A MORE serious deadline!
As the September deadline looms everything seems to be falling into place with both trucks. The suburban is driving , I’ve found the rest of the parts it needs for bargain prices either at scrap yards or on the eBay. The jeep has a recently straightened frame and, thanks to my brother’s amazing skills on the frame rack, it drives down the road in a straight line. The doors and rear hatch even open, close and seal now. Here is a shot of B.B. heating the frame:
Everything was going so well that I decided to throw my back out on Friday! Yay!!! I’m 90 percent now so it only set me back a couple of days but understanding wife and I are supposed to take a 1600 plus mile road trip next week in a ford escort. Out of concern that 26 hours in a compact car would exacerbate my ailing spine, we opted to take the now-straight-but-far-from-finished summer project: the jeep.
Yesterday I charged up the A/C, changed the rear hatch seal and replaced the tired Saginaw steering box. Today I jacked it up and started plating the bent and weakened frame when I found this:
That’s right! The rear shocks are 2 different sizes, types and brands.
The plan was simple; try to salvage 2 junk trucks in 2 months and take them half way down the coast of baja. Small complications, injuries and accelerated deadlines have all conspired to make this simple plan a real challenge. At this point I am focusing all efforts on the jeep so I can have the punch list all knocked out by Saturday. My neighbor Mr. Burley was kind enough to let me use his bandsaw to cut some 3/16 plate into new jeep frame. I made some cardboard templates, traced them onto the steel and cut them out.
Above is the first piece clamped in place and ready for welding. Below is the jeep torn apart with the tank out.
So rustlovers, I’m sure you’re all asking yourselves the obvious question: what about the suburban? Well…
Yeah, what did you expect?
