My heart wants to do the Maverick/Comet combo- pull the drivetrain, wiring, front fenders, etc off of the 4-door comet and put them on the Maverick (I don't really care for the look of the 4-doors). The big issue is I don't really have a place to do it. The manager here is being pretty lenient about the Jeep and Super Duty because they LOOK LIKE they run and no one is the wiser. Plus, we need a second drivable vehicle NOW.

The logical side of me says to go with the 70 truck- it runs, it is 98% rust free, and having the SD down has proven to be a pain in the butt. The Ex can handle most of what I used the SD for, but then I spend additional cleaning hours after use because I can't stand the Ex's interior to be dirty.

I forgot to mention- during the search, I was 15-minutes too late from having the new vehicle be a second V-10 Excursion- almost exactly like the one we have, except minus the burn marks and with the cladding. That would have been a hoot...

On top of all this, I'm trying desperately to get a new place bought. The problem is, it is two separate properties owned by two separate parties. They are right next to each other, and share a common driveway- one is an acre with an old house on it, the other is an acre with two large garages, an older pole barn and three grain silos. They were obviously owned by the same person at one point. I can get them both for 50K, but can't seem to get anyone to finance them together.

Funny thing is- if I could get them bought, I'd be paying half of what I pay now in lot rent, have 10 times as much property, have garages, and no rules over what runs, what I can work on, etc. As it sits now, I'm looking at a frame swap on the Jeep,an engine/wiring swap on the SD, and a spring swap on the EX- with nowhere to do it without people hollering at me...

 

I'd say go for the truck as well. Then try and get your place bought. Once you are settled in start doing your projects

 

Sounds like some solid progress has been made.

Not sure you're aware of the Denso COP'S Rock-auto sells being the sameas Motorcraft and half the price, I picked up two, one for the glove box and the other to wait at home.

 

8 of my COPS were pretty much brand new Motorcrafts (I robbed them from the truck when the engine went). So I still had the 10 that came with the Excursion. I tossed the bad ones but still had extras. I also still had the old good ones from the truck from when I bought the new ones. I shouldn't have to buy any COPS for a while, but if I do, I'll keep the Densos in mind.

We're going back to look at the 70 truck tonight. I'll let you know what happens.

 

2500 mile update...

So, I'm going through some oil- about a quart every couple hundred miles. This one had me stumped for quite some time- even had the instructor at school check it out, and he was stumped.

BUT I FOUND IT!

Here's the scenario- it is NOT burning oil (well, kinda). Exhaust is normal, no smoke under any condition. Plugs never show a bit of oil, and compression on all cylinders are well within factory specs. All tests show that oil is not being burned in the combustion chamber.

I can park it- any time, anywhere with no leaks on the ground. It doesn't matter if it is after a short trip, a long trip, or no trip and just idling. No oil on the ground. Ever.

Then today, I found the issue while it was idling and I was checking the transmission fluid. It was as obvious as the nose on my face... remember how the driver side valve cover was baked in the fire, but I decided to run with it because it still felt solid? Well, on the lower rear of the valve cover, it got thin enough to develop small, tiny leaks.

It only leaks when the engine is running, because all the oil drains out of that area when the engine is turned off. But when the engine is running, the oil leaks out and drips right onto the rear of the exhaust manifold. It isn't a steady leak like a stream- just frequent drops. The oil burns up instantly as it drips on the manifold- destroying the evidence of a leak!

So, it looks like a new valve cover is in order.

In other news, we did get the 70 F100. I've been busy going through it's issues to get it road ready. Other than the guy who had it going crazy with spray cans of green and purple, this thing is straight out of a time machine. I-6, 3-on-the-tree, radio-delete... and get this- the wiring harness is 100% original and unmolested- no cuts, no splices, no additions.

It does have it's issues- We started it before we would negotiate and there is noise, which reduced the price enough to make it worth it. At the price, I went into it with the expectation of engine damage (and located three good engines beforehand for cheap). Seller thinks throwout bearing, but I'm thinking bottom end- sounds like if you took a bunch of junk rods and pistons and start shaking them in a bucket. BUT- we had to drive it home and it had plenty of power and ran fine (but with noise). Noise doesn't change using the clutch, which is why I'm NOT thinking the throwout bearing. Only rust is the center section of the bed floor and bottoms of the cab mounts. Well worth it, plus we added another Ford to the stable.

And I have to share this one with y'all- We go to the credit union to extend the Jeep loan to purchase the truck and put new tires on it. They know the issue with the Jeep frame. They come back into the room and tell us that they are just going to issue a signature loan to us because we've done so well with our payments to them- even with the Jeep being broken down half of the time we've owned it. They issued a signature loan that covered the loan amount on the Jeep, the purchase price of the truck, and four brand new tires, mounted and balance. No collateral, and at a cheaper interest rate than the original Jeep loan. They handed us back the truck title AND released the Jeep title to do with what we wished. All this with less-than stellar credit ratings for the both of us! I guess it pays to pay your bills on time and use a small-town credit union.

So the path forward right now is-
1. Get the F100 road ready and become familiar with that section of FTE
2. Replace valve cover in the Ex, along with replacing the U-joints (might just replace the whole driveshaft, mine's pretty flakey and crusty).
3. Work towards trying to get the property purchased (hopefully without selling the Jeep for a down payment- I don't want to let that pig defeat me)
4. Start gearing up to work on the Super Duty's heart transplant

Oh, and semester finals next week, followed by a month off from school. Who woulda thunk a guy in his mid-40's would not only be on the Dean's List, but also be at the #1 spot-top of the class? I'll even be EPA 609 certified by the end of the week!

 

That's good news on your schooling. Congrats.

Glad to hear about the credit union too.

Hopefully you can get your place soon then

 

Congratulations, sounds like everything is going well.

 

Update- The Ex is still going strong, and is now in use as my daily driver. I am having some rear driveshaft issues though- as in I need another one.

School- I'm in my final semester before getting my AAS in Automotive Technology. Been on the Dean's List the entire time. Not bad for a 45-year-old, huh? Been filling electives with welding classes- I might continue on and get the certification and AAS for welding.

Personal- not doing so well in this department. About to get divorced- although extremely civil. It's for the best for both of us. Unfortunately, that means me trying to find a cheap, ratty camper to stay in for a bit while I get my ducks in a row. It's cool though.

I have the locked-up 5.4 pulled out of the SD- oil starvation. One main bearing is pretty much welded to the crank. Plans are to replace it with a V10 once I'm more stable.

 

Sorry to hear about your marriage, good to hear about tge schooling though.

If you plan on a V10, I believe you should plan a different 4r100 to match at the same time. As I understand it the 5.4 transmissions are internally the same.

 

Chin up Joey, glad it's civil. Stressful enough without the extra BS. Good to have an EX treat you well. Pun intended.....

 

Glad to hear about the schooling and the rig running well. Can you find a used 5.4 just to slap in on the cheap?

Sorry to hear about your marriage. Even though it is civil it still must be stressful