So it’s been a while... the day after Christmas 2019 while at Duke University hospital with my dad who had COPD, he had a lung collapse about six weeks prior and had been moved to Duke. They had done a procedure that morning to repair the lung, had not responded well and was moved to ICU. I had just stepped out with my sister to get some lunch and get a call from my son who is on the way to Raleigh from Greensboro to visit friends, “dad, the wagoneer quit on me”. He made it about 15 miles. I leave the hospital and head his way, he’s about an hour away. I get there, there’s coolant all over the place. It had cooled down be the time I got there so I started it up to move it a few hundred feet to a gas station, it barely ran and sounded terrible. Went in the store and told the attendant I had to leave it there for about an hour and headed to the house to get the trailer. Get back to the station and start loading it up and me phone rings, it’s my sister “ dads not doing good, you need to get back now”. Get it loaded and strapped and haul tail back to Duke. Three more distressed calls from my sister telling me “dad’s asking for you hurry up” one of which he gets on the phone literally dying to tell me to be careful and not drive to fast, I’m doing 85-90 with waggy in tow, “yes sir, I’ll be safe”. I finally get there, make a wrong turn and end up in what amounts to a single lane loop that leads to the ER, I can’t get through because... morons! I start backing up to try and turn around and see a valet ( found out later he was a equipment operator in the Army) roll down the window “can you park this thing?”, I’m sure he could sense my stress level, and says “yes sir”. I hop out and take off to the ICU. Fortunately I was able to be by his side the last few hours of his life.
Needless to say I lost interest in the wagoneer for a bit. I did muster up the energy to pull the motor and take it to be rebuilt but that’s about it. I got back on it a few months ago. Went ahead and pulled the body off the frame, rebuilt both axles, transfer case, transmission. Sandblasted everything I could, took the springs apart, cleaned them up painted and reassembled. Sandblasted the fuel tank skid plate, epoxy primed and painted. Installed new upper/lower ball joints and tie rod ends. Rebuilt the calipers and installed new rotors, new wheel cylinders in back with all new hardware and shoes. New stainless steal brake lines. New wheel bearings and seals. And I’m sure a few things I forgot.
I have new Bilstein 5125 shocks ordered from BJ’s and need to decide about steering gear and get it ordered. Getting a little closer every day.
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