neohic

I see a good little parts runner. Even a full size Ram 1500 four door has, what… 5’7” bed? Not sure if I agree with the Maverick name. Ford missed the boat with “Ranchero”. What if this is the next big thing to come back around? Dodge Rampage? Subaru Brat? Volkswagen Caddy? Bring it on.

Boy… Ford has really been swing for the fences lately. While the Bronco deliveries have been getting pushed back, I’ve been seeing more abs more of the Bronco Sports running around my area. THEN the Lightning debut?! I was impressed. NOW the Maverick debut tomorrow?! https://www.caranddriver.com/news/amp36609056/2022-ford-maverick-debut-teaser/ It’s about time someone jumped on that bandwagon to think up a unibody small pickup, eh? Way to go, Ford! Nice to see an domestic auto manufacturer trying to move forward and not just stuff V8s in everything.

My ‘91 would randomly die when I had it years ago. I’d wiggle things and check things… nothing. One day the main fuse in the power distribution block finally popped. Found it, changed it, never had a problem again.

Awesome! I used hood pins as well. Not fancy pins… just a set that was rattling around in my toolbox for years. Your truck looks great! Looking forward to more updates.

Nice. Just about a spittin’ image of how I did the rad support in my old ‘86 5.2 swap. Looks great!

Rad! Welcome back.

Not much looking like it got done today. I really need to finish the walls so I can get power and lights going. Kind of a rainy/gloomy day and it’s sometimes tough to see out there. Still... ... another wall done. Started on the nailers along the front wall along with the permanent seal strip for along the top of the big door. The interior corners need a bead of caulk and they’ll be finished too. Few more 2x4s needed to wrap up the trim around the doors and windows.

Agreed. Just about got all four seasons through the last couple days! This morning was a bit of a rush before the rain hit again. It’s been nice though.

I do need some kind of fire pit... and to bring my truck home. Not totally sure which direction to go. On one hand I absolutely miss sitting in front of a crackling fire in my yard like the last two properties. On the other, those crackles are a terrifying thing in a much drier state where there’s yearly news stories about some idiot who burned up acres of land while enjoying a camp fire. Maybe a raised enclosed fire pit with a spark arrester? Maybe a propane fire fixture that I can shut off and know that it’s off?... albeit not as cozy. In any case, I need to figure how to finish the patio. Outdoor dinners need to be had!

What’s next?

Have you considered getting a donor XJ for a full drivetrain swap?

Rad. I’m a sucker for these cars.

Agreed

I’d make a mount that bolts to the stock cross member. Stand up a piece of square tube and add some gussets where it makes sense.

Yup. This is the back and forth.

Lighting is something I haven’t completely finalized. Over and under the loft is figured but the main area changes depending on the day. I’d like to keep things looking mostly “old-timey” but there’s not a whole lot of efficient fixtures by the standards of today that have the feel of something vintage. I really like old stuff. I won’t sacrifice looks for amazing lighting though.

It’s never too early to start planning! I had almost two years of planning before I broke ground. Since before day one I already had it in my head what things would look like finished. This is huge for planning ahead, waiting for deals and sales, or even just making sure you know what kind of weather to expect for optimal building. I mostly work by myself and there’s a ton of figuring all the way down to getting material to the property. Can I unload this by myself? Can I frame or install this by myself? How do I do this in the most efficient way that I’m not wasting material or my time? Good luck with your build! Never forget the six P’s... prior planning prevents piss poor performance.

Had a real slow pitch kind of day hanging panels on the walls. The white I chose looked much brighter as a sample, but it’s not like I’m going to change it at this point. Kind of a creamy white?... I dig it anyhow. I really like going this route with finishing walls because it’s so fast and doesn’t take much thought to do. Easy instant gratification! I need to finish trimming around the windows but these two walls are done. Suppose I should start thinking about how I’m going to finish the floor in the loft too. I’ve got some plans for the south wall without any windows and I can now build the permanent steps for getting up to the loft. Otherwise I could tell that it was a gloomy day in here. I need lights and power!

Finished framing the patio this weekend. Still need to level and figure what’s going inside to finish it. The bottom step is lining me up for a potential 8-10’ deck further extending towards the south. Maybe next year.

Not sure if I ever posted this before but I’ve got a postcard from when it was part of the resort. Kind of a then and now.

Not yet! He was out yesterday patching back together his fence that a match and some well placed lighter fluid would be a better fix. No work today on things. Yesterday was a high of around 70°. Only about 40°, windy, and chance for snow today.

Yesterday wasn’t so bad. This morning?... not so great. The ground here is SO hard once you get down a foot or so. It’s a lot of work. Thanks, Brent!

A LONG while back I started a thread asking our Colorado members all sorts of questions on making the big move out here. Since then I’ve been thriving! We’re settled in, my shop is on its way to being done, so why not start another project? To catch up those who don’t know, I live in a massive 478 square foot house on a decent size lot that once was a part of a hunting lodge resort that started in 1947. Since then the houses were subdivided out, changed hands a few times, and kept falling into disrepair. The previous owners to us cleaned up the exterior, gutted the house completely, and did some shoddy landscaping. Things looked okay outside for a while but the drainage was never right and the general quality was really lacking. Here’s where we pick up from. We really wanted a better outdoor space so let’s start there. This sorry looking “patio” used to be clad in old half log siding but all of that was falling apart. It’s a good size space at right around 12’x14’. We didn’t see the need to grown anymore for now so we started on a facelift. The large concrete pad was originally put there by the sellers who wanted the front door there. This obviously didn’t happen and it was due to the lack of space for a decent header. So? Gone! It came out in chunks and I still need to finish breaking it up. Then came the trenching and timber framing. I’m using 6x6s because I think they’re fairly easy to work with. Once you get the bottom row level and straight then the rest just stack where they belong. We’re getting rid of the tight steps that were up close to the house in favor of big steps that extend all the way across the new patio. Not 100% sure how it’ll all get finished up but I’m leaning towards using granite remnants from the cabinet/countertop place I work at. For now, this is how far things are between last weekend and today. The wife and I are very much looking forward to being able to enjoy dinner and evenings outside!