Between 705 & 1200 SQ/FT Big Country Texas Shop

[83VillageRepair]

I spent two days this weekend at the Bronco OffRodeo in Horseshoe Bay Texas. Two days rock crawling in someone else's Bronco going on trails I would never attempt with my own vehicle was fun! I am not a 4 wheeler by any means but it was sure fun. My friend that went along is ordering one so we might try the Moab OffRodeo when they open it up. The main reason I went is to actually see and sit in every model they offer and get to drive the new manual transmission. I have a Base 7speed manual on order.

 

[83VillageRepair]

On Sunday I cleaned up the 79 Bronco to get it ready for sale. It is pretty rust free which is unusual for Broncos of this vintage. I noticed these little rubber plugs everywhere. Maybe that stuff the dealer was always pushing did work It shouldn't be around long. Famous last words should be an easy flip.

 

[consti2tion]

I always love an easy flip that it's hard to let go of!

 

[jbrentd]

Can't wait to get our Bronco. It was built on 7/16, but is stuck in "In Production" purgatory at the moment.

 

[83VillageRepair]

Can't wait to get our Bronco. It was built on 7/16, but is stuck in "In Production" purgatory at the moment.

I don't have a date yet and my build will be delayed by the choices I made, 7speed Manual transmission, 2door, MIC top. I am not flexible on any of those choices. A friend of mine just ordered on so I might go with him to the Moab Off Roadeo.

 

[83VillageRepair]

Cleaned the shop this weekend. Moved in a beat up and rusty lista cabinet for mouse proof storage. I took an artsy photo of some IH emblems laying around. I also filled up my 4 drawer organizer a friend bought me for helping install a septic tank.

 

[don long]

83village
Did you ever do anything with your merchandiser or the skins for the gas station?
I'm still interested

 

[83VillageRepair]

83village
Did you ever do anything with your merchandiser or the skins for the gas station?
I'm still interested

Hi Don
I still like looking at them so in no hurry to sell. I am still looking for parts for my 46 Ford COE so I would definitely do some trading if you had any of those.

Wade

 

[83VillageRepair]

Been spending the last few weekends trimming up my mesquite trees so they will grow up instead of out. I bought this neat little Stihl pruning saw which works great. The JCB comes in handy for hauling away the branches. I really love this time of year for working outside in Texas!

 

[83VillageRepair]

I also put up as few Chrismas lights as I could get away with. Guard dogs approve.

 

[83VillageRepair]

Spent most of the weekend trimming trees. I also participated in a Christmas parade for work and went to breakfast with some friends on Saturday. On Sunday I worked on my Gravely Zero turn trying to find out why it is missing. I also rehabbed my mailbox (note I obscured my address on mailbox). It was a beautiful weekend to work outside, just wish I had got more done.

 

[83VillageRepair]

Didn't get much done this weekend because of social events. I did get some more trees trimmed and replaced 2 tires and wheels on my 1979 Bronco flip. I put new tires on my 2010 Ranger so I put the take offs on the Bronco so I wont have to air up tires each time I need to move it. I have a full set of Scout II Polycast turbine wheels that no one seems to want to buy so I mounted them up. 235/75-15s look really tiny on a lifted Bronco. I also got the bad LP hose changed on my Miller Trailblazer only to find the battery is dead.

 

[consti2tion]

Did you put that fake brick paneling on the bucket truck? hard to tell from the picture, but the lights look good on there! I have put lights on my utility trucks in the past as well.

 

[consti2tion]

Edit: duplicate post

 

[83VillageRepair]

Did you put that fake brick paneling on the bucket truck? hard to tell from the picture, but the lights look good on there! I have put lights on my utility trucks in the past as well.

They are supposed to look like fireplaces The parades are pretty fun. My wife really gets into them

 

[consti2tion]

They are supposed to look like fireplaces The parades are pretty fun. My wife really gets into them

That's what I was thinking haha. Pretty clever idea.

 

[83VillageRepair]

I have been down with flu-like symptoms for a week or so. Finally felt good enough this weekend to get some work done. I worked some on my electrical service upgrade to feed the hot tub and shop. When I get finished I will make a detailed post about that. Sunday and Monday I got back to work cleaning the property. I cleaned another 100ft or so along the fence line. Trimmed a bunch of trees and knocked down all the tall weeds with my Stihl string trimmer. Hauled off a pickup load of trash and several loader buckets of brush to burn later. I also piled up about 1/2 pickup load of scrap metal.

 

[83VillageRepair]

This weekend I got back to my clean up project on Friday and Sunday. Saturday was really windy and cold, for Texas, so I rebuilt a toilet and installed a closet organizer for the wife.


I got a bunch more cleanup done but it came to an early afternoon end on Sunday when I picked up an old furnace with the loader that turned out to be full of bees. I ran bravely away in the words of Monty Python.


Some before pictures:




In progress pictures:

 

[83VillageRepair]

The pictures end there as I got multiple bee stings on my face. The Montgomery wards boat is kind of cool and the drink dispenser and the barrels.. The coke cooler? Is probably too far gone. I am getting closer. Next weekend might finish this fenceline.

 

[83VillageRepair]

I had to work on Friday this week so only 2 days of cleanup. I moved the old furnace full of bees far away from the work area wearing my improvised bee suit.

 

[83VillageRepair]

Then I got back to cleaning up junk, trimming trees and knocking down weeds with the string trimmer.




I also used the loader to clean up leaves for the wife around back of the house. So much nicer than a wheelbarrow!

 

[83VillageRepair]

Today I processed the stuff from last weekend before I continued with cleanup. The stake bed sides were all eaten up by termites so I stripped out the wood and cut all the old bolts. I also cut up all the mesquite that I had piled up.


Then I smashed up a boat and loaded as much as I could into the ranger. I should be able to get the rest of it into the dumpsters at work. Best work perk ever!

Seems like a waste but I tried unsuccessfully to give it away for a couple of years.

 

[83VillageRepair]

Spent Friday driving an hour to look at gas pumps that appeared on Facebook Market place. Here it is after lots of cleaning and reassembly.

 

[83VillageRepair]

It's been a minute since I posted anything in this thread but I have been working hard on the place.

I was left with lots of clean up by the last owner and one area that really bothers me is the totes and barrels of oil. He was evidently mixing it down with straight crude and burning in his 7.3 idi. It must not have worked that well because I have several hundred gallons to deal with.

One tote in particular was breaking down in the the hot texas sun. I was worried that it would suddenly let go. Luckily, I have a free place to get rid of it for recycling.

I still have another tote and several partial barrels but they are in good shape so not near the worry.
Kitty litter jugs to the rescue.

 

[83VillageRepair]

I also have tires and wheels a plenty. I can dump them for free if in 4 pieces so out came the Milwaukee sawsall and wood cutting blades. I used the old Coats manual tire machine to remove the tires. This is a pretty easy job but messy. It takes 5 to 10 minutes to break them down this way once you get the technique down.

Most of the wheels are ford 8 hole f250 or f350 wheels so they have decent value. I still have a bunch to clean up but I got the ones around the shop cleaned up.

 

[83VillageRepair]

I am getting ready for mowing season and my twice a year trip to see my dad for a week. Working simultaneously on my f250 which has a fueling problem and my gravely that dropped a valve on the #1 head.

I spent last weekend troubleshooting and parts changing. This weekend changing a head on the lawnmower and installing a new fuel tank selector valve on the pickup.

 

[83VillageRepair]

I also fixed the fender on my JCB 520 telehandler. It was broken and repaired with zip ties when i bought it. They had failed due to UV degradation so I redid the fix. I thought it was pretty clever of whoever thought of it so I thought I would show it. I hate to think what a JCB fender would cost.

 

[83VillageRepair]

The f250 is running now and ready for a 1000 mile road trip to South dakota. I had to take a break from the lawnmower repair to trade for this 1989 or 90 F350. It has a supposedly running 7.3 idi but I wanted it for the zf5 and all the other manual goodies to transform my 94 to manual. It has a decent cab and a title if anyone wants a project...

I also wound up with a little pipe building that I am going to make a Bronco garage out of and tire balancer.



I also ran into my first snake of the season

 

[jollygreengiant]

And those last 2 pics are why I live where the air hurts my face for 6 months of the year.

Nice updates! I don't have any first hand experience with your telehandler but construction parts in general are $$$. Add in the fact that it would likely have to come from JCB in the UK and it would probably be scary $$$.

 

[83VillageRepair]

And those last 2 pics are why I live where the air hurts my face for 6 months of the year.

Nice updates! I don't have any first hand experience with your telehandler but construction parts in general are $$$. Add in the fact that it would likely have to come from JCB in the UK and it would probably be scary $$$.

I am originally from South Dakota but we had snakes and cold weather. Now I just have snakes (many more and bigger).

Yes JCB parts are very expensive but the 520 is such and handy machine.

I have been enjoying your school project. I went to a country school much like that when I was a kid.

 

[consti2tion]

Ugh rattlesnakes, that's one reason why I enjoy east Texas, no rattlers around here just the occasional cottonmouth/water moccasin. The clean up looks like a ton of work, especially disposing of the tires! Keep it up sir!

 

[86turbodsl]

I am getting ready for mowing season and my 2 year trip to see my dad for a week. Working simultaneously on my f250 which has a fueling problem and my gravely that dropped a valve on the #1 head.

I spent last weekend troubleshooting and parts changing. This weekend changing a head on the lawnmower and installing a new fuel tank selector valve on the pickup.

If you got those switchover valves off epay, watch out for counterfeits. I got a couple from there and they like to break FAST. currently i don't use them and am going to design the valve ford should have from the start.

 

[86turbodsl]

It's been a minute since I posted anything in this thread but I have been working hard on the place.

I was left with lots of clean up by the last owner and one area that really bothers me is the totes and barrels of oil. He was evidently mixing it down with straight crude and burning in his 7.3 idi. It must not have worked that well because I have several hundred gallons to deal with.

One tote in particular was breaking down in the the hot texas sun. I was worried that it would suddenly let go. Luckily, I have a free place to get rid of it for recycling.

I still have another tote and several partial barrels but they are in good shape so not near the worry.
Kitty litter jugs to the rescue.

Ugh. I wish there was a good way for us northerners that burn that stuff to get all the oil from you diesel guys in the south. Primo waste oil there.

 

[83VillageRepair]

If you got those switchover valves off epay, watch out for counterfeits. I got a couple from there and they like to break FAST. currently i don't use them and am going to design the valve ford should have from the start.

Yes pure chinesium. I also have a spare and a set up quick connect bypasses if I need them. I have been thinking of going to old style manual switches. I would be interested in seeing what you come up with.

 

[86turbodsl]

I'll post up what i come up with. Thanks for responding.

 

[83VillageRepair]

Ugh rattlesnakes, that's one reason why I enjoy east Texas, no rattlers around here just the occasional cottonmouth/water moccasin. The clean up looks like a ton of work, especially disposing of the tires! Keep it up sir!

I don't really mind snakes but my wife does. I don't kill snakes unless they are right by the house and poisonous.

 

[83VillageRepair]

I'll post up what i come up with. Thanks for responding.

I have few used stock ones if you need a spare.

 

[consti2tion]

I don't really mind snakes but my wife does. I don't kill snakes unless they are right by the house and poisonous.

I don't "mind" snakes, of the garden and rat variety, but yes poisonous ones by the house don't have a bright future. My wife cannot stand any kind of snake around the house, our cat usually handles them but I still have to get rid of the evidence.

 

[83VillageRepair]

Fighting the oil filter on my 7.3 right now. I have never had this much trouble with a filter before.

 

[86turbodsl]

What's wrong with it?