Projects King of Trucks Chapter IV…new beginnings

Chapter I
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/get-ready-king-of-trucks-is-coming.403945/

Chapter II
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/king-of-trucks-chapter-two-the-come-up.555904/

Chapter III
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...-chapter-three-serious-bidness.607006/page-25





So…it’s been a minute. An explanation is probably in order. I drove the truck for a bit after Chapter III, still progressing slowly. Then in 2016, with a lot of heavy stuff going on and needing a fresh start, I did the unthinkable and traded the truck for a panhead with cash. Bought most of the parts for a 26 T roadster project, real Henry roadster body, v860 axle, banjo, A frame, Olds engine, and tires, which I thought at the time was a dream come true. But at what cost? The truck was gone.

Got fired from a car club. Sick of and let down by the local scene, I was done with old cars, sold all the T stuff, and disappeared from the scene altogether to meditate and find peace. Bought a time machine traditional lowrider mini show truck built in 1992 and concentrated on old harleys for a while. Sold the mini truck, built a fuzion jdm/nascar square body Chevy.

That brings us to today. Or rather, last week. Square body was getting close to wrapping up. About the only thing left was an engine swap and deciding on new paint or leave the patina. Everything else was brand new. I had just bought some fancy lug nuts at the local tire store when a guy says “nice truck, is it for sale?”. I said sure and picked the dumbest number I could think of and to my surprise, he said ok. Thirty minutes later, I handed him the title in exchange for a paper bag full of 20’s.

It was at that exact moment I knew what I had to do. The guy still had my 55. In fact, he had only put about 100 miles on it in the last six years and he said the trans was acting funny. Last time it was cranked was a year ago. He also did the body work and put about four gallons of high fill primer sealer on. We struck a deal and King of Trucks came home again two days ago. Other than the primer, funny trans, some dust, and neglected chrome, it was exactly the same.

I can’t explain the wave of emotions I felt when I got home and saw it in my driveway. Let’s just say all was right and I saw visions of Patrick Swayze and Dale Earnhardt smiling down on me from up above.

The truck came with new in the box chrome bumpers and brackets, new in the box tail gate and chains, and some new freeze plugs (which may or may not be leaking). Plenty of cash left over from the square body sale after buying the 55, so I immediately went out and bought all new door glass, vent window assemblies, all the window and door rubbers and felt seals, headlight bezels, front turn signals, and a door panel that was missing.

One other thing was missing. Keys. You didn’t think it would be that easy, did you? So today, I got a new ignition switch with keys. The plan is to crank it on Monday (I haven’t heard it sing in six years except for a shitty 14 second phone video from a year ago). Get personal with the trans and see if I can adjust it/will it to work. If that doesn’t do it (the fluid is full and still looks like new), old timer specialist shop is next. Depending on the diagnosis, I will get an easy fix, rebuild, or get an adapter for a manual or 700r4?

Then, as soon as it is driving again, and I mean immediately, take a weekend or two to pull the seat, paint the interior ultra white, rebuild the doors and glass, all new dash stuff, carpet, and a serious but hidden stereo. Then scuff and shoot paint.

If you thought I was on fire before, you have no idea. The universe is magic and all you have to do is make what you want real. Your mind hears what you say out loud. When you smile, you are electro chemically telling your brain that by contracting those muscles everything is awesome. Like Whitney said (R.I.P.), you have one moment in time. Right now, no yesterday and tomorrow doesn’t exist. Only the present moment. Stay fucking tuned.



And I still have the panhead I built and painted from the trade.




And just like that, the Phoenix rises.

 

cool

 

Terd! So glad to see you back on these pages. Always wondered where you disappeared to. If I ever get my '40 back on the road, I hope to see you around .

vic

 

Awesome

 

Oh myyyyyyyyyy.Here we go again.Looks like fun.I`ll saddle up and go along for the ride.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

 

Ha, I remember the builds and rebuilds of your ever changing mind and plans on this truck, glad to see you got it back.
I still like that floating grill, I've managed to get myself my own 57, been to long since I owned a 55-59 and ironically my daughter moved to Concord a few years ago. I'll keep an interested eye on the "King of Trucks" once again.

 

Thanks Vic, I’m everywhere.

 

Thanks. My dad did the floating grill on his 57 back in 1959. This whole truck is a sort of tribute to him.

 

I’m already a day ahead of schedule.

 

I’ve heard rumors about that T you let go. Last seen by the public’s eyes traveling east in the back of a meth head looking s10.

 

make a hot rod!!!

 

Where we are now…

you saw from the video, the truck still runs and runs well. I am having some ignition switch issues though. Truck runs while cranking, but shuts off as key goes back to on from start. Changed the ballast resistor and no change in starting. New ignition switch as well, no change. Will start and run normally over and over with jumper wire from batt terminal to coil terminal on ignition switch. That’s definitely not how I wired it originally amd had it running and daily driving normally.

There is also one, maybe two leaking freeze plugs. No big deal.

I have to make a semi permanent (I was just holding a wire between the two ignition switch terminals) jumper wire so I can start it properly any time I want until I can figure out the ignition switch issue. Just so I can see if there is indeed a problem in the trans and if there is, see if I can fix it with tv cable adjustment or something else not internally wrong with the trans.

It was daily driving before, shouldn’t be too long before it is again. I just want that part over so I can get on with making the interior nice.

 

good to see you back, and the truck too

What ignition switch does it have? They had a different switch for the 55-56 V8 models, it has two ignition terminals, I1 and I2 I think they're called. One connects to one side of the ballast resistor, the other to the other side. One gives power while cranking, the other while running.

Pictures help, you know

 

I am so glad to see you get your truck back. I look forward to seeing how you finish it. Hope to see you at a breakfast soon!

 

This is so good! Can't wait to see you cruising this thing again dude!!

 

the pan head is beauty ,

 

I have a repop switch from the truck shop. Looks like this…

But mine doesn’t have the black wire amd there is a red wire on the same terminal as pink. Same way as when I redid the wiring with a new harness years ago, at least as best as I can remember. I’ll get a pic of mine later tonight.
And thanks!

Thanks, me too!

Not long now.

Thanks!

 

Looks like the right switch. Might need to figure out where all those wires actually go....I think the labels on that picture are not quite accurate for a truck, since the truck has gauges instead of idiot lights, and an ammeter, which affects the wires on the BATT terminal.

When you get a chance to look it over, we can help you figure it out.

 

I’m pretty sure I got the trans issue figured out and it’s stupid simple, but we’ll take one thing at a time and start with the ignition switch. Here’s what I’m working with…



My temporary jumper wire is the blue splice connector. This was a brand new complete front to back harness for 55-57 from a repop shop. When everything worked for a year or so like it should, I got rid of the wiring diagram.

 

I am lost at from resistor to coil green arrow in first picture. Also if you run it all thru the amp meter you will burn it out because it cant handle the amperage.

 

See if you can follow the green wires, to the ballast resistor. And to the coil.

Might help if you can draw a schematic of what you find. I don't recall how good you are at this electrical stuff...some guys get it better than others.

 

The first switch pic is a car switch from the internet,

I’m just ok with electrical, I did rewire the whole truck amd everything did work properly besides a broken brake light switch. The wiring has not been altered as far as I know or can tell. And please keep in mind, the truck has a dual points Mallory Mahspark with transformer instead of coil.

These are my best guesses for switch wires. I can’t trace them all because they are taped up into bundles the way the harness came. The only 2 I’m 100% on is radio and starter solenoid. About 90% on coil/resistor. The only other green wire I can find is to the headlights. Thanks for being patient.


It’s entirely possible I made a mistake, but when I swapped ignition switches, I did one wire at a time from the old one to the new one.

 

Under the hood, if that helps at all…

 

Am I missing the brown wire from the resistor to the switch?

 

That was it. Switch is fixed. No more jumper wire. One of the connectors had come off the switch amd was hidden and never got hooked back up. Should have been on the second spade with “green headlight?”. Victory.

 

that's what it looks like. The brown should connect to the top middle contact.

 

Now that the switch is sorted, there are two remaining hurdles to be back to driver status. The first is the leaking freeze plug, which we already know what has to be done to remedy that. The second is the trans issue.

Well, I’m pretty sure I’ve got that mostly figured out and the good news is that there’s nothing wrong with the trans itself. Also likely nothing wrong with the tv adjustment. The issue lies in the cable from floor shifter to trans shift linkage. I haven’t jacked the truck up yet to get a good look underneath, but I put the shifter in reverse, and no truck movement or reverse engagement. Slight pressure on the shift linkage from under the hood with a helper with a broom stick and reverse is engaged and truck moves in reverse.

I’m probably done for tonight, but soon I’ll get the truck up in the air and see what’s wrong with the shift cable and or shifter lever on the trans. I’m guessing too much slack in the cable.

 

A 265 with remote oil filter?