New (old) Truck...

[Pale Rider]

I just couldn't resist. I saw this thing as I drove by this lot on my lunch today and HAD to stop in and look at it. I've been wanting a *RED* truck ever since I don't know when, and this one was lifted. So, I pulled in and looked. As I walked toward it, the closer I got, the more I liked it. By the time the saleman opened the door and I smelled the new car smell and spied the FIVE SPEED, I was already saying in my head, "write it up".

I'm really fond of this body style and the 350 vortec engine. This truck has a 6" Superlift lift, 35" BFGoodrich mudders on Centerline wheels, about as expensive of wheels and tires you can buy, a brand new Flowmaster high flow exhaust, sun roof, JVC stereo and Rockford Fosgate seperates speakers. If I picked a year truck and outfitted it to my liking, this is just about the way I'd have it to a "T". There's tiny little details I'll address, but this is pretty much the way I want it already. Yeah... I bought the truck during LUNCH! LOL! I absolutely love it.

Have a look. Not a great picture. Just something I snapped quick behind the shop. It's a 1997 GMC Sierra SLE...

[Mr. P]

Oh you REDNECK wanna BE! Where's the rifle rack?:talk2hand:


:wink2:

[Pale Rider]

Oh you REDNECK wanna BE! Where's the rifle rack?:talk2hand:


:wink2:

Hey, my truck is now the color of my neck :D

It's an extended cab Mr. P. No more need for a rifle rack. :wink2:

[darin]

AWESOME! I consistantly pressure mary to get her truck lifted...and 4.11 rear-end gears...and full exhaust....and intake...maybe supercharger....lol :)

Great-looking truck! Get it muddy, then take pics!

[Pale Rider]

AWESOME! I consistantly pressure mary to get her truck lifted...and 4.11 rear-end gears...and full exhaust....and intake...maybe supercharger....lol :)

Great-looking truck! Get it muddy, then take pics!

GET IT MUDDY... :eek: :laugh2:

Yeah this is four wheelin' country around here. We've got the world famous Rubicon right up here by south Lake Tahoe, and I work with a few 4 wheeler fanatics. They've already been all over me to take it up P-vine and where ever. I'll see how bad I want to abuse this truck. I'd rather buy a CJ-5 and make a REAL 4 wheeler out of it, with a fuel injected 350, 5.56:1 crawler gears, lockers, the works, and not care if I scratch it or break it. I "DO" want to keep this truck looking nice and driving nice, since it is my everyday driver.

[KarlMarx]

That's a 1997 truck?!?! It looks brand new. If you lived in New York, that truck would be half rusted by now. They put so much salt on the roads here during the winter that it just eats up cars and trucks as well as bridges and highways.

[jillian]

That's a 1997 truck?!?! It looks brand new. If you lived in New York, that truck would be half rusted by now. They put so much salt on the roads here during the winter that it just eats up cars and trucks as well as bridges and highways.

Not to mention the joy of potholes.

[KarlMarx]

Not to mention the joy of potholes.
Yes, potholes, how could I forget those? I think one locality had an "adopt a pothole" program.... why they couldn't pay for road repairs I can't say.

[Pale Rider]

That's a 1997 truck?!?! It looks brand new. If you lived in New York, that truck would be half rusted by now. They put so much salt on the roads here during the winter that it just eats up cars and trucks as well as bridges and highways.

They don't use salt in Nevada. They use sand when they need it. NOTHING out here rusts. You can find all the old cars and trucks you want around these parts without a speck of rust on them, as my truck is.

I grew up in Wisconsin, and they salt back there too. I never had one vehicle that was over ten years old that wasn't a rust bucket. Bought this old brute for four hundred bucks. Ran and drove like a million, but was totally rusted. I put the new bed on it and was going to do a cab too, but a young guy came along and fell in love with it, so I sold it to him for $1,400. Nice little profit. I'm glad they don't salt here in Nevada. For the most part, we don't need it. It doesn't snow enough here to warrant it.

http://img131.imageshack.us/img131/3029/trucks0012sh6.jpg

[trobinett]

Congrats Pale, awsome truck.

It looks like it would do fine on the Rubicon, been up there half a dozen times in the "Ghost" my '78 F250 4x4.

Knocked the rear diff cover off the last time my brother and me went up. No worries, filled it with two-stroke mix, and that got us back to US50 and Pollock pines.

Have fun.............

[Pale Rider]

Congrats Pale, awsome truck.

It looks like it would do fine on the Rubicon, been up there half a dozen times in the "Ghost" my '78 F250 4x4.

Knocked the rear diff cover off the last time my brother and me went up. No worries, filled it with two-stroke mix, and that got us back to US50 and Pollock pines.

Have fun.............

Yeah they have a "stock truck" trail up at the Rubicon, but the other trail, the red truck doesn't have the turning radius or the gearing, or the lift to do that one. I have been toying with the idea of building a Jeep, which is what they reccommend for the Rubi. A fuel injected engine, because it won't have a fuel delivery problem at severe angles, something like a foot lift, ton axles with five something ratio, lockers, and forty inch or better tires with bead locks. That'll get you through it... :D

[trobinett]

Yeah they have a "stock truck" trail up at the Rubicon, but the other trail, the red truck doesn't have the turning radius or the gearing, or the lift to do that one. I have been toying with the idea of building a Jeep, which is what they reccommend for the Rubi. A fuel injected engine, because it won't have a fuel delivery problem at severe angles, something like a foot lift, ton axles with five something ratio, lockers, and forty inch or better tires with bead locks. That'll get you through it... :D

We stayed at the campgrounds on the Rubicon, right where the trail starts to get real serious. Sounds like thats where you would need that "dream" Jeep of yours.

Saw some awesome Jeeps go through there, but also saw some sweet older Toyota Landcruiser's, and Landrovers.

The trail gets so bad, you HAVE to use a winch, that separates the men from the boys.

Yea, goin to have to go back one of these days, don't have any "real" mountains in Arkansas.:laugh2:

[darin]

I'd like to do the Rubi in a Suzuki Samauri....Seriously. They can be EXCELLENT off-road machines. :)

[trobinett]

I'd like to do the Rubi in a Suzuki Samauri....Seriously. They can be EXCELLENT off-road machines. :)

That would be a great machine.

If ya got into any difficultly you could just pick it up.:boobies:

[Pale Rider]

We stayed at the campgrounds on the Rubicon, right where the trail starts to get real serious. Sounds like thats where you would need that "dream" Jeep of yours.

Saw some awesome Jeeps go through there, but also saw some sweet older Toyota Landcruiser's, and Landrovers.

The trail gets so bad, you HAVE to use a winch, that separates the men from the boys.

Yea, goin to have to go back one of these days, don't have any "real" mountains in Arkansas.:laugh2:

Is that the campground up there by the lake? (Not Tahoe, another smaller lake on the trail.) I hear you can HIKE up to that. I'd take the red truck that far.

And YES, I forgot to mention the WINCH!!!

[Pale Rider]

I'd like to do the Rubi in a Suzuki Samauri....Seriously. They can be EXCELLENT off-road machines. :)

The gearing, lockers, and ground clearance are the biggest things needed on the Rubi. Believe it or not, I've seen Suzuki's modified pretty nice.

[5stringJeff]

Nice truck PR! My first was a 1979 Chevy 1/2 ton pickup with a 350 V8. The previous owner had welded a chrome Chevy bowtie on the front that measured roughly 10" by 18". You could see it coming for miles!

[Pale Rider]

Nice truck PR! My first was a 1979 Chevy 1/2 ton pickup with a 350 V8. The previous owner had welded a chrome Chevy bowtie on the front that measured roughly 10" by 18". You could see it coming for miles!

Thanks man! I'm very partial to Chevy's/GMC, mostly because of the most popular engine ever built, the 350, and it's rock crushing reliability.

Sounds like you liked that old Chevy of yours. :rock:

[MtnBiker]

Nice ride PR, congrats on the purchase.

[5stringJeff]

Thanks man! I'm very partial to Chevy's/GMC, mostly because of the most popular engine ever built, the 350, and it's rock crushing reliability.

Sounds like you liked that old Chevy of yours. :rock:

I did... I drove it (on 11 mpg) for two years in high school, then when I cam back from college for another year and a half until the steering column broke off the frame (from a prior accident). It was going to cost close to a grand to fix it, and I had another truck to fall back on (a dinky little Ford Ranger), so I donated the Chevy to a local technical college.

[darin]

As a reminder - you REALLY need to get that thing into some MUD :)

[Pale Rider]

As a reminder - you REALLY need to get that thing into some MUD :)

Can I just go out and "dab" some on it? :p

(And then quick wash it off?)

[darin]

Can I just go out and "dab" some on it? :p

(And then quick wash it off?)

[taunting=on]
Maybe you should have got a 2WD truck if it's just for show! :D

C'mon wit it! :)

[KarlMarx]

They don't use salt in Nevada. They use sand when they need it. NOTHING out here rusts. You can find all the old cars and trucks you want around these parts without a speck of rust on them, as my truck is.

I grew up in Wisconsin, and they salt back there too. I never had one vehicle that was over ten years old that wasn't a rust bucket. Bought this old brute for four hundred bucks. Ran and drove like a million, but was totally rusted. I put the new bed on it and was going to do a cab too, but a young guy came along and fell in love with it, so I sold it to him for $1,400. Nice little profit. I'm glad they don't salt here in Nevada. For the most part, we don't need it. It doesn't snow enough here to warrant it.

http://img131.imageshack.us/img131/3029/trucks0012sh6.jpg

Now THAT looks like a truck from New York! This time of year, it would have a 1 inch coat of salt and road spray and about 9 feet of snow on the roof.

[trobinett]

Is that the campground up there by the lake? (Not Tahoe, another smaller lake on the trail.) I hear you can HIKE up to that. I'd take the red truck that far.

And YES, I forgot to mention the WINCH!!!

The lake your talking about is "Lune" lake, and you can hike down to the campground from Lune or if your good, real good you can ride a dirt bike.

The campground I'm talking about is actually ON the Rubicon trail, and its located at about elevation 5500 ft., and is about as far as "full size" rigs like yours, and mine can go. Jeepsters use it as a check station, they check over your ride, and make sure its "trail ready". They don't want you to block the trail if you get stuck, or break down. Also a place to take their Jeeps when they break. Great place to camp, the "four wheeler" crowd is a friendly bunch, and there's always lots of beer!:alcoholic:

I've got a "Sidewinder" 6000 lb. single pull on the front of the "Ghost". Gets the job done, and works well for putting up field fencing as well.

[Pale Rider]

The lake your talking about is "Lune" lake, and you can hike down to the campground from Lune or if your good, real good you can ride a dirt bike.

The campground I'm talking about is actually ON the Rubicon trail, and its located at about elevation 5500 ft., and is about as far as "full size" rigs like yours, and mine can go. Jeepsters use it as a check station, they check over your ride, and make sure its "trail ready". They don't want you to block the trail if you get stuck, or break down. Also a place to take their Jeeps when they break. Great place to camp, the "four wheeler" crowd is a friendly bunch, and there's always lots of beer!:alcoholic:

I've got a "Sidewinder" 6000 lb. single pull on the front of the "Ghost". Gets the job done, and works well for putting up field fencing as well.

Yeah that's the lake. I've been on the Rubicon website several times, and it say's they stop at that lake as a first stop stopping point and have a big party before they hit the ruff stuff. That's one of the places on my list of places to go this summer. Hell, I can be in south Tahoe in about 45 minutes from here in Reno. Grab the old lady, tent, sleeping bags and a can of beans we're off!

[Pale Rider]

Now THAT looks like a truck from New York! This time of year, it would have a 1 inch coat of salt and road spray and about 9 feet of snow on the roof.

That truck was a 1981, and the picture was taken in 1993. Yup. That's what salt will do to a vehicle. There had been several times when I'd been stuck "behind" a "salt truck", and you could just hear all that salt pelting the underside of your car. I HATED it. And that is one of MANY reasons I don't live in Wisconsin anymore. Been gone all together from Wisconsin for 16 years, and I've never looked back.

I heard once that you could claim the premature rust damage from road salt on your taxes.

[glockmail]

That's a 1997 truck?!?! It looks brand new. If you lived in New York, that truck would be half rusted by now. They put so much salt on the roads here during the winter that it just eats up cars and trucks as well as bridges and highways.
Between the damn road salt and property taxes, I moved!

[Pale Rider]

Wiped the "Big Red Daaawwg" down with McGuire's Detail Spray today. That stuff gives a nice shine with very little effort. I think I like this truck more than any other vehicle I've ever owned. It sure is fun to drive. I haven't "joy riden" for ages, primarily because to the price of gas, but I have in this....

[shattered]

Saw lotsa those in the ditch this past week. People thinking they can zip around people in almost 2' of snow with no consequence. :D:D:D

[Pale Rider]

Saw lotsa those in the ditch this past week. People thinking they can zip around people in almost 2' of snow with no consequence. :D:D:D

I hear that. Same thing around here, most of them with California lisence plates.

You won't see that big red one in the pictures in the ditch though. I learned how to drive in WISCONSIN. Driving in snow was something you learned how to do right away.

In any case shattered, I think I know what you're saying. People buy these four wheel drive SUV's and all of a sudden, they forget basic rules of driving on snow.

[Sitarro]

Saw lotsa those in the ditch this past week. People thinking they can zip around people in almost 2' of snow with no consequence. :D:D:D

When I lived in Colorado I kept my truck in rear wheel drive unless the snow was really deep or going up a hill. You hit black ice in 4 wheel and you tend to be SOL really quick. Every snow I would see plenty 4 wheelers upside down in the median. The first snow of the year that coated the ground well, I would find an empty parking lot and get my snow feel with whichever vehicle I was driving at the time. I really hated front wheel drive cars.

[glockmail]

When I lived in Colorado I kept my truck in rear wheel drive unless the snow was really deep or going up a hill. You hit black ice in 4 wheel and you tend to be SOL really quick. Every snow I would see plenty 4 wheelers upside down in the median. The first snow of the year that coated the ground well, I would find an empty parking lot and get my snow feel with whichever vehicle I was driving at the time. I really hated front wheel drive cars.

I've not experienced that, nor can I see how that would occur. I put it in 4WD as soon as snow starts to acumulate, and even sometimes when its raining real hard.

[Pale Rider]

I've not experienced that, nor can I see how that would occur. I put it in 4WD as soon as snow starts to acumulate, and even sometimes when its raining real hard.

I do too. As soon as there's any type of accumulation, I pop it into four wheel drive. It helps that all the wheels are pulling at the same rate, and stopping at the same rate. But on black ice, it's not going to make one iota bit of difference if you have two wheel drive or eighteen. Ice is ice, and you're going to slide no matter what. The only thing that will give you an advantage is studded tires, which are legal here in Nevada, and yeah, they do work.

As far as using four wheel drive in the rain, I'd check my vehicles manual before I did that, because you can build up tension between the front and rear axles in the transfer case, and that can create some bad problems, including breaking expensive drive line parts. There has to be a certain amount of slip for the tires on whatever surface you're driving on in four wheel drive, so as NOT to build up tension between the front and rear axles. You can also build up enough bind that it will very difficult to take it out of four wheel drive. That's when parts start breaking. Get out your wallet, it's going to be a couple thousand to fix that.

[Sitarro]

I do too. As soon as there's any type of accumulation, I pop it into four wheel drive. It helps that all the wheels are pulling at the same rate, and stopping at the same rate. But on black ice, it's not going to make one iota bit of difference if you have two wheel drive or eighteen. Ice is ice, and you're going to slide no matter what. The only thing that will give you an advantage is studded tires, which are legal here in Nevada, and yeah, they do work.

As far as using four wheel drive in the rain, I'd check my vehicles manual before I did that, because you can build up tension between the front and rear axles in the transfer case, and that can create some bad problems, including breaking expensive drive line parts. There has to be a certain amount of slip for the tires on whatever surface you're driving on in four wheel drive, so as NOT to build up tension between the front and rear axles. You can also build up enough bind that it will very difficult to take it out of four wheel drive. That's when parts start breaking. Get out your wallet, it's going to be a couple thousand to fix that.

I based my opinion on a specific couple of cases, one was a 12 mile stretch on I-25 about 50 miles south of Pueblo. I was cruising along at about 55 and drove into some black ice. It was a rear wheel drive car that started coming around to the left. I let off the gas and steered lightly into the slide and let the speed bleed down to about 35(the fact that I still had steering capabilities was very key here). At that speed it tracked straight and I just maintained it, if I gave it extra thottle the rear would slowly come around. It was basically a solid sheet of ice for the next ten miles and I counted 10 four wheel drive vehicles in the median on their side or upside down( On ice it seems that the drive wheels tend to be the ones that spin, if all four are driving you don't have steering capabilities). Another time with the same car I basically skated that thing from side to side all of the way down !-70 between the Breckenridge turnoff down the mountain to Dillon(about 4 miles and very steep), easily one of the scariest things i've ever experienced. Shortly after that I bought a 4 wheel drive truck and have had them since....20 years.

I also had a mudder CJ-5 for 10 years after college....my friends and I would get blasted and go out on the muddy trails in Louisiana at 2 in the morning to see who would get stuck first....that jeep got stuck twice while I had it, both because of my errors and it was really stuck too. I was amazed at what that thing would power through in 4 wheel low...it had that inline 258 six and it felt like it would climb a telephone pole if you could maintain traction. I went through flood waters where the water was coming inside the doors and the exhaust sounded like an outboard motor(it had 12'' wide by 33'' Gumbo Muddrtires and a 3'' lift kit), I had a ridiculous amount of fun with that vehicle!

[glockmail]

....
As far as using four wheel drive in the rain, I'd check my vehicles manual before I did that, because you can build up tension between the front and rear axles in the transfer case, and that can create some bad problems, including breaking expensive drive line parts. ..... I only do it when its raining real hard, as it tends to do here in The South. My basic rule of thumb is that when I feel the need to turn off cruise control, to avoid the potential disater if my drive wheels are hydroplaning, then I hit the 4WD button.

I also use 4WD whenever I'm on a dirt road no matter what, as an opportunity to get those parts turning and relubricated. I've known more owners with repair problems due to underuse than overuse.

[glockmail]

.... It was basically a solid sheet of ice for the next ten miles and I counted 10 four wheel drive vehicles in the median on their side or upside down( On ice it seems that the drive wheels tend to be the ones that spin, if all four are driving you don't have steering capabilities).

I'm not sure about the steering issue, but I think that reason we tend to see 4WD vehicles like that is that the drivers are overconfident and don't understand the capabilities (or lack thereof) of 4WD. When I bought my wife her first 4WD I had to warn her several times, that she will be able to make forward progress well, but will not be able to stop or turn any better than with a 2WD. Of course, she would not listen to me, and it wasn't until she went off road and hit a tree at 50 did she realize that I was right. She was lucky that she hit a swamp willow that acted like a spring and was driving a vehicle that absorbed the remaining energy.

[Pale Rider]

Never in all the years of my driving have I ever put one of my vehicles in the ditch because of adverse conditions, two or four wheel drive. When there's snow and ice, I just slow down.

[Sitarro]

Never in all the years of my driving have I ever put one of my vehicles in the ditch because of adverse conditions, two or four wheel drive. When there's snow and ice, I just slow down.

To be fair to all of those vehicles I saw in the median and their drivers, the weather wasn't adverse, it wasn't snowing and it was actually very clear and very,very cold. I was lucky to have honed the instincts to get off the gas and steer into the slide, there was no warning of that ice it was just there so I would imagine those other people were tooling along at even higher speed when they came up on it and lost control. Now that you made me think of it, there wasn't any reason for those trucks to be in four wheel drive so maybe they weren't but then again the vehicles were all along that 10 miles so maybe after initially surviving the slip and slide they put their vehicles into 4 wheel thinking that would help them on ice and actually it made things worse.

This also reminded me of a time when I first bought my jeep and I was driving to work in the winter. It had been raining but was now pretty cold and there were patches of ice on the road. I put my jeep in four wheel high and felt comfortable that I would be fine. I hit a patch of ice on a bridge and completely lost control in an instant, I was just extremely lucky that I was pointing kind of straight when the ice came to a stop and it was regular wet pavement( I wasn't going fast which surprised me even more).

Anyway, that's my experience so I won't drive in 4 wheel unless there is several inches of snow on the road, you guys should do whatever you're comfortable with.

[trobinett]

We don't get much snow in Arkansas, 3-6 inches on average. Like most I don't have trouble in snow, but ice, I don't like it, and drive really, really, slow.

Like Pale, I've never put it in a ditch, but I would to miss another vehicle.

The "Ghost"(my truck)is old school, and was bought on the west coast. Its a mountain truck, low rider, with reverse radius springs. It's got good ground clearance, but the truck's center of gravity is lower than "regular" 4 x 4's. Posi in the rear, with 4:11's, and locker in front. Use to be "full-time" four wheel drive, but I converted it to "locker", and rebuilt the transfer case at the same time, the chain was badly stretched.

It's got a small block 400 with edelbrock intake, and 450cfm carburetor. A mild cam for low end, use to do a lot of pulling. The engine was freshened up about 10,000 miles ago, along with the C6 automatic. Put a mild shift kit in the tyranny. I've surprised a number of the newer rig's around these parts, but most know of me, and stay clear, ha, ha.

As you can tell, I love the Old "Ghost"......:lol: :cheers2: :lol:


The Ghost has served me well for over 25 years. It sees mostly ranch duty now, but I drive it into town once in a while, but mostly just in bad weather.

[Pale Rider]

We don't get much snow in Arkansas, 3-6 inches on average. Like most I don't have trouble in snow, but ice, I don't like it, and drive really, really, slow.

Like Pale, I've never put it in a ditch, but I would to miss another vehicle.

The "Ghost"(my truck)is old school, and was bought on the west coast. Its a mountain truck, low rider, with reverse radius springs. It's got good ground clearance, but the truck's center of gravity is lower than "regular" 4 x 4's. Posi in the rear, with 4:11's, and locker in front. Use to be "full-time" four wheel drive, but I converted it to "locker", and rebuilt the transfer case at the same time, the chain was badly stretched.

It's got a small block 400 with edelbrock intake, and 450cfm carburetor. A mild cam for low end, use to do a lot of pulling. The engine was freshened up about 10,000 miles ago, along with the C6 automatic. Put a mild shift kit in the tyranny. I've surprised a number of the newer rig's around these parts, but most know of me, and stay clear, ha, ha.

As you can tell, I love the Old "Ghost"......:lol: :cheers2: :lol:


The Ghost has served me well for over 25 years. It sees mostly ranch duty now, but I drive it into town once in a while, but mostly just in bad weather.

I WANNA SEE A PICTURE OF THE *GHOST*!!! :rock:

[Sitarro]

I WANNA SEE A PICTURE OF THE *GHOST*!!! :rock:

Me too!