The Yukon

[Nick]

I bought yet another vehicle. Yesterday I purchased a GMC Yukon for $800 off a Craigslist dude. He had it listed for $1000, but practically ask me to give him less when I mentioned the price. Cody can tell you, he was there.

So far I like it. The seats fold flat-ish and the back is big enough for a queen-sized air mattress to make it into a mini-camper. It smells like a 20 year old car, which is to say, not too bad but kinda musty. I will need to give it a good cleaning before adding my own stank to it.  Everything seems to work so far (4wd and even cruse control!) It needs painted. White just work work for me. Any color suggestions?

[zourtney]

Dare I suggest that you just found your bargain-truck of the decade? From everything I see, it looks like the perfect camp/hunt/beater-mobile. I look forward to meeting it

As for color, it's hard for me to suggest anything but some earthy shade of green(s). But more narrowly, what kind of look are you going for? If you're going for a Rattlecan Disaster motif, I can suggest nothing less than CAMO. On the other hand, if you're more into the Feigning Presbytery look, how could you resist a fresh even coat of our beloved Forest Service Green?

And really, the paint isn't that bad, from what I can see. Just...white and peely.

Campcamp!

[Cody]

I was there! And it does indeed seem like a pretty awesome camping vehicle. Hopefully I can see it in action before too terribly long. The woods be calling me.

[zourtney]

Any decisions on what you're going to do to/with the Newfoundbeast?

[Nick]

So far I have been "hot water extractor" cleaning the carpets with my grandmas carper shampooer (it's drying out right now. 'got an electric heater in there) and washing down all the interior. The previous owners smoked at some point, and it smelled a little. I think it is about back to neutral.  Also experimenting with all the switches hidden about it. There is a kill switch hidden amongst them. 

Also, the front seats are not stock. It came with a 60/40 bench seat in the front originally I think. Someone put bucket seats (out of who knows what) and a center console in its place. I think I might like to find some stock 1996-or so buckets (maybe fake leather for easy cleaning and sweaty backs) as the ones they put in seem to be a little taller then feels right.

I also gave it an oil change between cloud bursts (I need a shop for this stuff) The guy who sold it to be talked about timely oil changes, yet it was looking dark (that's ok, oil picks up the carbon and just) and kinda low and thick (not so ok) but not it is fresh and amber-ish.  I still need to check transfer and differential fluids, trans fluid looks ok (and BRIGHT red).

I think I want to build a brush guard and a swing-arm tire mount for the rear bumper. Or a rack to put the spare on the roof (I want to make a roof-rack either way) ...but that raises the center of gravity a bit. I am not sure by how much, so it could be fine, especially if centered nicely.

Any suggestions as to what it needs? I have no concerns about resale value Just useability. 

Tomorrow should be sunny... I might clean the Blazer out... she needs sold. She was a good truck, but lacks interior cargo space.  $600 to anyone I already know. $1000 to craigslist weirdos, mostly because of all the extra effort.

Wow, that is a wall of text if ever I did see one.

[zourtney]

Are you going to keep the mini-Blazer as is, with the roof rack and everything? When selling it, that is.

Sound like some good fun Big Blazer times are in the future!

[Nick]

I'm not sure on the Blazer. The roof rack is not very... professional. But potential buyers might like it. I was looking at making a reasonably light rack to clamp to the stock roof rails of the Yukon (we need a better name for it) and perhaps getting two more rails to add better weight distribution.

Also, I got it a $5 rear view mirror from the junk yard. One with temperature display and a compass Now I have to wire in the temperature probe up to the front grill.

Another thing I have found with it: It needs a new throttle body. The bearings (?) for the throttle shaft are out of round so the butterfly valves get wedged shut at idle. This makes it hard to push the gas at first and can make the idle go too low and stall as the computer can't adjust the throttle (I think.) Either way it's annoying.

Pictures! Using the 'share album' function on the TroveBox thing, let me know if they don't work
http://photo.randomland.net/photos/album-2/token-c076249481/list

[zourtney]

I like it the picture thing worked. I want to come try it out with you!