Cantvalve16's Power Wagon

[cantvalve16]

The first vehicle I ever got stuck in the mud was my dad's '79 Ranchero. Don't know if I ever told him about that, but my mom shook her head and giggled when I told her. I was 17. What? It was fun.

Thanks for all the compliments, guys. I'll have to get some pics on here of my attempts at straightening out the mangled sheet metal from the blowouts. Let's just say I'm thinking patch panels or amputation.

[cantvalve16]

Got my new brake booster and brake lamp switch installed last night. Sometimes I forget that these old vehicles have had other people working on. The brake switch wasn't working right. After some exploration, I found out it was because the last person to mess with the brake switch had hogged out the hole in the bracket that holds the switch against the pedal to make it easier to get their new switch installed. So, I have to weld the hole up a bit, grind it flat and drill it out to match the switch. So, and hour to install the switch that should take a minute.

Got to put some miles on it today after I replaced the ignition module that went out after the last time I moved the truck last night. Oh, and one of the spark plug holes will have to be tapped. Someone else had cross threaded the spark plug in the hole and boogered the threads. Got to get a tap for that hole. Truck drives nice and straight and smooth down the highway. I enjoy it. Got a bunch of annoyance issues to clear up, though. For one, the exhaust was mangled from the tire blowouts the day I got it. Driver side pipe was twisted almost shut so after being untwisted, there are rips in the tubing. Huge exhaust leak right under the door.

Gonna need exhaust and a tune. The tune is off. Idles like it has a bit of a cam in it, but it's stock. Gotta smooth this thing out.

[TheSilverBuick]

I know nothing of Dodges, but are you sure someone hogged out the hole and there wasn't a clip missing in the hole?

[cantvalve16]

The retainer is a C shaped piece of metal that fits around the switch and has 2 sprung prongs on it. Those prongs will collapse and slide through the hole and pop when in position. The clip was there, but it all dangled around in the hole. The bracket was removable. Once I got it out, I could see evidence of how whatever drill bit was used was skipping around trying to enlarge the hole. It never made it all the way through the bracket.

[cantvalve16]

Big news going on with this one. In the middle of a mechanical overhaul on it. Started a clutch job that snowballed into an engine rebuild and complete rewire. The wiring was a mess. So..

-I am half way through the install of the new wiring harness.
-The front half of the chassis has been stripped, cleaned, and painted.
-The firewall, cowl, and floor have been patched, cleaned, and painted.
- New insulation was laid on the floor and the carpet reinstalled.
- Leaking steering box replaced and steering column cleaned and rebuilt.
-Dash rips repaired and holes welded, dash painted.
-Heater box rebuilt and sealed.
-Engine machine work done.

Still to do:
-Finish trans rebuild.
-Build engine and install
-Reinstall front sheetmetal and repair rusty core support.
-Build exhaust
-Complete wiring


Anyway, got a ways to go still. I'll get some pics up soon.