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You might be surprised. I still lurk on the SAU community forums.
) left me without much time for biking, blah blah blah.... anyway on to the project.
I hope Jeff wakes up soon.So I've not posted here in about 2 years - a combo of second kid, planning (and now starting) a reno, moving to the mother in laws to facilitate renos, trying for a promotion at work (it's coming they keep telling me
Even with all the above, I can't help myself but scroll marketplace looking for that one bargain, and I found it.
Meet Jeff, my '69 Dodge AT4 that is currently living at my mother in law's house (luckily so am I) until the new shed is built & the reno is done.
View attachment 425656
The story: Old mate I bought it off used it for his landscaping business way back when, even having the engine (225 slant 6) rebuilt and doing another 15,000k's on it. He then buys another work truck and thinks "this thing is cool, I'll repaint it". So strips the doors, windscreen, interior & trim and has the cab resprayed, then..... nothing. Lets it sit (in his shed, thankfully) for 15 years. Then has to move, and it sits in his paddock for 10 months before he realizes being 70, he probably won't get it done. So he sold it to me for a song (seriously, I paid what he had it listed at and I bloody robbed the guy) and is just happy someone will finish it. And made me promise to take him for a spin in it when it's done.
So I've been working on it on the odd evening here and there, and so far I have:
- Put oil down the bores and got the motor spinning by hand (it was very lightly seized).
- Put a boroscope down the bores to check condition - crosshatching looks good
- Cranked the engine without plugs to check oil pressure (good)
- Cranked the engine trying to start it - no start but compression sounded good
- regapped the spark-plugs and points (what a blast from the past there) - now has decent spark
- fired it up on brake cleaner (ran for a sec but sounded good)
I still have a whole lot to do, but we're 1 month(ish) into the reno, so have about 3-4 to go (supposedly), hoping to have the thing done so I can drive it straight to get a blue-slip shortly after we move out.
So I've not posted here in about 2 years - a combo of second kid, planning (and now starting) a reno, moving to the mother in laws to facilitate renos, trying for a promotion at work (it's coming they keep telling me
Even with all the above, I can't help myself but scroll marketplace looking for that one bargain, and I found it.
Meet Jeff, my '69 Dodge AT4 that is currently living at my mother in law's house (luckily so am I) until the new shed is built & the reno is done.
View attachment 425656
The story: Old mate I bought it off used it for his landscaping business way back when, even having the engine (225 slant 6) rebuilt and doing another 15,000k's on it. He then buys another work truck and thinks "this thing is cool, I'll repaint it". So strips the doors, windscreen, interior & trim and has the cab resprayed, then..... nothing. Lets it sit (in his shed, thankfully) for 15 years. Then has to move, and it sits in his paddock for 10 months before he realizes being 70, he probably won't get it done. So he sold it to me for a song (seriously, I paid what he had it listed at and I bloody robbed the guy) and is just happy someone will finish it. And made me promise to take him for a spin in it when it's done.
So I've been working on it on the odd evening here and there, and so far I have:
- Put oil down the bores and got the motor spinning by hand (it was very lightly seized).
- Put a boroscope down the bores to check condition - crosshatching looks good
- Cranked the engine without plugs to check oil pressure (good)
- Cranked the engine trying to start it - no start but compression sounded good
- regapped the spark-plugs and points (what a blast from the past there) - now has decent spark
- fired it up on brake cleaner (ran for a sec but sounded good)
I still have a whole lot to do, but we're 1 month(ish) into the reno, so have about 3-4 to go (supposedly), hoping to have the thing done so I can drive it straight to get a blue-slip shortly after we move out.
That's not sitting. It's waiting. It may need to relocate the house at short notice.
This is awesome.So I've not posted here in about 2 years - a combo of second kid, planning (and now starting) a reno, moving to the mother in laws to facilitate renos, trying for a promotion at work (it's coming they keep telling me
Even with all the above, I can't help myself but scroll marketplace looking for that one bargain, and I found it.
Meet Jeff, my '69 Dodge AT4 that is currently living at my mother in law's house (luckily so am I) until the new shed is built & the reno is done.
View attachment 425656
The story: Old mate I bought it off used it for his landscaping business way back when, even having the engine (225 slant 6) rebuilt and doing another 15,000k's on it. He then buys another work truck and thinks "this thing is cool, I'll repaint it". So strips the doors, windscreen, interior & trim and has the cab resprayed, then..... nothing. Lets it sit (in his shed, thankfully) for 15 years. Then has to move, and it sits in his paddock for 10 months before he realizes being 70, he probably won't get it done. So he sold it to me for a song (seriously, I paid what he had it listed at and I bloody robbed the guy) and is just happy someone will finish it. And made me promise to take him for a spin in it when it's done.
So I've been working on it on the odd evening here and there, and so far I have:
- Put oil down the bores and got the motor spinning by hand (it was very lightly seized).
- Put a boroscope down the bores to check condition - crosshatching looks good
- Cranked the engine without plugs to check oil pressure (good)
- Cranked the engine trying to start it - no start but compression sounded good
- regapped the spark-plugs and points (what a blast from the past there) - now has decent spark
- fired it up on brake cleaner (ran for a sec but sounded good)
I still have a whole lot to do, but we're 1 month(ish) into the reno, so have about 3-4 to go (supposedly), hoping to have the thing done so I can drive it straight to get a blue-slip shortly after we move out.
Damn! Where abouts is this? I'm under strict instructions from the wife not to buy a 'spares' truck unfortunately haha.
Yeah a 440 is my ideal endgame engine for this thing. But I'll stick with the 6 for at least a year, I want to get it on the road asap and actually drive the thing.
If you are in Melbourne I know a couple of guys who are very serious Valiant weird beards and have mountains of stuff squirreled away.
All of the above?
Barra certainly makes the most sense but you'd have to live with the shame of it.
Fuck me man. Where can we buy tickets to be your best mate?
FWD, but it drives like a RWD as it trail brakes really nice. I only had a few laps in it, but by the 3rd lap I wash pushing it and went off the circuit lol.
