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Alpine Cat Jamboree / Joseph, Oregon / Jan 10th-12th

GMoose said:
Now for the bad news. We got loaded and headed on our way home around 1 pm, just in time to hit the storm. Sounds like 1boringguy who had left early and headed east back to Idaho had fair roads, well we didn't. There were several hours of 20 to 30 mph on I-84, but that isn't the bad news. We were just about a mile out of Ontario Oregon, almost to the Idaho border and I got hit with a side wind, it pushed me, the truck and trailer halfway into the other lane, thank goodness no one was next to me. Now the lucky part, I pulled into Ontario to fuel up. Got out of the truck and see the hood on the Frandee open, if I hadn't stopped I would have never known the hood was open. The wind had hit so hard it popped it open, I think a contributing factor was that I think during use over the weekend the screws on the passenger side hood hinge had come loose and allowed the latch to not have as much holding area. Well when the hood blew open it smashed into the bracket which holds the steering ski when it is in the up position. This punched a hole in the hood and gave it a big crease. Hopefully I can get this repaired before Sun Valley, problem is I can only paint in the summer, I do not have a heated garage. May have to actually pay someone to paint after I repair (what a cheep a$$). After I fueled up in Ontario I had to pound the dent out with a hammer to so I could get the hood to relatch, then strapped it down and away we went. I also added a strap to the doors so they would not fly open. Guess I will always have a backup strap on the hood and doors when on the interstate now.

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we, at the tucker mafia were saddened to see your beautiful Frandee was damaged, so, we took up a collection to help you get the hood painted by a professional heated shop, really want to help, so your poster cat will be ready for it's close up...

we have $250.00 that we will be happy to send to your body shop of your choice,

just let us know and the money is one its way
 
Pontoon Princess said:
we, at the tucker mafia were saddened to see your beautiful Frandee was damaged, so, we took up a collection to help you get the hood painted by a professional heated shop, really want to help, so your poster cat will be ready for it's close up...

we have $250.00 that we will be happy to send to your body shop of your choice,

just let us know and the money is one its way
Click to expand...

:clap::clap:
 
:sad::sad:
GMoose said:
Now for the bad news. We got loaded and headed on our way home around 1 pm, just in time to hit the storm. Sounds like 1boringguy who had left early and headed east back to Idaho had fair roads, well we didn't. There were several hours of 20 to 30 mph on I-84, but that isn't the bad news. We were just about a mile out of Ontario Oregon, almost to the Idaho border and I got hit with a side wind, it pushed me, the truck and trailer halfway into the other lane, thank goodness no one was next to me. Now the lucky part, I pulled into Ontario to fuel up. Got out of the truck and see the hood on the Frandee open, if I hadn't stopped I would have never known the hood was open. The wind had hit so hard it popped it open, I think a contributing factor was that I think during use over the weekend the screws on the passenger side hood hinge had come loose and allowed the latch to not have as much holding area. Well when the hood blew open it smashed into the bracket which holds the steering ski when it is in the up position. This punched a hole in the hood and gave it a big crease. Hopefully I can get this repaired before Sun Valley, problem is I can only paint in the summer, I do not have a heated garage. May have to actually pay someone to paint after I repair (what a cheep a$$). After I fueled up in Ontario I had to pound the dent out with a hammer to so I could get the hood to relatch, then strapped it down and away we went. I also added a strap to the doors so they would not fly open. Guess I will always have a backup strap on the hood and doors when on the interstate now.

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:sad: :sad: :sad:

A small consolation for all of us that love the Frandee, if anyone has the technology to rebuild/repair it better than before, it's you.

Have to say I learned a valuable lesson from the Moose's this trip, my first cat gathering. If you bring an alternate driver you can ride/drive and check out the many other people's cats. As Yoda would say, 'Very Important This Is'
I'm sorry I didn't get to do more of that. Definitely looking forward to the next trip.
 
we, at the tucker mafia were saddened to see your beautiful Frandee was damaged, so, we took up a collection to help you get the hood painted by a professional heated shop, really want to help, so your poster cat will be ready for it's close up...

we have $250.00 that we will be happy to send to your body shop of your choice,

just let us know and the money is one its way
Reply With Quote
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When you read this in sort of a "Joe Pesci/Robert DeNiro" type voice in your head...it takes on a different feel. Remember the restaurant owner in Good Fellas? Remember, once in, it's for life!!:shitHitFan:
 
mikemikelle said:
When you read this in sort of a "Joe Pesci/Robert DeNiro" type voice in your head...it takes on a different feel. Remember the restaurant owner in Good Fellas? Remember, once in, it's for life!!:shitHitFan:
Click to expand...

there it is right there......


It's for life.....

:th_lmao:
 
Pontoon Princess said:
we, at the tucker mafia were saddened to see your beautiful Frandee was damaged, so, we took up a collection to help you get the hood painted by a professional heated shop, really want to help, so your poster cat will be ready for it's close up...

we have $250.00 that we will be happy to send to your body shop of your choice,

just let us know and the money is one its way
Click to expand...

Well that is beyond generous, however this morning while in the shower, were I do some of my best thinking, I figured it out. I have an enclosed trailer I haul my timbersled snow bike in, it has a heater I use to thaw the bike out with after use. I am going to unload the trailer, heat it up and place the hood in there for curing after I paint it outside. This should work, don't worry no open flames. If this does not work I will do the repairs and get someone or a shop to shoot it. I had thought about just doing a patch job to get me by for the winter, but my wife said "Frandee has to look her best for Sun Valley in March". So, I will get it done. Also just had a thought, my friend Shawn Lish who is restoring a Tucker 442 may have a heated area in his shop I can use.

Once again thank you for the very generous offer, but I have to pass.
 
Excellent Idea!!!! You never want to get in a place that you "owe" the mafia. Cause some day they will come to collect. Just saying.
 
Couldn't quite get my cat ready for Joseph Jamboree. Looks like it was a great outing! I am definitely interested in the Sun Valley event. Anyone know the specifics of that one? Ready to register today!
 
Frandee hood is all pounded out, welded, blased, and bondod. Taking it to a shop tomorrow to have it painted with some left over primer and paint from when I restored it. Should be back in operation next Friday.

Here is my make-shift sand blasting cabinet I made for working on the Tucker, in fact if you look close there are Tucker parts in there. Worked great for blasting the Frandee hood.

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Hood ready for painting:

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Frandee 37 hood is repaired and reinstalled, ready to make some tracks in the snow.

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What a great trip! I couldn’t have asked for a better first cat gathering experience. The location and the people that came really made this event. Joseph is a really cool little town and seemed to really embrace having us there - nothing but smiles and thumbs ups from the locals.

I really enjoyed putting faces to names from the forum - seriously nice people that I can’t wait to be around again. Thank you to everyone that helped me keep the Gobbler running. Day 1 it didn’t have enough juice to fire up and Rob came over with his jumper box to get me going. Then it shredded a steering pump belt coming off the trailer. Several people walked over with all their spare belts in hand to see if they happen to have one that would work. Unfortunately it was down for the day. Thank you to Jesse for the ride that day. Day 2 I ran into Enterprise right after our breakfast meeting to get a belt. Thanks to the Central Point guys for helping get the belt on in the parking lot - that 1956 Tucker belt tensioner is a pretty poor design. I unfortunately held the group up a little bit that morning and I apologize. It ran great and put in more miles than it probably has in years. Day 3 - Jesse noticed that I had a broken track link right before we were getting ready to pull out of the parking lot. I was going to just park it again so that I wouldn’t hold up the group again - but Jesse and Clyde said we could put a new link in it in a couple of minutes. Thank you to those guys for dragging me through the whole weekend.

I think we got very lucky on our weather - despite the forecast of 1-3”a day the whole weekend - the roads only got better and better. And we left at just the right time! That ride out of Joseph was really something - you guys are crazy!

Thank You to Jesse and Connelly for putting together such a great event - I absolutely can’t wait for the next one. Thank you to everyone else for a great trip!
 
So I just wanted to share this story and say thanks again to Tucker (Jesse).

Because we were just grabbing the continental breakfast in the mornings I had missed getting the goody bag, t-shirts, poster when they were given out. Jesse told me Saturday that if I would catch him after the run he had mine for me. I forgot, and since I missed catching up with the group Sunday I'd gotten home without it.

Wasn't worried about it, but a few days later Jesse called and said if he could get my address he'd send it. Cool, class act.

Unbeknownst to me I would find my first Tucker, kind of a big deal :wink:, a couple weeks later and make a quick trip up to BC to pick it up. When I got home late the second night with it, the package from Jesse was in my unopened mail. The contents seemed a bit of synchronicity that was kind of cool in light of. Thanks to Tucker Sno-Cats for sponsoring the event, and the goodies, and again, Jesse for the event, and the extra effort.
 

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…. the vinyl Tucker ''glove box'' bag's are cool. I've only come across one in the past, cleaned out a shop at a ski mtn. that had gone out of business long ago. it was in the bottom of a file cabinet , still had most of the books in it ….:thumbup:
 
OO,
Wouldn't have guessed the bags were that scarce but they probably just get tossed as they get to be in bad shape, as vinyl does over time. I was disappointed that the operators manual wasn't in this one, but did have the engine manual and an old Tucker operations log that's kind of cool. It's always nice to get some of it's history with it.
 

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Thiokol; "Hey Frandee that snow looks pretty deep, better watch out"


Frandee; " Here, hold my beverage."
 
1boringguy said:
OO,
Wouldn't have guessed the bags were that scarce but they probably just get tossed as they get to be in bad shape, as vinyl does over time. I was disappointed that the operators manual wasn't in this one, but did have the engine manual and an old Tucker operations log that's kind of cool. It's always nice to get some of it's history with it.
Click to expand...

……… hey 1BG , … somehow I missed your reply, my bad...… the history literature is always cool. but the engine manual is a huge find....nice . I'm not much of a ''reader'' ,... usually the first paragraph makes ZZZ's audible. but I can read a service manual ...cover to cover..... go figure...lol
 
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