Keep me posted on the Mazda B truck price (still have it?)!
Did you fix up the Willys from the Uwharrie fun?
Did you fix up the Willys from the Uwharrie fun?
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I've avoided driving the Red Rocket during the salt and snow so far but I can't avoid it forever sadly... Life changes are happening as I'm moving out from that rat infested tweakhole, which I'm not upset about in the slightest. However, I'm losing my almost unlimited parking up here in a small town that has a parking/housing crisis. Will be thinning out the herd and the troopy will be one of 2 cars I'll have. So I coated EVERYTHING with PB Blaster's Surface Shield, I heard it's thicker and adheres for longer compared to fluid film.
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We'll see how it lasts.
I'll be towing the 52 Willys home with that crusty 60 I have and will be parking them both in Wilmington. Who knows, maybe @Roastchestnuts might buy that Willy sometime this summer if everything aligns.
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I have my tweaker truck lined up to sell on Saturday for $3200, not bad for a $200 truckIt's come a long way since I first spotted it whilst doing tree work and building bridges after that hurricane last year decimated WNC.
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Shined the paint up a little bit and color-matched a topper I had for it. That definitely helped with the crazy price I'm getting for this thing. It's been a great truck for me. 14,000 miles in the past year pretty much trouble-free other than a clutch replacement. With only 125,000 miles, it'll serve the next owner well aswell.
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My work got really slow this winter and with nothing to do other than clean the shop every day, I was laid off. Ended on great terms, I have access to the shop's machinery whenever I want, along with an outstanding recommendation from my boss. With all of these life changes happening I figured I'd make another one and instead of finding some job doing whatever for the next 4 months or so (planning another cross-country trip), I would instead buy a mobile welding generator from Harbor Freight as they had a recent sale of 30% off all welders. I'll just be welding for my own, along with flipping cars for now.
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Check out my temporary welding rigI'll build that 4x4 Mazda out for welding next week once I get my hands on it again.
Dude I am sorry to hear about your job! I know you learned alot from that job and to be honest I was kinda jealous of it! But seems like you have learned so much. and at least you can weld odd jobs too! also the Name suggestion of welding buisness - Mobile Cruiser welding. That cracked me up when I saw it on instagram. Its a sick welder for the price though. People need your skills for sure.
I am going to try that pb blaster stuff on the fj55! BTW I told one of my students that it was in the last halloween movie and he has been calling it my michael myers mobile.
That jeep!
its is going to be so cool! had my mind set on a something Willys from post war so its perfect! made back when it was a working machine not a grocery getter! I am a toyota guy through and through but I do have a soft spot for the willys jeeps. After all the first land cruiser did take some design cues from the willys jeeps.Also Baby will be here by Thursday! Ill be sure to let you and the family know! I am hoping we get another vintage car nerd I can wrench with in the next 10-20 years.
theglobb
SILVER Star
- Thread starter
- #2,163
Got the 60 and Willy down to Wilmington safely, did a ton of brake work and fuel injector work to the Mazda and hit the road back to Boone. Got into town about 15 minutes before a massive ice storm hit us. It's cold and everything is frozen solid, not fun snow just hard ice lol.
I got this little Mazda built out for welding, now I just need to get some work lined up. I got a couple of jobs but I'm gonna have to really rely on flipping cars for my main income. Welding work here is slow in the winter... hence why I no longer have a job
All of the work I have lined up is too sketchy to attempt due to the 2inches of ice covering everything, and I hate the feeling of just wasting away a day doing nothing, so I figured on this fine 14f degree day that I would tackle the Red Rockets brakes.
I've been chasing a weak brake feel whilst driving it. It feels really strong for the first little bit of pedal movment and then I hit a "wall" the pedal gets stiff and my braking severely worsens. Tested my vaccum pump, replaced all vacuum hoses going to the booster, adjusted my drums, and now today I replaced my front pads & rotors. I know that won't really help much with my braking issue but my pads were about nonexistent, and my rotors had seen better days... they measured far below the minimum thickness Toyota recommends them to be. Check out how little pad was left in the photo below (new pad for reference)
I didn't buy new hoses cause when I checked them out they looked visually ok, no dryrot, flexible, and I think I replaced them 5 years ago or so (could be wrong). Regardless, I spotted this bulge in the hose today while doing the driver's side rotor... glad I caught that. I have a new set of hoses ordered now.
I also bought new drum shoes as mine were pretty thin, might as well do a whole brake system "refresh"
I only got one side put back together before my toes were all fuzzy feeling from being numb for so long, the sun was setting in 30 minutes so I just called it there.
It's days like these when I wonder why I choose to live here, then I realize the summers are so worth it.
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Still can't believe you stumbled upon me as the Willy's was broken down at the trailhead, small world. It was a simple fix, one of the wires to the ignition switch had broken in half, so it would only run with the key in the "start" position.
I got this little Mazda built out for welding, now I just need to get some work lined up. I got a couple of jobs but I'm gonna have to really rely on flipping cars for my main income. Welding work here is slow in the winter... hence why I no longer have a job
All of the work I have lined up is too sketchy to attempt due to the 2inches of ice covering everything, and I hate the feeling of just wasting away a day doing nothing, so I figured on this fine 14f degree day that I would tackle the Red Rockets brakes.
I've been chasing a weak brake feel whilst driving it. It feels really strong for the first little bit of pedal movment and then I hit a "wall" the pedal gets stiff and my braking severely worsens. Tested my vaccum pump, replaced all vacuum hoses going to the booster, adjusted my drums, and now today I replaced my front pads & rotors. I know that won't really help much with my braking issue but my pads were about nonexistent, and my rotors had seen better days... they measured far below the minimum thickness Toyota recommends them to be. Check out how little pad was left in the photo below
(new pad for reference)I didn't buy new hoses cause when I checked them out they looked visually ok, no dryrot, flexible, and I think I replaced them 5 years ago or so (could be wrong). Regardless, I spotted this bulge in the hose today while doing the driver's side rotor... glad I caught that. I have a new set of hoses ordered now.
I also bought new drum shoes as mine were pretty thin, might as well do a whole brake system "refresh"
I only got one side put back together before my toes were all fuzzy feeling from being numb for so long, the sun was setting in 30 minutes so I just called it there.
It's days like these when I wonder why I choose to live here, then I realize the summers are so worth it.
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Thanks for the hijack, love when people share bits of their past on here. So cool to see. That's a pretty sweet Montero
I've heard of that and would like to give it a try, but didn't have any on hand sadly... next time
Ah must have been a miscommunication, I ended up deciding to keep the Mazda because it was so sweet and 4x4. Sold my tweaker toyota and made the profit on that instead
Still can't believe you stumbled upon me as the Willy's was broken down at the trailhead, small world. It was a simple fix, one of the wires to the ignition switch had broken in half, so it would only run with the key in the "start" position.It's all good about the job! I got better things in the works, I'll be able to make much more money flipping cars, that job just gave me a wealth of knowledge, the pay wasn't too good. Hope with the baby you will have time for that Willy's! No big deal if not, someone else will want it haha. Congrats on the baby, Margot is gonna be one badass girl when she gets a little older. Hopefully can make it y'all's way sooner than later.Dude I am sorry to hear about your job! I know you learned alot from that job and to be honest I was kinda jealous of it! But seems like you have learned so much. and at least you can weld odd jobs too! also the Name suggestion of welding buisness - Mobile Cruiser welding. That cracked me up when I saw it on instagram. Its a sick welder for the price though. People need your skills for sure.
I am going to try that pb blaster stuff on the fj55! BTW I told one of my students that it was in the last halloween movie and he has been calling it my michael myers mobile.
That jeep!
Also Baby will be here by Thursday! Ill be sure to let you and the family know! I am hoping we get another vintage car nerd I can wrench with in the next 10-20 years.
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14 Fahrenheit and doing brake work??? If you took off your gloves Got your hands covered with asbestos dust and brake fluid saturated into the calluses and then accidentally punched something steel really hard with your cold hands, congratulations you've elevated yourself into the world of men who will push themselves beyond the average mechanic.
Inexplicably weak brakes made me do the 80 series booster swap.
Thats good. You are crafty so I am sure you will be just fine. Plus with flipping cars you should be able to learn and have fun doing it there too. That welding Mazdarattie work truck is pretty awesome.
Still planning on the willys, don't you worry!. Rachael already said I should go for it and supports another project. and that was before and after the Baby came. she says it keeps me out of trouble and happy haha. I cant wait you and the fam can meet her. she going to be pretty awesome. I only hope she likes to tinker with old beaters as much as I do.
theglobb
SILVER Star
- Thread starter
- #2,167
Got the brakes put back together right in time for the snowstorm that hit us!
Check out the awesome snow swirl effect that engulfed the troopy while drifting.
Went to use my wipers just to hear a loud pop and then all of a sudden they didn't work... great. A chunk of ice had formed in the way of the rods that move the wipers and popped the ball right out of its socket took like 15 minutes with a prybar to pop it back into place
Thats all for now, I'm just waiting for this snow and ice to melt so I can actually get some work done.
Check out the awesome snow swirl effect that engulfed the troopy while drifting.
Went to use my wipers just to hear a loud pop and then all of a sudden they didn't work... great. A chunk of ice had formed in the way of the rods that move the wipers and popped the ball right out of its socket
took like 15 minutes with a prybar to pop it back into placeThats all for now, I'm just waiting for this snow and ice to melt so I can actually get some work done.
No drifting here at the far eastern part of the state. But the other red troopy in NC was covered in ice. Had to put it on “high”ground as the tide wanted to make things salty. Ocean overwash and sound side flooding had us pinned down all day.
I have not heard of "Krusty" weather before... thanks for showing us what it looks like!
theglobb
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- #2,170
Some of the wheels on the Red Rocket were warped, must've hit a couple rocks pretty hard offroad with low psi in my tires. Therefore I've been searching for a while for some wheels to replace these ones, I've also never been a fan of how the black wheels with the big holes looked on the troopy. I saw some FJ Cruiser steelies with some 33x12.50 tires on them pop up on marketplace and offered the guy a trade for an old Lincoln AC/DC Tombstone welder. He took the bait, so I ended up with a set of 5 steelies, and I'll sell the 33x12.50 tires that were on them for $250-300.
I like the look much better! And my wheel doesn't shake like crazy over 55mph
I also got some 3/4in closed-cell foam and cut it to fit around the floor, then will put plywood over that and whatever else. I'm starting to plan an interior build out. The foam has worked wonders for sound deadening, now theres a bunch of noise ocking through the wheel wells, so I've ordered some kilmat to put over them.
And I took the bait on some $15 Temu 70 series cup holder... the fit is honestly really good. The adhesive sucks, wish they were magnets like the name-brand ones. Will modify them and see if I can make the adhesive better or epoxy some magnets in.
I also picked up a 130,000-mile 1985 Chevy S-10 about 2 weeks ago for $1000, had been sitting for a while and had a ton of busted vaccum lines making it run horribly. Limped it 100 miles home, put some new vacuum lines on it, welded a new (used) muffler in, basic tune up, and fixed the window regulator. She starts up great and is really loyal, good little truck. Hopefully will get $3000 from in in the coming week or so.
AND on my Mazda B2600 welding rig, I hit a bump offroad while being full throttle, guess the motor mounts are worn cause it twisted the engine enough for the fan to bite a chunk out of the radiator. Had to get a tow home. Threw in a new rad and we are good to go!
That's it for now, hoping to use the S-10 funds once I sell it to start really building out the inside of the troopy.
I like the look much better! And my wheel doesn't shake like crazy over 55mph
I also got some 3/4in closed-cell foam and cut it to fit around the floor, then will put plywood over that and whatever else. I'm starting to plan an interior build out. The foam has worked wonders for sound deadening, now theres a bunch of noise ocking through the wheel wells, so I've ordered some kilmat to put over them.
And I took the bait on some $15 Temu 70 series cup holder... the fit is honestly really good. The adhesive sucks, wish they were magnets like the name-brand ones. Will modify them and see if I can make the adhesive better or epoxy some magnets in.
I also picked up a 130,000-mile 1985 Chevy S-10 about 2 weeks ago for $1000, had been sitting for a while and had a ton of busted vaccum lines making it run horribly. Limped it 100 miles home, put some new vacuum lines on it, welded a new (used) muffler in, basic tune up, and fixed the window regulator. She starts up great and is really loyal, good little truck. Hopefully will get $3000 from in in the coming week or so.
AND on my Mazda B2600 welding rig, I hit a bump offroad while being full throttle, guess the motor mounts are worn cause it twisted the engine enough for the fan to bite a chunk out of the radiator. Had to get a tow home. Threw in a new rad and we are good to go!
That's it for now, hoping to use the S-10 funds once I sell it to start really building out the inside of the troopy.
Always a highlight when I see there's a new post in this thread - sure to be a good story, some great pictures, and some laughs/smiles.
Good deal on the stealies with tires. Did you get spacers? I have a set of 1” you can have if needed. Be out that way in about a week… I think.Some of the wheels on the Red Rocket were warped, must've hit a couple rocks pretty hard offroad with low psi in my tires. Therefore I've been searching for a while for some wheels to replace these ones, I've also never been a fan of how the black wheels with the big holes looked on the troopy. I saw some FJ Cruiser steelies with some 33x12.50 tires on them pop up on marketplace and offered the guy a trade for an old Lincoln AC/DC Tombstone welder. He took the bait, so I ended up with a set of 5 steelies, and I'll sell the 33x12.50 tires that were on them for $250-300.
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I like the look much better! And my wheel doesn't shake like crazy over 55mph
View attachment 4088786
I also got some 3/4in closed-cell foam and cut it to fit around the floor, then will put plywood over that and whatever else. I'm starting to plan an interior build out. The foam has worked wonders for sound deadening, now theres a bunch of noise ocking through the wheel wells, so I've ordered some kilmat to put over them.
View attachment 4088790
And I took the bait on some $15 Temu 70 series cup holder... the fit is honestly really good. The adhesive sucks, wish they were magnets like the name-brand ones. Will modify them and see if I can make the adhesive better or epoxy some magnets in.
View attachment 4088789
I also picked up a 130,000-mile 1985 Chevy S-10 about 2 weeks ago for $1000, had been sitting for a while and had a ton of busted vaccum lines making it run horribly. Limped it 100 miles home, put some new vacuum lines on it, welded a new (used) muffler in, basic tune up, and fixed the window regulator. She starts up great and is really loyal, good little truck. Hopefully will get $3000 from in in the coming week or so.
View attachment 4088785View attachment 4088784View attachment 4088783
AND on my Mazda B2600 welding rig, I hit a bump offroad while being full throttle, guess the motor mounts are worn cause it twisted the engine enough for the fan to bite a chunk out of the radiator. Had to get a tow home. Threw in a new rad and we are good to go!
View attachment 4088788
That's it for now, hoping to use the S-10 funds once I sell it to start really building out the inside of the troopy.
Need to have a meet up
What a change a set of wheels can make! Every time I see those FJ steelies on a 70 I'm tempted to order a set, one day...
42611-35330 for the addicts
42611-35330 for the addicts
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On sale for $118 ea from SE Toyota dealers (Fred Anderson, Raleigh) right now, and free shipping if you do it right. Not a market place steal but good value.
theglobb
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- #2,177
Alright... I stand corrected. When you see a good deal, you get it. The S-10 funds went straight into a 1978 GMC Suburban with 60,000 original miles on it. An older couple bought it new and would tow a camper trailer with it to the NC mountains for a big camping trip once or twice a year.
It's been sitting for a while, got it to pop off some starting fluid, and then it lost all spark... HEI pooped itself. Whatever, good enough for me. I picked it up for $4500. The dude said he had a line of people behind me BEGGING him to sell it out from under me, offering 6-7k instead. But those older gents tend to stick to their word, and a deal is a deal. Unlike a majority of the generations after them. Was lucky enough to be the first to message him on facebook marketplace and get his phone number to talk.
Been an NC car its whole life. I have a BIG rock auto order incoming to bring this thing back to life. It's so sweet, but financially, I won't be able to keep it. Just like the S-10, funds will go to the troopy and hopefully quite a bit to my savings. Hoping to score around 10k if not a bit more once it's fixed up. It's got a little rust in the rear quarters, nothing I can't fix.
As for the troopy, the weather was finally nice enough to take it camping! The poptop is a total game changer, however they forgot to send me my rainfly stakes (one more of the million little issues with the owner/manufacturer) I'll figure something out, not too concerned.
Woke up that morning dry and with all the snow finally melted, 6 hours later we were covered again
I've moved out of my tweaker homestead thankfully, and I'm lucky enough to have a buddy who will let me park my cars on the side of his outdoor shop.
I'm ready for winter to be over! It's much easier for me to work on cars in the winter and cold compared to learning how to do "house" work and wood work for when I go to build out the interior of the troopy. I'll save that and the electrical for the warmer months.
Right?? They totally change the whole look of the car. I like it much better. You do need atleast an inch of spacers, just a heads up. The guy liked my car so much he just threw in a brand new set of 1.25" KSP wheel spacers into the deal. Spacers have always freaked me out cause I've heard so many horror stories, but honestly... seems like bad things happen when people get lazy with them. I'll just be extra anal and always carry some locktight and a torque wrench in the troopy with me now.
On the spacers: lock tire and torque them to spec. Recheck them after perhaps one tank of fuel. High spots on the steel brake drums,hubs, and rims Will wear/indent into the aluminum spacer over time and you will have to retorque. Once they mate solid you should be good. Mine are lug centric which put more stress on the lugs. If you have hub centric that is better .
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prwillard2
SILVER Star
Your rainfly stakes/poles are probably under the mattress in your pop top. That is where mine were hidden.
I'd recommend you remove the mattress from both the bed and the access hatch, they might be hiding on you!
cruiserinsanity
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