Where did all the Cabriolet guys go??

[chiefbuzz]

Howdy All ! Ok I will admit I haven't been on here much myself but I will be now. You ask why? Well I dusted off my 1989 Ford Cabriolet and started it so I could put new tags on it. The inspection went fine until we checked the King Pins and one rear wheel seal leak so that will put me back a month or so but fixing I am going to do and put it back on the road!

What is everyone else been up to ? Me lots of repairs from the long Winter around the place and on some of the home stuff. I wanted to take my Cabriolet for a run before our Governor raised the State Tax on fuel but she beat me with a 23% hike at the pumps, like that stuff isn't high enough already. So I will be hanging on to my Cruiser, couldn't sell if I tried. But life is good who knows I may need to live in it before its all over.......

[uk-krewzer]

Glad to hear your getting back into your truck, ive just got mine out for the summer. What plans you got for it.

[chiefbuzz]

The wife wants to go to the Cost of Maine and run around, me I just want to be able to get back from were ever we go and not being on the end of a hook.

I have been looking forward in getting out with my E350 ever since we got it. I have been looking at some trailers but it may come down to the cost of fuel here real soon, I may have to train my dogs to be sled dogs.....they are Mini Doxies......

[uk-krewzer]

That sounds cool trip, I get where your coming from with running cost's tho it's a killer ain't it. I took the big block out of mine for the same reason. Fitted a cummins. Can you fit lpg to make running costs more affordable? I think the dogs would approve.

[chiefbuzz]

Please keep me up dated on how the engine change works, but I never though of LPG. I am going to check into that. It's funny I came from the Pacific North West where there are some of the deepest LPG wells in the World and fuel that has never been tapped but the price is as bad there as here diesel is close to $4.00 gal.

However LPG is a very clean running and the engine weight shouldn't be as heavy as a diesel which I did look at from Ford. Something to think about and again please let me know how your's turns out.

The Pups don't care what type of engine or even if it has one they just like going and are so funny to watch them look out at all the scenery.

My younger days I would have already changed it to diesel but today it takes me as long to get down to change the oil and longer getting up I hope to have a better place to work on it in this year out of the weather and snow so we will see how things work with it after the king pins and wheel seals if nothing else breaks I'm good to go. I think it sat to long without running on the road. The fellow I bought it from ran the Eastern Sea Coast pulling a box race trailer and after kissing a wall or two gave up the racing. I'm not sure how long it sat before I got it. It gives me something to do and allows me to spend my money before the government gets it LOL

[uk-krewzer]

i would of considered LPG but i felt the engine was'nt that strong and would of required some work before i fitted the LPG so as a cost that went out the window. i fitted the cummins at the back end of last year, ive gotta say it was'nt as easy as i thought but eventually i got it done. the engine i used came from a DAF as they are easy to source over here. it came with an allison 545 auto box which is giving me some issues as its very low gearing in top, can only reach about 60 mph flat out.
ive been talking to some of the members on here and they've given me a few ideas to try and resolve the gears ratio problem

its good on fuel though, i reckon its doing between 18-20 to the gallon (roughly) i worked it out i recently did a trip of 150 miles i put £50 worth of diesel in to do it. remember a gallon of diesel over here costs £6.90 that converts to about $11.37 so at £50 it only gives me about 7.5 gallons
if you go onto youtube and type in E350 FITTED WITH A CUMMINS you'll see it, i'd just fitted a new steering box to it and was trying it around the car park.

have you got a lot of work to do on your truck, or is it just general maintenance to keep it on the road.

[Audra]

They were always a quiet lot

I still get excited every time I spot one while driving. They are pretty rare.