TrampSteer

Paul - been having the same kind of issues. The leather can dry out from what I've read. I also found that there is a jet for the accelerator pump. I cleaned that and it was a good first step. You will have to split the carburetor to get to the accelerator pump itself. The bonus to doing that is you can verify both the balls and the leather of the pump itself. These two videos helped me a lot with understanding what I was working with. With a couple of adjustments I learned from watching these, I have it running almost smoothly - without the rebuild. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg19Cz2dWAI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5p4Y-s_Nws I have not rebuilt yet, but I may. In fact, I'm itching to do it...

I used to worry about big things. Can I really do a McArthur on the frame and survive. Will the gas tank fit. Does anything forward of the spliced midsection of the frame actually work. Will the DMV let me drive it. Can I afford to keep doing this. Now I think about little things. Ignition switches with real Dodge keys. Blinkers signaling inside the cab. That paint chip on the tailgate. How to keep the smell of gas out of the uninsulated cab. How I will sound proof. If I should redo the doors and windows myself or farm it out before I break the rattling glass. How to deal with dim bulbs (thanks Plymothy, I'll try that). Is the gas tank empty yet. Should I hook up those heater controls. Where do I get mirrors from. How can I make a monthly budget to keep it going. That's right, now I'm driving it. Any time I have an excuse. They are short trips. Less than10 miles. But it is out there. People point. I get thumbs up. I am now the the guy waving back. I've taken it to a car show as a participant. People ask questions. I show pictures to anyone foolish enough to listen - like a Dad with a new born child. I talk their ears off. I'm passionate and knowledgeable about it. I used to be a guy who wanted a truck. Now I am an owner of a running truck. It's different. I am very excited by it. Not sure what it means. I think it's a journey. Thank you Mr. Hemingway

Nice truck. You're going to have fun. Any brand of signal will work, but I've read here in past posts that cheap ($15) ones get flaky. Everyone liked the signal stats. My friend has one on his '62 Willies and had no complaints.

My Dad was Navy - used to take boats full of scientists out to set up instruments and blow stuff up. When we pressed him further for details we discovered it was the Atomic tests in the bikini islands. Daaaad! He said when the nukes went off he was below decks, below water, his back to the site and his eyes closed. He still saw a flash.

The more color that comes off, the more it looks like a DeLorean. Careful when you get up to 88mph.

Thanks for thinking of us!

Thanks Ed, Daddyo: I would NEVER have guessed that. It does make a weird kind of sense. Now I have to watch Chinatown again. Lot's of Dodges in that one. It's not that I need one Dave,Hank and I don't want to be ruining Jeff's chances at a Guineas entry - however I do really like the idea of that solution. Jerry, makes me want to go there just to feed birds. Love the OT - I'm with What Paul referred to once as it's entertainment value! My daughter (14) says not to worry about keys and such. There are only a handful of people that would figure out how to start it with that big button on the floor. And after having driven her around through several stop and goes and she still had to ask how I was changing gears even though she was watching me move all those levers around, well ... you should have seen the shock and awe on her face when I showed her how three-in-the-tree works.

We lost my keys in the build. Ended up putting on a universal. Still catching myself turning it all the way to the right and wondering why the starter doesn't kick in.Other than that it works fine.

OK, now that I have a running truck I am starting to see more of the details that I missed before. Things smaller than the frame that had to be replaced. Today's problem stems from nearly locking myself out after 50 miles on the odometer. There was the sudden memory recalled from my youth of HOW to lock the door. Then the slightly scarier problem when there was no lock on the driver door. Thankfully the passenger door was still unlocked - because the key didn't fit the lock that was there. The whole thing got me to thinking. Why is there is no door lock on the driver door? It doesn't look like it is shaved and finished. So I went on-line here and after looking at nearly a hundred trucks, I only ever saw one door lock on the left side - and that was a Fargo. So I still have not found one on the driver's side. Am I seeing this right? There were no key locks for the driver's side? Anyone know what the reasoning behind this would be? If you were only putting on one outside accessible lock I would have thought it would be on the passenger side but I would have been wrong. I'd love to hear even a decent made-up story. Mike

Here's the nickle tour ... http://youtu.be/K37OQCh8EmA

Merle: It never shut off. Just is reasonably quiet when at idle. Problem I have is the middle circuit in the carb, so it's either a quiet idle or drive it like you stole it!!! ggdad1951: Only found the lever for the cowl today. Don't have those fancy window vents you rich folk gots. Jeff: Thanks, plan on it! Althoug, my budget will be a lot smaller. When I get to the point where I'm doing 40 mile trips, we need to get a pastrami sandwich again. Ralph: So did my daughter! She is so excited, she practically washed it herself today.

That's brilliant.

Well, I finally drove my truck today. Only took 16 months. The first 9 looking for it, and the other 7 making it safe enough to get behind the wheel. This would not have happened without everyone here. Thank you one and all. If a picture is truly worth a thousand words, here is War and Peace. The loud parts at least. http://youtu.be/w1xa4SypW04 Post script (next day): I've put on fourty miles now, and the carb is clearing itself. Only a little hesitation left so I don't have to drive a maniac. If we have to, we will use a rebuild kit on the Carter but it is not looking like it will need it. Right now, it just keeps getting better. EDIT: Same drive eight months later. https://youtu.be/EeQVaePhloM

LOL - totally mutual my friend. Looking forward to meeting you in April.

Love those flukes. Can't afford them.

Sometimes the truck makes you.

Jeff, I have not driven my truck much but around the yard to work on it, but I really couldn't see well at all - and it is not adjustable. I'm 5'10". I'm taking mine off mostly because the shipping company lost the right half (flew off in the wind) when delivering the truck. I suspect that was 70+ mph. I went to a couple of part swap meets two months ago and there are a lot of "used" fulton visors. Seems there will always be lots of spares. I also found a company called Fetchup Pickup Parts that make replica (read new) visors pretty cheap. They do look great though. Still on my list, just further down. Mike

... sat outdoors for around 20 years and turned right over ... My buddy just fired up a 40's Jeep that sat for five years. Gasoline in the tank and air in the tires. Gotta love So Cal.

Here's what is on my '53

... So the kit is yours if you want it. Thanks Jeff. Turns out the real problem was the pickup tube inside the tank. When they cleaned and lined it last time the didn't check it. All fixed now after a second trip to the radiator shop. Reinstalled and now it is running like a champ with stock parts. Color me very happy!

I think that's an optical illusion William. Those are 15" in the front. Rears are 16". Maybe that's a trick worth thinking about "Oil Soup Can"

Grass truck

Will do William. Thanks for the idea.

Just the part I need!