time flies INDEED! Here we are, burned thru most of 2014, and while I have managed to get more than a few Friday's in on Penny, progress is still slow. BUT... I organized some pictures and noticed I have spent some quality time in the woods and on the water this year! Elaine and I both took Tom Turkeys during the spring season, we have been filling the freezer ALL summer long with Crappie filets, I added a bow-kill deer to the freezer 2 weeks ago, and Elaine and I each added a fall-Turkey to the freezer yesterday! Add to that some quality time with family, and I'd say its adding up to be quite the year!
Absolutely, Rico, and thanks!!! It has been a fun, fun, FUN project! I guess I messed up by putting it back together and putting a fair to middlin sound system in it. It still needs some items to get it there, but I'm pretty content to go out, crank up some tunes and just sit and listen. (and dream...) So far I have recharged the battery 3 times just through radio time. Mike~ That sounds like a perfect blend as well! That's another thing that threw me was that cool little boat I got and my wife's words, "We spent the money on the boat and it's just sitting there." It has moved quite a bit since that comment. The biggest setback this summer is I had daughter duty all day. I had to make sure she did everything on the list her mom left her to do~ She is 11. She is creative and theatrical. I had maybe 20 minute blocks of time to do whatever I could. "D-A-D!!! I CAN'T FIND..." AAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!! I JUST DON'T GET THIS PROBLEM!!! WHERE'S MY BOOK!?!?!?!? I *DID* THE DISHES!!! (etc) The mornings (until about 10) were always spent with me and my wife sharing a couple of cups of coffee each morning outside, talking about whatever. I wouldn't trade that time with them for anything, oddly enough. My truck will get there, and you all have helped, or been my inspiration. That is why, I guess, I keep hanging around here. Tomorrow's Friday. Enjoy that and get some work done on your trucks and post some pictures, okay?
GREAT Thread ! I was going to make some smart@$$ comments about grown men playing with model trucks on the living room carpet...... Your Daughter looks old enough to drive to me , on The Farm anything over about 10 Y.O. will suffice . Many decades ago I knew a nice Gentleman who built models of air craft for Northrup during WWII ~ his son inherited them all in the mid 1970's and they were fantastic ! small but incredibly lifelike , they were used in wind tunnel testing . Time spent with SWMBO or your Children is precious and well spent .
Could it be? Once again I have been blessed with a little extra money. This has happened throughout the course of my build, but I've always known that money needed to go to "the house". Well, our roof needs to be overlaid in the worst way, but this time I decided screw it. It's been 10 freakin years and I don't need to spend that much just to get it rolling, so that is what I'm going to do! I dropped the water pump off at NAPA yesterday. They aren't sure they can get me a rebuilt because they don't show any available, but they believe they can send it in to be rebuilt if nothing else. They will let me know today. I need to send off for the brake parts I still need, get a carb rebuild kit, a universal u-joint to mate the rear end to the drive shaft, a couple other things, and I'll be good to go. It's just been long enough. Thanks again for all your help along the way.
Kansas Zig, if you weren't so far away, I'd load the pickup full of roofing tools, and drive over there and give you a hand. Best thing about a roof? You only need to do it ONCE. I can't quite see your house from here- there's hills in the way! I only did TWO roofs in 2014 (slow year, apparently).
Zig: STOP. Retrieve the water pump if you can. Read this post over on OldGMCtrucks about me and my water pump.
Rain On The Roof Zig ; ' the roof she's a leak in it , the rain , she's a going to quit ' . You made the right choice I think . I was going to suggest saving the box your rebuilt water pump comes in to see if it's maybe available else where but will stay tuned to see how it all goes . I hope you don't have a FLAT roof like my crappy Bungalow does ! it's leaked sine the house was built in 1923 (so said the Old Lady who lived across the street , R.I.P.) and has COLLAPSED on me late at night in a rain storm TWICE . The last time I had it re built to a slight bowl/slope shape then last Fall I had a foam covering put on , so far so good . My truck well , see my thread in the '67 ~ '72 Forums....
I wouldn't be caught dead on my roof~ On the ground below it no doubt, but not on it! It's an old Victorian with two floors under the roof that soars to a height of too friggin' high for me followed by roof pitches that are every bit of 12/12. 22 years ago it was stripped down, sheathed, and laid with 15 year, three tab shingles. The south and west sides are giving it up. Duh. My wife being out of work for sooo long, coupled with all the bills that racked up, has created our situation. I'm through coming up with extra cash only to see it bypass the truck, which is exactly where all that (in a perfect world) would have gone. The roof will get done, my truck will come to life and move once again, and the boat will slide out onto the pits around here once this arctic crap gets out of here.
I can't~ It's been forever since I went over to the GMC site. I don't even remember what my user name is and honestly, I don't care to go through the rigamarole to sign up or in. This site is home for me. Could you tell me what this was about? NAPA said the guy they go through said they can't rebuild it and they don't carry them anymore, but local NAPA guy said, "I did look around and found a place on line that carries them. The Old Filling Station, or something like that" Above and beyond the call of duty!
excerpt from OldGMCtrucks: I took the pump to Commercial Water Pump Builders, 9431 Clay Road, Houston, TX 77080. They had it ready the next morning. Charge was around $65 + tax. They do a lot of business via UPS and FedEx as well as walk ins. new comment: Since this post a year and a half ago my truck has been working well and quite a few others have used this same company with no one reporting any problems. Make sure the new pump hs the same pulley as your old one. There are 3 different belt sizes. Good luck with your pump Paul.
Thanks, Bill. That sounds like a good source. Not just money wise, but satisfied customers are always a good sign. I'll check them out.
This feels good~ Water pump sent off to that pump place in Texas. Proportioning valve and residual valves ordered through Summit, and two new springs (clutch and brake pedal return springs) ordered through The Filling Station. I also got the castle nut I needed to connect the pitman arm and drag link and the nut I needed to hook the vacuum line up with the new vacuum advance. Nothing makes a man happier than a couple of nuts! Spring break is coming up, and I should have all parts here. WaaHooo!!!!
Truck looks great. Do you by chance have any info or pictures of you installing the corner windows and also the back window. Thank you
What Nate said~ Thank you! It has been a labor of love. I believe the installation of these windows is well covered/documented in the thread by Russ Petty. (sticky, top of thread page) The info I have is I sure enjoyed a few adult beverages after I was finished, and my right forearm finally quit aching about a day and a half later. I used the little tool that came with the new rubber. I was really happy when I was finished! If I remember correctly, for me, the back window was actually tougher to do than the side view windows. However, if I can do it, anyone can do it~
Thanks, Bill The water pump is on it's way back to me. I sent it off last Monday~ It's done and coming home 9 total days later. (Yes, I'm shy on $$, so I sent my pump by snail.) What do YOU think of that turn around time. Me? I think that rocks. My pump, my pulley, sent in. My pump, my pulley, sent back~ new as can be. And the cost? Exactly what they said it would be. $69.00. All made in America. So this is how things are shaking out. I have most of the remaining brake parts to finish the brake system, my water pump, I already finished off the vacuum advance problem... I'm really getting this crazy idea my truck will be road worthy at he end of spring break. (That starts this weekend.) And the weather is supposed to be fan-tastic.
Congrats Zig It's a feeling like almost no other. All the years of working on it, dreaming,setting in the seat with a cold beverage and driving it not moving a foot. Enjoy it you'll be on the road soon. Be thinking about the Ottawa show! It would be a great first for us. Congrats Papy
gas 'er up! WOW Zig, Looks like I'll need to give you DIRECTIONS TO MY HOUSE! Down to only 2-3 feet of snow now. we're past pictures, it'll need to be a VIDEO. Awesome!
Water Pump Sounds good to me Zig ; I was thinking about this as I worked on my 250 engine yesterday , time was , a 235 water pump in long or short shaft and wide or narrow pulley versions was a common item in any FLAPS . For $69 I'd say you did well . I only hope they did in fact give you back your pulley and didn't bend it....
