Aug 28 2023

Jeep #2  AKA.. the Jurassic Jeep.

When the first Jeep you buy is looking like a real money pit…  Then you just go get a different one !  Just make sure you pay less… then you have more to spend and you feel better.  But it’s more than that.

What do I mean MORE.  Well let’s see… I drove it home 178 kms on the highway (not towed).  You learn a lot from that.  And it did great !  I like to drive automatics.. Really !  Clutches and 5 speeds are over rated.  And another thing that’s a big part of the “Jeep” experience is the open air… so a soft top is a huge bonus.

“Unmodified” ..  I don’t want to repair or remove someones bad ideas.  This one still sports the “jeep” rims, steering wheel and mirrors.  Even those ugly “bumperetes ” are there… bent but there. Same with the front bumper.. bent but there !

Even the interior looks like it’s 30 years old(seats for sure).  And we are talking a cassette player ! Wow so 90’s.   And what’s with the blue light? That has to go bye bye..Those are A/C ducts under the dash, Factory !  You don’t see that in many old Jeeps. And look the jacking tools were still in the holder under the hood.

And I had some time with not much going on SOOO…

I made these look “newish”

You know there is the “good stuff”  too.  still got the good inline 4.0 L six motor.  And it runs great.  There’s factory A/C if I can figure out how it works.  I like the half doors better than the full doors.. and these don’t need work.  There is one very good modification the manual pull ( red button) to lock in the 4×4.  Deleting the vacuum operated one that is prone to failure just when you need it. The hinges on all three doors are good and NOT loose. I attribute that to the half doors. They weigh less than the full doors.    The spare tire carrier is ready for the spare.  The fender flairs and running boards are NOT painted and in great condition.  The tires are new, and the proper size.  The top is only three years old and in great condition.  The cost of the top and the tires add up to what I paid for the whole Jeep.  These are the pluses.  What about the bad things ?  Well let’s have a look first. I’m sure more will be found by the mechanic on it’s soon to be visit.  But what are the things I’m know about. Leaking transmission ( somewhere).  Leaks in rear diff ( input and axles). A vibration at 70 km/h ?  ( don’t know where).  Right side front window hinge is seized.  Lots of small things to tinker with.  Like some of the gauges not working.  All fixable, and worth fixing.

This was the window that came with this Jeep..  now painted back.  See the post about the windows HERE.  I had to learn how the soft top goes down and back up. in order to remove and replace the front window.  Not hard at all. I also (as part of the window thing) had to fix the roll bar pieces that go above the doors and hook up to the window.   Today I was washing our vehicles .. so I decided it’s time to remove the “crispy” bra on the front of the Jeep.

Looks better now. Boy that bent bumper bugs me !  I want to build a new one.  Then I gave the motor compartment it’s much needed bath.  Here’s a before photo  (yes I remembered).

I’ve seen worse.. the idea was to get rid of the caked on dirt and oil on the engine.  Here’s the after….

Again it’s not a profound difference.  And overall things are looking good under the hood !  Ready for it’s date with the shop..

Okay… now I know what’s needs fixing from a professional.  Lets go from front to back. So first on the list is new ball joints for the right side.  Then there is a main rear seal on the motor.  A leaking seal on the transmission.  And the trans needs a service.  now here’s a big one. The whole rear axle needs replacing.  Too many issues to list.  And finally the welded patches on the rear most of the frame for the spring hangers need to be re- done.  So what now ?  A welder is going to have a look if he could fix the rear spring mounts.  So we will see about that.  I could swap out the rear axle from the 95 (if the ratio is the same) .  I could pull the trans and take it to a transmission shop.  and then I can change the rear motor seal.  I would get the shop to replace the ball joints because I don’t have the tools for that.  The debate still goes on about which is the better jeep to spend the money and time on..  I like the 92 my Son likes the 95.

Here is the frame problem..  What a mess with the welding ! This is the rear of the frame and that is the rear spring hanger.  And this is a common place for the rust to happen..  They make new (weld in ) frame sections for here.  So a fix is possible..  and good.

I just solved one of the big problems.  I found a used but good rear axle that’s a perfect match.  Only a leaking pinion seal..  I can do that..

No other leaks. Came from a jeep that had a bad frame.

Here’s a new video I just made..

Well due to a problem switching the windows the 92 Jeep is now the one in the shop.  Had to remove the dash to get to the backside of the hinges.  So I guess I’ll be working on the dash and things behind it.

Five thousand screws later I have the dash apart.  Now is a good time to start a new post cause things are going to get serious !

Page 2 for the 92 Jeep:

Aug 18 2023

More work to do !

Parts for the doors arrived today.

Except the gaskets and window channels.  The Jeep is ready to go to the shop in two days.  so I’m picking away at the doors.  I removed everything except the window regulator. Those four Philips screws will not budge.  There’s no repairs needed so I’ll leave well enough alone.

Same with the hinges.  Not going to chance damaging the torx bolts. The hinges get the red paint anyway. After washing the mud out and doing a few repairs I have started the painting.  Satin black for the door frames.

Sampled the regal red from the spray can… not thinking it’s dark enough.  But we’ll let it dry and see.

The Jeep is off to the shop now..  and another thing we’ll see is what they find wrong..  That was the longest drive today..  and I have some thoughts.. I think the clutch needs adjusting.  Wanders a bit on the road .  So maybe a wheel alignment.  Well it turns out that there is lots wrong !  The transmission has NO 4th and 5th gears.  That’s bad.  One front bearing needs replacing.  The power steering is leaking because it was poorly installed and buggered up..  So that needs to be replaced..  And of coarse we knew about the exhaust system..   And lets ad to that a new front window and a new rear window… The cost is starting to get crazy.  However I have been told by “Jeep guys’ that a fixed up Jeeps are worth it.  And the only thing that would halt spending money on the Jeep would be a rusted out frame.  So we shall keep on with it…

Back to the doors…  with the extra room in the shop I started working on the driver’s door.  Welding the cracks that all Jeep doors apparently have, and fixing the rust. Then this happened !

Tap tap with the body hammer and a rusty spot became a holey spot.  No worries I’ve welded a new plate on there. And the doors have the new paint on the parts where gaskets go.  I finally made a new video..

And this reveals the plan to sell this Jeep and  switch to the 1992 Jeep.

So let’s have a look and talk about the second Jeep. A few years older (92), but it’s in very good condition.. But most of all it’s 99% factory original.  With the only modification being the popular manual 4×4 axle engagement.  Best of all it comes with a full soft top (that I wanted), half doors (which I also like ) and it’s an automatic, which I very much like.   Sneak peak…

This one cost less than the 95 YJ..  It runs and drives.  It too has almost new tires.   A/C, trailer hitch and the spare tire mount I wanted.

The body has rust holes, and there are some leaks to fix and some electrical stuff.  Not lifted !  The good old 4 L inline six too. Runs great !

That Bra is ratty and is coming off.  As you can see the windshield frame is rusty so the new window frame and glass will go on here.  This is the Jeep I should have bought first time.. but it wasn’t for sale then.  So I will correct that by selling the 95.  By the way does this photo look familiar ?

Ya..  This is the year of YJ Jeep they used.. Those are the factory rims painted red.  Interesting I live in Drumheller. Don’t worry  I’m not thinking of that paint scheme.  It’s just a white Jeep with a blue splash.  Quite likely it will stay that way.

Enough about the new Jeep..  It will get it’s own post here:

1992 Jeep YJ Wrangler:

Back to the 1995 Jeep..  Well work on the doors is complete, and they are back on the jeep. Next up is the Jeep front window switch-a-roo.  And because it involves both Jeeps and it’s own unique work it warrants a new post:   Jeep Window Post

Jeep Front Windows :

I’ll get back to the 95 Jeep after the window fiasco.  The plans are to install the back painted window on this Jeep and the top back on . See what the newer wheels and tires will look like on the 92.  Not sure yet what other bits we will transfer over.  And the debate over which jeep is best also continues..  That means there is a lull in the work..  However I am fixing the power steering leak.

Done ! Now this Jeep can live outside for now.

Aug 13 2023

It’s in the garage so why not do some fixing !

Cleaning is first on the to do list..  The motor and under the hood was very dirty.  So much easier to see what you’re doing without the dirt.

trust me this is way better then what it was. I forgot to take a “before” photo. Not much to do under here. The leak in the power steering reservoir , a new belt and could use an oil change.

OOPS !   we had a little mishap.  As part of the cleaning Ben and I took the hardtop off..  And it was heavier than we thought it would be. and … we dropped it on the tail gate and broke the rear window..  Darn.. One more thing for the auto wrecker list.

I removed the passenger door so I could do the repairs.  AND clean the caulking off the vent window.

WHY ?  Was it leaking ?  What a pain.. I did get it all off and the window works again.  I’m going to take the door completely apart, and rebuild it..  And  I have some new parts for the doors coming.  I like the full doors so we will fix them up like new.  Let’s see now, doors off, top off and now the seats are out too.  Time for a bath on the inside.

And boy is it needed !   Years of mud and dirt.   It will look different tomorrow.

Much better !  Now we can see what’s under the dirt .   Also…  A topless jeep is kinda cool..

I’m trying a product I bought years ago for turning rust into primer. Can’t remember what project it was..  But it works.  I’ve soaked a few of the rusty bolts and screws in it and wow do they look different.

These were very rusty seat bolts, and the screws that hold the mirrors on.  So I used it on the front bumper, let it dry and painted it semi gloss black.

Now it’s time for some new tires. The ones I chose are multi use , trail , snow, mud and the good old road.  So I had them mounted up and now I need to freshen up the semi gloss black on the rims.  These are not the big fat tires that were on the jeep, but a much more reasonable size.  In fact close to the factory size.  There was some rust on the rims …  I treated it and repainted them .

Looking good where the rubber meets the road.  Next I’m painting the seat frames, and they will go back in so we can drive the jeep.

And here we are with the new tires on.  Some nice new center caps to fancy things up a bit. Today my new windshield frame came.  The old one is rusted through and dented up top..

This will make it so a new window can be installed without worry.  Putting the seats back in today.  Ordered a new steering wheel too.  In a few days the Jeep is going to a shop to have some work done.  They will install new tail pipe, a new belt and fix the leak in the power steering.  Also we will see what needs to be done to pass the safety inspection.  While in the shop I’ll rebuild the doors and paint the window frame to ready it for new glass.   We’ll start a new page for that work..

Page 3  Doors & Stuff:

 

Aug 11 2023

Another Toy !

I took some of the proceeds from selling my ATV and bought this Jeep.  More suited to Alberta adventures than a quad..  And in my long standing tradition of rescuing sad things..   This definitely fits that .

It has a tow bar that I used to bring it home.. 2 hours away in Red Deer.  No Problems..  The price was good and allows me to spend a bit of money, mostly on new tires..  but there is a  few things that need attention.  OK a lot of things.  The power steering tank has a leak, parking brake needs work. Exhaust is leaking.  Door hinges are worn.  One door latch is broken.. I’ve ordered a whole new set.   235,000 kms in 28 years… not bad. The motor runs great and so does the 5 speed trans. ( Not )

Good brakes too.  A lot of the work is cosmetic.  Like the paint , the drivers door panel is missing, and I need to clean up some wiring.  He had a winch that plugged into the front and back hitches… and then power plugs too…  All wired to two batteries and control switches for charging..  NOPE.. That’s coming out..instead I’ll put a winch on the front and wire it to the battery under the hood.

OK  That’s thoughtful.  and it is needed if you are going to have two batteries… He was winching himself or his buddies out of a lot of mud holes..  I won’t go into any mud holes .  So I can take this away AND ..

This mess as well.  WOW wires everywhere..  I get the switch for control over where the power goes..  Just don’t need that.  Do need the light bar switch.. Don’t need the siren switch …. Yes there is a siren under the hood.  No It’s not staying there.

Yes the light bar works ! And it’s staying..   That’s a nice tow bar .. I’ll keep it but the wiring for the lights is a mess and needs gone..  If I need to tow I’ll use my tow lights.

Well with Ben’s help we got to the job of cleaning up the wiring mess.  And fixing the loud exhaust.  Found a wire off the output housing. Sure enough the speedometer was unplugged.. HMMM One has to wonder for how long ?  It was ripped off by something… Therefore broken, so a new one is ordered.  Work is started on the jeep now to get it “road worthy’ Let’s start another page for that..

Page 2 Fixin Stuff:

Feb 7 2022

Fix’n Time :

Getting warm out so lets see what we can do.  First off I wasn’t happy with some of the work the detail guy did..  Carpets are good and the headliner too.  But he dropped the ball on the seats..  So I gave them another go..  !

Just got to scrub a little harder..  Then I used some leather conditioner / protector.  Nice…  I then used the decal kit for the HVAC controls..

Again… Nicer..  Once I get all the bits for the stereo install I can get that done.

I did find the passenger side running board at a wrecking yard in Calgary.  It’s a good thing Albert-in’s crash a lot.

Also grabbed a good driver’s side tail light.  The other one on the vehicle is cracked.  These won’t be changed till the painting is done. And speaking of that…. I’m getting quotes from small body shops. We will see how that goes..

Update: May 2022

I now have a guy who will do all the body work and painting .  Local too.  He’s got the parts I bought..and soon the Avalanche too.

Future Me :  None of that worked out I drove the Avalanche till March 2024 As is ..  Then got tired of the repairs and sold it..

Jan 25 2022

Hunting & Gathering :

Scored some parts !

Referring to the body of coarse…  after having a close look and assessing whats needed and what could be fixed. I need to replace both rear doors, both front fenders..  and maybe the front bumper. Also I need a right side running board.  These are where the most damage is.  Found a body shop in Strathmore that was selling the body parts off of a 2008 Avalanche.  $100 bucks each for the doors and fenders.  Wow my quote from the wreckers was $400 ea for doors.

I also got a white front bumper and the bottom air dam that finishes it.  That will fix the worst goober on the right front corner.

This !  Wonder what they hit..  ?  The right side fender and the front bumper cover will fix this…

The left fender will make this disappear.  Unfortunately I can’t get the same color parts..  So some painting will be needed.

You know I don’t really need the pearl paint.. It’s very expensive. If I just settle for a nice off white  one step paint I could save a lot and do the whole truck.  For now I’m stopping the rust, and sealing it.  And for now it’s too cold for any body work.   SOOO I’m concentrating on the interior.  As I said I’m having the inside professionally cleaned.  That is happening today and tomorrow we will see how that turned out.  I have ordered the bit and pieces to repair the few things not right inside the avalanche.  Starting with the dash..  Wouldn’t you know it one of the cool things you can get is a new dash cover.

Glues right over the old one.  easy fix!  The other cool thing I found was a kit for fixing the heater controls.  The typical scratched off  finish on the most used buttons.

would ya look at that.. even if you found a Hvac control at a wrecker it would still look like mine and cost more than the twenty bucks for these.

Back from the detailing shop..

Well… it’s better .. he did a good job on the carpets..  But could have got the seats cleaner.

At least it smells nice.. More bits and pieces are arriving soon. The console lid, the dash cover.  And a new stereo system.. that will give me the backup camera.  I found out what the 12v plug in the console was for.. it powers up the two DVD players in the head rests..  Hmmm don’t need those so I left it unplugged.

The new stereo arrived today..

This is a media player.  It uses the Android operating system.  It does a lot of things, basically anything my phone does.  All I need still is the dash install kit and the GM interface module.  And some warmer weather.  This will bring the tech in this 13 year old truck up to date. And the “Loaded” term will apply.  Also had an inspection done and only found two small things to fix.  That will be done next week with a service.  I’m not worrying about the ride control anytime soon..  The Avalanche rides nice and the nagging message is not happening any more.  The weather is warming up….SOOO  let’s start a new page.

Page 3  Fixing Things:

Jan 23 2022

Got it for a great price..  But you’ll see why.

Number six for me…

It’s the one on the right..  Yes I have three.  Yes the oldest one has the least Kms.  But those two will be gone soon.  So time for an upgrade for me. A bit newer and a whole lot more fancier.  Like one grill away from being a Cadillac, but without the expensive parts ! Now for some Avalanche history..  The last year Chev made Avalanche’s was 2013.  This one is a 2009, and there is only a few changes in those last years.  New this one would have sold for big bucks… on the plus side of 50 thousand.  The LTZ model is top of the line, and the only two things missing from this one is Nav and the rear camera.  So it’s definitely what you call “loaded”.  ( I’m adding those)

Hard to tell but this is the pearl white paint.  Which is classier than just white.   From the factory it would have 20 inch chrome wheels , But these are new after market 20 ” “Worx” rims and new Michelin winter tires.  That’s a bonus for me, and so was the new windshield.

It’s nice to see a bumper that is not bent, ya some paint chip and scratches but not bent.. The parking sensors work !  and the trailer plug too. The rest… well nobody ever cleaned the interior.  And something very heavy was put on the dash and cracked it.  But no other damage inside.  Lets have a look , and consider these the “before ” pictures.

Light grey leather seats.  Dirty but still in good condition.  These are heated and cooled ! The driver’s seat is the one that takes a lickin… And there is some cracks on the side, but not on the seat.  They are comfy too.

You can see the cracks… but they are not bad.  These seats are 8 way power..both sides.

The rear seats have probably seen some kid activity, but survived nicely.  I tumbled the seats and opened the mid-gate, it’s all good.  The Avalanche has a date with the auto detail shop this week.. Should see a big difference.  I’m going to interrupt here and say that this Avalanche drives very nice.  Brakes are great …lots of power and good on gas too.  It was a two hour drive back from Calgary yesterday and cruising at 106 kph I got 10.6 liters / 100 km.  Not too bad! Plus it goes down the road straight.  It’s a pleasure to drive.  AND it has 285,000 km on the old odo.  Alberta is like that..  everything has high kms.

Yes two DVD players !  Crazy eh..   They will most likely never get used.

So lets talk about the elephant in the room…the reason I paid six grand for a Ten thousand dollar truck..  THE BODY ! yes That’s where the work will be. Oh and I want to say don’t waste your money on one of those electronic rust inhibitor’s. There’s one installed on this Avalanche from new I presume …I found it.

They don’t work and this truck proves it..  RUSTY  you bet.  Ya it’s Alberta and they use lots of salt on the roads…but if you wash it ..keep wax on it should last longer than 13 years.

This is the drivers side rear fender.  The other side is bad, and bottom of the doors and other places.  So that’s a bit of work..  Then there’s other body stuff…

Like dents and scratches…  Lots.  So I’ll have to figure out what to do. The Avalanche is worth making nice.  As far as the mechanical end of things all I’m aware of are the air ride system not working.  And the two functions on the shift leaver are not working..They are: tow/haul mode and the manual shift button. Could be a bad wire.  As for the air ride…  After 13 years and 285,000 kms one should not expect that to work.. They were prone to failure.  The fix is to change over to regular shocks and remove the compressor and install the delete kit on the wiring so the warning goes away.  I’ll be surprised if there is other problem. Here’s a video.

Let’s start a new page called.. “Hunting & Gathering”

Page 2

March  7  2021

This will be about the start of work on BOB..  But first :

Update:   BOB got to visit the Linde shop to use the hoist for an oil change and a good look underneath.  Found a few things… some of which won’t matter with a chassis swap.  Those are : the steering problem is caused by excessive play in the drag- link.  Front wheel bearings are a tad loose ..but not concerning.  Things that will need addressing are:  Drivers side rocker has a rust hole.  Some seals on the motor are leaking. Those seals will be replaced when the motor is pulled for the swap.  So really no bad stuff.  While in the air I swapped out the spare for the proper rim on the front..  Now I can clean and paint the spare rim and mount a tire .. ( which I found in Peter’s pile of old tires ).  Plus I’m constantly adding to my stash of stuff.  The latest add is two boxes that are a perfect fit..

Aluminum too !  I will need to change the latch, and add a gasket.  When I turn it the way I’ll mount it the box is 30″ long 13″ tall and 10″ deep.

April 2020:

The donor truck has been stripped down to the chassis.

The motor and trans will be removed and the chassis cleaned…  painted and get some new parts .  New shocks, calibers and torsion bar ends.  The steering on this chassis is tight so no more loosey goosey .  Bob gets that plus nice wheels , bigger fuel tank, better and complete exhaust system, nice heavy duty rear bumper with hitch.

Here’s the cab and deck sitting on my trailer.  I’m wanting to help more but all the moving and packing up is taking most of my time.  So things over at Harold’s shop are progressing nicely..  Bob’s motor & cab are back on the new chassis and running great.

Mid May :  This is where we are now..  body work is done…  new doors installed.  Ready for a shiny white paint job.  I helped a bit getting Bob into the paint booth.  No worries about that bit of cancer on the left fender… I have plastic flairs that cover that.  The rockers are new, and those all the bottom of the doors with get rock guard.  This next week I will help re-assembling .

Here we go..  Nice new shiny white paint job.  We are installing all the bits that were removed.  Bob’s looking like new..  Sadly there was no way to take Bob with us to Alberta. The “out of province” inspection would be the problem.  I sold Bob to someone who was keen on finishing what we started.  Here are the last photos I have ..

I parked Bob over at Peter’s and advertised him for sale.

 

The interior was looking a bit better but still needed some work.

Bye Bye Bob 🙁

Feb  22 2021

It’s a project…  Let’s make some plans !

Those tractor lights gota go !

And the spare back under the frame.. Those are just a few of the things that will change.  There’s lots..  Now that I’ve had the truck for a month and dug around to see what’s good … what’s bad… and what’s ugly.  And found the things that don’t work.. So here’s a list of improvements,  repairs and  pimping.  I know I’ll forget something ..so I’ll add it later.

#1  Extending the frame and the flat deck:

This is a big one..  The most likely scenario will be to use the 1996 4×4 frame we have and move BOB’s body and power train over.  This means I can move the deck back approximately 20 ”  giving me a 9 ft deck !  wow.  The plus side to all this work is being able to clean and paint all the parts… not just the ones you can see.  New body mounts , new brake lines.. A better steering box. and any other repairs.  Also the exhaust on that truck is in good condition.  The nice wheels I want are on the truck.  And interestingly the 96 has 4 plus 1 leafs in the rear springs.

And the truck appears to be lifted..  But we can’t find the lift. So could be the extra leaf in the spring ? We will no more when we remove the body and just have the frame.

#2 Changing the look of the back of the deck:

This will need a trim..  to make room for the new bumper and hitch.  These lights will be changed out for LEDs, and the license plate will move to the middle so the camera can see the hitch.  Plus a rail at the top for hooking the ramps to.

These are the lights I like.  Installed them on the Surf Side..  rubber grommets, flush mount..   perfect.

#3 Stake pockets:

I’m not changing my mind on this.. the rail is going bye bye and stake pockets along the sides, with a rub rail !  Great place to hook tie downs too.

#4  LED work lights and a winch:

The cheap tractor lights are going too..  I don’t even want the ones facing the front !  what’s their point ?  I have new 6 inch LED bar lights for here.  Tuck them under the top bar..  Proper wiring ! not bare wires hanging across the window.. Hillbilly wiring . The head ache rack will be removed to extend the deck. And this is where approximately 20″ will be added.  The wood deck will be moved back and good heavy gauge of metal deck added. There  I plan to mount a 1200 lb winch.

#5 Under deck storage:

I need to find or make some boxes that fit this space.  Handy for straps and I would like the have a second battery here too.. with a inverter and to power the winches.

That’s the work on the deck..  There will also be a bit of body work.  The clear coat is peeling off.  The doors will be replaced, and a new white paint job.    Continuing on the outside …

#6 New towing mirrors:

Yup.. I got em .. Those old ones will go.  This will be a working truck so car mirrors are no good..

#7 Headlights:

And let’s add the turn / park lights to that.  I have upgraded lights from a newer truck.  BOB will get to see in the dark with halogen bulbs..  and they could even be changed to LEDs too.  As for the park lights .. new bulbs and a mod to include running lights.

Now to the interior…

#8 Seats:

Oh ya..  Why just put a cover on this old bench when you can have nice buckets.  Exactly ! Who wouldn’t do that ?  And as a bonus I get a storage console and cup holders !  Not a hard decision at all.

#9 Head liner:

This will never do..  I have a hard one from one of the parts trucks. I’ll paint it … or glue this red stuff on..  We’ll see … but it won’t look like this.

#10 Stereo:

I’ve ordered a new RED bezel.. Only because I’m a bit fussy on this brown one.  Hey stuff’s gota match !  Also if I decide that the Sony sucks, I have a Kenwood waiting to replace it.  Interestingly the speakers look newer and they sound good..  One less thing.  Either way there is tunes !

#11 Back up camera and keyless locks:

I have a small 4 inch monitor that will fit this cubby.  So we will have the convenience of seeing what’s back there.  BOB’s getting some tech for sure..   One more thing these older trucks never had was keyless locking.   BOB will..  I’ve got the system to install.  No more door keys needed.

#12 Switches:

This is a replaced dash bezel.  the one that was in the truck was full of holes for the switches for the work lights.  I will have just one that fits this hole for the work lights on the Head rack.  And it lights up to let you know they are on..  Maybe a second switch if I install more lights.  There’s room !

#13 Drivers door panel :

Broken handle… broken trim…  wrong power lock switch..  I have the trim panel and the lock switch.  But the pull handle is hard to find cause they always break.  So either I do find one or I make one.  We’ll see .. but we will fix.

#14  Oil gauge:

This was mounted under the dash.  Didn’t seam to do anything.  Found out why… the tube supplying the oil pressure was broken.  I want the gauge in the cluster to be the one working so I’ll get a new oil sending unit and hook that back up.  Bye bye to this one.

#15 A Clock:

Yes you can get a clock…  Sadly the Chinese have a thing for 24 hr time…  Maybe has something to do with it also having the date ?  Don’t like that so I ordered a better one.

That’s it for now … a lot of stuff.   AND none of this happened because we moved and could not take Bob with us.  But we will have a quick look at the work that was done.

Jan  23  2021

Once again you can call me CRAZY ! But we are calling the Chevy  ” BOB “

This time I do not have a glamorous photo of this truck from the web of what it should look like.. That doesn’t exist.  YET!  It will when I’m done, but for now it’s all in my head.  This truck is …well unique. Yes it’s old and in need of some fixing up, mostly cosmetic ..  And certainly a flat deck truck is not rare… there is lots of them..  But they are mostly different from each other.  This one was home built on a half ton 4×4 long box single cab.  Most are one ton trucks.  SO do we have a hillbilly one.. Almost!  The deck is quite nice.. And the frame is very strong and seems professionally made.  BUT.. they bobbed off the rear of the truck (hence the name) and made it too short for my liking.  So My plan is to extend it.  But I’ll still call it BOB.

Ahh you gotta love the eighties..  Put your hand up it you had a car or truck from then that had a red interior… and I mean totally red ! My hand is up..  Red 1985 Dodge Caravan..  I’ll get used to it…again.  Good thing cause changing that would be a lot of work… and not necessary… So I’ll embrace the redness..

Just like the Surf side trailer if you start out not paying much.. or anything , then you have more to spend on making it right.  Quite often you could spend more to buy a nicer truck and still end up spending money.  Bottom line is I don’t expect much in a cheap truck.  So I feel lucky that it made the 2 hour trip back home and has BC registration.  And add to that… It runs good.. shifts good.. stops good. The important stuff works.  That’s the “Pros”  what about the “Cons”.  Well here’s what we know so far.  Motor needs an oil change. (should do that anyway).  Steering needs work (loosey goosey). The gauge cluster will be changed out (other gauges work fine).  The muffler is supposedly new but the tail pipe is missing, and it’s a bit loud for me.   Driver’s door is hard to close.  AC needs a re-charge.  Needs better tires and a new rim so the spare can return to the back.  At first we thought a leaf was missing from the rear springs.. Nope..  The ride is very nice.  However if you want to carry weight you need all the spring leaf’s there.  I’ll replace the doors and new pins and maybe the left fender cause they are rusty and easy to source.  There are a few bits inside that need fixing or replacing as well.  But let’s talk about the one thing I really want… The rear deck.  I was looking at trucks that I would have to remove the box and build a deck from scratch.  Totally could do that..  But here we have most of the work done for me..  For less money ! However needs a bit of “alterations”.  And paint !

What we have is ..  6 ft wide.  Perfect !  But only 7 ft 4 inches long.  I would like a minimum 8 ft long.. but lets add to that..  Let’s add a foot to make it 8 ft 4 inches.  And add that to the front so as to keep the back end shape. My RZR will fit very nicely.. The headache rack is perfect too.. Couldn’t have done it better.  Those rails will be removed and stake pockets added with a rub rail.  Also missing is a receiver hitch and the wiring for that.  All of this means I keep the nice new decking.  The extra foot would be plate steel with a strong winch mount against the head board.  There I want at least a 10,000 lb winch.  I love making plans..  So let’s make more..  I have thought about the way I would like things to be.. Useful , Adaptable,  come to mind.  More Ideas..

On this ..the drivers side I wanted the spare tire holder.  But I’m thinking it won’t fit .. so a storage box. ?

And on this side (passenger) I want a lock box for a second battery, storage and some other goodies I have in mind.  This battery would have an isolation solenoid and power the winches and a 1000 watt inverter.  That way I’ll always have the truck battery fully charged, and power for other stuff.  So far that’s my plans… could change !

For now The truck will have to wait it’s turn..  BUT while it waits I’m collecting some parts..  Newer headlights with bulbs to replace the old school sealed beams.  The cubby that replaces the old factory stereo heat unit.  A new instrument cluster with the same kms on the ODO.  BUT most of all a nice set of bucket seats with a center console to replace the bench seat.  Many more bits and pieces. If it’s cracked or broken I’m replacing it. PLUS I have on order: A remote keyless system.  A back up camera and monitor.  New door switches. New mirrors for towing.

BOB got buckets !

And a console !  With cup holders !  Good condition for being old.  Don’t  want three people in the truck.. so this suits me just fine.

BOB got new doors !

Well nothing for an old truck is really new,  but these are WAY better condition.  Bob will get a new white paint job, so color won’t matter for these.  I also found a fourth rim to match the others.  Now I have four nice rims and one spare rim.  Got quite the stash going on. And now added to the stash is a 1200 watt inverter, and some fancy chrome rims much like the ones on my Avalanche..

Sweet!  But wait… there’s more.  My friend bought another parts truck and won’t use the frame ..so there’s the missing part of my frame OR swap frames.  Ether way I get a very nice rear bumper. Here’s Some of the parts that will be an upgrade.

These are headlights from a newer truck that have halogen bulbs. The gauge cluster pictured has working ODO..  I’ve ordered new LED’s for gauges.  The headlights will get a polish and be like new, with much improvement.

Update :

Today we went and picked up a 1996 extra cab 4×4 with a bad transmission.  Local truck so we trailered  it home.  This is the truck that has the wheels I’m getting.  Harold bought the truck very cheap for the body panels..  box , doors , fenders and hood.  And the interior too.  That’s all he wants.  He does not like the 5.7 vortec motor.. and it would not start in the cold anyway.  I pitched in some of the money so the rest is mine.

So… this was a dark green truck at one time..  and all the white stuff was from another truck.  Great condition. He’s going use those body parts to build another regular cab short box 2 wheel drive truck.. His favorite kind. Today we also removed the motor from the frame he will use.  Now … once the truck above gets stripped of all it’s parts ..that leaves a good rolling frame..  a long 4×4 frame.  I’m considering moving all Bob’s body over to this frame. Because it’s not “bobed” off.  And it has this awesome rear bumper.

With a good hitch !  The wheels and this bumper are worth what we paid for the whole truck ! Someone did a great job fabricating this bumper.  By making a swap like this BOB can be more than a painted truck..  It will be like new.  Finally after a month I made a video…

I also fixed a few things on the dash.  Using some re-conditioned parts.

The dash pocket, gauge cluster and the dash bezel are from a donor truck .   The stereo and mount were in the truck but not installed properly.  Since I knew what I was doing I took this much of the dash apart, and removed some messy wiring ,  Plus redo the stereo harness.  It wasn’t soldered ! and some of the wires were pulled apart.  Then I put it all back with better parts.  Now the glove box opens and closes without falling on the floor!  And the stereo is in the dash all the way instead of hanging out…  all speakers work.  This is how things will stay for now.  After the Surf Side trailer is finished then it’s truck time. !  and I’ll start a new page..

Working on BOB  page 2