Heater Works!

I finally got a 40 lb propane tank and got it filled which makes the shop "good enough" on cold days. Now all I need is the motivation to get out there and spend some serious time out there.  The heater will work until I trench out a new gas line out to the shop.  No real progress right now but football season IS winding down.  Tri-State auto swap meet Super Bowl weekend!

Summer turns to fall

Looks like one of the hottest summers in Colorado history is finally giving way to a very pleasant fall here.  Went to the swap meet a few weeks ago but there were no purchases for the 55.  The shop is qute clean and ready for action.  The FedEx truck stopped by a few minutes ago and dropped off this gem:

125K BTU Forced Air heater to keep things warm enough when winter really settles in.

$99 at Amazon with free shipping see it Here.  Net cost to me was ZERO dollars since I had money on my gift card from work for safety incentives earned.  I love freebies!  Now I'll cough up for a 40# propane tank (come on Craigslist!) and be ready for winter to do it's worst.  Now that the truck is back I've taken a little time to get organized, finding stuff that was put away almost 2 1/2 years ago can be a bit of a challenge.  All the big stuff has been located so at least we're good there.  The main workbench is now visible after collecting a lot of junk lately.

More Parts!

So as I found out a while ago, a car 390 oil pan will not work with the aftermarket engine crossmember.  Due to its front sump design it will not clear.  Where do rear sump oil pans for 360/390 engines come from you ask?  Pre-76 4x4 pickups of course! Found one on Craigslist down in Aurora, pan, oil pump pickup and dipstick for $80.  Picked it up and cleaned it up in the parts washer.  Once I finish sandblasting it, I think I'll powdercoat it Ford Blue.  Good chance to test out the oven.

Back to work!

Front clip is off again, thanks Geoff!


One of the bad things about being on shift with me is you get roped in to all sorts of shenanigans. "Hey....what are you doing after work?" Now I'll be able to spot the engine front to back and FINALLY drill for the engine & transmission crossmembers. Can we have this thing running by Christmas? Stay tuned....

It's back!

Finally got motivated to make the trip back to Washington to pick up the 55. I had just bought a 2004 Excursion and had some time off to get it done. Borrowed a trailer and my friend Geoff and I hit the road 6 am Tuesday morning.


Rolled into Centralia about 2 pm Wednesday and made it to Keith's house where the old girl was stored. With the help of a borrowed winch and Doug Winslow's arrival the loadup was a breeze.



After a too short visit with my pals, we got back on the road to miss the Portland rush hour traffic. We decided to stop in Cascade Locks, OR for the night. After a great night's sleep we got about 20 minutes out of town and promptly blew a trailer tire. Luckily Pat had put a spare on the trailer which got us to the Les Schwab in Hood River.

After that it was a pretty easy trip, stopped in Burley, ID Thursday night and made the last 600 miles on Friday. Got the truck in the shop safe and sound, now it's time to get back to work!

Upcoming Roadie!

Making a 2500 mile round trip to FINALLY pick up the '55 and get it to Colorado. Bought an 04 Excursion and borrowing a car trailer to make the journey. Should be a lot of fun, I'll do a quick front brake job on it to make sure it's tip top for towing. If I get all the pieces here safe and sound, I'll get restarted. I have bought a few parts here and there, 1 great door, 1 average door and a sweet hood. Pics of the great adventure will be posted, I promise!

Swap Meet Saturday

Went to a swap meet at the Larimer County Fairgrounds in Loveland on Saturday. Nice cool day and actually a little rain in the air. Got a few parts for my 55 a beautiful hood, 1 great door and 1 not great door. Gotta take the good with the bad, especially at $65 for all 3 pieces. At least when the truck gets here I'll have some good parts to put on it. Also got a new parts washer and filled it with solvent.