CK5
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OFFICIAL* Dante's Peak Suburban Build *
- Thread starter Metrodps
- Start date
Are you getting any "Thumbs up" from other drivers?
With such a cool collection of vehicles in tow, I can't imagine that people don't notice!
-G
With such a cool collection of vehicles in tow, I can't imagine that people don't notice!
-G
Yes. A lot of cell phones pointed at me as I look down.
That is a wicked setup Wade! I'd love to see that rolling down the interstate.
Thanks again to everyone involved with helping to get this thing to the border. Ya'll are amazing!
Thanks again to everyone involved with helping to get this thing to the border. Ya'll are amazing!
It came out of a 87 Suburban with TBI, used in my buggy with TBI and then installed into Lawerances suburban. My say is it was always a TBI engine.
Something coming loose in the valve train would make some sense, broken valve spring that hasn't come all the way apart?
It's all guesses at this point honestly, keeping it running is good but I have to wonder if it's a $200 fix and it doesn't have to go north? Not saying it shouldn't but maybe it's fixable and Russell can sell it to regain some cash?
Made it home at 3pm. Beat the Denver commuters. Driving rant to come in another thread. People suck.
That's a lot of windshield time Wade.
He snapped mine up in a heartbeat...
Hmm.
Martin
Martin
Going to meet Cole in about 5 hours
Awesome! 
Well, I made a drive down to Montana to pick up the burb this last weekend. I picked it up where Cole graciously dropped it off for me at the border despite being sick as a dog. He also went inside the shipping company and picked up a couple of items for me that I had waiting there and put them in the back of the burb.
My girlfriend and I made it there around 9:30 at night, well after dark. The engine definitely has a very bad rod knock. The noise is not top end at all and sounds like a spun rod bearing on the crank side. Bad news all around.
Loaded the burb up and headed back to the border. Rolled up to the guard house and we handed over our passports for re-entry. I claimed the parts I'd bought and were bringing back with me. All was going well until he asked if I owned the truck on the trailer. He was not impressed when I told him I was taking it home with me to repair the engine. His words were "No you're not. That's not how that works."
Oh boy....
We parked and headed inside to have a little chat with the staff inside. I gave them Lawrence's letter of permission, showed them the build thread, emails, private messages etc from between the two of us to convince them that there is legitimately a guy out there who would bring a vehicle in from another country to repair it for free and return it.
Alas, there is simply too many dishonest people in the world. They cannot allow me to bring the burb home on the honour system. There is no accountability that the vehicle would be returned back home afterwards, and I was also informed that it is not legal for a Canadian to operate a US vehicle in Canada (who knew?!). I fully understand and agree with them that bringing it across simply can't be done in the manner I was trying to do so in.
We talked about options to bring it in legitimately from purchasing the Burb from Lawrence, to brokeraging or applying for variances and none of them were feasible without spending thousands of dollars.
So, we swung back around and took the Suburban back to the shipping depot and unloaded it. We crossed back into Canada with the parts I had ordered and headed home empty handed. I did read up on this before I left and found several examples of people who had brought vehicles in and repaired them or upgraded them but the difference there was the owner brought the vehicle up and remained with the vehicle until it was finished. None were of a Canadian taking the vehicle across.
Embarrassing lesson learned! Either way, Cole stepped up again the next day and returned back to the border to pick the burb up and took it back to his place.
I have a friend who borrowed my truck and trailer to haul his Jeep down to South Dakota today for a wheeling adventure so Cole and I discussed loading the L18 up on the truck to deliver to him, and to have him pull all the wiring out for me to modify up North. We came to the conclusion that it simply isn't feasible to have him replace the 350 with the 496 given the time Cole has available to work on this project. I know I won't be able to make it down to his place more than once until late this year. We decided with Lawrence's blessing that the best course of action is going to be to purchase a crate engine to replace it with.
I'm going to try and sell the L18 to offset the costs for the engine, but I will also accept donations at this time to put towards the purchase price of the new engine as well. Any left over money after we've given Cole enough to cover his time and any costs he has putting the engine left over will be given to Lawrence to use as he see's fit. Shoot me a PM if you are interesting in donating and I'll send you my paypal address.
So, kind of a major setback and a huge change in plans. I'm not super pleased that things are not going to work the way I hoped. I have an NV4500 coming which I'd intended to install with the L18 and I may see if I can get it down to Cole yet to replace the SM465. It was supposed to be an unexpected treat for him that I was going to keep under wraps until I delivered the burb back.
The border guards were extremely reasonable and treated us both with respect. I don't fault them a bit. What I should have done is given them a call ahead of time vs doing the google thing. Live and learn.
My girlfriend and I made it there around 9:30 at night, well after dark. The engine definitely has a very bad rod knock. The noise is not top end at all and sounds like a spun rod bearing on the crank side. Bad news all around.
Loaded the burb up and headed back to the border. Rolled up to the guard house and we handed over our passports for re-entry. I claimed the parts I'd bought and were bringing back with me. All was going well until he asked if I owned the truck on the trailer. He was not impressed when I told him I was taking it home with me to repair the engine. His words were "No you're not. That's not how that works."
Oh boy....
We parked and headed inside to have a little chat with the staff inside. I gave them Lawrence's letter of permission, showed them the build thread, emails, private messages etc from between the two of us to convince them that there is legitimately a guy out there who would bring a vehicle in from another country to repair it for free and return it.
Alas, there is simply too many dishonest people in the world. They cannot allow me to bring the burb home on the honour system. There is no accountability that the vehicle would be returned back home afterwards, and I was also informed that it is not legal for a Canadian to operate a US vehicle in Canada (who knew?!). I fully understand and agree with them that bringing it across simply can't be done in the manner I was trying to do so in.
We talked about options to bring it in legitimately from purchasing the Burb from Lawrence, to brokeraging or applying for variances and none of them were feasible without spending thousands of dollars.
So, we swung back around and took the Suburban back to the shipping depot and unloaded it. We crossed back into Canada with the parts I had ordered and headed home empty handed. I did read up on this before I left and found several examples of people who had brought vehicles in and repaired them or upgraded them but the difference there was the owner brought the vehicle up and remained with the vehicle until it was finished. None were of a Canadian taking the vehicle across.
Embarrassing lesson learned! Either way, Cole stepped up again the next day and returned back to the border to pick the burb up and took it back to his place.
I have a friend who borrowed my truck and trailer to haul his Jeep down to South Dakota today for a wheeling adventure so Cole and I discussed loading the L18 up on the truck to deliver to him, and to have him pull all the wiring out for me to modify up North. We came to the conclusion that it simply isn't feasible to have him replace the 350 with the 496 given the time Cole has available to work on this project. I know I won't be able to make it down to his place more than once until late this year. We decided with Lawrence's blessing that the best course of action is going to be to purchase a crate engine to replace it with.
I'm going to try and sell the L18 to offset the costs for the engine, but I will also accept donations at this time to put towards the purchase price of the new engine as well. Any left over money after we've given Cole enough to cover his time and any costs he has putting the engine left over will be given to Lawrence to use as he see's fit. Shoot me a PM if you are interesting in donating and I'll send you my paypal address.
So, kind of a major setback and a huge change in plans. I'm not super pleased that things are not going to work the way I hoped. I have an NV4500 coming which I'd intended to install with the L18 and I may see if I can get it down to Cole yet to replace the SM465. It was supposed to be an unexpected treat for him that I was going to keep under wraps until I delivered the burb back.
The border guards were extremely reasonable and treated us both with respect. I don't fault them a bit. What I should have done is given them a call ahead of time vs doing the google thing. Live and learn.
beags86
Eastbound and Down
Bummer. But, I feel like this is better then a 496 due to mileage concerns.
y5mgisi
1 ton status
What the eff! So you also couldn't have an American drive it across the border because it wouldn't be Lawrence himself driving it?
y5mgisi
1 ton status
Too bad shipping would be insane to Oregon for the l18... I have been looking for one...
y5mgisi
1 ton status
Google says it's only a 19 hour drive from my house to ftp McMurray Alberta! Lol
