Day 558, A drive to Prineville

The old Prineville Redmond highway

I woke up after one the worst night sleeps I have  had in a long time.  The new mattress is rock hard and I now feel like Goldilocks, the first bed was too soft, this bed was to hard.  I'll call and see what I can do this afternoon after church.  I can not believe I am having this much trouble picking out a mattress, I'm not that picky.  I must be getting old!

After church, I took a drive to Prineville to have a look at the Packard.  Rick had called during the week and said they had the transmission out and most of the dash components.  I was really anxious to see just what it looked like and I had a pretty good pictures in my head.  I knew the back end was out, the gas tank was was off the car and all the suspension should be off too.

The Packard covered for protection during restoration.

The drive to Prineville is very scenic and I always take the old Prineville / Redmond, highway which is seldom traveled and it take you through the Crooked River valley below the high desert plateaus.  It is a picture right out of the old west and something that can only be described as a slice of Americana.  I have driven this route many times with the Packard and one of my most memorable trips was with a good friend of mine after a car event one summer night.  It was a full moon and the temperature was in the high 70's at 11 pm at night.  The top was down and I had Glen Miller playing, it was flashback to simpler times.  It was an amazing drive and one that is forever in my memory.

Some of the parts waiting to be used in the restoration.

I got to Rick's and the car was covered in sheets and plastic to keep it somewhat protected from all the dust.  It looked like I had expected and Rick said that they had most of the dash parts working, including all the lights and both heaters.  The interior was out of it to give them room to work.  Rick and his crew have created a list of all the parts they need to order for the rebuild of all the suspension and other components that need attention.

It was exciting the see the car coming along and the fast progress on the mechanical restoration.  There is still lots to do and Rick and I talked about getting a new 282 block to rebuild.  We have located one in the Seattle area and I really need to make the trip up there and get it.  It would be nice to have the correct engine in the car and have it completely rebuilt and ready for today's gas.

It was great weekend and I wish I had another day off to get caught up on more chores, but it's back to work tomorrow.  I did call the mattress shop and they are determined to  help me find the right mattress for me.  They are great people and fantastic to do business with.