Operation Comfort '09

[mtpockets]

Thank you Boyd and Emily for taking pictures. The Hooters car show to raise money for the wounded soldiers was a great success. We made almost $1,500 and most of that was from "Take A Ride In A Cobra" for donations. We left a lot of rubber on the road that day and we're going to do it again in Jan-March. We're downloading another 200 pictures tonight. Keep spreading the word, this is a great organization.
God bless the soldiers and their families.

CLICK HERE>>> http://s254.photobucket.com/albums/h...view=slideshow

[mtpockets]

Paul:
Thanks very much for all your hard work. The motor looks great.
Bill
--------------------------------

Took several long stretches of hours to get the motor buttoned up to run. Many donations came in that will make this motor "da bomb" for the soldier build.
*John Ross--custom Lokar dipstick, Water/overflow tank
*Dallas Mustang--short-throw shifter, Fel-Pro gasket set
*Houston Cobra guy--March pulley set
*Carb specialist--Holley 750 (future)
*NAPA--Holley fuel pump

The 351W came to life Monday after figuring out that the new MSD coil was bad. The motor immediately settled into a smooth idle with only one adjustable rocker needing a twist. Set idle screws at 17 hg of vacuum--perfect. Snappy response. It runs, revs, smooths out, excites the ears, and if it would cook and do laundry, it would be the perfect wife! Ha.

The engine has now been removed from the test stand, head bolts re-torqued, oil drained, and is being wrapped for transport to LoneStar. An additional bag of goodies goes with the engine--can of black engine paint, Black RTV for sealing valve covers after break-in, Lucas Oil hi-zinc engine break-in additive, chrome Ford Motorsport air cleaner, etc. Small tags attached to engine inform the builders of firing order, TDC, cam break-in procedure, required oil capacity, etc.

I wish there was a better Ford after-market single-wire alternator than the low-output one on there. I wish I had an engine dolly for the motor. I wish for a cool T5 shifter knob. I wish the PCV valve had a 90 degree elbow to neatly route the hose close to the intake. I wish there was a hot rodder's ferrite magnet (Summit or NAPA) mounted to the bottom of the oil pan (or gripping the filter) to catch additional metal filings that this new motor will produce (pic).

See y'all in San Antonio on Dec. 12.

Paul

[Joe Wicked]

I will not be able to make it down as I was really hoping to. I do have a question though, do you have an address that we can send Christmas Cards to? We all send out a lot of cards every year and I also send a few to:

A Recovering American Soldier
c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center
6900 Georgia Avenue NW.
Washington D.C. 20307

It would be nothing to send a few to Operation Comfort as well.

[mtpockets]

The elementary school my daughter attends is making Christmas cards for the soldiers also, they love them. Thanks very much for your thoughtfulness.
Please address them to>>>>

A RECOVERING AMERICAN SOLDIER
C/O OPERATION COMFORT
4900 BROADWAY
SUITE 400
SAN ANTONIO, TX 78209

Janis and her staff will make sure the cards get to the soldiers.

[Joe Wicked]

Thanks. We will get the cards out this weekend likely. Such a small thing, but even though I did not go through 1/2 of what these guys have, I understand the isolated feeling from my time in. Any small thing from the "Real world" meant a lot to us. I can only imagine what it means to these guys.

[elmariachi]

Prior to building my Cobra I was fifteen years heavily involved in building and wheeling Toyota Land Cruisers. This is a big sport in Texas and across the USA (http://www.tlca.org.) Through my affiliations with Lone Star Land Cruisers, which I co-founded in 1997, I am happy to share the following news for Operation Comfort and the Cobra project:

The combined Lone Star Land Cruisers clubs (www.lslc.org) are currently collecting contributions from members as we speak and on top of whatever is collected LSLC will add $1000 from club funds. In addition, our friends at the Toyota Trail Riders (http://www.toyotatrailriders.com/) have matched LSLC's donation with an additional $1000. Sidenote...TTR's founder Chris King is the parts manager at Toyota of Dallas, and with his wife they manage www.trdparts4u.com. If you are in need of Toyota-related stuff of any type, please show your support and send Chris and his wife Barbara some business.

Another sister LSLC chapter of NE Texas hardcore redneck wheelers known as the White Trash are contributing $500 in cash, for a grand total of $2500. And every year LSLC has a huge parking lot auction where everyone brings their unneeded parts and junk and we auction it off. Basically we all drink beer and bid on each other's junk for fun and charity. That has typically been good for about $1000. LSLC has decided to contribute 100% of those auction proceeds to OC. So...

OC has at least $3500 coming their way from LSLC, TTR and the White Trash for the Cobra and Automotivation.

Jim

[mtpockets]

Jim:
I know you've been working behind the scenes for quite some time on this. Thanks very much for your hard work and a huge Thank You to all your 4-wheeler friends out there. Their generosity means so much to the wounded soldiers. God bless you brother.

[Gregg(What's his name)?]

Originally Posted by elmariachi

Prior to building my Cobra I was fifteen years heavily involved in building and wheeling Toyota Land Cruisers. This is a big sport in Texas and across the USA (http://www.tlca.org.) Through my affiliations with Lone Star Land Cruisers, which I co-founded in 1997, I am happy to share the following news for Operation Comfort and the Cobra project:

The combined Lone Star Land Cruisers clubs (www.lslc.org) are currently collecting contributions from members as we speak and on top of whatever is collected LSLC will add $1000 from club funds. In addition, our friends at the Toyota Trail Riders (http://www.toyotatrailriders.com/) have matched LSLC's donation with an additional $1000. Sidenote...TTR's founder Chris King is the parts manager at Toyota of Dallas, and with his wife they manage www.trdparts4u.com. If you are in need of Toyota-related stuff of any type, please show your support and send Chris and his wife Barbara some business.

Another sister LSLC chapter of NE Texas hardcore redneck wheelers known as the White Trash are contributing $500 in cash, for a grand total of $2500. And every year LSLC has a huge parking lot auction where everyone brings their unneeded parts and junk and we auction it off. Basically we all drink beer and bid on each other's junk for fun and charity. That has typically been good for about $1000. LSLC has decided to contribute 100% of those auction proceeds to OC. So...

OC has at least $3500 coming their way from LSLC, TTR and the White Trash for the Cobra and Automotivation.

Jim

That is why I love the guys on this forum and the TCC! This is too cool. Thanks Jim for all the hard work on this project.

[Cobra #42]

I really appreciate all the Presidents Past & Current for making this happen for the Texas Cobra Club. I remember only a short time ago that the idea of using the Texas Cobra Club to grow the club to benefit others, that are in need was only an idea. It makes me very proud to call you guys and ladies friends. You are touching people lives in ways you will never know. Thank you for stepping up and growing the Texas Cobra Club, I wear my TCC shirts with pride. Thx, db

[Gregg(What's his name)?]

Well Saturday is almost here. Tom came by last night and got the 390 Big Block and all the parts that go with it loaded up on his trailer. The cobra is gassed up and ready. I am so looking forward to this event. I just wanted to take this time and thank Bill, Jay and all those who have made this a very special event.
God Bless to our soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen for their sacrifice to this great nation.
Hope every one has a safe drive to San Antonio and I will see you all Saturday Morning.
God Bless!

[elmariachi]

And we had $3200 in initial donations (some stragglers to follow) forwarded yesterday to OC from Lone Star Land Cruisers per post #46 above.

Jim

[davidk]

We had an amazing turnout. I was surprised about how many Cobra owners braved the weather and mud, though I shouldn't have been.
I got a few pictures,
http://picasaweb.google.com/keirnsfa...n5__PYj-KbtwE#
The generosity was amazing too, lots of donations.

David

[mtpockets]

Cold, drizzle, mud nothing was going to stop the Texas Cobra Club, our friends and families from paying our respects to the "Wounded Warriors" on Saturday. The final tally coming soon, suffice to say it was unbelievable. Santa passed out 200 donated Teddy Bears to dozens of kids at the Lonesome Dove ranch, with the leftovers brought back to the hospital (teddy bears, not kids). 30 embroidered hoodies commemorating the day were donated to the soldiers and staff of Operation Comfort. Tools, shop equipment, a huge 220v air compressor, two Ford motors, a LSC Cobra Kit and enough associated parts to complete the kit, it just kept coming out of trailers, trunks and our pockets. A check for over $6,000 was handed to Janis for "Automotivation" easily more than they will need for incidentals to complete the project. Channel 13 from Houston covered the event, complete with interviews of many attending. We're told it will air before Christmas and we will post for everyone to view as it will be on their website also.

Gregg presented an award from the TCC to Jay Nordstum for his continued tireless support of Operation Comfort and all the Wounded Warriors. There are many more pictures coming in the near future. I'm sure many folks are still cleaning the mud off their cars. It was worth every minute to see the look on their faces and listen to their plans for the Cobra build project.

Special thanks go out to Tony Jacobs and Kelly Drake for coming up with the idea of the Cobra build. Without both of them and their efforts throughout the project it wouldn't have been realized. Brian at LSC and his team for their generosity, Thank You all very much. Ron Martel, from being a police officer to designing websites and now embroiderer, thanks for cranking out 96 hoodies in two weeks, great job. The Texas Cobra Club, Austin, Houston, Dallas > the greatest bunch of guys and gals, giving and giving and keep giving, even in these tough economic times your generosity is amazing.

Janis is an amazing lady, surrounded by a great staff and her husband Tom, they are constantly coming up with ideas and projects for the wounded, God Bless all of you. To the doctors, nurses and staff at BAMC thank you for all you do. Lastly, the Wounded Warriors we wish you a speedy and full recovery.

Keep the stories coming, there were almost 200 people at the ranch and lots of cameras. Post those pictures, hold the ones from the Riverwalk until later. Merry Christmas to everyone.

[Gregg(What's his name)?]

Bill I think we owe you a big round of applause for all the effort you put into the coordination of these event. Thank you Sir for all your hard work and dedication.
Thanks to all of you in the TCC for braving the cold , wet and muddy conditions on Saturday. You all are a wonderful group of people. This was the true meaning of Christmas. Thanks again.

[elmariachi]

Here are some pics from Saturday's Operation Comfort event at the Lonesome Dove Ranch:

This is from the hotel balcony, Saturday 10AM, 50*F and a light drizzle, low visibility and not what one would call a "Cobra" day. Several came in trailers and a few were driven from around Texas, even 240 miles all the way from Houston:



The group of approximately 30 Cobras and support vehicles caravan'd south of San Antonio to the Automotivation shop:



Santa (Roy Brehm) was on-hand to start the festivities:



First out of the trailer was the yellow gelcoated Lone Star body:



No kit is complete without a ready-to-run 351W:



And a big carb from Steve Zapeda Carbs:



They group received over $6000 in cold hard cash to use to complete the build, as well as all the parts needed AND a couple of extra donor engines "for future use":



Another trailer load of tools, including a monster air compressor:



Brian from Lone Star Classics speaking with the media:



Things piling up inside the shop:



Three VERY integral players in making this happen, Janis Roznowski/Director of Operation Comfort, Hugh Long/owner of Lonesome Dove Ranch and in the center, our own esteemed Jay Nordstrom:



The group enjoying catered BBQ:



The very cool breakroom, which I believe was sponsored in part by Summit Racing:



One of the shop bays and some ongoing projects:



A current project involving mating a shell carrier body onto a Bronco frame, with a big bad engine and suspension to make it all go:



And lastly, an example of the small price the Cobra owners paid to be on-hand:



Which pales in comparison to the price paid by these yound men and women, who bravely and unselfishly sacrificed on the field of battle for our country and our freedom.

I took over 300 pictures and none of them can capture the pride and comraderie this group was able to share with one another on Saturday. And I am not even going to try and articulate how we felt doing this for the wounded warriors. Jay and I were speaking with BAMC commanding Brigadier General Joseph Caravalho, Jr. and he said it best, "These soldiers don't want to be thanked, they just want to be loved." I encourage anyone that can to make it a priority to go see these guys, they need all the support they can get, not just at Christmas but every day of the year. Thanks to all who have supported OC this far and for those that can in the future.

Jim

P.S. And thanks to all the great men, women and kids who made this possible.

[mtpockets]

Beautifully done and well said Jim. Thanks for all the time you put in taking pictures.

[dont]

Definitely not a Cobra day but we loved every minute of it. Thanks for the pictures and to Bill for organizing this great event for our soldiers.

Don

[mtpockets]

From Jorge:
http://s987.photobucket.com/albums/a...view=slideshow

From Boyd & Emily:
http://s904.photobucket.com/albums/a...ion%20Comfort/

[Joe Wicked]

I am saddend that I could not attend. Rough 4th qtr for me at work and still not done though. I was able to get out several Christmas Cards to both Operation Comfort and my normal to Walter Reed medical center as well. This year I sent as many to soldiers as I sent to family and friends.

[davidk]

I got a message from one of the soldiers working on the project and he sent me a progress photo.
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo...eat=directlink

David