vikingminer49er

Couldn't budge the bumper bolts, so started soaking them for later removal.

Had to drill and hammer the heads off the windshield-frame joint screws to disconnect to top and bottom sections. Retrieved the windshield-frame joint covers.

Removed the windshield-frame hinge plates and crank-strip bracket with the impact screw driver. Attempted to remove the windshield-frame joint screws with the impact screw driver.

With the rivets removed, the hood-center chrome strip slides out from the other half of the hood-center hinge. The ends of the hood-center chrome strip are different. The longer end of the hood-center chrome strip goes toward the rear of the hood, closest to the windshield.

Removed the rivets from the hood-center chrome strip.

Hood-door latches are fastened with rivets. Will leave them attached for now. Hood-center hinge is also fastened with rivets, and the hood-center chrome strip forms one half of the hood-center hinge.

We picked up the 1965 Ford N500 Trailer Toter that had been in Grand Junction for major front end and brake work, and hauled it home. Got back just at dusk before the roads started to freeze. Spent the next couple of days getting a new battery for the Ford, and hauling it to have newer used tires installed. Judy says we are not to spend any more money on the Ford, and she wants it sold this year. Had meetings on Friday morning for my engineering work. Can't pass up an opportunity to make some money. Worked on end-of-year paperwork. Finally got back to the 1938 Dodge RC Pickup project today. Started with removing the chrome pieces remaining on the hood. Hood louver trim is missing on the passenger's side. Removed the hood louver trim from the driver's side.

A seat I found in the bus was blocked with wood and strapped down in place of the original driver's seat. At about 45 mph, the approximately round tires changed to approximately square tires. Sat back, and prepared for a leisurely drive home. Heading west up the Arkansas River, my right foot and leg began to ache keeping the pedal to the metal. Fabricated a cruise control out of a 4x4 wedged under the dash. Completed approximately 100 miles to Salida Colorado by the end of the first day driving. September weather was cool, sunny, and beautiful for the second day. Started up out of the Arkansas River valley to Monarch Pass. Speeds dropped to about 10 mph going up the grade. With the cruise control set to all the way to the floor, there was time to get up, stretch my legs, and walk around the inside of the bus, before steering was required for the next turn in the road. Was passed by a few angry drivers, but most just smiled and waved. Made the final 150 miles home by the end of the second day. Scrapped the paint off the windows, which I should have done before leaving Colorado Springs. Couldn't scrub the house paint off the Dale Jr. side of the bus. Parked the bus and use it for storage.

Requests are to be made in the Classifieds section per our new rules. Thank you. Couldn't find the post where I was scolded for running a giant classified ad. Must have been deleted. Of course, everything I have is for sale to the right buyer. Have more projects than I will every be able to start, let alone finish. If you see something you like, want, or need, you can always send me a message. Don't think there are any rules on what your message can say. If you send me your email address, we can take our conversations off this site. My telephone number shows up in different places, and don't think there are any rules on calling me. Best of all, come see the hysterical Dodge collection in person. Trucks are lined up, grouped by years, no parts are laying in the walkways, try to keep the grass and weeds mowed in the summer, bring the kids and grandkids. Admission is free. You don't have to buy anything. Judy will accept donations as a free-will offering. Sorry, but the name is Anderson, not Elder. If you say Elder Auto quickly, it sounds like El Dorado, the mythical Spanish place of gold. Elder Auto, A Gold Mine of Old Dodge Trucks. Have been spending all my retirement money on the old trucks. Could save it and leave it to the children, but who can enjoy reading monthly account statements. If I get sick, rich doctors, hospital administrators, and insurance executives will take it away from me. Might as well make it harder for them to get. Of course, there's always the Prince of Nigeria who can drain any account at the speed of electrons. Like the old guy with the salvage yard in Glenrock Wyoming said: "It's my 401J", J is for Junk. Since I will be 71 this summer, cashed out all my piddly 401K accounts, and spent the money. Came into this world with nothing, and plan on leaving owing as much as possible. Don't plan on having a hearse pulling a trailer to the graveyard. They can send my ashes home to South Dakota by UPS. Truck 45 is a 1975 Dodge S700 Bus, with an International MV-446, V8, gasoline engine and automatic transmission, purchased in Colorado Springs Colorado. The bus originally had a 413-cubic-inch, V8, engine according to the VIN. Some NASCAR fans had previously decorated the bus with Dale Earnhardt and Dale Jr., paint and decals, for a party bus to go to races. Got the bus out of a storage yard from two bimbos, who thought they wanted to be in the food-truck business. They had spent enough money to buy a refrigerator, stove, hot-water heater, sliding window to sell whatever they were planning on cooking, and a couple of gallons of house paint. They had started to paint the Dale Jr. side of the bus, including the windows, before they gave up. The bus was non-operational when I bought it, and was too long to fit on my trailer. Spent a couple of days in the storage yard getting the bus running to drive it home. The obvious problem was it needed a new starter. Looked through the pile of stuff left by the bimbos, and found a starter for a 318/360 engine, with a receipt from a local parts store. Returned the starter to the parts store for a refund, and found the only starter for a mid-1970's International 446-cubic-inch engine at the NAPA distribution warehouse in Denver. Once the bus was running, drove it to the nearest tire dealer to have the only flat tire on the Dayton Wheels repaired. Filled the huge tank with gasoline, and pointed the bus south towards the Arkansas River.

Here's another smoking-hot, 2-cycle motorcycle from my collection. A 1974 Yamaha DT100A Enduro that belonged to a sister-in-law. Almost like new. Sat in her garage for years. Too small for me to ride, it's now sat in my garage for years. Waiting for the collector who wants it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CLtkCZxtHI

Now that the rig is operational, have replaced the dash and gauges. Up-graded to the simulated-wood-grain dash panel. Couldn't find a blue dash cover, so will change to black interior. Have the seat out for re-covering right now, and will eventually re-cover the glove-box-lid, and repaint the interior door panels. My priorities with any truck are safety first, then operations, appearance, and comfort.

Needed some additional repairs to the drill before we were ready to get serious about planting poles in the neighbor's field. After all his poles were installed, we figured it was time to put the drill to work making some money. Have used the drill for soil testing for septic system design, and one big job in the Gunnison National Forest for road construction. Probably never get all the money back, but it adds a service to my engineering business.

Tested and worked out some bugs in the drill at the neighbor's place. He wanted to use the drill to install 20-foot steel poles for his hops yard.

It had been several months since I left the truck and drill in Denver for repairs, and I had a truck and trailer in Denver from another project. Rather than obtain the necessary temporary permits and insurance to drive the truck and drill home, brought enough wood to get the dual-rear-wheels over the trailer fenders, to haul the rig backwards, and take the weight off the rear end of the trailer. Loaded the rig on the trailer, and prepared for Interstate 70, Eisenhower Tunnel, Vail Pass, and McClure Pass. Made it home without further problems and unloaded the rig.

Thank you for the reply, and the memory jog: "Barn Find". Your truck sat in a shed for years on the Rozman place on Stewart Mesa near Paonia Colorado, a couple of miles from me. I offered to buy it a couple of times, but Mr. Rozman never quoted me a price. He was playing the "wrong rock" game. That's where you tell someone to bring you a rock. Every time the sucker brings a rock, you tell him that's the wrong rock. You keep playing the game until the sucker goes away, or offers a big enough rock. I went away. Gary must have brought a big enough rock. Gary did not own the truck for long. I'm pleased that the truck found it's way to you. You appear to be a proud, and happy, new owner. By the way, that's the original color for the B-Series wheels on the truck. Truck 44 is a 1974 Dodge W200 Heavy-Duty Flatbed Truck, with a 1984 Mobile B-31 Drill, 360-cubic-inch engine, and 4-speed transmission, purchased in Pittsburg Kansas. Had an engineering job that took me to Kansas City Missouri. Searched the local CL ads, and contacted the listing on the truck prior to making the trip. Set up a time to see the truck, after completing my engineering assignment. Rented a car in KC, and drove to Pittsburg Kansas. Drove the rent car the 125 miles to inspect the truck and drill. The truck and drill were located at a clay mine. Since the clay was used to make brick and clay sewer pipe, and no one buys clay sewer pipe any longer, the mine was closed, and they were selling equipment. The brick works had been in operation for over a hundred years, and brick chimneys from the kilns were works of art. The drill was used to sample the clay inventory pile. The truck had about 63,000 miles on the odometer, and the drill had about 320 hours on the hour meter. Told the guy selling the drill that if the hour meter was correct, and I had an employee who had only worked 320 hours in 30 years, I would be getting rid of him. The drill went up, and down, and round and round. The truck ran, drove, stopped, and backed up. Drill came with 50-feet of auger steel, bits, and tools. Made the seller an offer he didn't refuse. Now comes the fun part. I was approximately 900 miles from home. Truck had a title restricted for non-road use. Tires had good tread, but were too weather-checked to be road worthy. Contacted the Kansas Highway Patrol to request a vehicle inspection, and any required transport permits. KHP sent an officer right out, and he issued an inspection report, and cleared me to drive the truck across Kansas. Found a tire dealer in Joplin Missouri, 30-miles away, who found 6-16.5-inch, highway-tread tires, he could have available by the next day. Got the seller to give me a ride back from the local rent car agency, and dropped off the rent car. Drove the truck to the motel, and waited for the tire store to open. Next morning got an early start, got the tires installed, and headed west on a beautiful Saturday. Made it as far as Hutchinson, about half-way across Kansas. Noticed the farther west I went, less brake pedal was available to stop the heavy rig. Spent the night, and woke up to a typical prairie blizzard across western Kansas, and eastern Colorado. Now anyone can drive with brakes, but it takes talent to drive without brakes, even on the prairie. Waited out the storm in Hutchinson all Sunday. Monday morning, filled the brake fluid reservoir, and re-started west. By the time I reached Colorado, I couldn't keep enough brake fluid in the truck. Free-wheeled into Pueblo Colorado by the end of day two. At that location, had to make a choice. Could continue west on U.S. Highway 50 over Monarch Pass, over Black Mesa near Gunnison Colorado, and home. Otherwise, could travel north to Denver, pick up my truck and trailer at my daughter's house, and haul the truck and drill over Interstate 70, and several passes to home. Spent the night to consider the options. Decided not to risk the downhill run off Monarch Pass, and the twisting Colorado Highway 92, running along the north side of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison River over Black Mesa. Headed north to Denver and loaded the truck and drill on my trailer. The drill was too heavy to trailer, and would lose control of the towing truck above 35 mph. Took the surface streets across west Denver to a shop to have the brakes repaired. Left the truck and drill, and headed home. Since I left the truck and drill at the shop of a construction company I worked with, also had them make other repairs, and change all the weather-cracked, hydraulic hoses on the drill.

Who says I missed it. Two photos of your truck taken June 3, 2017, outside the Black Canyon Classics Car Club Show at Cerise Regional Park in Montrose Colorado. http://www.blackcanyonclassics.org/ Know I used to remember where Gary got the truck, but I can't remember now. Heard he sold the truck, but I didn't know where. Found the photos in my huge file of vehicles I haven't bought. Can't afford to buy them all. Sounds like a profitable transaction for both of you. Have you been invited to see the north yard at Martin's, or the east yard at Erie Auto Salvage, where they keep the better cars and trucks? It's been a few years since I was back there. As always, you're invited to visit the hysterical Dodge collection. Admission is free, and you don't have to buy anything. Judy will accept donations. Please call before you arrive. Thank you.

Truck 43 is a 1974 Dodge W100 Pickup, with a 318-cubic-inch engine, and 4-speed transmission, purchased brand new, special order, built for me, in Lakeland Florida. Purchased my first new truck after getting my first real job following graduation from South Dakota School of Mines in 1972. Had sold my 1950 Ford F1 Pickup on leaving South Dakota in 1973, because wasn't too sure the old flathead would make the trip across country. Shopped all the trucks for Ford, Chevy, and Dodge. Found the best truck for the money in the Dodge, and liked the style of the new D-Series. Always thought the old-style D-Series from the 1960's was ugly. When I went to place the order, told the salesman, I wanted a four-wheel-drive pickup. He said they didn't make them, and I probably wanted a Jeep. Told him to ask his manager. After he asked his manager, he said they didn't have any. Since a few minutes earlier he said they didn't make them, I explained he was going to order one. He said he didn't think they could do that. Told him to ask his manager. When he returned, I explained I wanted a W100, four-wheel-drive, 318-cubic-inch engine, 4-speed transmission, optional power steering, power brakes, air-conditioning (in Florida, don't you know?), standard rear bumper (optional at no extra cost, but you had to ask for it), tinted windows, big West-Coast mirrors, no carpeting, and no radio (installed a great aftermarket Craig AM/FM/8-track stereo and speakers). After writing that all down, he asked what color I wanted. Since I hadn't thought much about color, and was working at a Phosphate strip mine with lots of big equipment, I said paint it yellow so they could see me coming. Then I told him how much I was going to pay for the new truck. He said he didn't think they could do that. Told him to ask his manager. Since we were talking money, the manager finally came out. He said he didn't think they could do that. Explained to the manager, since he wouldn't have any inventory cost, all he had to do was get on the telephone to Detroit, place the order, clean the truck when it rolled off the train in the railyard, put some gas in it, and delivery it to me, I thought he could do that. In addition I was ready with a $2,000 cash down payment. The manager then said he thought they could do that. Checked my records, and found I actually gave them a $500 cash deposit. Saved the remainder of cash to combine with a bank loan for cash on delivery. Waited five months for Detroit to build, and deliver, my new truck. Received the truck just after the first of March in 1974, the same time as the first Arab oil embargo. The cheap-ass manager put 1-gallon of gas in the truck, barely enough to wait in line at the gas station to fill the truck up. Put the truck to work, and have been working it ever since. Bought the matching stock trailer in 1980 for hauling horses on hunting trips in Colorado. It's pretty well retired now, but still use the truck to haul steers to the butcher. Occasionally use it for other chores.

Every day is another photo opportunity. Helps an old man remember what he did. Truck 42 is a 1974 Dodge D600 Winch Truck with a 318-cubic-inch engine, 4-speed transmission, 8,000-pound winch, and 20-foot-tall boom, purchased in Pueblo Colorado. Drove the truck home with the disassembled boom on the rear deck. Formally a U.S. Air Force truck has only about 5,000 miles on the odometer, but unknown number of operational hours. Use the truck for various tasks requiring a heavy lift. Interestingly, have few photos of the front of the truck. Business end is to the rear. We worked out all the bugs while the neighbor was using the truck to set 20-foot steel poles for his hops yard. Truck runs, drives, stops, and backs up. Winch has dual controls, in the cab and at the rear end. Rear end controls are so you can see the load while lifting and lowering. Could use out-riggers, or at least stabilizer jacks, at the rear. Front wheels come off the ground with too big a load. Also, truck rarely leaves the farm, since the boom height is above legal limit.

Woke up this morning to a few inches of fresh wet snow. Let the weather clear off a bit, and warm the ice off the roads. CDOT posts regular camera photos along the route, so you can see road conditions before you leave home. Waited until late morning to leave for Grand Junction. Elevation drops several thousand feet from Paonia, so weather improves every 10 miles along the way. Roads were nearly dry by the time we arrived. Off-loaded the engine and transmission. Mr. Joe Jarvis, American Iron Hot Rod Shop, immediately started verification of engine and frame dimensions. Placed our order for the suspension parts with Fatman Fabrications before leaving. 4 to 5 weeks estimate for fabrication and delivery. Should have the parts by the end of February. Returned home before freezing temperatures and more snowfall tonight.

The 1974 Dodge D600 Hauler needed some assistance to recover my Bobcat Skid-Steer Loader from a ditch. Needed two 8,000-pound winches with 2-part lines, and the Bobcat Excavator. The 1984 Chevron Carrier Body will pretty well handle anything that will fit on the deck.