new Blackjack pics

Thanks to Rick and all the moderators who make this such a fantastic site

In case you're slow (or just don't want to read the entire thread) Blackjack was totaled by foreign POS mother #$@%er who didn't know how to yield on November 14, 2007. He rolled into a gas station parking lot and his body was crushed, but he saved my life in the process. In return for that, I've saved everything that I could scavenge so I can save HIS life. He has a CHP 347, rebuilt 4r70w with Baumann shift kit, Ford Racing BD-11 supercharger kit, and a RideTech parallel four link all waiting for installation Here's his original thread post:

Blackjack: Born February 16,1998 in Louisville, Ky. Rescued from Koons Chevy March 20-something, 2000 with 33,333 miles on the Odometer. Couldn't think of any good names and then I heard 'Blackjack' while listening to Brooks and Dunn's Boot Scootin' Boogie. He's been 'Jack' or "f#%^&$ pain in my @$$!" since then. His favorite hobbies are eating money and hunting Blazers, and he enjoys playing pranks (dropping hood on my head, chewing on his power steering rack, mystery squeaks, randomly starting himself up, etc).

All factory options, including 4.0 SOHC, limited slip diff, 4:10 gears, skidplates (on ExplornJ's truck now), sunroof, cass/cd player and changer, leather, blah blah.

Exterior mods:
~Ford Platinum color racing stripes (2 10" stripes, 2" space)
~Ventshades
~Lund Windjammer (painted to match)
~Sport Truck dual fog/driving (SMURF LIGHTS)
~Black Euro III Altezzas w/ cut up slotted tail covers
~20% Tinted Windows all around
~Doetsch Tech Nitro Slammer shocks
~Hella LED sidemarkers
~GT emblem from a 94-98 Mustang
~Explorer Express Rear sway bar
~Truck performance front sway bar bushings
~Diamond clear headlights and corners w/ blue chrome bulbs
~Shortened EB (running board delete option) side skirts

Interior mods:
~Aluminum dash kit by Exotic Wood dash
~Pioneer DEH CD head unit
~Pioneer 6 disk CD changer
~1 pair Pioneer 3ways up front
~1 pair Pioneer 2ways in rear
~2 JL Audio 10w6's in a custom box (replaced with 2 Kicker Vcomp's, thanks for blowing my subs, Meatball :fire: )
~1 Kenwood 729 S amp
~1 pair Pioneer 1" dome tweeters in B pillars
~1 pair Pioneer 3/4" Tweeters in front doors
~Custom MMRUSA "Sport GT" silver/white gauge faces
~Carbon fiber dash bezel
~Cold Cathode Blue neons

Engine mods:
~Valet Remote start/ custom alarm
~KKM
~Flowmaster 50 single straightback
~Taylor Spiro Sparkplug wires

Wheels and tires:
~Foose Nitrous 20x8 and 20x10, grey
~Toyo Proxes 255/50 and 295/45
~1/2" aluminum front spacers w/ extended lugs


The kinda sorta mods:
~lowered approximately 2" via TT and monoleaf block flip
~Brown wire mod, full 2wd hi/low (Yanked the front 4x4 in 2006, the hell with that mod )
~Throttle cable zipties
~Chopped front bumpstops
~Mr. Bat (gave up on replacing blown hood shocks. It's a Das Frem thing, you wouldn't understand)

I run Mobil 1 Synthetic 5w30 and only use Ford filters (Fram ones sometimes knock)

Guestimated 215-220 Horsepower when he was younger, 15.5 seconds 1/4 mile at Cecil County Dragway.

Here's some links to other things I've done with the ol' boy:
Bullitt Rims
Stereo and lights

Truck of the Week, Baby!

Blackjack and Red, my best friend Brennan's rig:

 

[explornj]

i must chime in with my typical dont expect much dont get disapointed aproach, but good luck!

i agree with u, a lot of the time that's how i go

 

[Spas]

I knew I should of charged more for that bumper.

You hush up. I still have to modify the hell outta that thing to make it work on Morgan :

Thanks guys. I really don't have super high expectations, but it's comforting to think that maybe... just MAYBE... patience and perseverance will pay off in the long run.

That, and thinking of $20,000 different ways to make Blackjack into the baddest ass sport ever makes me happy

 

[Spas]

uh ohh.. now what's she up to?!

Meet Junior. Junior's days are numbered, so don't get too attached.

 

[ExplorerSport77]

is this ur new truck?...

 

[Blee1099]

Lindsy can you even afford him? With what I know of your financial situation don't you think it would have been better to pass it up and try to save money?

 

[explornj]

and the hole keeps getting deeper and deeper soon u won't be able to see the top at all and then there is no turning back i say get rid of it all and live in the woods off the earth much simpler

 

[mynameisaric]

you only live once, start transplanting parts imediately. its a 3 day weekend after all.

 

[JDraper]

:scratch:









Why......

 

[explornj]

:scratch:









Why......

i agree draper

 

[Spas]

you only live once, start transplanting parts imediately. its a 3 day weekend after all.

I'm glad at least one person understood the "why" part, thank you Aric




Ben, I bought it for $2,000. The Focus is being sold for $3,200. Do the math, dingleberry. Everything it needs, brakes/shocks/belt/etc, is going to come off of Blackjack, who's going to be stripped down to bare frame- which will then be turned over to the fabrication geniuses at S&W in Pennsylvania so they can make me a kickass linked suspension and weld on the aftermarket A-Arms I'm going to get. Plus make a cage : It's all that I can save of him, but that's the way it is. I don't know why this seems so extreme to some of you: Look at Iz's truck, or almost ANY dedicated race car that's been gutted, tubbed, caged, and turned into a 1/4 mile monster. I have a budget, contrary to what y'all think.

I pity you guys who live life by how much money and possessions you have. I'm not like that, nor will I ever be. As long as I have Blackjack and enough moola to pay my bills and get by, I'm very happy (which is my current situation). I don't aspire to get eyeball deep in debt for a house that I'll be stuck in for a million years. And knowing my budget, it'll be a POS that needs daily repairs anyway. I don't know what you guys want from me, but I really wish you'd stop doubting how serious I am about getting my damn truck back!

 

[Blee1099]

I just don't want to see you put yourself deeper in the hole or make your credit history beyond repair. I have a customer with a son my age who basically ruined his credit history by failing to pay his credit card, kept bouncing checks, etc. It actually reached the point where he just didn't pay even the minimal balance on the card. From what I was told it was somewhere in the neighborhood of $1000. Most people don't realize that when they do background checks on you some services will actually also run a credit check on you. When you apply for a credit card, each time you apply your credit rating drops a little bit each time. You see all these first time home buyers who have defaulted on their loans cause of their inability to manage their money. You can't depend on your possible civil lawsuit case to bail you out of the hole you buried yourself in or depend on the sale of the focus to build a vehicle. You need to have money saved in high interest savings account like ING or Household bank, both offer 3% and 3.5% respectively. Even putting in $25 a week over a 6 month range will earn you at minimum $30 interest as long as you don't withdraw the funds.. I've been putting in $50 a week since January of 2007 and have earned $120 in interest in 2007 and about $80 or so since in 2008 but thats mainly due to the fact the rates dropped from 5% to the current levels. Starting young with a retirement goal like a Roth IRA will greatly help instead of starting at 40 or 50. I'm sure Plaza Ford offers some sort of 401k system, you should definately look into it.

You can't depend on friends or family or selling stuff to bail you out of your financial problem forever..


If you look at IZ's situation his ratio of how much he earns and how much he spends is alot lower than your ratio. Thats the key thing, you spend what you can spend for modifications and other frivolous things based on how much you need to put away a month to pay off bills and any unexpected things to a limit. If you put yourself in a budget I can guarantee you within 6 months you will have your bills all paid off or atleast half of them.

 

[SuRrEaLNJ]

Linds its not people doubting you, or how serious you are, its people looking out for your own well being

i dont know how your finances are, honestly its none of my business, but i know what of them i do see, and i just want you to REALLY sit down and think about things and your future

i know this is what you want but ill be the first to prove that what you want and whats best for you are not always the same thing

 

[Spas]

Ahaha, I think I know where the confusion is coming from here... I haven't been in contact with many of you for the last few months, so there's no way you could know that not only am I caught up on 95% of my bills, but since I moved in with my buddy I've actually got money left over each paycheck. The way it should be, lol. I'm putting $$ aside for emergencies AND diverting what's left toward futhering my master plan. This is why I can afford to get rid of a car that I absolutely LOATHE driving and switch back to an suv. I'm not depending on the lawsuit as much as you think, just working toward my goal a little at a time. This new truck is going to have to hold me over until I have enough saved up to do what I want to it, I never said it was going to happen tomorrow. When I say "I'm broke" now, it's because there isn't enough left over after paying for everything. Doesn't mean the bills aren't paid


You guys really thought I'd never learn to control my finances, huh. With age comes wisdom. And a very strong desire not to starve every week, LOL!

 

[SuRrEaLNJ]

a car that I absolutely LOATHE driving

hey hey, i dont tolorate focus bashing :

 

[Spas]

hey hey, i dont tolorate focus bashing :

Yours is a lot newer and faster and better looking than mine :mattmoon: Scoot's only saving graces are gas mpg and being somewhat reliable. I really miss my big, fat, understeering, torquey RWD! Oh, and it'll be nice to be able to carry 4 people comfortably again.. AND have room in the cargo area still! This new one is a true 2wd with a SOHC: I'm really curious to see how much better the gas mpg is without that damn transfer case eating half of it. It has 3.73 LS, too... that should make a difference over my old 4.10's, yes?

On that note, anybody have a 98+ driver side lock actuator they'd be willing to part with?? Mine no workie

 

[IZwack]

On that note, anybody have a 98+ driver side lock actuator they'd be willing to part with?? Mine no workie

I does -- el doors will get el plasma cutter so actuators will go to trash unless claimed.

 

[Spas]

I does -- el doors will get el plasma cutter so actuators will go to trash unless claimed.

Oo oo! EL GIMMIE!

 

[IZwack]

PM me your street address and I'll get it out to you Tuesday or Wednesday (holiday on Monday).

 

[sn0border88]

*Looks out window*

I just had to make sure you didnt walk off with midget.

But, im with ben on this one. However, goodluck.

 

[Blee1099]

Its not that I don't support you on your idea but I just think the time frame is a little too early. I just personally see it in a need and want situation and with the way the cost of living is going, your gonna hurt yourself.