So as I stated, every Sunday. LMAO.

Failed. Had to track down some hard to find parts for my 56 Cadillac, didn't get back until late Sunday. So here we are, Monday.

So anyway, my "Sunday" (once a week update)....

For those that don't know me, I have a lotta stuff. Like, enough that I am beginning to definitely look like your crazy neighbor with all the stuff in the driveway.

If you do know me, there is a method to my madness= cocaine. No wait... that's wrong.

I just love cars, trucks, motorcycles, boats, whatever.

So after finishing up a project at my mom's home, right before the sale, I found a shop.

I mean, an actual, used to be, body shop. And the price, although not cheap, was literally what I had been paying (for the last 2 years, with no one living there) on my mom's mortgage after she passed.

So what's an idiot to do. Bank the money and continue to tinker at my home. Why no, that only makes sense. And believe it or not, my better half said "yes, let's move all your s@$ to this place so our house no longer looks like a used car lot from the 70's" (The 70's, really? Ouch).

So, here we are- The Shop



That's my baby with her booty outside: my War Bonnet Yellow 1972 Chevelle.

Inside, the Black Biatch you see is Captain Tripps (on here under another build). 2003 Ford Excursion, PS 7.3, with less than 15,000 on the Ford replacement motor.

In the background is Pop's (on here, yet another "build"), my 1939 Ford pick em up truck.

This place is pretty big for an idiot like myself, with plenty of room to screw something up.

See this:



A. that's a tall ceiling (and Christmas was around the corner)
B. This is only part of The Shop.

Honestly, knowing that Eleanor was coming home from the second shop, I knew it was time to stand up, plant my feet, and light money on fire. Lots to do before Eleanor goes to the 3rd (and final) shop for the wiring (did I mention its wired as of this writing).

Tootles kiddo's, next week Sunday more to share about the progress on Eleanor (that's why you are here, right?) and the shop.

Sleep tight,

Uncle Killerz

 

Awesome update! Even if it is Monday (although your excuse is acceptable for sure).

Enjoy the shop. They are nice for sure. A money suck, but nice. I just hope for your sake you are not like me when it comes to a shop... I got my shop to get a few projects done. The shop meant more room though and what does more room mean??? More room for more crap! I ended up buying more and more because I had room to house it all, and then I got all distracted on side projects at the shop, for the shop, etc. and never got the projects I got the shop for done.

And now we sit impatiently waiting for next Sunday.

 

No Truer words. I can safely hold 8 ish vehicles in the shop, without going vertical. And I have done just that. Tune in Sunday for my other dumb stuff, of course associated with Eleanor.

 

So where was I? Sober? Probably not.

So with Christmas around the corner, and I am still employed, I decided to buy myself a gift to help with all of our shenanigans (and believe me, there are a few). After a few decades of shade ****, outside, in all conditions, on my back, I figured you know what, why not.

For the record, I was actually prepping my garage situation at home to do, but then "The Shop" came up.

So I did it.

I bought it.

I figured why not.

Its legal in MI

Not a weed grow operation, you tree hugging hippy (although in hindsight, would have been a better spend).

I bought a lift. Like, and actual, praise jesus, a mf'ing lift in a heated Garage (shop, whatever).

And a gantry (whatever Uncle Killer, you big wuss). Well, old man strength don't last forever. And 50% of my shop time is alone, its like an oversized pair of helping hands.

With out the heart attack (we hope).

The gantry is your normal, run of the mill, HF special. Needed some assistance to get it up (lol).



What's that in the background?
We spotted a land whale. That's "Moby". There will be a different build thread for that beast, another day.

The gantry though. Well that should help with the Baja rack (following along kiddo's? remember that orange behemoth?) That thing is not a one man job. But it surely is a Gantry and Uncle Killerz job.

But I digress (peanut butter whisky digression, but whatever).

The lift, well, needed some help on a Saturday to get put together, and that we did.



So here are some of my compadres that helped with this lift.
Closest is too us is our resident diesel tech certified, all around good dude "Stick"
He's talking to "Ginger Ninja", our sounds expert (who just recently had a baby with his wife, who I am the proud Godfather to ((the baby, not his wife)))..
The dude in the back is our resident Viking, "Cardatheous", master of the car whispering, and solid dude on the welder.


With Eleanor's lift assembled, it was time to stuff the area with "Moby", "The Time Machine", and Corporal Crusty" (figure out which one is which, and Uncle Killerz will give you a prize out of his back pocket).



Love this picture. The maroon vehicle to the left (no, your other left) is Putt Putt, my mom's MF'ing Ford Ranger.




My youngest boy "Tractor" doing his best sling blade impression "I see the problem. Ain't got no gas."



With it being a gift to myself, and my friends (cause you know, when you got a trailer, a pick up, or a lift, you will always have friends) I found some Christmas lights and decided it is now a permanent picture for the lift, at the Shop. A beacon of hope, or a light of madness, whatever it is, it sure looks pretty.

Until next week kiddos. Uncle Killerz out.

 

Jealous. Always wanted a gantry and never got around to making one. I did hang a chain hoist from a beam in the shop to pull Muttly's bed off by myself, but that's still not as cool as a gantry.

Oh and does Moby have a shorter than stock bed? Or is it just your sweet azz lift in the middle of the picture throwing off my brain?

 

A beam would be awesome!
Moby's bed is a short bed, dual tank. I can check, but I am pretty sure its a stock short bed.

 

So its Sunday, and we are on a family vacation. On an Island. In the Carolinas. But, its still Sunday. And its catch you all up story time.

In my process of looking at "The Shop", I thought hey, maybe I could share the shop with my friends, thusly (and intentionally), knocking down my cost a bit.

So at 1st, yea, when presented to my cohorts, it was a great idea.

Then 1 decided to tell me he had an expensive venture coming up, and had to bow out. You may have heard of this venture. And let me tell you, they are not cheap: a child. Totally understandable. Whelp, rent would no longer be 3 ways. So my other buddy, who is in process of buying a house, informed me that he could not do it either if its just us two, Again, totally understandable.

I had already done the math. I budgeted just for me, so it was doable either way.

So I began plotting what my shop would look like, what would it need.

Well, a pancake air compressor, and a 20 year old roll around tank, were not enough. So I searched my drunk best friend, FB marketplace. And I found a large air compressor, being sold by a dude that was also highlighted as a friend of my cuz's. A fabricator who just lost his lease on a shop, who was selling his stuff to make his next move easier.

See where I am going here?

We met, I bought. Then we got to talking.

Make a long story short, a fabricator by night, and his "normal" 9-5 was working in a shop that made custom wiring harnesses.

Did you read that right?

Custom wiring harnesses.

"Does your boss think he could do something like this?"
"yea. but call him tomorrow to be sure"

Guess what kiddos. His boss didn't blink. Said he could get me in the rotation come January/February. Would take him 4 weeks once in his shop.

My jaw hit the floor.

4 weeks?

Let me see it he said. He came to the shop where it was (I talked with this shop, he had said he could not do it. so no hard feelings).

Yup, still 4 weeks.

Only one problem. Eleanor is kinda tall with the little suspension lift, body lift, and ginormous rack on it. His shop is not tall. At all. Going to have to take the 37's off.

And the rack (thank you HF for the gantry lift).

Then, it might fit.

Better get to stripping.

But....in the interim, lets get Eleanor home to the Shop, where we can begin the process of getting her on to the next stop.

So, here she is, at home awaiting some height reduction.


,

 

First off, Hoppy Easter from your Unc Killerz!

So this will brief, cause you know, holidays and uncles who like adult beverages (Cold snacks, ya know).

Getting the baja rack off is so much easier with help.

So is removing 37" MTR's (thank goodness for aluminum rims!)

So we unbolted.

And raised it off with the gantry, my better half, and "tractor" (the rack, not the tires)

Put it on my "little trailer" for transport. (where's it going Unc?...shhh, I'll tell you soon enough ((or did I already?)))

Had to remove all the outdated lighting for where its going.

Wait, I didn't tell you? This was two weeks of my life I can't get back.

Anyway, it didn't happen if not photographed, right ( Just ask the aliens and sasquatch).




Damn, that's a big rack.




Tractor helping dad remove the headlights on Eleanor's rack.

See how the first 2 pictures show how sunny it is...well...it's Michigan, 12hours later....





The temp dropped so fast we stopped what we were doing and called it a day. Well that day turned into 4.

But don't you worry kiddos, we stripped em off.

Until next week, Uncle Killerz out!

 

Buckle up kiddos.

My apologies for the delay.

You know, death and taxes (literally, taxes today, funeral yesterday, and reviving an old '57 Cadillac shenanigans on Sunday with Cardatheous).

So here we are, on Tuesday (close your eyes tightly and pretend its Sunday).

In getting ready for wiring (cause it won't fit in his shop under current altitude adjustments), we took the Baja rack off. And I was staring at this magnificent piece of bright orange artwork, I thought to myself, "self, how is bright orange stealthy?"

Idk, how is a blacked out 78 crew cab on 37's, running a powerstroke stealthy?

I decided to make an executive decision. Cause you know, its my truck. and my money.

So I called the local old dude who sandblasts. "Sure thing nephew. shouldn't take that long."

Contacted my local powder coat guy (who did Cpt Tripp's roof rack and ladders)- "sounds great. Won't take but a day"


Well, one week goes by.....

Nothing from grandpa sandman.

two weeks go by...

Mr. powder coat calls...ready yet?

Gpa S-man no returns my calls.

I go to his shop 3rd week in.

Gpa S-man "Yea, its too much work. Might want to call a shop with industrial ovens"

Unc Killerz " idk of such a place. do you know of one?"

Gpa S-man "I can't recommend anybody, or I'd have no work"

Unc Killerz "Ok then." ( mentally I am cross eyed and confused with a 'what did he say').

Fortunately Mr. Powder knows a place. I call. They answer. We set it up. Literally 2 days later, its frikin done.

I now have what I wanted.

whatcha think?

Baked in the oven results, no more orange:



Yea, I left the manufacturers branding on there. Not my creation/design, and really no time to make cool plates to replace their brand with dumb stuff like "zombie slayer" or "don't laugh, its paid for".

Fresh in black:


See the m101 in the background. That's what Eleanor's travel buddy will be:





IDK, we shall see once its on the truck. But first, the power stroke wiring (you are going to love this).

Until next time (actually Sunday this time) kiddo's.

Love and diesel,

Unc Killerz

 

Gotta love the "it's off the truck - why not?!?" upgrades. Rack looks as stealthy as 200 lbs of a jungle gym chase rack can look.

 

LMAO

I thoroughly enjoy your writing style.

Initially when I closed my eyes nothing happened, but then I realized that you meant last Sunday, not next Sunday.

Lookin' forward to next Sunday.

 

Awesome thread and truck, well done!! Had me lmao!

 

200 Pound jungle gym. I've been laughing all week at this....much appreciated, and true!

 

I call my style "adult beverage influenced" lol

Guess what?! ITS SUNDAY!

 

Thanks!

Honestly, I thought the destination was supposed to be the fun.

But the "s" I have encountered with this journey has really been the fun. Honestly.