Getting to know each other.

[dazedandconfused]

I have started this on a few other sites. I know allot of our members have met at events and know each other. There has also been allot of newer members that started posting for the first time or again. It's always nice to know a little about the guy behind a username. Well anyway a little about myself. Names Andy and I'm a 29 year old singke father to a little girl and a Grounds keeper/mechanic for a local college. I got started in Diesels in 02 with a 1st gen powered chevy. Have owned just about all of them over the years but the 1stgens are still the best. Anyway this lets us have a little better idea who we are talking with. Share if ya like.

Andy

[CumminsPower59]

Ike here, I have met several of you guys out at Michaels (Iowa) and at SOP this last year, it's always good to put a face to the name and what not. Like Andy, I also am a 29 yr old single dad of a five yr old little girl, I work full time for the Iowa National Guard in a maintenance shop, servicing everything from 3k generators to the 8x8 HEMTT's. Been to the big sand box twice. I have owned only four diesels over the years, a 91 W350, 82 Toyota, the 92 W250 I have now, and my dd, a 04 VW TDI. I love diesels of all shapes and sizes, and like Andy, I prefer 1stgens above all, seems I can never shut up about them. I hope to meet more of you all, and hopefully I can make a few more events this next year

[1STGENFARMBOY]

Darwin age 45 married 25 years, i have been a hot rodder all my life but diesel has only ben a pasion for 10, auto mech
for 5 years then and electric motor mech for 21 now i'm over the warehouse and S/H, it lets me enjoy working on trucks
at home.

I have a son 24, daughter 19, and grand daughter 1.3

i also have an 03 TDI 5spd jetta.

I live on a 4th generation small farm with a few cows and alot of hay, big into old 2 lunger Deeres and hiking/kayaking/
camping/travel, the wife and i teach the young married class at sundayschool, she went to collage on a singing scholarship.

thats about it.

Dar

[ellis93]

Names Ellis Fortenberry and I'm 31yrs old. I've two kids,a girl(4) and a boy(1),both I consider my greatest achievements. Married to my wife for 10yrs.
I've been in and around autos,trucks,and equipment all my life, from handing tools to rebuilding 60series detroits. I went to Universal Technical Institute,in huston Texas, from 2000 to 2002. I took the Auto/Diesel/Industrial course. Then moved back to Mississippi when my father found out he had cancer. My brother and I have taken over my fathers mechanic shop that he started more than 30yrs ago. If it rolls on rubber or tracks,we'll work on it.

I've had countless gas vehicles that I've hopped up,never a diesel. Until I found this site it was "why bother,they're turd slow"and"they're only good for towing". Now I see a little differently and am interested greatly in this.
I've had my dodge for 8yrs now and I can't see my self without it. The truck will literally rust away before I let it go, I've had others and I've never liked any as much as this truck.

[ahale2772]

HI, Im Alex (I picture one of those name tag things)

I'm a youngin' ,22years old this sunday, been busting knuckles on weird rigs since I was little, grew up around my dads restoration buisness doing everything from british cars to heavy equiptment. these days I work as a Co-Op student playing with hydrogen fuel cells, but on the weekends I work on cars and play diesel. Im a senior mechanical enginnering student going on my 3rd attempt at calculus 3 and Ive got more car projects than I can shake a stick at (directly related to the calculus failures) Ive got a girlfriend of 4 years (as of tomorrow), a few dodges, A z28, a Mini, and a Pitbull what else could you want?

[diesel freak01]

My name is Zach. I am 28. Graduated from Nashville Auto Diesel College in 07. Worked as a mechanic for a couple years, now I am in sales for Walker Machinery in WV/Ohio (Cat Dealer). Grew up on my grandpas dairy farm with the IH flavor of equipment. I love working on old vehicles, hate working on new stuff. Love my 93 and like Ellis said it will rot away before it goes anywhere. I also have a 79 Ford that will rot before it goes anywhere. Not married but been with the same girl for 4 years now. No kids as of now buy maybe someday. I have met a few people from here and hopefully things will work out that i can meet some more of you in the next couple years. My biggest hobby is shooting sports and tractor pulls.

[oldestof11]

Jon here. Newer to diesels but always a motor mouth.

3rd 1st Gen I have owned. Best one yet and I am loving it. If all goes well, by this time next year I will have the parts for a triple turbo 1st Gen.

Married 2 years, no kids, 23 years old. Currently I unload trucks for our food factory but I recently got a promotion to building maintenance. More money and better chance of advancement. If I ever leave, I will be able to do HVAC, wiring, plumbing, etc. That starts the 5th of Dec. Starting my 5th year here in a couple months and have a nice sized retirement fund.

[cmann250]

I'm Caleb. I'm a senior in high school, 18 years old. So i could be considered a super-young gun. I'm one to read alot and help when i can on these boards. Hopefully i fooled most of you on my age

I'm a part time farm hand and a full time student, but often i get those roles reversed. I have the same Calculus and diesel relationship that Alex does. No kids, not married, not anytime soon.

This is my first diesel pickup, i like it, but i really wish it was 4x4 often. I wanted a 7.3L PSD for so long, but they are way over priced. I'll still get one some day, but i'll always have a 1st gen around.

[Tacoclaw]

I'm Levi, 25 years old.

Graduated from Nashville Auto Diesel College in 07.

Glad I'm not the only one. I think I went there from 04-05, but it may have been a year later. I work as a mechanic/operator on equipment at a sand and gravel quarry my family owns. Mostly Cat stuff, but there's some Deere and Terex running around there too. I was a Ford Ranger/Toyota Tacoma man for quite a while. Spent a lot of time working on them. Not really making them faster or anything, I was just really good at tearing them up.

My dad bought my truck brand new back in 1990, and I learned to drive in it when I was like 8 or 10 years old. Bought it off him a few years ago, after many more years of begging, and have been doing my best to make it unrecognizable to him ever since.

I do some occasional 4-wheeler riding, ammo wasting, and beer drinking. Since winter's here I figure it'll be time to get reacquainted with the old Xbox again.

:edit: Oh yeah, the old lady. Been dating her for about 5 years or so. I'm not in any rush for marriage or kids though, how am I going to fund a $3K engine build for my $3K truck with all that going on?

[Hansen01]

My name is Jack, i am 17. i am a junior in highschool, possibly the youngest one here and have a 1990 dodge diesel. am interested in mechanics, have done a bundle of different things and spent what seems like alot of money on my pickup i work for my uncle on a farm, and do anything from scrape dirt, to pickup after the flood, to planting to mechanics, guess thats how i got into diesels, really need to make it to one of these first gen meets sometime

[skilletky]

Chris, im 25. Graduated from UNOH, went for diesel. Went straight from there to were im at now, Averitt express. Been here for going on 6 years now. Love diesels, my favorite is mine played paintball forever, was going to get back into it, but diesels are alot more fun. Not married yet, but might as well be. No kids that I know of, always happy to lend a hand when someone needs it.

[m880cummins]

No Jack,

I think I AM the youngest person on this board... 17 since July...

Been wrenching since I could walk. Helped dad on mopars (some funny family videos) probably the funniest is of me walking on 1966 dart wagon tinted side windows as a 3yr old and my dad freaking out lol.

Started on Wheel Horse garden tractors and Clinton small engines and have always been Mopar by heart. Got a Cummins to play with and trying to balance social life with school like most young people. Want to go to college for mechanical engineering (need to beef up my math skills a little more but getting there). Side activities include snowboarding and guitar.

Last week I was driving with the girlfriend and asked..."Do you notice anything different about my truck?" She said "No". I said, "It's quieter now"... and she debated me for the rest of the ride. I was laughing my ass off and whenever she would talk I would just get into the pedal a little more. Gotta love the humor. Its kinda fun because we can both joke at each other without getting angry....

Charlie

[Hansen01]

haha me to
except im the last day in july, so you are older, not buy much tho

[dpuckett]

My name is Daniel and I'm a dieselaholic. Seriously, though, I'm 32, married 2 years, with our first little one on the way. I'm a farrier, along with driving a truck locally and doing some welding on the side on a part time/temporary basis. Eventually want to work up to shoeing full time and ditch the trucking. Wife is a real estate agent. I'm a country boy, grew up riding and roping, and enjoy just about anything horse or diesel related. Bought my first 1stGen in 1999, and have been hooked on them ever since.

DP

[BC847]

Bunch of young'uns. I need an old-fart to trump me.

I'm David, soon to be 53 with a wife of over 20 years (I dunno anymore) and three young'uns. Twin 28 year old daughters and a 29 year old son. Grand-Daddy Pete sold Alis-Chambler tractors in Wallace, NC. Grand-Daddy Charles drove an 18-wheeler Mack truck in Jersey. Daddy worked as a shift-leader at the Ralston-Purina plant, then eventually became a professional mechanical engineer and finally was physical plant director at the local college. I got to experience both the big city and rural farm living. Most of it diesel powered. It was pretty cool.
I've always been a "Gear-Head" and had to make my well used cars work the way they should with what I could afford. The dreams I had for my rides far exceeded my financial means. I never imagined "The Heap" being my proverbial "Little Red Sports-car".
My life-long professional work has been about 50/50% professional sound and communications and professional service & repair of HVAC & refrigeration stuff. Somewhere in there, I mixed in 14 years of Volunteer fire-fighter / EMTD (including ALS/transport) stuff. All kinds of emergency medical certifications. I got burned-out on it and stopped cold-turkey about five years ago. I can still clearly define the acronym "SHRIMP-CAN" though.
In 1993, I bought my very 1st, brand-new vehicle. It was the Dodge/CTD you see me sporting around in today. The wife has her Chrysler 300. She looks good in it. I look good in my old stink'in diesel.
Up until about six or so years ago, I was quite intimidated by the injection pump. I had the understanding of the 4-stroke diesel engine as compared to the 4-stroke gas engine. Like anybody else, I could comfortably mess around with a small-block Chevrolet. The Internet and these type forums got me much better acquainted with the CTD. Bought a bunch of Chrysler FSMs and Cummins FSMs. Loved seeing the Big-Dawg Diesels run a quart mile.

. .. and promptly went broke.