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| A picture of my Cruiser in its state upon returning to camp the first day of the Classic. Yes, that sign on the windshield does say "Jim's Salvage Yard" | Steve Cramer and I checking out the new plate. |
The NOC NOC story:
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| A picture of my Cruiser in its state upon returning to camp the first day of the Classic. Yes, that sign on the windshield does say "Jim's Salvage Yard" | Steve Cramer and I checking out the new plate. |
Alright, here is the story as to how my '68 FJ40 got the name NOC NOC. While pre-running some trails for the Black Hills Cruiser Classic '99 my Cruiser developed an oil leak. Not just a little oil leak, but an oil-dripping-off-my-rear-bumper kind of leak. By the time I noticed the leak (after about half a tank of gas) I had lost 5 out of the 8 quarts of oil in my 2F engine. A bit of investigation found that the leak was coming from my front main seal. At the campground, Whispering Pines, I pulled my radiator and front pulley. I found the front main seal was basically torn to shreads as well as the timing gear cover where the oil seal is seated. Additionally I found a large groove (half way through) in my front pulley where the seal rides.
I was able to get another front pulley and timing gear cover from Charley Rupp (thanks Charley) as well as a new seal and gasket. I put everything back together and fired up the truck. And.... Knock Knock Knock Knock. I couldn't believe it, a deep engine knock.
Well, I putted across the campground back to my site from the canopy (thanks Steve C.) where I had worked on it, turned heads as I knocked by. This was Tues or Wed. and the Classic officially started on Thursday. From this point on, everyone who saw me thought it would be quite funny to tell "Knock Knock" jokes. To add insult to injury, as people started breaking things on the trail, my truck started to become the donor vehicle (see picture above). By the time the Classic was over, I was minus two 35" tires, a fan and fan clutch, a radiator cap, a tie-rod, and who knows what else.
Despite not being able to drive my own truck and lead my trail (Kong) I did have a good time at the event. Thanks to those of you who I rode with (Lee R., Steve C., my dad, Chris Q., Bill C., Will, and Duane N.).
Unknown to me at the time, Steve C. and Lee R. went around to a few campfires on the last night of the event and pooled together some money to get me personalized plates that read "NOC NOC". Five months later the plates show up in the mail and I was shocked to say the least.
Thank you very much to those of you who were involved in this, you guys are great friends.
And that is the story of Noc Noc.....