Have to divert funds...

[80W150]

So it's snowing pretty good here today. Did some running around this morning, packed the nerfs with snow. Well, got the snowblowing done for the neighbor and my place, moved grimace (minivan) into the garage. Went to the ram, was kicking snow away from the nerf on the drivers side and boom, boot goes through the rocker. Great. Go to passenger side, same thing, boot through rocker. Marvelous.

I knew they were getting rusty but this was rot from inside out. The box has typical wheel well rot but the bed itself even has a couple holes in it. Of course the front fenders have the typical rot. But hey, the doors are still good!

So I think, instead of doing the things I had planned for the RC that money is going to have to go into the 01 ram. It's a great truck. I don't want to get rid of it just because of rust. I know what I have and don't want to start over hoping said "new" truck is as good.

I'll give my body guy a shout this week and get a guesstimate. Heck, might even have him match paint the topper while he's at it.

[crazzywolfie]

your not the only one with those issues. my 81 needs new rockers. i also got some other sheet metal that i need to fix. i just patched up my 93 this summer. new floor pans and cab supports plus some home made structure. it was a nightmare. http://ramcharger.net/index.php/topic,141.0.html
also if you are looking for relatively cheap sheet metal you should check out c2cfabrication.com. i found there parts pretty cheap and shipping wasn't too bad. only thing is they don't charger tax and import stuff so you may get a bill for the taxes a month after from fedex. i think i got a bill from fedex for $40 taxes and stuff on my $300 order. even after the taxes that i never payed it was still cheaper to order from them.

[The War Wagon]

I got lucky in one sense; my RC had rusted rear rockers (15 Pittsburgh winters would do that to a DeLorean!!!), but they weren't bad... and then it sat - inside - for 7 more years - so they didn't get AS bad as most of the UN-treated rustbuckets of that era around here.  Welding in new steel, a little bondo, and Dupont Corlon epoxy paint - on a dedicated vehicle - means, my rockers SHOULD last the rest of MY life, even if it's lived around here.  NO salty winter roads for the RC ever again (that's what the JEEP is for!), and I can focus on fold/spindle/mutilating them OFF-road instead! 

[80W150]

I'll start getting stuff and come spring when I can get the 79 out I'll send the 01 to my body guy.

Went out to my buddy's place today after I got done shoveling and snowblowing. He lives half mile off the main road in a very open area,,,, and it's blowing good today. Drift busting time.

I turn onto his road and almost immediately question my decision. Too late. Too deep to stop and back out. Means one thing, give her more throttle and stay with it. Work the wheel. I get to his place and can't even see the driveway so I by gosh by golly it, found it! (if I had missed it was going to get ugly fast. the ditch isn't real deep but it's deep enough)

I walk into his garage and he comes out "dude. what are you doing?" Me "just thought I'd come out see what's shakin'." I knew he was home because I knew he couldn't get his work van out. He works for a major security system business. The company ride is a ford minivan. You know the ones. Short wheelbase, high top, looks like a clown car.. Yeah, there was no way on this planet that was making it down to the main road. His wife was called by her work yesterday and told not to come in.

I hang out for a minute, drink some coffee then decide before the road blows back shut of what I just punched open, time to go. Backed the truck around and went. Had to keep in the throttle a little bit but it made it to the main road. Couldn't stop at intersection because of the snow so I blew that stop sign. Of course no other vehicles were coming.

Tell ya what, I'm impressed with that truck. I was dragging axles through that stuff, sometimes pushing snow, and it really didn't slow down much. Course it helps to have relatively fresh skins on it. (general grabber AT2) Couldn't see where I was going very well because of the snow blowing over the hood but we got the job done.

I love drift bustin' like that but I always feel better when I have a partner truck out there with me.

[SixGun]

Didn't happen if you don't have pics.  Now go back out there and do it again with a camera. 

[80W150]

Thought about that after I did it. "wish that had been caught on video". To dang cold to do it today. -10 ambient air temp right now. No idea about windchill. Not about to ask my buddy "hey, would ya go take a vid while I blast through the snow?" lol

Went out and started grimace for my wife and get it out of the garage. For the ohh, probably 2 minutes I was out there, that was enough. The girls were waiting to go out when I got up and yeah, they didn't play around. Out and right back in. Even for living up here we aren't used to it being this cold. Where's a good place to move in Texas? (and not a border town)