much today she needs to do a read through, and even though the deadline slipped its O.K. Evidently her editor won’t be in until Monday. Oh-well.

Meanwhile I have been picking up the slack.

Cal
 
Been pushing a stroller all around Peekskill the past two days for 3 hours at a time. The nine month old grandson is about 25 pounds and then there is the weight of the stroller and hills. Pretty much the kid is sleep deprived and these strolls allow him some comfort so he can sleep and not be Hellboy.

He is teething…

My legs are tired and I feel my butt is tight and more muscular from the hills.

Been looking into getting a 292 I-6 again. I can buy a rebuilt longblock for $2774.00, plus $310 core charge, plus $203.00 shipping at JEGS. Figure $3.2K at my door, but what is missing is an oil pan, side covers, valve covers, timing cover. I have to check, but I likely will need a 3-bolt starter.

Some of the parts I could strip off the 250 I-6, but then I could buy the covers as machined parts instead of recycling the old stuff. The oil pan I need to get one for a 292, and I discovered a model oil pan that would increase capacity, run cooler, and would allow for not needing an oil cooler.

The stock 250 has 155 HP at 4200 RPM and 235 Foot-lbs torque at 1600 RPM.

A stock 292 has 170 HPat 4000 RPM and 275 Foot-lbs at 1600 RPM.

Basically only 15 more HP, but 40 Foot-lbs more torque. The 292 surely is an upgrade in power and the extra torque is welcomed. The 3-on-a-tree three speed is rated up to 300 HP and 350 Foot-lbs or torque.

Add 15-20 HP for an upgraded intake and exhaust, and then 8-10 HP for an aluminum radiator with electric fans for close to 200 HP. I would not expect torque to increase.

So this new build would to basically upgrade the engine to a 292 which was an engine available back in 1966. I’d keep the OEM 250 on the side. Pretty much the C-10 would still be OEM except for the gas tank which is now in the bed.

I want to keep the OEM 15 inch steel rims that are 6-lug.

Upgrading the brakes to disc becomes expensive, but this truck will be a local driver, and at best perhaps a long ride to Stormville about an hour away to sell stuff at the airport flea market. I would not be driving far or long trips at all, so I don’t really need the performance brakes. No A/C needed, just a bare bones truck.

Then again disc brakes for me would involve 2 1/2 drop spindles, and since the rear has sagged so much might be a good thing for handling and stance.

12Bolt.com sells a lot of CNC brackets and covers I would want, as well as that high performance oil pan. The oil pan is offset to the passenger side for exhaust clearance. I love the engineering, and it is small things like this that are trick and clever. I imagine having 6-7 quart oil capacity.

CNC covers not only look great, but will seal better and longer than stamped steel OEM. To me money well spent.

So now a modest engine with mild tweaks.

Of course HEI electronic ignition. Keep the three on the tree, and pretty much the rest of the truck is OEM.

Cal
 
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Chevy Performance sells a HT383 crate motor: 323 HP; but 444 Foot-lbs torque. Basically a truck engine.

I like that it is new, 4-bolt main, forged crank, roller cam.

The price is right, no risk with a brand new engine, and the truck remains a truck.

Since I have auxiliary overload springs and the OEM step rear bumper I’m already rigged for towing.

Consequence is I would have to upgrade the tranny. Oh-well. I could go with the 200 pound NV4500 a tranny I used in my Jeep. Pretty much a 3-speed manual with an underdrive and overdrive.

With so much torque from the motor I would not need a lot of gears. This would be a tow vehicle rigged this way, and be all heavy duty truck all the way. Hmm… Macho-Truck

I figure not only assembling all the parts for a 292 will be difficult, but keeping the 250 I-6 along with the 3-on-a-tree tranny makes sense to keep all together.

The V-8 is about 140 pounds heavier and the beefy tranny will add some weight, so I expect the front end to sag a bit under the load, but pretty much I’ll be running a 1966 stock suspension that organically lowered itself over decades. Keeping the chassis stock saves a lot of money and is cool in itself. This frees up funds for a big brake upgrade.

A side hustle could be hauling/towing. Half-ton capability is not compromised, and towing capabilities enhanced. This seems like the best way to go for being practical.

Cal
 
Cal,
Got the maps in the mail yesterday evening. Thanks a ton!
Still waiting on the fork alignment for the Raleigh.
I was going to go out riding today but it's over 90 degrees and just awful outside. I'm staying in. Tomorrow's high will be much cooler, so I'll be able to get some riding in then.
Phil
 
Phil,

The northern end of Blue Mountain is less rocky.

I walked into downtown Peekskill and back today and it was oppressive. The humidity spiked big time. I was a sweaty mess.

Anyways I want to acknowledge that you were correct in your assessment that my 1966 C-10 likely has 161K miles on it.

Still the remarkable condition of the body and being nearly all OEM is remarkable and like a barn find. No rot and a wonderful patina on a dark forest green. The badges are badly pitted though… A lucky find…

Basically the body suggests 61K miles, but in fact the engine indicates 161K. Mucho blue smoke.

Somehow ”Maggie” met her deadline. Now she has a business trip.

Things have settled down with the ugly abandoned house for now. Not so many tourists.

I looked into getting a 4-post lift, thinking I might be able to stack the truck above the Audi. My coworker Joe at Brookhaven labs bought one and was able to store two cars in a one car garage. The top car was a Corvette that was a Sunday Driver. My truck is too tall, but another car would work. Hmmmm…

Kinda crazy, but also clever. A lot cheaper than building out another garage, and also having a lift is useful.

Cal
 
Within Depew Park is Torpy Field, which between 1963 and 1969 was the practice field for the New York Jets.

Depew is part of Peekskill, and it butts against the 1500 acres of Blue Mountain Preserve. There are some mountain bike/hiking trails in Depew Park and Depew is about 200 acres. Having all this close by is great. Also in Depew park is a pool.

Cal
 
C,

Lots of history here. Governor George Pataki‘s family owned a farm here. I was told by a neighbor that he and his family still lives in Garrison nearby, but when he was Governor of New York he did a lot of things to help Peekskill become the city it is okay.

Jackie Gleason use to frequent the bars and restaurants in Buchanan and Montrose all the time. He lived in Croton though.

Peekskill was always an immigrant community because of the iron mills. Pittsburg evolved later when cheaper abundant iron ore was found further west. In Bear Mountain and Harrimon State Parks are abandoned iron mines.

Lots of military history also, and West Point is not far away.

Did you know that Crayola Crayons were invented and first made in Peekskill?

As usual I get seen around because I bike, run and walk so much.

Sunday I will be processing and recovering wood from a wooden fence my neighbor is taking down that flanks one side of his yard. I’ll use my saws all and “hatchet” chain saw to cut out the posts and supports that have nails. I want the “clean-fill” for building out my slope into a cliff and has terraces.

The mini-splits made a great difference in comfort on an oppressive day with high humidity. Was a bit hellish and skanky. “Maggie” now wants one for the upstairs master suite we will be creating by combining the tower room with the second largest bedroom.

Our house is so small, perhaps only 600 square feet times two and not the 1400-1500 inflated by the real estate, that it really is about the size of a luxury two bedroom apartment with a walk-in closet. It is kinda just big enough, but really with no extra space.

The 4-post lift idea did not work to be able to build out half the garage as a studio. If the C-10 was a car it would work. What I have to work with is the basement and attic.

I think the attic where there is a 16x15 A-framed space has potential, but of course it would need to insulated mucho heavily. The pull down stairway I installed blocks the access to the full bath upstairs, but with the break through between the tower room and the small bedroom a detour around the pull down ladder is available. Go in one door into the master bedroom, and exit through the second door from the tower room.

I would likely use this to be my music/recording studio to exploit the heavy insulation. The floor (full 2x6) will be stuffed with R-23 rock wool. I intend on using a R-6 rigid foam double sided radiant barrier on the A-frame roof, then rock wool, then a R-13 rigid foam on top of the rafters as a thermal break. Will likely have to increase the depth of the rafters to increase the thickness of the amount of rock wool to perhaps a R-30.

Overall cathedral ceiling would be a tight R-49 with no windows. The 16x15 A-frame would not have any knee walls but because of the added thickness of insulation the room would get seriously smaller. Oh-well.

I can see me also not only having my 300B single ended triode tube stereo set up there, my guitar amp collection, but also the Jersey Barrier (24 inch Epson printer) to have a digital printing studio.

Because of the crazy 4 rooflines on the second floor the rest of the attic space would be kinda super insulated with rock wool and sealed off. A double sided rigid foam radiant barrier on the rafters set up as a thermal break and to create a sealed envelope, and R23 in the 6 inch floor joists with a perpendicular layer of R-30 for a combined R-53 on perhaps 360 square feet of the total 600 square feet of attic floor.

This leaves me 240 square feet minus the cathedral ceiling insulation build out with only R-23 in the floor joists. Not sure if I want to layer in some “sound-board” under the plywood floor, but I figure I only need 8 sheets of 4x8 to cover my 240 sq. Feet.

Devil Christian taught me a lot, and made me consider a lot of obsessive thinking. He suggested that because I don’t have a vented attic that I should just try to seal it completely, and I found a ways to create a sealed envelope that would not be so hard for a stubborn guy like me to be able to do easily by himself.

One test will be if I can bring a 4x8 foot sheet into the house and up the stairs. Trying to avoid extra seams. Did you know that because heat rises that about 25% of your heat is lost through your roof? My approach is a bit of overkill, but I desperately need the space. Will I eventually get a mini-split? Will I need one?

In the powder room downstairs we have this 7 foot tall free standing closet for storage that is over 100 years old. We bought this from Rosemary from Croton the Dominatrix with a few whips on every door knob in he house. Another idea is to move this freestanding closet into the front entrance hallway and add a stackable washer drier to the powder room. Kinda better use of space.

Greedy Calvin would then be able to best exploit the plumbing downstairs for his darkroom buildout. I could exploit the front porch basement (I have two basements) if I insulate heavily, but that space has a low ceiling. Hmmm… Where the washer and drier are could be a huge sink, so in my darkroom I would say only need a small sink say for developing. Hmmm… The big sink would be for print washing…. How cool is that? All the plumbing would be local and EZ-PZ.

I figure a work around for the low ceiling is design the porch darkroom around using wheeled doctor’s stools and making it where being seated instead of standing is the design feature. Kinda unconventional, but know since I worked in a hospital that a few wheeled doctor’s stools found their way home.

Know that I still have pretty much a ELFA section from the Container Store in the basement to exploit. I have kitted out all this modular building materials to basically build out a “high-rise” for crazy workspace and storage.

I have to consult with Devil Christian about if I can maybe create a walk in closet out of the upper turret of the tower that has octoganal knee walls topped with a multi-side coned roof. It would be an interesting feature that could make for an interesting walk in closet, or be an addition to my studio space. All I need is a doorway

There is also a perhaps a 4x6 mini A-frame nook to exploit set not the bigger A-frame.

Time has been my friend, and I can see how not being in a rush at all has led me to make better, clever, wiser decisions. A good example is to build out the C-10 as an ultimate tow vehicle (although not a dual-E set up for a 5th wheel) with a high torque motor. I love this idea the most because it is so counter-trend and is not following the slammed truck look and its problems with handling and geometry.

I also exploit and don’t throw away all the work tha Danny the previous owner had performed on restoring the steering, front end and rear suspension work that is all OEM. I would rather use than loose.

The muscle truck I did with the 1984 Jeep Scrambler with the Corvette engine. Time to change the channel and start a new adventure. Also the high torque truck is more OEM, requires no suspension work, saves money, could lead to a side hustle, and is a cool truck in its own right exploiting the OEM and untouched/unreworked original body and 57 year old paint.

Not really a Rat-Rod because of condition.

So pretty much the moral of the story here is life is rich, and it isn’t really about money, it is really about time, and making the most of it. I am actually mucho glad that my own selfish projects that are good for me have been held off. Everything is coming out better and more clever. I am building out the life I want to live.

Cal
 
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The wrecked house next door is off the market.

Generally when a house sells the listing states the status as “pending” meaning the house is sold pending securing a mortgage and closing date.

In this case when it disappears off the Internet abruptly without a trace it means an all cash deal was made.

Oh-well.

Let’s see what happens next.

I wonder if it is one of my neighbors?

Cal
 
This reeks of an investor/flipper type deal. Although I did the same thing (cash offer) as a retired person.


As for your truck, I like your latest idea for the restoration. More towards OEM. Came across this image online. For your inspiration !Chevy.jpg
 
Austin,

My truck has the same rear step bumper, but has the non—“panoramic” rear window. My rear window is a small version that harkens from the 40’s and 50’s.

The shot of the rear more than inspires me. LOL.

I saw some six-lug OEM Chevy wheels on a police SUV that were made of steel and blacked out with 265/60R17 that I’m looking into. They were on a SUV… If I go to, or need to, go to a low profile wheel tire this moderate change in wheel size is as far as I would want to go. Sprung weight effects damping and smoothness, and a tall sidewall adds some Cush.

Yesterday, “Maggie” took some shots of me wearing tight jeans, a short sleeve button down shirt without shoes to meet a request from our agent for shots. As a backdrop I opened a garage door and sat on the hood of the dusty truck like a pin-up. Using a self timer on a Leica CL rigged with a 35mm FOV she joined me in the shots.

I tried to look hill-billy. LOL.

Maggie also says now that June is upon us that it appears that our agent is gearing up and moving forward. This could allow the truck renovation to advance and move forward. The body is 1966 OEM and is in barn find condition, and this will make it a really outstanding head turner.

I’m sure this truck will be a great prop for establishing my “brand.” Kinda funny is how I was known as the guy who put a Corvette engine in a Jeep Scrambler. I expect this truck to be an extension of my identity and personality.

I looked into the Tremac 5-speed tranny that is upgraded and can handle 600 foot-lbs of torque, but I love the 6-speed with double overdrive much more. The spread of gearing on the six-speed is ideal. At 2000 RPM in sixth 70 MPH.

How cool is that?

Perhaps I could get 20 MPG?

The Audi A4 is a “Luxury Compact” “Executive” car, and it gets around 24-25 MPG, but it requires high-test. The HT383 stroked 350 V-8 with a 400 crank uses regular gas and is made to have mucho torque with a peak of 444 foot-pounds. Less MPG, but cheaper fuel. I love it.

The Jeep had a OEM optional 23 gallon tank and I only got 15 MPG, even with the I-6. The oversized tires and the lift on the chassis killed any economy. A muscle Jeep cost me a lot of money to fuel.

I wonder how smooth the ride will be with slightly smaller diameter tires (about 3/4 inch smaller diameter). I kinda favor keeping the 15 inch OEM steel rims that have a crème colored yellow over the factory white. A taller sidewall should cushion the ride. Again this would exploit factory/OEM.

Kinda cool to exploit the organic sag that removed the rake on the rear springs by being loaded down with a “camper” for much of its 57 years. At best I might have to get 2 1/2 inch drop spindles to get rid of any negative rake, but the sagged front springs would be retained.

Also I kinda have a rat-style to my way of dressing. I kinda dress down with my sportswear and knickers, and if I start a site or blog about bikes, my truck, my retirement, guitars… that is more public than here perhaps I can go independent from Maggie who has outgrown modeling.

Maintaining, creating, and promoting myself in a public way of course is fraught. Remember I truly am a lazy-slacker.

Cal
 
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