Colinb17's kinda sorta build thread - now with 4-link and long travel

Couple big things happened in the last three weeks. Got married and bought a chainsaw. I swear they are not related occurrences.........

anyhow, anyone have a good idea of how to mount a chainsaw securely to a rack or in the bed? not going to have it with me all of the time, but I want a nice secure way to carry it on wheeling trips, that is easily accessible with all of the other gear in the bed.

 

http://www.macscustomtiedowns.com/product/chainsaw-scabbard/Accessories

Same company that makes the "nut crusher".

 

I like it. would just have to make sure I support the body a little as well. I can see myself bending the bar on it, bouncing around off road.

 

Mount it vertical if possible. And you'd have to actually wheel again to run the risk of bending the bar.

 

went to pick up some furniture this past weekend, and stumbled upon a cool little art/craft street fair. the local fire and rescue department had all of their toys out on display. they had a great Rover sitting out with all of the goodies. and wouldn't you know it.... a chain saw in a great mount. heavy duty strap on the body, so you don't put any force on the bar. may build a similar mount for mine.

 

If you're in VA, are you making the trip over to Asheville for the overland expo this weekend?

 

Damn that's going to be a mudfest.

 

Yea...the forecast was perfect a few days ago; I don't know what happened. We are only doing Saturday this year to walk the grounds, check out the vendors, meet up with some friends, etc. The 3 day thing was a long weekend, and the rain they are expecting is going to be a mess. Fun, but a mess.

 

Hasn't stopped raining around here since Friday and isn't supposed to let up until this tropical system passes through early next week. Sucks since we were supposed to do some backpacking this weekend.

 

got a fun little project for 4 of these guys I'm going to test out.

 

110V or 12V?

 

12V

was going to use them in a project for my dad's birthday present, but the flood beam spreads so wide, it was actually diffused too much for the height they'll be mounted at. so for that project I'm now just going with a more conventional LED pod, thus freeing these up for some experimenting.

 

Well, if you need some Trail Toys pods let me know.

So the chip on board floods are going to end up being bed lights, or do you have another idea?

 

goal is to use them as area lighting for campsites/evening wrenching, but be able to swing them inwards for bed lighting if needed

 

Sounds like a good use of the lights. Have you thought about building in a plug and quick disconnect? That way you can carry an extension and pull a light off to position it where you need it. Like under the truck after you've ripped your driveshaft in two.

 

that's what the portable light box is for

 

had a busy weekend, so I only got the lights mocked up and tested the throw to make sure they were adequate.



don't worry, zip ties are only for mock-up.......

 

So, I've been looking for a daily driver for a little while now, to allow me to tear the truck down and do some real work to it. I decided to go the used route, as I didn't feel like dropping 25-35k on a new car right now (if I spend all the monies on a new car, I can't work on the truck). I truly enjoy driving, and that's mostly due to the fact that I drive what I consider to be a very fun vehicle. so to keep my enjoyment of driving alive, I needed a "fun" daily driver. 3 categories I started to look at were: trucks (lifted or lowered), muscle cars, and small sportier cars (think Miata/MR2/etc). set a wide budget range, from $3000 to $10000. what I found was that for living in a pretty rural area, there were very slim pickings for used trucks. the muscle cars I found were either $45000+ restorations, or junkers with half a motor in them. Miatas available in the year range I was looking for were all track cars. some were actually pretty legit track cars, but not what I was looking for in a daily. and MR2s were just impossible to find all together.

so one day 2 weeks ago, for shits and giggles, I decided to drop the price filter on craigslist to $2000, just to see what popped up. that's when I came across a 1988 Pontiac Fiero, listed for $1200. it caught my eye, because in the thumbnail picture, I thought it was an MR2 at first. then my memory kicked in, and I remembered that my uncle, who only lives 1.5 hours away has restored 2 fieros in the last few years. so after talking to him, and doing some research, I decided to go take a look at the little red gokart. Turns out that drivable fieros with decent interiors typically go for $3000-$6000, and fully restored ones can fetch $12000-$15000. I stopped by my uncles garage on the way to meet the seller to take a look at his Fieros and get an idea of what to look for. After a successful test drive and a look at the rust-free frame and spotless interior, I took the fiero off his hands for $1000. due to some time constraints, I dropped the car off at my folks house up the road, and then picked it up to bring home this past weekend.

The plan:
-It will get a partial restoration this winter, in preparation for daily driver duties come sprint time. it is a daily driver, not a show car, so we're not going for perfection here.
-at least for the next two years, until my next relocation for work, it will not be a track car or get a v8 swap. after we move, who knows
-goals for the winter: replace clutch, new rotors and pads on all corners, new shocks and springs on all corners, replace any worn out bushings/balljoints, new tires/wheels, fresh paint, new seats (racing seats are cheaper than factory replacements), and a new stereo system.
It sounds like a lot to spend on a 27 year old car that costs a grand, but keep in mind how tiny it is. I can get 4 tires for it, for about the cost of one tire for the truck. parts are cheap, so for another $2000, it should be a great little toy to get me to and from work.

Pictars!



Wife said it was a "cool car", and that she's looking forward to riding in it and learning to drive a stick......as far as I can tell, that's approval to go nuts on it in the garage this winter.



Dog already hops right in it as soon as a door is open.



Loaded up to come back home this Saturday



Side note: what the hell do you do with 4 foot long safety chains if you have a normal bumper/hitch?



One of my uncles fieros about half way though a restoration





Some inspiration for the end goal

 

HRE's on a Fiero. Well done.