Good thing I didn't trust the weather forecast for today. It was supposed to be warmer. Yesterday was a balmy 35 with sun so I finally decided to tackle this project. I searched high and low for the replacement of the cable that goes on the inside of the rear drums to the bell crank. When I was last in there I noticed they were starting to fray. The new ones are more of a rod now. This time though I'm not liking the looks of the hardware. I know the drums and shoes are new like the PO stated. They didn't really have rust on them the first time I pulled it all apart and I could read the writing on them. I've got a new set of hardware and shoes on the way. I'll probably do that in the spring time. Let the old stuff go through the salt .

 

Just some cruising around at sunset, nothing to see here😉




While pasengering in the back seat I had to get some photos from a recent trip to HF for some more tools. Except it was my son buying the new tools this time and not me. I've got some old German nuts and bolts in his new vibratory tumbler. Good times!

 

Glad to see you keep posting/driving. My propane torpedo heater broke so i’m staying indoors until i get the new one from Tractor Supply in New Hampshire tomorrow. Not sure why propane heaters are sold out everywhere in the middle of winter in Mass! (Probably some stupid Massachusetts reason). Never move here!

 

Happy New Year, Tom!

I remember a time when Mass was the place to be versus CT. Insurance was way cheaper and people I knew used Mass addresses and gas used to be cheaper but living close to the State line that wasn't a biggie. Now you guys are stuck with that vehicle inspection and CT only has emmisons for vehicles under 25. ( two more times for the wrECHO) It seems like CT is old car friendly. Maybe. Other than that it really isn't much better though 😉

I would love to come up with some kind of heat for my garage but it's too full of cars lawn and garden equipment and no ceiling. Some day. Anyhow keep busy with that spare engine @

 

The only advantage i remember for Mass was the packys did’t close at 8pm like CT. So we’d just skip across the state line to get beer. 😀
Happy New Year!

 

Speaking of tools, I finnely have a compressor ( it was my brother's) and air impact gun plus tire inflator. It's all new to me after years of cheater bars an such. The compressor was a huge asset in doing tire replacements on the wrECHO myself. I would have never been able to get the tires to mount back on the rims.

 

we went back to see what that road looks like these days. It has changed a lot since I last was there. Some of the puddles are real deep, over the axles.

 

Not a big week for driving but a couple fun trips. This one is from a quick stop at a local pond in town. I wanted to see what the ice looks like.

and then my wife driving all the way back from the neighbors house. They took it shopping. Lots of fun watching the neighbor trying to get in the truck. Lol

 

another " This Time Last Year"

just another one of them while I was there jobs. I couldn't show ya what I was doing to the 4runner today though because It was gone again. I'm starting to only see it at night again. Ha ha good times.

 

I decided to go hiking up in this area today. I didn't know what to expect with that road, but I was surprised to find that they probably plow it and it was perfectly smooth compared to the last couple times going up there. A regular car could get in. As for the other Road where we're crossing over the land bridge usually the gates closed during winter time. Today the gate was open so I got to try a new Trail no 4-wheeling though still fun.

 

on the way back from hiking.

 

4runner towing service for a broke down quad😀 I fixed it for a friend.

 

going on two months now with a couple repairs in between on off days, like the rear brake repair. We've been taking turns driving it to work plus other daily driving.

 

well we've been rock crawling with the 4runner and mudding so why not try mallcrawling too? This is in Holyoke MA and the local mall in town is pretty much an abandoned place now so we headed north. I didn't even know JC Penny was still open! Maybe we got in a time machine because I bought an Empire strikes back T Shirt there! I don't think we hit 88 MPH in the 4runner. It feels like it on the highway though.

found this on YouTube. https://youtu.be/nnOvVBUhQC4

 

this time last year.

 

just a regular day of grocery shopping for the 4runner.


I decided to pull the chrome hubcaps for a little bit to keep them away from the salt.

 

some more fun in the snow. Earlier today I caught up with an 80s Land Cruiser (FJ 60). It looked to be mid 80s with round headlights and also white. We were both giving eachother the thumbs up.

 

thought I would take the FJ out wheeling in our favorite hiking spot since the 4runner is nowhere to be found again lol. This time the gates are closed. Bummer. You can see how different the roads are now. Besides the snow on the road leading Into the land bridge road it's nothing a regular car can't do now that it has been plowed.

 

I Got to see the 4runner during the day today! I started it to warm up for my wife and I forgot my keys in it. She brought them back. I wanted to see how it turns over after getting down to 4 degrees last night. It wasn't happy but started fine. I don't know how much longer that crappy interstate battery from Costco will last. Turns out most people get 2 years, just past warranty. The one I had in the FJ died just after 2 and the one in the wrECHO is 3 so it's anyone's guess now. It was at 12.6 Volts at start up and the alternator started charging it right off so maybe another year.

 

I grew up near Thompson, CT but had to look up Thompsonville!