Dumb previous owners
Freshman User
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 43
Likes: 0
My PO put an electric fan from a MK VII, he ran all the relays and wired it pretty good, but it is straight wired with a dash switch. I need to get a thermostat switch for it so it doesn't have to run all the time. The dual tank solonoid is disconneted, lines and wires. The horn is wired to a button on the steering column, and neither button works. He switched to a Holley 2bbl, which I am having problems with, have to give it a spot of quick start in the morni ng and if it stalls and a big flat spot when coming off idle. I only have one sunvisor. And the center seatbelts are missing, front and back.
It is nothing I can't work with, but it is still some things I have to work out. But I really like my 'Mater (my tow rig that is like a good friend and never lets me down.) Plus he's faded brown.
It is nothing I can't work with, but it is still some things I have to work out. But I really like my 'Mater (my tow rig that is like a good friend and never lets me down.) Plus he's faded brown.
Postmaster
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 2,760
Likes: 8
From: Gadsden Purchase
My PO wrecked it at some point and repaired it and didn't tell me about it.
When I got it, it had 000,014.2 miles on it and it was already wrecked. LOL :)
The build sheet shows a chrome front bumper but the bumper was a rebuilt
from a chrome shop, it has air hammer marks on the back side and I believe
it's got a better chrome plating job than the factory used, so ain't complaining
about the bumper. ;)
I believe the damage only involved the driver's side hood corner, grill shell
and bumper and somehow missed the fender.
Alvin in AZ
When I got it, it had 000,014.2 miles on it and it was already wrecked. LOL :)
The build sheet shows a chrome front bumper but the bumper was a rebuilt
from a chrome shop, it has air hammer marks on the back side and I believe
it's got a better chrome plating job than the factory used, so ain't complaining
about the bumper. ;)
I believe the damage only involved the driver's side hood corner, grill shell
and bumper and somehow missed the fender.
Alvin in AZ
Elder User
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 563
Likes: 0
From: DeKalb, Ill.
My po must be some kind of god send. Although he ordered the truck with the Camper Special gauge cluster, he didn't trust the "go, no go" gauges. He put in aftermarket tach, oil pressure, and vacuum gauges. For the most part, that's all he did, they seem to be wired just fine. My truck seems to be some sort of time capsule, with all of the maintenance scribbled on the fenders and in the owners manual. The one note I'm still trying to decode is "steering redone 2001" There is no power steering and the gear box seems to be very tight. Don't know what he had done, but everything is very tight.
Junior User
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 78
Likes: 0
From: Spanaway, WA
I'm the 3rd owner of "Christine" and the last owner ended up moving before he could really dig in and fix the truck up. So basically I could look at it like I'm the 2nd owner. I'm guessing the first owner was really into jerry-rigging because sooo many things were just barely hanging on. I've found bare wires and spade-lugs that had wires cut away but the lug (with some bare wire still attached) still screwed down. The vacuum system was all plugged in an odd way. It made me think he had a different carb on the engine and just threw the old one back on before he sold it. My favorite was the air filter housing. Somehow the back of the lid got sheared off. In order to keep water from getting in (the rubber weather strip between the hood and cab of the truck is gone) he screwed a piece of sheet metal onto it. It worked I guess, but wow, you couldn't even go to a junk yard?
Brakes - shot. Transmission - probably needs a rebuild. I've got a laundry list of things.
To each his own, I guess, but it seems like if your going to drop a good amount of money on a vehicle like this you'd want to take care of it.
Brakes - shot. Transmission - probably needs a rebuild. I've got a laundry list of things.
To each his own, I guess, but it seems like if your going to drop a good amount of money on a vehicle like this you'd want to take care of it.
Posting Guru
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,069
Likes: 3
i must be pretty lucky my 3 were in decent shape when i got them all unmolested originals [i wont buy somthing thats being hacked up] one thing that the po did on my sc was "spray oil on the rear springs" the sqeak drove him nuts but upon driveing it home and going over to see where the driveline vibration was comeing from i seen the nuts on the spring ubolts were very very loose i could turn the pass side by hand!! lucky i didnt loose the rear end!! other than finding a wrench in the tail light hole thats pretty much it
Postmaster
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 2,760
Likes: 8
From: Gadsden Purchase
A guy on an automotive newsgroup was complaining about his leaf springs
breaking over and over and I asked him if he oiled them and he came back
with a tirade about "they weren't supposed to be oiled" etc. LOL :) I didn't
have to say another word, the other guys jumped 'im and showed him all
sorts of evidence to the contrary. :)
He was a "Chevy guy" what else would you expect, huh? ;)
Alvin in AZ (newsgroup junkie)
http://www.panix.com/~alvinj/file12/zerks.jpg
FTE Legend
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 80,535
Likes: 97
From: Norlina NC
i can definately believe it... you probably wouldnt be surprised the number of jurry rigging i saw when i worked in a dealership for an intern ship awhile back... even one of my previous cars id gotten at auction for $300 the previus owner used chicken wire to hold the gear selector cable to the neutral safety switch on the transmission.. ntm it was plagued with electrical grimlins from that guys jurryrigging...
Senior User
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 310
Likes: 0
From: Clearfield, PA
i must be pretty lucky my 3 were in decent shape when i got them all unmolested originals [i wont buy somthing thats being hacked up] one thing that the po did on my sc was "spray oil on the rear springs" the sqeak drove him nuts but upon driveing it home and going over to see where the driveline vibration was comeing from i seen the nuts on the spring ubolts were very very loose i could turn the pass side by hand!! lucky i didnt loose the rear end!! other than finding a wrench in the tail light hole thats pretty much it
Or, maybe you're just joking about that thread--in which case, you got me!!
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Senior User
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 310
Likes: 0
From: Clearfield, PA
I can't complain a bit about the PO of the Jolly Green. He did the restore and made it look the way it does today. He documented everything--all the work that was done. I have a folder full of reciepts for every part he ever bought, and it was all quality stuff. I still have his note book in the glove box where he documented every service and even gas mileage every single time he filled up. He loved the truck. He even turned a couple guys down who wanted to buy it before selling it to me. He wanted to make sure it got a good home! He's the kind of owner you want to buy from. The only bad thing he did was use it for a sandblasting truck for a while, which provided some wear and tear on the paint.
The '67 Early Bronco I had on the other hand was held together with bubble gum and chicken wire. One of the best examples: Right after I got it I was running down a bumpy dirt road and the radio quit working. Well, you can't have that. I went to check the fuse panel and it was covered in electrical tape. Upon pulling the tape off, pennies flew everywhere. Yup, fuse panel full of pennies. Nice.
The '67 Early Bronco I had on the other hand was held together with bubble gum and chicken wire. One of the best examples: Right after I got it I was running down a bumpy dirt road and the radio quit working. Well, you can't have that. I went to check the fuse panel and it was covered in electrical tape. Upon pulling the tape off, pennies flew everywhere. Yup, fuse panel full of pennies. Nice.
Senior User
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 310
Likes: 0
From: Clearfield, PA
Sorry about
Posting Guru
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,069
Likes: 3
all the trucks i have had over the years i have never had a problem with "sqeaking springs" as long as the plastic shims were between the leafs and the spring bolts were tight and not wore out oil if you must just keep it away from the ubolt nuts and yes there was a wrench in the d/s tail light area on a new 76 explorer that i bought [the 1st truck] the tail lights were never taken out untill a year later for a light bulb change weird weird weird
lol
Junior User
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 71
Likes: 0
From: Adrian Michigan
My PO had a knack for screwing up the wiring. After weeks of work I THINK I finally unraveled the final mystery last night. Brake lights/turn signals were crazy so I replaced the turn signal switch which was part of the problem. But after tracing out all the wires going to the rear of the truck in the very back I found all of them cut, "twisted" together and wrapped up together in black tape. No butt connectors; they were not even individually wrapped in black tape. They were all touching each other so I had "back up" flashing like turn signals. I think he was trying to rig up hitch lights in a big hurry. At least I'm street legal now.
Postmaster
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 2,760
Likes: 8
From: Gadsden Purchase
It's called "stiction"...
Stiction - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The leaf pack was designed to work together by sliding back and forth.
When the leaves stick to each other they ain't working together.
The results can be broken springs but more important...
... a "rough on the equipment" type of ride.
Miotti, did the PO actually say his springs squeaked? ;)
Or did you just assume that?
Loose nuts etc... that's just sloppy (or complete lack of) maintenance. :/
"if it ain't broke, don't fix it"
-said by those that don't no what maintenance is ;)
Since 'mer-cans are known world-wide for lack of maintenance on their
vehicles, the plastic spring leaf pads were invented out of need? ;)
Oh, 'mer-cans tend to keep 'em washed and waxed tho. ;)
I'm the other way around.
When anyone says anything about washing a vehicle I ask...
"they're washable? :/"
Alvin in AZ (retired railroad signal maintainer)
ps- my ol' clunker runs and drives and steers and rides GOOD! :)
