Thanks Jim. Haven't had my buddy out to the truck yet but making some progress with the Buick. The booster is rebuilt and replated so the car should be back together by this weekend.

 

Progress with the Buick has been slow. The mechanic is still trying to find the cause of poor idle. The car 5 inches of vacuum at idle, in gear, which is too low. He has tried everything to find the cause. 3 different carbs, 2 distributors, compression test, leak down test, smoke test to check for internal vacuum leak, new cap rotor & plugs(had wrong ones -HE style) Had the valves reground. Now has pulled the timing chain off and noticed some slack but the chain had side to side slack on the sprocket. He says the only thing left is that the cam is too big for the stock pistons/drive train. It is the same cam that was installed in 1999 and now its to much? Since it was off the road for many years I don't remember exactly how good the idle was of if I had good brakes. I do remember when the car was done in 2000 and was back on the road it did seem like it had less power. The guy who built my car in 2000 says I am wasting money by changing the cam. At this point I am just going to do it anyway.

Now for the fire truck. Its still not running right and have been trying to get my buddy over to the warehouse to check it out. I checked to see if it had spark and it did and got it started. I was leaning over the engine watching the full glass bowel on the fuel pump and fuel flowing thru the clear fuel filter and it died. It seems like it is starved of fuel. Not sure if the fuel pump is slowing giving out or the carb is bad from the ethanol gas. I think its time to put a electric fuel pump on. It had one when I first got it but changed it back to a mechanical one. I did notice that the fuel filter was not looking good so I changed it out, put in new fuel with stabilizer in it. My buddy might make it this wednesday.

Fire Patrol related stuff now: will be in Chicago this summer and plan on making a trip to the Firefighter Memorial Park. In 2009, a site at the park was set aside for the Patrol line of duty deaths. 17 bricks with the names & dates of the fallen were laid down. Since then I have found an additional 4 deaths so I am paying for the bricks to be engraved and I will place them myself. 2 other bricks will have to be made to correct wrongly spelled names. ($43 a piece)

Sorry to say I haven't been spending much time here, I've been so busy working on these projects. I'm still searching for a Thompson so I have been on those boards alot. I've seen a few guns but either their too much $$$ of a piece of junk. I'm working with a dealer so we will see what happens in a few weeks. I hope everyone is doing well. I haven't forgotten about the book once things settle down I may just have 100 copies printed. Thanks again for everyone's support.

 

Sorry about your vehicle woes.

Those bricks are a very cool idea!

 

Keith, You are having a bad run! Hopefully it will get better.

 

Thanks guys!!

 

Wow, you got a lot going on.
I've been fighting fuel issues on Dad's truck. He's tinkering with a 75 Dodge D200 with a 440ci. Its hard to start after several days. I rebuilt the carb (thermoquad) awhile back and the bowls weren't leaking then. I do know the choke is pulling off way too soon so I need to tweak that. Dad put a new fuel pump on the truck but I'm going to go ahead and install an small electric fuel pump inline in conjunction with the mechanical one.


I think that dad is so used to driving todays modern fuel injected vehicles that he's forgotten all the quirks of an older truck


Good luck on finding a Thompson!


Cool F.I.P. memorial


Bobby

 

Thanks Bobby! Good luck getting your Dad's truck fixed.

 

Even when you think that things aren't quite going the way you would like, and you feel like nothing is getting done. You my friend are accomplishing more each year than most men do over a lifetime. You are creating a legacy that will live on for generations to come. Your dedication to preserving the memories, stories, and memorabilia of the brave men that came B4 you is quite commendable. So take a breath Keith, it's going to be OK. Your doing good.

 

Thanks for your kind words Jim!! I know things will get better in time. Both vehicles will be back on the road soon and I'll be having fun again!!

 

Well said Jim. I think if I ever need good words said, I will send Jim a message and have him craft it for me.

 

I just got back from an 8 day vacation to Chicago. We had a great time and I received a treasure trove of Patrol photos. One of the Museum members said he found 2 envelopes filled with 2x2 vintage negatives. He said I could have the whole lot. There were over 60 of them and when they were gone through I found over 40 I had never seen before. He also let me go thru the Patrol photo albums and take whatever I didn’t have. So there was an additional 10 or so new ones I picked up. I have never before seen pics of my grandfather’s truck now! Especially one that shows the back of the truck and to my surprise, a rear view showing the vehicle number on back (46) The truck inventory number was B-46. It was placed on the dash and now I know also on the back. When we restored it I decided to leave out the small sections of diamond plate near both back lower rear quarters. I still may add it at a future date.

My brick laying event went very well. I made a few calls before I headed up and it morphed in an official ceremony in which the CFD Fire Commish and other CFD members showing up! It wasn’t as big as the 2009 event but special none the less. Shortly after I placed the bricks, we had a small ceremony. My sister gave a small speech, we unveiled the new bricks, my sons placed red roses on them and the fire bell was rung after each name was read out loud. The CFD Chaplin then said a prayer and the service was concluded. I forgot to mention, A 100ft ladder truck was set up displaying a huge American flag. The CFD photographer took many photos and as soon as I get the link to the site where the photos are, I will post it here for all interested to see. Here are a few pics:



Lower left side you can see the #46!



Patrol 5 backing into quarters after a run. Summer of 1951.

 

Event pics:
















With the Commish! He shook my hand and in it was his Challenge Coin!





After the ceremony. Elderly gentleman was a former member of the Patrol.




My sister and the boys!



Folding up the display flag after the ceremony!




Ethan helping unclip the flag.





Gavin just had to wear the Patrol helmet!

 

Rite on keith, My eyes watered up and I got a very warm feeling while I was reading about the ceremony. So many lost but now not forgotten, somehow I know they were watching with a smile on there Heavenly faces. Looks like it was one of those days that will become fond memories for the boys too, seems like an overall great day. Now if you can just get the vehicles to be nice. I'm sure it will all come together for you, heck you scoring those negatives is a blessing in itself. Rock on my friend.

 

Thanks Jim!! Definitely one for the memory books. Went out to the truck and she started right up and didn't die once. It may have been a clogged fuel filter. I still plan on putting a electric fuel pump and electronic ignition on her.

The Buick should be done by the weekend or early next week. The camshaft was too big for the motor after all. 580 lift with 8.5 compression is no wonder I didn't have any vaccum! The lifters were trashed too! A new milder cam and lifters are in along with a new timing gear & chain set. She should be running good now!

 

Some of the new pics!!











Here is an oldie from 1905!