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Jeff Balazs

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Everything posted by Jeff Balazs

  1. Hank; Just call me Sherlock Holmes...... My Dad always said I should read "How to win friends and influence people". Jeff
  2. Don't you have a confession to make? After all there is a dodger in your screen name Jeff
  3. Hi Guy's; Success! I picked up a pair of Craftsman Brake spring pliers #945494 They did the trick.....and I did not need a helper. There is probably a better tool out there but these got the job done. Jeff
  4. Hank; Thanks......sorry Tim.......I hope you weren't one of those fellow's in the boats that slinked off that night. Jeff back to brake springs.....
  5. Guy's I just saw the wheaties box....and didn't even look at the photo. Hank I am with you on this. I grew up watching Sandy K. pitch..and that was a thing of real beauty! True story: I was in Avalon Harbor, Catalina the evening of that game. We had been out marlin fishing for the day and were moored up in front of the Tuna Club. All the boats in the harbor had the game on the radios. And my fishing buddy and I were surrounded by very obnoxious A's fans. Their boats were festooned with Oakland banners etc...What they were doing in Avalon remains a mystery to me to this day. Anyway it started getting ugly and a lot of B.S. was flying around...... boarding parties were a distinct possibility. Rather than put up with these guy's we decided to go ashore for drinks and dinner. The town....normally a fun place.... was full of sullen Dodger fan's and more very vocal A's fans. We wound up in a newly opened Bar & Grill and sat down at the bar. The game was on the TV......but by this point late in the game no one was watching except me and the bartender. Even my old buddy Pat had given up. And then it happened....that sweet swing. Thank you Gibby. I slammed my fist down hard....and as if by a miracle the entire town went silent for what seemed like eternity. And then the replays started.....and the next thing you knew Avalon was one big party !!!! I tell you it was the craziest thing I ever saw. All the A's fan's vanished and were not heard from again! And we didn't have to buy another drink the rest of the night. Avalon ....not the boats.. was rocking that night. I will never forget it. The next morning as we left the harbor there wasn't an Oakland banner to be seen....they must have all slipped anchor during the night? Jeff
  6. Hank; I am not adverse to a visit ......but she already knows that I have lost my mind. It's OK..... I too can't resist it when somebody lobs one over the plate. The springs I got from Roberts are strong, strong, strong. It took me and a buddy to get the front's on and we broke the Pep Boy's special doing it. It was junk though. Jeff ...... el Guapo Making my famous Abondigas for dinner tonight.....hmmm.hmmmm.
  7. Hank; Ha Ha Ha..... I'll give you a sandwich. Jeff
  8. Hi Guy's; I was wondering if anyone has a picture of the proper tool for installing the rear brake return springs on a 3/4 ton? I have (had ) a tool I bought but it has already crapped out.......and it did not work well in the first place. Thanks, Jeff
  9. Thanks Merle; That sounds great.....I am on a quest for one of those differentials. My truck has a slightly later T-342 230 in it which I plan on rebuilding. Jeff
  10. Hi Guy's I think this thread and several others discussing gearing say a lot about the struggle we all face keeping up with "modern traffic". Wouldn't it be nice to be able to go back in time? Certainly all of us share a deep appreciation for the time period and nostalgia that these trucks come from. So how does one cope with the challenge of operating a "stock" 60 year old truck in the world we live in now? I am not really certain. I suppose that some of you either live in relatively quiet rural areas or only use your trucks once in a while. I am sure that the stock gearing is more than up to that type of use. But what if you were planning on using this truck as a daily driver? and in a driving environment like we have here in Southern California ? I have been trying to work all this out in my mind ever since bought my truck. I would really like to keep is close to stock as possible. Most of my daily driving will be on surface streets and only short distances. But reality here is that when it does go on the freeways it must keep up with the flow of traffic which is typically 65mph and higher. I have read through the post's regarding transmission swaps and frankly I am not sure I want to go through all that. Switching out the 4.10 gears in the differential to a 3.73 set has a lot going for it.....if you can find them......as the truck is left in pretty much stock configuration. This really appeals to me. I am hoping that I can find what I need to do this "mod". The higher gearing should help a bit with engine life and even gas mileage. And if it winds up that it isn't quite enough of a upgrade then I could always do the transmission swap. It would be great if there were a kit available for this..... Jeff
  11. Mark; Well I might just take you up on that. Ya just never know...... It does sound like a great area to spend some time. Nice and mellow....not at all like this area. It's kind of funny....my cousin's husband is a woodworker too. She told me all about digging out the floor in his shop to install dust collection and radiant heating......she sort of lost me when she was talking about the weather.....but got me right back when fishing was discussed. And I guess every Wednesday evening is old car night in Buffalo. Jeff
  12. Ed; Yer twisting my arm......don't ya know. Austinsailor; I was thinking that laminated tempered glass would be the way to go. I have it made up for some of the doors I build. I think it is pretty much the best of both worlds.......but I will do some research before I have anything made up. I do know that in order to pass a strict vehicle inspection it must have a "bug" (safety glass label) or otherwise you could be out of luck. Mark; sending you a PM Jeff
  13. Hi Ed; That would be cool. I am long overdue. Haven't been east of Vegas for about 25 years.... I suppose it's a weather thing...... It was really great seeing her. A real sweetheart. Maybe we will try to do a trip back. The last time I saw her I was about 10 or 11. Probably shouldn't wait that long. I do remember their farm in Powers Lake, WI vividly. Guess what stuck in my mind? They had a big old barn.....with Model A parts hanging everywhere. My Uncle had a 28 or 29 Model A convertible Pickup. Every winter they tore it down and rebuilt it. I thought that was just about as cool as it get's.....pestered my Dad to buy one.....and wound up with a 30 coupe at 15. Those were the days. Jeff
  14. Hi Mark; That would be great. I have a commercial account with a large glass supplier. If I give them patterns they will make these up for me at cost. I have good corner windows....so nothing too fancy required. The rest is all flat and I have them all covered. Btw.....I had a cousin who I had not seen since we were kids visit this last weekend. She lives on an old farm outside of Buffalo, Mn.......is that anywhere near you? When I told her about my truck.....she say's she see's them fairly often. Thanks, Jeff
  15. Hi Guy's I was wondering if anyone has patterns or drawings of the glass that goes in our doors. I have a 52 B-3-C that has vent windows which are intact and can be used as patterns to have new glass cut. I am looking for something to use as a pattern for the roll up section of glass.....all that is left of mine is a small chunk. A complete truck is a long way off......but I am trying to get the fit and function of the doors sorted out before doing any paint prep. Thanks, Jeff
  16. Great list! I would say that hands down this forum is the single most important tool anyone could have. Not just us newbies or novices......even the old hands get stumped on from time to time. If you take the time to read through the post's, practically everything discussed is useful at one point in your project or another. And let's face it......where else are you going to get the support and shared experience you need to get through some of this? I know I wouldn't have even attempted my truck if this group wasn't so good. Here are a couple of items I would add to the list for any restoration: 1) A set of appropriate size taps, dies, extractors and a nut breaker. 2) A tube of Anti-Seize compound. Jeff
  17. Gene; You are welcome. If you come across a decent "Job Rated" grill emblem for my 52 B-3-C let me know. Paint grade is fine with me. I am not a huge chrome fiend. Jeff
  18. Hank; LA Craigslist.....type in 1950 dodge in Auto parts and it should come up. $200 for it and some other items. Won't fit your truck though..... I have not been able to put links or quotes in here......maybe it's a browser thing. Jeff
  19. Hi Guy's; Someone on Craigslist in LA, Lancaster area has a pretty nice alloy Edmunds 2 carb manifold for sale. Came off a long block DeSoto? Thought someone here might be interested..... Jeff
  20. Moose; Thanks for posting this number.....I need some too. This forum is great. Jeff
  21. try to find two. I'm off to the junkyard now with Merle's pictures in tow. (Except for the one with the Catepillar D8 bucket...too hard to explain) Hank P.S. I'll keep you in mind. Hank; that's what I am worried about....... Finding one is going to be pretty tough......finding two? Jeff
  22. Thank you Merle; That is most helpful. I like your weight! So basically it looks the same from the outside and has the 3,73 ratio. Sounds fairly straightforward assuming one can find the correct donor. I will just have to beat Hank to it....... Jeff
  23. Hi Guy's; I am interested in this "partial" swap as well. It seems like a really good solution. I have a 10 bolt 4.10 rear in my truck. According to the parts book I looked at last night there was even a 3.73 set available for these? I suppose finding one of these would be equal to finding the holy grail. My question is how do you go about finding the right donor these days? I don't know much about old Mopars. They are not too thick on the ground in this area. I understand the ratio stamps but beyond that does potential donor axle housing look the same as the one I have? or as I suspect looks different and just matches up internally? If this is the case what model and year cars would the donor axle be in? Surely someone can shed some additional light on this. Thanks, Jeff
  24. GGDad; Yes that sounds about what I would expect. These guy's will make or adjust whatever you want. My friend has had them make springs for everything from rock crawlers to Baja 1000 racers to specialty equipment trailers. Hank; I doubt I will powder coat.... but we will see. Honestly there is hardly any rust on the springs as it is. Nothing like what our friends to the east of us have to deal with. Besides with the amount of rain we've had this year...we will die of thirst before any rust can form There is a product that is made by Mercury Marine that would probably work just fine on bare metal springs. Absolutely amazing stuff. It is an aerosol corrosion inhibitor that forms a pliable self healing barrier to rust and corrosion. I used it for years on my saltwater boats. Jeff
  25. Hi Guy's; In another thread the topic of rebuilding leaf springs was discussed briefly. I talked with some friends who build off roaders and repair/modify all sorts of vehicles and they suggested I talk to Deaver Suspension in Santa Ana. They all had nothing but praise for the work this shop puts out. I spoke with the shop foreman and got a quote of $250/pair to rebuild the springs on my 3/4 ton truck. They disassemble, clean and buff, re-arch to factory spec's, replace any bushings, install teflon pads and paint or prep for powder coat. This price is based on me removing the springs and taking them to their shop. Turnaround is 2-3 days. This sounds like a decent price to me but I would like your input. I had not really figured on doing this but it probably isn't a bad idea. One of my buddies mentioned that he had noticed a marked improvement in ride quality on trucks that he had this service performed on. He attributed this to the installation of teflon pads. Thanks, Jeff
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