GRIZZ’s English 2001 S10 Extra Cab 4.3 V6 Truck

[Grizz1963]

90% rain forecast for Sunday

Perfect weather for a 160 mile trip in the S10 to go load some “spares or repairs” stuff and a few tools from a friend, then driving back.

I had planned on hiring a van, then realised the load bed is long and wide enough, and that I already own a truck…… yes it can do the job, rather than sitting looking pretty on the driveway.

Then collect @craigrk ‘s son from Leatherhead to come pick up the Nissan Micra that will be headed down to Poole in Dorset

Really would love if it did not rain, at least while loading, but the dice are cast.

[Grizz1963]

Winter prep job No 1 completed.

Used the hedge trimmer to mulch and cut up the branches that were left over after cutting out everything smaller than a broomstick to pack away to dry for next years fireplace wood.

All the chopped up stuff fitted in the wheely bin after I repeatedly jumped on it to compact further.



Leaving the pile of cut back branches all at around 5 foot or 1.5 meter long.

I then used thick string to tie them into 5 large bundles to put out on the sidewalk. Lets hope the recycling guys put them in the truck.



The amount of work it takes to harvest alm of this wood almost does not seem worth doing.
But it needs to be processed so I may as well do it right.



Filled the Chevy up last night for Sundays Mini roadtrip

Current mileage will slip over to 40k miles or 65k km on Sunday.

Really low I guess for a 21 year old pampered truck.



I also took out roadside recovery today.
Not something that I ever do.
But this truck is so under used, you never know when something does go bang.

I expect no trouble but neither did Kennedy

Should be a nice trip.

[Palf70Step]

Mine never seemed to vary much in mpg with or without tonneau empty or full. You figure out what the engine light was,or did I miss something.

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by Palf70Step

Mine never seemed to vary much in mpg with or without tonneau empty or full. You figure out what the engine light was,or did I miss something.

Engine wants a service.

Then for the light to be cancelled.





Remember the tractor I just collected came without a carburettor and some bits….?



@pauly called me this morning.

From a Harley Davidson V-twin golf cart…….

Carburettor .

[Grizz1963]

Well……

As a follow on, on Sundays visit to @frankenhealey we had the pork sausages tonight.

Pork and Leek as you have never had it.

Supermarket sausages will always taste sh!t in future.

Thanks for the sausages mate, made the trip even more worthwhile.







Also had to Google a Harley Davidson Golf Buggy for myself.

And it seems they are real.

Also glad @craigrk ‘s boy Kyle picked up the mower deck in the Scruffy Micra to be fitted to his lawn tractor that is still a mower too.






That Nissan rocks for Sure.

[Grizz1963]

Due to a train accident, I did not manage to get a train into London today.

Resulting in closing work down earlier than usual.

Also meant I could get this done before dark.



Followed by raising the stakes, well, allof the new V-twin



Front end as well.

Closed up all the holes I could find.



And brought out the pressure cleaner to strip away all the flaked off red paint, as well as the piles of squirrel or rat nest nut residue

Plus I cleaned all the oil/fuel and greasy mess with some amonia based cleaner and a brush.

Much better altogether.




I have to say, I really do prefer to work on a clean machine.

And if the postal service delivers, the carburettor could be here in the next few says.


.

[Palf70Step]

Way better to work on them clean. I definitely got to clean away any of the varmint and other residue. I can handle grease way more that varmint crap. Looking forward to getting back on my stuff again. Being sick sucks.

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by Palf70Step

Way better to work on them clean. I definitely got to clean away any of the varmint and other residue. I can handle grease way more that varmint crap. Looking forward to getting back on my stuff again. Being sick sucks.

Good to hear from you Bill.

Looking forward to you getting back to the jobs that need doing.




So the Countax V-Twin has a few bits missing, including the cowl and related parts.

I found this boiler/heading unit cover recently, 1.2mm and shaped front looked interesting.

So it went on the pile

I also have a stainless steel oil cooler cover from 20 years ago, that was fitted to my BMW 1150GS.

Could it be part of the front end, including louvres or something similar, covering or replacing the Vaillant name?






Propped up on the front of the tractor, it seems to have the needed width.

Early days though.

Other options may still make their appearance in real life or my mind.







I also ordered a new set of starter gears for the Westwood.

At £24.00 delivered it must be worth a punt on a £100.00 pile of parts.



To replace these.



Last night I connected a battery to the Countax to see if anything moved when you turn the ignition switch.

All I got was a red light come on and off on the dash behind the lightening symbol.

Probably needs closer inspection of fuses etc.

[Grizz1963]

Did absolutely nothing today.

Watched Rat Rods For Africa channel on YouTube for hours this morning and played with Bonnie.

Came home around 3.00pm and made up,a bit of roofing from scrap offcuts I had from when I sealed up the carports last open area.

The rain would race over the gutter from the shed roof and end up inside the carport.

This should make a difference.

I do hope.



Scrap screwed together, two wedges inverted.





I also cleared out a bit of lawn and dirt under the pine tree in the garden to lay a few slabs in order for tractor no 2 to have a half decent and dry spot to park, in front of the firewood shed.

While digging out the lawn and some serious roots, using an sharp hatchet I had some pork shanks and butternut in the oven for dinner.





Came out really well.

Easier to buy at the shop, but none available to buy pre cooked, so I. Just did it myself.







Tomorrow I will get some sand down and then lay the slabs and add the bit of roofing.

This is the downwind and away from the weather side.

[Grizz1963]

Small jobs also take time.

And one leads to another.

Plan was to find parts for making up an engine cowl and grille ……..

Instead I made a parking spot for the Number 2 tractor.

Some sand spread, compacted.



Extra bit laid, grouted and pressure cleaned the lot.



Scruffy overhang roof added, made up from scrap, situated in the leeward side of the shed and pine tree, done the supports so I do not bash my head when pushing the lawnmower through there, it should work pretty well along with some canvas to keep it all dry.

Cut down bits from the plum tree packed away in the firewood shed, they will be dry next season.



And parked up.

Happy with that, sim-le, effective.

I hope.



More later.

.

[Grizz1963]

Karma.

Always remember.

Got into a carpark today and a cabbie with a flat battery.

Took about 10 minutes to get him going.

He was surprised that I took the time to get him going.



Life is good, if you let it be.





Also in the mail yesterday.

The replacement ring and pinion gears ordered Friday.

Quick delivery.

Interesting to see the ring gear is cast ally, and the pinion is nylon/plastic/prayer material.

Three days online training and a London training meeting I am running means probably only getting to it over the weekend.

It would be very cook if that was the only issue with it.

I need to train the oil in the motor as well and refresh oil and filter if it gets to run.




Pretty new parts.


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[Palf70Step]

The 66 is way better, IMO. That is why better than the wagon, but still waiting on the 66 (?) Rebirth.

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by Palf70Step

The 66 is way better, IMO. That is why better than the wagon, but still waiting on the 66 (?) Rebirth.

Not yet Bill, but it will.

In the mean time……

Tonight.

https://youtu.be/OjvMTS1Ka9s

[Palf70Step]

Different kind of English humidity there Rian.

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by Palf70Step

Different kind of English humidity there Rian.

We had a week of snow and below freezing here.



Parts order attempt no2

After failure to dispatch and eventually getting a refund, I ordered another carburettor.

Courier delivered last night.

Will get to it when I can to see if replacing the original on the HOPEMOBILE is as easy as 1-2-3





In the mean time George the cat I don’t have, seems to have cemented his residency here, even more firmly.





Guess I may have a cat for Christmas, though he does disappear at times, presumably to his real home, if they let him in.

There is no catflap, so he is reliant on his humans to let him come and go.

Almost Christmas, looking forward to stopping work for a few days.

[Grizz1963]

A random chat with Craig last night, led to him finding what we can only guess is a very old stock (only 1 in stock) original Extang Black Max bed cover for my truck.

I had previously searched using various cross references and come up empty handed.

He found one item online, for sale by JEGS in Ohio

So a few questions on Facebook S10 groups to ascertain that the bed on my extended cab is is the same 6’ length as the “short bed” confirmed that the item for sale was indeed correct.

The extended cabs have a longer wheelbase and slightly different positioning of the wheel,arches.

Chevrolet S10 wheelbases
Regular cab could get long bed or short bed. Extended cab only got the short bed. And crew cab got that tiny bed that was like 3 feet long

Pickup 1st and 2nd Gen

108.3 in (2,751 mm) (reg. cab short bed)
117.9 in (2,995 mm) (reg. cab long bed)
122.9 in (3,122 mm) (ext. cab short bed)



To say I was super stoked at finding this item thanks to @craigrk is an understatement.

This truck needs to continue to be looked after as it has been to date.

So while we were chatting, we called our tame Chevy guy in St Louis, Missouri, ie. Dennis to check and confirm.

Turns out they are having the storm of a lifetime with temperatures dropping all over America.



I love technology. The three of us on a video chat. Just needed a few beers.

And the weather outside Dennis’s shop had already turned for the worse, with Covid infected Debbie indoors, his isolation spot is the workshop.





So this morning I placed my order for what may be the best find of my year, except for the free motorbike Sally found previously.




And for those who zoom in and look at the details…..

Yes, there is also importation duties and taxes, go do the maths, add another $38.80 or £33.74 to the item price, plus shipping and you see the price of a hobby more than double. Nearer 150% on top of the price.

Looking at the price the item starts at and where it ends on your doorstep makes for crazy reading, and costs.



Today is also my last day of work for the year.

Time to wrap up 2022 from an admin point of view.

It has been a hard and rough year for many of us.

And it is the weekend…….

Soon.

[Palf70Step]

Glad you found a cover Rian. Enjoy the holidays. I am sitting here wondering if I need to bear teens (like negative numbers for non-southerners) to see if the Nissan will start. So far, waiting till tomorrow seems to be the winning choice

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by Palf70Step

Glad you found a cover Rian. Enjoy the holidays. I am sitting here wondering if I need to bear teens (like negative numbers for non-southerners) to see if the Nissan will start. So far, waiting till tomorrow seems to be the winning choice

RIGHT…..

Christmas has come and gone Bill.

Did you get much done ?

PS: Merry Christmas.

[Palf70Step]

Nissan did start, sorta. Replaced battery and now it's even gooder. Had a check engine light for a long time now that didn't effect anything and wouldn't clear. Well, 1 mile after the new battery, light if out and so is the code. Guess it was a low voltage to something that caused it, but I am happy now. Son heading back to north east Texas this morning, so it should get to normalish around here. We got another day of cold for us, then back into the 60s/70s for the week. How's your white stuff doing over yonder?

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by Palf70Step

Nissan did start, sorta. Replaced battery and now it's even gooder. Had a check engine light for a long time now that didn't effect anything and wouldn't clear. Well, 1 mile after the new battery, light if out and so is the code. Guess it was a low voltage to something that caused it, but I am happy now. Son heading back to north east Texas this morning, so it should get to normalish around here. We got another day of cold for us, then back into the 60s/70s for the week. How's your white stuff doing over yonder?

Down south in Kent where I am it is decent, around 8-12’C

Further toward Scotland etc it is less pleasant.

Headed to see Craig 200 miles from here tomorrow morning, he has my free labour till Friday.

Stables , workshop and house all need work, including some mechanical stuff.

I have a crazy stupid idea to come over and do an LS swap into a 70’s or very early 80’s Chevy wagon or maybe 4 door sedan…… in 10 days. At Dennis’ place near St Louis.

I will need all the help I can find.

[Grizz1963]

Funny how Facebook brings memories from way back, back.


Remembered this was published a long time ago.


Now stored up as a kit truck, waiting for my finger to be plucked out.







Also 12 years ago I came home with this…… Sachs MadAss and absolutely shall we say angered my ex wife beyond belief.

For thise who know my back yard, it was so very different then, as was the garage.







Remember the Scruffy Micra?


Saw it this week.


Along with the plaintive comment from 21 year old Kyle the driver…. “It makes a funny noise from the front”


Later the day, having bought new front brake pads, it turned out one of the slider pins was seized, and somehow one pad did all the work on the drivers side.
Passenger side, both pads were good.


Servicing all the pins, more copper slip grease and the brakes were good.







This little car continues to ride into the sunset, with the sun never quite setting on it.




I want to also wish everyone of you clicking in here a Brilliant 2023 and may it exceed your expectations.
Thanks for the friendships and support through 2022.
Cheers.

[Grizz1963]

.



NEW FOR 2023



NO IDEA IF IT WILL WORK.



A BLOG AND YOUTUBE CHANNEL



SOME OF MY FORUMS ARE CENSORING ME.



PRETTY PETTY, PITY THOUGH



START WILL BE SLOW.



HERE WE GO



CLICK:



https://grizzmakes.blogspot.com/2022...rizzmakes.html



Thanks all For support and advice.




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[Grizz1963]

Various excuses and reasons saw me replace the carburettor with the new one I ordered, on Sunday afternoon.







Then fuelled up the tank and tried to start it.

Not a click, not a sound.

So tried an hour of this…….



Result was closing it all up, and driving over to Sally’s for some Netflix and dinner.

Not sure why it has gone from spinning furiously and not firing up, to a deathly silence.

Bit gutted TBH.

[Palf70Step]

Good to see ur tonneau. Like you looking forward to seeing how it fits. I am getting ready to get back to mine now that the holidays are over and weather has wRmed up some.

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by Palf70Step

Good to see ur tonneau. Like you looking forward to seeing how it fits. I am getting ready to get back to mine now that the holidays are over and weather has wRmed up some.

I fitted it today, and despite the cold weather making it a slower fit, got all the studs clipped.

I went back out four times to look, gloat and touch it.

So pleased.




HA…..

GUESS IT HAD TO HAPPEN.

I always refused to put water out for George, forcing him to find his own, mainly in the bird bath and water feature.

I also only put out a small bowl of dry kibble for him to graze on. (Only bullshirting myself there)

So this week I ordered him his own water fountain and food tower, that along with his wet food twice a day may possibly go hand in hand with the back door key I have hung from his neck on a bit of string.

His owners know and are happy that he is happy.

He still is a dick imho.