Jeff Balazs

At least this way the owner will know it is going to a good home where it will be well fed and cared for. Jeff

Don; That is really an excellent idea. To be honest I had no idea that this mounting point might even require anything other than minute adjustments. Shows what little I know. I am so looking forward to tangling with this............ Oh goody. Jeff

Merle; There ain't going to be no next one! Once is plenty for this fool ! :o I know that this is a hobby for a lot of fellows......I get that (sort of)......but I build stuff every day and would much rather go fishing for relaxation. Jeff

Thanks Hank; Yes this part is a real Pita. I am fairly certain that the mounting points on the underside of the cab have been tweaked so getting it "correct" is not simply a matter of using a stock set of rubber bushings. Also it is a bit unclear as to the relationship and measurements of things like the front of the cab versus the rear. Not sure how much the cab is supposed to slope from front to rear either? Looking at the Body drawings doesn't help much either as they do not include reference dimensions that could make this process much simpler. In looking through Bunn's photos it appears that the top of the running boards should be parallel with the bottom of the doors. Is this true? If so what is the gap between them? 1" ???? Jeff

Davin; Thank you for that insight. Was wondering about that.......and figured that was going to be the next wrestling match. In looking through pictures it appears that the top of the running board should be pretty much parallel with the bottom of the door. What is the approx. spacing between these? I can see I have a lot of adjustments to make. There is nothing too enjoyable about this aspect of the reassembly process on my truck.......too many things got tweaked when it was T-boned years ago. Jeff

Thank you guy's; I will see what I can do with this. Jeff

There is a cut out in the sheet metal at the back of our cabs. Can someone tell me what the correct distance should be from the flange on this sheet metal cutout to the top of the frame? Thanks, Jeff

Barry; OK give me a couple of days and I will get it for you. Jeff

Hi Dave; As I understand it ...... it is a waterborne acrylic product. I saw the gun but would think it could be applied by brush or roller as well? I would like to find out more. I don't have any bare metal so that should no be a problem. I would like to find out about adhesion properties though. I was thinking that as a first stage in my cab insulation process this might really be a good start. I think I read somewhere that the ceramic material goes on first followed by the sound material. Maybe I will call the factory and see what else I can find out. Jeff

Anybody here have experience with these products? I have the idea to use the ceramic insulation material on my firewall and floor as the first step in insulating my truck. I would really like to get real world feedback from someone who has applied it. Thanks, Jeff

Thanks Davin; I can well imagine how much "fun" you had. You can believe me when I say I have no where near the skill sets you displayed when doing yours. I spent a fair amount of time looking at what you did.......and it was truly amazing. I on the other hand have left plenty of battle scars and flaws in what I have built.........they just don't show up that much in the photos. They are there though..... and they would drive a judge or a perfectionist right out of their minds. Obviously I like the "character" they give the truck. No doubt there will be more before I am done using it. Somewhere I have a photo of me changing a rear tire on my old Jimmy. Back in the 80's we were doing a project alongside the transmission lines that run from Boulder dam into the LA basin. Tore two brand new tires up that day on sharp rock. 30 miles from pavement. Both times we were on steep dirt and rock access roads and had to dig to set a jack. That was no place to be under a truck just to get to a spare. Jeff

Hi Barry; If you can't find something that works it would be pretty easy to make one of these. I am happy to provide measurements, photos, etc.. I will tell you what......old body or young....... the location under the bed of a truck is and never will be my first choice. You can't always pick the spot you park to put on the spare. Crawling under there to get the spare off in some conditions.....off road or even the freeway...can be very dangerous. And for what it is worth....I think it looks far more "business-like" up on the side of the bed anyway. Jeff

Hi Guys; Thanks. They are car hub caps I got from a member here. The price was right and I think they look fine. The spare holder came with the truck and I believe it has been there since new. I really like this type and would never dream of having the spare below the bed. I do still need to find another matching wheel to use as a spare. That has been a problem....... if anyone has one they are willing to part with ? please contact me. Yes the rear of the cab is a bit high right now. I need to take another look at that. I know I have some spacers on the drivers side rear mount which could be removed and perhaps I can cut down the passenger side mount a bit to compensate. This truck had been involved in a pretty bad accident at some time which tweaked the frame and underside of the cab. The cab had been repaired but as a consequence there are some mounting surfaces that present a few extra challenges to the visual alignment process. I will get it as close as I can but it probably won't ever look perfect. I can live with that if everything functions as it should. Jeff

Hi Guy's Got a few things done today. I went ahead and did the wheels in a burgundy and added a little bling. I think it works well with the cream color. I don't remember who suggested red first........but thanks very much for the idea. I have managed to get it about 95% sorted now and am waiting on weatherstrip and rubber to put the front end back together. There is still a ton to do......but each little bit of progress feels real good. I also installed the control cables for the HCV, fresh air and defroster. Hope you all are having a great holiday. Don't forget what it is really about. I read through letters my Dad sent my Mom from shortly after D-Day, the liberation of Paris and the Battle of the Bulge. God bless them all. Jeff

Right on Barry. That looks great and has to be a good feeling. Have fun with it. Jeff

That's a good point Ed. I will have to think about this a bit more. Jeff

Merle; Again thanks for responding. This pretty much covers what I am thinking about. I really like the idea of flipping a switch and having a back up. Stalling or breaking down in traffic here is a recipe for disaster. It is especially unacceptable if there is a way to eliminate or minimize some of the possible causes. I suppose it is the old boy scout, desert rider and boater in me....... but I like to be prepared to cope with these sorts of potential situations as gracefully as is possible. I am attempting to get this old truck as close to bullet-proof as is reasonable. In my mind this sort of set up is cheap insurance as long as it is done correctly. Have a great holiday, Jeff

Merle; Thank you. Would you consider this to be an adequate full time pump if needed ? Would a pressure regulator be a good idea as part of this installation? Thanks ; Jeff

Hi Guy's; I'd like to fit an electric fuel pump as a emergency back up for the fuel supply on my truck. Can anyone recommend a specific brand & model that they have had good service from? Thanks, Jeff

Paul; It is too shiny......... and there is way too much chrome!!! Just teasing. Glad to see you getting so much enjoyment with it. Rock on Paul. Jeff

Yes thanks Merle........I will be following suit. I have most of the stuff.......just got a pile of things to do first. Jeff

Thanks again Reg; Hey they even offer a black version. Just the ticket for my truck. I've never really cared for too much chrome. The black one's will work out just fine. Jeff

Amen. Jeff

I bought a used pair of the painted type on ebay......they were a perfect fit for my truck. Jeff

Heck I would let Merle win........... ......... just to be able to spend some time with him. My 52 is supposedly a full sychro gearbox. Have not had adequate time to fully test this but I tell you what..... in second gear from a dead stop she pulls real good. I don't think the 3.55 is going to be too high either......could be a 3.23 would be just fine with my slightly larger 230. I will have to find out in a few months when it is all roadworthy. In the evenings the Toll road to Coto de Caza is practically empty.......great place to road test and fine tune things. I am going to have to find a better PCV valve and then test again. The old unit I had in it was definitely suspect.......perhaps with a good one it will not require any further fussing. I would really like to retain this system as I believe the advantages when working properly are worthwhile. Jeff