Sunday 18th, hoped to sleep in, but again the construction guys are up banging around the house in back early. Sheeze. Oh well, it’s getting too hot anyway. After lunch I give Jeff a call to see if I can borrow his spring compressors to take apart the junkyard struts. I had at one point thought of undoing the top cap nut on the strut while it was still in car, then jacking up the car until the spring was free. Figured there wouldn’t be any flying missiles, but I didn’t want to take the chance. It was afternoon by the time I got to Jeff’s and picked up the compressors, it was blazing hot. Glad I used my dad’s Suzuki with a/c.
Once I got the springs free, I could compare and measure the struts. This junyard set looks to have the correct diameter and length to fit the new cartridges. The spring seat and distances to the top mount and the upper of the lower bolt hole match the FX struts, so it looks like if I redrill the lower hole I can get these to work. Kustom hacking here we come, hope it works!
Start by drilling small hole in base. No pressurized gas. No surprise here as the shafts sink into the struts on their own weight. Pretty shot. The oil squirtin out is pretty dark too. Taking pipe cutter and hacksaw at instructed distance, cut off the top of casing. Then enlarge the hole in base to specified size in preparation for the bolt that will screw into base of new cartridge to hold it inside. All that’s left is to drill the new lower mounting hole, but it’s gotten late. Quit for the day, I’m pretty pooped.
Monday 19th – Scat calls, he’s back from his trip and wondering if there’s a St. Louis downhill. He heads over to Ckucky’s to mess around with the newly painted Camaro. I decide I’ll head home early to continue working on my kustom struts. Setting up my drill press jig thing takes a considerable amount of time. Also clamping the work is proving difficult. By the time I’m set, it’s getting late. I figure I won’t have much more time to use power tools tonight. I start the first hole. 
Unfortunately with this one step better than jury rigged setup, once the drill breaks through, the bit seizes and the strut wrenched free of clamp and the drill itself twists itself out of the jig. I make a halfhearted effort to free hand drill the other side. This is not going to work. I give up. I figure I’ll try and find a shop to do it. It would be ridiculously simple for a shop with the right tools. Gives me chance to go get a new reman steering rack, I’ve decided I’m not going to monkey around with changing just the inner tie rods. I’m sure the rack seals are due for a replacement anyway, so an entire replacement rack is worth saving time and effort. More future projects!
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