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I received my horn button cover in the mail today ($23 delivered eBay) Bobby, you were right they fit all the F series trucks. I forgot how cracked my steering wheel is and it was very obvious with cover was in place. Its plastic of course and boy does it stink. The boys made faces when I asked them to smell it. The wife said it smells like ***! I'm just trying to get all the minor problems taken care of before the photographer comes out. The interior shot will definitely look better now without a 3 inch hole in the center of the steering wheel.
I thought I saw on line a company that restores steering wheels. I'm going to have to send mine out one day.
Nice to know that the horn buttons being repro'ed are plastic. I thought about getting a new button for Gertie the '49 F-2. Still have the original installed, but it looks a little faded on the face. Given the crappy quality of so much reproduced parts, I'll just clean up my button. Besides, it don't smell.
The original buttons are made of Bakelite, by the way, and there are several techniques one can use to make them look good again.
Beautiful truck, and a wonderful job you have done on it. Congratulations!
Keith, what type of paint and primer would you use on the steering wheel. I may do mine one day. there are only two cracks in mine. Would the paint tend to rub off?
Jim, I'm not really sure what kind of paint to use. May someone can chime in??
I got a call this morning from the magazine photographer saying he was in town and wanted to shoot the truck tomorrow. I wasn't expecting him till mid-November. I'm really not ready but will have to make a go of it. I still need to get some touch-up paint. I guess I will have to made do with a close enough match. I'm going to head out there first thing in the morning to do the detailing. I'm hoping to get a friend to help get it done quicker. The truck is pretty clean but I want it super clean for the magazine. I am missing one ladder for the rear compartment so I am borrowing one from a friend so the rear photos will look good. Its supposed to rain tommorrow and it usually happens in the afternoons so I hope to be done by 11. I'll post some pics tomorrow.
Thanks Joe's!! Siren is still down and didn't get a chance to fix it. He had a huge smile on his face driving her around the park! He said he couldn't guarantee the cover because its up to the bosses! I think I have a good shot.
The other day I spoke to a guy (Mark) who grew up in village of Lombard Illinois. If you guys recall this is where the truck went to after the Patrol disbanded. As a kid, Mark lived near the firehouse where the truck was quartered. He used to visit the firehouse and would always climb in the truck. In one of the pages of this thread I believe I mentioned that the Lombard still has the original bell. I spoke to the assistant Chief a few years ago and he said he could't swap bells. Well, now Mark is very good friends of the Fire Chief. He thinks he can convince him to do the swap. The bell is in a case in the training room so no one would really notice if they were swapped. Mark recently moved to my area and will be seeing the truck for the first time in decades. He said he will take some pictures of him standing next to the bell and send them to the Chief. I hope he will do the swap. That would be so awesome to put the original bell back on the truck. Its been off for 55 years!
Keith I always love when you post, congratulations on the magazine article and Face Book posting. Also keep your fingers crossed on getting the original bell where it belongs. Its funny how some photos become so deeply entrenched in Americana. The kissing Sailor,I knew who you meant just at the mention.
