I've gotta sit back and chill to clear the mind before I react. Last week the ol-poop hit the fan.

1- X-90 tranny and clutch went out
2- works a pain (nothing new there)
3- Dad having surgery (not major but still worrysome)
4- Found Termites in my house and shop
5- Blew up the motor in the Kick
6- no power in the house for 12-14 hours
7- now I'm back at work.

Needless to say last week SUCKED!!!!!

Right now I'm thinking of a few different options.

1- new motor and keep on rolling
a- stock 8v replacement
b- stock 16V I have in the 97 parts ride
c- find a donor XL-7
d- the turbo deisl also sounds tempting

a- would be easy
b-d would be a pain for me because I suck at electronic stuff and all would require massive rewireing (but I would rather do them more.

2- New Kick. As much as I hat to admit it this would probably be the best option. Any of you that has seen it up close realize that it has been beated and battered since 94 when I bought her. Frames bent, all crossmembers are twisted and tattered, body is rusting bad, etc...) This would be the hardest option but maybe the best over all thing to do (even though I would have HUGE ammounts of down time switching everything over to the new Ride :-/)

Any other options out there you'll can think of PLEASE let me know.

Zig

Greg,
Yea, we will be rolling in the X-90 to Wisconsin maybe with a 4-wheeler in tow to ride around on, I may borrow my friends Yamaha Rhino who knows, either way I'll set up the utility trailer so we can keep our stuff dry on the way.

Zig

ok zig heres what i think, its spring so down time isn't really even a option is it.(think hard about that)  just get it up and running for the rest of the summer with a engine pulled form a wrecked tracker(should be cheap, right?) and wheel it.  Then look for a new kick this fall if you still want to switch over to another year(16V i hope).  kinda like "sleep on it", just for a longer time.

just my opinion, Stu

Sounds to me a new kick would be best ...

Looking at what you've got, it's move over the front axle (and "widened" calmini lift), rear axel (currie 9), BL, tcase, and misc other goodies (radios, bumpers, etc). I'd think that transplant into a 16V model kick would be just what you want anyway.

Do you know how bad the "blown" 8V is?

P.S. I think a swap (diesel 2.5, etc) into a "beaten" rig should be discounted cuz you'll do a ton of work and still have "Frames bent, all crossmembers are twisted and tattered, body is rusting bad, etc"

I've gotta sit back and chill to clear the mind before I react. Last week the ol-poop hit the fan.


c- find a donor XL-7


Zig

If you decide to go V6, I'll help you out. It's really not that bad and well worth it. IMHO

-Eric

Sorry to hear of the tragedy, even the whole week!! Something better is going to happen.  

You mentioned a lot of known 'problems' with the current x-Kick. Not sure if you were planning to address any or all of them over some time frame. Since non-running condition is evident, simplest repair would be to get it back to running condition, plan for upgrades as usual and address all the other stuff or go back to the basics and start with another. You may find another diamond in the rough or pick up someone else's tragedy. Tough call. Sometimes you get real tired of 'fixing, working, upgrading' and just want to get out and have fun. You probably spent to some real time and effort on continuous maintenance. It's a real difficult call to make and once made, looking back only makes you feel as if the choice was not the right one.

My suggestion, get the details of the problem, weigh pro-cons-expense-time wasting-etc (your constraints you want to measure), estimate the future (5-10 years) of where, when, what wheeling, make the choice and stick with it strongly. Good luck.

Throw a stock cheap 8V in yours for now and find a cheap, straight body and frame to do a motor swap on (V6 or diesel) and then swap all your stuff to it?

I don't know, I might just throw a 8v back into it just to get it living again for the time being.  Then you have time to sit back and discuss your options, figure out what you really want to do, etc.  I mean yes it is beaten and battered...but isn't that what you will just do to a new one?  

As long as it (or some other form of it) comes back to life, I mean it was the picture of your truck that inspired me to modify mine....you are legend around these here parts...

I don't know, I might just throw a 8v back into it just to get it living again for the time being.  Then you have time to sit back and discuss your options, figure out what you really want to do, etc.  I mean yes it is beaten and battered...but isn't that what you will just do to a new one?  

As long as it (or some other form of it) comes back to life, I mean it was the picture of your truck that inspired me to modify mine....you are legend around these here parts...

Werent you working on getting a parts kick from indiana? I think you should swap in a cheap lower end into it and finish the summer at least. That will give you time to search for the next rig and start prepping it.

Mike

I remember whe she threw a timing belt on the Rally course at the '02 Melt  

Came to a stop right next to me...

I thinks it be time for a new truck.  There's always one out there calling your name.

hey zigman, all i've got to say is GIT ER DONE!! if you need parts i think i have 12 tracks laying around(lost track) whats wrong with the 97 , how far gone is it.      PS. that really sucks shes dead     stan

Take the x-90 and make the most extreme  x-90 ever!

Fredo

Zig is a legend in more parts than you know....lol

Zig is a legend in more parts than you know....lol

Not sure I want to hear about "those" stories...Ha  

That sucks zig. I would just find an 8v motor and slap it in there for the rest of the summer. And you better do it before you and greg have to rock the x