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Independence Day Tinkering
Since I had Independence Day off from work, I spent some time tinkering in the garage.
Rear View Mirror
My latest LMC order included a new rear view mirror. The original was definitely showing its age. The mirror surface was starting to lose it's reflective backing and turning black. And, the outside of the mirror housing was pitted and rusting. Installing the mirror was simple and the new mirror looks great. My only concern is the size/shape of the mirror. The new mirror is an elongated oval shape. The original (I assume it was original) was a little bit wider and the bottom corners were pointed. So, the new mirror is a little bit smaller. Not a big deal, but someday, I may try to find a wider replacement.
Rear License Plate Light
This was a continuation of the rear bumper makeover from the weekend. I picked up a chrome LED license Plate light at O'Reilly and fabbed up a little bracket to mount the light on the bottom of the license plate frame. It does a great job of lighting up the license plate. The wiring was simple. The new driver side taillight I installed over the weekend included a pigtail (brown taillight light wire) specifically for the license plate light. It was simply a matter of tying one of the license plate light wires to the brown pigtail and grounding the other wire to the frame. As far as I can tell, this is the first time the truck has ever had a license plate light. Legal, at last!
What's Next?
I have a DIY fan shroud kit from Speedway Motors. It's been hot this summer. I've never seen the engine temp over 200, but a little extra cooling help couldn't hurt.
That last LMC order included a set of backup lights. The truck didn't come from the factory with this option. So, I'll have to cut big holes in the rear quarter panels. That part will take some courage.
And, I think I'm almost ready for a new exhaust system. The truck came with a set of old rust headers. The PO also included a set of chrome ram horn manifolds. I think I'm finally ready to ditch the headers, install the manifolds, and take the truck to an exhaust shop for new pipes. That will be a fun day.
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