Unexpected

So the saga of Her Bronc driver's door continues.

I use a bungee cord to hold the door shut while I transverse the byways enroute to the place of my employment. Not a problem.

Call the body shop and set up a 5 pm appointment.

Arriving at the Body Shop, I find that the driver's door is latched. Tighter than ever. So the latch mechanism from My Bronc in Her Bronc, being held in place by one screw.... the door latches. And everytime we try at the body shop, the danged door latches shut.... go figure.....

At the body shop he tells me $400 to fix the door. But tells me the cheap way to go is get some wide flat washers and longer screws and see if it works.

Enroute home the door stays latched. Pull in the garage, get out and the dangeable door won't latch........... agh.............

so after dinner (the evening meal, not the noon time meal) the Little Princess, Barngoddess and I head to the garage to work on Her Bronc.

Took out the old bolts and nuts (only two of them) holding the roof to the windshield frame and commence to putting new bolts, lockwashers and nuts in the 5 places that are supposed to have them. Roof now lined up correctly. Little Princess was exceptional in holding the light so I could see what I was doing. Barngoddess passed me the bolts, washers and nuts. So the roof is correctly lined up now. One leak ended.

So Little Princess and I then tighten the screws holding the windshield wiper motor on the windshield frame. Another job done.....

So to the door. We find several large flat washers in the parts bin, find a box of screws (thanks Gentleman Farmer), and proceed to have the LiL Princess screw those screws into the latch mechanism. Everything lines up..... but the door still won't latch. Little Princess says she will get inside and see if she can find what is causing the door problem. Sure enough.... "Grandpa, there's a screw on the floor holding the door open", sure enough, there was a screw keeping the door from closing. Removed that screw and the door latches........YES, YES, what would we do without the help of our little friends and their excellent eyesight.

So then the Little Princess and I fix the license plate bracket, fix the rear upper latch handle, check the door again ... it still closes and latches......


So another fine day fixing minor inconviences of day to day driving an older model vehicle. And we love it to no end.

had to relay story to Long Roof and gave him great web site for Econoline parts.

Little Princess and I are now finishing writing another piece of history on Haven Lee Farm, Marionville, MO.

Another day to CELEBRATE LIFE

Whachalookingfur????

So everyone keeps sending me pics of early Broncos. 71 to 77 years to be exact, usually in the price range of 10 to 25 K each.

I know I got a pretty good relic budget that I use very frugally in looking for parts for Her Bronc and My Bronc. Mind you the Barngoddess is the one with the deep pockets, me I just do what she says. She is the one who is retired from the Great Federal Employment Job scene and makes more than I do actively working. Haven't figured that one out yet? But as long as you keep paying your taxes, I won't have a grudge against you. Now I, like the LongRoof-Rag Top tend to digress, and I have so on to what I was originally looking at and the real reason for this post:

My Bronc trying to stay original if possible




Here's what I am looking for:

66 Ford Bronco-all original eqipment except motor, rims and tires. Body needs restoration.

or maybe


full top with good glass $600, l&r doors with good glass $150 ea, l&r front fenders $100 ea, complete grill with lights $300, windshield frame with good windshield $300,

or maybe

a pair of factory early bronco seats, frames in excellent condition,

or maybe

1966 bronco body 500.00; left front fender uncut 175.00; right front fender uncut 175.00

BUT DEFINITELY

original dash for 66 Bronco, all gauges would be a bonus plus, radio would be perfect, remember AM only back in those days


Now if you prehaps happen to be in a relic yard, say hi to "Lucky", but don't pet him, and look for some of those parts.

Love to make My Bronc original, leaving Her Bronc in cool dune chasing, mud slinging, hill climbing condition.

Remember Her Bronc:



As I go around here, I always have my Celebrate Life magnet on the back of the Big Lil Mule, and have even sold one right off the Mule to an admiring fan.

So remember, always have a spare in your possession while you transverse the great byways and hyways of this great nation.

Remember

CELEBRATE LIFE

Whachadoing???????

So today is Sunday...

Yesterday tried to work on Her Bronc with no success. Went and looked at an old Sear's Chest Freezer with the Barngoddess and Sharks Angel. Now this chest freezer is in excellent condition.. minor problem is during the last ice storm lasting over 12 days without power, the load in the freezer melted and then refroze. We can have the freezer free, just get all the frozen, thawed, frozen stuff out of it, dispose of those items, and haul that freezer out of the basement.
No Prob.......
So this coming week the Barngoddess, Sharks Angel and the Little Princess are going over to unplug the electricity, thaw ... remove ... dump in our dumpster (probably draw all kinds of Possum and Cats, etc) ... clean it out and this coming Saturday I get to go over and remove it from the Basement...
Sounds like a job for my Little Deere, hook rope around it, 2 x 6 on steps, back Deere up and pull from basement.... we'll see.


After all that, we hooked the big trailer to the Big Lil Mule and went to the farm road behind us to corral and load one of our big steers that had jumped a 5 ft barbed wire fence last week and was in the neighbors field. Took corral panels with us and parked the truck and trailer on the road with the trailer gate open to the fence on one side, and corral panels open to the fence on the other side of the road. After bringing that steer out of the back field, it took about 45 minutes to get it going down the road in the right direction. I haven't run so much in a long time..... finally got him headed the right way, and got him into the trailer, doors closed, and loaded up heading for home. Arrived home without problem, turned steer out and looked in trailer..... my clean trailer...... I haven't seen so much manure in one place in a long time.....
Was too winded to do much about it yesterday (temp was in low 30s while we did all this running around.
Went into the house, relaxed a while, had hot chili over rice and a chaser of some of the Jeep's Lite stuff. Went to bed at 9 pm, woke up at 2:30 this afternoon. Must have been tired.
After washing the trailer out... remember all that manure?.... getting soaked in the process, came in and talked to the Long Roof on the phone, then the Bus, having more chili over rice today with another of Jeep's Lites. Jeep, I looked but couldn't readily find the spare tire carrier for the F-1. Could be on the junk pile out back, but too tired to go looking.
Check out that F1 at the new old yard.

I can't remember when I have ached so much.

Guess I am just getting old.

Tomorrow's another week, will have the Barngoddess take Her Bronc to the local body shop to have them replaced door end around where the latch connects, and have them align and make sure the door closes and latches. That danged impact hammer doesn't work worth a dang.. Bus replies he can't get one to work either.... must be cause we don't talk the talk (remember Whatsup, Whacha doing, No prob....)

So to all, have a good nights rest and be assured that I will spend the week at my nice desk job, no running around yards and roads, or lifting anything heavier than my pen........

till next weekend.......................

Jeep enjoyed your junkyard walks, but is there a junk yard dog?... with only 3 legs?..... and only 1 eye???....no tail???

name of Lucky????????

To all, remember to

Celebrate Life

GET AN IMPACT DRIVER !

So to continue the saga of Her Bronc's door.

The bolt the door latch hooks to on the body is what I call the Nadar bolt. Doesn't matter is that is the correct name or not, I will always call it a Nadar bolt.

So the latch on the Driver's door will not totally catch the Nadar bolt and I determine that I will have to loosen the Nadar bolt and move it north about 1/4 inch. So after using my brain, I get my biggest screw driver and after several attempts cannot loosen the screws holding that bolt in. I even use penetrating oil and hit the screw a couple times trying to break it loose. No such luck.

So another phone call to the Jeep. Phone calls with him are a riot. If I don't put my ears in, I can't hear him, if I have my ears in I can hear him but not understand a word he is talking about.

The phone call goes something like this:

ME: Jeep, can't break the Nadar bolt screws loose, what do I do?

HIM: No prob, use your impact screw driver

ME: Get a what?

HIM: Impact screw driver, hit it a couple times and it comes loose.

ME: What's an impact screw driver?

HIM: One you hit with a hammer.

ME: Which one is it, the big one or what?

I now feel like the Gentleman Farmer. I have lost touch with reality. I have plenty of screw drivers from little itty bitty to giant monsters. The all look the same to me, which one is the one you hit with a hammer?

HIM: You ain't got one, go to parts store and get one.

Okay, so that makes sense. So today I stop at the local parts store

Rowdy: Hey Tom (he knows my name, say something about where I spend a lot of my time and money) whats up?

ME: Jeep sent me over here for an impact screw driver.

Rowdy: No prob, got one over here. (Do all parts guys use WHAT'S UP & NO PROB ???)
OK, on your account or you gonna use cash?? Yeah I got an account at the
parts store......

So I walk out with an impact screwdriver in my hand. Great I can tackle those screws and have them out in no time.

Get home, put the Big LiL Mule in the garage (it's gonna get cold after today, and I want my baby in the garage.)

Barngoddess greets me, and I tell her we now are proud owners of an impact screwdriver. We'll get them screws out in no time.

So after spending a couple minutes figuring out how to get the impact screwdriver out of the package (worse than child proof medicine bottles). I read the instructions! Yes I read the instructions. I wasn't sure which end to put where and I forgot to ask Rowdy (Parts guys name) how to use it.

So the Barngoddess and I are ready to go. I haul back and strike the back of that impact screwdriver.... nothing happens. After 4 more attempts.... still nothing.

Back and read instructions again,,,,, back and more attempts.... still no luck.

By now I am getting frustrated. Temperature out today was 65 F, but by tomorrow am it will be 25, so I am wanting to get this done tonight. Did I mention the fact that one of the powerful strikes also struck my hand holding the impact screwdriver?

Several more attempts with no luck, and I ask the Barngoddess if dinner is ready.
(Now I have always called dinner the meal you eat in the evening. Alas some folks call dinner the meal you eat around lunch time, which is really lunch and not dinner, although supper can be confused with.... sorry got off track there)

Barngoddess comes back from ice box (we have a refrigerator in our garage.. I call it an ice box... that we keep cold drinks in) with one of the Jeep's lite ones and says lets go eat dinner.

Now it's been years since I have had a lite one, and when the Jeep was here, he left about 12 cans of that Lite stuff in my ice box. Dinner was excellent chicken breast from one of the roosters we raised, rice and veggies from the garden.... plus 3 of them lite things the Jeep drinks.

After dinner I sat down in my recliner to watch the local news. Barngoddess watched the news, a movie and some more before I awoke from my lite induced nap.

So here it is around midnite, it was pouring down rain, and the temp is dropping.
I still don't have the screws undone, the impact screwdriver is on the tool box with the ball peen hammer, and I'm going to call the Jeep in the morning and tell him to get up here and teach me how to use that impact screwdriver......

Where were you when I needed you?

Today was another one of those days that refreshed me and made me realize that I sometimes demand more of myself than I should.

Decided to take Her Bronc to work today to see how it ran on some of the Ozarks best back roads (ie: rough and tumble, up and down, this way and that, and not a smooth section anywhere road).

So going in to work I find that the heater does indeed work...... almost too good in fact..... bravo, I fixed the heater and now have to roll the window down cause it will cook you if not carefull.

Today at work was a zoo, mickey mouse land, and the local wallyworld sale day.... all rolled into one. But that gives me job security. I sure could have used some of the Jeep's friends (FHP Guys) at one point, but we adapted, improvised and overcame, and the day ended on a good note.

So on the way home over that road that doesn't have one smooth spot, I hit a couple bumps and the driver's door pops open. Not too bad, just pulled it closed, except it didn't stay closed. Finally slowed down to about 10 and got it closed. Another mile down the road and it popped open again.

So I stop at my favorite beverage hole to buy one of those mega million dollar tickets (found out to win you had to buy tickets) and from the outside got the door to stay latched shut. The delimena? Go in the passenger side and crawl over the shifter into the drivers seat. I'm getting too old to do that more than once a day. Door stayed closed the rest of way home.

So the door will not stay shut unless pushed in from the outside. NO PROBLEM........

Replace the worn out hinges and it will work. Easy job, the Jeep and I did My Bronc passenger door in about 45 minutes..... yeah.

Looking at the area where the hinge bolts to in the body, there are two bolts broken off. No problem, just drill them out..... yeah....

Long story short, had to pull the fender to get access to the back of that area, so I could cut out the area to pull the backing plate out, take it to the drill press (thanks Gentleman Farmer), and drill out the bolts. Of course then I had to head to my local parts store to get a threader because mine was broken.

Everything went smoothly back together except that in drilling out one of the rusted old bolts, I didn't notice the piece slipped and now one of the holes doesn't line up. No problem...

But now the door will not catch the latch. Everything lines up but won't stay shut, latch keeps popping open. No problem, I got a spare on My Bronc. So Jaycee and I go to the Haybarn and take that part off Mr Bronc and bring it in.

I am exhausted now, been 4 hours working on a simple 45 minute job. The door latch on Her Bronc was tack welded in.. no problem.

I finally get the latch from My Bronc installed and the door still won't latch.
So here it is 11:30 at night, my old butt is dragging, Her Bronc has a new door latch on it, My Bronc driver's door is held closed with Red Green's best friend ...
duct tape.. (keep the barn cats out of My Bronc).

And the damned door still won't latch.

Barngoddess heads south to the Knob to spend the day with one of her best friends and has to take the Taurus. Shark's angel and the Little Princess will have to stay home all day because I have to take the Big Lil Mule to work, because the damned door still won't stay shut.

SO, JEEP, WHERE WERE YOU WHEN I NEEDED YOU?????

Out hiking thru the woods looking at cool old vehicles and getting parts that you probably didn't need?

Tomorrows another day, and I am thankful for that, and I will always remember, that no matter how bad it gets,

just

CELEBRATE LIFE

That 70s weather

Well, here it is a perfect end to a not so perfect day.
Yesterday I worked on the Barngoddess's new Bronco and got it all set up and we took it for a test drive to the Queen City to visit the Bus.
Made the trip in shorts and tee shirt as temp was in mid 70s here in SW MO.
Today, went out in 30 degree weather to make final adjustments to the front brakes.
Last night I had to call the Jeep, seems I haven't worked on drum brakes in so long, I had forgotten how to make that adjustment. After talking with him several times over the course of an hour, got the plan in mind.
So today, with temp hovering at 30, I bundled up in full carhart gear and after jacking up the front, got the brakes adjusted. Had the Barngoddess help me after a bit and took the Bronc on a road test down the driveway. The Bronc didn't pull either direction when hitting brakes hard, so back into the garage, shut the door, and head for the house.
Spent rest of day in house trying to warm up.

Now everyone says that I should move to places warmer and less frigid.
Mind you our family has spent 18 months in Guam and 48 months in Hawaii. Times there were good, but we missed the seasonal changes. Somehow 85 degree weather on Christmas isn't conductive to happy holidays.
So we moved back to the Queen City.

I enjoy the temp fluctuations, but dang 45 degrees over night!!!!!!!!!!!
that's just too much. So it's 8 pm and I'm going to bed to warm up and get ready for this week of high 30s and low 20s with a chance of snow. Man you just got to love it here in the Ozarks.

Celebrate Life

Her Maiden Voyage

Well today the weather was so bad that I just had to get rid of my carharts, get rid of the sweat shirt, and bask in the sun.
Long Roof, temp was over 70 here today. I ran around all day in shorts.



For the Jeep:
After a few minor repairs, Her Bronc made it's maiden voyage today.

Took it on a long voyage to Springfield to visit the Bus. Alas the Bus' camera went the same way as the Long Roof' phone. So no pics available at the Bus' adobe.
He does have the snow plow on his jeep, and it even works.
So after a short visit, the Barngoddess and I headed home.

For a short wheel base vehicle, with the big ____ tires, it drove relatively well. Of course the wind was 90 mph out of the south, so a little hard to tell.
But everyone looks as you go by. Even got a thumbs up from a guy driving a 66 F100 so it was fun. No power steering, no power brakes, you have to drive it. Been a long time since I drove a stick, but it was fun.

Long Roof, enjoyed the videos and glad you shared.

Celebrate Life

tom