Page 72 - Issue 50

Black Box Breakdown
In anticipation of the 2014
Rat Rod Tour drive from
Minneapolis to Alexandria,
Louisiana, Steve purchased
a 1987 Chevy Step Van.
Basically, a big, black box
on a 1-ton chassis. Thus, she
was christened, ‘The Black CARHENGE
Box’. Powered by a 350 and We’ve been on so many adventures around
backed by a 4-speed, we don’t the country and seen so many crazy things,
think it ever had left the Twin but one thing that stands out is watching the
Cities in its almost 30 years sunrise at Carhenge in Alliance Nebraska. JERRY’S PANTS
of existence. And we were Maybe not the craziest memory, but certainly Jerry Ripley is not one to stand on the sidelines
about to ask it to drive Steve, something profound and beautiful. and snap photos… he’s all about getting
Craig, Sinclair, and myself from dirty and being right in the middle of the action.
the top of the country to the Case in point, his smoldering pants. After shooting
bottom. And back. the burnouts at Steelfest a couple years back Jerry
Craig became very adept at
Craig became very adept at returned to the Rat Rod tent with his pants
restarting her doing 65 on the full of rubber – some of it still smoking.
interstate when she backfi red
and died. We kept blowing
the electric fuel pump fuse so
Craig wired a toggle straight
to power to keep her going The box was a major
in between backfi res. We
pain, but through it all we
thought Steve was constantly pain, but through it all we
high until we discovered that made the entire journey.
the combo of a leaky exhaust
and holes in the fl oorboards
were robbing him of his last
few good brain cells.
W
We got to Alexandria and gave her a bit of a rest e got to Alexandria and gave her a bit of a rest
We got to Alexandria and gave her a bit of a rest
while the activities commenced. When it was time
to leave Sunday night, we loaded up and headed out
of town. Just as we crossed city limits, she backfi red
one last time and that was it. We pulled her over to
the side as far as we could so the semis whizzing by
didn’t splatter us into oblivion as we fruitlessly worked
on her. We made a last-ditch call to our Louisiana
guardian angels – Jaryd Kojis and Robby Stanley. They
diagnosed the issue, got us parts and got us going
- Alexandria to Minneapolis in 21 hours straight. The
black box was actually white when we got it, and we
purchased it only days before leaving for Tour.

72 RAT ROD MAGAZINE ISSUE FIFTY

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