What did you do to your non-G Body project today [2024 edition]

Not a thing to do but a thing to seriously consider for the next maintenance schedule on my S-10. Was watching ol' Bill Carlton go at it on Texas Metal the previous evening and the project on the lift needed a new exhaust system. Space for all the bits was tight so the answer they came up with was to move the mufflers all the way to almost the rear of the vehicle. And, thinks me, what a neat idea. Right now I have the same issue only worse under my little truck with the cats and the mufflers and cross pipe all competing for territory. If I relocate the mufflers further down range to under the back of the truck box, That gives me the room to bring the cats and the cross pipe further down stream, as well as leaving me room to totally rerun the drivers side so that it will stand further clear of the gas tank. The design right now is so tight on that side that the exit pipe on the muffler has to take an immediate hard 90 degree turn to avoid crashing into the tank wall. Not happy making because the issue limits both exhaust flow and what ways and means I can use to make the joint/connection. At the rear, the only issue is the spare tire hanging from the rafters and resonator style mufflers just barely bigger than the pipes they serve could be the cure for that.

I already know that i have to rebuild the matching exhaust run post muffler on the driver's side to match what I did with the passengers. This would be my opportunity to rectify an ongoing nuisance that has been a chronic pain in my eyes from falling rusticular matter for many years.



Nick

CopperNick said:

Not a thing to do but a thing to seriously consider for the next maintenance schedule on my S-10. Was watching ol' Bill Carlton go at it on Texas Metal the previous evening and the project on the lift needed a new exhaust system. Space for all the bits was tight so the answer they came up with was to move the mufflers all the way to almost the rear of the vehicle. And, thinks me, what a neat idea. Right now I have the same issue only worse under my little truck with the cats and the mufflers and cross pipe all competing for territory. If I relocate the mufflers further down range to under the back of the truck box, That gives me the room to bring the cats and the cross pipe further down stream, as well as leaving me room to totally rerun the drivers side so that it will stand further clear of the gas tank. The design right now is so tight on that side that the exit pipe on the muffler has to take an immediate hard 90 degree turn to avoid crashing into the tank wall. Not happy making because the issue limits both exhaust flow and what ways and means I can use to make the joint/connection. At the rear, the only issue is the spare tire hanging from the rafters and resonator style mufflers just barely bigger than the pipes they serve could be the cure for that.

I already know that i have to rebuild the matching exhaust run post muffler on the driver's side to match what I did with the passengers. This would be my opportunity to rectify an ongoing nuisance that has been a chronic pain in my eyes from falling rusticular matter for many years.



Nick

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They make a “muffler “ that is also the chrome/stainless tip. I think they run like 20”-25” long. About the same as a motorcycle muffler. Or find a pair of S&S/ Cycle Shack , cheap used bile mufflers?

The Cycle Shack mufflers aren't a bad idea. The biggest concern with them is that they come factory with an 1-3/4 inlet because HD pipes are a lot smaller in dia than what we run on our cars and trucks. Oh, yeah, it is possible to cobble together a combination of exhaust adaptors, bushings and sleeves to create the connection but the size of the difference in diameter that has to be bridged would also mean that such a contrivance would create more of a choke point for exhaust flow rather than a smooth and effortless transition.


Apart from that, all these recent posts about snowblowers (Yeah, yeah, I know, Bah, Humbug, et al) has finally prompted me to rotate my own blower out of its storage shed and back into the garage. Being located there makes it easier to access if/when it becomes needed. Also gives me a chance to service/check it over ahead of time. It does get it's own heavy coire mat to park on. That keeps the metal away from the concrete and promotes water transfer away from the chassis.

Beyond that, started the process of cleaning out the corner adjacent to the compressor. There are two duplexes in there, one for the welder and the other for an air conditioner that I have to revisit. The default method to hang a duplex box is to attach it to a stud with screws or nails. That supports it on one side but leaves the other side sort of hanging loose. That is okay for a house where the heaviest thing to be plugged might be a vacuum cleaner but in the shop it has always bothered me. My last visit from my electrician alerted me to the fact that the existing wiring for the A/C was incorrect and had to be upgraded to a heavier spec. That means pulling the rough in and relacing in the heavier wire. So this is a perfect time to dismount that section of wallboard and get behind it to do the improvements.



Nick

Repaired my washer, appliances in my house never last. Also, had to repair my oldest daughters Grand Marquis. She took it to a tire joint for new tires, and a few days later with my middle daughter driving on Interstate 81, the left rear wheel decided to divorce the axle at 80 mph. So much for torquing a wheel. Sooo, I had to get it towed to the mountain, replace the studs, rotor, and e-brake shoes and hardware. Fortunately the POS has a full size steel spare, so I took the new tire and put in on that rim till we find a replacement aluminum rim.

liquidh8 said:

Repaired my washer, appliances in my house never last. Also, had to repair my oldest daughters Grand Marquis. She took it to a tire joint for new tires, and a few days later with my middle daughter driving on Interstate 81, the left rear wheel decided to divorce the axle at 80 mph. So much for torquing a wheel. Sooo, I had to get it towed to the mountain, replace the studs, rotor, and e-brake shoes and hardware. Fortunately the POS has a full size steel spare, so I took the new tire and put in on that rim till we find a replacement aluminum rim.

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Go right back to that shop and ask for a replacement!

CopperNick said:

Aaaah, No. Sorry Pilgrim, Avanti was a model that belonged to the Studebaker Corporation.

https://www.motortrend.com/vehicle-genres/studebaker-avanti-history-photos/

As a production vehicle, they had a very short sales life, only about a year or two at most. The body style was very avant garde for the time and they could actually be had in a supercharged engine format.

The most famous one that I know of belongs to Alice Cooper of all strange people and was featured in an episode of the show "Counting Cars". They are, if I recall correctly. a fibreglass body design and had the screwiest front end steering linkage design that ever hit the streets,

They were also the last gasp of the Studebaker corporation, which itself died sometime in the mid 60's; 65 comes to mind for some reason. Wasn't anything that they did wrong as such, just that the Big Three had more resources to draw on and a larger target market to sell to.



Nick

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At the end, Studebaker actually used GM drivetrains. I had a '65 Commander that had a 283 SBC and a Powerglide transmission.

Sold that snowblower.
Got it for free, sold it for 85 simoleons.
Minus some gas and a chain link, about 82 bucks profit. 😀

Ugly1 said:

Go right back to that shop and ask for a replacement!

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That's what she will have to do, the only reason it is here is because she was visiting and on the way. She lives 2.5 hours away or else I would have just done the tires in my shop.

Find out when she plans on paying that shop a visit and make arrangements to along with. Don't have to say a word, just stand there and look menacing and angry. Great motivator to get the shop manager or owner to offer compensation and recompense for the cost of the repairs and any other damage that occurred as a consequence. (Maybe throw in a few extra $$$$$ for the psychological and mental stress.......)


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Nick

Got froggy and painted the plow.
Springs are metallic silver, frame is satin black, blade is red. The cutting edge part will also be satin black.Front isn't done yet. Not bad for rattle cans at 50 or below temp.