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

[joesregalproject]

Isn't there a Buick in your garage begging for attention?

What do you think the jack is for?

 

[Ugly1]

update:
cleaned out all the trash in the truck, found about $2 in pennies and dimes, some new headlight bulbs in packaging....Bonus!...found the blue title from the 3rd owner who never registered it. so the impound yard was sending tow paperwork to the 2nd owner and his lien company, who had already signed off on it, all the time 😁
even came with a small fishing kayak in the back, which I should be able to sell for about $75

looked up all the RPO codes after getting home....came with 20" wheels, towing, 5.3, 4L60e, 3.73 rear positraction limited slip, auto climate, rear seat stereo in console


got the tires mounted, poured another gallon of coolant in, it sucked it down.....ooooookay, poured 1/2-gal of water in and it stops sucking it down. start engine to circulate, it sucks it down, I pour the rest of the water in...sucks it down, then part of another gallon to top off the overflow because now I know I have a leak in the overflow at the least as I can see it dripping underneath. grab another gallon of water for the 8 miles home. my buddy drives it home with me watching the rear view mirror and talking to him on the phone all the way. get a half mile from the house and the temp starts going north of 210 just as we top a steep hill into my 'hood. I noticed "smoke" coming from the front drivers wheel that last halfmile, told him to get it parked in my driveway and shut it off. we make it, pop the hood, and can see where antifreeze is leaking out of the radiator and getting that whole front corner wet, and I can hear it boiling and popping in the upper radiator hose. I think the only reason we made it home that easy was because the outside temp was 44.

so now I think I know why the truck was abandoned by the owner at the apartment complex they towed it from. looks like a new radiator, overflow tank, hoses, and coolant . with that and tires, my total cost so far is <$4400

get it fixed, get it registered and titled and charged sales tax by the DMV. but since the tow yard are good guys they don't fill in the auction price and let buyers do it. I think it's worth.....$500? sounds good to me!

the good: got a solid truck as a spare driver that even after I clean it up, fix stuff and use it, I can probably double my money. trucks are gold here in Texas
the bad: gotta fix stuff, possibly some bad front ball joints

Always see if a “used” aluminum rad is available. Just look at the plastic tanks for normal cracking that happens to them.

 

[Ugly1]

Harbor Freight had one of their low profile Daytona floor jacks on sale for $50 off if you have their store club discount, which seemed like a pretty good deal. I've been down to one floor jack for the past 6 months or so after I got rid of my larger jack because it was leaking and I didn't want to fix it. The one I kept is a very old Sears 2 ton model. It works great but it is a bit small for trucks. I've heard nothing but good stuff about the Daytona jacks so I'm eager to use this one.
View attachment 233876

Mine seems to be holding up well. Going on 3yrs

 

[Ugly1]

Went got a new wiper arm for my sister’s truck. It’s an 03’ F150 7700 series. Last snow storm she was having issues. Day later when putting the arms down there wasn’t enough tension to make them lay flat. Figure age and previous owners abuse killed them. Never ending fun with a Ford. At least it runs good for now!

 

[Built6spdMCSS]

Pretty bad when on a Ford you even have to push the wipers..

 

[78Delta88]

I'll check the store over here. The one I keep in the trunk is on the fritz.

Thank you for posting.

 

[78Delta88]

Not much done today. Got Robo Taurus ready for new bumpers. Supposed to rain next three days, but got first two coats of gloss black on the Escort. I found out the inner doors panels got tossed mistakenly, so another trip to Pick and Pull is in the works.

 

[86LK]

Always see if a “used” aluminum rad is available. Just look at the plastic tanks for normal cracking that happens to them.

went looking and the only new rad's I saw with alum tanks were some brand called Liland Global on RockA at @$293, everything else has plastic tanks, even the ACDelco stuff. I don't plan on holding onto the truck that long and it rarely freezes down here so if I can't find one at the jyard I'll probably get a RockA special for $100

 

[MrSony]

Installed some neato Grote lights i got off marketplace for $75.
Yes, they're too close and too high. This plow setup is some cobbled together farmer nonsense, but it works and works well. I'll make some angle brackets to lower and spread them out when it's not -11 outside, like it was while i was wiring these. I'm not a wiring guy, but I am pretty proud of the fact I used a relay for high, low, and have a 3 way toggle with switched power to control high and low instead of lifting the hood in a snowstorm and slamming the battery cable on. It's the little things.

 

[Ugly1]

Installed some neato Grote lights i got off marketplace for $75.
Yes, they're too close and too high. This plow setup is some cobbled together farmer nonsense, but it works and works well. I'll make some angle brackets to lower and spread them out when it's not -11 outside, like it was while i was wiring these. I'm not a wiring guy, but I am pretty proud of the fact I used a relay for high, low, and have a 3 way toggle with switched power to control high and low instead of lifting the hood in a snowstorm and slamming the battery cable on. It's the little things.
View attachment 233886

Better than seeing the tree or fence post after the fact!