suzitoo is a babe!!!!!!

sofar062421
still shaking things out, and becoming more comfortable with how she is reacting to some driving.
i decided to reduce the body lift to @1", and almost have that completed, and think i'm gonna start thinkin about the driverseat install.
i got used to the bmw adjustments, but want to do a cleaner setup this time.
i think my stock bumper and cover will cover her ass, for now.
i need to start figuring where the spare, cooler, and all the crap i haul around is going to fit, and i'm partway into the second battery setup.
i've never needed a spare tire before, but... takes up a lot of space, but i don't want to hang it off the back.
couple of days and i may do some hyway trials, to see if my gearing calculations were way off.
mabe i got the transmission working(?)....mabe i should read the owner's manual.....
mabe suzitoo can make a test foray next month.
wouldn't that be special.

nustuff063021
finagled the seat in,

mabe a bit higher than when it was in suzi the psychic, and mabe uncomfortable for someone else, but it feels right to me.....
should get a good high seat for trailwork, and kickback for the road.
perhaps i will pull it back out and put the carpet and some console pieces in, just for looks.
i had wired a muffler to her belly- i will fix that next, or pull more apart and replace the timing belt and waterpump.
who knows- mabe some hyway speed stuff on the next run.

took things apart to replace the waterpump and timing belt, and immediately became confused by what i was finding........ the timing marks on the cam sprocket didn't line up, and the belt tensioner was missing parts.

the sprocket had been installed without regard to the locating pin, bolted on real tight, and the cam timing set by feel? not bad- as the engine ran well ran well.
i am re-setting things(wondering what else could be wrong), and perhaps resolving some questions i had regarding the distributor alignment and valve adjusting oddities i had encountered.
the p.o. had stories about the engine rebuild. i suspect done by the same people who rebuilt the transmission.
we will see if i can screw this up. mabe i'm missing something.......

adon070721
the last person that tightened the crank sprocket bolt musta heard some horror story about them dropping out, and his air wrench was bigger than mine.
i'm glad the seal isn't leaking(yet), i'm letting that slide into the future.
got the waterpump, timingbelt, tensioner, valve adjusting stuff done, and the cooling system back together.
monkeyed with the distributor clocking and replaced the cap/rotor/wires, and mabe suzitoo will run tomorrow.
what could go wrong?

on other engines, i have seen the use of red lock-tite, and the resultant broken crank snout

good luck....

took suzitoo on her first real test run.
made an overnighter to the sierra foothills, and back.
i guess i figured her gearing right, as she will do hyway speeds pretty well, and can follow faster trucks than suzi the psychic.
mabe i can get used to the automatic transmission- it's kinda odd.
only fluid added was gasoline, and, except for tightening a few things, did nothing but drive and listen.
so now to fit her winch, "bumpers", and stowage arrangements.
and other stuff, of course.
introduced her to miss bitchy, and showed her to my brother.
i'm pleased.

this is the front- a blank slate....

suzitoo is looking great! did you go to markleeville and fish?

no fish yet this season, and no dirt seen yet.
this was just a run to convince myself that suzitoo could survive the hyway burn.
now to start making her more trail and camp capable.
prior to the run, i loaded her up w/weight to get a better feel for her road manners.
crossing the valley was very hot- i'm gonna paint the roof white.