There is not much worse than living in the north without a heated garage when you are trying to move forward with any updates on your ride. My 2000 has been stored away from my home for quite some time, which makes it even worse.
At least for now I have something to think about instead of focusing on waiting for my '01 Duramax fuel to thaw out after running out of anti gel in sub zero temps and eventually repairing the original garage door from 1966 that came off the track in the middle of winter. Not some sissy aluminum door, but a real wooden 16 foot door that weighs a ridiculous amount and can't be lifted by one person when the rollers are jammed.
So anyway, I have finally put together a stout FRPP short block that I managed to score a couple years ago for $1000 as it needed .020 bore. Crank and rods were perfect and are worth more than twice that. Even with machining, still way cheaper than assembled versions and I chose components. Tons of research and comparing spent over the last two winters has gotten me to the point where JJ and I are in the final stages of head and cam selection. CC is cleared and ready for purchase. Who knows how long the final stages will take and when I will actually swap the motor, but I have made some progress.
So if any other SVT or Lightning owners in the area have been struggling or delayed or even completely put on hold with any plans; you're not alone, even though this last year has greatly magnified and exaggerated the winter isolation for some of us. Hang in there and stay sane at least. Spring and summer have to be better this time around. At least I hope so.
At least for now I have something to think about instead of focusing on waiting for my '01 Duramax fuel to thaw out after running out of anti gel in sub zero temps and eventually repairing the original garage door from 1966 that came off the track in the middle of winter. Not some sissy aluminum door, but a real wooden 16 foot door that weighs a ridiculous amount and can't be lifted by one person when the rollers are jammed.
So anyway, I have finally put together a stout FRPP short block that I managed to score a couple years ago for $1000 as it needed .020 bore. Crank and rods were perfect and are worth more than twice that. Even with machining, still way cheaper than assembled versions and I chose components. Tons of research and comparing spent over the last two winters has gotten me to the point where JJ and I are in the final stages of head and cam selection. CC is cleared and ready for purchase. Who knows how long the final stages will take and when I will actually swap the motor, but I have made some progress.
So if any other SVT or Lightning owners in the area have been struggling or delayed or even completely put on hold with any plans; you're not alone, even though this last year has greatly magnified and exaggerated the winter isolation for some of us. Hang in there and stay sane at least. Spring and summer have to be better this time around. At least I hope so.
