Anticipation

Fourth of July

This morning I was out and about running errands for our business.  I noticed that everywhere I went there was anticipation in the air with the Fourth of July weekend ahead.  People are busy talking about their plans for the long weekend.  Some are going camping with family, others are driving to a favorite destination to meet friends or relatives for the weekend.  Our destination this weekend will be home.  It seems like such a long time since we’ve spent much time there.  I’m looking forward to working in the yard, finishing some painting and watching my husband work on a project that we started over 30 years ago before we were married. 

He has a renewed interest in finishing the 1972 Jensen Healy that we have had in our garage for our entire married life.  Last weekend our son helped release the rear brakes on the car so it can move.  My husband put the carburetor on the car and they had it fired up and running.  This past week he has ordered the radiator for it and has started prepping the various parts of the car for painting.  He’s got the two front fenders and two doors primed and waiting for the Competition Yellow paint to be applied this weekend.  Then we will bring the chassis of the car down to the shop and begin prepping the parts on the car for paint.

He bought two Jensen Healy’s while we were dating.  I still remember the ride home from the auction in the late fall.  It was a cold ride with no heat in the car.  One had a bad motor from an engine fire and the other had a good motor with a rusty body.  The plan was to use the good parts from each and make one car of the two.  When we moved from our house in town in 1992 to the lake we actually used a broom and dust pan to scoop up the leftover rusty parts from the one car and moved the remaining good parts to our new home to work on.  It sat for many years untouched and then about 12 years ago he worked on it for a while and got the engine and transmission installed in the car.  We actually took it for a ride down the road with the motor in it with no doors on it or seatbelts.    He’s decided that everything does not have to be perfect now, it just needs to be done.  He said he’s looking forward to moving it from the liability side of things to an asset we can enjoy.

The kids are excited for it to be completed.  Each year as prom came around for each of the four of them they thought maybe Dad will have it done for prom.  All the proms have come and gone but the goal is to have it finished for Heritage Days in Upsala, the second weekend in August.  It may not be completely detailed but I can now see the possibilities of riding in it for the parade.  I, too, am living in anticipation for the Fourth of July weekend and the possibilities it holds.

1972 Jensen Healy

Chevy 350 in Jensen HealySideview of Jensen Healy

Jensen Healy doors

 

Jensen Healy fenders

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