testtest

foregoing any firearm buys and loading up on p/u upgrades for the next month or 2

TEXASforLIFE

TEXASforLIFE

SAINT
we all have out wants or needs as there's a thread on "what have you bought firearms related in the last 48 hours?" there should be 1 on auto's 🤷‍♂️ ! as i've mentioned in another thread "...?..." about what's happened to my p/u because of suicidal deer and hail damage i've been ordering parts over the last 3 days and should find everything i need by tomorrow................however it may take 2-4 weeks to get the body work, paint and accessories installed and finished. here's what the damage is from the deer for a combined 2 years.

both headlights
grill
both front fenders
both back fender extensions (actually just 1 piece and not 2 like the older styles)
rear bumper
both mirrors
hood
both tail lights
&
marker lights

parts ordered (almost a new vehicle's worth by cost)

hood
headlights
grill
mirrors
nerf bars/running boards
intercooler (2x capacity for more dense/colder air)
door handles
roof/cab markers
exhaust (muffler back)
rear bumper
tail lights
mud flaps
6-slot wireless accessory module
performance cold air intake
performance engine programmer

some parts will be here within 10 days and other as far out as the middle of april (estimated toa)

what have done to your vehicle lately as far as improvements/updates/upgrades/changes?
 
Opps , 2.5 months late .

In December , the Trusty Classic Ranger had tragic head gasket failure . I'll eventually get around to trying the " head gasket goop in a bottle " , but even if it temporarily works , l wouldn't trust it as far as my routine driving a lt . Just to be able to sell it as a running truck , instead of whole for parts .

And couldn't make the math work to replace the engine . So two days later , picked up the new to me '17 . With the first ever actual Loan of my life , and l Hate It . ( Love the Truck , Hate the idea of the Debt . But between 6 or 7 big money "emergencies " , and Property Taxes due at end of year , needed wheels , and substantial penalties to tap retirement investments would have been worse .)

I've got my eye on better tires , and getting in front of a known engine design flaw . But l'm determined to pay off more than half the principal on the truck first . Cross my fingers , maybe the Fall .
 
I haven't done anything special to my truck since I deleted the emissions. I do have an oil change/fuel filter(s) change coming up soon, but I am in no physical condition to do it myself right now. I'll have my son come over and do the hard part. And have him rotate the tires. I do have a small ding/dent in my front passenger side door that bugs the heck out of me. It is really small and right on a crease. I can't pop it out. Probably take it to a body shop to fix it. Two minutes of work for them that will probably cost me a couple hundred bucks. I do have a cold air intake kit I need to install, but again, I'm not physically able to do it at this time. I don't want to overwhelm my son with too much work to do on my truck in one day.
 
I agree your transportation is just as important as your self defense. For some of us, we wont get far on foot. Ive actually been thinking about the idea a "Back Up" vehicle for just in case times, nothing expensive just something so Im not stranded. I wish I could use a Side by Side or 4 Wheeler; but I wouldnt get far without attracting attention. I even thought about a ROXOR (looks like a Jeep) and trying to get tags through " Dirt Legal"; but Im told that wont work here in PA.

My fall back plan is a eBike. That may be fun in the summer but not when the landscape is white...
 
TEXASforLIFE said:
we all have out wants or needs as there's a thread on "what have you bought firearms related in the last 48 hours?" there should be 1 on auto's 🤷‍♂️ ! as i've mentioned in another thread "...?..." about what's happened to my p/u because of suicidal deer and hail damage i've been ordering parts over the last 3 days and should find everything i need by tomorrow................however it may take 2-4 weeks to get the body work, paint and accessories installed and finished. here's what the damage is from the deer for a combined 2 years.

both headlights
grill
both front fenders
both back fender extensions (actually just 1 piece and not 2 like the older styles)
rear bumper
both mirrors
hood
both tail lights
&
marker lights

parts ordered (almost a new vehicle's worth by cost)

hood
headlights
grill
mirrors
nerf bars/running boards
intercooler (2x capacity for more dense/colder air)
door handles
roof/cab markers
exhaust (muffler back)
rear bumper
tail lights
mud flaps
6-slot wireless accessory module
performance cold air intake
performance engine programmer

some parts will be here within 10 days and other as far out as the middle of april (estimated toa)

what have done to your vehicle lately as far as improvements/updates/upgrades/changes?
Click to expand...
I have two projects right now. Three if I include my son's car but lets not go there. Right now its a garage queen due to the weather.

My primary project is my truck. About a year ago a deer attacked my son. It was an ambush. Straight up ambush assault. He was just driving along in our Dodge Dakota when out of the bushes come Bambo.

Bambo hit the side of the truck hard enough to wreck the driver's front fender, driver's front door and left a weird dent in the hood(?). Then Bambo faded back into the brush to await his next victim.

So I have:
- Purchased a new (used) fender (the Good Enough Paint and Autobody Shop is currently open).
- Purchased a new driver's door,
- New sander
- Paint, primer, and body filler
- Suspension repair. This wasn't Bambo's doing directly. I took it in because of Bambo and was told that part of the suspension needed to be fixed/replaced: Control arms.
* As soon as I get the fender replaced I will begin the prep for repainting. The cold weather and finding parts has been slowing this process.

My seconday project is my Fairlane. I dropped it off for a few things.
I got this back on Monday after having had:
- Both lower A-Arms replaced
- Larger front sway bar (now a solid 1", unsure about stock whether it was hollow or solid, but it measured 7/8")
- Bluetooth amp (I don't even have the radio attached to it, just speakers. I stream music from my phone)
- Dash cap, to repair the 58 year old vinyl dash
- New, dual cone, dash speaker
- Lubed and oild every hinge on this beast, and it shows in how easy it is to close the doors now.
- Compression test; verdict is in. I need to find a new engine or rebuild this one.
- Leak test; all good now. I had put in a new aluminum radiator on my own to improve cooling, apparently I did it right.
*Now looking at disc brakes upgrade kits and rebuilt Ford 289 long blocks (anyone? anyone?).
 
UC_Guy 1971 said:
I have two projects right now. Three if I include my son's car but lets not go there. Right now its a garage queen due to the weather.

My primary project is my truck. About a year ago a deer attacked my son. It was an ambush. Straight up ambush assault. He was just driving along in our Dodge Dakota when out of the bushes come Bambo.

Bambo hit the side of the truck hard enough to wreck the driver's front fender, driver's front door and left a weird dent in the hood(?). Then Bambo faded back into the brush to await his next victim.

So I have:
- Purchased a new (used) fender (the Good Enough Paint and Autobody Shop is currently open).
- Purchased a new driver's door,
- New sander
- Paint, primer, and body filler
- Suspension repair. This wasn't Bambo's doing directly. I took it in because of Bambo and was told that part of the suspension needed to be fixed/replaced: Control arms.
* As soon as I get the fender replaced I will begin the prep for repainting. The cold weather and finding parts has been slowing this process.

My seconday project is my Fairlane. I dropped it off for a few things.
I got this back on Monday after having had:
- Both lower A-Arms replaced
- Larger front sway bar (now a solid 1", unsure about stock whether it was hollow or solid, but it measured 7/8")
- Bluetooth amp (I don't even have the radio attached to it, just speakers. I stream music from my phone)
- Dash cap, to repair the 58 year old vinyl dash
- New, dual cone, dash speaker
- Lubed and oild every hinge on this beast, and it shows in how easy it is to close the doors now.
- Compression test; verdict is in. I need to find a new engine or rebuild this one.
- Leak test; all good now. I had put in a new aluminum radiator on my own to improve cooling, apparently I did it right.
*Now looking at disc brakes upgrade kits and rebuilt Ford 289 long blocks (anyone? anyone?).
Click to expand...
the last ford engine i rebuild was an industrial 534 for a irrigation well. ford's tech book wasn't very helpful as some of the info was wrong. there were 3 different designs, 2 different firing orders and 3 different distributors (only 2 can be used/changed from 1 design to another depending on intakes/heads. so much for "better idea" from a 4-letter word. don't get me started with international's gas engines!
 
TEXASforLIFE said:
the last ford engine i rebuild was an industrial 534 for a irrigation well. ford's tech book wasn't very helpful as some of the info was wrong. there were 3 different designs, 2 different firing orders and 3 different distributors (only 2 can be used/changed from 1 design to another depending on intakes/heads. so much for "better idea" from a 4-letter word. don't get me started with international's gas engines!
Click to expand...
On a weird side note, my son is really interested in getting a shoebox ford 4-door. This includes the flathead V8. Turns out that Ford stopped selling them in '54 in the USA but Ford Europe was still kicking them out into the 60's and the French military was keeping them alive into the 80's.

Coming full circle you can buy a brand new flathead V8 now. Weird. I will stick to a remanufactured one. I'm currently looking at the sportier version sold by S and J motors. They have two, the other one is built up stock. Eeewwwwww. I didn't put an aluminum intake and 4 barrel on this one to do less.
 
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Hi,

I love auto maintenance. Not! I keep up with all the regular maintenance, brakes, fluids, tires, filters, etc. I don't work a lot on my own vehicles any more. I haven't replaced an engine since 1995. I've replaced a few bulbs recently, keep the fluids topped off. Thankfully I don't drive as much now that I'm retired. The winters here are hard on vehicles, especially batteries in the cold. I drive through the car wash often to keep the salt rinsed off the body. I see a lot of rusted vehicles around here. My pickup has only 113K miles, a 2017. I'm hoping I will die in this pickup. New vehicles are expensive. Thankfully I have not taken any incoming rounds from the tree rats around here. Let's be careful out there.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff
 
BassCliff said:
Hi,

I love auto maintenance. Not! I keep up with all the regular maintenance, brakes, fluids, tires, filters, etc. I don't work a lot on my own vehicles any more. I haven't replaced an engine since 1995. I've replaced a few bulbs recently, keep the fluids topped off. Thankfully I don't drive as much now that I'm retired. The winters here are hard on vehicles, especially batteries in the cold. I drive through the car wash often to keep the salt rinsed off the body. I see a lot of rusted vehicles around here. My pickup has only 113K miles, a 2017. I'm hoping I will die in this pickup. New vehicles are expensive. Thankfully I have not taken any incoming rounds from the tree rats around here. Let's be careful out there.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff
Click to expand...
the '15 3500hd i'm working on (excluding body & paint work) that was purchased 3/30/15 has just under 86k. averaging around 8k year is like having a new vehicle.............3 things i didn't like and still don't like about this p/u is having the 4x4, diesel and the color red..............other than that i like the p/u. if and when i need the 4x4 capability i have 3 other vehicles to choose from when the wife of 1 of my kids aren't driving the other choices 🤷‍♂️ . when i was on the hunt for a p/u i had 2 choices.........3500hd srw and the dually i currently own..................a sales person that worked at that dealership graduated 2 years ahead of me and she gave me a heck of a deal on the dually..............nearly 11k off sticker.............went from just under 61k to just under 50k. SOLD!🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳
 
I love cool cars but Ive learned not to open the hood. Only bad things happen when you open the hood...I dont do heart surgery either. Things like that are left to experts.

So far my cool cars have been a 66 VW Dune Buggy with a Porche 914 engine,
A 66 Spitfire in British racing Green with right hand drive,
A 86 Mustang GT, A Pontiac Fiero,
A 1990 Miata,
A Land Rover Discovery,
A British right hand drive Jeep (painted and equipped like the Rat Patrol),
....and A Audi A8.

All were cool in their own way. They all had pros and cons but I miss the Jeep and the Audi most. I wanted the W12; but the salesman actually talked me out of it. The Audi's monthly payment looked like a house payment. (I got it as a wedding present from my MD wife-she kept it in the divorce) It was an amazing car. I felt like Jason Statham (only better looking and with hair) in the Transporter.
 
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LOL .... Talking about all this work. Some of you must have a death wish, some are just gluttons for punishment. When I was a young man, I truly enjoyed playing with my hot rods and fast women ahhh cars. Then one day I woke up and realized "Damn", this is a lot of work! I've got to stop putting all this work and effort into these stupid cars! But to those who still want to do it ... more power to you!
 
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