Category Archives: Dave’s News

Business, Dave's News, Family, Internet, Technical

My surface Pro X Nightmare

I violated my rule of “Bleeding Edge”

I’ve been into computers since the late 70s — when you had to assemble them yourself. I was a business computer salesman in 1982 when the IBM-PC came out with 16KB of RAM and a pair of single side floppies. I automated a collection agency I had ownership in back in 1983, sold that software to many other agencies. Was behind rewriting that system again to run on PCs, and started over again in 1990 with a clean slate – with the system know as WinDebt. I’ve owned a couple of computer software companies — and consider myself pretty savvy computer guy for an old man.

Every couple of years I treat myself to a new computer — always the top of the line as I do lot on it. I use to have a desk top in my bedroom, home office, main office and shop — but a few years ago I bought my first Surface Pro (a 2) and I have a hub, keyboard and monitor in many locations and just bring the tablet from place to place. About three years ago I upgraded the Surface Pro2 to a 2017.

For the last few months my 2017 has been showing signs of age. I have to have it plugged in all of the time as battery has expired — and the tablet mode (which I use most) has had the touch screen acting flakey. I knew the new Surface Pro X was coming out in December — so I hung in there and waited.

I received my X last week and immediately regretted it. It started with McAfee antivirus failing to install. The only message was call tech support. I did, and then hung up after 45 minutes on hold. I completely factory reset the computer and started over again — same deal. I uninstalled Windows 10, reinstalled and no soap. After wasting 3 hours I started doing Internet searches. There was nothing on the Internet about this problem — so I started looking for reviews on the Surface Pro X.

That’s when I started to find out that that while the hardware is Top Shelf with the fastest ARM microprocessor and 16GB Ram — on a 64-bit operating system — it changed a 25 year-old school method of how it uses DLLs. That rendered applications that didn’t get it together and rewrite their application to the faster standard inoperable – Just about all of them.

After finding out that I had to use Microsoft’s Firewall and Anti-Virus because none of the others yet work, I found most everything else I use is also useless. Fortunately Quickbooks Desktop and Quickbooks online both work. However, I use a virtual printer called Chax — which prints checks on blank check paper. I called their Tech support — and was lectured by their techie who knew nothing from what he speaks about Surface Pro being like an iPad — and not a computer. I explained to him that I had the most powerful personal computer on the market and it is nothing like an iPad. I tried to explain to him that its a new type of Microprocessor (ARM) and that I’ve read that there was going to be compatibility issues with older software. He told me that their software wasn’t older and that he could get it working. I gave him control of the computer with Gotomeeting — and he jacked around for an hour. I finally convince him to go to my Settings and About to see what I was running. When he did, he said “oh, your got a very powerful computer that is too advanced for this application” — I’ll have to tell management that we need to get to work on this.

Yeah Great! I spent the next hour ordering check printing on line for Quickbooks.

Next I tried to install and older version of Photoshop and it won’t install. I knew better that to waste my time — as the only option would be use the on-line per month charge version.
Next up was a VPN — Express VPN — the biggest, best, and most expensive. I tried twice to install and then got with Abi from their tech support. I explained that I had a new Surface Pro X and the ARM version of Windows X. He told me that won’t make any difference as Windows 10 is Windows 10. So an hour into this I have to reboot and he tells me that he’ll email me the steps to finish. An hour later and still no email — so I get ahold of Keajy and explain the deal. He puts me through the whole deal again — not listening to me explain about the ARM version of Windows 10. 90 minutes into it and I finally convince him to look at my about. I get the “Oh I’ll need to look into this.” After looking into it he says the only VPN I can do Spoofs my IP but adds no security. I don’t need to Spoof — I need security.

Next up is Microsoft, after my Brother laser printer driver won’t install and the Windows driver make white black and black white — to where documents look like negatives. At least when I explained to the Microsoft tech guy — he was prepared for a nightmare. I gave him control to the computer and watched him and someone else try like Hell to fix. The end result was that they were going to have to get with Brother to fix the driver and will get back to me in 24-48 hours.

So I write this to warn others — as this computer is so new that there’s nothing on the Internet about these problems. The surface Pro X is a great computer — but if you need a Surface Pro right now — get a 7 as it might be a year before all of this Windows 10 ARM app incompatibility is fixed.

Dave's News, Drag Racing, Technical

Petty Update

Shop today:
Detroit locker waiting for the carrier bearings and chunk gasket.
Took the rear wheels I painted along with the rear wheels to the Magnum XE to my bud at Discount. He took the 245s off the Magnum wheels and put on the Petty wheels, and put 255s on the Magnum.
Painted up the shifter handle extender and bought some Stainless Steels bolts, nuts and split washers.
Remounted the door cabinet 1/2″ to left as it interfered with other door.

Dave's News

Magnum GT Updates Coming

I’ve done a lot of work on this car, including new paint and leather restoring. Now…


Shop 1 is full with three cars all waiting on parts. So I move the Viper to a different part of the Bardominium garage, moved the Thug (its ready to race, just getting started and charge every Thursday) to where the Viper was and backed the GT in where the Thug was.

Next week, we’ll pull the GT’s drivetrain and everything else under the hood. The engine compartment will get cleaned and scuffed for paint. Same with the trunk and door jams getting scuffed and painted. The motor and transmission will get stream cleaned and painted. It will most likely also get a head, cam and intake change too – plus coated headers. The transmission will get a freshen up and a shift kit. The old window tint stripped off and the headlight covers polished. The bumpers blasted and gloss black powder coated. New Goodrich TAs and exhaust. The goal to be the nicest GT in existence.

Dave's News, National News

About Page At OldHippie.com

Old Hippie’s Social Network for Men

No Drama! Cars, Motorcycles, Babes, Racing, Sports, Guns and Other Man Shit.

This is a brand new Social Network created for Men. You won’t see pictures of cats, have coded posts begging for you to ask what is wrong, you won’t see questions on the best place to get your nails done, or complaints of migraines.

We are men! We burp, fart, scratch our balls, make crude comments and act like Men. We want a social network without Drama Queens.

Nor do we have a team of butthurt Snowflakes over-reacting to chickenshit and banning people over “Uber-Liberal Community Standards”. We don’t care about your politics, and won’t suspend you just because we don’t agree with you. Get on your soapbox and preach away. If we don’t want to see your posts, we won’t friend you.

This site is set up much like Facebook. There’s a marketplace to sell your general stuff, and there are Buy/Sell groups that are more specific. There are groups for cars, sports teams, local communities, regions, guns, and just about anything else men like to talk about. If there isn’t a group – feel free to create it. Join Groups to get their posts in your Newsfeed.

There are pages for business. Have a business you want to pimp, create it. Like them to get their posts in your Newsfeed.

Like Facebook, you friend people to get their posts in your newsfeed.

The software running this site has a ton of features, but the Old Hippie has. only started off with about 50% to start, and will enable more as time goes on. You can currently use this site on your smart phone by going to www.oldhippie.com – and the software running the site will sense your smart phone and adapt to it. Thst said, there is a stand alone Smart Phone app in the works.

While you can choose any unused Username you desire, but we ask that you display your real name so friends can find you with a search. Speaking of friends, please invite your friends to register and participate. This site doesn’t aspire to be a huge Facebook, they’ve become a huge Rat’s Nest selling your information, and they can have all of that. So all of that said, jump in, register, join groups, make friends, and post away. That’s what the site was created for.

Dave's News, Drag Racing

Shop Update 11/20/19

Ginger

Ginger, my Magnum Xe, is in the air ready for it’s Gear Vendors overdrive. However, one of the parts was not the right one, so it was sent back for them to exchange.

I ordered a Four Seasons AC fan from Rock Auto, but the one sent was defective. The motor won’t turn – and you can see the shaft is cocked at an angle. I got the RMA , boxed it up, put a Fedex label on – and its waiting to be picked up.

Petty Tribute

Valve covers are swapped out, as the black ones and the MSD Billet distributor couldn’t play nice together. A banjo fitting and drop base air cleaner were ordered. Also ordered was a C-Body shifter handle, as the B-Body won’t play nice with the bench seat.

The Victory driveshaft came in a little long, and had to go back for a trim. When all of that gets here, it will be ready to start.

I wet-sanded the steering wheel with 600 grit, and hit the backside with another coat of paint. Tomorrow I’ll flip it over and hit with a coat. Then 4-5 coats of polyurethane gloss and some wet sanding the orange peel a week after it cures ought to have a nice and tough steering wheel.

Stacker

Unboxed the Pit Pal Stuff and put in trailer. Mounting it all is on the very long todo list. Also need to mount the winch in the floor compartment. Have a couple cord reels and an air hose reel also needing to be mounted.

Other

The place I bought the coach (in Hammond, LA) mailed the Texas DMV the certificate of origin for the Coach and Chassis, along with the check for the sales taxes collected. The DMV called yesterday and told me that I had 14 days to get the coach inspected and titled or they’ll send the paperwork back. I’m leaving for the lake tomorrow, and plan to stay there through the Thanksgiving holiday. So I had to go get it inspected and drive to the Katy DMV to title and register.

Coming back from Detroit in my Ram 3500 and trailer, in the dead of the night on a State highway in the sticks, I hit a 300 pound Black Boar with the cruise set at 80. Since then, my truck has felt like the wheels were way ought of balance. I called my old softball bud (from 25 years ago), who manages a Discount Tire and had him order me a set of Continental steering tires. I asked him to check the balance of the ones coming off. The left was 4.25ozs off and the right was out of round. All is well now.

8.75″ 742 rear end going into the Stude “MoHawk) was rebuilt with new races and bearings, cleaned and painted.

An automatic gate opener kit I bought bought was unboxed, laid out, and I went over with the Shop Rat how to install.

Speaking of Shop Rat, he spent the day detailing the Magnum GT as a guy is flying in from Boston tomorrow to buy it.

So that’s how my day in the shop went today.

Dave's News, Political

Why Carry a Gun?

My old Grandpa said to me, ‘Son, there comes a time in every man’s life when he stops bustin’ knuckles and starts bustin’ caps and usually it’s when he becomes too old to take a whoopin’.’

I don’t carry a gun to kill people; I carry a gun to keep from being killed.

I don’t carry a gun because I’m evil; I carry a gun because I have lived long enough to see the evil in the World.

I don’t carry a gun because I hate the government; I carry a gun because I understand the limitations of government.

I don’t carry a gun because I’m angry; I carry a gun so that I don’t have to spend the rest of my life hating myself for failing to be prepared.

I don’t carry a gun because I want to shoot someone; I carry a gun because I want to die at a ripe old age in my bed and not on a sidewalk somewhere tomorrow afternoon.

I don’t carry a gun to make me feel like a man; I carry a gun because men know how to take care of themselves and the ones they love.

I don’t carry a gun because I feel inadequate; I carry a gun because unarmed and facing three armed thugs, I am inadequate.

I don’t carry a gun because I love it; I carry a gun because I love life and the people who make it meaningful to me.

Police protection is an oxymoron: Free citizens must protect themselves because police do not protect you from crime; they just investigate the crime after it happens and then call someone in to clean up the mess.

Personally, I carry a gun because I’m too young to die and too old to take a whoopin’!

Dave's News, Technical

Update On The Petty Tribute

Engine & Transmission

The engine, clutch and transmission were mocked up, including the shifter (after the above photos). When it came time to install the starter, we found we bought the wrong Flywheel. $300 later, a new one was shipped from Summit Racing. It will be here Thursday.

Under The Hood

Heater block off plate was fabricated out of sheet aluminum, painted blank and installed. The brake master cylinder and clutch slave cylinder were mounted.

Steering Wheel

I’d bought a Grant Wheel that I thought would look good, However, Grant doesn’t make an adapter for a 60 Plymouth. I bought and tried a 61-66 Mopar and 67-69 Mopar. As opposed to cutting up a good 60 Plymouth steering wheel to make an adapter, I decided to repair and paint the one that came with the car.

There were numerous cracks and breaks in this 60-year-old steering wheel.

First I V’d out the cracks and breaks. Then I wiped down with wax and grease remover. I mixed up some JB Weld Marine Epoxy and used it as the first filler. I let it harden for three hours before spending an hour with a razor blade and brown 3M pad cleaning up the high areas.

I then mixed up some fiber reinforced filler and slathered it into the on wounds. It’s setting up. Tomorrow I’ll trim the high areas and sand to shape. I’m hoping I’ll only need to apply one last coat of filler. Then I’ll sand smooth, hit with a coat of adhesion promoter, a coat of primer and wet sand. If it looks good after that, I’ll paint. Not sure if I’ll match the interior’s turquoise or go black.

This is kinda backwards, because I need to post the car build from the beginning to present. Stay tuned, as it will be coming soon.

Dave's News, Technical

Getting A Little Trim

I didn’t send the grill to the paint shop, but masked it off and painted myself.

The grill on a Magnum is chromed plastic, which has its edges masked off and painted over the chrome. I started by washing the grill, then wiping down with wax & grease remover, then carefully mask off the edges needing to stay chrome. Next I lightly scuff with a rough (brown) 3M pad. Some of the paint was very loose and exposed the chromed plastic under it when scuffed.

I sprayed the part with paint adhesion promoter. I started with two light coats, and finished with two wet coats.

A couple hours later I pulled off the tape and it looks like brand new.

The rest of the trim was reinstalled. I’d say that the paint job was a total success. I’m very happy with how it came out. Tomorrow the car gets washed and detailed.

Dave's News, Drag Racing, Technical

Screamin’ Woody Gets New Oil Pan

I post this mainly in case someone had same issue as me.

Charlies Oil Pans had been making the fabricated oil pan to fit the Screamin’ Woody, my 60 Plymouth wagon. Charlies went out of business and when I contacted Stef’s, they said 2 months and $1000 to make one. Milodon made a off the shelf that. fits, but no windage tray for a 4.50″ stroke.

I found that 440 Source makes a pretty good looking 7-quart fabricated aluminum pan that fits, and there’s a windage tray for strokes up to.4.501″. It only cost about $225 for both and looks to be pretty high quality.

Hopefully the crank comes back from machine shop this week and engine can start to go back together. Need to cut a hole for the external oil pump and swinging pickup.

Dave's Cars for Sale, Dave's News, Drag Racing, Internet, Technical

Brand New Classified Ad Web Site

Specifically for Motor Vehicles, Only Motor Vehicles and for ALL Motor Vehicles.

There has been and will be a lot of effort put into the creation of this site. If you have any car or car parts for sale, check out this site and help me get it rolling.

Click the Link to check it out.

Home – Old Hippie’s Ads http://www.oldhippiesads.com

Dave's News, Technical

Ginger Gets a New Interior

I pulled the seats out and replaced the carpet and floor mats. About 20 years ago, I pulled a ratty console and tilt column out of Gilligan, a Magnum parts car. I sent the console to an interior shop to be recovered, and bought a new console lids on eBay. I sanded and painted the non-granny steering column. The original tilt steering is available – if anyone with a 70s B-Body wants to convert their non-tilt steering to tilt. I bought a set of near new black leather BMW Coupe power seats, and installed them in the car.

The seat looked great, but felt too small for my wide back (and fat ass) – as I weighed 330 at the time. I weigh 250 now, and they’d most likely be great – but I ordered and waited 3 months for aftermarket black leather seat that were the widest on the market. They’re now installed. I have the BMW power seats wrapped and for sale. They be great in any muscle car with black interior. Black leather seats from a 2-door (allowing passengers to get into backseat) are rarer than hen’s teeth.

These seats then had a semi-gloss leather coating used on interiors back in the 60-80s.

You may note that the door panels and gauges are also different. Let me tell you about them. First the door panels.

The above is how they looked after 40 years of use. I scuffed and wiped down with wax and grease remover, and masked off.

I generally start with two light coats, and then one wet coat of spray vinyl dye. That worked well for the hard plastic and carpet, but the soft vinyl would have parts that looked like it was soaking it up. It was splotching with parts being gloss and parts being flat. I thought I’d must done something wrong in prep, but it finally came out OK by the time I’d hit the soft vinyl another six or seven times with a wet coat, waiting about 2-3 minutes between. It took a full 12oz can for first panel.

Same deal with second panel. I made sure I’d rubbed off all of the wax and grease remover, and let it air dry for an hour. However, same deal. Hard plastic and carpet looked good after two light and one wet coat, but I had to keep hitting the soft plastic with more wet coats where the dye dries in a flat splotches. When the soft vinyl finally was a consistent gloss, I had just enough left in the can to give the entire soft vinyl an even wet coat instead of just dressing up the splotches.

I think it came out looking pretty good. The gloss made the soft vinyl look a little loose, but it tightened up when clipped onto the doors.

A Couple of decades ago, I made an aluminum upper and lower panel, painted flat black; and then filed then with switches, vents, little lights and Dakota Digital Gauges. That look didn’t work for me, but it’s for sale if it works for you.

So I bought an empty gauge panel on eBay, and ordered about $1000 worth of custom gauges close to the size of the holes. I bought a large Speedometer (with Tach) that works off GPS; and a large gauge that has Volts, Oil Pressure, Coolant Temp and Fuel Level to fill the two big holes. To fill the two smaller holes I bought an Oil Temp gauge and a clock.

The two big gauge holes with the sleeves in them were too small by about 1/16″, so I had to cut the welds attaching the sleeves to the panel and pop them out. Once out, the holes were now 1/8″ too big. On the small gauge holes, I had to cut the inset hoods off as the gauges were too shallow for the screw on collars that attach the gauges to the panel to screw on the back of them.

To make the big gauges fit, I made some spacers from 4″ schedule 80 PVC sleeves, by hand sawing about 3/8″ off the end and wet sanding until they were smooth and the same size.

I mocked the gauges up to make sure they fit prior to doing any sanding and painting on the gauge panel. They did, so I glued the spacers onto the panel.

I wet sanded the panel and masked off the idiot lights.

After painting gloss black, it looked too gloss and cheesy. Some of the glue around the rings (that I swore I’d sanded all of the way off) was also showing.

So I decided to leave the coves glossy black, but have the flat portion in a hammer tone black – to tone down the gloss and hide imperfections. So I taped off the coves, sanded some more on the glue around the rings, and wet sanded the areas to get the hammer tone paint.

I hit it with two light coats with an hour between, and then a very wet coat after another hour.

And ready for installation.

Dave's News, Technical

Ginger Gets A New Suit

Of Poly Urethane Paint with Clear

IN the mid-90s, Ginger had it’s vinyl top Ripped off, scuffed and had a couple coats of lacquer applied. After 25 years, there’s some bubbling happening under the paint. So most of the trim was removed, the car washed, and I went over the car with a magnifying glass to mark any flaw with pink liquid chalk. I dropped the car off to the paint shop. They’ll grind and repair the flawed area, scuff the car with 400 grit wet sandpaper, spray a coat of adhesion primer, and a couple of coats of black poly urethane.

I”ll pick up the car after my road trip to Detroit, to replace the trim – after its been polished. I’ve done a ton of work on the car since I bought in the 90s. Search this site if You’re interested.