A brand new RTS owner picked up his ex-GGT bus in CA yesterday and is now heading home cross country to NC. If you find yourself on Interstate 40 in the next few days, make sure and watch for him. I heard from him this morning and he is in AZ. This guy is a longtime RTS lover and has some good plans for this bus.
Here is the last shot I have of him as he was getting on the road yesterday. Be safe, Jeff, and enjoy the ride!
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Songman,get in your Eagle and come to Colorado Springs this weekend and join us Eagle people there at our rally we also have one every year at Quartzsite AZ and other places.Enjoy your new bus and don't let the rust jokes get to you. good luck
I wish I could make it! I used to live in Colorado Springs when I was a kid - around 66-68. I have never been back there since we went back to GA. I have been as close as Breckenridge but never made it. I will definitely be making Quartzsite. That is just a good drive for me. I was through there a few months back on my way to Tucson. We'll be steel tenting it for a while, but I am going to drive this one instead of letting it sit like the RTS did.
This Eagle is a good Southern CA Eagle so rust is not an issue. I'm going to do some treating while I am building it to make sure it doesn't ever become an issue. Now if a bunch of you guys want to get together and come on out here and help with a roof raise, I'll supply the BBQ and beer! ;D
Remember SongMan "Rust Never Sleeps". I've always wanted to "Play" the streets of Bakersfield" Find me a gig or 2 out there and I'll come help you.
Ron, there ain't much left out here truthfully. I came here from Nashville 5 years ago hoping some of that 60s magic was still here but didn't find anything. I used to travel with Merle so it seemed like a good place to come to. Bakersfield made the same mistake Nashville is trying to make - trying to outgrow their country roots. The only real honky tonk left here is Trout's in Oildale. But they did just put up the signs for Merle Haggard Drive so that means there are a few people here who remember and still appreciate what this place was. Most people I meet don't even know what Bakersfield meant to country music. But come on out. We'll find a place to pick!
Songman -
Not much going on 110 miles north of you in the way of honky tonks, either. Most of the small clubs either play hip-hop, the really bizarre rock stuff, or are located in a part of town that the average country music fan would not be, shall we say, "welcome" after dark. Even the newspaper's entertainment columnist rarely mentions country-oriented stuff.
Weird thing is: one of the biggest country radio stations in the state is right here (93.7, KISS Country), it's usually #1 or #2 in the quarterly Arbitron ratings for the market, and has been for the last 10 - 15 years. Interesting, too, that country artists, on average, pull larger audiences into the two local arenas than most other musical acts that play here (with a few odd exceptions). (Can thank my friend who works at Pollstar for that info. . .)
Speaking of country concerts, I had scheduled my very first visit to the Crystal Palace, and wouldn't you know it. . . Buck passed away one week prior. :'( :'( :'(
If you came to B'town from Nashville, I suspect you've probably been in that Yakety Sax player's club in Printer's Alley when it was open, eh? Sad he's gone now, too. . . :'(
FWIW,
;)
Where in NC is the new owner located? There are several of us across the state.
Tom Hamrick
1984 Eagle 10S
Tom, he lives in a little town called Mebane between Greensboro and Raleigh. Amazingly enough, he is an audio engineer. He does some country and bluegrass stuff, but mostly does sports jobs for ESPN.
Russ, I used to almost live on Printer's Alley in the old days it seemed like. My favorite haunt was Barbara's. Something about walking down those stairs into a club below street level made it seem cool I guess! Printer's Alley pretty much died for country music too.
Country fans are starving for good music. They are being force fed this crap Nashville puts out. I have too many friends who were stone cold country when they were hungry and after the labels got them they turned them into Tim McGraw/Kenny Chesney clones. And they wonder what people are going to the internet to get their music.
Any time you want to come down, let me know. We'll go over to the Palace. They still have some good music in there from time to time. Ray Price is coming soon. It don't get much better than that.
I visit an old HS friend there every spring.
I know what the problem is-no more Arkie hillbillies like me are moving there! In the '40s-'50s they moved to Bakersfield in droves. I guess their kids and grandkids don't like country music.
At least you are lucky that Don Fairchild and three or four other good diesel shops are there. That is a great town for a busnut.
Is Don Fairchild still alive? Haven't heard a peep out of him since he left Union City with a crunched truck behind his new coach.
Yep, I just got home from his shop. The truck is in the shop being repaired and he is working the little annoying bugs out of his Country Coach.
I am glad to have him here in Bakersfield as well. He is the reason I am starting over with an Eagle instead of the RTS. He made me a deal I couldn't refuse. The RTS was low miles but I'm starting with no miles on the Eagle with a new engine Don is putting together for me. It's gonna be nice!
Any of you guys that come through, give me a yell!
Just got word from Jeff. He passed through Tucumcari, NM this afternoon. The bus is doing great and he said he got just over 9mpg on the last leg. This was at about 60mpg, he said. When he was running up closer to 70, the mpg was considerably lower, down to about 7.5.
Quote from: Songman on September 26, 2007, 05:53:30 PM
Yep, I just got home from his shop. The truck is in the shop being repaired and he is working the little annoying bugs out of his Country Coach.
I am glad to have him here in Bakersfield as well. He is the reason I am starting over with an Eagle instead of the RTS. He made me a deal I couldn't refuse. The RTS was low miles but I'm starting with no miles on the Eagle with a new engine Don is putting together for me. It's gonna be nice!
Any of you guys that come through, give me a yell!
Songman,
Tell Don we have all been wondering about him since nobody had heard from him since he left! And I'm sorry I didn't get up and come out and say good bye, or write an estimate for the insurance co, as I'd not got in till 4AM and was sure glad GARY had asked them to ask me to park MY BUS IN THE GARAGE! I really didn't even have a clue all this went on, until quite a bit later when I did finally get up around 10:30-11ish. Then when I heard what happened I really felt BAD, but on the other hand had my garage been knocked down, and my bus been hit, I'd been jumping up and down, laying on the ground rolling and holding on the phone for the insurance rep! Ya you got it I'd been so mad, for just long enough for it to sink in that someone else's insurance company was gonna buy me a new shop and SETRA! That I'd be roll'n and try'n not to laff too hard! I really am sorry his truck got hit (twice) and from what I understand the guide wire to the main power pole, kept the shop from getting hit! Tell Don we still love him, and I wish I'd had more time to spend learning from him while he was here! I told dad Next YR if our buses leave here while the rally is on, they will be driven by hired drivers! Oh yeah, ya'll read that right! CAT gave MOM a tour of their bus, Mike & Jay Hill's Transit bus, Captin Ron's Bus, and Mike & Jay Hill's NJT MC9 (that Ron is building cabinets in) today, and she's acting like she's got the BUG! She really thought Dallas' & Cat's bus roomier inside than she'd thought from looking at it from the outside! The Transit was cute (just needs some major cleaning and finishing touches/updates). Ron's was NEAT and just perfect for a Biker bachelor or even a young couple! She really didn't know about Mike & Jay's 9 except that she liked the work Ron is doing and loved the Jacuzzi tub, but would need to see it when more is done before she was sure about it. Then she asked and just when & what is Frank gonna do with his bus?
I told Don about the Halloween Bash. You never know! He's just liable to show up. That is the same weekend as my Coast Run so I know I can't make it. We'll get that Eagle on the road and be making some events next year. Too much fun is going on for us to keep on missing it!
Quote from: Songman on September 26, 2007, 09:17:27 PM
I told Don about the Halloween Bash. You never know! He's just liable to show up. That is the same weekend as my Coast Run so I know I can't make it. We'll get that Eagle on the road and be making some events next year. Too much fun is going on for us to keep on missing it!
Ya got me there! I can't say I know anything about it! ;D BK ;D
Dang! I could have sworn I read something about ya'll having a Halloween thing. I even thought it said something about costumes for a party. I must be getting oldl! :o
Quote from: Songman on September 26, 2007, 09:44:52 PM
Dang! I could have sworn I read something about ya'll having a Halloween thing. I even thought it said something about costumes for a party. I must be getting oldl! :o
Or I just may not know what goes on around here! Besides I were my costume yr around! LOL! ;D BK ;D
Hey Songman!
Do you know what number GGT bus he got? You know who I am!
- Steveggt
Hey Steve,
Yeah, he bought my old one, 1123. You must not have had time to check out my RTS forum for awhile. A buddy of mine offered me a deal on an Eagle with a brand new engine. He offered me a deal I couldn't refuse. hehe. For my needs at this time, the extra bay space was the clincher. But I still love the RTS and the forum will keep going.
This guy, his name is Jeff, said when he first saw an RTS years ago he loved the shape and thought to himself what a beautiful conversion it would make. I hope he will be joining both forums soon.
Pictures from the road!
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Dang, that bunny rabbit looks like he's in love with that bus LOL.
WVaNative
Looks like somebody stopped at the "Bunny Ranch"! :o
Quote from: Green-Hornet on September 29, 2007, 06:53:28 AM
Looks like somebody stopped at the "Bunny Ranch"! :o
Naw that's in NV! Those pics were taken just outside of Flagstaf, az @ The Twin Arrows Truck Stop (I think that was it's name back in the day!, I actually thought the place had been closed down of about 10-15 yrs ago. But I ain't been out by there in so long what do I know!) FWIW ;D BK ;D
Quote from: Busted Knuckle on September 29, 2007, 07:10:53 AM
Quote from: Green-Hornet on September 29, 2007, 06:53:28 AM
Looks like somebody stopped at the "Bunny Ranch"! :o
Naw that's in NV! Those pics were taken just outside of Flagstaf, az @ The Twin Arrows Truck Stop (I think that was it's name back in the day!, I actually thought the place had been closed down of about 10-15 yrs ago. But I ain't been out by there in so long what do I know!) FWIW ;D BK ;D
Geez, that brings back memories...
I had thanksgiving dinner there in 1988 or 1989. Besides me there was no one but an old Amerind lady and her daughter.
I was headed to California with a Komatsu P200 Trackhoe which kept me off the road from 1/2 hour after sundown the day before to 1/2 hr before sunrise the day after Thanksgiving.
Since I was the only one there, the ladies came in and fixed a thanksgiving dinner for me and sat and told me stories of growing up on the reservation.
The only other vehicle that stopped in was a couple from Ohio or Michigan headed for San Diego.
The ladies stayed all day so I could come in and go out as I pleased. The fuel pumps were closed and it was a cold, blustery day.
When they finally decided it was time to go home for the night, they wouldn't accept my money for the meals.
I ended up slipping a couple of hundred dollar bills in the older ladies coat pocket as I walked them to their car.
In retrospect, even though I was 1800 miles from home and family, cold, upset and fed up, it was probably one of the best Thankgivings I've ever had.
Dallas
That's a neat story, Dallas. It's nice to find good people in the world.
The Twin Arrows is closed down. The arrows are still there though, although one of them is in pretty bad shape. I remember that from our last trip across in January
I got an e-mail from him this morning and he is finally home. Maybe he'll sign up and post here after he gets some sleep.
Songman,
You mentioned "the new engine that Don is putting together for me". Can you give us more info/details on the "engine" and "build" ? Please.
Thanks,
John
Hey John,
The engine is going in an 82 Eagle. It would have originally been a DD 6V92, but we are going with an 8V71 with a turbo. Not sure about intercooling or not. Don (Fairchild) will have to tell me what he is doing with all of that. I know he is installing a jake brake on it for me too. He said it would be about 450hp. His company is called Clean Cam Technology Systems and is a company that has figured out a way to make 2-stroke diesel engines meet modern emission standards. I think we are going to use one of those engines in my bus as sort of a showcase as well.
Don's website is http://www.cctskit.com if you want to take a look at what they do. I'm going to help him update the website soon but you can see how the kit works anyway.