Vehicles

Cars, Trucks, Bikes.

1978 Ford E-250 Econoline Van

This van belongs to my father. It had been sitting for years but doesn't really have mechanical problems. It sat because the transmission fluid pan was leaking. This has since then been replaced. I've also replaced the radiator, alternator, water pump, fuel pump, thermostat, coolant temp sensor, rear fuel tank, fuel pump, and all rubber fuel line. I also hardwired the fuel line to the rear tank, and gave it a tune-up. I bought a couple of replacement carburetors at the 2010 Carlisle Ford Nationals. One carb is not an adequate match and is relatively useless. The other carburetor was rebuilt and worked for several hours before crapping out. I managed to find an AMC branded carb at the Carlisle Fall Parts meet and it has held up well so far, but the carb is far from perfect. A friend of mine who is a diesel mechanic had a look at the motor and said that he thought that there were valve problems, and potentially one or more bent pushrods. I ended up replacing all of the pushrods. Some of them were bent so bad that I had difficulty removing them from the block. In 2013 I drove the van from Northern Virginia to just outside of Pittsburgh -- a 200+ mile drive -- to return it. Apart from some now comparatively minor issues, The Van is fixed.

1977 Chevrolet Corvette

At one point, this was my daily driver. Then I hit a deer with it. I got a good deal on the insurance resolution and have kept it. I have a front clip for it off of a 1978 'vette that hasn't been properly installed yet. This is my big project after the 1988 'vette below.

1988 Chevrolet Corvette

Another work in progress. There weren't any mechanical problems originally. More recently it developed a transmission problem and I decided to overhaul the transmission and overdrive unit myself. The overhaul work ended up not going so well and ultimately I bought a replacement Tremec kit from an outfit called Silver Sport. There are several nagging body and interior problems as well. Among these are weatherstripping, seals around the windshield, rear defog, heater core, A/C system, seat upholstery, headliner, some cabin electrical systems are flaky, etc. I have a number of new parts that either were already installed or are waiting to be installed. I started working on reupholstering the seats and plan to get the weatherstripping replaced at a shop. Of all the projects, this has the potential to come together the fastest.

(Last updated: 2023-03-25)

2004 Jeep Wrangler Sport

This is my daily driver. A few minor issues, but runs great and does well in the winter time.

1987 Yamaha Virago XV535T

My first Motorcycle. I thought it needed some carb work, but it ended up being electrical. Overall it has held up well while I've had it. I got it with only \~7000 miles on it. Great for low-speed roads but not really a highway-ready bike. Most recently the charging system died on it (again) and I'll need to fully diagnose and possibly repair or replace the whole charging system and battery. I sold this bike in 2021 when I was preparing to move out of Virginia.

(Last updated: 2023-03-25)

2004 Yamaha V-Star 1100 Silverado Classic

I bought this bike in July of 2010 and it's been my main motorcycle ever since. The longest ride I've done to date was when I moved from Virginia to Texas and rode the whole route solo, stopping overnight in Tennessee. That was quite an adventure and I would love to do more long-distance rides.

(Last updated: 2023-03-25)