'89 Stepside "Way Cool Jr."

[Erik the Awful]

The truck drove great to church, so this afternoon I drove it to Fantasy Muffler in Spencer because my hangar broke loose from the mufflers. I can weld up an exhaust, but the guy there is far more experienced.

The transmission's shifting nicely, so I'm more comfortable with it, and I decided to romp on it. I gave it the beans and all of the sudden the engine revved with no forward progress. Uh oh, did I make a full-neutral 4L60?

I looked down at the shifter and it was in neutral! The stupid header hit the shift linkage and put me in neutral. Once I got to the muffler shop the guy put my truck on the lift and we looked at it. The flange on the Hedman 69440 full-length headers is right under the shift rod between the frame and transmission. He wasn't willing to touch that, so my solution is going to be putting the truck on jackstands, welding the loose flange to the pipe, and then cutting away at the top of the flange until I have plenty of clearance.

He welded up the broken hangar and hit a spot on the catalytic converter that I didn't get fully welded.

If any of you Oklahoma guys need exhaust work done, he's really hurting for business right now. It's not one of those fancy-schmancy shops that's gonna put 4" mandrel-bent stainless steel and v-band clamps on your truck. He's a gettin' it done kind of shop on the wrong side of town that's been in business since 1963. He does good work way too cheap and won't screw you over like some of the other shops in better locations that have come and gone since he opened.

 

[Erik the Awful]

I jacked Way Cool Jr up today, welded the exhaust flange, and ground the top of the flange down so I have a full 1/4" clearance.

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Remember, kids. Always wear your protective gear! I was wearing goggles and metal shavings were still getting under them, so I switched out for a full-face shield. Doesn't it look like I'm in my happy place?

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[Supercharged111]

You look like you're in your old place! When did you start your 20?

 

[Erik the Awful]

You look like you're in your old place!

Dang, shots fired! I may be getting older, but I'm not getting old. I'm 51, feel like I'm 31, and act like I'm 11. Take care of your body, God only gives you one.

When did you start your 20?

I assume you're asking about my Air Force career? I started in '94 and served 28 years, 6 months.

 

[Supercharged111]

Dang, shots fired! I may be getting older, but I'm not getting old. I'm 51, feel like I'm 31, and act like I'm 11. Take care of your body, God only gives you one.


I assume you're asking about my Air Force career? I started in '94 and served 28 years, 6 months.

Ahh, OK that explains it. I was under the impression you'd punched at 20, not 28. So now 51 is completely in line with that. I hit 20 2 Saturdays ago and push the button tomorrow.

 

[Erik the Awful]

Retirement pay maxes out at 26 years. After that your only increase comes from points, and it's not worth it. I was ready to retire at 24 years, and then I went to sign my Post-9/11 GI Bill money over to my daughter. I found out that I had to serve four more years to transfer a benefit I'd already earned. If they'd advertised that little fact I'd have signed it over four years earlier. Cheating basturds. She had the last laugh, she went to the most expensive school in the state.

 

[Supercharged111]

Retirement pay maxes out at 26 years. After that your only increase comes from points, and it's not worth it. I was ready to retire at 24 years, and then I went to sign my Post-9/11 GI Bill money over to my daughter. I found out that I had to serve four more years to transfer a benefit I'd already earned. If they'd advertised that little fact I'd have signed it over four years earlier. Cheating basturds. She had the last laugh, she went to the most expensive school in the state.

Same reason I didn't punch a year ago, I waited for #3 to be born to do the transfer. I also used it as a way to get my enlistment out past my 20 in case I got some orders I didn't like or decided to piss someone off who could code me ineligible to re-enlist. Thankfully the folks in my chain of command have been decent, most of them downright good.

 

[FLGS400]

Hey Erik, just finally made it through your thread. Cool truck and I hope you get it all sorted out soon. I learned quite a bit from this. Keep up the progress and great posts.

Thank you for documenting all of this!

 

[Erik the Awful]

I took the truck for an alignment yesterday. I could do it myself with conduit, string, a metric ruler, and my glasses, but for $80 I'll pay someone else to throw the laser beams on it. It drives very nice now.

Now I'm prepping for my team's race at Hallett in three weeks. Last year I didn't plan ahead and drove the Mustang and slept on the open deck of the trailer without a tent. I was fortunate that the weather was beautiful. I'm not counting on being so lucky this year. I'll be driving the truck to the track so I can camp in the back. I thought about pitching a tarp over the bed, but I'm not confident in that plan. I hit up Amazornia to see what's available, and there are a bunch of truck tents fairly cheap.

Anybody have any experience with any of these? Is there one that will fit a stepside bed? There's no access to the underside of the bed rail, and it looks like most of the truck tents hook under the rail. Or is it easier to just pitch a tent under the trees? We don't camp much, so I don't have a tent, and that's why I was considering a truck bed tent.

 

[Drunkcanuk]

I took the truck for an alignment yesterday. I could do it myself with conduit, string, a metric ruler, and my glasses, but for $80 I'll pay someone else to throw the laser beams on it. It drives very nice now.

Now I'm prepping for my team's race at Hallett in three weeks. Last year I didn't plan ahead and drove the Mustang and slept on the open deck of the trailer without a tent. I was fortunate that the weather was beautiful. I'm not counting on being so lucky this year. I'll be driving the truck to the track so I can camp in the back. I thought about pitching a tarp over the bed, but I'm not confident in that plan. I hit up Amazornia to see what's available, and there are a bunch of truck tents fairly cheap.

Anybody have any experience with any of these? Is there one that will fit a stepside bed? There's no access to the underside of the bed rail, and it looks like most of the truck tents hook under the rail. Or is it easier to just pitch a tent under the trees? We don't camp much, so I don't have a tent, and that's why I was considering a truck bed tent.

Never looked at one for a stepside.
Maybe try looking at one for a import or S-10, something with a smaller bed.
Or find a small tent and just put it in the box, toss in a air mattress or pads, cover it with a tarp with some rope tied underneath to the truck frame or whatever.