We did not need the flare gun!
We left a little later than I originally planned so it had warmed up some when we left. The heater worked great. And it worked even better after I realized the driver side vent was open and blowing cold air in! We stayed warm until the trip home - I'll explain below.
The Bronco ran very well with the exception that it did not like going 70 mph or higher. We left the house and the road becomes 70 speed limit a few miles out of town. It ran fine at 70 for another couple of miles or so but then started backfiring and losing power. I turned around to swap vehicles and started driving slower toward home. It cleared up and ran great at 60-65 mph so I turned around again and headed back towards Kerrville. I stayed at 65 or below and it never missed a beat after that. I think I have a restricted fuel pickup or line and it simply can't keep up with fuel at 70 and above. Only other issue was the speedometer bounced around a lot and I think the cable needs lubricating. I was monitoring speed using the GPS anyway.
We had a good visit with Jason and Gretchen at BC. They are doing a lot to organize all their parts and their warehouse using barcoded storage locations. They also have a number of very cool projects going on. I had a long list of parts - new and used - I was looking for and I was able get almost everything I needed.
Here's the bed all packed with parts!
Used steering wheel, almost new auxiliary tank, part of a tailgate I can get a patch panel off of, 2-belt pulleys for my power steering upgrade, used spare tire rack with Ranch Hand bracket, used but in good shape defroster hoses, new turn signal switch, new metal heater hose valve, an uncut dash. I made out well today! Thanks Jason!
So on the way home after eating lunch my wife closed the passenger door and Clunk! the window falls to bottom and won't crank up! We try driving with it down to the gas station to fill up and it became obvious that it's too cold to drive an hour and a half with the window down. Luckily I had brought tools enough to remove the door panel and get the window fixed. We stayed warm the rest of the ride home.
All in all a good shakedown cruise.