Hot Day, Hot Stuff, and A Hot Wheels Find!

A small bayfront park was my first stop the day after Hurricane Sally blew a few rain bands our way, even over here near Daytona. Signals always seem better when the sandy soil is damp, so I decided to take advantage of the conditions.

The hunt began with $4 in quarters, $2 in dimes, a wheat penny, and a Jefferson “buff.” Of course, I also found plenty of STUFF—from ordinary trash to “What the heck is this?” Sweat and smiles dominated the day.

Eventually, it was time to rehydrate. A command decision was made: get a drink and relocate.

With COVID causing Biketoberfest to go unsponsored that year, my mind wandered to the open, deserted areas where vendors used to sell their STUFF. I thought, “This is the spot.”

After parking and asking permission to hunt, I began swinging in the sun again. There was STUFF everywhere—but not the kind that made me smile. No doubt, plenty of riders had also lost STUFF from their bikes over the years.

Near a bus stop, my smile returned when I found $1.50. At least my drink was paid for!

By then, I had found about all the STUFF I could stand. Another command decision was made: head back to the truck. The thunder and lightning helped with that decision. Carrying a metal shovel during a Sally storm seemed like a good way to end up with STUFF in my pants!

I was only about 100 feet from the truck when the loudest signal of the day interrupted my increasingly urgent dash through the drizzle. The pinpointing and plug removal may have set a new record, with the thunder applauding my every move.

To my surprise, two toy cars were waiting in the hole. They kept me from making it back to the truck completely dry, but finding two pieces of HOT STUFF in one hole put another smile on my face for the final damp run.

The car not pictured is a Hong Kong–made 1995 Corvette.

Now for the featured HOT WHEELS STUFF: a rare 1968 Custom AMX, made in the USA and buried for approximately 50 years. It needed a complete frame-off restoration, but what a find!