GRIZZ’s English 2001 S10 Extra Cab 4.3 V6 Truck

[Palf70Step]

You guys use funny numbers. Too much for my brain.

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by Palf70Step

You guys use funny numbers. Too much for my brain.

Just shy of 20 mpg I make it. Not horrific for a low miles toy, painful for a daily !

Calculated by James

And 6.0 km/l

Or 16.4 US mpg


Never bought for the consumption, and being a weekend toy, rather than a daily I am still pleased.

And when driven reasonably sensibly it returns 27mpg with ease.

[Grizz1963]

.


At long last, I pulled the trigger.


Bought a dateless, personal plate for the S10 today.

Disclaimer: This is England, not America or Africa and other places where you could get a much much better, more personal plate.




As has become a way of life for me with the weirdish cars and trucks I buy, nothing is easy.



After spending an extended period getting p1$$€@ around and off by AI , I managed to get transferred to a real,human, and then it came out that the V750 paper document should arrive in 2 weeks, at which point I can then go online and do an online transfer of number onto the truck.



Next step will be getting a pair of CHEAP yellow and white motorbike sized plates at 300mm x 150mm witha single line number.


.

[Grizz1963]

Somewhere

A random gathering.

Started with a text.


































Finally, back home.......

Filled the truck to the neck.




A nice 3 hrs out.

First time in 13 months or more.

[Grizz1963]

.

Who does not like free cash?

Free money all around, if you look.

Sometimes it is not convenient and in the wrong place.

But..... when your neighbour 5 houses down, starts to tear down a whole ground floor extension, in order to get a double storey up, there there is bound to be some collateral damage, and collateral FREE CASH





With the pile growing, while he burns a load of the timber every evening.



So of course, I needed to go have a word, and ask his permission to scavenge some of the timber.

With Sally having a rare day off work, getting her to help, and my back feeling a bit better, I was carrying literally one beam at a time back home.



Back home, Sally actually pulled up a chair and watched me remove nails and screws from the timber, using only remote or “long leverage” in order to not strain the recovery of my back. To be honest, being that I had been virtually painfree for almost a week, I was noit going to mess that up.

So everything was done cautiously, not my usual way tbh.

Examples of the wood being discarded..... 100x100 mm posts, all getting cutt up and burned in the drum of doom.



And then a pile of clean, ready to use wood.



I also used a few lengths to lay out and show Sally where I wanted the driveway concrete strips to be moved to, straightening the drive to a more useful lay.



Hosepipe shows planned curve of new concrete.

Though I may just opt for much straighter lines to make it a lot easier to cast and also for reversing down.

I am thinking of removing the bitsa slab down the bottom and casting it is one.



As a reward, I cooked a meaty dinner, and the steak turned out to be sublime.

We shared one steak, as there were sausages on the menu too.







On Sunday night the Fire of doom was at work again, so I walked home with one 2x4 strip, around 4 meters long, not a nail or screw in it.




Did we mention FREE CASH ?


And yes, it is getting used for a specific project.

[Grizz1963]

Went to the hospital for an appointment with Mr Pillai, spinal surgeon.



Waited an hour.

Great consultant, sensible, logical, supportive.

Showed me the MRI from September last year..... I just smiled, my back is pretty knackered.

He agreed, however, after a thorough history and examination, he said that it seems that the year at home, gaining about 8kg and not being very active, had resulted in a bunch of stuff happening, and also degenerating, plus a random inflammatory response leading to the acute episode.

So he was able to offer surgery - 30% chance of not working, even making it worse, steroid injections - limited effect and not all gain the same benefit, or as we agreed, a conservative approach, which would include further osteopathy, exercise (gentle) and actively looking at weight loss to reduce strain on all related parts.

I can say that right now, I am 100 times better than three four weeks ago when I was really struggling, but at the same time, with the mechanical side of this as a permanent failure, the rest needs to be addressed with caution.

The consultant also said he would give me a 6 month “Get back in for free” ticket, so if things went bad or got worse in the next 6 months, I could contact his secretary and be pushed straight back into the front of the line.

So yesterday I did a small job.

Out with the old....



In with the new.



All better.

Fixed.




Today I made a start with the exercise, and to be honest, it left me hurting a bit, but thats all good.
This time last year I was walking 4 times this distance 4-5 times a week.

Weather was good.



Result.



Here in England, Monday is a public holiday, and in a very rare occurrence, Sally is off on Monday as well.

Plans include a BBQ with friends, and maybe processing some of the wood I rescued. Removing screws and nails.

Oh, and Rum and Pepsi Max tonight fr me, and a glass of sleep inducing wine for Sally.

[Palf70Step]

Glad you are not going to be down and out for a while because of surgery. My wife has issues with her back and is going the samne approach rather than being down and out for a LONG time.

[Just call me Sean]

Have you tried an inversion table?

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by Palf70Step

Glad you are not going to be down and out for a while because of surgery. My wife has issues with her back and is going the samne approach rather than being down and out for a LONG time.

I am trying to keep it conservative

Fingers crossed

Originally Posted by Just call me Sean

Have you tried an inversion table?

No, never tried one.

Are they good?

[Grizz1963]

So Saturday we went to mate Kevin’s for a late lunch at his new home in a small village with some more good friends.

Of course we parked on the road side across from the “village green” and later, I needed to walk a bit, as my back was kicking off.

And found my car confronted by this...........

Prick was my first thought.

Village life, meant someone felt my taxed, legal vehicle should not park on a public road, outside their home.



Why ?’

Just what does this prove, other than that you are a prize sized cock.





My first Bootfair of the year was good.

Spent a total of £31.00 of which £17.00 was for thee kingsize and double bed sheets that were £11.00 vs £39.00 RRP and two Kids T-shirts with colouring pens that wash out for £6.00 for the pair.

Then some plants, 3 vintage toy racing cars for my cabinet. A large Yale lock with two keys for £2.00 a long chain for 50p to tie my trailer down at Uncle Bobs.

A flag flr 50p , a mug for 20p, Harry Pothead luggage tag for 20p some Bayliss and Harding bubble for the main bathroom , and two teapots to be converted into Blue Tit houses for 20p and 50p

Maybe my favourite, was an unused pair of Halcyon bike rider aviator style goggles for £3.00 (go check out what they actually cost)







.

[Just call me Sean]

Originally Posted by Grizz1963

No, never tried one.

Are they good?

Just seems like something that might help. Of course consult a physician.

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by Just call me Sean

Just seems like something that might help. Of course consult a physician.

Aaaahhhh yes.

It could work.




A while ago I collected a set of Golf wheels and good tyres for mate Craig in Leatherhead.

Due to lockdown etc it was a while before he could collect.

So he brought me a load of GMC Sonoma parts, mostly interchangeable with the S10



Plastics, trim parts etc.



Lights, speedo, switchgear etc.



Also included were a few bits for @Pauly to add to the V8 inventory at his place.







Once unloaded, we loaded a fridge and the wheels into the ML for his Mk1 Gold Cabriolet build.





After Craig and his daughter left, Sally and I carried on with more tasks.

She also challenged whether I had enough wood yet.

My kinda girl, priorities .

[Grizz1963]

Today I had to go buy a new suit for work, as the ones sat in the dark wardrobe over the last 14 months seem to have shrunk quite a bit.

As have all my shirts.

Truth be told, I just got fat.

Painful price of food and lack of regular exercise pleasure, £170.00 for a neat suit.

I also popped into a card shop next door and got `Sally a card and a little dingly-dangly Unicorn plaque she would like.

So I went to drop it off at her place as a surprise.

When I came out, one of Sally’s neighbours was tossing a load of stuff into a skip/dumpster.........

So I walked over to take a look.

Result.







Came home, put the batteries on charge.

It all works.



Some idea of what the reciprocating saws cost.




Later I went up to speak to the neighbour who the wood came from.

He had a pile of granite coping or paving stones.

Next thing he came and delivered them

Perfect for when I redo the garden and driveway.




Free money really is good fun.

[Palf70Step]

Very nice supply stockpile.

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by Palf70Step

Very nice supply stockpile.

It got better Bill.



Sunset was rather nice after scoring all that junk$$$



A £3.00 bootfair photo of Dungeoness got lit artistically as well,



Yesterday I did get lucky.

And then got lucky again.

Had to go to the GP to see a specialist nurse this morning.

Decided to revisit the skip on the way home.

Yup......

Long aluminium ladder in the skip. Door Knocked and checked.

Yes, take it. Surplus to requirements.



While looking, just over the edge at the top layer in the skip I pulled a nice piece of ply, to beused for the raised sandpit for Harry, Sallys grandson as a part of the lid/cover. Again, I don’t need to go buy a sheet of ply.




I also found a metal garden leaf rake, unused, for Sally and brand new, unused Samsung Sound Bar and Sub Woofer for the telly. If it works as we had rain last night, great stuff as I do not have one. Could never justify buying one tbh. Hopefully I can figure how to mount it.





I would love to know the value of the stuff pulled out.

Free cash for sure is good.

[Grizz1963]

Ordered some new plates for the truck, new number.

Wanted “Show plates”

Soooo P!$$€d

My request.

Note to seller
Hi there As previously discussed by email. Can I order these “Show Plates” with the following number on it and in the following format.
1. Using a legal Motorcycle font
2. Pushing the digits together to form one unit or “word”.
3 Placed on the top line or centre of the plate if possible
4. Black border around if that is part of your price.
Plate to read GRZ733
Please contact me if any issue with making this plate.
Thank you very much Rian.

I suspect the reply will be that they only do legal and that I should have read their conditions.


To all the twitchers, jobsworths, officers and the rest..... Thank you.




Later another knock on the front door and my favourite courier handed me a shoe box sized parcel, not expecting anything.

Custims declaration, and then reading the detail.... origin Ireland.

Sender @quackrack1 or Alan as we know him, had sent a parcel to me, most of the contents aimed and for @craigrk who is a serious Coca Cola collector.

I do love this community.








And for me.........

Rezin Rockit lookalike and a bottle of home made jam. PERFECT.





After the wrong license plate issue, I decided to order a set of American style “Show Plates” from a UK based company, rather than going the usual States Plates route in France. Brexit may see their prices rise even more.

The special offer on a pair of plates saw me paying £30.00 for the plates.

I ordered from their Facebook page, known as Europl8 but website as per pic below is www.pressedplate.com

Amazing real time communication, establishing my needs and offering the make changes if needed.

Owners car outside his new industrial unit.



Once that was done, a quick coffee and then down to the garage, I have felt the withdrawal recently.

So I carried items one at a time, piled upright and ready to use.

Mate Kevin had dropped a bunch wood recently, to use as firewood or in some build.

Sally asked me to build a small, raised sandpit for her 2.5 year old grandson, Harry to play in with his diggers and motorbikes (he is motorbike mad, and I keep looking for a cheap 50cc quad or offroad type bike for him as he will outgrow it so fast)



Sally came just as I was about to assemble the basic frame, so I gave her the power drill to screw the screws in, as my back was getting to grumble, and the screws were all halfway in.

She squealed and then just got on with it, with me just guiding her and and adding some weight to the powered drill screwdriver

Floor will go in today when the rain stops, and I will make a removable lid, I contemplated a hinged cover, but removable lid makes more sense.



Slow day, slow weekend, bootfair tomorrow.


.

[Grizz1963]

.

DVLA (DMV in the USA) has never disappointed or even peeed me off.

Yesterday that changed.

When I bought the private plate for the truck, the system stated to wait till the V750 paper copy came , and to then change it online, fit new number plates and inform insurance, toll gates etc.

So Friday I changed the number at the insurance company, and proceeded to try do it online....... nope.....this was the system response.



It seems there could be a specific meaning to the letter B in the box, as it asks for that specifically



So in the end after two tries, I went onto the online chat.

Ultimately, the not so chatty operative on the other side of the screen told me I should not have informed the insurance before completing the online changes.

Ohhh, but it declined me, then he replied that I need to do the processing via Royal Mail and send in the completed V5c and V750

So I ask you, What the Actual F@&£ ?


I am amazed, so they send you a document and then you need to send it back.

This efficient system so far, since buying the plate on 24 April, will now take another 2 to 4 weeks to process before I can actually use it.

I am both amazed and really pi$$£d all at the same time.

In my opinion the DVLA has certainly dropped the ball on this one.



After all that, Sally and I went to the garage to carry on with the raised sand pit for Harry.

Not too big, nd raised so that grown ups can join in, but as it will be on the patio, the lid will serve as a cover to keep local cats out and as a table top to use it when she is out there in the sun.


Frame for lid.





Floor in ally plate.












Bootfair today was hard work, my back really was not happy, and halfway through I walked back to the car with the stuff I had bought and actually sat in the car for about 7 minutes to wait for the sciatica or whatever, to release and then did the rest of the field.

Photo lies, it was really busy.



Short video below for the Americans.

CLICK LINK.

https://youtu.be/FZq85ycbm6I

I only made two purchases.

A bag full of used and new pan]t and papering brushes for £5.00

I know what some peoples first and second responses are..

The used large ones are actually cleaned very well and I checked them all.

Secondly, for me to pack away tools and work, close shop, and drive between 5 and 16 kilometres (3 to 10 miles) in my car, for even one brush, would actually cost me more than the £5.00 paid for the lot, and once I have used the brush, it would look the same after I washed and cleaned it.

And then 4 rolls of Ducktape for £7.00 the seller actually gave me £4.00 in change back but the honest guy in me (he is a real idiot) told the seller and gave a £1.00 back.

Again, cheap enough and my last roll is almost finished.





Next up, I am off to the garage to use one of my new brushes to paint the first coat on the sandpit/table.

Weather looks OK today.

[Grizz1963]

After the bootfair I carried on with the small sandpit.

Painting the inside gloss enamel black to just help protect the wood really.
Once Harry outgrows it, Sally can turn it into a herb garden or something.



Some lively green on the inside and underside of the lid.



And some spare beige on the reat outside.




Last year my £20.00 bootfair bargain table saw eventually burned out in a spectacular puff of smelly electrical smoke.

Since then I kept an eye open for another close or up to 30 miles away.

Most were tired and missing parts, like the fence.

As time went by, I realised it is just luck to find a cheap, good one.

So at this point my budget had moved up to £100.00 which is still well below retail for a midrange, semi-professional machine.

Yesterday this came up.





So agreed to buy it at the advertised price of £100.00 after asking if a cheeky offer would be considdered.

Drove over in the truck.

And spent an hour with the seller.

Incredibly nice guy.

Owns an older Ford Thunderbird with big block motor and straight pipes and a pair of Cherry Bombs, and loves American cars.

Told me a very sad story that is a warning to us all.

He lost his 42 year old son in March.

Short story: car up on scissor jack, he crawled in underneath to fix something. Jack collapsed and he died of a traumatic brain injury.

So he is winding down his construction business

Moral of the story. BE SAFE OUT THERE ALL.

Saw is immaculate. .



Came home, unloaded saw with help.

Tyre tread looking funky with name on tread.





Did more stuff later.

[Grizz1963]

Just a quicky.

I suspect there will be some who feel that this is an attack on them, but if it is, Then £80.00 says it is not.

Told to check these guys out, I did.

I am surprised.



So it looks like a quick road trip up North over the weekend in the Focus.

I have set the optimistic target at £80.00 plus my time and a flask of coffee and some biccies from home to recover these mini motos on my own as Sally declined a romantic drive with me.

Just need to see if she is working on Sunday.

[Grizz1963]

I received a load of GMC Sonoma spares from Steve who sold me the alloy wheels after Craig collected them for me.

Started to unpack them.

Some will fit my truck, but some are specific to the GMC and will go to worthy GMC owners when genuinely needed to repair other trucks.

Firstly a bunch of plastics, dash bezel surround, radiator cowl plastics.

Packed away



Two sets of GMC headlights.



Half a box to unpack still, another days job.



Found a treasure in the box.

Not sure how complete t is, and wha else it needs, but perfect for the truck if I can make it work.

Parrot mobile phone box.





Job for another day.

[Grizz1963]

So yesterday was a significantly irritating and stressful day at work, and I actually spent most of the day on the desk, so walked away a few times.

Cutting some wood and creating a 120mm step and a name tag for Harry.

Also added some colour to the sandbox top, by accident.






Today was take 2 or a groundhog day.

Thankfully the Hermes courier broke the monotony of the desk bound stress, listening to, shall I say b0llox on Teams.

And my new, American style, pressed steel plates arrived from Europl8 on Facebook.

He also sent a couple of car, air fresheners and a couple of options to complete the look.

The truck was built and sold in Missouri in 2001, so I could add the names or leave it plain.

I also had the digits offset a bit to the right, in order to be able to add a pair of Stars n Stripes stickers or enamel badges to them.


Really pleased.







And of course, just a quick measure up.





Now just to wait for the DVLA to switch the plates about.


.

[Palf70Step]

Nice to see you got the plates. Hopefully the gov will get there act together soon for ya.

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by Palf70Step

Nice to see you got the plates. Hopefully the gov will get there act together soon for ya.

Indeed Bill.

2-4 weeks.

We hope.




As some of you know, I collect and trade license plates.

Some of your plates are on display or awaiting mounting.

Every now and then though an offer to trade some of my more valued (even gifted of collected from your scrap pile) plates.

This week these were offfered for a slightly tougher trade.

I certainly wanted Michigan plates.

And I wanted specialist plates.

So I needed to rummage through my collection of motorbike plates.

To find some old and new. From the UK and South Africa.

I really wish I had a modern UK plate as well for the collector, Mr Pink.

His offer.



I kinda put these together knowing they came from friends and scavenging but I would say its a very fair and balanced trade.



In the mean time.

These guys await collection.





Soon.

[Just call me Sean]

I have a few plates I collect as I come across them. A few of my old ones too one slightly visible.

[Palf70Step]

Just 3 old plates in my collect. One from the Mustang II Mach 1 I had and brought back from Japan, 1 from my 70's original antique tag, and jsut an old regular MS tag off my ole 96 GMC. I got too much other stuff all over the walls for more plates.