Above 1200 Sq/FT Blackbyrds Basement

[Blackbyrd]

Thanks guys!

I agree now I gotta figure out what to do about the front.
Im a sucker for the ss bumper but that means paint work. They make the work truck satin black bumpers and ive found those a few times.

Relly wish I could take the side molding off, but the precious paint job is gonna make that impossible unless I want to repaint the whole truck.

It really needs a good detail, but im hesitant to hit it with a buffer cause of the flaking paint

 

[Blackbyrd]

Let me know what you find out on the charger, I need to get one for the mother in law’s car.

I apparently wasnt asking the right question. The genius 2 (2amp) often struggles with agm batteries due to the slower charge rate leading to false errors. As a result of its voltage sensitivity the 5 has similar struggles with red tops. So.... its fine for not agms but thats what's in the car I drive the least hahaha.

 

[cccoltsicehockey]

I apparently wasnt asking the right question. The genius 2 (2amp) often struggles with agm batteries due to the slower charge rate leading to false errors. As a result of its voltage sensitivity the 5 has similar struggles with red tops. So.... its fine for not agms but thats what's in the car I drive the least hahaha.

This is interesting to hear. I wonder if it is something specific to the redtop? I have had it on an Autocraft AGM going on 3 years now on my NSX with zero issues and with construction going on it actually lives on the tender most of the last 2 years. Sadly only put 1000 miles on that thing in the last 2 years.

I guess I will need to research more as I have 2 more on standby for use in the garage once I get the last bay finished and I certainly don't want to kill my X2 Power AGMs as they cost a pretty penny.

 

[Blackbyrd]

Possible its red top specific? But it noted deep cycle batteries specifically. Not everyone has the issue but its common enough I found it.

What really stinks is mine is in the trunk so I gotta pop a panel off to access it. I liked how the noco had the quick connect harness so I could leave the panel on and have the plug tucked under the carpet for easy access.

Ill keep looking into alternatives but I may he buying what swanny suggested.

 

[cccoltsicehockey]

Possible its red top specific? But it noted deep cycle batteries specifically. Not everyone has the issue but its common enough I found it.

What really stinks is mine is in the trunk so I gotta pop a panel off to access it. I liked how the noco had the quick connect harness so I could leave the panel on and have the plug tucked under the carpet for easy access.

Ill keep looking into alternatives but I may he buying what swanny suggested.

I had the same issue with battery tender plus models that claimed to be AGM ready. That one was a 1.25amp instead of the 2amp I am using now. Keep us updated on what you find out in your search.

 

[madison069]

I'm fixing to throw a battery tender in my mother-in-law's car because she only drives it once every 2 weeks, if that.

Tired of hearing about the battery being dead here lately.

 

[Blackbyrd]

The noco is retired... looking at the optima 400+ (cause red and black lord its a curse)

Swapping bumpers on the trucks has really shoved me into looking for an ss bumper. Maybe IRS will be nice to me?

Nice weather and the wife has been taking the targa off the vette. Missed that feeling.

On the 71 front i wanted to get things primed, but had a busier weekend than expected so I only got a few hours this afternoon. Unfortunately most of it was squandered cleaning up the driver wheel well.



That left just enough time to strip the t top tray again (didnt get all of the gasket out and knew the patch was gonna happen) so this is prepped just need to wipe down and degrease and prime.



With a little bit of time left I set the rear 4 link cradle and torqued the hardware to spec.



Had to play with the welder a bit to get comfy with the speed last one on the right is about the best weld I can likely pull off.



I also saw a deal on the m12 detail light and snagged it



Progressing!

 

[OutlawDrifter]

The IRS is nice to NO ONE

 

[Blackbyrd]

The IRS is nice to NO ONE

Damnit Marc let me dream

 

[Blackbyrd]

Getting ready to prime, so I stripped the trunk jams to go along with the t top trays








And now all primed!

That leaves the upper trunk deck, door jams and inside doors panels to strip and prime.

Firewall still needs flattening and the minitub kit installed. Time to clean up the inside and get the cut lines mocked up.

 

[Blackbyrd]

After getting the rear bumper swapped... my delaminating tail lights were an eyesore. Amazon had these and a matching 3rd brake light for what I'll call cheap. Im liking the all blacked out look.

I truly cant leave anything alone.

 

[Cdubu52]

I truly cant leave anything alone.

I am exactly the same! Nothing that I own is the way I bought it!

 

[Bob Heine]

Murderer!

 

[Blackbyrd]

I bought this 4 link setup back in 2011!!! Talk about taking my sweet *** time

I finished the last of the repairs onnthe hull and got the trunk latch bracket welded back in and with everything in primer its time to finish off the rear suspension before I do mini tubs. Ive been really busy with family related issues. I took Friday off to get my feet under me and got the axle out and started welding the 4 link, its not as pretty as I hoped, but its done. Just need a little clean up then there's a plate to weld in where I goes through wall into the back seat




I have a jig for the upper control arms mounts, but it needs to be modified. It needs a third hole thats another .5 inch over. Ill break out the center punch and just drill new holes and that will center the axle under the car. Its currently setting with a .5 inch off set on the jig when its mounted under the car on the leafsprings just needs that extra .5 inch to center it. Then i can tac the brackets and ive got a neighbor that runs an offload crawler shop. Im gonna let his guys weld the brackets in.



Since last weel went from 70 to 20 degrees and snow..... baths were needed


The truck finally got the bath/attention it deserved. Still needs a decent polish but this paint is **** to put it lightly

 

[madison069]

Progress! The weather has been all over the map here so I haven’t had a chance to clean any of the cars.

 

[Blackbyrd]

Progress! The weather has been all over the map here so I haven’t had a chance to clean any of the cars.

Yeah im getting some of that as well! Just fortunate the warm days are on the weekend!

Well there's no going back now! Tacked my upper control arms in using the jig.... that was a hole thing. Ended up having to shim the jig out a bit to get the brackets to mate to yhe axle tubes... not in the instructions BTW. Flipped it over and cut the leaf spring perches out, have to clean up the cuts a bit.

Ive got it line up to have the welds finished at a rock crawler shop once I get all the brackets tacked in.





If i had a solid afternoon I could likely get this taken care of.... time has just been limited lately.

 

[madison069]

If i had a solid afternoon I could likely get this taken care of.... time has just been limited lately.

Time has been an enemy lately.

 

[Blackbyrd]

Still prepping the rear axle, I should probably focus on finishing the cradle, but I really want to cross this off the list so I can get them fully welded and the rear end powder coated.

All the bracket welds for the leaf spring are gone on the passenger side, this is not a quick task!

 

[zmotorsports]

Looking good, but just a suggestion if you are going to have it powder coated, after removing the bracketry and grinding the welds down, if you run a DA over it with 60-grit sandpaper it will really smooth out the grinding marks and there will be less chance of the grinding marks showing through the powder coating.

 

[Blackbyrd]

Thanks for the tip Mike!

 

[Blackbyrd]

Took advantage of a long weekend to do some wife honey does.

Doing a little landscaping and have some plans. This was my son's sandbox area and weve struggled with what to do with the space since he grew out of it.

Over the course of 2 days we built 9 planter boxes, simple ones no complex cuts just measure and work the assembly line. Chop saw from last year made quick work of the cuts.



Built 4 the first day got them fully built and lined on the inside





Got them placed on the backside of my old retaining wall for the sand pit, we started cleaning it out to grass it. Deck is also in need of a wash and seal. We had a really wet summer last year and it needed it then. Still need to mesh and lone the 5 built the 2nd day. Still a work in progress it was cold and rainy Sunday so I moved to the inside.


The dish washer was in this house when we moved in 15 years ago and no telling when it was installed. the house was built in the 90'S so im guessing during the reno in 08 it saw. Its been doing subpar job the last 6 months or so. This brand new LG unit fell into my lap when a buddy moved into a new house but brought a different dishwasher. Not my best Sunday, but spent the rest of the evening at my parents for Easter dinner



Definitely not a "fun" install, but as a bonus its much quieter and works

 

[Blackbyrd]

Double post separated house and car stuff

Axle housing leaf spring brackets fully removed. Thanks Mike for the DA tip, definitely smoothed it out better. I had to use the bamdfile to do most of the work.



From there I got my lower control arms mounts set, and got the inner upper control arms boxes prepped. Also got new clip and hardware for the original leaf spring front mounts as well as new mounts.





These brackets sandwich floor pan between themselves and the 4 link cradle, then they get welded in place.


Not close to getting ready to tack the lower control arms/swaybar/shock mount brackets to the axle tube!!

My tool box was a wreck after this weekend...

 

[Cdubu52]

The toolbox looks great compared to my work area. I just cleaned mine off and it still looks worse than that.

 

[Blackbyrd]

Kiddo's 10th bday is this weekend so ive been on house detail since we will have guests.....

.managed to eek out a little bit more on this. Upper arm boxes are bolted tac'ed in. After I get the axle set ill finish all this up (bout time for minitub!!)



Started to set the lca brackets in place.



My plan, since the jig and cradle fix the upper control arms and are set to a defined length for install. I can use them to center the axle under the car and get it in the right plane. The lowers are fixed length, and the ride height is defined in the instructions from the mounting point on the cradle thats welded into the car, and the mounting point on the lca bracket. In theory at ride height and the pre defined length measurements in the instructions geometry should be set and the brackets can be tacked on where everything rests/ interfaces.

I also considered making some ride height Sims out of flat stock essentially turning the lca bracket and control arms into a nest to hold the axle housing, and still use the upper arms to center it.

 

[Blackbyrd]

I wish i could say ive made more progress, but ive been on yard duty. Almost wrapped up this project now. Gotta do a little water run off management in the low area where the deck and dirt meet.



Probably gonna do a French drain since everything under the deck slopes into the cave anyway so I can catch it where it pools and redirect with a little digging. The the rest will get sewn in clover.

Got lucky with the fuel line, I got to fish the new line with fittings through my access panel without dropping the tank.




Leak is resolved but need a new bracket to secure the line and thats where I got stuck. Just not enough time in the days then I need to drain the tank and she should be back on the road.

Got stalled on the 2nd gen. Feel like I needed my 3rd member before I finalized the suspension linkages. I thought I had 35 spline axles and had a diff from speedway in the cart. Got this nagging feeling to check my splines again. Glad I did I have 33 spline axles, so that adds to the cost since that makes them a custom build through most venders since I dont want a spool.

So with some of the yard projects in motion that will have to wait. I can finish welding and cleanup and work on the minitub atleast.