pflaming

I am currently making a new harness for my Pilot-house per Dave Erbs layout. It is time consuming but interesting and not that difficult. To me it is the pride of eventually saying that I rebuilt this truck. But each to his own often determined on time and money. PF

Thank you for the clarification. I do NOT have the overloads. Are the springs in a 1/2 T truck about the same as in a sedan? Does a sedan weigh about the same as a 1/2 ton truck. Unless the frames are different, wouldn't the extra body on a sedan and the bed on a 1/2 T would be about the same weight? Is the steering in the trucks similiar to that in the cars? Seems my '50 Plymouth was a nice steering / driving vehical. As stated in earlier threads, I drove that car from Nebr to CA and back in 1958. It was my college car.

What does not make sense is that in California we can already turn our tired cars in for cash if they do NOT pass emmisions, why Poo Low Si thinks we need another law to do the same thing I do not understand, except it gets her name out again.

Google "grapevine" and discover the original Grapevine road which still remains. A must drive in spring when the spring flowers are blooming. With all the snow in that area this winter, it will be beautiful this spirng.

I did not note the sales yard, but it was a used car dealership. If it is a Fresno area car then it should be quite rust free. This is a very dry climate little humidity and lots of dry heat. It was dark so I did not look closely at its condition. It did look like it had been driven to where it was parked.

Maybe the car was upside down when he took it out.

Does one remove the same leafs from the front then also? Would that also lower the truck a bit?

Others may know but I don't. Why take out the leafs'? Is the axle housing larger? One of the Jeep Cherokee dif's work and I hear the 69 Ferd Country Squire works bolt perfect, why the 9" choice? Rear end is a near future project for me so . . . PF

Don, that risistor was only holding the wire by the string, didn't know what is was, thankyou. Yes have wired in a switch since the picture. Today the engine tried to start, got good spark at all plugs, but evidently flooded out. Will attach it again tomorrow. Challenging. . . Little things!!!!!

My budget is OK for my truck, but I decided to do all the nearly free things that must be done before I do the expensive things. I have a 'side list'. Whenever I am frustrated, waiting for a part, or stumped I do a side item that is time related, like polishing a door or cleaning up the hubcaps. Including the purchase price I have not spent $1,000 yet and I have learned a lot and had a lot of fun.

Everytime I moved my truck I put it on a trailer, a little more effort but perfectly safe. On farm as a kit, we always put an old tire, smallest we could find, even a bicycle tire at the hitch, then a log chain. Tire is essentially a cable covered with rubber, and serves nicely as a shock aborber. Take lots of digital pictures as you take it apart, really helps the memory of what YOUR car has. They are ALL DIFFERENT! Lots of luck. PF

Saw this this evening, went back and got some pictures. The car is in Fresno, telephone #s are: 209 259 0650 and 209 868 4123. Price on the sign was $4,500. Looked quite good, should have opened the trunk for rust check, inside all stock, radio with veritical push buttons, etc. PF

Just finished painting my caps. Taped them, then cut out what I wanted to paint, painted, waited a day and removed tape. Used a chrome / stainless cleaner first. Cleaned and buffed five or six times to get them to shine. Good luck.

I'm just trying to start the engine, did not want to buy a new six volt battery so borrowed one from my S-10. The wiring harness is out of my truck.

Question: If I use a 12 volt battery, will the coil explode? The attachment shows how I have it wired. Right top of the coil is negative. Bottom right of the battery is negative. As wired I do not get any spark from the coil wire against the block so something is not correct. Someone exploded their six volt coil with a 12 volt wiring setup, so I am not proceeding until I know. The wire going to the coil is only tied to the terminal block by a string, block is not in use.

Question: If I use a 12 volt battery to try and start my engine, will I blow up the coil. I cannot hurt anything because the connection is direct from the battery to the starter and the coil. One post in the forum said he blew up his coil using a 12 volt wiring system. Does that apply to a direct connection? Won't continue until I know.

The sides are held by the front panel, three cross sils/members and the end cross bar to which the tail gate attaches. Look closely at the first pic I sent and you will see which cross members bolt to the bed sides. The corners of the bed work like buttresses and hold the sides vertical. I think it would be easy to rebuild the bed by building it upside down on a floor, it doesn't look that difficult when it's assembled. Print out the picture and take it with you. I have done that with a lot of pictures from the forum in rebuilding the engine. I tape the picture to the firewall and do a lot of looking. Took a second look at my bed, the floor goes between the sils and the side panel angle iron, so if one was putting it together upside down, a spacer would be required until the floor was added. Trying to get my engine started today, can't get fire past the coil, must have something wired wrong. Just had some milk and freshly baked sugar cookies, headed back out to the garage now. Good luck PF

Wouldn't it be easier to rebuilt the bed off the truck? I haven't done that but just as a discussion point, I wonder if it wouldn't be easier to bolt the front end panel, the side panels and the rear bottom cross member together first. Do this upside down then add the bottom cross members. When all the metal pieces are together, then add the floor? Finally there are six bolts that attach the bed to the frame, for toward the front, two toward the rear. Not to criticize the other approach, just a rehtorical question. Good luck to both. I'm not going to take mine apart, just going to add a floor. PF

Here are more pictures, most of these are taken from a bottom view. Hope they are helpful. The angle irons that run on the side panels, on my bed are permanently attached, no bolts. pflaming

My truck is a '52, but I am quite certain the only change made to the bed for quite a few years was the fenders. Will take some pictures from the underside and post them later today. Define 'runners' and I will get you some shots. As the picture shows, the box is assembled as a unit. The sides held together from the front by the front panel and from the rear by the lower cross member to which the tailgate hinges and tail lights attach. Running along the bottom side is an angle iron, some welded on, some bolted on. The wood floor goes UNDER this angle iron. I will take some pictures on how the cross members attach and how the bed attaches to the truck frame. PF

I can not tell how the runners attached across the bed sides". Brian, I'll take some pictures from below, easy to do, my bed is off the truck, let me know what view you want. MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!

At least for a while I'd drive it as is just to see how many would notice. Eventually it will probably bug you enough to change it, but I would have some fun first!

Brian, this is about as bare as is possible. If you want close ups my bed still is as pictured. Hope the picture helps. I plan to remove the scoop shovel guides, then cut a single piece of quality plywood to fit, slide it in under the side angle irons, bolt the guides on the top and paint the floor and guides black like it came from the factory. May rout out groves for guides. Good luck and Merry Christmas. paul flaming

Finished my hubcaps and one wheel. Took one evening to do the taping.

The head and the water neck came from a different engine so the water pump is, I hope, an internal bi-pass type. As you can see I plan on putting a large bolt in that short hose and 'go for it'. Look at this picture and see if I am OK with a plugged hose. Will also plug the heater bipass outlet / inlet. Is all that OK? I think so. No I was NOT aware of the thread. Very informative, will see what happens when I fire up the truck. Question: If my water pump does NOT have an internal bi-pass, then what happens FIRST. In short, what do I watch for. I was going to watch for circulating water as a first check. Thankyou for the tip!