Jennifer's "Orange Crush"

[az_762_nato]

Week before last I got the news that the crap they cut outta my guts was cancerous, and today I got to see the news that luckily mine isn't as bad as Jen's truck has it. Getting ready to replace the rockers with rectangle tube so I pulled the rubber floor mat back and found this.

 

[ktmoutfront]

The truck stuff is easy to fix. What about yours? What's next?

 

[az_762_nato]

Drivers side rocker was way worse than the pass side was, and unfortunately the floors have to just get a rust bullet treatment and wait until spring for me to replace since its gonna be her winter daily driver. With the weather we've had the last few days, the snow could start any time now.

 

[az_762_nato]

Mine is early stage one so its going to be laparoscopy and radiation therapy. I'd like to lay the blame for it elsewhere, but it was the drinking, years of gutting dip, and my smoking that did it. The doc said some of the things downrange could have contributed to it possibly, so we will see what the oncologist says on Tuesday.

 

[az_762_nato]

Luckily, I'm like 10 cats and seem to have 90 lives. Every time I hear someone say "yolo" I hold back to urge to hit them, and instead correct them that you don't only live once, lol. Everything that's happened has taken its toll and left its mark, but I still keep kicking. The truck on the other hand is worse off, because it has me for a doctor and sheetmetal and body isn't my thing. I'd rather spend a day covered in mud water contaminated gear oil than attempt to fix rust, a dent, or even wax and buff my car

 

[ktmoutfront]

I assume you quit all of the bad stuff. We will keep you in our prayers, even if your not into that.

Some day we need to do a meet n greet.

 

[az_762_nato]

Everything except the smoking is gone now, and that will be soon too. I appreciate it, and we definitely need to have one soon!

 

[82355]

Any updates?

Martin

 

[UpnAdam]

Is this thing still alive?

 

[K85 Octane]

Is this thing still alive?

good question, she is still posting, so at least she is...

 

[rdn2blazer]

Missed this. Cool build

 

[az_762_nato]

So, life has taken a few zigzags, but the truck is still alive and I am too. Truck is still 100% daily driven, and since Jen's ml430 went tits up, this thing is also shared between the two of us. I'll get some new pics and details up soon, but I've been using it as a template of sorts to get some stuff built for my 75 that Shawn has such as OBA, bumpers, etc. I've also swapped in heated Tahoe seats because this things heater sucks during the winter. Biggest change has been swapping to TBI but running MAF on a 7427 pcm, last September I drove it from Colorado springs to Tucson and back without a single hiccup.

 

[az_762_nato]

I've been slacking on getting any updates and pics posted, but here she is.
It's still 100% daily driven and is still on the original 1973 engine that has yet to be opened. This winter I plan on swapping to 3/4 tons so it can share wheels with the other truck and get a better axle ratio (these are 3.08s).
It's on a TBI with the 7427 pcm with the $0D MAF code and a 6.0 maf. Haven't done much WOT tuning, but everything below ~75% throttle is perfect, and it gets 18-20mpg on the highway despite being a th350/203 truck.

As soon as Shawn is done with my truck in AZ and I get it out here my daughter will be driving this one, so I am planning on refreshing a vortec to replace this engine, but will still be running the MAF TBI on the vortec.