Took my 702 for a cruise :)

[Horse'n Around 22]

Well this past Sunday I was bored so I fired my 702 up and took it for a ride. As many of you might already know I live in a really small town,people are used to seeing folks drive tractors and other farming equpiment on the roads here, but not one this small, I drove it for a good mile long ride to my friend Kellys place and it ran great. I even got myself into a race (sort of) with an 89 yr old man who is a friend of mine, he was driving his rechargable "Rascal" cart. He has a plastic milk crate mounted on the front of it. He has a cute little dachshund that loves to go for rides in it. It was funny, here we are "tearing up" the asphalt and the whole time his dog was standing with his front paws on the edge , his tongue was sticking out and he was wagging his tail at me. (everything I see them at the Post Office I always make it a point to pet the little guy and give him treats....the little dog not my friend ) This gentleman is amazing, hes a wonderfull man,a interesting side note is he was paratrooper in the 101st Airborne, 506th I Co. He made the jump on D Day into Normandy and made it all the way thru the war without getting seriously injured.Im honored to have him as a friend,what a nice man!

Back to my adventure with my 702....I remember thinking to myself, if Im going to keep going cruising with my Wheel Horse ,Im going to have to install a CD player in it . I live just off Hwy 80 which is the main road to Tombstone and lots of folks honked their horn to give the geek riding the Wheel Horse the thumbs up I dont care I had fun with it and thats what matters. a few of the people here know I have own WH's and want to collect more when I can find them,but this is the first time they have seen me drive one of them. I need to hook up a tach and set the governor, you can tell right off that at wide open throttle its RPMs are too low and that it isnt set even close to its max safe RPMs, but aside from that, it ran like a top. I was smiling from ear to ear . Im really looking forward to getting Dads 702 running too so I can take it for a ride also, however I need more parts for Dads,gas tank,steering wheel, hood and starter/generator are the major parts Im needing. but Im making good steady progress on it so Im really happy about it.

Anyway I just wanted to tell you about the joy ride I took this weekend, I think I just might take more of them

John

Sadly, still stuck in Arizona for now (but were trying to escape big time)

[horsefeathers 15]

AzTrooper,

Road trip on a 702? Hope you packed a lunch!!!

AAhhhaa... a boy and his horse! How could you go wrong?

Did you win the race? Dumb question! You were on a of course!!

I'll bet you made that dogs day!! Here's to dog slober in your eye! (toast!)

I keep hearin' yer movin' back east! Anywhere close to Pa.??

Lots 'o Horses to add to yer stable back this way! Easy pickin'!

That desert heat is over rated, get back here to the seasonal changes!!

I 'am sure you'll love this place!!!

Look forward to meeting you soon!

HORSEFEATHERS!

[Gene_S 93]

Great story John... :)

[sorekiwi 761]

Anyway I just wanted to tell you about the joy ride I took this weekend, I think I just might take more of them

John

Thats what its all about, John!

When you get back east, you'll be able to mow grass and push snow instead of taking a Sunday drive!

[B-8074 20]

You can still take the sunday drive. I drive mine to the gas station to fill it up. It's more fun than using the gas can. :USA:

[wheel horse 1045 2]

great story,sounds like you and the rascel guy had fun and thats what its all about :)

[Roger from southern Iowa 1]

Great experience John!

Thanks for telling the story.

Take more of those rides and keep them smiling. :)

[Horse'n Around 22]

"I keep hearin' yer movin' back east! Anywhere close to Pa.??"

Actually PA is where we are going to move to, we have the money to move and all saved up but were waiting for my wife to get transferred to a store in the Chambersburg,Gettysburg area. She has been with Walmart for 11 years and she works in the office doing invoicing( paying the stores bills etc.) There are over a dozen new Walmarts set to open in the surrounding areas of Gettysburg and Chambersburg.. but they have to get all the permits etc before they can break ground on the store, when they break ground they start hiring and bringing in the employees.She is already in the system for the transfer, She always gets "exceeds" ratings in her evaluations, in faact she got a "Role Model" rating in her last evaluation.Right now were just waiting for her to get transferred and were outta here I sure loved it when I lived there, I really miss it there, I was born here...but your absolutely right about the desert,while it has its own unique beauty but PA is home to me and Im happiest there. Plus like you said.... there are Wheel Horses galore to be found there... I cant wait. I just hope that Y'all dont buy them all up before I can get moved there Please leave some for me too ok????

On a side note... the so called race didnt go so well, my friend actually beat me by a hair.... thats why I need to adjust the governor on my 702 so it will rev up to its its allowed RPMs, right now Im getting about 1/2 of where it should be. Wait till I get the governor adjusted right, I already told him I want a rematch and he smiled and said hes not going anywhere and that he will be ready to smoke me again

John

[horsefeathers 15]

AzTrooper,

Chambersburg, Pa.!!!! Ohh yeah!!!!

Your in the heart of Horse country!

Just a short drive to the big show in Arenotsville!!

You lucky dog you!! Nice country out there!!

Soo.... Will we see you at the big show next year?

Race won buy a dogs nose!!

No shame, hold yer head up!!!

That dog fueld his masters adrenlin thats why he won!!

And he had a fresh battery! Not a 48 year old !!!!

HORSEFEATHERS!

[massey 119]

Great story! And an actual paratrooper from the 101st from D-Day.....priceless. :)

[Ken B 3,189]

Great story John! :)

[earlleecliffton 38]

tell that man thanks from me too!!!! my uncle gave it all in france,1943.

[wheel horse 1045 2]

you dont know it but the old guy has a Hemi under that rascal seat :)

[rmaynard 16,299]

Chambersburg, PA. That's just a stones throw from me. I'm about 40 miles southeast of there. As ole Bud said, hope to see you at the WHCC show next June.

Glad to be havin' you as a neighbor.

Bob

[linen beige 15]

my friend actually beat me by a hair....

A dog hair by chance?

Your story reminds me....I need to get one of my Horses out and take my girls for another ride.

[Horse'n Around 22]

I told my buddy Luke who drove his Rascal to a upset victory over my WH that if he tied some antlers on his little dog it would be just like a scene out of the Grinch that Stole Christmas... his dog would look just like the Grinches dog Max when he had him pulling his sled. Of course I made it very clear that I wasnt calling him a Grinch in any way, shape or form its just with that little guy with his front feet propped up and his tongue sticking out as we tore up the tarmac it just reminded me of the Grinch and Max. He just laughed and said it was his Grandkids and GGrandkids favorite Christmas "pictures"and he jokingly said that he took it as a compliment to me compared to the Grinch. In the past year or two Luke has been having a harder and harder time getting around , he used to ride a big red quad with the milk crate bungeed on the rack on the front for the dog, but now he cant swing his leg over it very easily so he uses the Rascal. I used to take him down to the wash and we would shoot some of my guns.Among my favorites in my collection is my collection are my military issue M1 carbines (not the commercial ones) and I also have a really sweet M1 Garand, and a really clean origional 303 Enfield Jungle carbine. He didnt shoot the Garand or the 303 because he is frail now and the recoil could easily hurt him but he loved shooting the carbines, especially my Inland with the folding paratrooper stock.He blindfolded himself and he showed me how he could still strip and reassemble them in the dark. He doesnt talk about the WW2 or Korea much, but from time to time he brings it up, I really like talking to him about all sorts of things, but when it comes to his experiences during WW2 I always let him bring it up then we talk about it. It sure is interesting. Actually everything he says is interesting, he is loaded with not only a great sence of humor but a lot of Wisdom. He reminds me of my Dad a lot, just older. He always says that of all the journalists that covered the war, he really liked and respected Ernie Pyle.

Unfortuneately this is one of those times when I try hard to learn from something that I remember my Grandma saying when I was little, she said, "patience is a virtue you learn as you grow older"... Im 47 and Im still trying to learn to be patient at times like this.There are things in life that we have a certain amount of controll over as far as bringing about a outcome somewhat sooner, be it working harder,being persistant in solving a problem or coming to a conclusion, etc. We have saved for the move so financially and in every other way we are well prepared, we have the details worked out , we just have to wait untill we can get transferred and that is something that we just have to be patient about We know it is going to happen but just dont know when, so its just a waiting game at this point. I remember in June I was watching everyones posts and checking out all the pictures in the weeks and days leading up to and after the show all the time wishing that we were there already so I could go too. Im really looking forward to meeting as many of you all as possible when we move, I feel like I know a lot of you already. Ive found that Wheel Horse and garden tractor enthusiasts and collectors as a whole are really great folks. I cant wait to move closer so I can participate in meet and greets and what have you and have fun with everyone:) Plus I want to buy a zillion Wheel Horses and implements and a snowblower and have snow to use it on and I dont just want any ole snowblower... oh nooooo....I want a full race snowblower that will throw the snow all the way to Arizona...You know, something that Horsefeathers would dream up and build Somehow even if I could find one here, it just wouldnt be the same you know, you can only sling cactus just so far...plus its illegal to dig up or remove cactus Of course I will have to make sure that among the Wheel Horses that I get to keep my two 702's company, I will need one powerfull enuf to power the Mega Snowblower I have been dreaming about I know, I know... Im pathetic

John

[Coadster32 793]

This is a nice thread. Thanks for sharing it. :)

[VinsRJ 723]

I agree, thanks for sharing. :)

[Roger from southern Iowa 1]

John, you're an amazing man with an amazing friend.

Too bad you're not stopping by southern Ia on your way to Pa. Would love to meet you.

[Suburban 550 28]

John, lookin' forward to your move to Pa. and getting the chance of meeting you at the Wheel Horse Show. You'll be right in the heart of horse country. :)

[sorekiwi 761]

Hey John! I hate to break the news to you... but blowing snow is way overated.

It is definately a lot more fun than shovelling the stuff, but its a lot less fun than say sitting on the beach in Hawaii.

It wouldnt worry me at all if I never saw the stuff again (from someone who chose to live in the Lake Effect snow capital of Ohio...)