Some things in this old world are best just left alone.  Others are given special, almost sacred, positions and they too should be left as they are.  But mysteries prevail and klutzes are not and endanged species, at least not where my family is concerned.

A previously mentioned uncle (see the Ghosts of Max Meadows) and a friend of his, who later became an uncle through marriage, where the orignal "good ole boys" Now here are two guys that basically are opposites, then they do attract, in most every way except getting into trouble and doing stupid things.

One such occassion came to mind the other night from a situatiion, that at the time this happened, would have never been dreamed of.

Seems these two, despite not having a job or "visible means of support" acquired posession of a 1949 Hudson.  It is; to this day; questionable as to how they acquired it.  One said he ran over it with his bicycle while it was parked on a dark country dirt road on the side of Armbrister Mountain and he was tired of pedaling and the other said "Dickie Bought it", and since they drove it everywhere, and the police never came looking for them and no bodies were found, we figure it was neither stolen nor did they murder the driver for it

But, of course, for two growing boys, it wasn't fast enough. So they proceeded to "Supe it up" as they say.  They took this car apart piece by piece.  They had parts all over my grandmothers sheets.  Had to have white ones since most of the engine parts were black and if they were on the ground they would never be able to find them.  And of course it was "hard to get parts for that model" (especially without money.)

Now these two guys worked every evening as long as they could.  Chores went undone, which is another story, and school work was no longer  necessary, since they had acquired life's goal, they owned their own car.  What else could they possibly need.

CASH - ah the monster rears its evil head.  It's not that cash is bad, but the lack there of, can, and often, does, make some people do foolish things.  Now they had to work to get money to run this thing and since now they were going to make it the fastest car in the world, lots of it. 

Colorful language can be developed when woking on a car and I, being one that no cat could hold a light in the curiosity department, never missed a word. Plus all those funny "do dads" laying all over the place, that everytime I got near them, they threw a fit, when they were working on them, were now left unguarded.

Weeks turned into months but finally they had it all done.  However, when they were finished there seems to have been some hanky panky going on between certain parts, because they now had two (2), what they called "Pistons", left over.

Now this presented a problem.  If they had left them out, as it seemed was obivious, then it meant they had to take it apart again.  Each blamed the other for the goof up.  They wasted another couple of weeks arguing, until my grandfather, who was tired of the sitting and fussing, said "have you tried starting it?

Now if they had forgotten to put them back in, as was very likely, this would be the end of their car but ... IT STARTED!  Ran smooth, no smoke, went forward and backward.  IT WORKED!

No one knows where the other pistons came from or if even the car actually was running on just the remaining four, as well as I remember, but it ws running and that was all that counted.

Yeah they were now the "Cocks of the walk", top rooster in the hen house.  Until ...

Gravity is a law not an option. So when you park a car on a steep downhill slope to go and sypon gas from the local police vehicles, set the parking break!  This way your get away car, won't, and you will.  Yeah ... shame, hit the Chief head on.  Boys decided they'd go in the Army,  rather than jail,  over the damage and gasoline.