- Location
- Stinkwater
Least, thats what she told me her name was. She seems like the type that might change her mind. She also seems like a hussy, running around with her top off like that. I guess if I'm going to have a mistress, she'll do.
Samantha has had a rough go of it. Since she was last mine, she's been stolen, recovered, blown up on the freeway, towed to Oregon (and into a concrete pillar on the way), flat-towed back from Oregon, and then forced to sit in my driveway for several months until I could afford to do something about her.
Her insides are thrashed, consequence of the thievery. The motor was near destroyed, consequence of (near as we can tell) a broken thermostat wire which led to catastrophic overheating. And the tranny was shot, not sure why yet but I have my suspicions.
So, engine rebuild. Big one. If I'd known it was going to cost as much as it did when all was said and done, I think woulda just pitched the poor girl. The mechanic felt so bad for me he stuck NACHOYOTAs transmission in without charging me (runs great, BTW, I owe you a beer or four). And as long as the cam needed replaced, we went ahead and used the spiffy Comp Cams upgrade. So there is that, anyway.
She's not out of the woods yet. The front rotors are shot, and the bleeder on the rear drum is seized up, so needless to say, the brakes are erratic. There's an exhaust leak at the Y-pipe. I've got little bits of rust popping up all over the paint, and the interior is thrashed. And she's completely gutless, until I take her back to get the head retorqued and the valves done. 2000 miles first, my man says. Ok.
Priority one is the brakes, then the exhaust leak. While she's up on jackstands, I'm going to slip a pair of coils springs into the rear, the leaves are nearly flat. Then it's a roof rack - probably just bolt a cage to the hardtop for now. And tires at some point, the 31x10.5x15s she's on look ok, and have tread left, but there's cracks in the sidewall from sitting so long and I don't trust them.
With that, she'll be fit to make the trip to California next month, we're gonna run the Modoc Backwoods Trail or whatever it's called, NE California. Once we're back, focus will turn to making/scrounging bumpers and sliders, then the interior and bodywork. And it looks like I'll have to replace the rear window motor at some point, it's sluggish at the hatch and dead from the switch in front.
Wish list:
Clean, straight body
Refinished interior
K&N intake and upgraded exhaust to go with the new cam
Bumper and winch in front
Swing-away tire carrier in rear
Armor on the sides and underneath
Locked rear, dunno what yet
Aux gas tank where the spare used to be
Oversized disc brakes front and rear
Dual batteries
Onboard air
Cargo rack
That, I think, will make me a right proper expedition rig, suitable for getting into and out of all sorts of trouble.
Maybe a proper lift in front, I think all it's got now is cranked torsion bars. I dunno if I'll want 33's, I understand I'd probably need to regear, and I may be happy with 31's anyway.
Hope to have the brakes done this weekend, and the springs arrive monday. More pics once they're in and she isn't dragging her bum any more.
Samantha has had a rough go of it. Since she was last mine, she's been stolen, recovered, blown up on the freeway, towed to Oregon (and into a concrete pillar on the way), flat-towed back from Oregon, and then forced to sit in my driveway for several months until I could afford to do something about her.
Her insides are thrashed, consequence of the thievery. The motor was near destroyed, consequence of (near as we can tell) a broken thermostat wire which led to catastrophic overheating. And the tranny was shot, not sure why yet but I have my suspicions.
So, engine rebuild. Big one. If I'd known it was going to cost as much as it did when all was said and done, I think woulda just pitched the poor girl. The mechanic felt so bad for me he stuck NACHOYOTAs transmission in without charging me (runs great, BTW, I owe you a beer or four). And as long as the cam needed replaced, we went ahead and used the spiffy Comp Cams upgrade. So there is that, anyway.
She's not out of the woods yet. The front rotors are shot, and the bleeder on the rear drum is seized up, so needless to say, the brakes are erratic. There's an exhaust leak at the Y-pipe. I've got little bits of rust popping up all over the paint, and the interior is thrashed. And she's completely gutless, until I take her back to get the head retorqued and the valves done. 2000 miles first, my man says. Ok.
Priority one is the brakes, then the exhaust leak. While she's up on jackstands, I'm going to slip a pair of coils springs into the rear, the leaves are nearly flat. Then it's a roof rack - probably just bolt a cage to the hardtop for now. And tires at some point, the 31x10.5x15s she's on look ok, and have tread left, but there's cracks in the sidewall from sitting so long and I don't trust them.
With that, she'll be fit to make the trip to California next month, we're gonna run the Modoc Backwoods Trail or whatever it's called, NE California. Once we're back, focus will turn to making/scrounging bumpers and sliders, then the interior and bodywork. And it looks like I'll have to replace the rear window motor at some point, it's sluggish at the hatch and dead from the switch in front.
Wish list:
Clean, straight body
Refinished interior
K&N intake and upgraded exhaust to go with the new cam
Bumper and winch in front
Swing-away tire carrier in rear
Armor on the sides and underneath
Locked rear, dunno what yet
Aux gas tank where the spare used to be
Oversized disc brakes front and rear
Dual batteries
Onboard air
Cargo rack
That, I think, will make me a right proper expedition rig, suitable for getting into and out of all sorts of trouble.
Maybe a proper lift in front, I think all it's got now is cranked torsion bars. I dunno if I'll want 33's, I understand I'd probably need to regear, and I may be happy with 31's anyway.
Hope to have the brakes done this weekend, and the springs arrive monday. More pics once they're in and she isn't dragging her bum any more.
