47-55.1 55 years ago I was given this USAF 54 3100

[vintovka]

If interested there's a number of utube videos on vertical openers i got several ideas from. Almost all installations with rollup doors will require an extension kit so factor it in.

[VWNate1]

Thank you for checking in ~ I just lost an old friend who's younger than I .

I like the view out of your new garage and hope the location change is everything you hoped for .

Please keep checking in as I too am hard up against the aging and physical isses .

[vintovka]

Originally Posted by VWNate1

Thank you for checking in ~ I just lost an old friend who's younger than I .

I like the view out of your new garage and hope the location change is everything you hoped for .

Please keep checking in as I too am hard up against the aging and physical isses .

Sorry to hear. Lost my youngest sister 3 days ago. She was in full remission from cancer until she got the vaccine.

New location is flat fantastic and may join a car club today to make it better yet. Tough to work on 54 in garage as views here are phenomenal. We are 100' from the wide river and backed up into a forest with most trees well over 100' tall. The pine needles get into everything so garage is a must.

[joedoh]

what a view! i wouldnt get anything done. sorry about your sister, and your friend vwnate

[vintovka]

Originally Posted by joedoh

what a view! i wouldnt get anything done. sorry about your sister, and your friend vwnate

Yes its tough to get stuff done and its nice to go out and just breath the Ocean/Forest fresh air. No shortage of mens (and tough ladies) outdoor "facilities" with like 200 trees as well. Heading out to the Rhody Cruisers Ice Cream Sundae gathering over at the Event Center today 1-3. Odds are i will go in as a guest and come out as member.

Thanks for the condolences. Life takes a new direction when the youngest sibling passes before you. I will not forget or forgive the cause.

FWIW going to visit a club member tonight to get advice as to why the 54 keeps stalling.

[vintovka]

Just an update. After checking everything for 5th time and was surprised to see that my steering column is so worn out that tilting the wheel up actually made it stall. Tore it down and will attempting a rebuild. The balls fell out of the both upper and lower races and the 4 main screws were so loose they can be turned out with just fingers. No sign of loctite!!! I flat told the pothead mechanic to use red locktite and he assured me that he did!!! Lying sack of ****e. Anyway will attempt rebuild in AM any clue how to get the remainder of the bearing races out of the housing???? also is the race on the column shaft permanent or has to be cut off? Failing this will be looking for a new column and have posted same on main forum.

[vintovka]

Well my two day effort to tighten the column is a dismal failure. I think the ball and or lower housing is broken somewhere i cannot see. Am going to replace it (0r let me say have it replaced). In joining the car club i found someone who comes highly recommended and will just wait for his schedule to clear. It does (or let me say did drive). The same drug impaired fool who said he fixed the column during the so called restoration Used cheap plastic zip ties to keep the main battery cable to the starter away from the headers. Guess what happened? Scraped the cable off the header now awaiting the replacement. Same guy talked me into reusing the wiring harness from the 84 chassis. Bad move. Replacing it as well.

[joedoh]

man thats a whole lot of terrible in one post. hope you get it fixed and back on the road soon

[vintovka]

Yes. Very frustrating but still a bucket list challenge at 73+. I have a good guy in the wings to do some long needed repairs including the leaks and steering issues. The poor electrical work prompted me to tear out about half the wiring and start making repairs. The "rats nest" under the drivers side dash was driving me nuts. So far i tore out all the old make shift connections to the original 84 GMC chassis harness and leaving only the primary functions. In process of replacing the burnt battery cable and adding heat shields as needed. Also added gold plated battery lugs with multiple wire attachments.
Again trying to try to keep the 84 harness for all the primary functions and adding a second sub fuse box for all the interior accessories like radio, heater, wipers etc.. First sub fuse box is for the exterior stuff requiring relays like electric fan, exterior lights, horns and stuff. Again shoulda replaced the original 84 harness but now too late. Also adding heat shields to cables and wires anywhere near the headers.

I also removed the wiring to both the dash and gauge panel ammeters. Already have a accessory voltmeter and will try to convert the indash ammeter to a voltmeter as well.



After this hopefully i can hang up my tools and relay on others to do any future maintenance of a serious nature.

I should rename this thread "54 years ago i started this restoration"

[VWNate1]

I hear you cry .

This is why I hate letting others touch my vehicles .

No one ever cares enough to do the job (any job) properly .

Dammit

[vintovka]

Yes. the more i find the more disgusted i get. Try not to think i paid for it as well. Hopefully separating circuit and documenting each will help. Those of you who do can do your own work should really be extra thankful.

[VWNate1]

Well ;

I took my 1960 C/10 to a place and they said 'yes, yes don't worry and clipped me for $40,000.00, more than I make in a year and returned it NOT RUNNING .

The paint was glorious but I'm not able to do the assembly so it sat for a few years, I recently gave it away just to get rid of it .

I'm not allowed to post anyhthing for sale here no matter how many free parts I've given away .

SIGH .

[vintovka]

Originally Posted by VWNate1

Well ;

I took my 1960 C/10 to a place and they said 'yes, yes don't worry and clipped me for $40,000.00, more than I make in a year and returned it NOT RUNNING .

The paint was glorious but I'm not able to do the assembly so it sat for a few years, I recently gave it away just to get rid of it .

I'm not allowed to post anyhthing for sale here no matter how many free parts I've given away .

SIGH .

Yeoww!! Very sorry to hear. I think this forum would do much better with an open trader but realize the work needed to moderate it.

Think I Am making progress (?) on mine and will post pics soon

[Rickysnickers]

Originally Posted by VWNate1

Well ;

I took my 1960 C/10 to a place and they said 'yes, yes don't worry and clipped me for $40,000.00, more than I make in a year and returned it NOT RUNNING .

The paint was glorious but I'm not able to do the assembly so it sat for a few years, I recently gave it away just to get rid of it .

I'm not allowed to post anyhthing for sale here no matter how many free parts I've given away .

SIGH .

Very sorry about your project. That just flat out sucks! You can become a premium member for $25. If you have some nice parts to sell, you will more than make up for the $25 investment. Just something to consider.

[VWNate1]

Thanx Ricky ! .

The deal is : like many old geezers I'm on a fixed budget so I can't afford to pay, "pay To Play" is, IMO a rip anyway and causes much loss of good parts and vehicles as not everyone is rich .

I used to do the swap meet thing in the 1970's but am old and disabled, I can't mail packages etc....

To the junkyard it all goes

[Rickysnickers]

Originally Posted by VWNate1

Thanx Ricky ! .

The deal is : like many old geezers I'm on a fixed budget so I can't afford to pay, "pay To Play" is, IMO a rip anyway and causes much loss of good parts and vehicles as not everyone is rich .

I used to do the swap meet thing in the 1970's but am old and disabled, I can't mail packages etc....

To the junkyard it all goes

I'm sorry that's what is going to have to happen to those parts.

[VWNate1]

Not nearly as sorry as I am to be throwing out truckloads of unobtanium parts I've collected over 7 decades .

"Pay to play" is a very bad thing .

I'm on lots and lots of forums and I give away tons of stuff not just helping those with mechanical issues .

I've given quite a bit if good stuff away here too but not being allowed to use the for sale forums is foolish .

[vintovka]

Sorry to hear I'm not alone with issues about depending on others for work. All part of being human i guess. Anyway some good news and maybe a some good advice to others. I tore my 84 GM column down again for the umpteenth time. After studying it i came to conclusion that it was all the column shaft WOBBLING and not the column housing. I played with adding shims again to pull the shaft into better contact with the upper and lower bearings. (both new and properly installed). No dice. In a "hail Mary pass" i got the brilliant idea of adding the old bearing race. one on top of the new one and reinstalling the cup and spring. In addition i found the the internal parts of the steering wheel itself were loose AS WELL !! I tightened each of the torx screws Voila!!! Column and wheel are s like new!! No wobble, no shake, no binding. After a celebratory beer (or 3) I came to conclusion that the shaft above the tilt joint was so worn the second race was needed to make up for the missing metal.

[joedoh]

Originally Posted by vintovka

Sorry to hear I'm not alone with issues about depending on others for work. All part of being human i guess. Anyway some good news and maybe a some good advice to others. I tore my 84 GM column down again for the umpteenth time. After studying it i came to conclusion that it was all the column shaft WOBBLING and not the column housing. I played with adding shims again to pull the shaft into better contact with the upper and lower bearings. (both new and properly installed). No dice. In a "hail Mary pass" i got the brilliant idea of adding the old bearing race. one on top of the new one and reinstalling the cup and spring. In addition i found the the internal parts of the steering wheel itself were loose AS WELL !! I tightened each of the torx screws Voila!!! Column and wheel are s like new!! No wobble, no shake, no binding. After a celebratory beer (or 3) I came to conclusion that the shaft above the tilt joint was so worn the second race was needed to make up for the missing metal.

woop! I will have a celebratory beer with you!

[vintovka]

Feel free to have 3. I did. More advances today. Installed the horn assembly and straightened the steering wheel at the new steering box, rewired the halogen floods, sorted some of the under hood rat maze. Fixed the electric wipers and about a dozen other issues. The 4x4 light on the dash eludes me despite multiple tries. Black to ground white to light and output to power yet light stays on despite being in 2 or 4 wheel position!! Oh well.

[VWNate1]

At least you're getting there .

It sounds like the 4X4 light had three wires ? .

Why ? .

[dsraven]

Sometimes black is not always ground, sometimes.
Check a wiring diagram for related donor vehicle. Are you talking the light wires or the 4x4 switch wires? Maybe a hi and low range variety, so power in then power out for hi and another for low range.
Dunno. Nice if it works though.

[vintovka]

Only two wires from Np208 black and white. Been told its some kind of odd grounded switch.

[vintovka]

Got a back surgery coming up so have been working overtime to complete stuff before i send it off for all the leak repairs. Have rewired about everything. Completely rewired the cab light, 4x4 and column shift indicators. Modded the shift indicator with an LED array light long ago and decided to do same for cab light as shown below. Would have done same for 4x4 indicator but there is no room for it so stuck with the 84 factory light. Also fixed many issues that i (or the pot head mechanic) screwed up these many years. The biggest triumph is the steering wheel fix. Pure pleasure to drive now. Saved like a grand on replacing it (and all the pain). Had to rewire the power to the cab light as the 54's original plastic coated wires have gone brittle and break easily. Again, In hindsight, reusing the 84 chassis factory harness and fusebox was a real mistake.

Had a bunch more pics but system won't let me load them.

[vintovka]

duplicate