Where’s the Fire? (update after the fold)

Some of y’uns might be thinking I am rushing at finishing Bloo with a vengeance.

ya might be right

several points of order to address here. One: The Da. I’m using his charity of letting me use his basement Garage for these repairs, out of the weather. The downside, he’s paranoid of my burning his place down due to the fact there is a FULL fuel tank with 30 gallons of gasoline sitting 20′ from his woodburning stove.

And now that tank of fuel is sitting there for even MORE days beyond planned. I’m only catching minor grief over it currently, as its pretty obvious some of this is out of my hands,,, Like delivery of a certain key part, and without that part, there is ZERO forward movement. Yeah, I ‘shoulda’ seen it coming and prepared accordingly,,, Woulda-shoulda-coulda’s get people killed in war. I didn’t, but He did see how quickly I jumped on a solution as soon as it was OBVIOUS.

SO, yah, thats one reason,,,,

Second reason: This truck is supposed to MAKE MONEY,,, not drink it like the spiked punch at a Homecoming dance. So far, she has wracked up a SUBSTANTIAL bill, and thats on my labor rates ($0/hr) If someone had taken her to a shop to do all the things I am doing,, that bill would be triple or higher of what I have already spent, and on a truck that bluebooks for $4000.00. I have easily spent that amount as of todays last minute scamble purchase.

Third Point: Buffalo is NOT getting any younger or BETTER by my using her everyday as the Gopher Truck. The intent of having two trucks was so that she could get a rest and I could put some of the finances in her stall and get her back up to snuff. SO far, Bloo is center stage,,,

Just before I made the final call to buy Bloo, I was torn by ‘portents’. Those portents are what you are reading about here, as they are coming true. MY THOUGHTS at the time were ‘Hard choices, easy live, easy choices hard life” and the hard choice in this case was to make the buy, invest in the truck, and make it DOABLE as my escape route from the Armpit of Kentucky, or at least into a future where I have more control over my work conditions. She is already proving her worth on those points as I haven’t needed to revert to ‘going and getting tools’ from Buffalo or my shed at the house. All of the tools I have used in this project are already in her boxes, right there, ready to be put into use.

And hooo-boy are they getting used. I had some that were showing signs of rust: No longer,,, They are all getting re-lubed and wiped down regularly in this project. But I digress,,,

Point of fact, her ‘Functions’ are being ‘tried by fire’ and coming out ‘perfect’. Its the mobility issue, and that is being addressed in these repairs. I could have shortcut things like the Clutch, but dangit, I know the false economy of re-using old parts, even if ‘Good’. (fun fact, Cleaned up the flywheel of dust and odd rusty sections. You can still see the factory grooves in the face. BABIED CLUTCH!!!, never abused. No high RPM clutch dumps on this girl.) I’m in there, its getting replaced.

I would honestly, prefer at this point to do a full build on this engine, but finances prohibit that, timing prohibits that, SPACE prohibits that,,, PLUS, I really need to consider that option for Buffalo FIRST,, seeing how she has over a 100K MORE on the clock than Bloo.

“Dio, with what you are spending on these two trucks, why dont you just buy new?”

Good question, with a BETTER answer. I just read where a certain car company just made it so you are not ALLOWED to do your own work on their car. You buy, it, you own it; only, not really,,,

on top of that, almost everything after 2000 has gotten so computer controlled, that even swapping out a radio in the dash causes computer issues. (fact, after 2015, there isn’t a radio in the dash, its a touch screen interface and the ‘radio’ is IN the BCM,,,)

so the real answer to that question above: I don’t WANT a new car,,, I’ll take the 200000mile beater and make it better, and be HAPPY with it, and the manufacterers can kiss my lily white ass.

There may come a day where buying car parts is akin to bootleggin’, and I will take my chances on that. It’s all part and parcel of that “you will own nothing and be happy” schtick,, Fuggem!!! I have no problems living in debt, but I do have problems with not being able to claim the fruits when that debt is paid off: and thats what Klaus Schwab was saying in that statement,,, You’ll live in debt with no claim to the fruits of that debt. THAT IS SLAVERY,,,,

I ain’t a slave.

I may slave away, but I am NO SLAVE. I can walk away from anything at anytime, and continue to hold my head high that NO ONE OWNS ME. I could even walk away from this debt, but that goes against my ethics,,, I took on that debt KNOWINGLY, I will pay it back intently.

So, stepping away from the soapbox I suddenly found myself on,,, y’all have a good night.

Live

Learn

LAUGH

LOVE

LOAD!

Talking about ‘Planned obselence” and ‘you’ll own nothing and be happy’,,, This guy popped up in my utoob feeds

I’m not alone in my desire to be the “repair it” guy