Journal zogger's Journal: And yay me! 2
I've been fooling around with this little ratty truck project off and on for a year now whenever I have a spare hour or two and th scratch for more parts and so on, and this afternoon I cranked her up, took the blocks down, drove off the ramps and took it for a cruise up and down the dirt road! Dang it...sniff...still some more little tweaks before I consider it out on the open road worthy (like tires that actually aren't bald and really do hold air for more than an hour, fix some electrical shorts, etc), but it runs! Bestus festivus gift I ever gave meselfs! This afternoon after I finished chores and checked on the beefers (should have a new calf tomorrow, saw one cow with a water bag starting to come out, hope it's a good healthy little one) and re patched the chimney flashing with half a gallon of wet and dri it was nice out, so I thought I'd work some more on it. The tranny got up and in last week and I cobbed a cross member support mount for it with a huge U bolt and some stout springs. So today I bled the brakes, fixed some more fuel line leaks, then I was staring at it wondering what next and went "hey, I can run this thing *right now*, shoot some air in the tires!" so I did it! It snuck up on me, fixing this or that, yada yada, finally it got there! Man, it's one beat on ugly sucker, but it has tiny diesel engine and a 5 speed, this has been my future shock fuel price increase ace in the hole project. I know fuel is cheap now...but will it be always? I don't know, but hitting on close to 40 MPG (allegedly this is what they can get) I'm already way ahead of anything you can get now with a new truck. Granted, it is only a half ton, and not 4wd, but it does have a king cab for more storage behind the seat and the shocks and springs appear to be still in decent shape.
My next mechanical project will be an electric conversion of my wheelhorse little gasser tractor (a c101 model). I have the donated electrical stuff, and old warehouse sweeper, now to get it moved over here and in the work area now that that is cleared out and the truck is in the regular parking area. I think I will do a photo essay on that project to share at some time (especially if it works
good news finally (Score:2)
I'm glad to hear things are going well, Zogger.
Since the demise of technocrat I was wondering how your personal website has been going? Is there a chance of it being up soon? What other websites can I go to for information like what you posted about?
We've exchanged comments before mostly over survival sort of things and Technocrat was my only window into that.
If you want/need you can contact me at my ID on Google mail.
Thanks.
/Now if I cleaned it up/Would you change your mind (Score:2)
I know fuel is cheap now...but will it be always?
Don't let this current downward path fool you, Lad. Energy costs will be high for at least another generation. Floor is getting sticky again already. Only way to break close to even (for a decade min, YMMV etc) is to make your own.
Side point: Like so many others have already mentioned; we read you--wherever you are.