For a Friend

Kind of a bittersweet post tonight. Not car related, except it concerns a friend of mine; one of my cranky old man hot rod friends: my friend who lives in Oakieville, from whom I got the double pulley.

He called me the other day ostensibly to let me know about a four banger hill climb coming up this month, but I know he was really looking for a ride as much as a buddy to go see it with. That's OK, he knows I'd dig it, and I don't mind driving us. Unfortunately, I told him, I can't go because I've got a schedule conflict.

But, here's where I feel even more conflicted: later in the conversation, he tells me they've found what might be cancer in him, and he has to get a biopsy next month. My heart dropped. I felt terrible, and am worried the cancer will get him. And he's a great guy, and someone with whom I really get along well. And he's got volumes of car, not just flathead, knowledge rattling around in his brain.

While I was initially concerned, I got even more worried this might be serious when he tells me he had some guys come by his place to take away all the "junk," which included probably a half dozen flathead engines and blocks, including the complete, running-when-pulled motor the pulley came from, and the raised intake block I found. Besides the engines were pulleys, water pumps, pans, you name it, including one or two four banger blocks. I asked if these fellas were gonna go through and sell the stuff. He said, no, they took it all away, about a ton's worth, as scrap. Scrap.

Ugh, I thought, why would he have someone haul all of this away for scrap? Unless, he just needed to get it out of there now. Before it's too late. I don't know what was or is going through his mind, but to get rid of all that stuff in that way seems so unlike him. So you can bet I'll be visiting my friend soon, and seeing if I can't work out my schedule conflict and take him to that banger meet.

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