"LADY MARIA" is alive....again

[papabear]

In late May 2017 I began moving all my equipment and MVs to a newly purchased property with a 58,000SF warehouse and 10.53 acres to play in.

Lady Maria had not even been started for about 3 years prior to the move (since the last Veterans Parade we participated in), and since the move she has just sat...neglected, not started or even washed until yesterday. So, that's about 7 years of total neglect!! P.S....That engine has maybe 100 miles on a top to bottom rebuild as well as the trans.

Well....DOC, Harry and Roy are sitting up a display at the Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park today (Saturday) and as Roy is retired Air Force, he asked if we could bring "Lady Maria" up and display her.

So yesterday Tony and I were going to drag her over to our work area and try to get her running so we wouldn't have to winch her up on the trailer to transport....BUT NO!!! The rear wheels wouldn't turn!! Someone had jammed the shifter It wouldn't move) and she was locked in gear!! (We thought)

While I was on another mission Tony pulled the top plate to investigate and discovered that all the gears were rusty as all get out and the top plate and forks were seized!! Yes...that's ALL my fault and I need my butt kicked.

Getting the trans/top plate/shift forks freed up and lubed was pretty easy and we pulled her on over to begin the "git 'er runnin" mission!!

We installed a hot battery, pulled the coil wire and spun her over with no plugs (with 30W oil squirted in the cylinders) to get some oil flow going before any serious attempt to fire her up.

Now for the big moment.... We put the coil wire back on, put some hi-test (92 Octane) fuel in the tank (boat tank) and pressurized it to help the fuel pump pickup the fuel and tried to crank her.....no joy.

So.....We started trouble shooting and found we were not getting spark to the plugs. Rather than waste time, I ran to the parts house (O'Riellys) and grabbed points, plugs, and rotor and while Tony was installing them, I began initial body cleanup operations.

When Tony was satisfied with his work we tried again....still no joy. SO....again with the trouble shooting.

I'll make a long story short. After about 15 minutes of me telling Tony that it was impossible not to have spark with all new stuff installed (oh...the coil tested good), Tony suddenly looked at me and said, "Boss do you wanna punch me in the face"?? I replied "well, it depends on what you're about to tell me". Poor Tony said...."Well, she just MIGHT fire up if I install one of these"!! And in his little hand he was holding two (2) condensers (the old and new ones!!

So....after installing the NEW condenser we tried again and as soon as I hit the starter she came to life and ran like a new one. Of course I had to drive her around some just......well........because!!

So today at 08:00 hrs we will load her up and take her North to be seen and appreciated and I have vowed to keep her going and to keep representing!!

 

[m715mike]

Outstanding, Sir. Nice to see that she is running and will be displayed and enjoyed!

 

[Recovry4x4]

Excellent work gentlemen. She sure looks a bit prouder than she did when we looked her over in December. Lots of dormant MVs have been awaken from their slumber lately, many from your AO. I giggle every time I hit the starter button on the M51A2 and she roars to life.

 

[papabear]

Excellent work gentlemen. She sure looks a bit prouder than she did when we looked her over in December. Lots of dormant MVs have been awaken from there slumber lately, many from your AO. I giggle every time I hit the starter button on the M51A2 and she roars to life.

I feel good knowing the tipper and the fueler went to a good home!!

 

[papabear]

So yesterday we did a thing with a Boy Scout Troop and some "Pioneer days" folks in Pine Mountain, Georgia at the FDR State Park.

It was a low-keyed event and there were about 25 folks displaying stuff and maybe 50-70 folks who were there to see the park stopped in to see the displays. The Park Rangers were actively informing folks of our little setup in the various areas of the park.

God gifted us with a perfect day with some good friends and great people.

I snapped a few pics to share. The first pic shows Colonel Paul Longgrear (on the right). Just search his name and you will find some good reading about a brave Vietnam Veteran!!

The second pic is of "DOC" and the bird that took a liking to him and stayed on his shoulder for about 30 minutes. DOC was a combat medic in Vietnam , left the service then came back in and retired as a dental surgeon with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. The bird belogned to an Afghanistan Veteran and eventually went from person to person but always came back to DOC. When the Veteran was ready to leave he tried to get the bird and the bird threw a screaming fit!!

 

[papabear]

Here's a few more in no particular order:

 

[papabear]

OH.....And just in case you wanted to see some MV's..............

P.S, a few guys that were supposed to bring an MV didn't make it due to real world missions that popped up unexpectedly.

 

[papabear]

I guess the bug has bitten us because yesterday at breakfast at the VFW the Commander ask me if I had any ideas for Memorial Day on Monday, 31 May and of course I recommended a combination of a military vehicle/equipment displays along with car show free to the public.

The VFW will be providing free hotdogs/burgers/sodas to all Veterans and LEO/First Responders.

If any of you are close enough to Columbus, Georgia come on with what ya got!!