DUKETONA update....

[GeneralLeeTESH]

The Adventure Stirring up our own MOPAR Bees-Nest
                                     By Mark R. Taeschner, BSEE   July 7th, 2006

As our precious years go by-we often sit at our desks reminiscing on old times; when, once we were young and free and Gas WAS 30 cents a gallon and we had an old Muscle-Car. Then we made the "I-Do" promise, followed up by college loan payments, a new home and all the furnishings, kids, 2 car payments, etc. The next thing you know-as tired as you are when you come home-there is the TV with Satellite-fed shows such as "Wrecks to Riches", "Overhaulin" and "Rides" topped off by Boyd Coddington's theatrics in "American Hot Rod". Suddenly the once $500.00 Mustang, old Mopar or old Chevy Camaro you once sold is seen being restored meticulously by talented individuals with the ancient respect for a true American ride and blessed by a fresh "Mill"- (aka Crate-Motor) built to the hilt and commanding 50 plus GRAND at a local Auction ! This exponential "investment" fury has caused the buying/restoring of any old OEM factory-stock Muscle-car extremely difficult for the average buyer. "Early Bird gets the worm" and "Snooze and you'll lose" phrases have a serious meaning (just like needing CPR when necessary).

Further boredom at the ol'breakfast nook the other morning took me to the Little Nickel want ads, where many an old treasure can be purchased along with a wild and TRUE story to boot ! Here is the story of HOW my good friend Jim Majors, who works with me, SCORED a 1970 Dodge Superbee for 5 Grand Crispy-Ben Franklin attitude-changing CASH.

My inquisitive phone call to a young freshly-wed man in a country town here in Washington State on the Olympic Peninsula led to my introduction of my friend Jim Majors. The ad asked for 7 Grand/OBO. After deciding to drain Jim's ol'savings account at BECU "of a few sheckles", we agreed the kid would drive the car to my house in the Puyallup area by 7pm Friday night and leave it with me and Jim; then, get his wife to drive him home. A few desperate phone calls by him that "the battery will not start the car" were followed by my inquisitions of "did you pay your electric bill this month?" Knowing how quickly old cars like this can be counter-offered and sold right out from under you-led to the immediate decision that I would drive Jim to the Olympic Mountain range town of Seabeck and use a spare battery to start/run the car to my home with me following. Luckily, after a 1.5 hour commute, we got there @ 9pm at night in a forested log-cabin atmosphere; where, the banjo-shaped bluegrass sun quickly set. The car was purchased, the car ran roughly, but Jim drove for 1 mile but became deeply embedded in the forest and there were no street signs. (He may have run over a few Opossums, though). A wind-up LED flashlight and a strong AWD Subaru Outback set the car in motion to a brushy side area between two cabin driveways. Attempting a call to a tow-truck buddy of mine from that hick town was impossible ! (The cell-service basically ended 10 miles previously in Bremerton !) Well- a previous call to him with his readied tow truck saved our bacon! Concurrently, we planned to find a grocery store/gas station and use a pay phone to call him; then, meet us in Bremerton. He agreed. Good thing we got to the store as they were closing at 11pm ! We sat in a Dennys lot until 1:35 am and got a cell call from Brian Tillett Towing. We met him on the highway nearby; where, I dropped Jim off with him and a set of freshly chicken-scratched directions. I then headed home at 2am for shut-eye, but agreed to be on cell-phone standby.
Four-thirty am soon came and Jim knocked on my door to stay the night on our couch.
The next morning-Brian brought the car by. Jim explained to me that they got lost with my shaky directions (I guess they can't read Opossum) and the fact that we had gotten lost in the woods and did not find the car where it was supposed to be! Further back-trailing by Brian led them to the car and his $400.00 towing bill. The rest is a success story! The car only needs a full length set of floor-pans, a new trunk inner pan (all are available as aftermarket stamped-out Reproduction-parts). The rear window will need the most sheet metal repair, which is my specialty. The car will receive good bodywork/paint this summer and runs well with its 383 big block motor and 727 Automatic and Dana 60 Posi. We catalogued/stored all parts. Preety amazing, since last month this same type restored/numbers matching Galen Govier-blessed Mopar sold at auction  for OVER  $125,000.00.

[GeneralLeeTESH]

Look at the Rear Window repair alone...

[jmanscharger]

Color this yellow wing green and you will see what your car will look like.

[GeneralLeeTESH]

WOW...right on !!!  I am simply sticking to the fictional story..."them Duke Boys wuz traynen fer that Daytona race en all..."  and just keep the wing itself on there-but with the DUKTONA lettering and HEMI (2007 Magnum) fender badges !

[daytonalo]

Must be a southern thing , orange and green !!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yea ha !!!!!!!! 

[mikepmcs]

Can I come hang out with ya'll???  I'm buyin!

There is some serious talent going on right here.  That bee is mint and I like the mods in the interior.  The General is awesome can't wait to see it finished.  As REO would say "Keep Pushin"

More pics please, I'd like to see the finished Bee interior.

v/r
Mike

[GeneralLeeTESH]

First pic shows the Prototype GRAPHI side-decal in Black press-on Vinyl for "DUKTONA". Other pics are the Bee's interior

[hotrod98]

I kind of like Bees myself. I own a 69 B5 383 bench seat car. I need to get it out of storage and drive it this summer.

[Aero426]

First pic shows the Prototype GRAPHI side-decal in Black press-on Vinyl for "DUKTONA". Other pics are the Bee's interior

With that spelling (no E in Duke), outside of the General Lee crowd, I don't think most people are going to "get it".   At first glance they will go, "Duck Tona? What the heck is that?"   I've seen stuff like this happen with vanity plates.   Also, have the graphics shop do it in a font that looks correct.   The letters need to be taller compared to the width.  I'm sure we could come up with a scan of the lettering.

My two cents only - do what makes you happy.

[GeneralLeeTESH]

Well Boyz-got the DUKETONA lettering coming/being made as a set by THIS Weekend ! And ONLY 30.00 Take a look...the guy making them is Roger Machovsky of Spanaway, WASH.
His email is:  'creative-vinyl@comcast.net'

[Chris G.]

Well Boyz-got the DUKETONA lettering coming/being made as a set

Why do you keep referring to it as the "DUKETONA", but have the graphic reading "DUKTONA"? 

[hotrod98]

That quacks me up. 

[GeneralLeeTESH]

I am pleased of your studious inquiry !  It's simple-the word "DAYTONA"has 7 letters. I want to stick to seven letters. The fact that "them Duke boyz" are country boys explains
WHY Cooter Davenport (their buddy mechanic) mis-spelled the word in the first place!!!
Lastly- It is my unique design !

[BigBlockSam]

That quacks me up.   

[mikepmcs]

more pics please.

v/r
Mike

[AirborneSilva]

Hey Tesh, looking good.  I wish I could bring my charger over for a visit 

[GeneralLeeTESH]

  Look- Jimmy's Bee is DONE !!!

[GeneralLeeTESH]

...N  MORE....

And YES-Herbie is in the background !!!

[IowaCharger69]

DAM! You have some decent cars strewn about your yard!

[THE CHARGER PUNK]

I SPY HERBIE

[GeneralLeeTESH]

lookie here:
http://www.geocities.com/thecandyfix/Herbie_the_Love_BUG.html

[Mike DC]

       
Some of those old Herbie flicks were pretty cool for something so totally Disney and kid-friendly.  The first "Love Bug" from 1968 was the best. 
They had a few Beetles that were pretty hopped up.  The "Monte Carlo" sequel had one that did the wheelie shots for real.

They need to make a decent sequel for those movies.

 

[GeneralLeeTESH]

They did. Our Herbie was like the 69 Love Bug movie car. It still has the 69 LP tabs on it !

[GeneralLeeTESH]

OK-my shop's name is The RUSTY Car Hospital, LLC
Used to be called something else-before FORD started suing businesses with their product's "trademarked" names in it...
Can you HEMI now?
Pictured is an old Ford jaloppy...

[mikepmcs]

GT 350....I'll take that jalopy!