Howdy from Texas

[RenoHuskerDu]

I've been on FTE since 2000 but took a decade or so off, living in yurrup. Just discovered your forum yesterday, researching kingpins. Picked up our Bullnose in 2017, a 1986 F250 XLT Lariat sc 2wd with the 420ci and 4sp. Solid truck, owned by a heavy diesel mechanic, but rough around  the edges. Dropped in a ZF5 in 2018.  Else, mostly maintenance. Currently working on the driveshaft, rear brakes, and planning to attack the steering knuckles. For those kingpins I need a good machine shop. That is my quest today.

We also own an 89 Bricknose, a 97 Aeronose, a 99 E350 that I dually'd, and some SDs.

[Gary Lewis]

Welcome!  Glad you came over.  You'll recognize a bunch of the guys on here.  

So many questions.  Like, where'd "RenoHuskerDu" come from?  You mentioned "yurrup", so what part?  I'd have guessed Germany but would have expected DE rather than Du.  And Nebraska?

Plus, what part of Tejas are you in?  We have a member's map (Bullnose Forum/Member's Map in the menu) and I'd love to put you on if I had a town/city.

I'll bet that ZF helped on the highway cruising with the IDI.  Assuming stock gearing of 3.55's or 4.11's, cruising on a Texas autobahn had to be noisy.

Last, how 'bout a signature to help us remember both you and your truck by?

[RenoHuskerDu]

Reno's my nickname, and HuskerDu was a great band I admired for their rare no drugs/drink stance in the 80s metal punk era.  The band took the name from the Midwestern board game. I use RenoHuskerDu across a couple dozen forums, from chicken raising to trucks to S&W.

We live in Burnet Co, Bertram area.  We took an 18-year hiatus to live in France, 30 minutes  from Deutschland. Our business was converting French 2wd vans to 4x4, but we sold that to come home after learning from cop friends just how widespread islamization is in France. Right about now is when FTE mods smite me. It's become PM whack-a-mole lately. I grit my teeth and comply.

The ZF5 was a game changer, indeed. That truck gets 19 mpg now, and is relaxed at 60. The truck has a 4.11 but so far no signs of pinion walk. Given the 5-digit odometer, I can't be sure of its true mileage but I suspect 250k. The bed was in great shape until our eldest girl decided to attempt to defy the laws of physics that govern two objects entering one physical space. The cattle guard won. Now we have our eyes open for a good bed. Even in TX, so much rust and rail damage from toolboxes...

[Gary Lewis]

You are now on the map.

As for France, the area sounds like maybe Colmar or Strasbourg.  Not been to either but do want to get to Colmar given the pics we've seen.  Have been to Freiburg and Basel.

To say there are a lot of believers of Islam in France is true and not a problem here.  But to say Islam, or any religion for that matter, is bad would be a problem.  Just like saying that being a Republican or a Democrat is bad would be a problem.  We aren't here to discuss religion nor politics.

Concerning the bed, that's a shame, but I hope the girl is ok.  Beds can be replaced.

[RenoHuskerDu]

We lived a bit east of the Colmar/Mulhouse axis (https://tinyurl.com/y6yybnm5). I used to shop a lot in small towns south of Freiburg. I observed cultural change over the last 5 years, with groups of aggressive fellas becoming more common in towns, looking for trouble, blocking sidewalks, staring down drivers in crosswalks, and messing with women.  There was none of this when we first moved over in the late 90s. After I learned German, I enjoyed speaking with the older folks there in small towns. They had a lot to say.  Never saw one Bullnose in yurrup, BTW. Occasionally, I'd see a Dodge Ram and shake my head.

In Alsace I loved fast cars and driving on the Autobahnen. German driver discipline is extraordinary, but also waning recently.  Not much point to fast cars now in TX, we're way out a private dirt road and Texas cops are tough.

The young lady is fine, as it was a 1 mph event.  Her punishment was helping me weld the cattle guard wire back up in the dark. It got the last laugh, as it were.

[Gary Lewis]

Its a shame things seem to be going downhill there.  We still want to go back.

Seeing Mulhouse & Basel on the map reminded me of our first visit to the Continent.  We were living in England and starting our holiday by flying into Basel.  Or so we thought.  Didn't realize where the airport actually is until we drove down the corridor into Switzerland.  Interesting!

And, speaking of Bullnose trucks in Europe, I did use to see some older Ford trucks in the UK.  We lived close to an American air base, and they were brought in by the servicemen.  Boy did you want to move over on those twisty B roads when you met them.  And in the car parks they took up way more than one space.

So, your daughter now welds?  Or is just a welder's helper?

[grumpin]

Welcome!

[RenoHuskerDu]

Brits and Germans have more automotive liberty than the French. You see some cool US cars in Germany. The US mil bases ramped down to almost nothing, however, under BushClintonObamaContinuum.

The French minister of Un-fun declared "no US pickups" in the early 90s, the story goes. So only gray market pickups can be registered in France, at onerous tax rates.  This started to loosen when the Ford Raptor came out, because the French do love fast vehicles, but you needed to run it as a business expense thru a tax loophole, or be really wealthy to pay the initial duty, and annual taxes.

She didn't really take to welding. But she handed me rods dutifully and worked the vicegrips. Now she's a Math major at TAMU so could probably model the welding process in a series of equations. But not do it.  Both my boys can weld now though.  In my era, a work ethic with a college degree from a major U was enough to get ahead in life. Now, I tell my boys to gather practical skills left and right, to prepare for an uncertain future. One's a tech at a local garage, the other is a home schooled Senior.

[RenoHuskerDu]

Grumpin is quite the user name. Is there a story?

[Gary Lewis]

Yeah, the Brit's and Germans like their vehicles.  And we have some of them on here.  In fact, I've been chatting with one, Matt Wood, that will be posting in a few minutes.

As for your kids, I think it is good advice to get practical skills.  But a college degree coupled with practical skills is even better.  You know what you are talking about usually then.

[grumpin]

No, not really. Some people think I’m grumpy at times...but what do they know?!

Needed an email name and have used it as a user name for some time.

[RenoHuskerDu]

Yeah my wife is  always telling me that I'm grumpy, and that I never listen to her.  

Or something like that.

I'm usually thinking about machines in my head. But to be fair, I do also fall asleep.