Looking to buy a General Lee? STAY AWAY FROM BK AUTO!! It's almost over!!!

[jb666]

Well, the BK curse lives on!!

Went for a nice cruise with the wife today... First cruise of the season.. Car was running GREAT!! We hit the beach, hung out for a while, then went back out...




About 30 minutes down the road BANG BANG BANG BANG...  coming from under the hood....

And hour later, removing the belts and checking things it is (thankfully) only the water pump...

So this Saturday it's time to change the pump, flush the entire system (BK ran water only, if you remember)...

At least it'll be ready for the season!!! But... WHEN WILL IT END!!!

[b5blue]

The Fun never ends! 

[FLG]

Jeff you doing it yourself?? If so maybe ill take the trip and help out.

[MoparManJim]

Yea, I been having some issues lately to with the 1/25 version of it!    Then last night I seen your post on facebook and was  .

I'm a day behind on the work due to being sick afew days ago thanks to some bad french fries that smelled like a chicken coop! Then started on the scale version of it and then ran into issues also. 

Jeff, I hope this week is better for the both of us man! Remember keep the chin up. 

[jb666]

Jeff you doing it yourself?? If so maybe ill take the trip and help out.

I'm not 100% sure where I'll be doing it yet. I might bring it over to my buddy's shop so that (just in case) anything goes wrong it's in the right place.. I put the belts back on tonight and tightened them up, so if it needed to be driven the mile down the road it could be.

Planning on doing a full system flush to get all of the "BK Water" out of the system... I should have done it last year, but didn't... You remember the condition my thermostat came on looking like, right?? Well this should look the same...





I remember BK telling me "We fill all motors with distilled water".Surrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrre ya do.... 

It's my own stupidity for not flushing the entire system out the right way last year...

[rooks]

Crikey! What a thread. I'm on page 15, with another 212 remaining.

I've been searching the net over the past few months looking for a Charger and discovered truemusclecars.com. Was so eager to push the button, but decided I'd be smart and right-click and "search Google for...".

Discovered their history (HLPAG), and the constant reference between them & BK led to this thread (and with it, this fantastic forum).

In this short time - everything I thought I knew about how a company approaches vehicle restorations has been completely flipped on its head, and I'll need to re-asses every route I thought I was going to take, once I acquire a vehicle.

I wouldn't have taken it to BK (wrong Country  ), but at the very least, it has put ideas in my head about how to deal with any person/s I approach to do any such work on a vehicle. What I expect, what they can deliver - and make sure both parties are clear on not just the end result, but in the manner that the desired result is accomplished.




It at least looks like you're got it back on the road, albeit temporarily  ... hope the days comes in the very distant future that after years of fun driving, you and the General will be able to look back on this saga with a laugh.

All the best mate!

[472 R/T SE]

Well it's a good thing you keep the garage heated then, otherwise you'd have a $15k boat anchor motor.

No one could ever accuse you of not being resilient. 

[moparstuart]

Crikey! What a thread. I'm on page 15, with another 212 remaining.

I've been searching the net over the past few months looking for a Charger and discovered truemusclecars.com. Was so eager to push the button, but decided I'd be smart and right-click and "search Google for...".

Discovered their history (HLPAG), and the constant reference between them & BK led to this thread (and with it, this fantastic forum).

In this short time - everything I thought I knew about how a company approaches vehicle restorations has been completely flipped on its head, and I'll need to re-asses every route I thought I was going to take, once I acquire a vehicle.

I wouldn't have taken it to BK (wrong Country  ), but at the very least, it has put ideas in my head about how to deal with any person/s I approach to do any such work on a vehicle. What I expect, what they can deliver - and make sure both parties are clear on not just the end result, but in the manner that the desired result is accomplished.




It at least looks like you're got it back on the road, albeit temporarily  ... hope the days comes in the very distant future that after years of fun driving, you and the General will be able to look back on this saga with a laugh.

All the best mate!

welcome and glad you found out about hans before you got trapped

[jb666]

Well it's a good thing you keep the garage heated then, otherwise you'd have a $15k boat anchor motor.

No one could ever accuse you of not being resilient. 

Yeah, that's one way to put it...

As for the heated garage,  I know what you're saying.. I can only imagine what it'll look like when we take the pump off... Brown mud is what I'm expecting...Such a shame, too, for a motor with MAYBE 200 miles on it. 

Rooks --- I'm glad you found this thread.. To me, this makes it all worth it and it's served it's purpose. Even though you weren't buying from BK, you were looking in the direction of one of the (original) biggest scammers out there... hans LOVES taking people's $ and giving them crap.. Glad you weren't the next "victim" 

[d/ur/t]

They are true artists no doubt.

I agree totally!!
[/quote]

Wonder if they want a holliday in Aus.My car has been nakid for over 2 years.Got it sent home as the stress was tooooo much.At least all the rust is gone.

[tan top]

Well, the BK curse lives on!!

Went for a nice cruise with the wife today... First cruise of the season.. Car was running GREAT!! We hit the beach, hung out for a while, then went back out...




About 30 minutes down the road BANG BANG BANG BANG...  coming from under the hood....

And hour later, removing the belts and checking things it is (thankfully) only the water pump...

So this Saturday it's time to change the pump, flush the entire system (BK ran water only, if you remember)...

At least it'll be ready for the season!!! But... WHEN WILL IT END!!!

www no sorry to see this Jeff !! nothing BK done was right 

makes you wonder if they work on their own persional cars / transport , or get another garage/shop to do it properly 

[jb666]

I wish I could say that I've come across ONE THING that was done right, but I can't.. From beginning to end.. Start to finish... Nut to bolt.. This car was the epitome of the term HACK JOB.

[PocketThunder]

I might have those inner fender covers you need on my parts car.  I'll have to check.  If so you can have them.

Paul

[jb666]

Thank you!!!!!!

[jb666]

Well, I think we're coming to the end of the BK curse... The water pump's set... Buttoned everything back up and... clank clank clank clank........ Noise coming from down low...   It was a "loose" sound.. Picture the sound of two crystal glasses toasting...

I pulled the belts back off and reach down...   I tend to think the bolts holding the pulley on should be more than finger tight.... So , I climbed under the car and tightened up each of the hex head bolts... 3-4 turns each... Put the belts back on, cranked it over... perfect...

So, my next adventure will involve loc-tite... Because as I was going around to each of the bolts holding the pulley/bracket setup on, each was loose...

I guess this was a GOOD find, because, like Jon says, it could have been a LOT worse...

The car's off to Jon's shop to get the tranny adjusted (increase in line pressure), install a fuel sending unit and swap out my carb and do the final tune...

Then it's time to DRIVE IT LIKE I STOLE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!

And hopefully no more of this.....

[b5blue]

It's a good idea to check every frigging bolt you can get a wrench or socket on anyway. Intake, carb, exhaust, chassis, axle, torque converter, everything! Some crap just seems to loosen up after some use even when done right!    

[jb666]

It's a good idea to check every frigging bolt you can get a wrench or socket on anyway. Intake, carb, exhaust, chassis, axle, torque converter, everything! Some crap just seems to loosen up after some use even when done right!    

Good advice, and it's what I've spent the past couple of nights checking over.. And what seems to keep loosening up now has a touch of Loc-tite..

[b5blue]

  Don't forget engine mounts, starter bolts, u joint strap bolts and anything electrical too!

[jb666]

Don't forget engine mounts, starter bolts, u joint strap bolts and anything electrical too!

That'll be covered this weekend when it's up in the air... 

[rooks]

Wow! Finally finished all 228 pages.

What a saga! This was a weird thread.

Started with what seemed like a few dodgy repairs, only to uncover an absolute despicable example of both business practice and workmanship. It was so bad that by the 100th page, every new post from you had me laughing my arse off. I do apologise for that, but sitting back reading this ordeal, it got to a point that all I could do was laugh - until this happened  - my mood completely changed when I saw that post. That sucked.

After all that, you seem as chipper as the night before you bought it, which is an admirable trait. Plenty of people have gone off the deep end over lesser things. Although I wouldn't be surprised if you soon posted a "house-remodeling" thread to show the progress repairing all the holes you've kicked & punched throughout your home 

Has also been quite an insight into the vastness people can encounter between 2 companies supposedly in the same field. Absolute polar opposites in every way imaginable. Definitely makes you think, and will effect the decisions of anybody that has paid attention to this thread with how they look at workshops in the auto industry, and be a little more diligent in their pursuits regardless of whether they're after a ground-up resto, or just a minor service. That's not a bad thing, as it will help weed out the shitbags and keep those that are actually worth a damn, in business.

Whilst it's been an ordeal most of which you may want to forget, this is a General Lee with a fantastic history. Probably the most fascinating of any GL outside of those never actually affiliated with the original TV show.


Your last few posts indicate you arn't entirely out of the wood just yet, but it's good to know that very soon all this can be put behind you and all you'll have to worry about is if the weather will be good enough to kick it in the guts and hit the black-top.


Few things come to mind after finishing this thread:

Removing the emoticons from Chucks posts would cut the forums bandwidth usage in half.

Your wife is awesome! Putting up with everything and letting you actually keep the car after it all, puts her in the upper echelon of the Worlds greatest women. Never let her go.

Small pieces of carpet under the tyres - mate, seriously?   

... and please deliberately drive it in the rain Whilst I wouldn't suggest taking it out every time you get a hurricane warning, do remember you're driving a Hemi powered '69 Charger. Driving it in as many varying conditions as you can will help you learn more about the car, what it can & can't do, what it should & shouldn't do - and just as importantly - what you can & can't do, and what you should & shouldn't do, when you're in the drivers seat!

All the best mate ... drive the hell out of it!

[jb666]

Thanks man!!! That gave us both a good laugh... You are so right though, she's put up with a LOT out of me(and this car) over the course of the last (almost) 2 years, not to mention the years of listening to me say "I'm going to buy one... " , "I'm going to do it!" 

[Cooter]

Well, one could surmise that "driving it in the rain" got it into the shape it was in when you uncovered all that rust too.....

[jb666]

Well, one could surmise that "driving it in the rain" got it into the shape it was in when you uncovered all that rust too.....

The shape this thing was in I'd say it's more likely to have driven into the ocean.....

It arrived at Tube Chassis this morning.. Jon's going to final tune the car and make a few adjustments, now that it's been driven a bit, and it's off and ready for some good cruising weather!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[FLG]

Jeff I'm expecting a ride next time I see u 

[rooks]

The shape this thing was in I'd say it's more likely to have driven into the ocean.....

Maybe BK got inspiration from DoH: The Beginning and actually did fish it out of a river of some sort, for that touch of authenticity