OR VietVet Is Still Throwing $$$ at 2005 Z71

[iamdub]

Back somewhere in this thread, I have a blacked out front BOWTIE in the grille.

Yeah, but that's built into the grille. These are the badges that everyone just removes if they don't care for their appearance. You're not only keeping them, but meticulously painting them. What's next- euro tail lights?

 

[iamdub]

This crap of being in Ca. is messing with my mind........Hopefully the next trip to Mo. brings me full circle.

Ah. You're getting delirious from that CA air.

 

[OR VietVet]

I did not paint them, I had a shop install the new emblems and it turns out the white is vinyl. I am having the CHEVROLET side today. Gonna drop off at 10:45 for the work in Chico, Ca. and then go with my cousin for a couple hours at the shooting range in Chico. They open at 11 am and the place is owned by cops and former military. I have been there once with my cousin about 2 weeks ago. I am not a fan of indoor shooting ranges but she is a member there. I tried to buy ammo there last time but could not because my I.D. is out of state. Oh well. Head and heart shots for the day!!!!

 

[OR VietVet]

Got and installed the 2 new Strongarm rear hatch struts yesterday. BIG difference. I used to have to push the hatch all the way up. Now when am about 2/3 open the struts take over and lift all the way up. It is also harder to start the close procedure. Have to muscle it a bit to get started. Luvin' it for sure. I had no problems before till I was loading the back of rig with totes for my trip to Paradise, Ca. to start my move and I was leaned in and the hatch had floated down and I banged my head on it while backing away from just stowing a tote.

Thanks to @iamdub for the Strongarm recommendation.

 

[iamdub]

Got and installed the 2 new Strongarm rear hatch struts yesterday. BIG difference. I used to have to push the hatch all the way up. Now when am about 2/3 open the struts take over and lift all the way up. It is also harder to start the close procedure. Have to muscle it a bit to get started. Luvin' it for sure. I had no problems before till I was loading the back of rig with totes for my trip to Paradise, Ca. to start my move and I was leaned in and the hatch had floated down and I banged my head on it while backing away from just stowing a tote.

Thanks to @iamdub for the Strongarm recommendation.

I hope they last for ya!

After 15 months, mine are holding up fine (pun intended). The rear glass still takes much more effort to start to close it than it did with the old ones. I don't try to close it fast- I give the struts time to compress rather than bowing the glass and risk shattering it.

 

[OR VietVet]

I got gas and saw the sticker and the CHEVROLET emblem just got done today:

 

[Joseph Garcia]

Please keep this thread non-political. I am enjoying it, and I don't want to see it closed for Forum rules violations.

 

[iamdub]

I got gas and saw the sticker and the CHEVROLET emblem just got done today:View attachment 367403

Dem hips, doe!

 

[Fless]

Sitting here with my cousin Bev and watching a documentary by Ron Howard, think Opie Taylor, titled "Rebuilding Paradise". She had shared pics of her driving out of Paradise, Ca. on November 8th during the height of the fire danger. This documentary really tells the complete story and has the pics/videos to back it up and all the politics that was involved. It caused her to cry all over again and me right with her crying sitting next to her. Devastation like you would not believe and lots of rebuilding and construction all over this city. She has lived her 57+ years and I have visited here many times when in the service and lived here for 9 months after I got out of the service. We have likely 1.5 months still here before leaving for Warrensburg, Mo. I had only seen her pics and her stories till I got here and saw the damage and then the documentary.

I was at the library late this afternoon and finally remembered to pick up the DVD. Watched it this evening and it was interesting. Lots of folk near here in and around Superior going through the same right now from the Marshall Fire.

 

[OR VietVet]

Things are changing rapidly. My cousin IS moving to Mo. I am not. Cant bear the thought of that weather and salt on roads that would eat up my Tahoe. I had been seeing a retired flight attendant over the last 5 years. I left Ca. a month ago for a VISIT and she wants me to move in at her house in Coburg, just outside of Eugene. I will be going back to Ca. to retrieve my personal belongings and guns and brink back to Oregon. Then, since my cousin accepted an offer on her home in Paradise, I am going back to Ca. to then drive with cousin to Mo. and get her there and girlfriend will fly there and we are going to Texas to see her daughter and then drive back to Oregon. Had it not been for girlfriend, I was going to move to Mo. and a more conservative state but would have missed Or. The homeless population pretty much stay away from Coburg. My girlfriend is conservative and owns guns and loves to shoot and loves NASCAR and football.

I recently bought a new Glock G29 GEN4 10mm 10 round that I have since bought 2 15 round mags for with extended mag adaptors for. Gonna shoot it soon. Was going to go to local indoor range, Northwest Arsenal, but day before I was headed there a shooter there commited suicide. My girlfriend just bought a Ruger LCP MAX and and a new carry purse. We are both going to take the Utah CCW class to allow for concealed carry in 37 states, since she wants to travel.

Anyways, that is my update to those that even care. I know RM does not in the least.
I will be busier on here when I get on my computer and off my phone.

 

[iamdub]

Things are changing rapidly. My cousin IS moving to Mo. I am not. Cant bear the thought of that weather and salt on roads that would eat up my Tahoe. I had been seeing a retired flight attendant over the last 5 years. I left Ca. a month ago for a VISIT and she wants me to move in at her house in Coburg, just outside of Eugene. I will be going back to Ca. to retrieve my personal belongings and guns and brink back to Oregon. Then, since my cousin accepted an offer on her home in Paradise, I am going back to Ca. to then drive with cousin to Mo. and get her there and girlfriend will fly there and we are going to Texas to see her daughter and then drive back to Oregon. Had it not been for girlfriend, I was going to move to Mo. and a more conservative state but would have missed Or. The homeless population pretty much stay away from Coburg. My girlfriend is conservative and owns guns and loves to shoot and loves NASCAR and football.

I recently bought a new Glock G29 GEN4 10mm 10 round that I have since bought 2 15 round mags for with extended mag adaptors for. Gonna shoot it soon. Was going to go to local indoor range, Northwest Arsenal, but day before I was headed there a shooter there commited suicide. My girlfriend just bought a Ruger LCP MAX and and a new carry purse. We are both going to take the Utah CCW class to allow for concealed carry in 37 states, since she wants to travel.

Anyways, that is my update to those that even care. I know RM does not in the least.
I will be busier on here when I get on my computer and off my phone.

Last-minute change, but sounds like you'll be happier.

 

[pwtr02ss]

V*gina strikes again. You were thiiiiiiis close to escaping...

All jokes aside, glad to hear you're doing well. Oregon is a beautiful place and I dont blame you a bit for
Not wanting to leave.

 

[OR VietVet]

V*gina strikes again. You were thiiiiiiis close to escaping...

All jokes aside, glad to hear you're doing well. Oregon is a beautiful place and I dont blame you a bit for
Not wanting to leave.

Yep, love the state but hate the politics. I was hating the sales tax in Ca. and there is sales tax in Mo. too along with the rusted out hulks caused by salt. I also had to get used to pumping my own fuel in Ca. and Mo. but will miss that actually.

The fuel cost is more in Oregon too but that just means less trips to coast than normal. The beautiful state of Or. makes up for so much of what I may miss by not moving to Mo. I already have a lead on a service writer's job here locally.

 

[Joseph Garcia]

Thank you for your update, and I wish you the best.

 

[OR VietVet]

My 05 just turned 140k miles 200 miles ago. Still idles at 40 psi oil pressure. Runs strong with absolutely no quirks. I have done so many stock upgrades to make it the most dependable 05 on the road and can be seen in my build thread. I will be putting close to 4k miles on it in the next month or so. I anticipate absolutely no problems between here in Oregon, down to Paradise, Ca. and back here and then to Warrensburg, Mo. and the to Fort Worth, Tx. and then back to Oregon. I plan to keep a log of fuel mileage the whole way and will report what grade fuel I use along the way and anything else I think should be shared here.

All results to be posted here.

 

[OR VietVet]

Got back Friday from the trip to Paradise, Ca. to pick up my guns/belongings. 810 mile round trip plus the miles driven while there. Total miles driven approx. 850 miles when arrived home. Started out with an average of 13.8 mpg on first tank at first fill up after driving 186 miles from a full tank and filled up just before crossing in to Ca. from Oregon. Used Chevron PLUS/MID GRADE the entire trip. First fill up was $5.60 a gallon. Then before leaving Ca. I filled tank for $6.16 a gallon and saw an average of 14.65 mpg and then refilled again after crossing back in to Oregon for $5.80 a gallon and saw an average of 14.53 mpg. Bear in mind that these mpg averages were with a/c on up and down passes and accelerating hard up those passes to maintain close to 80 miles per hour. I left Ca. Friday at 8 am and pulled in to driveway at home at 2 pm and that included a 15 minute stop in Oregon, just across state line, for fuel and piss stop for 2 of us and checking under hood fluids and cleaning windshield. 5 hours and 45 minutes for 405 miles. That is an average of 70 mph with hard accel up passes with a/c on and the traffic slow downs along the way, especially 30 minutes each way, thru construction zones at Siskiyou Pass that was down to one lane. The Tahoe performed flawlessly with no hiccups at all. Leaving again now for Paradise on Tuesday or Wednesday and then from there to Warrensburg, Mo. across I80 on the northern route. More details to come.

 

[ivin74]

Got and installed the 2 new Strongarm rear hatch struts yesterday. BIG difference. I used to have to push the hatch all the way up. Now when am about 2/3 open the struts take over and lift all the way up. It is also harder to start the close procedure. Have to muscle it a bit to get started. Luvin' it for sure. I had no problems before till I was loading the back of rig with totes for my trip to Paradise, Ca. to start my move and I was leaned in and the hatch had floated down and I banged my head on it while backing away from just stowing a tote.

Thanks to @iamdub for the Strongarm recommendation.

Do you have the Part numbers?

 

[Joseph Garcia]

Great to read that your truck performed flawlessly during your trip. You put a lot of time, effort and money into that truck , and it has paid off.

As Hannibal Smith of the A Team used to say, "I love it when a plan comes together!"

 

[Tonyrodz]

Impressive gas mileage.

 

[OR VietVet]

Impressive gas mileage.

What really surprised me was the return trip was completely loaded with totes to the ceiling in the rear and my gun safe in the second row along with other items. That thing pulled up 6% grades while floored and stayed at 80 mph. The engine temp never climbed above 200 degrees and oil pressure held steady at 65 psi and idled at 45 psi. Charging system stayed at 14.2. Trans temp stayed between 150-165 degrees.