What did you do today for your bug out vehicle?

[majorhavoc]

Sorry that happened Uomo. But glad you weren't hurt. I have a coworker who just had a serious MC accident. Multiple broken bones but thankfully no head injury. (He had to have been wearing a helmet but I haven't actually confirmed that)  He's in rehab and facing a long recovery.

Consider yourself lucky that your biggest concern is that your beautiful new Pan American is now not quite so pristine. Still, I bet that stings.

[Uomo Senza Nome]

Sorry that happened Uomo. But glad you weren't hurt. I have a coworker who just had a serious MC accident. Multiple broken bones but thankfully no head injury. (He had to have been wearing a helmet but I haven't actually confirmed that)  He's in rehab and facing a long recovery.

Consider yourself lucky that your biggest concern is that your beautiful new Pan American is now not quite so pristine. Still, I bet that stings.

I do feel blessed. I don't know how long God will allow me to remain on Earth but he has been kind to me, probably better than I deserve.

[Beowolf]

This was supposed to be a post about me taking my Pan America in for the 1K mile new vehicle service yesterday. Sadly instead it is a post about paying attention at traffic lights as I was rear ended at a traffic light when the light turned green. Apparently I wasn't moving fast enough for the city gas truck behind me and he rear-ended me, breaking off the rear fender of my new ride. Tough to have nice things. Then for reasons unknown it would not start afterwards, so service came out and picked me up.

On the plus side, I feel pretty lucky the big truck didn't run me over and inflict terrible injuries on me. Other than the broken fender no other damage or injuries. But nobody likes having their ride messed up. The dealer has already done a quote on the damage and just waiting on the police to do the accident report and send it to the insurance company.

UGH.

Glad you're okay. I hope the damage just caught a wire or something to explain the non-start.

Keep us updated. And, if it doesn't hurt too badly, show pictures.

[NT2C]

Paid it off. 

[12_Gauge_Chimp]

My question is, will Uomo's insurance consider it wrecked now and how will that affect the title ?

[Uomo Senza Nome]

My question is, will Uomo's insurance consider it wrecked now and how will that affect the title ?

It is under $500 in damages. It will go on the Car Fax as a minor accident that was completely repaired.

[12_Gauge_Chimp]

My question is, will Uomo's insurance consider it wrecked now and how will that affect the title ?

It is under $500 in damages. It will go on the Car Fax as a minor accident that was completely repaired.

Oh, ok. I'm not as well-versed in things like that as others so I was unsure on how things would go regarding this.

[superduder]

So, I've been a little busy.
On Sunday I did a thing...
I bought something for the BO Truck, a 1978 Perris Valley cab over truck camper.
It needs work, so I'll be playing "Thread Jesus" and resurrecting my camper build thread (if the mods allow).
One more thing off the list of things to get for the secondary b.o.l.
And mega portable shelter to boot.

[majorhavoc]

A good build thread is always interesting, informative and often inspiring.  Especially if copiously illustrated with pictures.

Yessiree, we do love us good pics! 

[NT2C]

It needs work, so I'll be playing "Thread Jesus" and resurrecting my camper build thread (if the mods allow).

Allow? Hell, we encourage it!

[Uomo Senza Nome]

Picked up the PAS with repaired bumper and 1k service on Saturday. Today the Scabbard for the M1 Carbine arrived.

It is identical to this one:

https://www.worldwarsupply.com/product/m1-carbine-leather-scabbard/

The build quality on it is excellent. However I am disappointed that it doesn't completely cover the trigger/ trigger guard, which sticks out out about 2/3 of the way. Also it will only fit with a 15 round magazine maximum, although this is a good thing. Once I get it mounted I might put up some pics. In any case, I'm ready for WWII scouting with my 1911 and M1 Carbine.

Now I have to select which vest. I'll probably go with an older IIIa with some III poly plates. I don't have anything in WWII olive drab though. I'm thinking Khaki over top of a McArthur Jacket with a pack on the back. Gives the Overlord color scheme without all the dangley straps. Trying to keep total weight under 35lbs. Alternatively might go with the WWII aviator jacket. Having it in reversible orange could be handy.

[flybynight]

Picked up the PAS with repaired bumper and 1k service on Saturday. Today the Scabbard for the M1 Carbine arrived.

It is identical to this one:

https://www.worldwarsupply.com/product/m1-carbine-leather-scabbard/

The build quality on it is excellent. However I am disappointed that it doesn't completely cover the trigger/ trigger guard, which sticks out out about 2/3 of the way. Also it will only fit with a 15 round magazine maximum, although this is a good thing. Once I get it mounted I might put up some pics. In any case, I'm ready for WWII scouting with my 1911 and M1 Carbine.

Now I have to select which vest. I'll probably go with an older IIIa with some III poly plates. I don't have anything in WWII olive drab though. I'm thinking Khaki over top of a McArthur Jacket with a pack on the back. Gives the Overlord color scheme without all the dangley straps. Trying to keep total weight under 35lbs. Alternatively might go with the WWII aviator jacket. Having it in reversible orange could be handy.

Funny story. 40 years ( or so. Don't remember exactly when. But in my twenties). I had one of those scabbards. But no M-1. Now...I have a M-1, but no longer have the scabbard . You going to use one of those ww2 shoulder holsters for the Colt?

[Uomo Senza Nome]

I have a leftover surplus nylon hip holster, I see leather online for cheap, which would be better.

https://www.ww2gear.com/p-16113-us-wwii-leather-hip-holster-for-m1911-45-brown-repro.aspx?gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIlKDLiPX7ggMVujjUAR1GjA07EAQYBiABEgJ7OvD_BwE


I am considering an upgrade to 22TCM. Might be sacrilege but it is hard to argue with higher capacity, better terminal performance, less recoil and lower priced ammo. It's like 5.7 but without the high costs.

[EBuff75]

Just got my Suburban back from some work and I have an interior door handle!  The new part still wasn't available from the dealership, but he called around to some salvage yards and one of them had just gotten a vehicle in with the right part.  First time I've had the door handle since I bought the truck last spring!

My minor voltage fluctuations turned out to be a worn out alternator and a bad idler arm.  Between those, a new battery (which I knew I needed anyway), and new belts, it was about $1000 to fix an issue that I wasn't even certain that I had!  Glad to have done it before the winter really gets going though!

Squeaking brake pedal was a worn out bushing up underneath the dash.  He reassured me that it wasn't something that I would've easily fixed at home (and he basically did it at no cost).  Check engine light was a similar non-issue.  Rather than it being an O2 sensor, the real culprit was a leaking vacuum line that he also fixed for no charge. 

The trans fluid in the truck was really nasty, so he changed the filter, flushed and refilled it with synthetic (the truck has 225k miles on it), plus a bottle of Lucas Transmission Fix.  Holy crap what a difference!  The new fluid is so much thicker than the old stuff that it's like having a heavy-duty torque converter in the truck!  It wants to idle about 3-5mph faster than before and I have to use a lot more brake pressure to keep it from moving forward when I'm stopped.  The shifts are much snappier too.  Hopefully this'll give me a an increase in my mpg, since it should make the transmission more efficient.  But I'm going to have to re-learn how to drive it a little now!

Replacing two batteries in one week is a new record for me, since I put one in the car last Sunday! 

[MacWa77ace]

I predicted it and it came true on our holiday mock bug out to BOL #1 using the BMW.

https://ufozs.com/smf/index.php?topic=628.msg32247#msg32247

Thuh BMW is THUH third backup vehicle or vehicle of last resort. I probably won't get more than 100 miles before something else breaks if I bug out in it.

Made it almost exactly 100 miles up the Florida Turnpike before we found ourselves stopped on the shoulder of the road. Small vibration at first, getting worse and worse, until we had to pull over.

When we first felt the vibration we thought it was just the road. Then it got worse and the car wasn't throwing any codes. I was thinking differential or tire. We eventually pulled to the shoulder.

I grabbed my pressure gauge out of glovebox and got out. And saw a Road Ranger pulling over behind us.  What a break, so happy to see him.

I was thinking a tire went low, but there wasn't a low pressure warning. I checked all 4 wheels as the ranger set up those orange cones. Pressure was fine. So the ranger and I started checking for bubbles.

I didn't find any and checked all 4, moving the car up to make sure there wasn't any on the bottom. But the ranger found 'one' on the left rear. Thank God cause the alternatives were all really expensive.

What actually happens was the steel belt broke on the left rear tire

BMW's don't come with a spare so normally this have been an all day crap show. But I had a spare donut in the trunk.  And the ranger changed it for me.

Look at that tire, 1/2 of the inside is swollen out. And there were a couple strands of belt sticking through the sidewall.

Now have a 3pm appointment to get two new tires today. These tires weren't old, not going to ever get Coopers anymore, had a belt break on one on the front left on my Corolla but it only unbalanced it, so I switched it to the rear and drove it for a while longer. Getting 2 Bridgestones.

For those of you that are thinking it's the tire and not the BMW, don't be 'that guy'.

[pay no attention to our Florida winter garb]

[aikorob]

local shop deals in Amazon returns, overstocks, etc. --- just boxes on the floor you go and dig

$7 for one of these: https://umbrauto.net/products/umbrauto-car-air-mattress-inflatable-suv-air-mattress-for-back-seat-car-sleeping-black

[Rednex]

So today i replaced both front CV axles. Took me and my brother about 6 hours to change. Working on the ground halfway in the garage, with snow,sleet, rain, and wind.

Also i was trying to not spend a lot so i wasn't going to replace the hubs, found passenger side wheel bearing was shot. Couldn't get the caliper bracket bolts out with pb blaster. 1250 ft/lbs torque impact gun, braker bar with pipe, or breaker bar with 12lb sledge hammer.

Got an appointment tomorrow to get both hubs replaced, new tires, and alignment. 

[NT2C]

Sometimes, you just have to spend the money to get it done.

[majorhavoc]

So today i replaced both front CV axles. Took me and my brother about 6 hours to change. Working on the ground halfway in the garage, with snow,sleet, rain, and wind.
Also i was trying to not spend a lot so i wasn't going to replace the hubs, found passenger side wheel bearing was shot. Couldn't get the caliper bracket bolts out with pb blaster. 1250 ft/lbs torque impact gun, braker bar with pipe, or breaker bar with 12lb sledge hammer.
Got an appointment tomorrow to get both hubs replaced, new tires, and alignment. 

Sometimes, you just have to spend the money to get it done.

Yep.  Not sure what the mechanic will do that you haven't already tried, but worth it to pay for it to be someone else's problem.  Sometimes "book time" works out to be a good deal for the customer.  This might be one of those times.

FWIW, I've replaced a CV joint - once. A late '80s Chevy Nova, which was just a rebadged Toyota Corolla.  A point in my life when I had far more time than money.  I ended up spilling needle bearings all over my side yard.  Took me over an hour to find them all.  Sad thing is, the only reason why I pulled the CV joint was because I needed to replace a torn CV boot.  I don't remember for certain, but it ended up being something like a 6 hour job, including a couple of bicycle rides to my local (but not particularly close) NAPA parts store. 

When I finally got everything back together and the car off the jackstands, I distinctly remember thinking: Someday before I die, I'm going to have enough money to pay someone to do this kind of thankless job.

[NT2C]

Not sure what the mechanic will do that you haven't already tried, but worth it to pay for it to be someone else's problem. 

Shops have their tricks for stuff like this.  I've done probably a couple of hundred CV axle replacements in the time I worked as a mechanic and owned my shop.  We sometimes had ones we needed to take a torch to, or cut the nut with a cutoff saw (ruins the axle as a core but the customer gets charged for it) and split it with a chisel.  Not something most home mechanics are willing to do because they need to return a core.