Originally Posted by markeb01 (Post 6655303)

Thanks for the compliment. I think maybe it's what Grampa Munster should have driven if they made him a truck!

Studying the most recent pictures last night, I realized how out of balance the dash was now, with the chrome GMC emblem on the glovebox door. So this morning I pulled it again and this time spent the better part of two hours masking it off, and sprayed it with Testors 1837M Revving Red lacquer. This time it turned out perfect with nice straight edges:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/835/n7bx.jpg

To me the dash now seems in balance from a color perspective.

Originally Posted by markeb01 (Post 6422024)

Thanks again for the compliments. I’ve never seen my skills or abilities anything special, but I do have a Jarhead mentality and I never give up just because something is impossible!

This being the first winter with my new engine, I’ve discovered it dislikes cold weather even more than my old engine. With the old engine, adding an electric fuel pump to fill the lines and carburetor bowls before cranking really helped get it started. With the new engine, as the ambient dropped to near zero I actually ran the battery dead a few times and never got the engine started. And this is inside a reasonably warm garage. I can’t tolerate undependable vehicles. It frustrates me beyond reason because it could result in a life threatening situation if a vehicle can’t be started when needed.

So I resorted to good old starting fluid and it fired up instantly. Remembering the Ether Start kits I bought for new Peterbilts back in the 70’s, I considered installing one on the truck for easy winter start ups. Problem being they cost anywhere from $100-200 (or more) with the ether bottle. They are also ugly and need to be mounted vertically which would be a problem in my open engine compartment.

A lot of guys just spray starting fluid through their open element air cleaners, but I’m concerned what effect this might have on the filter element over time, and what problems might occur if too much explosive vapor collects above the throttle plates.

So this afternoon I developed my own “Poor Man’s Ether Start Kit”. I simply added a conveniently shaped pipe to the front of my carburetor with a cap on top:

http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/7579/6w40.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img29/7716/h1me.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img843/1672/9ls4.jpg

I also modified the can of starting fluid I had by removing the conventional spray nozzle and replacing it with one that has a “straw” attached.

So now I have a new routine – pull the cheap float battery charger (it keeps the battery topped off), pull the cap off the new pipe and inject the starter fluid, replace the cap, climb in, set the choke per usual and fire it up! It seems like the engine doesn’t even get to fully turn over before it jumps to life. This small project cost exactly nothing and eliminates pulling the air cleaner to squirt the juice directly into the carb, and the ether enters the manifold below the throttle plates.

Once the engine has come up to operating temperature, I don’t need any of this as long as it’s driven every day. But over the winter seasons, it sometimes sits for weeks without being used. The pipe is ugly and looks stupid so it will probably come off during the car show months, but in the meantime it sure is handy and effective.