Gather around kiddo's . It the Sunday night wild turkey update (OK , I LIED. Its a Peanut Butter whiskey night).

So, we got the Jungle gym off the back. You saw that.

What you have yet to see is the dude's shop.

He works on cars. Race cars.

You know, lowered stuff. Fast stuff.

VROOM VROOM.

But mine is none of the above. If anything, its the polar opposite.

But that's ok. We've come this far. So we sent it.

Had to put her on rollers. mismatched at that, cause with my new space, and the other projects that are SUPPOSED to be helping keep my sanity cause corporate life stress, I apparently misplaced one, or three of my rollers for her. But no fear...

"But Unc Killa, its not a big deal"

It is, trust me. How does one man have so many different rollers, with different patterns, off sets, and lugs?

So I sent it on. To the dude.

We will call him "spaghetti man", cause wires. Luigi for short.

He sets up the tow, they get my truck, and I get a picture with this text:

"Had to strap down the suspension. This thing barely fits!"




My thought, I've seen a thing or two.
Been to a dance or two.
"That's tighter than a prom dress."

But it fit.
Barely.

Unc: 4 weeks?

Luigi: 4 weeks.

Unc: cool. Whats the plan?

Luigi: Have it wired to run in 4 weeks.

Unc: F yea! (Drinks a cold one, smokes a fat one ((cigar))

Pictures of progress:

The old main donor harness getting paired down:



The electrical schematics (seeing this picture gave me a PTSD flashback to that time in 'nam, wait, I mean the countless nights in my garage questioning my many life's decisions)



The new wiring harness for the body (did you know Painless isn't the only player or game in town? I did not).



Getting closer: Main power being run.




Getting closer:




So close, I can taste the rollin coal and carcinogens (ignore that crusty exhaust manifold, I just wanna drive my tank, dang it)

But as always, take 2 steps forward, take one back.

On next weeks camp fire discussion, we'll talk about missing parts (when you deal with multiple shops) and what happens to sleepy 7.3's when you wake them from their slumber.

Until next Sunday kiddo's, sleep tight and know nothing burned down, or blew up so far. Just some surprises (to be shared next week).

Uncle Killerz- out!

 

Centech?

And yeah , spaghetti gives most people PTSD or nightmares or both. Takes a while to sit down and eat your way though that plate of it if you're not a pro like this guy. There's hardly a time I like to pay people to do stuff, but wiring gets me there. That ish sucks. I can do it, and do it cleanly if I have to but I have to re-learn every time and I have the patience of an orangutan with hemorrhoids, so it never goes well.

 

LOL.

I will not google...
I will
i will not google

google, can orangutan's get hemorrhoids'?

 

Gather around kiddo's.

It's Sunday fun day.

first off; super bad news. The drive shaft shop did not have my stuff done like we hoped this past Friday. So we did not get to have a "all hands on deck" weekend like we planned at the shop.

But, we did get the 1957 caddy running...and more importantly = stopping.

Now 1st off, I don't fault the shop. It is not everyday you get a "s" box like mine rolling in.

With all the "custom" crap hanging off of it.

But the really bad news is I don't think we will make the self imposed "Annual Bronco and Ford swap meet" in our neck of the woods.

That's next weekend if you have been following along.

Plus I got corporate visitor's all next week. Not sure what time I will have to spare at the shop.

We shall see.

But back to story time to get this blog up to speed.

Luigi: you got batteries that aren't dead
Unc Killa: How dead, I just bought those (3 years I think)?
Luigi: You know what's deader than dead?
Unc: ?
Luigi: your batteries.

Of course they are out of warranty.

Local auto store, here I come.

Luigi: where are your battery trays?

Now looky here, I know sober Unc Killa bought a NOS one for the extra battery, plus my stock one. A few years ago, but still.

Unc Killa: Let me check the other shop.



Other shop: yup, they are around here somewhere.

On my way!












Now, I know a thing or two about stuff, but 2 questions popped in my brain (look at the pictures again).

1. who in the hell has that much cottonelle (besides me and my prepping ways)
2. that other battery tray does not look like the 78 accessory battery tray. Plus it was new (NOS, still in Ford's box when I bought it.) These look, well, crispy and slightly used.

Oh wait, now I remember. I grabbed both trays off the donor.

Unc Killa: That's everything?

Shop man: Yea. We looked every where. You sure you gave it to us? Those things are rarer then hen's teeth in the ford box.

Did you know I don't trust people. At all.

But Unc Killa, not everyone is bad.

It ain't that. Opportunities for thievery are sometimes presented by the owner's themselves. I must have hidden them I thought (<-- pay attention to that)

Unc killa: Luigi, we will make these donor one's work.

Luigi: Dude, your truck, your call.

I racked my brains. For days.
now look here, I know I ain't no spring chicken, and I misplace my 10 mm more often than not.

But this, idk. I took this personal.

So I go to Luigi's shop to check on progress and drop the batteries off.

They are wiring up the dash.

Luigi: dude, check it out. We had to move the rear seat and the front to lay in here and get this wiring. Guess what we found behind the behind your back seat?

Shows me my NOS accessory battery tray.

Unc Killa: F................................................. .................................................. .................!

Until next week kiddo's. Unc Killa out!

 

I found a race radio that I thought had been poached that way. Lived under the back seat so long I forgot it was there...

Is it Sunday again yet??

 

I'm enjoying the weekly updates!

I've had a lot of stuff disappear under the back seat of my crew cab only to be found a few months later when I think to check there!

 

Why yes it is Sunday. Again. Man how the time flies...

 

I hope so boss. Cause I was neglectful in updating the "crew" here on FTE (dad jokes for days here). And I gots lots to be sharing...

Just dumping some photos to download as I write this, then the weekly update commences.

 

BTW, to all that have been following long over the years, I appreciate the patience. Thanks for still following along.

 

Real time:

Well alrighty then. Here we are, the weekend of my self imposed timeline.

The hope: Eleanor up, running, stopping, shifting, driving for yesterdays annual Ford and Bronco swap meet.

The reality: There was not a single crew cab of Eleanor's era in the place....Let alone one that is PowerStroke powered. (YA KNOW, LIKE MINE, OR EVEN BETTER= MINE).

The honesty: Many many delays. Windshield, driveline, parts. Got the truck back with the new, custom built driveshafts, Friday afternoon, less than 24 hours before the self imposed deadline.

The ugly truth: Unc Killa, Stick, Cardatheous, and even the Ginger Ninja have "normal jobs". It ain't happening in one night.

We went anyway to the swap meet. Took Capt Tripps (another build on this forum) and the trailer. Bought some stuff.

What stuff?

Well, one was a hood for Moby (another FTE forum yet to be started, cause ya know, Eleanor).

And another part, and it well may be a somewhat controversial piece for this already *******ized crummy. Its a matter of taste.

Keep that in mind.



Someone spent many hours making this.

And it will add nothing to my powerstroke's capabilities, cause, well, let me explain.

1st off, it's the month of my birthday. I always buy myself something that no one else would or could.

And it's something I usually don't know I want until I see it.

You know, like hookers and white powder. (not really, but if ya know, you know).

Some one spent many, many hours making this. And to be truthful, if being described without actually seeing it (like I am doing right now LOL), I would have been like "why da f would you make this"

But then I remembered my "200 pound jungle gym", and the fact that this monstrosity (Eleanor project as a whole) is a result of my damaged brain (see whiskey and bad decisions in the dictionary).

So my birthday gift to myself, although not everyone's cup of tea, is this:






a customized 1978 hood with a slight cowl in the middle and a carefully grafted 70 Torino cold air intake.

There. I said it.

But in keeping with this timeline, I won't post photos until this blog build is up tp date.

Until then kiddos, your imaginations will just have to imagine what Joe Dirt did to a ford F series hood and trust Unc Killa that its better than that. In a good way. Not some stick-on garbage from your local auto parts place.

An honest to goodness, well executed, unnecessary (to this diesel application anyway) cold air intake.

Okay, back to the build timeline:

Luigi: It's done (4 weeks later)
Unc Killa: Dude!!!!
Luigi: We got it running. But it will only run on Ether, and it started to smoke on the drivers side by the power steering pump.
Unc Killa (doing his best Sling Blade impression): It aint got no gas! (we removed both tanks in preparation of replacing with diesel ready tanks)
Luigi: Ok then, that explains a few things

So here we are, Eleanor is back at the shop.

Now what?

Everything.

Follow along. Its a lot. Not all tonight in our "campfire stories fueled by Peanut Butter whiskey".

Still incremental here folks, Unc Killa only has so much capacity for typing and working.

First off, why was it smoking/steaming?

Uh, well its been sitting.

Needs a water pump now. AND.....

its a hydroboost set up. APPARENTLY those don't like to sit still for 7 years (who da thunk it?!)

Replaced both, realized the power steering pump has seen better days.

Replaced.

Now what?

Well, we need to set up the dash, but I don't want to put it in Eleanor until the windshield is replaced.
and we still need a pedestal for the stroke PS pedal.

Ok then, let SAND THE DASH, cause what in the actual F. So ugly!

Then we paint the part NO ONE is going to see (back of dash) AND the front of the dash (WHICH YOU WILL SEE).

Check.




Now we put back together with these ancient *** acorn nuts. Wait, some aren't cooperating, we MUST REMOVE!!!!:




Okay, now that we have this together, let's leave the 1200 dollar (and then some) dakota dash on my 40 dollar saw horses.

Leave it to chance

(btw, I won!)

Moving on to the pedal's pedestal:




So yea, lets just weld that right there.... (takes a shot of meth)



We'll grind that down later, after we huff on this spray can and hit the other side....




Let me just set this can down, now that sound has colors, and take another random picture of the "completed" work....





Ok ok. All kidding aside, we did grind down the booger welds, and sprayed it not quite factory fresh, but more hillbilly fresh.

Good enough for the girls we date anyway.

Until next Sunday kiddos, Unc Killa out!!!

 

wow big progress!

 

Thankfully, yes indeed!

 

Well, well...Look at the time!

So, when this project began a "few" years ago, I worked on Eleanor from home.

Ya know, in my driveway.

And in my garage was a 1950's Kelvinator fridge, that once supplied a family with food (before my time).

Well, I didn't need that kind of negativity in my life.

So it was repainted to match my Chevelle's daytona yellow color (originally).

Then a big azz shell sticker was put on the front to fit the "garage art" motif.


and it was forever stocked with adult beverages.

So what Uncle Killa?

Well kiddo's, when its hot (or cold, or Monday, or whatever), a cold snack can almost always hit the spot when your burning through your kids college tuition faster than a jet powered Fiero (see the latest FF movie to understand that reference) on a Hodge podge of an idea.

So sometimes, not always, but once in a while, mistakes are made.

Ya know, like, you don't even realize it happened until the job's "done".


Well, apparently Unc Killa did something dumb (DUMBER) in the driveway all those years ago.

Remember I swapped in a Dana 60.

Remember I bought new springs cause the originals were flatter than northern Ohio ?

And we just the caught the mistake a few months back (still playing catch up here ((not to be confused with Ketchup)))..

So, leaning against the truck with the boys at the shop, I looked at the axles, trying to figure out brake lines, general wtf do we work on next?

I noticed something.


Now, there is no picture of the catawampus state I observed, cause honestly, I'm still shocked we (I) did this.

And I did not have the patience to take a picture.


Unc Killa: Well, well, would you look at that!!!

Stick: Whats up?

Unc Killa: I think the axles is bent.

Stick: Not possible!!

Guess what kiddo's?


It wasn't bent.

Cold snack thirsty Unc Killa made the dumbest of mistakes.

Did you know the stickers on the springs should be on the same side (ya know, pass side orientation ((front or back)) and driver side orientation spring)?

I knew that too.

But in my foggy haste, apparently that rule don't apply to me (it does).

Stick; " f................................................. ..............................................!!!! !"

Unc Killa: : /

Ginger Ninja: " I think I know what we are doing today".


And you all know the rest:

"WHILE WE ARE IN HERE SWAPPING THE SPRING AROUND, LETS GET THE RIGHT SIZED (LENGTH) U-BOLTS"

fml sometimes... lol.
'







Stayed tuned kiddo's.

On next weeks "While were in here doing this", you won't want to miss the take 3 forward, take 6 back process in the name of "need a checklist around here".

Uncle Killa out!

 

Killa, i did not do an ounce of my 8th grade class work today reading your thread. I have a 68 in science, with 10 days left, i think i may have just sacrificed straight Bs for this, and I’m not mad.

 

You know, sometimes you learn more on the internet than you do in school.

Just saying.

Well I hate to ruin your summer, but I got lots to share here.