Above 1200 Sq/FT The Warthog Hidey Hole

[bowtiguy]

You didn’t say you were going to use those belts in a F*rd! I guess they didn’t make it to corvette heaven after all. Just kidding of course.

Looking good JB!

I got the plates ( ALL of them) thank you! Looks like I may be hanging them during some good ol, QST this weekend!

 

[jbmatth]

JB, I assume you will be using the Forrari off the paved roads most of the time so rollovers won't ruin the paintwork. Nice work on the cage!

Correct Bob, it shouldn't see much of any time on paved roads. I'm hopeful it'll never experience a rollover but I'll feel better now knowing I'm ready if it happens. I don't know if I'd say nice work on the cage, but there was plenty of work on the cage. Thank you either way.

You didn’t say you were going to use those belts in a F*rd! I guess they didn’t make it to corvette heaven after all. Just kidding of course.

Looking good JB!

I got the plates ( ALL of them) thank you! Looks like I may be hanging them during some good ol, QST this weekend!

Oh no, I didn't think about that, they may just revolt on me, I better be careful.

Glad they made it, hopefully they will work for you, I have a ton I need to hang at some point if I could think of a good place for them.

JB

 

[jbmatth]

I saw something on FB the other day that got me thinking, I have the burned out drill (upon disassembly I discovered the motor windings had melted in at least one location), some old air horns from my first truck, and a switch:

I now have a battery powered air horn gun, I mean because as one does right?

I then finished the bumper install on the Festiva and took it out for some glamour shots:

Some of the stickers I've picked up are now installed, looks fine to me:

My last addition to the bumper was this 3/4" nut cut and welded in such a manor it can be used as a bottle opener for use at camp:

I spent the balance of the weekend fiddling with the tractor, I discovered the outlet petcock on the tank was completely plugged. The fuel smelled more like varnish than fuel, and the tank is heavy and awkward to move when it has 10 gallons of lacquer thinner in it.

Have a good one,
JB

 

[OutlawDrifter]

Haha, that Festiva came from Marmie's! I just noticed that, HUGE dealership in Great Bend, KS.

Bottle opener and hand held notice device are epic additions!

 

[mybigwarwagon]

I saw something on FB the other day that got me thinking, I have the burned out drill (upon disassembly I discovered the motor windings had melted in at least one location), some old air horns from my first truck, and a switch:

I now have a battery powered air horn gun, I mean because as one does right?

Your welcome

 

[jbmatth]

Haha, that Festiva came from Marmie's! I just noticed that, HUGE dealership in Great Bend, KS.

Bottle opener and hand held notice device are epic additions!

Thank you Outlaw, it has been a really fun project so far. Nice to hear Marmie's is still Marmie's, the local dealerships have all changed hands at least once in the past decade of living here.

Your welcome

Thanks for the tip, I couldn't remember who posted it but start to finish a very easy project.

JB

 

[jbmatth]

I've been doing a little piddling lately but nothing really exciting. The weather has been great and the grass has been growing so I've been enjoying time outside with family and doing yard work. While doing some of this yard work my chainsaw stopped working. I'm working on a replacement now, parts should arrive Monday.

Some more work done on the tractor, but I'm replacing the fuel lines and they won't be in for 2 weeks even with Prime.

I had to make a trip to help family and bought this:

And my favorite feature:

Great deal on it as far as I'm concerned, no evedence it had been on a gravel road, very clean, and only two small door dings. Having the max tow package it is technically only rated to tow ~1,000 lbs less than my 2006 3500 diesel.

That is all for now,

JB

 

[OutlawDrifter]

Prime has been wacky with shipping...they don't understand the stuff I consider essential!

Nice pickup, glad you found a buy!

 

[jbmatth]

I agree, I mean fuel line, in a pinch can be used as a straw and I need straws to drink.

Thanks, I've been enjoying the truck so far, the trip home from KC was much more comfortable.

JB

 

[zmotorsports]

Nice looking ride JB.

The newer gas engines really are well thought out and engineered. If I were doing it again today I doubt I would buy my Duramax as I don't haul frequently enough to justify it these days. However, I won't sell it because I wouldn't get out of it what it would cost me to replace so I'll just keep it. My son keeps flirting with selling his 2002 Duramax and getting a newer gasser. He's been looking at pretty much what you just bought.

 

[Finallygotit]

Ah, indeed that is a nice feature. Especially when one climbs in a vehicle that's been sitting in 110° sun. Congrats on the find!

 

[Grizz1963]

Congratulations

That thing is HUUUGE !!

But of course I do love a truck.

 

[realvc]

Great looking truck.
Congrats. on your new ride.

 

[andyvh1959]

Warthog Hidey Hole had my mind going elsewhere.
I'm thinking, WOW! This guy has a garage big enough to hide a Warthog!!?? Or, COOL, this guy has a personal Warthog at home!!

 

[jbmatth]

Nice looking ride JB.

The newer gas engines really are well thought out and engineered. If I were doing it again today I doubt I would buy my Duramax as I don't haul frequently enough to justify it these days. However, I won't sell it because I wouldn't get out of it what it would cost me to replace so I'll just keep it. My son keeps flirting with selling his 2002 Duramax and getting a newer gasser. He's been looking at pretty much what you just bought.

That is nearly the position I'm in, except mine was beat when I bought it so I got it for a song. Obviously I put a lot of parts on it, but with a "well used" body and 304,000 miles I know it isn't worth much and is worth even less as a trade in. I'm mostly to the point of disbelief on parts cost of a diesel vs gas. I'm thrilled I found this one and plan to keep it for quite a few years.

Ah, indeed that is a nice feature. Especially when one climbs in a vehicle that's been sitting in 110° sun. Congrats on the find!

Funny you mention that, I found a company willing to install heated and cooled seats in my cobra. The problem is it would end up being $2,500 to $3,500 all said and done. I have their number if you want, I'm keeping it in case I win the lottery.

Congratulations

That thing is HUUUGE !!

But of course I do love a truck.

It is actually smaller than my other truck by a little bit, but surprisingly nearly the same height without a lift. It does have more interior space though and more seat height. I'll try to take photos of them together to get a representation.

Great looking truck.
Congrats. on your new ride.

Thanks realvc.

Warthog Hidey Hole had my mind going elsewhere.
I'm thinking, WOW! This guy has a garage big enough to hide a Warthog!!?? Or, COOL, this guy has a personal Warthog at home!!

Large enough for a Warthog, well maybe if you pulled some parts off first. I would love to have one but sadly they are just a touch out of my price range. Welcome aboard, stick around if you like.

JB

 

[andyvh1959]

Little off topic, but the A10 Thunderbolt (Warthog), though not a pretty plane, it is such a BEAST that to call it a warthog is entirely fitting. A flying tank really. Looks up videos of it using the 30mm nose mounted cannon to um,...do damage...that there is beer drinking video watching entertainment!!

And I'm not even an Air Force vet or anything like that. Just a damn cool aircraft.

 

[Finallygotit]

OK, more off topic. We have Davis-Monthan AFB here in town which is a training base for the A-10's. We get daily air shows along with other war planes. Soooooo cool.

 

[jbmatth]

Little off topic, but the A10 Thunderbolt (Warthog), though not a pretty plane, it is such a BEAST that to call it a warthog is entirely fitting. A flying tank really. Looks up videos of it using the 30mm nose mounted cannon to um,...do damage...that there is beer drinking video watching entertainment!!

And I'm not even an Air Force vet or anything like that. Just a damn cool aircraft.

As you've mentioned the A10 is an amazing aircraft, or should I say the 30mm cannon is an amazing weapon with a good aircraft to haul it around. I used to know a lot more about it, but one fact I seem to remember is that if fired for more than a certain amount of time the plane would stall because of the recoil. Maybe it is time to watch a few videos on it.

OK, more off topic. We have Davis-Monthan AFB here in town which is a training base for the A-10's. We get daily air shows along with other war planes. Soooooo cool.

Since we are off topic anyway, when I was in college I met a now friend who was celebrating her last night before shipping off for the Air Force. She became a mechanic for the A10.

JB

 

[mybigwarwagon]

Nice truck. Now can you help me move?

 

[Joe-R]

Hi JB,

I heard that the A-10 engine would stall when the gun was fired due to the smoke going in the intake. The fix was to put the engine in afterburner when the gun was in use.

Joe

 

[jbmatth]

Nice truck. Now can you help me move?

Sure, headed that way now.

Hi JB,

I heard that the A-10 engine would stall when the gun was fired due to the smoke going in the intake. The fix was to put the engine in afterburner when the gun was in use.

Joe

Awesome on so many levels.

JB

 

[jbmatth]

It was another beautiful weekend in Northern Oklahoma, not too much wind and clear blue skies and sunshine. I took advantage of the low wind and finely burned the limbs I've been saving for a couple of months now since the chainsaw quite on me. I decided the best course of action was to order a new engine for $45 rather than a new saw for close to $200 or more for a bigger saw. The engine came in yesterday, I may try to install it today if the weather holds.

The girls and I decided to load up in the Jeep for some ******* driving:

We drove around the farm for a while then crossed state lines so I could show them a couple of big trucks:

We ended up meeting the owner and talked to him for a bit, I learned the big one has a nasty 502" (8.2L) engine, also found out they have an off road park in the back including mud drag races. All this and only about 10 miles from home, I'll have to go check it out when they open back up. It is called Kansas Badlands, but unfortunately I know little else other than it looks like fun.

When I was building the roll cage for the Festiva (Should I call it the Bronco 3?) I only bent one tube on the floor before changing my mind and put it on one of my engine stands:

I needed a place for the spare dies so I added the hangers (1/2" Pipe)for them and buzzed them on, works great and keeps them out of the way:

While mowing I lined up the truck to get them out of the way and thought the photo would be cool:

Anyway, we are supposed to get storms with potential large hail today so I spent the time last night to finish the tie rod modification on the Bronco 3. First of all the old way they were extended was scary and bad, secondly they didn't stay installed very well, and third it steered like ****. I decided to replace the outer tie rod end with a heim joint, the ones I could find meant the whole tie rod was too short. Problem, meet solution:

Extended 1" and sleeved with 1/2" pipe. Then onto the height problem, nothing some Duramax head studs and 5" long 3/4" pipe ******* can't fix right?:

I was then able to take it for a test drive and was surprised how much better it did, sadly I couldn't get the driver side removed at the time but have a plan. I didn't realize there was some filler of some kind in the ball joint, well it has a melting temperature lower than the temperature it reached. I guess I'll have to rethink that when I do the other side.

JB

 

[jbmatth]

Yesterday was 4/27, so naturally I had to get at least one photo of the closest thing I have to a 427, out came the cobra for a quick photo session:

Interesting how similar they both are, neither has power steering or power brakes, both are Ford based (kinda), and both are blue. Yep practically twins.

JB

 

[OutlawDrifter]

Just for clarification purposes...the Cobra is the one without a top?

 

[jbmatth]

Just for clarification purposes...the Cobra is the one without a top?

 

[OutlawDrifter]

Both are obviously high performance machines...just trying to keep it all straight


On a serious note, I really like what you did to organize the dies for the bender, great job my friend!

 

[jbmatth]

Both are obviously high performance machines...just trying to keep it all straight


On a serious note, I really like what you did to organize the dies for the bender, great job my friend!

My response was meant to indicate I couldn't tell the difference, I mean the Festiva is a convertible as well. I'd just have to peg the give-a-****-o-meter on E and find a sawzall.

As I was posting it I thought it would have been better to mount them on the bottom leg under the bender. Oh well maybe on revision two.

JB

 

[jbmatth]

As mentioned the chainsaw I've used the past 4 years to clean up the place started acting up. I was told it had a scored piston. I didn't believe that because I've always used the recommended Stihl oil mix but picked it back up and discovered...a scored piston:

Old engine out, and new in, runs great again and only $45 to repair vs $180 for a new saw.

The case was also in bad shape so this made it a logical replacement. I really used it hard in the last 4 years and probably won't be quite as hard on it going forward so I hope it last a bit longer.

JB

 

[drivesitfar]

JB: looks like you've been pretty busy. also driving around a PINK JEEP and taking it across the state line sounded like a fun day.

Also nice to see the Cobra out in the sunshine. engine rebuild done and completed? last time I recall (dang you are a busy guy) you were trying to figure out how to mount the wiper.

thanks for the PM about Vieux and I'd already figured that issue out about him posting the wrong # so all good now.

I guess I thought Warthog was a critter and didn't think much about it until you guys start posting stories about shooting guns and having the engine stall. I had a client that didn't like all the rules at the local airports around here so he moved about 30 miles south of town and built his home with it's own airport that a few of his friends could use too. I'm guessing there were still rules, but not any from management of the airport that he didn't like.

cheers and have a great day.

 

[XJSuperman]

JB, how do you decide what to drive in the morning? Your recent lineup pic shows 4 trucks, and then the cobra, Bronco3 (I like that), and isn't there a pink chevy project somewhere? And you usually have a couple other small cars floating around if I remember right.

 

[drivesitfar]

XJ: while JB is stuck at home I bet he's driving the GO CART quite a bit and just not mentioning it.

 

[jbmatth]

JB: looks like you've been pretty busy. also driving around a PINK JEEP and taking it across the state line sounded like a fun day.

Also nice to see the Cobra out in the sunshine. engine rebuild done and completed? last time I recall (dang you are a busy guy) you were trying to figure out how to mount the wiper.

thanks for the PM about Vieux and I'd already figured that issue out about him posting the wrong # so all good now.

I guess I thought Warthog was a critter and didn't think much about it until you guys start posting stories about shooting guns and having the engine stall. I had a client that didn't like all the rules at the local airports around here so he moved about 30 miles south of town and built his home with it's own airport that a few of his friends could use too. I'm guessing there were still rules, but not any from management of the airport that he didn't like.

cheers and have a great day.

With all of the great weather we have been having I've been taking advantage of it Drives, the only reason to be inside while home is to eat, sleep, and shower.

Engine build is done and dusted, I do need to do another oil change now that I've put a few miles on it. The wiper is able to be mounted, I keep it off most of the time, I do still need to wire it up though. Speaking of that I also need to wire in the O2 sensor so I can tune the carb a little better.

I want to eventually have a small plane and get a license but it is something I don't feel like I have the time or money to do it for now.

JB, how do you decide what to drive in the morning? Your recent lineup pic shows 4 trucks, and then the cobra, Bronco3 (I like that), and isn't there a pink chevy project somewhere? And you usually have a couple other small cars floating around if I remember right.

I usually drive The Lemon (the yellow Ford), but it all depends on the weather that day, road conditions, and what I feel like driving. Today I wanted to drive something fun so I'm in the S10, might pull the cobra out later this week if all goes well. Here is the current complete list:
1957 Chevy 210 (Long term project)
1966 427 Cobra replica
1986 AMC CJ7 (Pink Jeep-Wife's)
1990 Ford Festiva (Bronco 3)
1991 Ford Festiva (Parts car)
1995 Chevy C1500 (Grandpa's truck)
2000 Ford ****** ZX2 The Lemon (DD)
2001 Chevy S10 (***********)
2002 Buick Rendezvous (Grandmother's car)
2006 Chevy Silverado 3500 (Black Plague 2.0)
2014 Chevy Silverado 1500 (Bandito)
2016 Jeep Wrangler (Wife's Jeep)

All are licensed except for the parts car, and it and the 57 aren't insured but the other 10 are and are drive-able at this point in time so I could choose any to drive to work.

XJ: while JB is stuck at home I bet he's driving the GO CART quite a bit and just not mentioning it.

Not really stuck at home, still working at work, and just like before I don't go out much for anything but what I have to. I do start it up from time to time though. You know, just to keep the oil moving.

JB

 

[BUGTHUG]

I wonder if it might be cheaper for you to get a used car license? Then you could get a dealer tag, and instead of tagging all your vehicles, you could put the D tag on whichever one you choose to drive that day?

 

[jbmatth]

I've considered that Herb, but wonder if it would be worth the hassle when it comes tax time. Of course if it was used car dealer and repair then all of the tools would be tax deductible. But then I'd have to sell some and there isn't much fun in that.

JB

 

[jbmatth]

It was time to change the oil in the cobra and do a couple of other little tasks prior to a little cruise tonight. Well I wasn't expecting to find this:

On the first outing after the rebuild I was traveling down the interstate when I hit a 6x6 that was in the road. I stopped and looked from the drivers side and couldn't really tell anything with the car on the ground. Well when jacked up it was noticeable. Good oil pressure and no leaks, I'll get another on order, and change the oil again, that would be the 6th oil change since starting the rebuild.

JB

 

[Nlped]

Dang!!! That took a pretty good lick! Awesome that it didn’t spring a leak!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[BUGTHUG]

you got lucky

 

[oldironfarmer]

Don't waste money on a new pan. That one obviously gives you more needed road clearance. Just put 1/2 qt in next time.

 

[jbmatth]

Dang!!! That took a pretty good lick! Awesome that it didn’t spring a leak!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I was not thrilled when it happened Nlped, I could feel the car raise up and the noise was sickening after just getting it on the road. I expected the worst when I pulled over to check it out. When I didn't see anything gushing out, and I still had oil pressure I continued on.

you got lucky

I should have bought a lottery ticket and used all of my luck up on winning that.

Don't waste money on a new pan. That one obviously gives you more needed road clearance. Just put 1/2 qt in next time.

I like to run the oil level a 1/2 qt high anyway, it'll burn or drip out anyway, I mean it is a Ford.

JB

 

[mybigwarwagon]

Might be time for some skid plates.