Yea I owned the dodge that gave up this engine for 5 years before I bought the Ex. Definitely missed the fuel mileage after taking it off the road.

And I feel ya on the diesel thing. I bought a jetta tdi just for running around with/long range parts pick up.

 

Power steering fluid leaked all over my driveway after I got back from emissions test. Good news is it passed with flying colors...and even more good news..P/S leak was just a loose fitting...but I had to remove the intake etc...to get a good torque on it. Running great, pulled off my chip for the emissions test..and it actually runs pretty darn good stock. Thinking of sending if off to GH for a re-burn.

 

I think u have me sold on them beds. They have one with 4 tool boxes under it, looks pritty nice. It's that or a Norstar. They are within $200 for price.

 

Inked up on one, 0% financing $1500 rebate, she is gonna be paid for her miles now working for Hospice instead of her 3 mile commute to the hospital in the EX. Excursion has 240k on it anyway and the Focus has a 100k 6 year warranty and with the extra miles since I'm on the road a lot it;s good peace of mind.

And now I can redneck the Ex all I want too!!

 

Well today I drove to the post office to send aomething registered mail and my brake light came on.......I figured I just needed to add some fluid, but I was wrong . She was driving a little funny and then when I stopped at a stoplight I saw smoke and smelled brakes burning. I changed the front brakes and rotors the other day but this was coming from the rear. I stopped at a parking lot and looked under the excursion. What I saw baffled me. Somehow the parking brake bracket had come undone on one side. Nothing was broken so I was able to reattach it and all is well except I think I need to do the rear and parking brakes soon. The rear brakes are probably good but if I am doing the parking brakes I might as well do the rear brakes while I have the wheels off...........fun fun fun.

 

Dave, Bradford is the best value I think, I also sell CM and Reading but if i was to put a flatbed on a truck of mine it would be a Bradford. I know my cost on one is well below your estimate for the repair, you could easily install your own subframe and weld the bed on no prob saving a ton. good luck with it! can't wait to see the finished product.



So I made it to Prudhoe Bay, AK today for work, I'll be here until Friday. Getting a taste of winter with the temps between 20-30F and a little snow. We rented a Suburban and in typical chevy fashion with 8K on it the check engine light is on haha

 

I had a noise in the right rear, followed the revolution of the tire. Turned out the backing rusted and the pin that holds the parking brake shoe to the backing plate pulled through then the clip got caught up between the shoe and the rotor. My truck is from NC but somehow the backing plate rusted through. Dorman makes replacements if you need them.

 

Russ, I'm looking at the 4-box Utility bed. Think they look rather nice. I don't want just a plain Jaine flat bed ya know. Lol

 

Today I drove the Ex in the rain like I've been doing for last 3 months!

 

Has it been helping clean the oil leaks?

 

Andrew you too!

I just checked my pavers, yes it's getting better

From today

 

It was just to easy.

 

Well it's a culmination of the past week or so but I got the front brakes done in the driveway.....like a dummy I tackled the job without eating first and was out in the hot sun til I got it done cause I'm hard-headed I guess....at least I got the house to myself for a bit cause I apparently start turning green and get angry when I haven't been fed I also today replaced the front sway arms on Brutus....the bushings were worn and cracked and it was making an annoying popping/clunking sound moving at low speed in parking lots and in the neighborhood....sounds gonna now so I'm happy again. Next up I gotta track down this oil leak I have that keeps staining wherever my truck sits and possibly replace the shocks because my front tires are cupping

 

That's great! Congratulations on the car and being able to rest the Ex!

 

Loaded mine up on a tow truck to get some transmission issues looked at (hard shifting, shudder, missing, throwing codes).

Luckily I'm only 50 miles away from John Woods - he called with the diagnosis earlier and it wasn't good. But a new towmaster trans is in the works!