User Panel
Posted: 9/25/2005 2:39:28 PM EDT
Well, it is fall and we all should be doing our winter preps so I thought I would share my cars with you guys after detailing before winter.
This is the oldest in my fleet other than a 69 Charger which is under construction so to say. This is an 89 Dakota Sport 3.9L V6 4X4 with light bar and ground effects. This original paint. For the technique that kept it this way for 17 years refer to the thread I did on detailing. Average Joes Detailing ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=1&f=134&t=386648 This is my haul it, light two it, and camping vehicle. After 17 years it only has 88,000 and with regular oil changes doesn't use a drop today. Crush velvet interior with every option but cruise, the truck is well equipped. CCW handgun carry is behind the folding arm rest and a small to medium frame handgun fits quite well. Rifles behind the seat. Tuff toolbox in the back is for campgear and tools. This is my 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The 318 cu/in V8 vehicle has all the options from leather interior to tow package with factory electrick brake. I use this when I have company or need to do some serious towing. This is my wifes daily driver. It's a 35th Anniversery 1999 Mustang GT covertable with 4.6L V8, 5spd transmission, and leather interior. This car has a modified SS Flowmaster exhaust and cold air intake. First year of the 260hp 4.6L, I guestimate around 280hp with mods. We sold our 92 Miata to buy this car. We liked the 35th Anniversery Mustang GT so much, our most recent purchase is a 2006 Mustang GT with 300hp V8 with 320 ft/lbs of torque, leather enterior, and 500 watt MP3 capable six CD changer. This is my personal toy car which I will use as a daily driver and hopefully perserve like I did the 89 Dakota. Being a quick to use a wrench as I am wax, each of these cars run very well and would have no qualms not only driving them on a long trip but showing them at a car show. The best feature of all, I have only one car payment and at my age, OF catagory, insurance isn't that high due to age, driving record, and volume discount. All right guys, let's see your fleet even if its one for we all started somewhere and sometime! Tj |
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Excellent cruiser, TJ.
What's the make/model, if you don't mind? |
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2000 Bayliner 2455 Ciera cruiser, 350 V8 with Bravo III dual full size counter rotating props. 65 gallon gas tank gives her a 180-200 mile range. She's equipped with motor heat exchanger hot water heater and dual battery banks driving an inverter. Its my water based second home, retirement plan, and tax shelter. Tj |
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The Merc Bravo III is an excellent outdrive.
What's a TN man need with a boat that size? I thought ya'll only went bass fishing. Our Sailfish sees the Atlantic about twice a month but I've never had her more than ~8 miles offshore. Mostly fishing but some snorkling as well. Since we don't trailer her (in/out dry marina storage) the 120 gallon tank costs a bundle to refill dockside. Marina gas is consistently $0.75/gal more than station gas. My last fill-up was 101.7 gallons for $330. We took my parents snorkling in the 88 degree waters near Palm Beach last weekend. Saw a couple manatee and a slew of colorful fish. Fun stuff. Happy boating! ETA: More details on the Sailfish added to my first post. |
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I like the cars/boat TJ!
I don't have pics but in the family we have: 2005 Chevy TrailBlazer, LT, 6 disc CD changer, OnStar. 1997 Chevy C-2500, 305, A/T, long bed, regular cab 2004 GMC 3500(dad's work truck-company vehicle)-8.1 V-8 A/T, dual tanks, regular cab. |
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I live in E TN in the Tenneesee river valley. If you will look on map, the river was damed way back i n the 30's and is a massive hydroelectric area. I have over 200 miles of shore line and isolated coves without locking down. Lockdown and the world awaits. Once of the favorite trips here use to be to go down to NOLA via the canal. I guess that will wait a season or two. BTW, It is a big bass boat. It actually has eight rod holders, four uprights and four laterals. Tj |
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Thanks, guy. She's landed a few snapper and bonito tuna but no billfish as yet. TJ, OK, you're over near Oak Ridge. That's a beatiful area. Did/do you work for the TVA? |
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Sold em some stuff over the years but not direct work.
I had a little cuddy before the cruiser and the guys did kid me with that Bravo III that I could get a job with TVA pulling stumps out of the water. Actually it does bite a tad deep in the water. I like the gas milage about 3 mpg but it grips the water so well, I've ripped two couplings in five years. Its like a bulldozer track in the water. I hope someday soon to haul it down to FL, then shoot across to Port LaCuya Bahammas. Night to early morning crossing when the stream is the calmest. Spend a night in port, then island hop fishing. Same hour of day back crossing. You interested? Two boats are better than one and we could use yours for fishing and mine for spending the nights. Its a thought. Tj |
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We haven't made the Bahamas run yet but it's definitely on our list. One of my fishing buddies went over to West End about a month ago with his in-laws on their Rambo 27. Two days and one night. They caught a bunch of yellowtail snapper and shot some hogfish while freediving. They had a blast. Total cost for the four of them including fuel, food, beer, ice, bait, lodging, and customs fee was about $250/person. Figure $400/person for three days and two nights. They made the crossing with one other boat, a 23' center console.
You can cover the 60 miles from here (Jupiter/Palm Beach) to the near side of Grand Bahama Island in about 2 hours if the seas are cooperating. Like you said, the gulf stream can get rough even with winds of only 15 knots or so. The best time of year for calm seas is generally late spring and summer. Port Lucaya is around the other side of the same island and maybe another 35-40 miles on the water. Our Sailfish also gets about 3 mpg at an optimum cruise of about 28 mph. She tops out at 40 when heavy or 43 when light. At some point I'll be looking for a 26-28' center console with twins that'll do about 55 mph. Hey, life's short. Give me a shout several weeks before you come down and we may be able to get 3-4 boats together for the trip. |
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Interesting, we are cruising about the same speed. That's why I named my boat "Quicksliver". That's fast for cruiser.
The only thing that has stopped me before is getting the time off and never did figure where to leave my truck and trailor. I only picke Port Lacuya casue there was a port of entry there and gas docks. Not a tourist type myself more of the throw a fishing line in type. |
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Quicksilver, eh? Cool name. We still haven't decided on one because the wife didn't like "Hammer Time".
I hear you on the truck/trailer bit. Most of the ramps close at night but I believe a few are always open. Also, if you connect with me I'm sure I can arrange for you to leave it at a friend's place where it would be more secure. At this point in the season the weather is already getting unpredictable. I think waiting until next May would be your best bet. You'd hate to make the trip all the way down here and then get stuck in poor conditions 30 miles from shore. Keep me in the loop. |
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Like a good dog bud a boat should name herself.
With us I was amased at the cruising speed and on the same day my wife put an album by the band "Quicksliver" on the stereo. It kind of just came natural. "Hammer Time" is cool but I would avoid "Hammer Down". Down and boating don't go together well. Its a luck thingy. |
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Hope you get the picture woriking. That's a hell of nice vehicle. |
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You have no idea! We bought the 35th Anniversery Mustang before we sold the Miata. The more work we did detailing the Miata to sell it, the more we didn't want to. I mean it looked sharp. We even detailed the engine. My wife almost cried as the buyer drove it off. Funny the buyer called me a week later. I first thought "Oh shit" but it turns out all he wanted was to tell me how much he loved the car. |
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That's what I suspected.
I only drive mine once a week or so these days, but I just couldn't part with it... |
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Ha! Picture is fine except I don't run redundant network connections upstream and someone chopped an underground cable. Most of Round Rock TX is down right now, including the business office that I bought my network from! Darn, I weathered Rita just fine, but a backhoe has me all jacked up. ETA: By weathering Rita, I mean, I got a few puffs of wind that blew down some of my canna lilies and it got to 107 yesterday. I really feel for the folks without power right now. |
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Screen name on your plate? I have something similar, but with the last 2 digits of my birth year 'shopped out. Redneck Mobile at it's finest (exhaust illegal in 50 states) My 120mph 55mpg school cruiser. My other.......sickness I'm getting another truck, though Might have a pic in a week or so. WIZZO |
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Easy to find me at the Hun Farm.
Nice rig - nice bikes, too - when I had a bike it was a horking Yamaha cruiser. A guy at work does straight pipes on his Dodge with the Cummins. His rig sounds like a deuce-and-a-half driving around the motor pool, I mean parking lot. ETA - fix my Engrish. |
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TJ, this tub is also named Quicksilver. Its the boat that my wife and I dove the GBR on while in Cairns. Very nice. linked because of pic size.
personalpages.tds.net/~eflanagin/Diveboat.JPG OK, my stable of toys: 1977 M880 Ex-Army truck. I use it to haul wood around my BO land. Troop seats are handy for when friends are around for work parties. 1994 15' jetboat 90HP, 3cylinder 2 stoke! Vroom! 1990 K5. My "go to" truck, plus tow rig. Command vechile 1974 CJ5 w/4" lift and 8000lb winch, for when ya just gotta get there! btw, I can actually drive this into the back of my M880 when I back it up to a steep bank! (pics coming someday). |
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Those big catamarans are really neat. There's one down here they use as an express water taxi to the Bahamas. |
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Now that's way cool! |
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TJ, I must say, you really take care of your cars very well. Shows how proud you are of them.
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Is that a pair of vintage Camaro's? More pics please, or start a new Camaro's only thread!
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Some more pics and more |
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Thanks, but where is the info on them? Engine, tranny, gears?
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That's sweet. |
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WOW! Beautiful truck! Lockers and 2WD lo range....yup, you can go there! How difficult was the NP203 to NP 205 swap? Did I read that right...Dual 4bbl carbs? Hmmm, last time I saw that setup on a 4x4 that used idle/low range alot the bearings washed out on the 5th trail ride.
The engine just couldn't use that much fuel at low RPM and it washed by the rings diluting the oil. |
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Thanks, she still needs a tied in roll cage and I'll be fabing a snorkel and running the exhast up through the bed behind the cab for some serious fording depth.
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I would also be sure to run the diff and TC breathers way up high! A TC and locked diffs with milky gear oil isn't a pretty thing. Ask me how I know! ETA: Also, for fording, cheap insurance is a can of silicone spray. Your distributor cap isn't waterproof. After deep fording you may spudder and spit. A good spray down helps. You probably already have experienced this, but many times an engine will idle fine (low range) but run like crap once you ask it for rpms needed for high range. Silicone spray has saved my butt a few times after fording deep water w/ my CJ5. |
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Roger. Been there with my old International Scout PU.
Just for shits a giggles can anyone guess the top speed of this rig? Hint she gets around 6-8 miles per gallon depending the terrain and/or traffic. I also have to have the 4 ways on while on the freeway. |
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Thanks guys, I don't feel so bad about having so many cars.
Like the pics! |
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What's under the hood??? |
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I'm betting a 390 cu/in which was ass kicker engine. Hope he gets back to us. |
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made with
It originally had a 351 Cleveland Then the previous owner droped a 460 into it till he ran in into the ground a seized it. Then stripped off carb+ extras like water pump, alternator. We pulled it and wrapped it up. My dad is giving me his 302 from his van he no longer uses. So I figure ill run that for a little while and build that up or find something to push a few ponies with. Want to see pics of it in progress? |
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