The Co-op: “Reports of demise have been greatly exagurated”…….

And of course you know you’re getting old when the first subject u talk about is your health but in this case I probably need to explain.

Monday, posting a pic of the fixed floor with gussets POR-15 treated with the floor ready to lay…….I got an odd out of breath feeling that finally convinced me to say something.  The next thing I know I’ve got a wire wad all over my body.  Tests, poking, prodding then off to surgery….My left Anterior Descending Artery had 2 huge cloggs….  2 stints and a balloon I now have lower blood pressure that I can remember!  You say what a fool but really, the stress of this business has been working on me for some time….slowly the “widow maker” was burrowing in.  I convinced myself I was invincible…….DO NOT make this mistake, if you have high blood pressure its not a bad he of honor.  Hard to diagnose especially for stubborn people like me!

So I’m home, a small hole in my arm  and for the first time my morning bp is 129/69.  Used to blow smoke rings with blood pressure….though it made me stronger…..what a fool!  Don’t do that!

So that’s enough about that, I’ll be back at the shop Monday.  I’m having to focus on relaxing…..hey, its tough!  Janis is taking care of that so things will be good.

This pic I was talking about when I was rely interrupted…..this is our first gusset supported body, POR-15 on the steel, aluminum crossmemberss cleaned and ready for its new floor panelsAs you can see, the aluminum crossmemberss had bent over the past 45 years but we feel the tensile strength of the new 2 layer floor should straighten all that up.  The sub floor is pt plywood recessed into the original location.  Next will be a moisture barriers then another complete 3/4″ plywood floor on top of thatMy guess is the floor is secured to the aluminum cross members and down.  I may mosy over to the shop to see their progress…….stay tuned.

Another huge project is the new single aluminum fuel tank project.  “Squeeky wheel gets the grease” but we really didn’t realize how important for the future this project was.

Honestly, these 2 steel fuel tanks have become our greatest adversary.  Had a FiTech fi system leave…..driven to Tampa and all 4 injectors clogged up!  And this is not the first system to do that!  We changed to a 7 micron larger filter (bandaid) but the real fix is to pitch these 2 tanks to install a 53 gallon single tank design.  No more rust!  No more rust clogged filters or injectors!  Guys, for the future this problem finally has to be addressed!  Sorry but its time….return type fuel injection systems do not work well with 2 fuel tanks.  To clean and line 2 tanks is big bucks with no guaranty the coating will last.  The final cost to instal a new, aluminum single tank system is less$ than trying to patch the old system!

Why didn’t we do this before?  Well, we have finally gotten beaten up enough with fuel delivery problems……that baby is out with its dirty bath water!So from now on, our led expensive SOP will be to pitch the old tanks….don’t care their conditionHeco, in the past I would covet a tanks that looked like this coming out…..but today the proof is on the inside and there is a reason the flash didn’t bounce off the inside of this tank!  Its completely contaminated!

We are stepping up production of this new concept.  There are frame modification but still you final cost will be less.  Its something we will be installing because of the modifications but hey, Florida is a great place to take a vacation.  We could be in North Dakota (no reflection on the Dakotas but we have beaches………

In the next several weeks will be putting out a pile of these so we’ll know pretty quickly how this works…..especially with the new growth rate of rust!

So yeah, I’m at home “jonesing” to go to the shop.  Nope, I made a promise…..to….relax so I’m on it.  The guys have been doing maybe a better job without me there!  Did I say that?  Further proof we have a team that I’ve never had!  Thanks guys for picking up my slack…..u guys make us look good!

So I need to take a walk…..can’t pick up more than 10lbs. so I won’t do that.  I wonder if work shoes are good walking shoes…..lets seeThe’re all I own!   See ya and thanks for the posts “what’s going on”……what you live thru makes you stronger?  Hmmmm, not sure anymore……..

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