Grizz's Redneck Express 1966 Chevy Short Fleetside RESTO-GO!

[Larry64]

Wishing you well & plenty of pictures.

[mjh1965]

Enjoy your new toy
Posted via Mobile Device

[flashed]

Looking forward to our surprise.

[Bomp]

Sorry to say but they totally messed up on the sign.
I watched it being done "professionally" the right way. With safety glasses.

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by Larry64

Wishing you well & plenty of pictures.

Thanks Larry.

A few pics.

Originally Posted by mjh1965

Enjoy your new toy
Posted via Mobile Device

Spoke to you already with update. Hope your mum cooked a great dinner..... I had pizza, just not as good.

Originally Posted by flashed

Looking forward to our surprise.

Thanks John.

Report below.

Originally Posted by Bomp

Sorry to say but they totally messed up on the sign.
I watched it being done "professionally" the right way. With safety glasses.

Ahhhh Greg, you had me chuckling here and also flashback to two of the best weeks of my life.


Back at home after a great day and mini road trip out with Paul Y, just over 200 miles.

The preamble to this little road trip is founded in my 2016 being a bit of a mess. So I have possibly been looking for a fix or my general mood.

I have had some amazing support from the likes of CraigRK, JohnnyBravo, Paul Y and a variety of people on the various forums in different countries who read the various threads I contribute to.
There is also Miss Katy who does not necessarily understand or care too much for the madness of wanting an old car........ But she also said that I should do what I felt was right for me?

In May last year I saw an online advertisement for a 1971 station wagon, one owner, V8, Sunburned California Patina, P/S, A/C, Auto, P/B all sorts of goodness where it was in America. At that point I had a wife and a truck to get back onto in the garage, despite knowing she wanted to leave. I just loved the look of the car, but was not in the market for one.

Fast forward to November after my US road trip and my mood was a bit low, the truck was not going far very quickly and I started to look for a fix.

I Found this ad on Rods n Sods

http://www.rodsnsods.co.uk/forum/veh...%A35800-467209

I found myself going back to look at the ad every few days........... know the feeling? I really liked this car.

On Old years day, my lodger gave me notice for end January........ this meant that my mortgage repayments were going to go up by 30% and I should not be even thinking of cars n toys.
Ohh, and of course I am a contractor, so job security is not ideal.... poop.

Just after Christmas I noticed the price had been lowered.

So I called the seller in San Francisco for a 30 minute chat from my mobile.

Still dithering about whether I should even consider buying this thing, I ended up speaking to an ex girlfriend from 10 years ago whose council I seek from time to time as she is a bit brutal and also quite blunt but always honest. She made a few valid comments and asked a few questions.

What value do you place on having that car?

ITS A TOY.

Do you think you deserve it?

ERRRMMMM?

How do you reward Rian for his hard work?

NOT SURE I REALLY DO

Will it put a smile on your face?

HELL YEAHHHH !!

Well imagine how wonderful it will be when you start doing things to please Rian?

She told me her car's brake pressure sensor needed replacing recently. The washing machine had broken down. And said " I am a single woman, looking after two children on my own with a mortgage to pay.....

Get my point ?"

If I make the statements above my life's narrative then I will be a grumpy old woman...

All this stuff is just part of life honey.......

The opportunity has opened up for a lodger with whom you can have a more rewarding experience....

Go look at the car and buy it if it is right.



So that brings us to today's road trip.

I met Paul at a predesignated spot.



I had taken along two 6 litre jerry cans and bought fuel to put in the car for a decent drive and road test.

Paul checking up on his world........



Then we drove over to where the car was stored.

Greeted by Dennis, an old fan of trucks and wagons, he rebuilds a lot of stuff and one of his new additions is this one owner low mileage F250 that had a camper shell on all its life.



His workshops are a dream, that is all.



I decided to not post loads of pics of all his toys but rather his latest resto project........ of course it's a pickup truck.

Can you guess what it was before?



Then it was on to the car we had come to see.

1971 Pontiac Lemans Sportwagon

Dennis drove it out and then onto the ramp so we could look under it and inside in the daylight.

And here is the kicker, the video clip below shows what happened today, the first time in his life......... not funny, but shows how easy things can change. We fixed that in a few minutes.

CLICKY LINKY:

71 Pontiac Lemans onto ramp. - YouTube

Paul Y did the whole mechanical check and we found the car has many new maintenance parts etc, he will be along later to describe what he saw.







Back end with two way tailgate with electric window.



So after two hours with Dennis and Paul, I decided to walk away from the car, as it does not completely blow my hair back.

I am gutted that in the end it was not what I needed or wanted, but when Paul logically asked me "If you look at it from your kitchen window in the morning, will it make your heart beat faster and will it make you want to take it for a drive"

My answer honestly was that I did not think it would like the Chevy truck does.


[font size="5"][font color="e61982"]Now for the mathematics.[/font][/font]

At the advertised price of £5250.00 for a one owner V8 car which we both believe has really only done 31k miles if you look at the minimal wear on its controls, the fact loads of maintenance parts have obviously been replaced as needed over time. Trainsmission and engine oils are clean. All controls, lights, hooter etc worked when we went through them, the engine is smooth, transmission changes smoothly........

If you consider £2000.00 as shipping, then you know you are getting this car at bicycle money.

I am gutted, but it's not right to be the next Grizz car.

So this pic that I created a week ago in anticipation, will just be that, a pic.




Now go find me a car.......... or truck or something.

[ibrown50]

Rian, this sounds like a great car, but Paul is right, if you're going to have £5K in it it has to "float your boat".

Regular followers of Rian's thread will recall this from the previous page, with the comment "The other one I prepped, etch primered and painted and it may be headed out to a friend in the Royal Mail soon"



Well it turned out that friend was me, it was a total surprise when it landed in the mail yesterday. I really appreciate this, it's another unique "something" for my garage wall, it's now hanging in pride of place on the garage wall with some of my favourite hub-caps,



a kind and generous act Thanks mate

[Grizz1963]

Glad the sign made it to your place Ian.

I know you like a bit of weirdness...... so it was an easy decision.

It does not deserve to be in the company of greatness like RR but hey........ your garage your stuff.

I did not delete tge pic your wife took for you to send me.

[Grizz1963]

I have quoted Paul Y my partner in crime from today.


[quote author="@pauly" source="/post/2278402/thread" timestamp="1483902809"]Don't know about checking my world, more like doing a stock take on the inside of my eye lids....

Anyway... as I was recovering from a 620mile drive conducted over 12 hours the previous day I was slightly less...buoyant... than normal but feeling pretty damn privaliged to be asked on a Grizz road trip. I mean, come on, there are 105 pages of adventure! so being asked along for a small part was all the reason I needed to drag myself from my pit.

Well that and STATION WAGON.

Rian has pretty much covered Dennis, a really nice chap with very interesting toys. Anyway.. STATION WAGON.

When I first saw the Ark Royal nestling in its dry dock I was pretty much sold on it. A really genuine, honest original car that was wearing the battle scars of the previous 46 years with pride.

The small challenge with the ramp meant that we spend 30 minutes doing our best Magiver getting it back where it should be and also enabled Rian to get his first 'seat time'

Ok so photobucket is being an [img src="http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/underwire/2009/11/fox_60.jpg"], will insert photo later

Later



Looks right at home....

Showed around 31k on the clock and I would not be surprised if that was genuine.

All,of the controls, contact surfaces etc looked great, no wear.. the doors closed with a new car clunk plus the door gaps were spot on and no play in the door hinges.

A quick look underneath showed a pretty much prestige undercarriage. A little wear in the steering, but probably an advisory rather than a fail, engine was a little wet but nothing to worry about.

It looks,as if there has been money spent on it -fuel pump, radiator, pads, alternator etc all looked recent.

Engine oil looks fresh and the auto fluid was clear and clean.

Tyres are good. Got it back on the ground and had a play. Everything works! Even the aircon was cold! Radio sounds like you would expect and the CB lit up.

The über cool rear tailgate worked as it should and the power windows went up and down all be it slowly.

Bad bits are the rear floor needs some attention due to the leaking rear window.

It needs window and door seal.

The interior is a bit cracked

There is a few dents and a little rust on the tailgate and lower rear quarters but nothing major.

I would have bought it but I knew Rian was not.



In fact if I had the £5k it would be now sitting in my drive to replace my wife's modern daily. She might be my ex wife but you get the idea....

So, in closing. If you want a wagon. Buy this one. Spend £500 on seals, shocks and steering. Drive, enjoy and then hit with the lowering stick, Astro Supremes or the 17" Honeycombs - bag it, clear coat it and sort out the seats.

Some one needs to buy this. Before I find myself living out of the back of it....

P. [/quote]

[realvc]

Really nice looking wagon. Sorry things did not work out with it.

I know we can never have too many vehicles. Bomp is my hero with all those trucks and even a Camaro in the rafters.

It is always fun to look and dream though.

[Ta2Don]

Decisions can be tough! Glad you enjoyed your day nonetheless!!!

[Larry64]

If we don't have dreams of what is to come, we will grow old & have moss on our north side.

[Grizz1963]

Valentines came and went.

I hate Valentines, along with all the other commercial days that business exploits.

Miss Katy loves Valentines.
So I discovered a parcel in my office after she left on Sunday. Bugggerrr!!
Forced my hand.
So on Monday after my business meeting at Heathrow Airport, I took her flowers at work in a 30mile detour.
Thankfully it made her blush in front of her staff (she is a unit matron in a plastic surgery hospital. Google Guneapigs of WW2)

When I opened the prezzies, she had hit the nail on the head. Perfect for a laugh. All I needed. Nothing serious.



Had my car collected by body shop this morning.

They left me this little Nissan Micra.

Should be interesting.




In the mean time I have been looking at this this week.

May go look at it tomorrow morning early.

http://retrorides.proboards.com/thre...ngo-multispace

Fingers crossed it is half decent.

[Palf70Step]

Neat looking ride. You don't see many old Pontiacs around. Short of the Chevy tri5 Nomads, I never have and probably never will be a station wagon man. Guess it just makes mefeel older than I already am.

Hope you get to feeling better Rian and good luck on getting the truck back going too. I am here for whatever ride you take us on!!!!

[flashed]

Me too. If that wagon was over here I would be all over it .

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by realvc

Really nice looking wagon. Sorry things did not work out with it.

I know we can never have too many vehicles. Bomp is my hero with all those trucks and even a Camaro in the rafters.

It is always fun to look and dream though.

Life is life.

Reason for everything.

Originally Posted by Ta2Don

Decisions can be tough! Glad you enjoyed your day nonetheless!!!

Road trips always rock with me.....

Originally Posted by Larry64

If we don't have dreams of what is to come, we will grow old & have moss on our north side.

Very true.

Originally Posted by Palf70Step

Neat looking ride. You don't see many old Pontiacs around. Short of the Chevy tri5 Nomads, I never have and probably never will be a station wagon man. Guess it just makes mefeel older than I already am.

Hope you get to feeling better Rian and good luck on getting the truck back going too. I am here for whatever ride you take us on!!!!

Still coughing and spluttering.

It's a nasty one this one, or am I getting old?

Originally Posted by flashed

Me too. If that wagon was over here I would be all over it .

Hope to find something interesting soon.

[clemdaddy]

I'm also thinking the time is right for a cruising car. Something big and comfortable and safe. Something that would make road trips more fun. Funny we're both looking for the same thing at the same time.

Good luck with your search and I'll let you know if I have any.

[Bomp]

Seems like the both of you (Grizz & Clemdaddy) need Crew Cabs.

[mjh1965]

Originally Posted by Bomp

Seems like the both of you (Grizz & Clemdaddy) need Crew Cabs.

That or counselling .
Only joking . I use my estate or station wagon , as you guys in the states call them , all the time with the truck off the road .

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by clemdaddy

I'm also thinking the time is right for a cruising car. Something big and comfortable and safe. Something that would make road trips more fun. Funny we're both looking for the same thing at the same time.

Good luck with your search and I'll let you know if I have any.

Thanks Clem.

You know me, I think I just need something to keep me busy.

Originally Posted by Bomp

Seems like the both of you (Grizz & Clemdaddy) need Crew Cabs.

Yuuuuuup...!!

Originally Posted by mjh1965

That or counselling .
Only joking . I use my estate or station wagon , as you guys in the states call them , all the time with the truck off the road .

You certainly use it as a load Luger.

[Grizz1963]

Still coughing and spluttering, but a lot better.

Had my birthday on the 17th, sat in a business meeting all day in Reading, 100 miles from home.

On the way home I decided to pop in at Miss Katy for dinner and a quick visit.
Scrambled egg, toast and a pile of Scottish smoked salmon...... perfect.

Katy had bought me a nice shirt, some Digestive biscuits and a pair of very pretty cuff links for work.

Can you tell what it is yet?



Sweet girl had also baked me a lovely cake for my birthday, we had some after dinner and the rest came home.

Last night and tonight the House Ninja and I had some too.



Yesterday a card was left by the postal courier service that a parcel had been attempted to deliver, I could go collect at a post office.

So today I came home early from London and got to the Post Office at 4.45 which was too late, thankfully it is in a corner shop, and the lady behind the counter took my deliver card, checked it through and handed it over.

Parcel from the USA.......

Buddy Jeff Scheu had a bit of a clear out and wanted to send me some plates for my collection and a T-Shirt.

Thank you very much for everything mate.




In the mean time, despite feeling rubbish, I have been looking at Chevy S10 trucks.

There are the 2.2 litre four cylinder models, 200k km on average, and then some 4.3 litre V6 trucks.

Typically the one I liked best, is 980km from here.........

So now it's spinning in my head, do I do a road trip and fetch it, or find a transporter to bring it here, or at least closer.

Of course when you read the internet via Google, it seems the 2.2 is not the best option.

Great.

And then I still need to find a decent lodger too, as my house ninja has given notice for end January.

[ibrown50]

Happy Birthday Rian

[flashed]

Happy Birthday from me too Ryan.

[Larry64]

Happy belated birthday. Two bears hugging. That lady is a keeper.

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by ibrown50

Happy Birthday Rian

Thanks Ian, good to speak to you the other day too.

Thanks for the advice......... "Spend it.....!! "

Originally Posted by flashed

Happy Birthday from me too Ryan.

Thank you very much mate.

Originally Posted by Larry64

Happy belated birthday. Two bears hugging. That lady is a keeper.

Two bears hugging indeed, I thought that was special and very sweet.



So with my chest still beating me up, not much has happened outside.
I find that if I go from hot to cold or back, I end up with a hacking cough for 10-15 minutes.
So indoors it has been, with random stuff, but nothing worth reporting.

The last two weeks have been bloody cold too, and of course I work in London by train and some walks plus waiting on platforms, and being a contractor, I cannot take time off sick as that just perfect for thenknob type in management to see when they reduce the size of teams. And with my House Ninja, the Lodger moving out this week, I am needing to keep a job and paying the mortgage even more desperately than ever.........

So going to work, this is what my car said a few days last week, along with delayed trains byup to 40 minutes, meaning I am standing around on platforms etc.....



The only benefit is a few lovely sunrises.



I did go see my GP this week on an unrelated adult type proble, but of course could not see him for my chest or back that has been killing me too, the photo explains why I think they are king sized d1cks.



Of course while I cannot go out to the garage etc, and to be honest, working in an open, uninsulated blockworkmgarage would be 90% unpleasant, there has been a lot of stuff spinning around in my head, as you will know from various questions I have asked on various forums and threads.

I probably can't afford to do any of this stuff till I have a lodger in again to help fill the hole in my wallet and mortgage payments........

But Hey-Ho.........!!!

This is how we go !!

Something I would really love to build in the style of a Rally Support vehicle that can be a parts carrier and also backup to not having a personal car (company cars don't count as they are tools with logbooks and get monitored)

If only I could find a cheap one that was mechanically sound and roadworthy, they do go badly wrong.

Thanks to Jan, "TurboDieselWeasel" for a load of information and help on this, as well and many guys on various forums.

This is certainly still viable.




The next automotive sleepless night creator was the newer Chevy S10 trucks.

Uncommon in the U.K., and not that popular here, but. I have more plentiful in Europe, especially Germany and Holland.

Here ZXRob came to the rescue from Germany as well, and as he has one too, it seemed the right guy to ask.

His thread here: http://retrorides.proboards.com/thre...chevy-s10-pick

So he shared some info with me on trucks for sale.

Now I don't know the real benefit of having a 2.2liter four versus a 4.3liter V6 other than more power is always nice.

The 2.2 must be cheaper to run, and 4.3 more fun, for me it would or should never be a daily, so consumption, unless stupidly high, is not an issue, and road tax in the U.K. Is probably the same for both too............??

I like Feetside truck more than Stepsides from a practical point of view, and in these S10 trucks the X-Tra cab or King cab is perfect as it give a bit of secure space for stuff and the occasional extra passengers.

Input on these S10 trucks appreciated.........

Any advice on longevity of the 2.2 vs 4.3 , rust, spares etc all appreciated.

This Red 2000 model King Cab Stepside 2.2 with 120ps or 90KW really appealed to me, some cosmetic damage to the paint, it just looked awesome, except a 980mile or 1600km road trip plus flights for two to fetch it would be necessary, as I would probably have to take mymate Craig along and do a one hit drive back to the UK, unless I had it ferried back here in a transporter, you don't want to break down in winter with a brand new 17 year old truck in a foreign country now do you?







Of course in a world where sh1t goes wrong, my heating died this week too, I am on bottled gas, being rural, and we can never prove it, but it is known that the delivery guys deliver half bottles or even empties in order to build up their own stock of full ones to sell on the side at mates rates etc.........

This is the second time I have had 5 weeks out of 4 x 47kg bottles.

Anyway, the house has been freezing and I left an electric heater on for Harley every day and at night I had the fire on, with her down there with e on her fluffy blanket, then charging up to bed and in the morning showering fast (thankfully I have an electric power shower in my bathroom)

Since the bottles were replaced on Thursday the boiler has been playing up too, and I had the engineer out twice, still not fully resolved but let's see what this week brings. I am at Miss Katy for the weekend and her home is always toasty and hot.





Lastly, seen outside her parents house yeaterday, Imthpught this caption kind of summed it all up, even though things seem a bit slippery right now.



Off to B&Q in a bit to buy some tools for her home, she needs pictures up etc, and I cannot be bothered carting my tools over here at weekends.

Surely every girl needs a good drill??

[Palf70Step]

I have owned only 1 2.2L GM 4 and it was decent. I know around here there are a bunch with a bunch of miles. The 4.3 though are super engines. I have had several (all in full size trucks not the S10) and love them. The earlier years, like the one you looked at, will probably need new injector spider, but other than that they seem to be a good 200-250,000 mile motor. With the 2.2, you will barely get out of anyone's way though. Solid dependable DD, but very little oomph.