Well, what a freaking week long of events...
I really needed to get my truck going, as a dead vehicle sucks, and it was taking up the lift, which I have another vehicle that needs to get on the lift and get completed to go home to the customer.
Once I realized I was in no shape to attempt to drive to turkey drag [ ☹ ] I refocused on the local ST show, and overall just getting my truck driving again.
Once I got all the parts painted it was time for assembly. Shouldn’t be too long, they came off, and are going right back in the same place, so it should be easy. Not.
I had never installed the drivers side valve cover coil cover. I bought these from holley some time ago, and the driver’s side never fit due to the firewall and brake booster. So, if you look closely in the pictures, you can see where I had to notch the coil cover to fit around the firewall. It’s really not that noticeable unless you look for it. And to install that side the booster has to be unbolted and removed from the firewall for it to fit.
Then the wrong pigtails for the new fuel injectors..
Then bleeding the brakes. And finding out you lost the wilwood tiny pushrod that goes in their master cylinder (ugh)
Then 3 different window people canceled on installing the back glass.
Tried installing the brand new grill. It didn’t fit. I knew id have to cut the ends off for the shaved marker lights, but, it didn’t fit in many places on my core support. Not because of the ac condenser, trans cooler, it just didn’t fit. So, I’m guessing I got sent a different year hombre. But, it doesn’t matter, as the billet grill is slowly coming along..
But, I got the truck running, cleaned, ran the buffer over it quickly, and drove out to the show.
It was more than just going to a show, it was to test out all the new components. Breaking in the new big brake kit, testing the transmission, checking for leaks, checking the new fuel injectors and the tuning that goes with them, and to feel the excitement of driving my truck again..
I got to the show, get parked, and start walking around to say hi to my friends. And it starts to drizzle. I have no back window, no biggy. It’s Az, itll rain for 30 mins and dry up. Well it’s like 24hrs later as I write this, and it’s still raining outside. Everything is wet, soaked, gloomy..
When I left the show, it started raining so hard I couldn’t see out my windshield. I have no wipers. So I had to stop at the local parts store and grab a squeegee. So, here I am driving down the street, my gauges are blue toothed to my phone, so I can see the vehicle speed, since I have literally nothing inside except a seat and carpet.
And every once and awhile I have to lean outside the driver’s window and squeegee the windshield so I can see. This really wasn’t a big deal, car guys have always done dumb stuff to accomplish the mission, the only problem was when I’d bring the squeegee back inside the water would run off of it and in my lap or on my leg. It was like 50 degrees outside. It was chilly, no back window, raining, and water mist pretty much everywhere.
I caught a break at Thomas and loop 101, as the rain cleared up, so I hopped on the 101 northbound, and was like ill be home in 10 minutes. Nope. Mother nature decided to bring the rain.. I literally had to slow down and get on the side median and get to the nearest exit because I couldn’t see much more than 15 feet in front of me. I got too northern and limped it all the way over to 51st ave, headed north to my home.
It was an adventure to say the least. But, like my brother told me, it’s times like those you’ll always remember. These are the memories that make the adventure. If there was no rain, I would’ve driven to the show, and back from the show in a measly 20 mins. But his time took 90 minutes, I was nearly soaked from head to toe, cold, and had a helluva time keeping Alice going straight as wet roads, rear locker and loose convertor equals a slippy, slidy good time.
Would I do it again?
Well, of course I would.
