Dropped off more parts at the machine shop. Realized over the weekend that since I'h having to bore and replace pistons, it probably needs to be rebalanced. Dropped off the balancer and flex plate. I'm really getting tirted of waiting though. I said when I dropped it off that I wasn't in a rush. That was May 6th. At the time the block was clean, engine appeared to be all original and never opened, was running in March and disassembled the day before. It appeared to need only a cleaning, inspection, and hone. So I said no rush under the impression that once they got to it, quoted 3-4 weeks lead, it would be done in a week or two. During week 5 they finally got to it and decided that it needed a dip in Evaporust to remove some cylinder rust. (Where did that come from?) Week 6 they recommended an overbore to clean up pitting (again, where from?), and I dropped off the new pistons last Wednesday after a trip to Summit. Near as I can tell my block still isn't bored, and now we've added balancing to the list of work.
I was hoping to have the bottom end being assembled right now. Starting to go in first part of next month. Running by the middle of July and then through September to functional test before the Anniversary Gathering.
Now I don't know when I'm going to get the block back. Starting to hit high 90s and 100s which is really going to slow down work. It's not looking promising to have things ironed out before September.
I might have chanced it with the existing engine, but I started doing some suspension maintenance and hit a snag. A snag which needs the engine pulled to fix, and that isn;t happening until it's ready to swap over. Because I started the alignbment is screwed, and I'm not going to get it done until the snag is fixed. So basically the truck is unservicable until I get a block back. No Ranger, no go trip to LBL.
I'll quit my bitcin now, just needed to vent.
I finally pulled the camper shell off my 2008. I've been on the fence about it for a while but I prefer the real pickup feel of a Ranger.
Not sure what to do with it now.
Do you think you might want to reinstall and use it occasionally? Do you have the option of modifying the garage?
If I had the place (AKA: a garage/carport) and a caper shell that I wanted to use occasionally but not have perminently installed. I'd rig up a system to lift and store the topper hanging from the ceiling.
since the VIN is permanently affixed to the cab, you now have a different truck.
check the regs, stay out of legal trouble.
Might not matter to him. For some people maintaining the same VIN matters, for others it doesn't. I'm not going to suggest something so shady and illegal as swapping vin tags. If maintaining the VIN doesn't matter much, then the cab is just replacable sheetmetal. It's old enough that in most areas that cab is transferable on a bill of sale. Swap the cab over, carry the BoS to the DMV, and register truck using the new VIN.
With my 84 the VIN mattered, but if swapping cab and registering the new VIN could have kept it on the road, I'd have swapped. Unfortunately it was so damaged in the wreck that it is not saveable. The hood is probably the only straight part left (if it is), maybe the driver door, fender, and floor panel (hoping it might be salvageable for the 85).
For my 85, I don't care as much, but it's kind of unique. Not saying its a 1-of-1, but pretty high optioned, so I'd like to maintain the original cab and VIN.
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