As Tom Petty sang...

[KShortell]

"The waiting is the hardest part..."

I finally broke down and dropped off my truck at the shop on Monday. Some stuff I've done before, but I didn't want to tackle again and, well, it's cold and snowing now and I don't really have time to work on it this month.

So, I'm dropping a wad of cash and having all the valve stem seals replaced, new valve cover gaskets, oil pan gasket, rear main oil seal, flexplate (busted/missing tooth), speedometer cable seal, rear end gear mesh alignment, and a new electric choke. My poor truck was making a mess of the driveway...

Now, I only replaced the flexplate last year-- and with a GM flexplate to boot. Well, I busted a tooth off the flexplate a little while back. I thought the engine wasn't going to catch. I didn't wait quite long enough to crank again and the engine caught at the same moment I hit the starter-- doh! Operator error...

The good news is that this will wipe out most of my "To-Do" list. I'll only have a new exhaust manifold gasket to install with the Stage8 bolts I got. A little paint on the front suspension and rear of the frame along with a couple of teeny rust spots and she'll be as good as new once again. It seems like all I have to do is drop a couple grand into her every 5 years and she just keeps on going and going!

It was new tires last month...

Yes, I'm rambling, but the salt trucks are out and she's still at the garage. I hate driving her in salt anymore, but she'll survive. After all, she survived Michigan, Illinois, and North Carolina!

Sorry-- case of Chevy withdrawals...