Builds Fly By Night (4 Viewers)

[bobm]

I appreciate the kind words you guys -
@61twpw
@PabloCruise
@riderjgs
@scrapdaddy
@bobm

You and everyone else on the forum here who I’ve had the pleasure of meeting or chatting with have been a huge inspiration and source of knowledge which has helped me out more than can be realized.

I read this thread from the beginning from time to time and crack up, cringe, or just shake my head at, despite close to 20 years wheeling and working on Cruisers, the naivety I displayed going into this project.
Oh yeah, stages, keep it drivable…ha! Be a pioneer LOL! Really, I’m just lucky so many of you guys before who’ve built your rigs actually documented your builds here so that a copy-cat like me can come in and cherry pick all my favorite details and incorporate them into my build. Then I’m just hoping what I want to do will work because I can only wrap my head around a couple steps ahead of where I’m at right now, there is no grand plan laid out - I’m totally winging it. If I get stumped with something I go back and look at what so-n-so did and go from there. Sometimes, after a lot of mulling something over, something just clicks and that “thing” just became a little more my own than exactly what someone else did. Really love those times.
And yeah, it can be hard doing a project like this while working full time and having a family. My wife actually loves the fact that I’m down in the garage “tinkering” or working on stuff with the tub or whatever, instead of playing video games or watching TV. The other side of the sword is that I’m so focused on it that, yeah, I have to say, I’ve missed out on a lot of family time, and actually get irritated at having to spend money on other things like vacations, house projects or other vehicle maintenance instead of funneling my cash flow to the Cruiser. It can be exasperating sometimes walking that fine line of balance. I honestly don’t know how a lot of these big-time builders can work 16hrs a day on projects for years on end.
Looking forward into 2022, the possibility exits for a lot of great things here at the Rush house, and I’ll be praying hard that everything remains moving in a smooth upward direction!
Happy New Year to all of you!

Very Heartfelt and Thankful ❤. Love ya Buddy . But couldve Stabbed the Engine and Tranny in instead of all the Typing . BLA, BLA, BLA.. Just Messing

 

[RUSH55]

Big thanks to my buddy Charlie. Truck crane made it piece of pie.

 

[scrapdaddy]

Truck crane made it piece of pie.

Nice!

 

[Lifelong40Fan]

Good to have friends in high places!

 

[bobm]

Charlie a good Guy.

 

[riderjgs]

Just a matter of time. A major milestone. Pig Party 2022?

 

[RUSH55]

Just a matter of time. A major milestone. Pig Party 2022?

Gonna try Jim. Got a sizable list ahead still. Trying to setup my game plan.

 

[bobm]

You can do it !!!!

 

[riderjgs]

Gonna try Jim. Got a sizable list ahead still. Trying to setup my game plan.

Drivable first. Cosmetics last?

 

[RUSH55]

Drivable first. Cosmetics last?

Want to set the engine/trans/t-case and get the mounts sorted out, then I’m leaning heavily on getting the engine to a machine shop and having it built.
I’ve been on the fence about just getting a bore gauge and checking the bores out myself. If it ends up that they’re out of spec, then it’ll need to go in anyways and I’m out the money for a bore gauge that could have been spent on something else. I kind of want to do the re-ring and bearing if it’s in spec, since I’ve already done pretty much everything myself at this point, BUUUUT if I’m on my way to a Pig Party and start losing compression, I’ll be kicking myself in the butt. Such a difficult decision
If it ends up that I farm it out, then in the meantime I’ll be trying to knock out a bunch of cosmetics and mechanicals.

 

[xtiaan2000]

I think that tire size looks killer too!

 

[RUSH55]

I think that tire size looks killer too!

Those are 235/75’s - 28’s like what Bill wants. I like my bacon thicker. 35x12.50’s will be going back on much to the dismay of the skinny girl, supermodel tires so many of the boys like.

 

[riderjgs]

More interested in the length of the ladder it'll take to get the rest of your family up into it.

 

[RUSH55]

More interested in the length of the ladder it'll take to get the rest of your family up into it.

Not anywhere near the length of the one you use to get into the RTT

 

[61twpw]

Those are 235/75’s - 28’s like what Bill wants. I like my bacon thicker. 35x12.50’s will be going back on much to the dismay of the skinny girl, supermodel tires so many of the boys like.

Funny, I’m sitting on 33x10.50x15’s at the moment. My shop rollers. Really hoping to be at your point of reattaching the body one day.

 

[riderjgs]

Not anywhere near the length of the one you use to get into the RTT

You win! Actually sold the old rooftop. Looking for a newer version. Will be using the awning room until I find something.

 

[RUSH55]

I’m sitting on 33x10.50x15’s at the moment. My shop rollers.

We should probably trade tires!

 

[RUSH55]

A fond farewell to Rickety Spit. Pretty amazing that you lasted the better part of 3 years. Thanks for not crashing. I’ll use your best parts for the next time there’s a need for a spit.

 

[RUSH55]

Laying out the plans for the outer firewall now that the rotisserie crossbar is out of the way. Some of the holes are staying, some will get filled. There’s a few that I’m having trouble remembering what they were for, and a few mystery holes that I can’t recall ever really being used for anything. Can anyone tell me what some of these are for?
(Red Circles)

 

[Lifelong40Fan]

Heater, choke and e brake