Tow rig questions - too many projects

BigBody79 said:
Go Dave Ramsey on it.

Which project is closest to being done?
Put all of the beans in that pot and get it done.
Which project is next closet to being done?
When the first is done then put the money and time into that one.

Bouncing from one to the next is the issue and not getting anywhere on any of them.
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X2

I've been saying this to my uncle too. He's got a 29 Dodge rat rod, a 69 Chevelle nomad wagon, a 79 Monte Carlo, a 48 Chevy 4 Dr, a 65 c10 with a wild straight six. The c10 needs rear brakes and a master cylinder to be drivable, not a finished project but one he could drive around some. The 48 needs a DMV inspection to be street legal. Not finished to his vision, but also something he could drive around to get parts or take to cars and coffee.

So of course he ignores those to strip the interior out of the Monte that also needs a roof skin, or work on the rat rod which is may be 1/4 the way to being on the road. It doesn't even have rear suspension fully yet.

The Chevelle was a running driving 6 cyl 3 on the tree car in the early 2000s that he completely disassembled because he was going to put a 540 big block in it. It has sat so long now the cowl and floors are rusting out and it has to be moved with a dolly because there's no from suspension. But he has literally everything needed to build it, global west front end, Moser 9", every part of the 540 that's got 4 pistons installed 8n the last 5 years, new interior. But it's so far gone body wise now it's going to need even more work.

Then he'll complain that he can't get ahead on anything. But he'll go to work on the rat rod and wind up pulling the rear axle out of the c10 the other week because he wants to re gear it before he puts it on the road, so now it's immobile too. Ugh
 
Fabrik8 said:
I would come plop a pile of cash in your hand if my garage was built. Bummer.
It is on the short list of USA-made lifts. I think just Rotary (some of them, some in China), Mohawk, and Nussbaum (some of them, some in Germany) make lifts here now, at least of the larger reputable companies.

Some forklift fan needs to buy this. Mohawk stuff is basically a forklift mast with arms attached instead of forks. Leaf chain, the whole deal.
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Blaze said:
Is that the green one that I should have bought back before I tore my Burb down? :lol:
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One and the same
 
Blaze said:
The body is complete, I have the interior mostly put back in. I have everything (most at least) to put it together. Most of the expensive stuff has already been bought.
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So you can’t put a trans in it and it will just run and drive?
 
Tim C said:
X2

I've been saying this to my uncle too. He's got a 29 Dodge rat rod, a 69 Chevelle nomad wagon, a 79 Monte Carlo, a 48 Chevy 4 Dr, a 65 c10 with a wild straight six. The c10 needs rear brakes and a master cylinder to be drivable, not a finished project but one he could drive around some. The 48 needs a DMV inspection to be street legal. Not finished to his vision, but also something he could drive around to get parts or take to cars and coffee.

So of course he ignores those to strip the interior out of the Monte that also needs a roof skin, or work on the rat rod which is may be 1/4 the way to being on the road. It doesn't even have rear suspension fully yet.

The Chevelle was a running driving 6 cyl 3 on the tree car in the early 2000s that he completely disassembled because he was going to put a 540 big block in it. It has sat so long now the cowl and floors are rusting out and it has to be moved with a dolly because there's no from suspension. But he has literally everything needed to build it, global west front end, Moser 9", every part of the 540 that's got 4 pistons installed 8n the last 5 years, new interior. But it's so far gone body wise now it's going to need even more work.

Then he'll complain that he can't get ahead on anything. But he'll go to work on the rat rod and wind up pulling the rear axle out of the c10 the other week because he wants to re gear it before he puts it on the road, so now it's immobile too. Ugh
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There is a guy at my work who is just like that. Dude collects parts for multiple projects, but never completes anything or even works on them. He bought a running and driving Samurai about 6-7 years ago with a semi-bad transmission. Maybe 6 months later he bought a good used transmission for it. He still hasn't installed it. He never works on any of them. He just collects parts. Dude is single with no kids, so he has no excuses, LOL.
 
iwaxmyjimmy said:
So you can’t put a trans in it and it will just run and drive?
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No, because I needed money to buy other parts and sold the old 454 TBI like a year ago.....
shelby27604 said:
I wouldn't trust anything that guy has to say, he drives a Ford and thinks the 6.2/6.5l diesels are worth saving.....
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I've been borrowing said Ford and you know my strange love for 6.5Ls, so I'm a little torn on who to trust. :lol:
 
Goddamn it, now I have another idea that my wife gave me. We were having drinks on the porch last night overlooking my overabundance of dead vehicles. She was asking about the Suburban and I was saying I'm still waiting on the engine, but didn't want to press my buddy on it since I know he is busy as hell. I said I wish I had never done the 8.1L gas engine and would have done a 12V Cummins swap instead. Always wanted a Cummins truck ever since I worked there back in 2000.

She asked what would be easier to do, and honestly I don't know 100% but I still have a ton of stuff I need to buy for the 8.1L swap. I also would have to buy a lot for the 12V swap though. At this point, I feel like I could get it done faster doing the 12V swap and I would like it better. Money is probably a wash. I can probably find a 12V/manual/4x4 setup for about what it what my NV4500/4x4 and built 8.1L would be worth. Actually, my 8.1L when done will probably be worth quite a bit with it bored out and performance cam and all.

Plus the 8.1L would be sitting at at most 10mpg I bet. The Cummins could possibly be twice that from what I am reading online (everything on interwebs is true). I'd probably save like $700 per year on fuel costs alone.

Fawk, I don't know. ARGH.
 
braxton357 said:
Cummins swap, twice as expensive half as simple. Just sell the junk and buy a pickup with a diesel if that's what you want because speaking from experience this is a truck that will never get finished.
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Well, I am building this because I want a Suburban. Definitely prefer a diesel but don't want a 6.5L. I know the diesel might end up being more expensive, but a 12V is a fairly simple engine. Especially with a manual trans, there isn't that much electronics to deal with.
 
orange150 said:
Just Cummins swap it and be done and HAPPY.

I would LOVE a Cummins swapped 70s F250. But that makes absolutely no sense with where I'm at in life.
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I really do think I'd be happier with the Cummins. I found a complete running 12V dropout with manual trans and tcase for less than I can sell all the shit I have for mine right now.
 
I still say you have to commit to the fact this is a multi-purpose toy. So don't rely on it, turn it in to exactly what you want and maybe someday it'll work its way up to primary driver. I assume you're not missing out on some big, life altering moment now by not having a diesel powered burb, right??? Make due in the mean time and enjoy the ride. This really sounds like a case of want vs need and what you want isn't necessarily budget friendly.
 
Blaze said:
Well, I am building this because I want a Suburban. Definitely prefer a diesel but don't want a 6.5L. I know the diesel might end up being more expensive, but a 12V is a fairly simple engine. Especially with a manual trans, there isn't that much electronics to deal with.
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Just saying. My neighbor is a heavy truck mechanic, he has 5 6bt's in his storage building a dozen med duty manual transmissions and several divorced 205's. We have been working on swapping his 7.3 ford wrecker (with the body off) for 8 months now. To say "it's a mechanical engine, there's nothing to it" is definitely a gross oversimplification in your head which is something I'm 100% of the time guilty of all the time. Anyway some of the things you forget to consider are that gmc never had an engine nearly as long, tall or heavy. Silverados and suburbans never had an intercooler. There's a 90% chance your burb has vacuum brakes. Whatever takeout 12v you get has a 90% chance of not having an ac compressor/mount. Your entire fuel system is for a gas powered vehicle. You have no clutch pedal currently--hydraulic slave, cable or push pull style transmission? Your old dual exhaust setup won't work any more and no one makes a bolt in exhaust for a cummins suburban. You might want a tach for that manual trans, hows that gonna work? How about a speed sensor for the speedo? Charging system, gonna try and use a chevy alternator? Is the oil pan going to fit over your ifs diff (no) or do you need a 6" drop? etc. etc.
 
UTfball68 said:
I still say you have to commit to the fact this is a multi-purpose toy. So don't rely on it, turn it in to exactly what you want and maybe someday it'll work its way up to primary driver. I assume you're not missing out on some big, life altering moment now by not having a diesel powered burb, right??? Make due in the mean time and enjoy the ride. This really sounds like a case of want vs need and what you want isn't necessarily budget friendly.
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I mean, the thing has been sitting for well over a year now. Would be nice to have it back but it's not the end of the world if it takes me another 6 months or a year or whatever to get the thing done. As cool as a 503 ci gas engine would be in it, I just love diesels.
 
braxton357 said:
Just saying. My neighbor is a heavy truck mechanic, he has 5 6bt's in his storage building a dozen med duty manual transmissions and several divorced 205's. We have been working on swapping his 7.3 ford wrecker (with the body off) for 8 months now. To say "it's a mechanical engine, there's nothing to it" is definitely a gross oversimplification in your head which is something I'm 100% of the time guilty of all the time. Anyway some of the things you forget to consider are that gmc never had an engine nearly as long, tall or heavy. Silverados and suburbans never had an intercooler. There's a 90% chance your burb has vacuum brakes. Whatever takeout 12v you get has a 90% chance of not having an ac compressor/mount. Your entire fuel system is for a gas powered vehicle. You have no clutch pedal currently--hydraulic slave, cable or push pull style transmission? Your old dual exhaust setup won't work any more and no one makes a bolt in exhaust for a cummins suburban. You might want a tach for that manual trans, hows that gonna work? How about a speed sensor for the speedo? Charging system, gonna try and use a chevy alternator? Is the oil pan going to fit over your ifs diff (no) or do you need a 6" drop? etc. etc.
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I found a guy who has done the swap and he's been feeding me all the details. The drivetrain will fit with no problem, he said minor BFH to the firewall. Sent me pics, definitely easily doable. He also showed me how to mount the intercooler. Modify the core support, not an issue, also sent me pics. My burb has hydroboost brakes. The guy also told me where to get the compressor mount and which compressor to buy to work with the factory AC. Fuel system, yes I know that needs to be changed. My truck has already been set up for manual trans. Clutch pedals and hydraulic master already in it. My exhaust was shit and I chopped it all off anyway. Guy also told me where to get the tach controller. And how to use the alternator.

I mean, this guy has told me the majority of what I need to do. I honestly wasn't even considering the swap because I didn't want to deal with the difficulty until this guy gave me all the info. He's got the exact same Burb as mine, no body lift, no diff drop, no cowl hood.
 
Sounds like you’ve convinced yourself to go with the Cummins. Sounds simple enough and you have all the info. I say go with it! Don’t let a 5 hour road trip stop you, grab a buddy, buy his food and roll out. If you ain’t got no buddies, take me! I love a rod trip lol.
 
@UncleWillie used to advertise hauling stuff if I'm not mistaken. Maybe he could run get it for you.
 
Stuntman Autoworks said:
And why is that stopping you?
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This.
It kills me that people will take on a project that may last months but won’t travel a couple of hours to get parts. Maybe my lifestyle of bouncing around the globe has had a different effect on my mindset but I don’t see driving for something as something that should hold you up. If it’s that good of a deal it should be a no brainer. Hell, we have driven further than that to get good quality breeding stock animals for our farm.
 
skyhighZJ said:
This.
It kills me that people will take on a project that may last months but won’t travel a couple of hours to get parts. Maybe my lifestyle of bouncing around the globe has had a different effect on my mindset but I don’t see driving for something as something that should hold you up. If it’s that good of a deal it should be a no brainer. Hell, we have driven further than that to get good quality breeding stock animals for our farm.
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I have no problem driving for it if I had the time. Just not going to ditch my kids at practice that I am supposed to be running to go get parts for my Burb. If it was after baseball season I'd be running to get it.
 
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