#5 A 1969 Ford F100 - I was taught some lessons with this one

Isn't it amazing how hind sight let's you see all of your mistakes?  I am leaning toward having everyone assigned a crystal ball so we can vividly see the end from the beginning not have to learn evrything the hard way.

Lesson #1 The best looking vehicle isn't always the most mechanically sound.
The 69 Ford that I had actually ran pretty well, except for that one time when it wouldn't idle for nothing.  If you drove it and kept it revved up, it worked great, but as soon as I took my foot off of the gas, dead.  I learned all about points and how they can wear out and have to be replaced and how they won't allow a vehicle to idle properly if they are in bad shape.

Lesson #2 Parent's in Law are very forgiving people
After I bought this Ford the automatic transmission died and I didn't have the money to pay someone to fix it for me.  What the heck, I knew a little something about mechanical work and procedures right?  After all, I did successfully rebuild a VW motor on our kitchen table, totally qualifies me to tackle this.  So I needed to find a transmission, after shopping around it became painfully obvious that this wasn't going to be cheap.  I found a junk yard in Emmett that would sell me a used transmission to install and they would even guarantee that it would work.  So I was like...Cool, what could go wrong?  Yes, what could go wrong?  My In-laws graciously volunteered the use of their garage for the transplant and I went to work.  I got the first tranny (foreshadowing) and after much trial and error, sweat, greasy hands and arms, and some bloody knuckles mixed in, I was done.  I filled it with transmission fluid, and with much anticipation I put it in gear...nothing.  Good thing it had a warranty, I pulled it out again (this was like a 3 hour process for my unskilled hands) and took it back.  They gave me another one, I installed it (another 3 or 4 hours) filled it with tranny fluid, got in to start it and Tracy noticed a puddle forming on the floor.  Not good.  This one leaked like a sieve.  3rd times a charm, I was already into this so far, I wasn't going to back out now.  Back to the junk yard, another transmission and another install (I was getting pretty good at it by now).  This one finally took.  Hallelujah!

Lesson #3 Basset Hounds love to chase Fire Trucks
Baxter liked to hang out with me while I was working on the truck.  I was under the truck this one day and he just took off, flew down the driveway and high-tailed it down the street fast, and I do mean fast, especially for a Basset.  I climbed out to see Baxter keeping up with a Fire Truck howling and biting at the wheels, ears flapping in the wind.  Hillarious.