WOT: Terminal Case?, Advice: Ford Pickup, Fix it or? Options

[PatW]

Pilled the dipstick this morning and this is what I saw. Looks like I'm about to blow a head gasket?. The truck runs good and has never overheated. WTF?. I really don't want to fix this.. First pic bad focus but, you can see the milkshake on the dipstick..

[Pistachio]

QUOTE (Porcharu @ Apr 2 2006, 11:08 PM)

QUOTE (Tom Perso @ Apr 2 2006, 05:50 PM) Seriously - don't pussy-foot around.  If you're gunna keep the truck, stick a 302 HO in it and don't ever look back. Tom Must be nice to be able to think nice thoughts like that. (Use a nice roller cam 351 not that wimpy little 302) No can do here in the peoples republic of Kalifornia. Evil smog laws make it almost imposible or very expensive to do a swap like that. Even if it's perfect you will get hassled every time you have to get it smogged. After my good old 86' truck blew a head gasket and warped the heads I fixed it sold it cheap and bought a new smog exempt diesel.

Alot of truth there, but not entirely accurate.

A) CA lets something like 1500 "exemptions" the 1st of every year. If you're one of the very lucky few to get one, you can legally run your blown, carburatated 426 hemi powered... 2006 Mazda Miata on the road. The problem is the car has to be 100% constructed & inspected before you can apply for the exemption. If you don't get one, your car sits in your garage for another year until Jan. when you pay your fees (again), have it inspected (again), & try/hope to be "1st in line", ...again.

&

B)Not every area in CA is subject to the yearly/bi-yearly smog test/inspection registration requirement. This is a little known fact, but fact it is. I happen to know this, because I live in one of those area's. If I buy a vehicle, it has to pass an inspection to get plates/change ownership. Afterwards, it's never inspected again! (well, assuming I never sell it). For instatance, my old 5.0 autoi-x'r, I recently sold, had every piece of emmisions equipment removed (EGR, EVAP, air pump,etc), long tube headers, no converters, & the gas filler pipe restrictor removed. It was CA registered & driven each year untill I sold it. (& btw, since it was already previously CA registered, it only had to pass the sniffer test when I sold it - which it did, well within the allowed stds for an '88)

I'm not entirely sure as to how this came about - if it's based off county population, or by milage to an inspection station, but I do know that not everyplace in CA plays by the same smog rules. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/smile.gif)