I keep clicking my feet together saying "there is no place like home" in hopes that I return from the nightmare before my eyes. It an unfortunate event this morning, a single bolt destroyed 3 1/2 years of work done by many family members... It's no one's fault, accidents happen. The important thing is that nobody got hurt.
I spent the day going through the car. Seconds turned into minutes, minutes into hours. The interior is completely burned up. From the original steering wheel I went to Kentucky for, to the headliner that gave me headaches, to the seats my wife re-covered for me. The engine seems to be ok, just black from smoke. Tranny is shifting fine, the new stain-less steel exhaust is good at first glance, the gas tank isn't bubbled from what we see. Rims are rolling and dirty, two tires blew out. The hood, driver's door, trunk lid, and deck pan are warped from heat. The worse being the roof, and the trunk lid. All the glass is gone. Cluster is gone. Front grill... gone.
There was no insurance on the car. After speaking with our agency, we decided to wait til spring to put any insurance on it. If I could only re-due that conversation. I don't want the money for the car. I just want the car like it was, the way we built it.
Today a part of me got burned up in that garage. It hurts real bad. I sat in the car two days ago to start it up again and listen to that big block growl. I long for the day that I'll hear Rusty's sound again. From the day I brought Rusty home I was eager to pick up a wrench and strive towards getting the car back to life and on the road. I don't know when that day will come now.
Where do we go from here? I'm going to be honest, I'm devastated. After the smoke had cleared and my family was safe, all I could think about was Rusty. Everything we had been through, and everything we were going to go through. On my way over to my parents' house I was trying to tell myself that it is just a car. As soon as drove down the driveway I couldn't pretend that it was just a car anymore. A father-son project that evolved into a father-son-grandchild project, to a Howard's family project. I could not hold back the tears as I walked up to the garage. We had some great times around that car... I loved that car.
I still love the car.
2 comments:
Oh man, I'm so sorry to see what happened to Rusty. I've watched your progress weekly, since the day you bought her.
My hope in time, is that you look past the warped metal, and charred interior, to see Rusty again.
She now needs to be reborn more than ever.
Hi Anthony,
I'm glad for you that none of your family members are hurt by the fire.
Although it's a shame for good al rusty. I hope for you that the car is still in such a condition that you can bring him back from the disaster that happend...
i'll give you best wishes and good luck for the rest of this year and hope to see that you still are going to finish this great ride..
Best,
Libert
from the netherlands
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