When I got the truck there was a fancy way-too-new aftermarket LED dome light in the center of the roof that only worked when the parking/headlights were on... because it was wired to the cab lights. The stock dome light and end of wiring were MIA. I have yet to find a replacement for the stock light but I got a wire to it in case. Also attached 1/4" backer plywood to the roof bow so the new dome light isn't hanging from the pressboard headliner.



I had to find the middle ground between a dome light and a chandelier - this brand new RV light fixture I had laying around works perfect! It's wired so it has access to 12v at the switch and should also trigger when a door opens.



Current totals - since I haven't been doing this like I said I would.

*Bank Start* $186.00
Recycled Radiator/Fan blade: +24.00
Yard sales: +12.00
Book sales: +101.00
eBay sales: +10.50
+ Total funds received: $333.50
========================================
- Purchases -
PS Hyd. Fitting: -26.35
Fan Blade/Radiator/Sun Visors: -81.80
Power steering hose: -12.99
Power steering fitting: -8.99
Windshield washer kit: -10.32
Door jamb (dome light) switches: -11.60
Wire connectors: -1.71
Misc. Wiring: -25.09
Oil cooler zip ties: -14.10
Heater Core: -19.99
Headlights: -25.00
Front bumper: -50.00
========================================
- Total Spent: $287.94

 

So, I'm reading along and I get to this:
"I had to find the middle ground between a dome light and a chandelier"
(I'm scrolling on my phone so the picture isn't visible yet) And I'm like, "huh?"...

Then I saw the picture and blew coffee out of my nose

 

x2 on the interior light, thats unique. Gave me a good laugh. Glad to see you doing it your way, building a truck you can have fun with. My first 73 that I restored was done so well I was scared to take it out or have fun in it, too worried I would damage it. Couldn't go out to eat unless I had a window I could see the truck from

Good to have something you can drive, throw stuff in the bed, and not worry about a scratch, ding, or wash

 

Thanks for the feedback on the dome light. I can't wait to get this truck back on the road.

My wiring came to a standstill with a mystery wire coming into the engine bay with the harness just passenger side of center. It looks like Green + Yellow. According to the wiring diagram it should be the under hood light but it also shouldn't be where it is. I put the meter to it and it showed no resistance to the dome light circuit (good)... and several others. (What!? How?) It also showed 0 ohms to ground. (No!) I then got the idea to check my new wiring on the dome light which showed the same results. (Mother&@^!) I spent two days trying to figure out how I screwed up a simple circuit so horribly.

Then sitting in the 95 degree heat with the doors open, it dawned on me: I ALSO installed the new door switches when I did the dome light and I'd been doing all this testing with the doors open. I had my 6YO son help open and close doors while I metered wires and guess what: Doors open, circuit closed; doors closed, circuit open.

The mystery wire is attached to the dome light circuit. I have no idea what I'm going to do with it but it's good to know.

Then I spent the next weekend bypassing the master window switch in my daily driver since the stealership couldn't do anything productive with the $800 I gave them except give me a car with more problems than it had when they got it. $10 for two DPDT momentary switches and some wiring I had laying around and problem solved. But that's a story for another time and another forum.

 

The wire to the underhood lamp is always hot, and there's a mercury switch inside the lamp itself

Actually, it's probably not mercury, but it goes on and off as the hood raises and lowers

 

umm with the age of the trucks ... it might just be mercury. heck DR offices still had mercury thermometers back then.... yes I am telling my age..


Fert

 

I remember, as a kid, playing with a bit of mercury (quicksilver) from a broken light switch. Might explain why we grew up as we did...

 

You guys crack me up. Even at my tender age, I grew up with mercury. My step dad used to rebuild the hydraulic mechanisms that raised and lowered the railroad crossing arms. I don't know how mercury featured into them but I know he had some leftover after each rebuild and saved it for me. (Looking back, this may have been intentional - "Here kid, have some brain damage.") Fun stuff though.

So I've been lousy updating this thread but I have been busy doing stuff that I will share soon. I've also started a YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrR..._as=subscriber ) to share my adventures. I'm pretty green at making videos but check it out if you're into that sort of thing.

 

 

So guys, it's been a minute since I updated this thread. I've got loads of pictures to share and I'll start off by saying that Luther finally runs and drives - the only ongoing issue being the need for a mini-torque starter (I'm assuming.) I'm on my 3rd stock starter and it only kinda works when it wants. I discovered if I turn the key and it doesn't turn the motor, I can put a wrench on the main pulley and give the motor about a 1/4 turn and the starter will be able to turn it over after that. If I don't do that and keep trying the key, I'll melt the main + wire from the battery to the solenoid and/or burn up the starter.

Anyway, onwards with our tale...

 

On the list of things I've tried and later decided against: Jeep Wrangler Grill.




Ice sculptures inside the truck?






When the push-thru cooler clip zip tie things put holes in the radiator.

 

A little bit of wiring progress.

 

PMGR starter (mini-torque as you call it) was an excellent addition to my 351m. I was having what some call a heat soak issue into the starter where it wouldn't spin very fast after the truck had run for a while and you were trying to do a warm start.

Otherwise, I like the project. Wrangler front end would've been kinda cool, but you'd have had to do something super wild with the bed to make it all flow right.

If you go with the PMGR, this will help...

 

Thanks for the advice @burnthelight88 - I've made some heat shield things for the starter to try to prevent heat soak since I did see that as a potential cause when I searched online for my same issue. There's maybe 1/2" clearance between the starter and header so heat could be a real issue.

 

Perry liked the fender-less design.