mdnky
DOH!
03.05.2024
I noticed the wiper arms were a bit worn looking yesterday...so I took a few minutes to remove them, sand them, and throw a few coats of satin black on them. Far from perfect, but way better than before. It'll probably fade in a few years, but for now it looks 1000x times better. Added bonus...I had everything on hand, so the price was right [$0.00].
Been driving it a bit during the past few weeks, seems to run ok for now. The shocks are definitely shot and need replaced. The fronts are the OEM Bilsteins from 1997, while the rears are some really cheap blue (Monroe-matic?) aftermarket and completely blown. Pretty sure the fronts have leaked out, but somehow they still work better than the rears (compression wise).
Normally I'd put some Bilsteins on, but I'm not looking to put that kind of money into it at the moment, and just anything will be better than what's there now. So I ordered some ProComp ProX (formerly ES9000) twin tubes {908501B front | 927503B rear}. They were the cheapest semi-decent brand I could find [$97.20]. If I decide to keep it, then I'll replace them in a year or two when I do the suspension mods. Otherwise, being able to say 'new shocks' should make for good copy in the sales ad.
I have a gallon of FluidFilm Black [$55.01] and an undercoating gun on hand, so I'll probably hit the frame and suspension when the rain disappears later this week. Might do the old '88 C1500 as well, while I have everything out. Most of the Ziebart undercoating the original owner put on that one has finally started to wear away.
Before I do that, I need to decide if I'm going to order the frame reinforcement and RR cab mount, or try to make them myself. I also need to decide on doing the front steering components. It definitely needs an alignment, but in order to do that pretty much everything up front will most likely need replaced (tie rods, ball joints, etc.). The RF ABS sensor wire is also damaged, causing codes, and needs replaced. It's tempting to just order a kit with new wheel hubs. The cheap TRQ kits are ~ $280, while ordering similar stuff from RockAuto in a better brand (Mevotech Supreme/TTX) would be ~$350. Leaning towards the latter.
Tomorrow it goes back to the local exhaust shop to have a few minor repairs done. They left one or two of the hangers loose when they replaced those flanges a few weeks ago, so there's a minor (annoying) rattle every so often. Also, the O2 sensor (bank 2, sensor 1) needs replaced. Ordered the part a month ago and tried to get it out, but it's stuck pretty good. I don't have access to a good torch at the moment, nor can I get any kind of decent torque on it laying on my back in the driveway.It was also too darn cold to be laying on the ground fighting it, so I put it on the back burner. They quoted $40 to $50 labour to swap it, which is fine with me (and my back).
RUNNING TOTAL: $5828.36
I noticed the wiper arms were a bit worn looking yesterday...so I took a few minutes to remove them, sand them, and throw a few coats of satin black on them. Far from perfect, but way better than before. It'll probably fade in a few years, but for now it looks 1000x times better. Added bonus...I had everything on hand, so the price was right [$0.00].
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Been driving it a bit during the past few weeks, seems to run ok for now. The shocks are definitely shot and need replaced. The fronts are the OEM Bilsteins from 1997, while the rears are some really cheap blue (Monroe-matic?) aftermarket and completely blown. Pretty sure the fronts have leaked out, but somehow they still work better than the rears (compression wise).
Normally I'd put some Bilsteins on, but I'm not looking to put that kind of money into it at the moment, and just anything will be better than what's there now. So I ordered some ProComp ProX (formerly ES9000) twin tubes {908501B front | 927503B rear}. They were the cheapest semi-decent brand I could find [$97.20]. If I decide to keep it, then I'll replace them in a year or two when I do the suspension mods. Otherwise, being able to say 'new shocks' should make for good copy in the sales ad.
I have a gallon of FluidFilm Black [$55.01] and an undercoating gun on hand, so I'll probably hit the frame and suspension when the rain disappears later this week. Might do the old '88 C1500 as well, while I have everything out. Most of the Ziebart undercoating the original owner put on that one has finally started to wear away.
Before I do that, I need to decide if I'm going to order the frame reinforcement and RR cab mount, or try to make them myself. I also need to decide on doing the front steering components. It definitely needs an alignment, but in order to do that pretty much everything up front will most likely need replaced (tie rods, ball joints, etc.). The RF ABS sensor wire is also damaged, causing codes, and needs replaced. It's tempting to just order a kit with new wheel hubs. The cheap TRQ kits are ~ $280, while ordering similar stuff from RockAuto in a better brand (Mevotech Supreme/TTX) would be ~$350. Leaning towards the latter.
Tomorrow it goes back to the local exhaust shop to have a few minor repairs done. They left one or two of the hangers loose when they replaced those flanges a few weeks ago, so there's a minor (annoying) rattle every so often. Also, the O2 sensor (bank 2, sensor 1) needs replaced. Ordered the part a month ago and tried to get it out, but it's stuck pretty good. I don't have access to a good torch at the moment, nor can I get any kind of decent torque on it laying on my back in the driveway.It was also too darn cold to be laying on the ground fighting it, so I put it on the back burner. They quoted $40 to $50 labour to swap it, which is fine with me (and my back).
RUNNING TOTAL: $5828.36
