An early Father's Day gift!

[Andy Perreault]

Even though my Dad doesn't own a Dodge/Cummins, he always enjoyed reading my TDR's from cover to cover. But since I moved to Washington, he's been missing out on the fun. So, for an early Father's Day gift, I got him a TDR membership. I even helped him get registered on the forums, so if you see a posting from John Perreault, that's him. He's a retired aerospace electrical engineer and he and Mom enjoy traveling in their motorhome. He's an aviation buff, especially WWII planes.
Ever since I can remember, I was out in the garage or driveway helping him work on vehicles. I owe him a lot for all the years of automotive education, and helping me work on my various trucks. He even spent an entire day detailing my truck for me while I was at work, and the next day my truck won "Best '94-and-up 4X4" at the December Dieselfest in 1999. This TDR membership is the least I could do!
So, Happy Father's Day, Dad! I miss hanging out in the garage with you!
Andy



[This message has been edited by Andy Perreault (edited 03-31-2001). ]

 

[Bob Wagner]

Way to go Andy Great Idea #ad

 

[willyslover]

Andy. . WAY COOL MOVE !!!!
looking foward to yakking at him. . so he knows how to polish my bumper LOL

 

[rmrc]

You just reinforced my faith in kids doing the right thing for their parents. There's still hope. Good for you Andy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Andy Perreault]

Oh, man, an SR-71! When my Dad was working on the B-1 in Palmdale, an SR-71 would take off every now and then (Lockheed did maintenance work there). He said all work would come to a stop as everyone would go outside to watch it take off.
Dad worked on everything that North American (and then Rockwell Int'l) built from the P-82 Twin Mustang (I wonder if any of those are still flying?) up to the B-1 bomber.
If anyone wants to talk aviation, I'm sure Dad will take part in that topic!
Andy

 

[Archive]

Andy and John. .

What a great relationship! Both interested in planes and the Cummins.

John. . we have a blast up here in the Great Northwest. Come see us and we will call for a special BOMB party... you can meet bunches of us. BTW, you did an excellent job in raising your son. . very polite, very helpful, and one of the nicest guys I've ever met!

 

[Papa Joe]

Andy, you're a good man. And a best son.
I'll talk aviation until the cows come home.

Joe

 

['956Wheel]

Yeah, Dads can lead you quite well if you pay attention. My Dad had my brother and I "help" him overhaul a Dodge 426 wedge when I was about 9 or 10. I will never forget it. The 426 was out of an ex-Highway patrol car and kicked a$$, Dad was taking us to school and a car going the opposite way threw an egg at the windshield, I had no idea that you can u-turn in suce a small area, and the smoke! He caught the car and threw the egg on it... then looked and saw a little old lady driving? Two kids were in the back seat... with grocery bags between them... Long post but a real memory!

Mike

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9535hundred

 

[Alan Reagan]

Andy, Send him to Warner Robins, GA. I'll hook up with him and take him to the Air Force museum here. Lots of WW2 planes along with F-15, C-130, B-52, SR-71, MIGs, F-4 Wild Weasels and many more. He'd love this place. Good idea on the TDR. Next year you can buy him a truck. Right, John? #ad
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[Andy Perreault]

Aw, shucks, you guys are too nice! There's a simple reason why, Rob & Papa Joe, it's because Dad's from Minnesota and Mom's from Michigan. It's as simple as that!
Andy

 

[Un-Hemi]

Somewhere, recently, I read that someone was restoring a P-82 to airworthiness after a crash. I suspect it will be one-of-one. Anybody been to the Mustang fly-in in Santa Maria?

 

[jperreault]

Thanks Andy for the nice Father's Day gift of the TDR. You and your friends are an inspiration for me reflect on the joys we had in doing our thing with so many different vehicles!!

It's been a real pleasure to recall the challenges and obstacles we had to overcome with our wits and rescources. I still miss not having you here in our driveway working on some "project. " Now my only challenge is keeping the old Southwind (85) going beyond its 128,000 miles. Last week I installed new Monroe Shocks on it, and at 73, I began to feel the strain on certain muscles... "I'm not a kid anymore... but I like to think like one!"

I'll write later and perhaps talk about some of my aircraft experiences as an electrician/installer, from the P-82 to the B-1.

Tommy Turbosarus... The man behind the P-51 Mustang, Lee Atwood, was always up there at the Santa Maria fly-in, and I had the pleasure to meet him a few times. He died in 99 at 95 and was one of the last of the real aviation pioneers in design and production. I'd like to see that restored P-82!! That was the first NAA plane I worked on in 1947. Got lots of memories of 37 years at NAA/Rockwell.

 

[jperreault]

I apologize to you Tommy for misspelling your last name. To Papa Joe, aviation is a part of my life and I'm always open for an interesting aspect of that topic. Here's one item regarding the building of P-51 fighters during WWII: "While test flying P-51Ds at the Inglewood, CA plant, we suddenly expereinced the failure of engine-mount attachment bolts. The cause was hydrogen embrittlement. We discovered that one of our engine bolt mfgrs had a subcontractor who didn't know that chrome plated bolts had to be reheated after plating to gas off the hydrogen that otherwise caused hydrogen embrittlement. Some planes came in with the engine hanging on one bolt. Within one week we had all the engine mount bolts replaced in every P-51 around the world. "

I have lots of other tales to relate, but will hang up for now.

 

[Archive]

John... I would love to read more of your stories posted here...

Feeling old? Heck, I feel that way after a day off turning the wrenches, and I am only 45yo.

If ya have time, I would love to give ya a tour of the air traffic control building I work in... let me kow sometime when you are in the area... I have been trying to get Andy in there for about a year!

 

[Andy Perreault]

I'll say one thing, that Rolls Royce/Packard Merlin engine has got to be the most awesome sounding piece of machinery ever built!
Andy

 

[C Schomer]

I know what you mean. I came from a long line of blacksmiths and mechanics. The 'Old Schooling' is the best. Well, at least for starters! Give the gift that keeps on giving - a TDR membership! Great idea! Very considerate! My dad would have flipped if he could have seen these 'atomic' trucks now. He LIKED power! Craig

 

[Ram_Kowboy]

Amen to that Andy... . P-51 is my favorite. Loved Chuck's book. Have you ever read it?

 

[RICHIE 2]

ANDY or JOHN
would you guys know were I can get an altimeter the same size as the pillar for the gauges on my truck?
thanks, Richie
hope to see you on the 21st

 

[Andy Perreault]

Hi Richie 2, sorry, I don't. I won't be going to BD's Dyno Day on the 21st, I'm going to a wedding in L. A. that weekend. #ad

As an alternative to a gauge, at the last gathering at Rob Hanson's, I saw a couple of guys had GPS units in their trucks, and I learned that those will give you an accurate elevation readout (plus a bunch of other cool features).

Ram Kowboy, yes, Chuck Yeager's autobiography is a great book. I gave my dad Bob Hoover's autobiography book as a gift, but I never had a chance to borrow it from him and read it. You know, if the Air Force brass had learned that Chuck Yeager had broken a rib in a horse riding accident the night before he broke the sound barrier, Bob Hoover (Chuck's back-up) would have flown in place of him, and he would have been known as the first man to break the sound barrier.
Andy

[This message has been edited by Andy Perreault (edited 04-11-2001). ]

 

[Andy Perreault]

Here's a pic of Chuck Yeager and one of Bob Hoover.
#ad

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Imagine what this scene must sound like:
#ad


I got these images from Mustang OPS

[This message has been edited by Andy Perreault (edited 04-11-2001). ]