You never know, homes just arent moving right now or atleast around here anyways. Its supposed to be a buyers market now. The good thing to come out of this bad economy is it is getting land and houses alot more reasonable.

The ones that have been selling here have had big price cuts. I really think things were really over inflated to begin with, when property was jumping thousands by the month that just isnt normal. The economy will fix itself no matter how we manipulate it.

 

I had to get my laptop battery was dying on me. So had to reboot to get back online.

A couple of other things I learned from buying 2 different houses is really look at your payments. Stay in range of what you can afford so that it is home and not jail. Still want to enjoy getting out and about without being shackled to make the payments.

A friend told me this and he was right both times. No matter how prepared you are, after buying a house both times, you will be broke for 6 months. Wow!!! was he right. Even though we had furnishings and everything needed. It still took different things to get the houses livable. I still havent figured that one out.

 

Good luck on that house, TinMan. That detached garage makes me drool!

Quick question: It looks like you cut down your shock hoops to make them fit without a body lift and without cutting up the inner fender. Is my observation correct? If so, how much did you cut off?

 

WD, I didn't cut down the shock hoops. I just took a sheet metal mallet to the inner fender were the shock hoops hit.

http://www.harborfreight.com/set-of-...ets-98132.html

I think you can find the larger of the mallets on sale for like $7.00.

Helps if you have a shot filled bean bag to put on the inside of inner fender well while you are forming the sheet metal. But I dont have one.

Just take you time and the hump over the shock hoop will look stock.

Later

 

Excellent tips. Thank you very much! =)

 

Its been to cold outside and I went through your thread just looking for tips on different areas for my truck and started at the first post on your build and you dont realize day by day on each step that gets done.

But after going thru your thread completely, yours has to be one of the top restores on here that I have found. I really think you and Slacker have the top two in my book. WOW!!

It looks like I will be selling my 1st gen pickup to get a TON of parts that will be more then enough to do another first gen truck or a second gen truck. I have the Downey bed and want to do a top notch restore using it. I will definetly be following your guys lead on restoring.

 

WD no problem, glad to help. Forming the sheet metal is not about hitting the metal as hard as you can, it's about hitting it in rapid succession to warn the metal. At that point it will do what you want it to do.

Thanks for the complements Terry. To bad we are not closer, might be able to turn a buck. I just enjoy doing it. Keeps me out of the house. And a bit of OCD keeps me honest.

I have been hearing a small exhaust leak for the last week, got under it tonight and found another stripped manifold stud. Good thing I bought several of the 3" 7/16 14-20 studs. They sure make that fix pretty easy.

But thanks for the complements. I need to get of my but and finish the little stuff on the outside. That way way I can get on to the interior.

 

Man its been almost a year! Youre a slow builder! jk... I took me a year of planning and then 6 months and the last hurrah, 10 straight 10 hour days to do my truggy conversion.

lookn good dude

 

Just checking in. Its been to cold to do anything so I havent been on to update my build and just seeing how others builds are going. Hope the house hunting is working out for you.

 

Whats up Terry. Nothing new on the build. Kind of cold here to. I worked in the garage this weekend. But only taking care of little things. Trying not to spend money.

The sellers excepted our offer. We got the word last night. it was basically several days of back and forth. We just did not budge off our offer. Which we feel is at the top of the current market. So we feel it was a far offer. The only reason we offered that much, is we are planning on this being the last move. So we are not looking at this house as something that we will have to turn in a few years. Hopefully we will be starting the move in process by March 15. It will be nice, plan is to keep the rental we are in for at least a month after we get the keys to the new one. That we can take our time with the move, cleaning of the rental, and set up of the new one. But we will see on that too. Best laid plans of mice and men, you know. Probably start packing this weekend.

Stay warm.

 

Congratulations on getting your house. It is nice when it is yours. That will make this move alot easier. You know this is the last one you plan on doing. All of the others you knew were coming. Good thing about a move is you find all of the things you have been looking for.(Keys,remote control,...)lol

A month still is never enough time for moving in but it does help. Sure beats those one house today, into the next house the next day. And you got your shop. Glad you got everything you wanted. House hunting sounds easy, but is surprising when you do go looking to find one that meets all of your needs. Congrats again!!!

 

Best wishes on the new Home, TinMan!

Waitin for more on the rig. lol. NO RUSH, first things first, right?(I sure can relate to that! hahaha)>

 

Thanks guys, don't think I'll do much to the runner for a while. I am sure the next few months budget will be spent getting into the house, setting it up, making it home, and setting up the shop. Already planned the lay out of the shop. Will try to find some cheap but decent looking cabinets, shelving, work benches to be built, etc. I'm on the look out for a used two post lift on Craig's list. I passed on several last year that were going for under a grand. No place to use them then. If one comes by now I'll beg, borrow and steal to get it.

And with all that I was able to apply for retirement on Monday. It really felt good to turn in that paper. I am a year past my EAS and was hanging in limbo because of back problems. Got a fit finding back from DC, went signed it, and then straight to admin and turned in the retirement request. 22 total years in service, 20 on active duty. Gonna be a big pay cut, not worried about it, the Lord will provide, he always has.

Later guys

 

There will be somethings that need done to get the house into a home and will set you back for awhile, the runner will wait. You have done a great job to this stage. Something to be proud of.

Congrat on your retirement. 20 years is quite demanding. Bet the wife will be glad to have you home. I did one enlistment and 2 rounds over there as a part as a weekender. You active guys really got the brunt of it. The active unit we were attached to are due back soon. I ran into guys doing 4 and 5 rounds.

God has your back. He's helped me out a few hundred times. Enjoy some hometime. It takes some getting used to believe it or not.

 

TinMan, ....plain and simple, from my family to yours, ....THANK YOU and God bless, Brother!

Congratulations as well!

 

congrattttts Todd .. mine to yours !

cool


.

 

Congrats on the house, looks real nice

 

Thanks for the support guys. Sorry about being slow to respond been pretty busy. My grandson is in, and lots of other stuff going on.

I drove the wife's 04 4runner sport on Friday to go sign the loan papers. I noticed real quick that when I hit the brakes the wheel would about shake out of my hand. I asked her why she didn't tell me her brakes were getting bad. She said "I don't know, I just drive it". So Saturday I tore into it. Turned out all four rotors were to thin to be turned again. Some of the springs on the rear parking brake broke because the parking brake pads we're stuck to the rotors. The drivers side front caliper had one frozen piston, and the passenger side caliper had two frozen pistons.

So about 7 hours later the only thing original on the brake system was the rear calipers. Getting the rear parking brake back together is a real job. Not much room in there to work.

This what the remnants of almost $550.00 looks like. Good thing it has been paid for, and we are making payments to ourselves.



I'm not getting anymore air out blending the system. But the pedal has a long travel. It does not feel spungy, and the stopping power is real good. It also does not pump up like it would if it still had air in the system. But the long travel just does not feel right.

 

Glad to hear you got the 94 fixed. Rear brakes is something I always have to get my dads help on. Getting all the springs in place just doesnt work out for me. Great job on that.

As far as long travel about the only thing left would me the Master Cylinder as far as I know. Enjoy time with the grandson.

 

maybe a brake line is bulging?