Here n' There (Pics, videos, updates, etc.)

[Alex V.]

Already have and I've only been here since September. Who knows what'll happen when the weather gets warmer and I get a little more money coming in.

[Alex V.]

Well, the 'Burb's plans lost some steam over the summer - after pulling what turned out to be a 3/4 cam out of an otherwise stock, truck 350 in April and realizing I had to lift the engine to replace the oil pan gasket to finish reassembly, it sat until yesterday when I and two friends (actually, best man and other groomsman in my wedding in 2 weeks ) called it a "bachelor party" to finish the cam job. Got her fired and the cam broke in last night, and I can already tell the Goodwrench "290HP" cam is a huge improvement in tuneability and low-mid performance that the NP435 and 3.73's need. The plan is to take it on a day-long cruise next weekend!

http://s146.photobucket.com/user/Bra...r5hoa.mp4.html

[Alex V.]

Also, here's a (if I don't say so myself) pretty epic shot of the 'Burb, my BIL on his CL175, and the owner of the previously pictured XS650 on his XS650 chopper as we headed out to the drive-in in Summersville in early April. My sister's in the 'Burb.

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by Alex V.

Also, here's a (if I don't say so myself) pretty epic shot of the 'Burb, my BIL on his CL175, and the owner of the previously pictured XS650 on his XS650 chopper as we headed out to the drive-in in Summersville in early April. My sister's in the 'Burb.

Nice shots.

Glad you are getting the burb back on the road. Sounds like you needed a little motivation...

LockDoc

[Hart_Rod]

Kewl picture.

[Alex V.]

Thank ya.

So! After restoring the Suburban to operational status my then-fiance and my sister (NOT one in the same ) suggested we follow through with a plan I'd thrown out earlier in the fall when we first started planning the wedding, to include the 'Burb and my white GMC in the ceremony... So my groomsman and I ran them all through the car wash and made a convoy out of it:
L to R = '89 E-150 (300-6/C6), '73 Cadillac Sedan DeVille (472/TH400), '85 GMC C3500 (454/TH400), and the 'Burb.


So the whole bridal procession (except me, the pastor, the bride, and her father) came down to the ceremony site in the 'Burb, after which her dad drove her up in the GMC (fitting that it was white) and walked her down the aisle. Then after tying the knot we all ran back down the aisle, piled in the Suburban and drove away.






Giving my new bride a lift over to the spot the photographer wanted to take the portraits at.


I'm slowly dialing in the new cam and have an excuse to drive 'er once or twice a week. And the Mrs. is thankfully supportive of keeping it and fixing it up... though she's more comfortable driving the 6-speed in the Cruze than the big, groaning NP435 for now. :P

[LockDoc]

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Congratulations! Lookin' good.... (the trucks & the wedding party)...

LockDoc

[Alex V.]

Thanks!

[Average Joe]

Cool pix. That gal is a keeper!

[Alex V.]

Got the treat of taking the 'Burb on a long trip last weekend! Wifey and I, and my BIL/sister had planned a camping trip to Land Between the Lakes in western KY with some friends from Missouri, and since my BIL wanted to ride his '72 Honda CL175 down it made sense to take the 'Burb so we could haul the bike back if it rained or we just didn't want to be limited to the leisurely pace the bike can maintain. So last week I finally broke down and dropped the hitch and gas tank to fix the above-1/2-full leak it'd had since I bought it and put the new straps on since one had broken last winter. After fixing about 10 small pinholes right above the tank seam with JB Weld, I got it all back together Friday and we rolled West. Since I could fill it up now, I finally scientifically checked my gas mileage: exactly 14 on the way down (mostly interstate at 60-65 MPH), 12.7 running around the park all day Saturday, and just over 13 on the return trip due mostly to the extra weight of my BIL and the bike (450 lbs.+) pushing the total weight to around 5,800.

Not a single problem over the whole 540-mile trip, and stretching its legs gave me a better idea how my jetting needs improved upon. I went to .061/.068? when I swapped cams last year, then based on plug color moved down to .054" primary a few months ago and hadn't driven it enough to nail down what more it needed since. Also, for the return trip I replaced the stock snorkel air cleaner lid with a 9" pie pan to see just how restrictive the original lid was - some difference in 40-65 MPH throttle response, but more noticeably a lot stronger pull above 70 MPH and more exaggerated lean stumble as it pulled up from idle to around 2,500 RPM confirming my suspicion it was slightly too lean. I'm sure the 220HP 327 required less air than the 350 does, but the stock lid certainly lacks the capacity to feed the current engine. I think my base timing is just about right now (not sure if the curve is ideal) but I need to come back up a few thousandths on the primary jets. Only lost 1/2 quart of oil over the trip, too.

"Took a look down a Westbound road..." (Name that song.) Looking down the on ramp to the Western KY Parkway:


Everybody (and the bike) loaded up for the trip home:


And the state of my plugs at the end of the trip. Color looks pretty good but the slight surge/chug under load got worse after I opened up the air cleaner, which says it's lean. The dark black around the outside is charred and smooth, not sooty - I'm thinking it's just left over from the days when it was in worse tune. (Plugs are R44T's, by the way.)

[Average Joe]

Looks like a good time! Pretty good mileage too. Ever though about getting a wideband A/F guage?

[Alex V.]

Utilized the 'Burb's unsurpassed utility today to haul my tools to an outreach event put on by my church, changing oil for single moms. Of course, with an open invitation for volunteers it draws out the mechanics and hobby wrench spinners at church. The truck in front is a late 50's body on a '76 Nova chassis/drivetrain (305/TH350) that the owner's FIL put together. Looks sweet, runs okay for around town but the 305 is as much a mosquito fogger as it is a powerplant. And of course my buddy's van (poor 300-6 smokes like a tuned diesel sometimes from multiple bugs in the factory air-density fuel injection) and the 'Burb, showing off its deer damage.

[Alex V.]

Not much new with the 'Burb over the summer - only new part lately is a new dimmer switch. The thrill of stomping it frantically to try to dim the lights for oncoming traffic before the lights just go out was getting to me. I had taken insurance off my '85 and intended to put the 'Burb into secondary DD service (slightly better fuel mileage, doesn't leak as many fluids, and gives me more reason to tinker with it) but found a 30' travel trailer we'll be renovating into our home over the fall so Oneton has to stay legal and the 'Burb slinks back into the garage again. But! Not before she came out to meet n' greet with Eric (board member Chevyland) and his son Brad who came through Campbellsville last week in their '72 shortbed C10, on a trip from Charlotte, NC, to Sonoma, CA. Super nice guys with a clean little truck. We tried to park in front of the coffee shop on Main street (classy storefront and kind of a local landmark) but were maneuvering the beasts around when some joker in a new Silverado took one of the spots relegating us to the spots in front of the pawn shop. :P

[Average Joe]

Cool Pic!

[Alex V.]

Thanks!

[Alex V.]

The last few months have been a real grind, finishing up a CJ7 resto (owners got to be a real PIA) and trying to move out of the rental house but make as much money in my shop as possible before I let it go. So the 'Burb got a lot of rest in the garage. But getting real close to moving I took the 'Burb to its new home about 40 miles away at my in-laws' place. Probably hadn't been driven 10 miles in the last 3 months, but she was smooth and silk on the drive over. May teach my youngest BIL (16) to drive stick in the ol' girl this summer.