…with my CAR NUT BALL affliction. I’d ask the pro, should I keep the very nice 2000 Ford F-150 4×4 extended cab pickup with 140,000 miles, that I bought in early July to replace the big 2007 Chevy 3500 van, or should I sell the Ford and keep the little 1994 Chevy short bed V-6 powered pickup with only 73,000 miles, that I recently bought as a flipper truck??? Here’s my dilemma, the Chevy van was the best towing vehicle I’ve ever owned. I had made beds for the van that were very comfortable. I had already made three long towing trips to pick up vehicles this year, but, I feel that I have been very lucky in not having any mechanical breakdowns or accidents in all of these vehicle adventures over the last few years, EXCEPT when that Ford F-350 diesel pickup broke down in Southern Oregon and l was stranded there for 4 days. That time it cost about $1700.00 for the repair, plus a couple hundred for a rental car. I got the Ford F-150 to stop myself from making those long trips and limit them to less than 500 miles one way. Picking up the ‘94 Chevy pickup was an 18-hour over and back trip to Southern California. The Ford did great, but it was just another long towing trip with the same possibilities of a breakdown or an accident etc. Financially, something like that happening would not be good. The little low-mileage Chevy V-6 pickup would be OK for some light local towing if needed, but definitely not for long tows. Yes, I could probably just stop myself from doing the long trips, but, then why do I need a big F-150 4×4 pickup that only gets about 15mpg while not towing? Plus, I really like the little Chevy short bed and it gets over 20 mpg.
One of those long trips earlier this year was to Richland Washington, where l picked up the 1970 Camaro that will be my KEEPER Hot Rod. I know I’ve said that before as everyone that knows me has reminded me HA HA. In my Car Nut Ball affliction, I realize that I need to stop changing my mind and keep one car for more than a few months. The Camaro is a bit rough around the edges, but it’s rust-free and has a decent interior and after 45 days I still love it and can’t wait to get the mechanical transformation completed so I can start driving it. If you read the Advertiser Update from Arizona Differential, you’ll see that it now has a brand new built 9” Ford posi rearend, they also installed my freshly rebuilt Turbo 400 transmission and the new Hughes Performance 2500 stall torque converter and a new B & M gate shifter. The tired and leaking 305 V-8 had to go. Jim from Restore Old Cars (928-200-0904) in Apache Junction built the 355 cid small block Chevy for my ‘78 Nova and it was great, so he’s in the finishing stages of building a mild 383 stroker small block for the Camaro. Jim sent a seasoned 350 four-bolt main block to Scottsdale Machine, where they magnafluxed the block (no cracks) hot tank cleaned it, used a torque plate to bore and hone it and square decked the block. Jim has installed all new freeze plugs, cam bearings, and deburred the block inside and outside. A brand new SCAT stroker crankshaft will spin stock 5.7 rods that are re-sized and balanced and have new performance rod bolts. Keith Black “Claimer’’ hyper eutectic pistons with molly rings are being used. The cam is a Crane Max Velocity hydraulic flat tappet with 2.72 advertised duration with a mild 4.54 intake and 4.80 exhaust lift. This is a mild street/strip cam. The cylinder heads are Iron Eagle Performance Street heads with 2.02 / 1.60 stainless steel valves, with new keepers and retainers. Z-28 valve springs and roller tip rocker arms finish off these very good street performance heads. An Edelbrock Air-Gap intake manifold will round out the engine. For right now, the good working stock 4 barrel carburetor will be used until I decide to go with a Holley carb or go with a Holley Sniper EFI unit??? Restore Old Cars specializes in building turn-key performance street and race engines. Plus, they have a ton of used and vintage performance and racing parts. They are located about a mile north of the US-60 freeway at 2134 S. Idaho Rd. in Apache Junction. Call Jim at 928-200-0904 and please mention Roddin’ AZ. when you call.
