Ok guys, ya made me feel bad, I suppose that was what you had in mind. I’m really sorry that my post or replies bother you so much. I can’t for the life of me, understand why you would bother reading anything I submitted if it causes you so much pain. I've made no attempt to hide my real name, it is always right up there in plain site. I’ve never laid claim to have a degree in journalism but I do really try to make my effort interesting, informative and inject a little dry humor at times.
Maybe I don’t understand what the forum is for. Or maybe I was under the wrong impression, in thinking it was to exchange ideas, ask questions, share your experiences, there by saving others from making the same mistakes over and over.
I never really thought that it would create such a problem with some of you, i.e., reporting on bad products, bad processes, bad vendor service. If you have read what I have posted I think you will see that when a product is up to snuff I give it full credit. It appears there are a few that only want to hear the good things and would rather put the blinders on to the bad. I have a lot of friends who have the “let them learn it the hard way” attitude. In the end it really isn’t any skin off my back to let a new guy make the same mistake that I made by purchasing poor quality products, then having to send them back, but that wasn’t the way I was brought up. I can’t help but think that if someone had “whined” as you call it, about the poor quality of the parts they had gotten, that I could have avoided that vendor and chosen another. That sure would have saved me the trouble and expense of having to send back parts. To some it may be whining, I happen to think that others might consider such a post as informative. I suppose it’s all in the way you look at it, the glass half full or half empty sort of thing. Also my pockets aren’t as deep as some people, and the last time I checked it wasn’t to cost effective to send stuff back an pay restocking fees that could have been avoided had I read a members report. Case in point was my recent encounter with upholstery which given more information certainly would have saved time and money. Is there any thing wrong with saving time and money, or am I missing something here?
In reference to my “debunking the answer”; If I initially posted a question on Monday, by Friday I would hope that I knew more about the topic. So a reply on Friday would most likely sound like I was more informed. We all post replies that miss the point or at times don’t make sense. I do not take every reply as gospel nor do I expect anyone to assume everything that I post is written in stone. I see nothing wrong with gathering as many different opinions on a subject in order to draw a logical conclusion. If that conclusion is in deference with one of the contributors view of the topic then I can see where they may think of it as “debunking” their answer.
I doubt if you want to hear an answer to what sounded to me like a question on the interior paint! But here goes anyway. I kind of look at a complete interior paint job as more or less permanent, usually looked upon as kind of a major task to correct it later. If one decided to show the truck or if for some reason you decided to sell the truck it would enhance the value if it looked original. To me, it’s the same thing with pop rivets instead of staples, , kind of hard to change that back to original. About the LED lights, I didn’t really say or intend to say that I was planning on adding them. There was a lot of discussion on the subject and I thought I might throw in my feelings on the subject. And like a certain Don that was in the news of late, I probably could have selected my choice of words better. Even if I did decide to slip a pair in the roll, or plug replacement leds into the taillight, it’s just takes a second to pull them out and your back to stock. I have thought about mounting a set of radial tires as long as I didn’t have to modify the hubs or steering for them. Again, a matter of minuets to change back to the original bias plies if I needed to. I will admit to being a heretic as I have added a right hand taillight, and once again, remove two bolts and it’s back to stock. The crank and bracket, spare mount, tool kit, these only takes a few minuets to pop a bolt or two out and your back to stock.
You also suggest spending more time on in the garage. Well since I don’t have to punch the time clock and answer to the man anymore I can pretty much spend my time the way I want to. I’m normally up about 05:00 and down about 23:00. I spend a couple of hours on the computer (except for tonight) and the rest, pretty much, in the shop, seven days a week if possible. Don’t know how I could put much more time than that in on her.
And Ron, thanks for the advice, I am having fun! It’s fun for me to figure out how they did stuff at the factory and try to duplicate it. It’s fun to make up the jigs and fixtures to recreate parts that look like they are factory made. It’s fun to listen to all the ideas that the forum members come up with to solve problems, even if I might disagree with their methods at times. It’s fun to see what some of the guys are doing to modify their rides, even if it’s not the way I want mine to look. It’s fun to pretend that I’m restoring my truck to what it may have been a few years after it left the show room.
And finally, it’s not fun by any stretch of the imagination, unless of course you’re a masochist, to pay hard earned cash for stuff that doesn’t fit, has to be reworked and is not what it’s advertised to be. If that is the case then you might as well make it your self in the first place. We are consumers, and they are suppliers, no different than purchasing a new car or television. As long as we accept poor quality merchandise as the norm, then they will make no effort to change it. As I have said before, all you have to do is look toward the automobile industry today to see how that works.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL
