the bandaid list is long and involved. I wanna wheel, buuuuut... you know?
I suppose pulling the front axle and redoing the front links/ link mounts, doing full hydro, plating the bottom of the housing, getting a battery and steering orbital, etc isn't wasted money - but then I put it back in a truck that still rides like shit (front coil springs ~$200 wasted money), needs motor mount and tcase mount work (time, though, dirt, welding), has no exhaust left ($40 wasted on another flex pipe & clamps to do it easy & wrong), and will eat rear driveshafts without yet a lil more work (pull leaves, add shims, rebuild shackles with bushings).
So, a grand and change plus gear sets.
fuckit, if I had a place to work that'd already be done. I need to finish that TDI and get Dump Bus parts out of the garage so I can curse how much too small it is all over again.
Longer term I'm thinking of tube based off the dakota grille & hood. truck style lines with a short cab. probably back to a married case aiming for a 110" wb and keep the 42s for now. carry it on the back of High Miler for local trips with the rear tires on a platform behind/below the bed.
motor sounds GREAT when it has full voltage to it. no stumbling, no tripping over itself returning to idle. I have at least one spare trans. 727 or 46/47/48RE will all mate if the 44REs don't live and I have a manual trans 360 PCM already sitting to do a 727 setup. 318/360 are dime a dozen in stock form even if not as cheap to mod as LS. that's a couple grand saved in using what I've got (ignoring $800 van options). leave a few inches all around and if the chassis is good enough to deserve it, a HEMI or LS could go in its place later.
