I Love The olestationbus and Rich's Ocean Shore Garage

I have blogged many times about my olestationbus. It is a 1963 Ford Falcon Station Bus. thejeepjunkie approved my purchase of this ole buggy on ebay out in San Antonio, Texas. After an afternoon thunderstorm passed on by, I flew out and drove it back to the Taj Mahal in the Birthplace of Speed.

Now, I have to tell ya, every time I am out and about in the olestationbus, I get a shout out from somebody, be it the old hippie dude flashing me the Peace sign while he was walking down Central Avenue up in Flagler Beach last week or the cutie in the black Toyota FJ Cruiser flashing me a big smile earlier today....should have stopped and chatted it up with her but I will keep my eye out....

And while it is fun to cruise around in, I have had, although limited, a few problems with the olestationbus. But h*ll, it is 46 years old and I should expect that and do.

If you have been Counting Along With Me, you will remember the above image captured by the Kid as I was waiting for thejeepjunkie and him to come to my rescue. I blogged about it here.

The above image was captured by the French dude I bought it from outside the aircraft hanger where he keeps all his surplus cars and trucks.

And of course, the olestationbus along with the Kid's CJ5 down at their favorite fishing pier.

And then my sorry *ss stuck down on "The World's Most Famous Beach" necessitating assistance from thejeepjunkie to get me out.

Well, the past ten days or so I have been driving the olestationbus to a gig I got going up in Flagler Beach, about 15 miles north of the Taj Mahal. It has been working great until last Friday. I was heading south towards home and I get a phone call.

Now, I have to tell you, the olestationbus is not some modern soccer Mom's sound insulated, leather lined, CD toting, DVD playing, iPod connectable, GPS enabled, air conditioned mini van.

Nope, it is a 46 year old, wind blowing, rattling, shifting required, non power steering equipped, radio and air delete, 13 inch tire wearing predecessor to all that is the modern mini van. And I wouldn't trade for a modern one for anything. H*ll, anybody can go down to Gary Yeoman's Ford and buy a 2009 Econoline, and get a h*lluva good price, but not me....I love the cool old stock stuff, always have and always will.

Now, as a result of the climatic conditions of the olestationbus, whenever I get a phone call in it, I pull off to the side of the road to chat it up with whomever is calling me. It is just to difficult for this oleman to multitask driving that olestationbus and talking on a cell phone. Better safe than sorry.

And that is what I did last Friday, pulled off in the parking lot for the BiCentennial Park just up A1A a piece in Ormond By The Sea. As I am sitting there having a chat with Dan The Man about a few outstanding items, I hear what sounds like a toilet flush coming from inside the oledoghouse covering the massive 170ci straight six that powers the olestationbus.

"Well," I thinks to myself, "this is all kinds of Not Good."

I finish up that phone call, make another to the Rocket Scientist involved in this gig and look outside the rolled down, air conditioning providing, driver's side window of the olestationbus and observe a virtual sea of algae colored liquid flowing out from beneath that ole straight six.

I pop open the roof to that doghouse and see a gaping hole in the lower radiator hose and realize I am not moving from this spot without assistance of some sort. I climb down from the driver's perch in that sweet ride and start to hoof it down toward Ormond By The Sea central as I know there are a few garages in the area and I might be able to get a replacement hose and be able to carry on in my quest to find "What I Saw Today".

About 1/2 mile down the road, I realize my Parts Friends down at Beachside Auto Parts would probably deliver a hose to my sorry *ss stranded in the parking lot of the BiCentennial Park. I call thejeepjunkie to apprise him of my situation and get the number to Beachside as I did not then, but do now, have it entered into memory on my cheapo Metro PCS cell phone.

As we were talking, he told me to hold on. Where was I? What was the problem? Okay, head back to the olestationbus and I'll call you right back. So I headed back to the olebus, pulled out that trusty 80's era Budweiser Beach Chair, pulled out a copy of Classic Motorsports I keep in the ever present beach bag I keep in both of my means of transport, sit my skinny *ss down and wait for a return call. I had not even read the editorial before I get a call from thejeepjunkie letting me know Richie, Owner of Rich's Ocean Shore Garage, located less than 1/2 north of my stranded location, was on his way to rescue my *ss.

Richie whipped into the lot less than 1/2 of a second after I hung up with thejeepjunkie. He climbed in the passenger's seat, I showed a flashlight on the broken part, he commented, 'I'll be right back' and he was with about 10 hoses in tow. "This is why I never throw anything away." Dang, this guy could be a Lee Brother!!

He found a similar one right off and had it installed in absolutely no time. He even included a couple gallons of poor man's coolant, water!!

I tried to offer him some money but he said, "No, your brother owes me big time."

As he left, I was filling that 4 year old radiator with that cheap coolant and, after waiting for the 170 to cool off to clear that vapor lock, I fired the olestationbus up and headed back to the Taj Mahal.

At no time during this entire episode was I concerned about getting my old buggy repaired or running again. With these old toys, there is nothing complicated about them. Just old cars with old parts.

Know that I have since replaced both the upper and lower hoses with matches I found myself down in the "hose room" at Beachside Auto Parts on Monday. The replacement heater hoses go on tomorrow. Yesterday, as I was passing by his shop, I dropped off my old hoses for his collection as ya never know when another hoon like me might need one.


So, if you are ever in need of automotive assistance in the Ormond By The Sea area, do not hesitate to check in with Richie. That's his phone on the front window of his shop and the area code is 386.

And if he refuses to accept monetary compensation, a 30 pack of ice cold Miller Lite is a welcome treat for Richie.

Plus, I am keeping an eye out for a replacement frig for his shop. Know. I. Will. Find. One. Cheap.

And it is meeting these types of cool folks that helps me

Celebrate Life.