Sleam
Explorer
I bought a 1972 SIII three years ago from a friend of mine. It's had three owners in NM and before that came from UK in 2010 ish. You know the story, these 40 year old vehicles are not the most reliable and I've had my fair share of breakdowns in the last three years. To the point where I'm extremely cautious about taking little Shorty beyond my nearest town. Sigh. It's a love/hate relationship yet I keep modifying to suit life in NM with three dogs. I dream of rtts, camping in mountains and on beaches, and months-long extended trips around the States (kind of like in the Blue Highways travel book).
To boost my confidence I took out all the receipts from work done on the beast. I do love her but damn, she's reliably unreliable. In fact, she's going to the mechanic next week for the messed up wheel bearings/ joints.
Anyway, here's a list of work done that I know of!
2010
-new clutch plates
- leaf springs
- shocks
2011
-transmission checked
-transfer case installed
-new exhaust system
-u-joints
- various hinges, doors, hard shell
2012 to now
-rebuilt engine
-all new clutch system including hoses/ lines, cylinders etc (the mechanic found it had been installed without ten bolts, just caulked in place!)
-adjust emergency brake
-all new cooling system (temp gauge, water pump, radiator, thermostat, fan, etc)
-regular grease/ oil underneath
-regular oil changes/ tune ups
-new voltage stabilizer
-new plugs etc (not sure about plug wires or distributer cap)
-under dash rewire
-new windscreen wiper motor
-and one flat tire repair!
Things I'd like to get taken care of include - heater core replacement, install overdrive, new brakes probably, check transmission again soon. Soundproofing would be kind on the dogs as I have ear plugs! What else was I thinking of? I can't remember...oh, that's right, I'd like to take a mechanic course for fixing issues on the road. I'm pretty practical and did much of the smaller stuff at home, and I did apprentice with a mechanic on old VWs so I have a basic ability but I thought more current training would give me confidence to go anywhere.
What else do you suggest?
To boost my confidence I took out all the receipts from work done on the beast. I do love her but damn, she's reliably unreliable. In fact, she's going to the mechanic next week for the messed up wheel bearings/ joints.
Anyway, here's a list of work done that I know of!
2010
-new clutch plates
- leaf springs
- shocks
2011
-transmission checked
-transfer case installed
-new exhaust system
-u-joints
- various hinges, doors, hard shell
2012 to now
-rebuilt engine
-all new clutch system including hoses/ lines, cylinders etc (the mechanic found it had been installed without ten bolts, just caulked in place!)
-adjust emergency brake
-all new cooling system (temp gauge, water pump, radiator, thermostat, fan, etc)
-regular grease/ oil underneath
-regular oil changes/ tune ups
-new voltage stabilizer
-new plugs etc (not sure about plug wires or distributer cap)
-under dash rewire
-new windscreen wiper motor
-and one flat tire repair!
Things I'd like to get taken care of include - heater core replacement, install overdrive, new brakes probably, check transmission again soon. Soundproofing would be kind on the dogs as I have ear plugs! What else was I thinking of? I can't remember...oh, that's right, I'd like to take a mechanic course for fixing issues on the road. I'm pretty practical and did much of the smaller stuff at home, and I did apprentice with a mechanic on old VWs so I have a basic ability but I thought more current training would give me confidence to go anywhere.
What else do you suggest?
