iamsuperdan

I need to see bigger pics of that engine! The whole build just looks amazing!

This looks really good so far!

I see what you did there! Cool idea!

I for one am looking forward to his new Netflix show when it comes out! I like his brand of humour.

Wait...we're supposed to actually finish our builds? Since when?!

Could you imagine driving a rig like that in lower mainland traffic? Driving anywhere in the greater Vancouver area is an exercise in futility! I last did it in a Tahoe, couldn't imagine doing it in anything bigger! I get a headache just thinking about it! Hmmm...someone should make a kit of one of those. Could you imagine how big a 1/24 scale hevay crane like that would be? Make the crane somewhat functioning too. i'd buy one.

I'm in the middle of building that old kit. Had no idea the torsion bars setup was desirable! The kit itself is kind of a PITA to build. Horrible instructions, and no parts numbering. Sor for someone like me that isn;t a truck expert, there's a lot of guesswork and trialand error. So far so good.

That's awesome. I see overland expedition vehicle written all over that. I like your thought of switching to steelies. Keep them white though! As for me, the Power Wagon doesn't need any suspension mods. For what I do, the stock setup works just fine. It's already 2" inches taller than the standard 3/4 ton, with factory Duratracs. With the lockers and swaybar discos, this thing can do way more than I'd ever push it! I'm still looking for the perfect project toy. Not sure what direction I'll be going. When the right one comes along, I'll know it.

The JL Jeep Wrangler goes into production early in 2018 as a 2018 model. The JL truck goes into production in fall as a 2019, should be here in about a year. It will look more like the AEV Brute than the NuKizer concept. https://www.aev-conversions.com/vehicles/brute-double-cab

I added a little colour to my Power Wagon, now the graphics have a bit of that retro 70s look to them. Oh, and this is what winter in Canada can look like! Minus 5 celcius, no snow inover a month, nothing forecast for at least another week or so.

Just wait. This is the Trail Boss trim level. The SIlverado will also have LS, LT, and LTZ trim levels, all of which will have chrome bumpers, grilles, and/or door handles!

That's awesome! On a side note, have your ever built a scale version of your green beast? I dig it.

There are actually some very capable off road vehicles being built now. The Jeep Wrangler is still around, the F150 Raptor and Ram Rebel can both handle offroad very well, Nissan and Toyota have several models with better suspension and locking rear diffs, the Chev Colorado ZR2 can easily tackle offroad. I drive a 2018 Ram Power Wagon with front and rear lockers, swaybar disconnects, low range 4wd, and factory suspension lift. Like you say though, very few people will ever use these features. I do, but I'm in the minority for sure. It's kind of the same as these car guys though. No one can use 700hp or a 200mph top speed. But it's nice to have.

You are so right! My job is vehicles, and I deal with this every day. When comparing trucks, they're pretty much all the same. No I know that all the manufacturers say they have the best fuel economy, and best towing, and best resale, and best reliability, and blah blah. But the reality in the real world is that payload, towing, fuel economy, equipment, dimensions, cost, warranty, reliability...they're all pretty much the same. It really comes down to which one you like driving and looking at.

The problem with trucks now (and most vehicles for that matter) is that they are overstyled. Too many crease and curves and edges. Crazy shapes on grilles and lights. Needlessly complex. I think Lexus is the worst offender for that. As for the wheel well gaps, this particular truck is the Trail Boss trim level, meaning it's the "offroad" edition, therefore has a factory lift. The standard GM half tons are significantly lower. In fact, the half tons from all manufacturers are quite low, with very little wheel well gap visible. The HD trucks are a different story all together.

I've attached the official release that my GM fleet guy sent me yesterday. I have a couple of production spots reserved now. GM_Enterprise_EMails_Silverado T1 Campaign Dealer2-E.PDF

Hmm... The more I see the "real" pics as opposed to the staged and airbrushed publicitiy shots, the more I like it.

Cool looking van? Two questions, roughly what scale is it? Have any "before" pics?

Thanks guys. Yeah, not 100% accurate, but that won't bother me. The grille isn't the exact one I wanted, but it's close enough that it'll keep me satisfied. No pics, but I got the front end shaved down and smoothed. Will hit it with some primer shortly and make sure it looks right, tough to tell with the plain plastic. Also have the sunroof mostly filled, hoping to get close to done over the Christmas break.

I'm not religious at all, but I don't take offence when people to share their beliefs. A lot of people here add religious notes in their posts or private messages. I don't think it's a big deal and it's never bothered me. If it helps someone deal and cope with a traumatic experience, then I'm all for it. Politics though? Nope. Nope. Nope.

By the way, here's the 2019 Ram 1500. Mostly undisguised.

The next model year vehicles typically arrive in August, but manufacturers are starting to launch them sooner. The 2018 Chev Equinox was here last February. In fact, most 2018 models from all manufacturers seemed to hit the ground sooner than usual this year. The 2019 Ram 1500 will start arriving by spring. And we should be able to start ordering these 2019 GM trucks by spring, with arrivals in early summer. As for myself, I'm hoping the truck looks better in person. I'm a big fan of the styling of the current GMs, and this just seems a little too "concept" for my tastes. Still, other than the grille, I like it.

First off, the guy in Lethbridge he went to visit does not have exclusive rights to anything. Alberta's towing world is a free for all much like BC. That guy was just a very focused businessman, who had his fingers in a few different pies. As he is no longer with us, would be interesting to see what becomes of that operation, and if it can survicve new management/ownership. And comparing operations in the US to operations in western Canada just isn't realistic. Even with the exchange rate taken into account, equipment in the US is a lot cheaper than it is here, and operating costs are significantly less. Look at the fuel costs. That alone would be a huge savings when your'e running a fleet of large diesel trucks. THen you throw in protected territories and basically guaranteed income, and you've got a much different situation. I think if Jamie set up a location in the US northwest, he could do quite well. Plus it's closer to home base for him. Second, the Albereta experiment was definitely a huge mistake for Jamie. I think his business would be much better off financially if he had focused on "home" instead of coming to Alberta like so many other people did to try and take advantage of what was a booming economy. That was a huge expenditure for him, and he came at the worst possible time, the tail end of the boom. Had he stayed home, he would never have had to incur the costs of setting up operations in Alberta, which because of the boom at the time, was insanely expensive, and then deal with zero work. Plus, I think by sending his fleet and crews to Alberta, he gave up a lot of BC business, allowing other tow companies to come in and scoop up the business he left behind. So yes, I wonder how his fleet would look if he hadn't tried the Alberta experiment. I'd bet he'd still be running his rotator. And Colin's baby would still be there. Third, after this season, I too wonder why I watch. This season was kind of dull, and I think the show has been going downhill for a while. I guess for me there's only so many ways recovery can be made interesting, and after seven seasons, they're running out of things we've never seen before. I don't watch a lot of tv, as there's really not much good on it. So when a show I like jumps the shark and becomes less interesting, yeah, I get disappointed and hold it accountable. I'm going through the same thing with Walking Dead too. The weather isn't helping either. Tough to recover huge wrecks when the weather isn't causing as many headaches. And throw in a more efficient BC highways maintenance crew, and you just don;t see as amny incidents. Seeing a lot of that around here of sure. Heck, I have a plow that I built in September, as we usually move a handful of these. This one is still sitting here, on display, not surrounded by snow, and as I type this, it's plus 6 degrees. Kind of tough to move snow equipment when there's no snow or ice. And in seeing the weather around Penticton rtight now, and how unseasonable it is there, I wouldn't be surprised to see fewer big wrecks and recoverys further south. Fourth, there's nothing wrong with old trucks, but to go from a fleet of new and cutting edge, and then to get excited about an early 90s truck (the Python) I just can't do it. I get that it's what Jamie has to do to try and keep the fleet profitable and the doors open, and yes he still has to put on the positive face for the show, but I'd bet he's not 100% happy about where things are at right now. At the very least, he should have the fleet painted in JD red and white, make it look uniform. With all the different colours and old units, it looks cobbled together. Make the fleet look like a fleet, make it look like everything is part of the master plan. I think that would actually do wonders for morale amongst the staff, and would improve public perception. And the public perception thing is something I deal with constantly, and help my clients with. It's simple, but wow does it work. And personally, I think that old Pete rebuild he has is the most interesting truck on the show. And if he can get Bruce's old truck restored and running, that would be very interesting. Because it has real history with Jamie. Unlinke Mighty Mo, that may be a histoprical truck, but just didn't seem like a historical truck in Jamie's life. Other than it was a truck his buddy owned. Let's see Jamie truck down and restore the first trucks he owned. The first unit that really made a difference. His first heavy wrecker. I think a personal connection is one of the things this season was missing. Fifth, for the record, I've been to Jamie's shop, and through work have had conversations with Jamie while they were setting up in Alberta. They've done business with us in the past, and we've discussed future work. At the time, we just weren't a good fit, especially when Toyota throws free trucks at him! That door wasn't fully closed, so in the future, we may end up doing something with them. So yeah, I have a good sense of Jamie's history before the show and I know that there's a much bigger picture than we see. It's like Top Gear. Most people don't realize that Top Gear was around for more than a decade before Clarkson, Hammond, and May came on board. Like a lot of things, there's a much bigger history than we are shown. Actually, that might be interesting for a show. Have Jamie discuss his history, not so much the history of Holmes tow trucks and where they came from. Let's go deeper into JD. We got a bit of that in the finale, and if they could refine that idea, make it more personal, they could be on to something. And get rid of some of these other companies. Focus on Jamie and Al. We just don't need the four or five other companies shown.

E36 touring?! Uh oh, I sense a purchase coming up...

My fav colour! So glad you went with something not red! Looks great!