Quote:
Originally Posted by TennesseeZ
Man! Between thoses, the tires and the welder, you've got some real bargains lately. Course you've always been good at that, the Jimmy is proof of that. Really looking forward to following this build, have you been able to get anything done on the bumpers you had planned, or are they on the back burner now till you get the suspension done?
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Back burner. Suspension has to be the priority so its not laid up for months. Bumpers don't make it go.
I figure there will be other tube work for this project and will be looking to build or buy a tube bender. I have plans for a DIY project one. The kit uses shock hoops for mounting the coilovers, and thats because they are not figuring on a truck with a cage, which this will have.
Oh yeah, I will be planning to cage this also. The frame has too much flex in it and just boxing the frame isn't really enough to stabilize it. The best way is to get vertical and have a 3 dimensional frame. I have a lot to learn on this stuff but I'm not building it for competition. I'm building it for me and because I want to. I want to be able to really have fun with this without tearing the body up. I want it to look as stock as possible.
So I will be looking at building the front section of the cage around the engine compartment, incorporating the upper coilover mounts into it. I will tie it into the main hoop around the windshield frame. I will be using a crossover steering system and will reinforce the area of the frame where the steering box mounts. I will probably be replacing or adding a cross member or 2 or 3 along the way, starting with the engine one. Either just replace that or add one in the area in front of it. The rest of the cage will come later.
On a personal note, things with my wife didn't work out. That situation really put a damper on my motivation to create and build things. It also severely limited what I could afford to do. So this past year was primarily just enjoying everything I already had available to me as much as possible. I took a road trip with 2 of my kids, participated in hot rod power tour, watched my oldest graduate from the University of MN with honors, my son graduate high school and go to auto body school at a local vo-tech and get hired part time in one of the biggest body shops out of the metro area in the state, watched my ex graduate from a 2 year college (I paid for it and I'm happy for her), watched my financial situation deteriorate then saw the light at the end of the tunnel, met a new lady friend willing to put up with the BS happening in my life, and settled things with my wife. The divorce papers are signed and filed and awaiting the judges signature to finalize it. Its been difficult but the ex and me are getting along and talk regularly. We are adjusting the our new situation and I wish her the best. I have some financial hoops to jump through over the next month or so but I plan on spending just a small portion of that on myself, or the Jimmy in this case. I've been through hell for most of the last 2 years and I deserve to invest a little bit in myself.
I think 2015 will be fantastic. I have my home, my kids, my job, my toys and a new girlfriend. I should be alright budget wise going forward. I'm pre-registered for the next hot rod power tour, I have the core of what I need to start this new project in hand, and without the cloud of the divorce and a broken marriage looming over my head constantly, I'm getting my mojo back. This is how I described it to Connie (new gal) a week or so ago when she asked how I felt now that the papers were signed and it was almost over.
I feel like I woke up on a nice day with some fog when you go outside. The fog is cool and thick as you look around but you can also feel the power of the sun on your shoulders. You look up and see the blue sky through the thinning mist and you just know that its good now and about to get really good when the sun burns off the fog. Thats where I'm at right now. Standing in the lifting fog with the sun on my shoulders and looking forward to the rest of my day or life.