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its great not to drive a death trap, my mini story for those who are bored [message #106163]

Thu, 18 November 2010 20:59

RadioActiveGMC

Messages: 1020
Registered: November 2010
Location: Hot AZ desert

Karma:

Senior Member

My GMC was purchased last year around april. Since then its had HORRIBLE EXHAUST LEAKS so bad it couldn't be driven by a human. It had MANY major leaks. One was a crack about 3ft long on top of the pipe that goes down the passenger side galley area. I fixed that last mth.
The engine blew up within miles of purchasing it n CA and that mechanic bill cost over $14,000 and took over 3 mths. Driving it home I thought it would be a dream drive home from CA where it blew up on the way back to AZ after picking it up. But it had fluid leaks, the air ride was just a "ride" as it held no air. Steering was HORRIBLE, of course the exhaust leak I mentioned. Every possible plumbing inside and out leaked like a water fall (literally water ran all over the place) Needed tires, shocks, batteries, the fuel injector sprayed so much fuel it, we just returned it back to a carb (the fuel inject was like a late 70s model). This thing just was determined to beat me. Fuel once shot out of the filler neck like a volcano.
I fixed and I fixed, and when "MOST...key word MOST" must do fixes were fixed the suspension and steering nearly would kill you when you drove it over 40 mph..
I brought it to Spectrac in Mesa AZ. The owner was supposed to be a part of the original group that designed parts to the suspension. I dropped it off after a white knuckle drive (local mechanic said he hadnt a clue how to fix it, and the rv place said bring it to spectrack).
Picked it up today, and it was SOOOOOO NICE not to feel like I was going to drive off the road and kill myself. If I had ever taken it over 40 mph it started to feel like it was going to literally fly off the road and kill me. I couldnt change lanes, couldnt stay in my lane, couldnt do anything. Today I was able to drive it at 75mph on the way home and while it doesnt drive like a mercedes it was 1000000000x better. Im so excited! It needed front bearings (no surprise it has 67,000 miles) front right knuckle, seals, major steering box adjustment (stupid but the knuckle heads in CA that burned me put in a new one that was so tight it would of died if I kept driving it) and some other minor stuff. Plus a 6 wheel alignment.
I had to isolate my own air ride since honestly this economy has taken its toll on "toy" money. So they said it really needs to be fixed for even a better ride. (They are pricing me out a quad bag type setup for down the road) For now they just set the ride right and showed me how to measure it. Using the frame. And I can add or subtract air myself.
However Im so pleased that I know longer drive something I feel like may kill me!!!!!!
This weekend Im having a friend fix a gas leak in the carb, another friend and I fixing two none complicated plumbing leaks and adding a 2nd trans cooler. And we are also running a switch from the starter to bypass the safety switch all together since I have to kick the panel below my steering wheel to get it started 50% of the time. However my 1973 GMC is getting there. I have TONS of misc things I'll still be doing but the heavy mechanical stuff (besides getting the dash ac back up) is done.
Ill be insulating the engine, adding the fender vents, going to try to use flashing to get heat away from the headers, add my solar panel, but its coming long.
If you were so bored to have read all this Im sorry for that.....but hardly anyone finds my project worth it at all. Most call it a money pit. I call it my 1973 GMC, and as a couple in our thirties are hopefully going to enjoy for years to come.

***"Gettin There"-1973 23' Sequoia- Michael, Onans smell, "Go solar/wind power!"

[Updated on: Thu, 18 November 2010 21:00]

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[Message index]

		its great not to drive a death trap, my mini story for those who are bored By: RadioActiveGMC on Thu, 18 November 2010 20:59
		Re: [GMCnet] its great not to drive a death trap, my mini story for those who are bored By: KRDietz on Thu, 18 November 2010 21:13
		Re: its great not to drive a death trap, my mini story for those who are bored By: GeorgeRud on Thu, 18 November 2010 21:25
		Re: [GMCnet] its great not to drive a death trap, my mini story for those who are bored By: USAussie on Thu, 18 November 2010 21:32
		Re: [GMCnet] its great not to drive a death trap, my mini story for those who are bored By: WD0AFQ on Thu, 18 November 2010 23:16
		Re: its great not to drive a death trap, my mini story for those who are bored By: Carl S. on Thu, 18 November 2010 21:34
		Re: its great not to drive a death trap, my mini story for those who are bored By: Ken Burton on Fri, 19 November 2010 01:18
		Re: [GMCnet] its great not to drive a death trap, my mini story for those who are bored By: Steven Ferguson on Fri, 19 November 2010 06:48
		Re: [GMCnet] its great not to drive a death trap, my mini story for those who are bored By: Byron Songer on Fri, 19 November 2010 08:13
		Re: [GMCnet] its great not to drive a death trap, my mini story for those who are bored By: bill schurman on Fri, 19 November 2010 12:53
		Re: its great not to drive a death trap, my mini story for those who are bored By: GeorgeRud on Fri, 19 November 2010 08:53
		Re: its great not to drive a death trap, my mini story for those who are bored By: RadioActiveGMC on Fri, 19 November 2010 09:35
		Re: its great not to drive a death trap, my mini story for those who are bored By: g.winger on Fri, 19 November 2010 10:14
		Re: its great not to drive a death trap, my mini story for those who are bored By: RadioActiveGMC on Fri, 19 November 2010 11:14
		Re: its great not to drive a death trap, my mini story for those who are bored By: RadioActiveGMC on Fri, 19 November 2010 14:27
		Re: [GMCnet] its great not to drive a death trap, my mini story for those who are bored By: bill schurman on Fri, 19 November 2010 14:31
		Re: [GMCnet] its great not to drive a death trap, my mini story for those who are bored By: bill schurman on Fri, 19 November 2010 14:37
		Re: its great not to drive a death trap, my mini story for those who are bored By: Bruce S on Sat, 20 November 2010 15:49
		Re: its great not to drive a death trap, my mini story for those who are bored By: Keith V on Sat, 20 November 2010 22:11
		Re: [GMCnet] its great not to drive a death trap, my mini story for those who are bored By: Mr ERFisher on Sun, 21 November 2010 07:09
		Re: its great not to drive a death trap, my mini story for those who are bored By: RadioActiveGMC on Sun, 21 November 2010 18:02
		Re: its great not to drive a death trap, my mini story for those who are bored By: WD0AFQ on Sun, 21 November 2010 21:17

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