'94 XL Sport - Dark Plum

[PoodlePuncher]

Adding insult to injury, i pulled the dipstick to check the oil, and then it wouldn't go back in
took a bit of time to figure out what was going on, but the dipstick tube is seperated from the block...

I spent two hours trying to get it reconnected, but no luck.
it doesn't appear to be broken, but i don't see any way i can get it reinstalled without pulling the engine

 

[PoodlePuncher]

Made some progress over the last couple weekends.

Exhaust:

i cut off the old muffler

Pulled out all the random exhaust parts i had on hand, and i had just enough to cobble this together.

Had to cut what little was left of the flange on the catalytic converter

with a new donut gasket, and 2 split flanges, i was able to connect the mid pipe to the cat

I tried to reuse the old tailpipe, but couldn't make it work (easily)

It's ok, because the mid pipe angles the glasspack up high enough that the exhaust easily clears the rear end, without needing complicated bends.
call it a happy accident.

it tucks up nicely behind the frame, so there's no chance of contact during suspension travel.

I don't have a pic, but i used a 45 on the back of the muffler to angle the pipe back down behind the bumper.
I clamped everything as a mock up, as this was meant to be a temporary fix, but i like the sound of the glasspack so much, i will weld it up when i have time.

I expected it to be loud, with a bad drone inside the cab, but it's not.
the tone is fairly mellow, and the muffler is far enough behind the cab, i can't hear it from inside.

when i finally weld it, I will add a flange to the rear of the muffler, to aid in future disassembly

 

[PoodlePuncher]

Doors:

i got the door locks swapped out, so now i can lock it, or more importantly unlock it.
the door locks are black, and have a silver key.
the ignition lock is silver, and has a black key.
This is triggering my OCD something fierce...

Also, i got the outer weatherstrip things replaced.

They were rusty and bulging, which i guess is pretty normal

Surprisingly, they came off without too much of a fight
and the doors cleaned up nicely

the hardest part was figuring out how to reinstall them.
it wasn't obvious that the clips go in holes on the back side of the sill (hidden by the glass)

these are the ones from LMC. they fit well enough, and the price was reasonable.

 

[PoodlePuncher]

Dash:

i pulled the vents, and vacuumed out remaining evidence of the vermin infestation.

The dash is in bad condition, with cracks, and missing chunks...
why try to fix it, when you can just cover it

Out of sight, out of mind

 

[Curious Hound]

I should do that. Where did you order the cover from? Are you happy with the quality?

 

[PetroleumJunkie412]

BUT Y R U CALLED POODLE PUNCHER?!?!?

 

[PoodlePuncher]

I should do that. Where did you order the cover from? Are you happy with the quality?

it's a dashmat by Covercraft
https://www.covercraft.com/c/dash-covers

IIRC, they're the original, and the only brand I've ever bought, going all the way back to the 90's (period correct).

Fit has never been Perfect, and turnaround is on the slow side...
but they are completely custom, made to order, and the price is reasonable.

I'm emotionally attached to the original "carpet" style, but they offer different materials nowadays.

 

[PoodlePuncher]

BUT Y R U CALLED POODLE PUNCHER?!?!?

You're really not going to let that go?!

It's a long story, but as i explained to my children when they ventured off into the internet...
Be careful about choosing a name. you may think you're anonymous, but before you know it, it will become your "Brand"

Starting in the early days of forums ('99-ish) I went by Brak (yes, the villain from Space Ghost).
Then came the Playstation 3.
i was forced to create an online account, and everything reasonable was already taken, so i started stringing random words together until something worked.

fast forward to 2013, i joined a creative community which communicated primarily on IRC, and Brak was unavailable, so i said "screw it, they'll never know who i am", and i used the name from PS3, which was also useful, because i sometimes played games online with them. it's easier when your game and screen names match.

Within that community, i eventually became a known figure, creating content, hosting and guesting on podcasts and live streams...
<> if you know, you know.

I don't claim to be famous by any stretch, but in certain corners of the internet, people know me...
and they all call me "Poodle"

At some point you just have to lean into it
Easier than trying to keep track of what you're called on a specific site.
now I'm just PoodlePuncher

On the bright side, it's a name you don't forget.
whenever i join a new site, i'm bound to get a DM or two that say "hey, it's so and so from such and such, good to see you here"

On a side note:
NO! i have never, nor will i ever punch a poodle
All dogs love me, and the feeling is mutual...

if you must find deeper meaning, you're welcome to equate Poodle to "french", some variation on a "donkey punch", or whatever else you can think of...
doesn't really matter, there's nothing there, other than random words strung together to join the Playstation Network.

Fun fact: I sold my PS3 a couple months after setting up that account, since they were in high demand, and i never played it.