A recent road trip took us to New Mexico, and that meant a stop at Joe Gresh’s Tinfiny Ranch. The word “ranch” has a nice ring to it, but Joe’s ranch is more of a cool toys repository than a place where cattle range freely (the toys more than make up for the missing cattle…the stories they hold are better than any Bonanza episode).
When walking up the hill from Joe’s home to his shop, you can’t miss his powder blue MGB GT. The MG came with the property. At one point Joe was going to get it running again and he started a resurrection blog series on it. He’s now thinking he may sell it. I’d like to see him finish this one for a lot of reasons, mostly centered around my belief that any British motor vehicle is inherently cool and there would be interesting blog content accompanying the effort. Time will tell. And so will we.
As you can see from the above photo, it was raining a bit when we visited. The rain gave the MGB a nice look, a hint of what it would be if it was running again with the original paint buffed out. The MG would be a cool resurrection project. If you agree, leave a comment here on the blog. I’m trying to start a “Keep the MG” movement.
Joe has a bunch of equipment in his Tinfiny Ranch shop, including a sandblast cabinet, a drill press, all manner of hand and power tools, and a lathe. “You can make anything with a lathe…you can even make another lathe,” Joe once said. You can read more about that here.
The photo at the top of this blog is Zed, Joe’s original 900cc Kawasaki, and it is the first resurrection story Joe wrote for ExNotes. In my opinion, this is the coolest bike on the planet. I especially like the original paint. The patina is priceless.
Joe had Zed’s carbs off the bike when we visited. Zed needs Joe, and I think Joe needs Zed. He’s talked about selling it; I hope he doesn’t. If you agree, leave a comment here on the blog. You know the drill.
Joe’s well worn Zed shop manual.
One of Joe’s more famous vintage bikes is Godzilla, a Yamaha 360 he rode on the Trans America Trail. It’s a delightfully original machine with a lot of stories, a few of which have appeared here on ExNotes.
I wish Yamaha still made these bikes. I always wanted one, but I’ve never ridden one. Someday.
Joe is one of two guys I know with a Kawasaki KLR 250 (the other guy is also named Joe, but it’s not me). Joe has a few stories about the KLR 250 here on ExNotes.
When I first met Joe on our CSC Motorcycles 5000-mile ride through the American Southwest (with our friends from China and Colombia), Joe told me he would really love to install the 250cc RX3 engine in his KLR 250. Joe is thinking about selling his KLR. I get it; I sold my KLR a few years ago. But I regretted it. KLRs are great bikes.
I have one of these decals on my motorcycle, too.
Incidentally, if you want to know more about the RX3 and our ride with the Chinese on it through the American Southwest, you might consider picking up a copy of 5000 Miles At 8000 RPM.
Here’s Joe’s mini-bike. He’s owned this one a long time.
Joe’s famous Husky…with the engine out. Joe is rebuilding the transmission on this motorcycle. He’s blogged about it; watch ExNotes for future updates. I know Joe will have it on the road again.
Joe’s Kawi 1100 hasn’t been started in a decade or two. He’s thinking about getting it on the road again. That will make for a bunch of great blogs.
Joe’s most recent acquisition is this stellar Yamaha RD 350. Joe’s written about it here on ExNotes.
Joe explaining the RD’s merits to Susie.
Joe started the RD 350 for us. It sounded great.
It was a good visit. There’s a lot going on at Tinfiny Ranch (living off the grid stuff, concrete stories, tractors, implements, the water wars, vintage motorcycles, and more), and you can read about it here on ExNotes. Stay tuned, my friends.
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Joe don’t sell the MGB!
My first car was an MGA 1960 black with red interior. I lived in Dallas at that time the 100 plus degrees in the sometime made this very hot ride, I mean sweaty. Bought it for $500 and sold for $500 to this old hippy. I would see him in the car several times driving around Dallas. Had hell of time getting those down draft carbs work right it was a constant pain.
Next up was A BMW a 1967 model, it was pretty hot little car, meaning fast.
A shop without a lathe, is like a fish with out a bicycle!
Lol!
Don’t sell ANY OF THAT STUFF Gresh. I live vicariously through your repair blogs thinking some day I’ll get my own hands dirty again. I’ve only had two projects since moving south….my 1991 Pontiac Sunbird and my 1974 Yamaha DT250….had both running great….and sold them like a freaking jackass. I hate myself…… where’s the rum for the Yoo-Hoo….
Ah Que Joe! That RD sounds bad looking!!!
An MG can never be resurrected, it’s a lifelong endeavor that you pass on to someone else with grandiose dreams. I have ridden one though and they are cool. An early Miata is a better choice. They feel the same only the Miata comes with reliability.
My 70th birthday present for myself, a 23 year old Porsche Cabriolet with 17k miles…..old guys rule
Hopefully, that is your midlife crisis car. Here’s to the next 70 years, Bruce!
That’s a low mile Porsche!
Sell!!! Either that or your heirs will.
Keep the yam 360 and the RD.
Maybe the zed .
The rest is junk .
Sell all that crap and maybe you could get enuff money to buy a used sportster . ONE carb!!!!!!
But seriously.
He whom dies with the most junk
Is still dead .
I still am pulling bikes out of my friends widows shed. I don’t know if I will live long enuff to finish that. Plus my own junk .
If you haven’t done anything with a toy in 5 years , get rid of it. Hopefully I will practice what I preach .
Hack,
I’m getting overwhelmed with projects. I feel like I need to get realistic on what I can accomplish before I die.
I also need to get realistic financially. You can get a good running MG for $5000. I’ll have $10,000 fixing mine and I don’t even need a car.
The Zed has become too valuable I’ll be worried parking it at night at the dumpy motels I use. I can convert it to cash and finish some other projects.
It’s a lot of work being semi off grid. Sometimes I think I’d like to live in a tract house with one DR650 in the garage.
Screw Jay Leno’s Garage, Joe Gresh’s Shop is the show I want to watch.
If you can’t use them you gotta lose them
I’m trying to start a “Keep the MG” movement. Joe Burk you nailed it… the Old MG’s were cool then and cool now.
Love you, Joe…
Unless you plan to start wearing a Flat cap backwards and smoking a pipe , what do you need a Brit sports car for ? Don’t sell it , trade it for an American pick-up as old as you can find. you are in the dry desert that preserves old trucks. You can do it.
why a truck ? Because You Are a Motorcycle Man. Sometimes motorcycles need hauling , that’s where the truck comes in. The older the cooler.
No boat project? Guess it takes a move to the middle of a desert to shake a boat habit. A boat project will make all the other projects seem easy. Just do not park a fat boat in the garage. My first bike was a Yamaha enduro 360, hill climbing in the Carolinas. Moved to Florida, miss the hills and better bike riding.