Jeff Balazs

James; You might be able to tell something about this from someone ....anyone who has one of these cams and a single carb setup. I believe what you are looking for is a steady vacuum reading at idle. At least that is what the fluid drive in my 52 3/4 ton wants and responds well to. It weighs a shade over 4000#.......so fairly heavy. The fluid drive feature did not work well at all until I got a good steady vacuum reading at idle. Anything between 18" and 21" works fine .......as long as it is steady. My feeling about this is they function poorly if the needle is bouncing at all. When I first got this thing running I had about a 1" or less bounce on the gauge and it did not work worth a darn. Jeff

Davin........planes are usually much easier on the motion sickness prone than boats. Hopefully you won't have any nasty storms while you are on your voyage. Tis the season...... Jeff

Roberts motor parts has a rubber item that fits perfectly. Remove the metal neck and fith the rubber to the openining in the cab. Then use a little vaseline and slip the neck in from the outside. If you need the hose on the inside they have the correct item as well. Jeff

Ralph; That is really something. Thanks for posting it. Jeff

I wonder if the size of the glass we each use has a big effect on this? When I fit my windshield (new glass) I used a Steele gasket. It was very pliable and went in easy. But I think my glass was cut a bit too small? Seemed like the right side could have fitted better with a slightly larger piece of glass? I really had to work at it to get it watertight. I tried the special silicon and that was a joke. Jeff

I had a chat with the owner yesterday. This was the car that was rebuilt by the Wheeler Dealers. He traded a 48 chevy truck for it. He is using it as his daily driver and it runs real well. I will get some more photos soon. Jeff

Well like I said I have not added it all up. Maybe it was less? It sure seemed like I was paying a premium at the time. For the alternator I used a Quality Power 6 volt positive ground single wire unit. I seem to remember it costing around $135 and I could get a GM 12 volt for around $80. I know I paid around $100 for my 6 volt cooling fan.......and the same size fan in 12 volt was $70. Yes and having some 12 volt accessories required purchasing power converters. I have one of those small $70 cube type converters which was not adequate for the stereo system........so I found a nice unit made in New Zealand that would run that. That added another $165. I guess one could get by with out these ? But it is nice to have some sounds and be able to use a tire inflator etc... Also I suppose I did not have to buy all the back ups (spares) I did. If you only use the truck once in a while then it you can probably wait a week for some of this stuff to show up. Assuming you are some place you can find it. Obviously my choice was to have all the essentials at hand. Jeff

Dave; It adds up. If you laid out the money you would know. $20 here $40 there. It is true I have done several upgrades but they make sense to me. Just as an example ..... price out a 6 volt positive ground alternator (single wire) and compare it to a standard 12 volt. Like I said it adds up. And from the standpoint of using one of these as a daily driver I think what I have done is sensible ..... and having certain spares on hand prudent. You can look at this from many different angles. I do. And what I think makes the most sense for the long run is a 12 volt conversion. I just wish I had come to that conclusion sooner. Jeff

Jeff S. There were several things and I have not done a tally but I am sure I am not far off. A) 6 volt positive ground alternator 6 volt cooling fan C) 6 volt positive ground full time fuel pump D) HD power converter for stereo E) 6 amp power converter for accessories (Gopro etc) F ) Super duty battery selector switch G) 6 volt optima battery H) 2/0 battery cables I) HD 6 volt heater switch j) 6 volt headlight relay K) 6 volt positive ground LED tail light for rear window L) 6 volt positive ground Pertronix module M) Misc. 6 volt bulbs and relays. And I have probably missed an item or two. Most of these items you pay a premium for over standard 12 volt stuff. And because some items are special order or not in stock devices I have new spares such as the fuel pump and ignition module. Trust me it all adds up. Jeff

Welcome. My truck came with a similar rear bumper. They are definitely an aftermarket item. I ended up bobbing mine and remounted it. I think it looks better than the factory optional bumpers ..... they just look too small in my opinion. Here is my take on the 6V vs 12V thing. 6 volt systems work just fine ......if everything is in good nick. They are however more expensive to build, maintain and add accessories too than a 12 volt system. You will pay a premium on most 6 volt components......and often time have to special order or go on a serious hunt for them. By comparison 12 volt stuff is almost always readily available.....and cheaper. If your truck has been converted to 12 volt you shouldn't have any significant problems getting it all to work. Just read through the past threads here on the subject. Staying with the 6V system is the one regret I have with my build. I figure it cost me at least $500 more to build than if I had just gone to 12 V. Dont get me wrong everything works just fine with my 6V......but it cost more and doesn't really have any significant advantages over a 12 volt conversion. Good luck with your project.. Jeff

I could easily picture George Raft in that thing.

Well that is no good Hank. Hope you get it figured out as that condition is downright dangerous in our sort of traffic. Jeff

Well I only have positive things to say about my alternator conversion. I think it is a natural progression or evolution in running something this old. I have a lot of extra stuff on my truck and it keeps up so well I don't have to give it a thought. May not look stock but it gets a big thumbs up from me. Makes staying with a 6 volt system very trouble free. Jeff

Merle; I gave you a freshly gone through generator.......is this the one you are having problems with? Northwest Starter repaired that one and it had zero miles on it. Jeff

Amen! Excellent movie. Wish they made more like it instead of all the nonsense superhero rubbish and CGI junk they seem to be stuck on. Jeff

Aborted trip...no fish. Port engine was overheating.......bad heat exchanger or manifold and it sounds like it needs a new waterpump as well. Hopefully his mechanic can get to it this week. Bummer as it should have been a good day. Jeff

I sure like your Route van. Very...very cool. Some faded signage would be most appropriate. . Saw one in an old movie on TCM a few weeks back. Was a TV crew truck in a Sci Fi classic filmed out in the desert. I don't remember the title but the aliens assumed the form of people because they were too hideous to look at. Gotta love that stuff! Jeff

???..... ....I must be on the wrong site.

Rod; So true! Almost all of my old fishing buddies are gone now. And boy do I miss them. It just ain't the same. Thanks. Jeff

Don't get me wrong 'cause I do enjoy fresh fish.........but it is never about filling the freezer with me. I just enjoy the environment......and the hunt if you will...... and especially fooling a few with artificial lures. Beyond that it is the best "recharge" I know of. If we are lucky we will have some for the grill......and if we are real lucky I will have enough to dry smoke some up Baja style. Jeff

Yep I definitely have saltwater in my blood. Supposedly there are some 40# -60# Bluefin Tuna popping up right now...along with some Dorado. That is all I want....Y'all can have the yellowtail..That and a cool day offshore. My shop neighbor and good buddy of many years has a sweet 30' Carver flybridge sport fisher. Just perfect......very comfortable with a nice stereo system. Jeff

Sorry Mike wrong time of the year. I already have an appointment in Dana Point. Let's see......a hot muggy swap meet and you guys.....or a sleek 30 foot lady and a day's fishing out on the big blue? I guess I really am not much of a motorhead after all. . Jeff

Yes this is a very effective mod. Simple,clean and to the point. It sure works well for me. Jeff

Paul is just showing off. At one point he had the worlds hottest Pilothouse. Once it cooled off and got a clear coat it became ..... El Scorcho.

Honestly......I hardly ever give cars more than a glance these days. Doesn't mean I don't know what a decent one looks like.....just means I don't lust after them any more. I will be more than satisfied when I can use my Pilothouse to haul my 1949 AJS motorcycle out to the desert. And that is not too far off now. I'll let the rest of you worry about the cars. And the truck collections. Jeff Next time he brings the Desoto in I will try and get some better pictures.