Lots of things going on in my life, but not much with the T-bird. Over a month ago, I took some pieces to Chrome Guy... a set of rear exhaust "donuts" appropriate for an early-model '55 that I got a good deal on, and the front "bullets" that I modified for projection fog lights. The chrome on these pieces around the fog lights was very weak, and the whole fog light thing was really just an experiment to see if it would work, cosmetically.
I like the effect of the fog lights well enough that I felt it was time to scrub off the rust and have the bullets re-chromed. I took them to Chrome Guy when I was in Torrance for a technical conference. I also spent some time with Uncle Cord, and saw the progress on his '36 Cord 810 Westchester sedan. Uncle did a tremendous amount of work, modifying an '85 Olds Toronado chassis to fit under the Cord monocoque body. The project is probably a year from completion, and it's exciting to see the pieces start coming together! A month later I attended another workshop in Redondo Beach, picking up the chrome and visiting Uncle again. There was noticeable progress on the Cord in just a month, as Uncle started laying in the custom wiring!
The difference of the new chrome isn't obvious, since these pieces are small and partially hidden, but I think the overall look is much more professional. Of course, better chrome on the bumpers makes the weak chrome on the grille more obvious!
Here's a shot of the front and exhaust donuts and fog lights uninstalled. I painted the bases black, just as they were originally. I used tough black epoxy primer.
Nell continues to run well, and is a real joy to drive on sunny Southern California days. The satisfaction and memories associated with driving this car are priceless to me.
Dad died just over a year ago. In his effects, I found a stack of letter he wrote to my Mom before they were married. I have not really been emotionally ready to read them until just this month.
It is very touching to read Dad expressing his love to Mom, and talking about his life and ambitions. As I work through this grieving process, I think I'm getting a more healthy perspective on Dad's life, and I'm becoming more comfortable with who he was and who I am.
