North Carolina, 2014

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Just for fun I priced out 2 new BFGoodrich ATs to replace the front tires, which are what is on there right now.  33x12.5x15s.  475.00 was the cheapest I found around here.  Yikes!  Looks like the K5 is gonna have "new" more aggressive shoes next week!

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

The garage called today and all the parts are ordered.  Everything should be here in time to get the truck completely fixed on Monday.  Now I just have a find a ride up there to drop the truck off in the morning, and a ride in the evening to pick it up!

Kev

[circleD]

When do you need to be there and where is it?

[ClydesdaleKevin]

EARLY (8am) on Monday morning.  Its in Cornelius. Diezelbuilt 4x4 Fabrications, 18637 - B Northline DR, Cornelius, NC. 28031.  Not far off of 73 in Huntersville.  I shouldn't have any problems finding a ride though since a lot of our friends here at the campground have vehicles, and most of them have Monday off.

They actually just called me and confirmed that according to the tracking numbers, the parts will all definitely be in in time to do the job on Monday.  SWEET!!!

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

WAY ahead on the catapults!  Shouldn't be all that late a day tomorrow.  SWEET!  Its going to be a busy week coming up though, what with the student days and getting ready for the following weekend.  THEN we can take a breather...sort of...and I'll have time to take care of a few RV projects before winter vacation.

Kev

[circleD]

Yea, that's a little to early to ride over there to assist. I have to take the kids to pre school first. Sorry man 

[ClydesdaleKevin]

No problem bro.  My friend Tony saw my shoutout on Facebook, so he'll be following me down there and driving me back, and then driving me back to pick it up around 5pm.

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Finished up the catapults around 5pm, and then went to the market with Patti for marshmallows, snack bags and paper bags, and some groceries.  We are going to be just fine this weekend, all 3 student days, and the following weekend!  Hurray for planning ahead!  Getting the truck done won't put a dent in our production at all.  SWEET!!!

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Great day at faire today!  Made enough to pay for the K5 Blazer repairs and then some...so tomorrow is just money in the bank for Vacation.  Most of what we make for the rest of this show is also vacation money, except what we have to spend on food and materials.  SWEET!!!  It looks like its going to be a great winter vacation!

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

So sadly, due to a misunderstanding between the owner and his employee that orders the parts, they ordered the wrong lift kit (with rear blocks instead of a full spring lift kit). Problem resolved, so they ordered the parts for me today, and I'll get them installed NEXT Monday. Ah well. No extra cost, and they are going to weld in a gusset support where there is a crack in my frame by the rear passenger side shock mount, also at no extra cost. SWEET! I payed the owner today for the good used set of 4 BFG Mud Terrain tires, 33X12.5X15s, so he'll have them dismounted off the Jeep rims before the job next week, and they are even going to try to find time to have them mounted and balanced for my by the tire guys they use if they have time...but no promises.

And my tilt steering column bolts are loosening up again, dangit! I should have used lock tite! They are going to be working on all that as part of the job, or I would have done it myself today with loc tite.

The booth is all set up for student days at the Faire...Three of those coming right up!  Supposed to rain like heck tomorrow, but they always get the forecast wrong in North Carolina.

Kev

[Rickf1985]

While it is in the shop for the lift kit have them check the frame behind the steering box for the usual frame cracks that Chevy is famous for. With those bigger tires and the lift if it is cracked it will get bad real fast. There many different repair kits out there for just that problem. If they have the option of using the balance beads for the tires then go for it, I had them put in the 35's I just put on my Jeep and they are great! No wobble or hop at all.

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Thanks Rick!  The owner before the guy I bought it from already reenforced the frame behind the steering box with a welded in gusset.  They bought it from him before the project was finished and just flipped it.  The first guy did a lot off good things right, like welding in the steering box reinforcement...and then the kid I bought it from got a hold of it and did a lot of hack jobs like the lift.  I can always tell who did what...lol!

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Slow first kids day since there were tornado warnings and over half the schools cancelled.  We did okay though and had fun (most kids in NC are well behaved).  2 more kids days to go!

After kids day today we mailed some stuff out at the post office, and then went to an Ulta for Patti to get some makeup up in Mooresville, NC, and then we went to Best Buy and bought her a new computer.  Her Acer, about 4 years old, bit the bullet with complete hard drive failure this morning.  We bought a Dell Inspirion 15 as a replacement, and its a nice computer!  I've always had good luck with Dells.  Hell, the computer I'm typing this on is a Dell Latitude D520 close to 10 years old with XP and still going strong!  It took me a while to get it set up just right for her, but she's now quite happy with it!  Touch screen too!

After kids day tomorrow, I'll be in the shop building more Bandits for Thursday...and on Friday more Bandits for the weekend. 

As always North Carolina keeps us on our toes, we love it the most of any faire we do besides Arizona, and we somehow manage to accomplish great things here project wise every year!

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Great student day today...one more to go!  Friday I'll have to finish a run of Bandit catapults, a few hour job, so I'll have the rest of Friday off before working the weekend.  I think this is the smoothest Hell Week we've had so far in North Carolina!!!

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Last kids day done, and Hell Week is officially over!  After the cannon went off (signifying the end of Faire day), I went back to camp to cut out and sand dowels and put them in the dehydrator while Patti put in a cameo appearance for us at the after-party.  Tomorrow I'll finish up assembly on 75 more Bandits which will take me about 3 hours, and then we'll have the rest of the day off together.  The kids today were awesome as a whole, and we had a lot of fun with them.  So we get sort of a day off tomorrow, and then the third weekend!  Woohoo!!!

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

All the catapults are done and stained for the weekend and up at the booth, 50+ bags of marshmallows are also at the booth, and the booth is all set up for a regular weekend and looking pretty again.

This was the smoothest kids days so far at this faire, and the kids were wonderfully behaved all in all.  We made some money and even had fun!  Bring on the weekend!  Its supposed to be perfect weather, and we are ready for it!

Kev

[circleD]

We make our children say yes Sir and ma'am here in NC 

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Awesome and very busy day at Faire today!  And another coming right up tomorrow!  Then on Monday the truck goes in for the work it needs.  I'll have the rest of Monday off besides getting up early to drop the truck off and pick it up in the evening...then it will be 4 busy days of building catapults.  The following week I can start working on some projects before winter vacation.  Always busy at this show and love it...although looking forward more and more to vacation...lol!

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Outstanding weekend overall!  Getting my truck fixed tomorrow...Woohoo!!!

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

So they worked on our K5 Blazer all day, and were ALMOST done by closing time.  They called me at 5pm and said it should be completely ready to pick up by noon today.  Now I just have to find a ride...lol!

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

So two whole days in their shop, and the boys at Diezel's 4x4 keep finding more stuff they NEED to correct before giving me back the K5.  Around 6pm this evening Diezel himself handed me the keys to the baddass company promo Jeep and said I could use it until they finish tomorrow.  They have one last thing to do, which is rebuild the steering column (which had broken structural parts inside the tilt section and was non rebuildable by itself) from my old broken one and a spare one he had in the shop.  Did I mention that NONE of this extra work cost me a penny more?  They gave me a quote, and are sticking to the quote.  Holy crap!  Frame welding in two spots, driveline and headlight alignment, new brake hoses, new hardware in one rear drum, drilling out and replacing two brake bleeders, the steering column rebuild...1400 bucks was the quote for the whole job and they are sticking to it...they sure aren't making any money on my truck repairs!  Now this is a shop with honor and integrity!  And holy crap are they doing a nice job!!!  I highly recommend this shop to anyone.  They are outstanding!!!  They are going WAY over and above the call of duty!!!

They are located on Northline Road, in Cornelius, NC, and repair all vehicles.  They specialize in 4x4s and Jeeps and whatnot, but can do it all.  They even do custom metal fabrications and body and paint work.  I can't speak highly enough of these fine gentlemen!!!

Kev

[circleD]

WOW!!! Good deal man. I'm glad your blazer will be upgraded and safer  .
I wonder if they'd do that kind of work on my '84 HR  Hm?

[ClydesdaleKevin]

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Diezels-Auto-Repair-Diezel-Built-4X4-fabrication/225879060804353

And they do some work on motorhomes.  They are helping to build a custom one from the ground up...pics on their facebook page...lol!

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Yay! They finished up late in the day today, and I took a bunch of pictures of the work they did. I'll post more individually with descriptions when I have time, but for now here is a photobucket slideshow link to the pictures I just took today of some of the work they did. Rides like a dream now! And what an awesome steering radius in BOTH directions! I LOVE the new tires...lol!

And she sits about an inch higher now and perfectly level.  SWEET!!!

http://s1114.photobucket.com/user/ClydesdaleKevin/slideshow/North%20Carolina%202014

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Kev