The Legend of Trottmann's Curse
It all began back in '98....
On the fateful evening of December 10th, 1997 the DML took on a new member.
http://archives.dakota-truck.net/9712/0666.html
Subject: New to List
From: Robert Trottmann (rotrottmann@davidson.edu)
Date: Wed Dec 10 1997 - 19:37:06 EST
Hi all,
I'm new to the list, and have just been watching for a few days now. I just wanted to say a little about myself. I'm 18, I've got a 95 Dakota Sport, Blue, 318. Mods include a K&N replacement filter, soon to be an FIPK, MSD 6A and Blaster 3, and flowmaster. This December or early Jan, I'll have mopar headers put on. The body has running boards, been lowered 2" in the rear, and the exhaust is dualed after the glaspacks out to chrome tips. The soundsystem has two JL 10" subs, two eclipse mids, and rockford fosgate splits (2 tweets, 2 mids). The base is run off of Phoenix gold 2X75, and the eclipse mids are run off off a Phoenix Gold 2X35. I also have headlight blackouts, and taillight covers, and a soft/ hinged tonneau cover. I don't do my own work, my dad couldn't explain the dif. btw fuel injection and carbuerator, and my friends from school weren't exactly car guys. (private school, hated it). But anyway, this seems like a great place for info, and y'all have some really nice trucks. Finally to my question. I want to upgrade my intake, but I want more than just an FIPK. Can I get ram- air w/o a whole new hood? If I do end up with just an FIPK, is installation that tough? Thanks in advance for any information you can give,
Robert Trottmann
rotrottmann@davidson.edu
Pretty normal stuff really. New member, introduces himself, says a few things about his Dak and what his plans are. How could any of us have known what was about to happen..
http://archives.dakota-truck.net/9802/0259.html
Subject: Clone Mess up.
From: Robert Trottmann (rotrottmann@davidson.edu)
Date: Sun Feb 08 1998 - 15:06:58 EST
Whoever said that I didn't deserve to be modifying my truck, is right. I tried to install my Edelbrock 14" filter today. Removed everything, put on my new carriage bolt, I was happy. Then the sh^t started to hit the fan. The Edelbrock does not fit over the TBI, it's too big around. Also, the breather hose is too small, it doesn't fit. I went inside to call Auto Zone, to see if they sold them, and shut the hood, only tofind out the carriage bolt was too long. I guess I'll be buying that cowl hood a little earlier, now. If anyone knows how to hook the breather hose to the Edelbrock pn 1207, please tell me. After that, I'm never even trying to install anything myself, I'm just not competent enough.
Robert Trottmann (probably last post)
http://archives.dakota-truck.net/9802/0462.html
Subject: Clone mess up over!
From: Robert Trottmann (rotrottmann@davidson.edu)
Date: Wed Feb 11 1998 - 19:40:40 EST
After putting an anti-dent in my hood, not being able to hook up the breather, and not having the air cleaner fit on the TBI, it is all over! The air cleaner fits under the hood (with 2" element) and the breather is hooked up. The cleaner fits on the TBI with a 3/4" adapter, so all is well. The computer has cought up, and there is an easily noticable difference, even with a regular filter in, not K&N. I thank everyone who helped me with my first self-made "modification." I'm sure there will be more parking lot projects in the future. I called NS1, and am getting a picture of the cowl hood they make for the 95 sent, so I will have a cowl hood soon. (WOW.) Thanks very much again,
Robert Trottmann
rotrottmann@davidson.edu
Again, pretty normal stuff. New guy, dings his Dak, works through his first mod, all is well. Or so it seemed...
http://archives.dakota-truck.net/9803/0360.html
Subject: Trottman.s Curse.
From: Michael Clark (mike@snakebite.com)
Date: Wed Mar 04 1998 - 17:35:35 EST
Just a little humor to liven up the list.
I think that since Trottman went off on spring break, I have taken his bad luck. I've rubbed two curbs in two days and scuffed 3 of my sidewalls..... Until now I had never rubbed a curb, ever. And these are curbs I drive by everyday. Guess that's what I get for ribbin' him so hard about his hood. BTW don't you just feel like you have DUMBASS tattooed on your forehead when you run over a curb? I sure felt like it.
--
----
Michael Clark mike@snakebite.com
Just a little humor indeed. Before long the humor would be gone and the horrific realization of what had been unleashed on the DML would would send members scrambling for cover.
http://archives.dakota-truck.net/9803/0358.html
Subject: Re: Trottman.s Curse.
From: WM96 (WM96@AOL.COM)
Date: Wed Mar 04 1998 - 18:41:15 EST
I've had some seriously bad luck lately. I too rubbed a curb, scuffing a sidewall. But here's an even better (or worse) accident- two days ago i was backing out of my garage half asleep at about 7:15 when out of nowhere-CLANG-and off my passenger side mirror flies across the garage. Needless to say I was pretty happy. Yesterday I went and ordered my new mirror-$64. It'll be here Thursday so until then I get to drive around explaining to everyone how I hit the garage door rail with my mirror...
Will
'97 *CC *318 *Auto *3.55 *Tire and Handling*FABM*MBW(mirror by will) Astro fiberglass bed cover*duals w/Turbo*Pioneer premier head unit and 6 disc changer*
http://archives.dakota-truck.net/9803/0407.html
Subject: Re: Trottman.s Curse.
From: N2mopars (N2mopars@AOL.COM)
Date: Wed Mar 04 1998 - 23:25:33 EST
Funny, I didn't realize it till today, but Sunday, three things happened. First I saw a guy try to jump from the Golden Gate Bridge, then I lost the race I was in to a 50 year old lady in a mid 70's Chevy truck with a BIG camper shell (bracket racing), and third, I had a girl spin out in front of me on the freeway on the way home from the races! She totalled her car, and if her boyfriend weren't there, I might of gotten a date! DAMN!
Brad
http://archives.dakota-truck.net/9803/0410.html
Re: Trottman.s Curse.
From: Michael Clark (mike@snakebite.com)
Date: Wed Mar 04 1998 - 23:48:35 EST
> Funny, I didn't realize it till today, but Sunday, three things happened.
> First I saw a guy try to jump from the Golden Gate Bridge, then I lost the
> race I was in to a 50 year old lady in a mid 70's Chevy truck with a BIG
> camper shell (bracket racing), and third, I had a girl spin out in front of me
> on the freeway on the way home from the races! She totalled her car, and if
> her boyfriend weren't there, I might of gotten a date! DAMN!
>
> Brad
See what I mean, you didn't realize it till I said something.
Trottman's the cause...
Some more I forgot. I just started getting bearing noises from the
front a few days ago. And a girl stalled out in front of me at a
crossover yesterday....
You think Robert has a vodoo doll or something????
--
----
Michael Clark mike@snakebite.com
http://archives.dakota-truck.net/9803/0411.html
Re: Trottman.s Curse.
From: N2mopars (N2mopars@AOL.COM)
Date: Wed Mar 04 1998 - 23:51:55 EST
<< You think Robert has a vodoo doll or something???? >>
That does it, I'm parking my truck till Robert is back!
Brad
http://archives.dakota-truck.net/9803/0420.html
Subject: Re: Trottman.s Curse.
From: kmiller (kmiller@cvn.net)
Date: Thu Mar 05 1998 - 03:47:33 EST
Boy, I think Trottman cursed a couple of us or something cause this afternoon I have to go hunt down a new dual exhaust system cause I blew mine to pieces at the best place in the world, Colonial Chrysler. For some reason I burnt the coil wire on my new MP Plug wires. Luckily I had my stock one behind the seat. I tried to start the stupid thing up and It sounded like a shotgun going off. Of course all the shop monkeys had to come out and see what the racket was, and the smartass salesman has the nerve to say "Hey, buddy, I think you gotta problem there" I was so close to saying "Oh, and what are we, ASS Certified." Didn't do it though. But when that thing banged, it blew my mufflers. No I'm ready for some 3-chamber Flowmaster for the Shelby. Anybody got these and if so what's your opinion?
Thanks
Scott Miller
Shelby #322
http://archives.dakota-truck.net/9803/0421.html
Subject: Re: Trottman's Curse...
From: kmiller (kmiller@cvn.net)
Date: Thu Mar 05 1998 - 04:03:53 EST
I'm never ever ever ever picking on Trottman again. I'll be glad when he gets back, cause if my suck luck keeps up this could get expensive :~)
http://archives.dakota-truck.net/9803/0503.html
Subject: Re: Trottman.s Curse.
From: Chris Lang (langcj@polaris.clarkson.edu)
Date: Thu Mar 05 1998 - 20:13:29 EST
There really is some bad luck or somthing going on here while i was leaving class today some moron almost backed into me in the parking lot. Luckily i swerved and honked the horn and he stoped about an inch away from me. I almost killed the guy....
Chris Lang
http://archives.dakota-truck.net/9803/0750.html
Subject: Trottman's curse
From: Patrick & Kelly Engram (shetland@pop.erols.com)
Date: Sun Mar 08 1998 - 10:55:40 EST
Trottmans's curse got me too! Thursday on the way to work I nailed
something in the road and blew out a new tire. Then last night I
noticed my exhaust sounded BETTER than normal (yeah!) and found a
big-ass hole blown out of the back of my GIBSON muffler! I'm sending
the bills to Robert....
BTW, does anyone know if Gibson mufflers are a lifetime warranty?
Patrick J. Engram
shetland@erols.com
http://archives.dakota-truck.net/9803/0809.html
Subject: Trottman's Back!
From: Robert Trottmann (rotrottmann@davidson.edu)
Date: Mon Mar 09 1998 - 00:00:20 EST
I came back after an 11 hour drive to find 975 new messages. Wow. I don't know how I am being blamed for when you all hit curbs, but I bit one hard at the bank drive through over spring break! Weird coincidence. Spank Story! I was on Lindbergh, where everyone cruises, turning left onto the highway. A guy in a Ferd F-150 w/ a nice sounding exhaust rides up next to me, also turning left, he has inside lane. We both know what to do. I had a lot more corner to take, and his reaction time was a HECK of a lot better than mine, so he was very ahead of me out of the turn, and I heard him floor it. I pushed it to the metal and blew him out of the water. It wasn't even a race! I came from behind and wasted him. When I passed him, I looked over, and he just looked straight ahead and got off on his highway, and I went on to mine. Fun Fun.
Later,
Robert Trottmann
rotrottmann@davidson.edu
And so the first ever Trottman Curse finally wound down. With the return of Robert the bad luck went away. But the bad luck did not stay away for good. There would be other outbreaks in the future, some would be worse than the first while others would be milder. Trottmann finally moved on from the DML, the last anyone heard from him he was in another country. But the curse lives on in the DML to this day. Our best intelligence shows that a curse can be initiated by the utterance of the name "Trottmann" within DML correspondence. Once this happens a series of bad events will strike DML members at random. Events range in severity from minor accidents to major accidents and almost always center around the member's Dak. At present there is no known way to stop a curse once it has been started, the only choice is to ride it out until it passes, which is generally 1 to 2 weeks although some occurrences have been known to linger up to one month or more!