Gary Lewis

Here's what I'm thinking. The bottom of the receiver is 6 1/4" below the bumper, so will be the first to drag. And there's a lip on the receiver where the the drawbar goes in that will drag on rocks. But if I were to put a drawbar in that has a flat plate welded to it then it could take the load off that lip. In the pic you can see how it would be with that drawbar, and the bottom of the plate would be ~7" below the bumper. But the measurements I'm talking about would include figuring out what the departure angle is and determining from that what height the plate should be at in order to give the max clearance but still prevent getting hung up on the front of the receiver. Boy, this is a really good case for the bumper I've been planning 'cause it doesn't have anything below it. Yes, I might need the stinger you pictured to protect the spare tire, but that's easy. So is that hitch going to cause a problem? Maybe I should remove it for the trip and move the backup lights & trailer connector elsewhere for the interim.

Bob - You just mentioned departure angle in a side conversation and we then agreed to have a discussion about it here. But I have a question with regard to that before I start measuring. (And, by the way, it may be this evening before I reply as am trying to get some stuff done in the shop during the day and then, while sitting with Janey with the TV off since she can't see it right now, I'll do some posting. What do you think about making a special "skid plate"? Maybe a piece of plate welded to a drawbar that takes some pressure off the hitch itself as it is the low spot instead of the bumper. I have several extra drawbars that don't get used, so... I'm planning on taking several pics and measurements and then posting later. But if a special skid plate would help then I'll mock that up and take pics of it as well.

Yes! That someone working out of his garage in Iowa has the capability to do that. It takes a LOT of CAD work. And serious knowledge of casting. And then a CNC machine. But look at all of the things he apparently made, like the tool that grabs the crucible and through a winch allows him to lift and position it. The device on the CNC machine to rotate the part precise degrees. Etc. That guy is creative and good!

I can't imagine what the price is. But those parts are really impressive.

That is AMAZING! Thanks for sharing. I had no idea that it was so complex to re-create something link an intake manifold. I guess once you work out the CAD and get the kinks out the next one would go more smoothly/quickly, but he sure has a lot of time in that intake. But I'm surprised that he is casting the Ford logo and ID #'s in the parts. I would think the logo would get him in trouble with Ford, and the ID #'s aren't "correct" as it isn't the same as whatever the part was that he's copied. Still, the vast majority of people would never know that it isn't the original part.

My confusion was the way you worded it as it wasn't obvious that the need for power to just the coil was for the HEI solution. But I agree with you, the easiest approach would be to go with HEI as there's just the power to it and you are done.

Jeff - You've pointed out something I wasn't aware of - the new Lightning doesn't appear to be a hybrid. The one I thought I'd have purchased had the newest 3.5L Ecoboost engine as well as an electric motor/generator, so you have all the power I currently have plus that of the electric motor. I agree with you, the only way I'd have an electric vehicle - with the current battery limitations - is if it was a hybrid. And that Lightning with the gas engine and electric motor/generator made sense to me. It could power my house if needed, it could tow as much as my current truck, and it could go as far as a tank of gas will take it and then refill quickly to keep on keeping on. Some day they'll have batteries that can take me a thousand miles in one charge and I'll be willing to drive one 'cause I won't be going more than about 750 in a day and can accept 250 miles as reserve. But even then towing is going to cut that distance in half or less, so a truck is going to have to have some serious batteries to do what I have done.

Jim - Help me understand. Are you saying that with the HEI you "don't need a resistor, module, coil or anything but power" or that's all you need with any ignition? I understand and agree with the HEI not needing anything else, but how does that work with DS-II?

Yes, if you could get a piece of shrink tubing large enough to go over the loop on the end but yet shrink down to the right size that might fix the current break. But given how brittle that stuff is you'll probably break it again getting it back on. The new one is the way to go.

That's for sure! The guy doing the upholstery asked if I want an actual 1985 color, so I told him that I'm convinced no two panels were the exact same color from the factory. Or at least they aren't today, although that could mean they've just all aged differently. But all of Big Blue's panels have been painted with SEM - with the exception of the dash itself. The SEM on the other panels ties nicely, but not perfectly, with the dash. So we picked a vinyl for the seats that matches the SEM color as close as possible in direct sunlight as it'll be the door panels and console that are right next to the seats, not the dash.

You are now on the map. And you aren't far from Chris.

You might be in a bind with a 302. I say that because I don't believe the 302 was an option in the heavier vehicles, like above 8600 GVWR, that didn't require a cat. The 351W did come in the heavier trucks and there's a non-cat pipe for them, but that engine is wider so that pipe won't fit. So I'm not sure there's a factory y-pipe for you that doesn't have a cat. But I'll bet others have ideas on how you can do it. So I'll hide and watch to see what they say.

Thanks for the intro, Chuck. That gives me the opportunity to ask where home is? That's because we have a map, which you can see at Bullnose Forum/Member's Map in the menu, and I can add you with a city/state or zip.

On that page just click New Topic, exactly like you did on the main page.

Chuck - Glad you joined! But, you may have missed the email I sent you asking you to go to the New Members Start Here folder, read the guidelines, and then post an introduction there. We do that because that's where we have the guidelines posted and we want everyone to have had a chance to read them because we will hold you to them. Don't worry, many do miss them and we don't hold it against them. But we will park your question here until after your introduction.

Thanks, but it isn't really like Plasti Dip as it doesn't build up on the item. Via the prep the Sand Free bonds to the plastic and as it "evaporates, Color Coat is drawn into the surface, resulting in excellent adhesion." But it doesn't change the texture of the plastic. However they do have a spray that does put a texture on the plastic and then you spray on the Color Coat. That give it a bumpy texture, kind of like our door panels, which get sanded smooth when we refinish them.

We don't have a wiring diagram for such a simple system. But the one below is probably the easiest to use. You'll need battery power, and if you are using a DS-II ignition module and distributor you'll need a ballast resistor of about 1 ohm. The parts stores used to carry a white ballast resistor that would work nicely. Run the power through that to the hot side of the coil and battery power to the red wire of the DS-II module. And then wire the distributor and coil to the module as shown.

Yes, it would. And I've redone most of the trim on BB, as you can see here.

You may remember that Chad/Little Beefy gave me a pair of low-back bucket seats. I took them to a guy to have them rebuilt and upholstered about a week ago, and realized today that he may call next week and have them ready. So I'd better get busy painting the trim that goes on them as well as the center console. Given that, today I started on the little trim pieces that cover the hinges. So I looked up the SEM instructions for prep and painting: CLEAN: Clean the area with SEM Soap and a gray scuff pad. Scrub thoroughly, paying close attention to textured or recessed areas. Rinse with water or wipe away residue with damp cloth and let dry. RE-CLEAN: Clean with Plastic & Leather Prep or Zero VOC Surface Cleaner using a clean, lint-free towel and wiping in one direction. If contamination still exists after cleaning, water will bead on the surface. Repeat until beading no longer occurs. Tech tip: Wiping in one direction will remove contaminants from the surface, rather than smearing contaminants around. PREP: To promote adhesion on plastics, such as ABS, PVC or other similar plastics, apply a medium wet coat of Sand Free. While still wet, apply a light coat of Color Coat. (Avoid applying the first coat of Color Coat too heavily or sagging could occur.) As Sand Free evaporates, Color Coat is drawn into the surface, resulting in excellent adhesion. To promote adhesion on plastics, such as TPO, EPDM, PP or other similar thermoplastics, use Plastic Adhesion Promoter or XXX Adhesion Promoter. Apply one light coat, let flash for 5 minutes, and then apply one full wet coat. Allow this coat to flash 10-15 minutes, but no longer than 30 minutes before topcoating. Tech tip: If the type of plastic is unknown, place a drop of acetone on the back of the plastic and rub it with your finger. If the plastic smears and melts, use Sand Free. If acetone does not have an effect on the plastic, use Plastic Adhesion Promoter or XXX Adhesion Promoter. APPLY: Apply Color Coat. View the TDS, Color Coat How-To Video, or our Refinishing Auto Plastic & Vinyl Procedures (RAP-1) training manual for more detailed instruction. I started on Step 1 but didn't get very far as the "bad" plastic wouldn't come off with the gray scuff pad. So I tried a Nylon brush, and then Go Jo, but no go. So I resorted to a stainless steel wire brush as shown in the 2nd pic below. That, and Dawn, got the "bad" plastic off, as you can see in the comparison below, with the untouched one on top and the scrubbed one on the bottom. I then cleaned all four of the pieces using Dawn & the stainless steel brush, then used the SEM Soap and the gray scrub pad. Then I moved on to Step 2, and pre-cleaned with SEM Plastic & Leather Cleaner. Tomorrow I plan to pick up on Step 3 and hope to get them finished. I'll let y'all know how that goes.

The levee was dry day.

That was after The Day The Music Died.

We actually talked about something like this in Bible class last night. It was about people's "security blanket", much like that of Linus of Peanuts fame. You don't want to take that away abruptly as it causes angst. And I think that is part of the problem - people thought you could take away the security blanket quickly and everything would be fine. Ultimately I think EV's are the way to go. But I'm not ready to ditch our perfectly-good 2014 GLK for something that would cost far more, and the Lightning isn't a viable replacement for how I use my 2015 F150. It will take time for people to phase into EV's.

sometimes you have to 'show them the way' (You like paraphrased lyrics, don't you Gary? ) Yes, I do. But "show them the way" reminds me of a Vicar Of Dibley episode wherein that Jim says "Show me the ropes." But I'm guessing that's not the connection to make. Maybe it is Stevie Nicks?

😄 😆 😂 🤣. I can even Ban MYSELF! As I managed to prove. I don't know why I find this so incredibly amusing. Good proof. So are you back on the road? Or just getting ready to be? And yes, you have the power, but please don't use it.

Yep. That’s a major failure. Don’t understand how an industry that prides itself on its safety record could allow that to happen.