the Ranchero disaster & Brand X update

General karthief · May 24, 2018

there it is aka: junk pile
To get this party started I'm going to document for your humorous pleasure the repair and up grades on this fine piece of automotive equipment, first I will attempt to resolve a slow crank issue when hot. Not the battery, not the starter, just 29 year old inadequate starter cables, I hope. Got some 4ga cable, some ends for bolting to solenoid and starter and attempted to glue it together. My job is to make this:

look like this:
Easy enough right?
some of you know me, I like to have a little fun so I'm standing in the parts store with my 4 connectors and a tube of black gasket stuff when the guy brings me 6' of 4ga cable, holding the tube of gasket maker and the connectors out I say ' this will work right? He had to think about it but said no.
back at the garage I spend 45 minutes trying to glue the crap together only I can't with the gun I have so off to the shop I go for the big stuff, 30 minutes later I'm heading home with glued on cable ends and a smile on my face. I'll be grinding gears in the valdez soon, I'm sick of driving the 'dump truck' and a focus se is not my idea of fun transportation.

now this

looks like this
a couple hours under and over the valez and we gots new cables and ready for the test run! I did notice a couple new issues that add to the list of repairs, but they are never really done are they?

95BlueStallion · May 24, 2018

Here I thought you just liked to hang out here with your '84 corvette...

General karthief · May 24, 2018

Yea, right, 84 vette, thats a good joke!
i haven't owned a vette in soooo long, only one was a 63 with a swapped 454, muncie and weed burners, what a lumber wagon! Man it was fast though!

BlakeusMaximus · May 24, 2018

So you DO actually own a Fox, Karthief! I was wondering if we would ever see it. Look forward to see the work you'll be doing on it.

hoopty5.0 · May 24, 2018

I feel like the pictures were screen grabbed from reruns of America's Funniest Home Videos based on the picture quality.

Jokes aside, nice job. I need to do the same. Although you went full resto mode. I would have gone to orielly for something already done and sloppily zip tied the excess under the car somewhere just far enough out of the way that it wouldn't melt to something or drag.

General karthief · May 24, 2018

I can relate to the zip tie routine, seen it, hate it. I try to make stuff look like it belongs there,
the test ride was good, no more hot slow crank issues, I did lose a few ten thousands of rubber off the rear tires, guess I should go back and look for them?

BlakeusMaximus · May 24, 2018

I hope that’s not plasty dip on those wheels.

General karthief · May 24, 2018

Nope. Likely powder coated, been on there like 10 years or more, they shine right up.

90sickfox · May 24, 2018

For battery cable ends i just use a propane tirch and solder. Take some pliers and squeeze the corners where the flatten them out. Then put lock pliers on them to hole the straight up and fire the torch up. The solder melts in there pretty fast....dip the cable in....heat shrink and done.

Nice work man. I hate messing with those factory cable brackets.

So what if you dont like my zip ties...its the 'merican way

General karthief · May 24, 2018

Thats zackly what I did, I didn't have any propane at the house so had to make a trip to the shop.
Surprised no one said anything about the white tape I used, they didn't have any black when I bought it, same stuff they use at the factory just the wrong color. Some kind of glass infused stuff, kinda pricey.
zip ties are very useful, I used some to secure the o2/oil level sender wires. They run along the same route as the starter cable.

VibrantRedGT · May 25, 2018

And I'm going to see the other FOX he has tomorrow (roller).

If that one is the "Exon Valdez" what do you call the other one?

"Flinstone Mobile"
"Pedal Power"

General karthief · May 25, 2018

Stunt double
cause they look kinda alike.

Noobz347 · May 25, 2018

Watch him carefully. He may try and sell you the same car twice.

RaggedGT · May 25, 2018

Glad to finally see your car-I dig it
Wasn’t there also mention of a Cobra

General karthief · May 25, 2018

Yes, covered up in the carport, thats one reason to cut the stunt double loose, really want to cruze a cobra vert!

VibrantRedGT · May 25, 2018

General karthief said:
Stunt double
cause they look kinda alike.

"Stunt Double" doesn't / can't leak

General karthief · May 25, 2018

Thats what I like about it NO FRIGGING SUNROOF!
i passed on the valdez originally because of that, but it was unmolested, one owner and the guy came WAY down on price.
the valdez does not leak, I keep the drains clean and treat the gasket, I do need to get new hardware for it, they drip a little, thats on the list

a91what · May 26, 2018

Dont be selling my doors...
Man we have at least 6 members that live close by JR. I'm thinking lunch one day.

General karthief · May 26, 2018

Yes sir! Joe and his son were over today, that kid is a walking nascar encyclopedia! Can't wait to have them over again and it will be an honor to host a few others, you two will be the first to know, I'll have to charge for parking any brand x vehicles though!
i didn't even mention any doors, he was too busy drooling over my tubular intake collection and a Darrell Waltrip picture on the garage wall.

VibrantRedGT · May 27, 2018

General karthief said:
Yes sir! Joe and his son were over today, that kid is a walking nascar encyclopedia! Can't wait to have them over again and it will be an honor to host a few others, you two will be the first to know, I'll have to charge for parking any brand x vehicles though!
i didn't even mention any doors, he was too busy drooling over my tubular intake collection and a Darrell Waltrip picture on the garage wall.

Thanks for having us. My son didn’t want to leave, yeah he’s a walking Nascar encyclopedia.

I don’t know what number in line I’m in for the GT40 intake. Racing trivia contest to decide who buys it?

We will def be coming back, even if it’s just to catch a race at the Dale race track.

Again, thanks for the hospitality. When we got close to come and got cut off in the rain my son says “back to reality.”

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