Community News
Pahrump Valley Gazette, Thursday, April 24, 1997 21
i
A Very Shady Proje c t
Glistening, shining, sparkling in the sun. A rare mechanical
diadem radiating a heavenly spectrum of reflected sunbeams to
dazzle and enthrall the passing viewer. This is my beautiful and
ethereal dune buggy.
Painted a shimmering and icy white, squatting gracefully
between fat bulgy sand tires and powered by a snarly snapping
unmuffled engine designed to frighten the neighbors and dis-
tress the deputy, the beautiful buggy is tastefully adorned with
bits of shining chrome that serve to highlight it's beauty and
efficiency. A glorious machine it
is and a suitable shining compli- r' hadow
.......... In The Thermomete s S
ment to me numbJe noomty oht s -
owner. • by Mike Dougherty
/ct And therein lies the problem. ' '
1,,':une buggies don t like sunshine. :
Seems unreasonable that a mac h_.e designed to operate in the :,:i!
desert is allergic to the sun, but that s how it is. Sunlight quickly -e
fades the best of paints, it soon drys and cracks the robber in the
tires, fuel lines, brake lines, and oil lines. Unprotected uphol-
stery quickly resembles a cloth of straw. Dune buggies,just like
that car in your driveway, don't like sunlight.
First attempts at protecting the new and expensive buggy
were basic tarping procedures. A large canvas was bought at
Harbor Freight and suitable ropes and bungees were assembled
to accomplish the tie down. Only if there was totally no wind
could this be considered a one person job. Often my very
understanding and loving wife was pressed into service to help
with this chore. Our marriage survived. Tying the canvas in
place was at best a half hour job. Usually done at the end of a
very strenuous day.
Wind, wonderful desert wind. The canvas would flap against
the restraining ropes and gently wear away the paint it was
supposed to protect. Sharp edges of the buggy would eat holes
in the straining canvas and strips of tom canvas would flap in the
breeze. Life expectancy of a large tarpauline, about sixty days.
Time to wrap and unwrap the buggy was always unacceptable
and never convenient. To fold and store the unwieldy canvas
was a joyful chore all of its own.
To make the canvas experience totally wonderful, after a rain
moisture would collect under the canvas and induce rust in the
expensive new buggy. Time to consider alternatives.
Car covers. Ready made car covers cost over a hundred
dollars and none are shaped like my buggy. Custom made car
covers start about three hundred dollars and nobody is inclined
to believe the shape cover I need. Modern modular sun shading
carport type structures advertized in the auto magazines. Try
four thousand dollars. In Pahrump they'll build you a whole
garage for that kind of money. What to do. What to do. The
buggy on its trailer stands eight feet tall and the ideal would be
a structure under which I could tow the buggy on its trailer and
Around Amargosa with Andrea
'byAndreaLynn
The Amargosa Clinic would Fife to encour-
age patients to bring in tbeir copay atthe time of
their visit. Also, if you have a new insman
please bring in your card so itcan be copied. If
you have a new address, phone number, etc.,
come in and update your patient information
sheet. Thank you for your help with these mat-
teas. As always the clinic is open from 9 a.m.-
noon and 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.
The Chamber of Co is holding a
Business Open House Saturday, May 24th at
the community center. This is for all businesses
in the valley. Come show your stalE. There will
also be a swap meet, conmaunity potluck, and
bingo on Saturday from 9 &m.- 5 p.m. Tables for
just unhook and it's done. Dream on.
Begin the Great Car Port Study. Pahrump is full of homes
with awnings, car ports, ramadas and such. ! slowly cruised the
neighborhoods like an aspiring burglarchecking out the various
structures. Why this brace, why this strut, is this structural or
decorative?
Shoshone, Tecopa, Baker, all of the desert towns were
checked. Plans available at building supply stores were checked
and it seemed those plans are designed to sell lumber and nails.
A visit to the Gazette's Patti
Babcock. Husband Brent is an
engineer in I..as Vegas. He does
a bunch of light building on
Rancho Babcock and close pe-
rusal of his efforts provided
some profitable insights into
economical design.
A night with pencil and graph
paper. A design is produced calling for 6 ten foot 4x4 posts, 14
ten foot 2x4s, twenty sheets of corrugated iron roofing, and
assorted fasteners and paint. A free standing car port of 20 feet
by ten feet is designed. The top is to be bolted to the uprights so
it can be disassembled and moved. The idea is to park the dune
buggy under the roof and drive away.
Materials are bought at Home Base in Victorville and the
project begins. Every time a job is started, the phone rings and
I have to go make some money. The work area is a jumble of
stacked lumber and roofing.
Careful measurements are made and the uprights are placed
and lean in all directions looking totally confused until they are
leveled and tamped.
Long side pieces are assembled on the ground and lifted into
place most carefully on a calm day. The side pieces twist and
dangle from the center supports until the bolts can be tightened
and the end pieces set.
A box like structure takes place atop the 4x4 uprights. Barn
red paint is applied to all surfaces including the painter. The
paint makes the new construction fit in with the existing barn red
sheds. The corrugate metal roofing is installed. Oops. Bad
instructions. Should have bought more roofing and increased
the overlap. It's only a car port so not to worry.
Screws are used to fasten
the roofing for security and to
avoid a lot of hammering of
nails on the light supporting
structure. Its starting to look
ILke I might have known what
I was doing..Sheer luck.
It's done ! I pull the trailered
buggy under the new shaded
the swap meet are $5.00 each. The swap meet
extends until Sunday, and will be fmished off
with a raffle. The proceeds from the raffle will go
towards beautification of our eemeaaT. If you
would like more infommtion or want to reserve
a table call Mike at the Senior Center (702) 372-
5413. He is there Tuesday through Thursday
from 9 m. - 5 p.m.
Kindergarten screening takes place Tuesday,
April 29th at the community center from 8 n
.3 p,m. R will be in the apstairs meeting room as
the VFW is holding a bicycle safety class for the
students in the gym are For more information
on the kindergarten g call the school,
(702)372-5342. .
Y ROCK & SAND
727-1490
High.Quality Construct/on Materials
Plaster Sands • Masonry Sands • Top Soil
Type 2 (Brown or Grey) • Pit Run
Reject Sand * Blow Sand • Concrete Sand
Pea Gravel • 3/4 Rock (Brown or Grey)
Leach (Septic) Rock • Oversized Rock
LANDSCAPE DESIGN & PLACEMENT
SAVE MONEY " DO IT YOURSELF It
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK
On Rachel Court, East of Vieki Ann. South of Manse
parking area (with Shirley's help to make sure I clear on all sides
and the top) It works! A few recent winds haven't bothered the
structure a bit and the buggy needs merely be unhooked under
the tall car port and it's fully protected from the sun.
There's only one small problem. The buggy no longer sits
glistening in the desert sun. Nobody can see it shining in all of
it's glory. The beautiful buggy sets demurely in the shade and
none can admire its sparkling beauty or it's owner.
Total cost of materials: Under $300. Labor was free which is
about what it was worth.
Illllll Illl I II
The Tommh JUs m¢il
Jmm
Dmer
At the Tonopah Convention Center
May I0, 1997
Cocktails 6:00 p.m.
Dinner 7:00 p.m.
Prime Rib Dinner
Music
No Host Bar
Door lh4.sos
Raffles
Fun
$20.00 per person
Tickets can be purchased at
ABarL
Brown's Photo
Western Auto
Tonopah Middle School
All proceeds go to the Tonopah Arts Council
To brtug the arts to our community
For more information
Can 482-5O95
Celebrate the Artsl
• i Gi, i " 'i '- iii,l' ? i' ,
KHWK Radio
From Pahrump to Bishop
has you
covered!
For the latest news, information and the finest
music programming be sure to tune to KHWK,
broadcasting from Tonopah. If you're traveling the
vast distances of Central Nevada's desert terrain
you still can't miss us!
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