Yes, I am...

[Grumpy ol' Jim]

... that's why they call me Grump.

'Fact, I was really grumpy early today when my shiny new grille came in from airbagit.com and I discovered those people apparently think a Chrysler Town & Country is the same as a Dodge Caravan. Which brought me to this fine forum and I'll shut up about my grille woes until I post in the appropriate forum for it.

Hmmmm, can't seem to find the "They Screwed Up My Order" forum.

Well, I might not even be in the right place 'cause my car is a 2001 Chrysler T&C, but dang it, it's a hot rod to me. I have been very slowly trying to modify it here an' there. It still looks like a soccer-mom car mostly, but it don't ride like one and I'm hoping I can turn it into a very cool ride. Here's what it looks like now (yeah, that's me on my other ride):

Click for a bigger pic.

Mods you can't see are a thick shag carpet (I mean really shaggy), a larger diameter cat-back system and the beginnings of a hotter ignition system from MSD - gotta build a cold air ram first. The wanna-do list is too long.

I started customizing model cars in the 60s and hopped up a few of my cars over the years, but I just never seemed to have the time to do one up really nice. Been in the flooring business for 35 years and recently was forced into retirement because of lung disease (that's what that hose in my nose is for). Now that I have the time for a full-on mod, I don't have the money I used to have.

My other interest is in building websites and I run a nice little flooring professional and consumer oriented forum at www.TheFloorPro.com . I've been involved in computers and the Net since '92 and really enjoy it.

My home is the real Northern California, in a little place called Quincy, which is a short drive from Reno, NV. I like shooting pictures, especially if I can get a pretty girl to be in it, so I hope to decorate my posts here with images (most will be sans model).

Thanks for being here and I hope me and my T&C will be welcome (if not, please tell me where to go for customizing advice).

Later,

Jim

[Itoldyouso]

Welcome Jim. We love all kinds of cars, especially ones that someone is working on. Glad to have you here.

Wish you the best with the lung situation. Looks like it doesn't keep you down at all. I've seen people riding those gyro thingies, look like a lot of fun. My luck, the gyro would go out and I'd go head over heels.

Don

[techinspector1]

Jim, it's different strokes for different folks. Pull up a chair and yak with us awhile. This is a great forum and you won't get flamed for rodding a...uh...minivan

I was heavily into models until my early twenties. I began working for a Quaker State oil distributor in Charlotte and one of the ladies who worked there had a young son who was also into models. I had sort of grown out of it by then and gave the boy box after box of models and parts, including some full Moon aluminum discs that I had turned on the high school machine shop lathe. His ear-to-ear grin was worth every bit of it.

[Grumpy ol' Jim]

Hi Don,

Thanks for the welcome. That gyro thingie is a Segway - last years model (okay, it's 2 years old, but they don't bring out new models ever' year). They're pretty safe too. Safer than a bicycle. I use it as a handicap mobility device, so I can take it into stores and just about anywhere a wheelchair can go. There's some people who think it's too much fun to be a handicap device, so they balk at letting Segways in places like Disneyland and a few cities have banned them from various areas. But that's just because they don't understand them (is that a nicer way to say they're ignorant :O ).

I modify ever'thing:


Go 'head, click it, you know you wanna.

Those are spinner caps I got from a Segway dealer in New Mexico - a rip at $69.00. I lost one right after that picture was taken and got some really cool looking wire wheel covers for less than half the money and they fit better the way I modified them (sorry, no pic - gotta find another model).

Jim
PS: Thanks, Richard. You posted as I was composing this. Appreciate the welcome.

[R Pope]

Something I've wondered about since I first saw how they work....Does a Segway fall over if you hit a slick spot and spin the wheels? It wouldn't be able to roll up under you if it was spinning, would it?

[Grumpy ol' Jim]

Shortly after I got it, I tried going slow over an ice slicked speed bump and it slipped out from under me. I ended up on my butt. The wheels were not spinning after the fall. The wheels can't turn by themselves if you aren't standing on the base unless you are guiding it. Left standing in ride mode, it will fall forward and stop.

Jim

[mopar34]

Welcome to CHR, Jim. Good name Grumpy... that's what we call my father in law. He even has the Grumpy shirts to go with it.

Couple of years ago when I was in New Orleans (that's Nawlins for some of us) they rented Segway's for touring the river side of the French Quarter. (3 days before Katrina) They were really kinda of fun. Would be neat to have one, but their price is a little steep for me. Would rather spend the money on a new Bowtie ZZ383. About the same $$$

[nitrowarrior]

Welcome Jim....when's the seway going to get some more power? You know we can't leave things stock...

[Grumpy ol' Jim]

Welcome to CHR, Jim. Good name Grumpy... that's what we call my father in law. He even has the Grumpy shirts to go with it.

HAHA... I have the T-bird to go with it: http://www.grumpsplace.com/images/au...1965ht03_l.jpg

Couple of years ago when I was in New Orleans (that's Nawlins for some of us) they rented Segway's for touring the river side of the French Quarter. (3 days before Katrina)

Yeah, I know the owner's mother. Katrina put him out of business. Segway tours are a nice little business. I should try it in my neck of the woods.

Welcome Jim....when's the seway going to get some more power? You know we can't leave things stock...

People have tried and failed. About the only way is to put bigger wheels on.

Jim

[moparjack44]

Welcome to here, and you shoul feel very welcomed, because there are a lotta grumpy people here, but not me .

Jack