I HATE winter, and it's here, HOWEVER.............
...........However, I'm declaring the "Mini White Whale" (99 Dakota 4x4 project) a ROARING success!!!
Friday afternoon was the first snow of any consequence, and really, the first really slick conditions. So driving home from work Friday WAS THE FIRST TIME I got to try out the 4x4 on the Dakota project/ "mini white whale" It's been a LONG road!!!
Started last year when I drove this rod knocking 5.2 Dakota home from up the street about 1/2 mile away
Last winter was a killer. Lots of snow, not a record, and colder average than normal but no record lows. It all added up to a long, miserable winter, I got nothing done
Later in the spring, I bought a Durango and junked it out. It provided very little, actually, except 3 brand new tires. It caused the ruin of a trailer tire so those were somewhat a "wash."
This summer I bought a black rolled /wrecked Dakota which provided the engine/ trans/ transfer case for the project. Only salvagable body panel on the thing was the tail gate and front and rear bumpers. It also gave up a good battery and a few other parts
Wasn't really until this fall that I finally got the drivetrain into the "mini whale" and finally got it running. "Things were complicated" by the fact that at 69, I went back to work about 32 hours a week
So now this week/ today..............
Got the thing to "sorta fit" under the front carport
Got the egag Chineseoationized carb on the blower with a successful result
Got the last core engine stuck in a barrell. You have to pull the heads
Did a small amount of plowing
............and we have maybe 4"---going on 5. It's STILL SNOWING at 2:45PM
...........However, I'm declaring the "Mini White Whale" (99 Dakota 4x4 project) a ROARING success!!!
Friday afternoon was the first snow of any consequence, and really, the first really slick conditions. So driving home from work Friday WAS THE FIRST TIME I got to try out the 4x4 on the Dakota project/ "mini white whale" It's been a LONG road!!!
Started last year when I drove this rod knocking 5.2 Dakota home from up the street about 1/2 mile away
Last winter was a killer. Lots of snow, not a record, and colder average than normal but no record lows. It all added up to a long, miserable winter, I got nothing done
Later in the spring, I bought a Durango and junked it out. It provided very little, actually, except 3 brand new tires. It caused the ruin of a trailer tire so those were somewhat a "wash."
This summer I bought a black rolled /wrecked Dakota which provided the engine/ trans/ transfer case for the project. Only salvagable body panel on the thing was the tail gate and front and rear bumpers. It also gave up a good battery and a few other parts
Wasn't really until this fall that I finally got the drivetrain into the "mini whale" and finally got it running. "Things were complicated" by the fact that at 69, I went back to work about 32 hours a week
So now this week/ today..............
Got the thing to "sorta fit" under the front carport
Got the egag Chineseoationized carb on the blower with a successful result
Got the last core engine stuck in a barrell. You have to pull the heads
Did a small amount of plowing
............and we have maybe 4"---going on 5. It's STILL SNOWING at 2:45PM