Was a long ride in a way but in other ways not long enough. It was a nervous ride the 1st hour, then I settled in once we got up into NC. Took the scenic route and chose to NOT go the typical up 85N route when it drag through middle NC. Went a different way that drug us through VA more so on that eastward slant, was pretty cool up until VA backroads across the Shenandoah Valley up into MD. A little nervous up through there, nowhere to pull off, trees on both sides, just woods and the occasional home. Fun times. Cool in the daytime, not so cool at night. lol
She's been parked since I got her home, could assess what was up completely. Small fix, but unfortunately, I'm kinda in limbo now til i can get a jack. A jack you say? It's hanging out with my CH air compressor and the ep386 fuel pump. Yep, there's a story, I'm ready to share positive stuff, not things that will make me walk back into negativity. At any rate...
I'm tapped til I can get a jack. I HAD one. So fixing all that stuff can wait now. She's got insurance on her, tagged up.
I literally shed a couple tears otw out the DMV across the parking lot as it got closer to driving.
Honestly, I just rode in the passenger side til it was time to go. I didn't drive her at ALL. Doesn't sound like a big deal, but to explain, NOBODY drives my 87. NOBODY. It makes it hard sometimes but. to say the least, NOBODY drives my truck. So, needless to say, I just sat and listened to her. Any skips, weird sounds. It'd been 2 years since I heard her run, and i know what she sounded like last. After some initial fighting as you would with any older vehicle, she got to going, sounded great actually.
Got the fuel cell in. Summit pump dead out the box, my bro(JGM Kustoms) had to make custom brackets for the rear shocks, 6454 springs in. Not thrilled on the angle as the new springs seat the front a little higher than the back, but, ill deal with that later, small stuff. The truck doesn't bounce or sway left/right anymore which is great.
Did a basic alignment but that's in the wind now that I gotta put the outer tierod end back in.
I'll update some more but for now i wanted to get my old photobucket set up again since I can't upload a jpEg, rather just a .JPG.
Time to go home....
https://photobucket.com/share/f62d183a-d90d-4bf2-a7f4-389805eed4d6https://photobucket.com/share/8d0a14ab-e211-44d8-8d81-5dfd62aca038Clear shot of JGM Kustoms' 1977
https://photobucket.com/share/6240ca93-0d65-4df0-a9bb-80312bf53a401st test drive? Nope. She wasnt readyyyyyyyyyyyy! (had NOT located the ground issue). She literally dropped dead at the end of the driveway at the white line. LMAO. I aint mad atcha.
https://photobucket.com/share/987b909b-2e44-4e23-86dd-7ba78560570aFound that I'd accidentally severed the frame ground from the bed last time i had a fuel pump issue 2013 or so(which i lost 3-4 in a year). I'd pulled the bed off and snatched that right off i guess unknowingly
https://photobucket.com/share/fba9841c-37f2-4845-bccb-8fdcdffecb80This was the scene for several days. Had to help get a race car OUT to get her in. This was her home for about a week. Long days into the nights out here. Spent more time out here with her than inside the house. As it should be.
https://photobucket.com/share/538a65fe-585e-42e6-adf5-d3947379273cThis cell has worked as it should. No complaints. Didn't use alot of the stuff that came with kit. Learned about braided fuel line.
https://photobucket.com/share/f382cc0a-0f6a-4a79-a167-72b9fff098a4
Just a certain happiness now that I have her back. My old legs couldn't do too much more walking miles to and from places.
She wasn't going to single-handedly right the entire "ship" by being in my daily, but the got pretty dang close.
The only thing I know I've had longer than any friendship or any other thing I own.
I can walk to my window, slide the curtain over and look down and see her all cleaned up, almost ready to go. Just gotta wait a little longer to grab a jack(trip to get her kinda wiped us out) to get her up and try to fix this tie rod end. No more red clay though. Though she probably groaned a bit now back in the north. 1st 5 days back here? Snowed 3x on her. lol
Hope yall enjoyed the pics, i'll have a video up soon of some of the stuff we done to her. Still getting back up to speed after a week gone.
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