Diesel Ranger Goes In The Garage

Its only taken how many years? Today the Ranger got winched rite into the garage, under my custom made engine lift. The motor is all unbolted, just a few minor things left to disconnect. I had hopped to have the extraction video done by now. The Ranger will get minor work, new head, timing belt, water pump, pan gasket, extra block heaters and machined oil filter base (machined to fit more common filters that don't cost $80 each). Everything will get washed, painted and put back together. The ol dodge will turn 300,000 around April, and might retire for good.

I figure I shouldn't have more than 3 trucks. I have just about finished the 57 that will replace the dodge, be more fun, capable and maybe cost more to run. Then the Ranger will be done in the Summer, with extra block heaters for Winter. If all goes as planned I will pick up a free minivan and the old crashed diesel Jetta in Victoria, and make my diesel minivan. Then I want a Diesel out of a 3 ton, to put into the 57, but I won't even think about that yet.

Clients have been real entertaining. I moved a couple that couldn't be more than 20, with 3 kids, moving from one dump into the next. The woman didn't want to haul the stuff in the back of their pick up truck, but their stuff was all the crap you could get for free. I wondered if I would get paid but I did.

Then my electrical job I "estimated" at $100 an hour, if things would have went well. But it took me twice as long, materials were 50% more than I anticipated, and I hadn't included any time for picking the materials up, nor driving to the job, so I made less than $40 an hour for that. I find it really entertaining to see the renovations that home owners do. I should be an inspector.