Couple things going on right now. Haven't messed with trans as haven't had the time to get out there and get greasy. Been working on smaller things.
Got the engine mostly buttoned up. Accessories, dizzy, and fuel pump. Ended up ditching the braided stainless line I had and went back to stock fuel line. The edelbrock intake is a little taller, so I ordered the longer carb inlet. Little bit bigger filter, nice clean look imo.
Need a new air cleaner. Haven't figured out which way to go.
Accessory brackets are Summit's brand serpentine conversion. Nice clean look, fairly easy on the wallet, easy install. Think chefbear had these on his rig and had good luck. Just need to get a new power steering pump line built, stock one is too long and doesn't fit with the way the hard line is bent.
Think the pulley's look good. Can't decide if I should mount a fan to the water pump, or go electric cooling fan route. Really like the simplicity and reliability of the stock setup, but and Entropy set would be nice.
Next up is the core support. It's good shape, just needs a good cleaning and some black paint.
Long read here......
Finally, gauge panel. Had a
thread here a while back when I was deciding which way to go. Was going to use the stock bezel, sent it to Dad, he decided I would be better off with a custom wood bezel, and then he sent them to my cousin who runs his own custom wood shop and then gave it to me for Christmas. I was a little miffed at the time because I had thought it out beforehand, had considered exactly what he had done, and decided not to because I was going to go with the sand yellow color on the truck, and then black everything else. Top, tires, trim, seats, etc. Figured new gauges, in black stock bezel would fit with that nicely. I've been working on manners, so I said thanks, looks great, and then set about getting my head to accept the new direction of the truck brought on by the wood bezel - Anybody that is hard headed knows what I'm talking about. Changed a lot of things he hadn't thought about.
Dad passed away in March. Sucks for a number of reasons, but he had a good long life. Busy up til the end, then got down and went in a hurry. There are definitely worse ways to go. He was my go to guy for fixing anything. Lots of guys on here remind me of him. When we were little cash was tight, and dad kept a yard full of vehicle. Mostly 60's to 80's gm stuff. We'd spend the weekends wrenchin, drive them for a while til the tranny went, then pull it and stick another junkyard tranny in it he got for $50 somewhere. Got under my skin about the time I hit 14 and I swore I'd make enough money when I got older to buy and keep one good vehicle, and pay some other poor sob to work on it. I've been at that point a while, but then about 2000 I got the old project need to fix it up itch and can't seem to shake it. Got that from my Dad, and I'm glad I did. We had lots of good times. Guess I have to figure stuff out myself from here on out.
Back to the panel. Just have to cut the dash "humps" out where the wiper and hedlight switches are, and mount those switches directly to the new bezel. Mesquite wood logged, cut, kilned, and carved by my cousin. Mom had him add the St Christopher because she worries about me since I rolled the Chalet. I'm going to have him do a glove box door and maybe heater control bezel to match whenever I get this thing on the road. Will go with canvas colored bikini top, wood grain oe style moulding for the body, and probably brown seats now too.
Thanks Dad, I think I'm going to like it.
Couple of Dad related CK5 type shots overt the past couple years.
Notice the beer in the pocket.
Get the gate bitch
This was from January. He didn't want to go because he was already starting to go down(found out later he had been having mini strokes). Even talked on the way up there about how he didn't think he would even drink beer. Didn't know it at the time, ended being the last day we ever hunted and drank together. This was taken about lunch time, man we were drunk by the time the sun went down, don't think either one of us could see straight. Good times I'll always remember.
Chalet shot, 2008 or so
