Rode shotgun to the Con... :flipoff2:
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c101/scout254/rubicon/rubicon09/P5240070.jpg

Removed 3 sheared off studs from some other guy's rig... and installed the extras back in!
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c101/scout254/rubicon/rubicon09/P5230039.jpg

Heading out... Todd's ScoutII
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c101/scout254/rubicon/rubicon09/P5230053.jpg

Went to the bear dance, took my wife , youngest daughter ,step son and his girl friend. It was their first time. My daughter went to her first sweat lodge. I want my kids to learn as much as they can of their heritage. Nothing like this is taught in school. We all had a great time, but now I feel too relaxed to go to work.

Worked on my lil bro's Scout. Most of the long weekend. Decided to start the 'wiring' project.

Pulled out all the 'green' wires. Pulled out the battery and cables. Pulled out the dash.

Built a second battery tray on the passenger side, added a battery isolator, added a Ford starter soleniod. Wired up a dual battery system.

Started the EZWiring install. Ran into a huge hassle right away. The '71 Scout II body does not have the mounting provisions for the GM style fuse block (On my later model Scout II the GM style fuse block bolted right to the fire wall in about 1 minute...). So I had to fab up a patch/mounting panel from some aluminum before I could even start. Pulled a few wires to the correct location. Still have about 20 hours of work to do... :shaking:

Also added a hood lock system that my lil' bro had purchased a long time ago. It mounts under the dash and has a round key like a bike lock. It locks the hood shut and cuts the ingnition at the same time time.

Picutres to follow.

Practiced and tested my buddies Durango for Top Truck Challenge this year. Its coming up quick!

Wheeled!


Shattered my clutch and cracked my bellhousing off the block. Made it back to the trailer just in time for all hell to break loose :eek: Pix in the next weekend report....

We went to Fordyce on Sat, for a day trip. Smashed in the tail gate on a tree when backing down a ledge. We were trying to get up but when the front end came off the ground I had to back up and went a foot to far:shaking: Nothing broken, took another line and made it up.

Since I hate smash up looking parts, I gave it my best walnut finish.:flipoff2: that what they make sticker for right?

A 64yo friend of the family swallowed a 38. His kids are scattered around the country. He left 3 garages full of taken apart motorcycles, boats, jet skis, dune buggys, etc. He specialized in buying old POS crap that didn't run, or barley ran at all. He would take it apart, scatter the parts around and then buy something else and repeat. The kids think they are sitting on some kind of a gold mine, I tried to explain the economics of finding the carbs and ignition removed from a 84 550 Honda 4 cyl, cleaning them, putting the bike back together and then hoping to sell it for 500 bucks. I repeated the process about 50 times same story different details for each POS we looked at. They concluded that I am an idiot:laughing: Great way to spend the weekend:shaking:

I've had 4 months to prepare... so last weekend I was able finally to limp the race truck into the garage to repair last years Naches carnage and the winters beat down. Scabbed together a new passenger side exhaust (I hate exhaust, especially when your trying to be cheap), even tied it all up good so it won't fall down anymore :D. Replaced two core plugs that popped during the winter, swapped on 2 different carbs that both ran like crap. Said to hell with it and busted out the Grill Gas set-up that I got from HOS a while ago. Hoses and stuff came in last Friday, by Saturday morning it was up and running.

Propane is GOOOOOOOOOD :D

The rest of the weekend was spend cleaning all the crap out of the truck (wife even helped) and removing all the trail spares and tools, and bolting the tank to the back, and making some adjustments. Even painted the white fender blue to match the truck. And lots of family time, yard work and enjoying the sunshine. Even spent 2 hours on Monday at my storage yard weedwacking all the over growth (looked WAY too redneck, even for me). Need to fix my rider mower however to mow the back.

I *should* make a new front driveshaft before this weekend since the current one picked up some serious rock-rash at Naches, wouldn't have broken if I didn't notice it, but since I know, I see a 2-piece shaft in my future at the most in-opportune time :D

Next Saturday: Local Tuff Truck comp to Finnish off the current pieced-together-from-spare-parts racer, then #1 b-day party for my son. Hopefully HOS will be on hand to document my spectacular failures!

After that: cut up the racer and put together its replacement that I SHOULD have been building in the last 4-months (started it). Bonus: it will use up one more truck out of the yard and a bunch of spare parts I won't have to trip over or mow around anymore :bounce:

Next Saturday: Local Tuff Truck comp to Finnish off the current pieced-together-from-spare-parts racer, then #1 b-day party for my son. Hopefully HOS will be on hand to document my spectacular failures!


Go Mark!

I keep saying "Just one more race on this old chassis, so let's give'er'ell" but then there's always another race, and the new one isn't done yet. :D

I was supposed to go to Wyoming to flog it again, even took Friday off to finish prepping, but instead spent Friday bouncing around the docs with "acute tonsilitis" which felt better by Saturday but wasted my 9 hours of "wrenching without the kids" on Friday.

So we stayed home and fooled around the place.

Made a little progress on the GN.

http://www.tmcom.com/~tsm1/gallery2/d/50921-2/05-23-09_2103.jpg
http://www.tmcom.com/~tsm1/gallery2/d/50930-5/05-23-09_2106.jpg

I think I can get a single 9mm ammo can on either side of the box, too.

Bought a "Sport shade" umbrella like item from CostCo and now I need to fab up an adjustable mount for it either in front of the toolbox, or between the box and the uprights of the GN, so I can mount some shade up on the tongue for a good spot to spectate.

Discovered that Tekonsha's break-away brake battery charger is a step-up voltage boosting charger good to IIRC 4amps or better and only $40. Haven't bought one yet, but this would help make up for voltage drop in the 50+' of 12g wire between my alternator and my camper (after passing through the GN).

Drove the T'ette to town for more dirt n' such. Hit the lake on Monday for a little BBQ.

Working on a deal to acquire another Travelall, too.

Oh yeah, got my mini bike going again. First time I've ridden it in about 15 years (it was on loan to some friends). Seemed to have more giddyup when I was 50lbs lighter..

http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v4556/7/23/697097834/n697097834_2652741_649343.jpgFB (http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=2652741&l=47fab46382&id=697097834)

Now maybe I have a pit-bike to take with me. My almost 3year old isn't ready to ride yet, but my 10 year old niece is over due.

Welcome to part of my life, I help a buddy in the auction business. Every family thinks their stuff is treasures!

http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v4556/7/23/697097834/n697097834_2652741_649343.jpg



BAhHAHHAHAA.


Now THAT needs to be cropped and inserted into Tom's new avatar.... oh Carl.........................

BAhHAHHAHAA.


Now THAT needs to be cropped and inserted into Tom's new avatar.... oh Carl.........................

It gets a little wobbly at speed - which at least takes a while to get to now - but when Michelle snapped that picture I was thinking to myself "Do not wipe out in front of the kids..."

Hate to have to explain later why daddy was all banged up.. and why he was riding a motorcycle in shorts, short sleeves, no gloves, no helmet in the first place.. :D

OTOH, maybe it'd make it easier to sell them on the "You ALWAYS wear a helmet, gloves, pants.." if they saw me with some road rash. :D

That was actually an impromptu ride when the thing actually started and wanted to take off without me. :D

A 64yo friend of the family swallowed a 38.

Sorry to hear about that.

If there are Hondas from the 70's (single overhead cam bikes) have them check out http://forums.sohc4.net/ there are people in the Chicago area and I'd bet they could get one or two to come look and maybe help sell parts.

Chopped out the ol' rusty floor in the travelette and cut and welded in the new one courtesy of IHCS:eek: A lot nicer that I don't have drafts coming from underneath me, and I don't feel every f'in hole/bump in the road....:homer:

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t190/michaeldimock/Travelette/HPIM0762.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t190/michaeldimock/Travelette/HPIM0770.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t190/michaeldimock/Travelette/HPIM0790.jpg

Stared at the huge mess in the garage..... couldn't figure out where to begin cleaning it out and straightening it up, so I did neither.

Built an 'extended run tank' for my Honda EU2000i genny. It adds an additional 3 gallons to the fuel supply.

Searched in vain for some of those plastic battery boxes that my 6V deep cycle batteries would fit in. A Group 24 size box has damn near the perfect footprint, but is about 1.5" to 2" too short.

Laid out and etched a PCB for another project I'm working on.

Oh, for the Scout content.... I wrote "FIX ME" in the dirt on the leading edge of the hood where I will see it every time I walk out of the garage.

Worked on my off road junk, see the Maulis motor thread this is going to be bad ass the Atlas is fitting good.

I built 2 cabinets on the remodel from hell.

My Scout and it's broken tranny and 3 link front end are so back burner.:shaking:

I wheeled local, screw the holiday traffic.:shaking:

Worked on the Jeep, Rode the Harley

Still trying to sell my CBR.

THURSDAY:

Picked up a nice shape YJ backseat for the rig...greay "cloth" seat. The seat measures 34-35" and between the fenders is a cool 37-38". This will allow me to sqeeze the two shit-heads (my boys) into the back of the rig and take the fiance as well. Everyone will be happy...which will make my life mo betta.

RUFFSTUFF brackets and new spring perches came in as well. That dude ships stuff like a ninja...nothing like getting some steel parts crammed in a flat rate ENVELOPE!!!! Seriously like 16 pounds of steel in the package :laughing:

SATURDAY:

I aired up the tires on the Scout.
Took the busted to shit fan off of the rig, bypassed the tranny cooler lines that were just hanging in mid air and looped them.
Took the shit box off of the jackstands.
Pulled it into the driveway and used up 4 cans of engine cleaner (non-bio shit) on the greasy pig. There are parts on that motor I never knew existed since I have owned it.:homer:

Since I was driving it to the trails it saw wayyyyy more street miles than it should have...and with a little blow-by, the motor and engine compartment was pretty phucking nasty. I hate working on a rig that is nasty...where you get greasy putting new shit on it...Now that I tow, it will be a much nicer affair.

I then took out the spare's box in the back and cleaned the whole back area in preperation for reconfiguring the shit back there. I need to get on summit and look at some different configuration AL fuel cells to see what I want to do...

SUNDAY:

Fiance decided for us that we were going to have an impromptu BBQ? So then since we didn't have any patio furniture, we needed to go get some. I ended up playing Bob Vila and using my power tools to assemble the stuff in time for people to start showing up.

MONDAY:

Yard work...some weeding...weed destroying/wacking...etc. Then the lady and I laid out in the sun enjoying an actual quiet day with no activities planned (rare at my place).

LAST NIGHT:

Tabs for the truck (tow rig) as I realized they were expired when I was working on it last week. Then we made a trip to Home Depot for some fertilizer and lumber for our garden...:homer:

I changed the fluid in the manual shit box granny low transmission in the tow rig. I don't know when or if it ever was done before and the 2nd & 3rd gears in that thing scream like a banshee on both accel and decel. 4th gear is fairly quiet...I was hoping that fresh fluid and some 85-140 in the mix would quiet them up...but nope. Pumped the tranny full of new fluid and added some LUCAS shit in it...and still noisy as fuck.

But at least it shifts a little better and I know the lube is fresh for when I am towing.

This week will see some other shit get done on the Scout...

I am contemplating cutting the dash apart...

Twiddling my thumbs waiting for my H1 wheels to get here...and the reamer from PartsMike to fix my arms :shaking:

Considering buying a 60k 392 from a local guy that he removed from his motorhome and dropping it in the Scout on a Saturday. I wonder if my HF engine hoist is tall enough :laughing: