Lessons Learned
Wiring in a 1951 Chevy
A three or four day project is now in month six and I am about three or four days away from completion. The latest set back is the ignition switch.
It is brand new. I purchased it on Friday. Yesterday morning I installed it. It worked – twice. And now I can’t turn off the ignition or remove the key. Defective parts. And as it is an electrical item there is no refund. Symbolically this sums up the on going effort to get The Beast on the road.
But I have learned quite a few lessons along the way. As an added bonus, over the course of the past six months work on this project, a bout with COVID, minor home disasters that required immediate attention, and the pressure of assorted deadlines have nearly eliminated the need to find excuses for drinking.
The intent had been to have The Beast on the road, at least locally, in time for the National Road Trip Day proclamation festivities on May 27. I am starting to wonde if the Route 66 centennial might be a more realistic deadline.
Meanwhile work continues on array of projects that will enahnce our ability to tell people where to go, to inspire road trips, and to share adventures. Counted among these is discussions with a professional podcast developer that should dramtically enhance Wake Up With Jim and Coffee With Jim.
Social media issues are another source of frustration. As we learned with the locking of the Jim Hinckley’s America Facebook page in February, and our inability to resolve the problem, social media is a necessary evil. We have also learned that we have little overall control.
Still, as with The Beast, we will work to resolve what we do have control over, and to find suitable partners. We now have over 1,000 followers on Instagram. Twitter is still anemic as is the YouTube channel. But with some new partnerships that will enhance overall quality and free up time for development, we are confident that these platforms will greatly enhance our ability to tell people where to go.
Meanwhile, as time allows, work will progress on The Beast. As is usually the case with such endeavors, if I invest $10,000 or so, and several hundred hours of work, I should have a rock solid, dependable old truck that is worth at least $5,000. And if can make the endeavor a priority, a Route 66 road trip from end to end should be feasible in time for the centennial, or at the very least, the sesquicentennial.