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

[vintovka]

Will likely wire radio direct along with alarm soon. Am building courage to bend top half of door in 1/2" .

[VWNate1]

Sounds good to me .

I hate bending the doors, ideally it's done before the respray .

Unless it whistles really loudly or blasts you with cold air I'd live with it .

[dsraven]

I have seen some fellas who simply install some weatherstripping tape on the body where the door stuff has a gap.

[vintovka]

Originally Posted by dsraven

I have seen some fellas who simply install some weather stripping tape on the body where the door stuff has a gap.

Yes doing that right now to close the gosh awful gap and maybe reduce the wind noise and rain entry. Using standard door weather striping on BOTH sides on top and thinner "stick em" foam type on middle front. I swear the door is bent at top but will leave the door bending for next paint job (prolly not in my lifetime). Have been having to slam door for a over a half century so used to it. hopefully my ancient arms won't fail me. . May add i bought some cheep double sided tape to reattach used weatherstrip as my 3m glue is a pita. Its 1/2" with red pull off cover. Seems better than 3m glue too and looks same as what originally came on it when new. Will drive in am an report back.

Fwiw i milled the elongated adjustment slots longer in the door striker a bit to give me more room. Seems to work.

[vintovka]

Gave up on door. Been slamming it for 56+ years and just used to it. Unless someone steps up who can bend the brand new hinges and possibly the door this old man is done for this lifetime. It does closes and latch with extreme adjustment so there's that. This was a replacement for the original and regret it.

The extra weather strip on the cab opening has quieted the wind noise considerably. Added the foil covered insulation to under the door panel with double sticky and it helps even more. Needed to really push hard on the inside door and window handles to overcome the added thickness when installing them. The cardboard washers under the handles let them move freely and are a must. Even so i wonder why anyone spends big bucks on a sound system they can only hear clearly parked with engine off.

Will see how they leak or don't next wash. Next effort will be to see why my aftermarket rear window slider leaks so much. I paid installers extra to use correct seal but think the $ went into their dope fund, The slider is nice when its hot.

[VWNate1]

I'm guessing the original door was rusted out ? .

The main thing is if it remains closed ~ my '49 got N.O.S. latches and strikers after I made a hard left turn and the passenger door flew open unloading all the crap I carry on the front seat .

Yes, it had seat belts and my Sweet used them but thinking or her or other precious cargo flying our the door made me do this .

It looks pretty nice to my eyes .

[vintovka]

Original door had a big old dent. Should have had it pounded out but had current door handy. This the other major mistake besides using a cheech and chong "restoration shop". The latter Of course, after much insistence, assured me they could fix all the body work before the fecal paint job. The only upside is that it all happened before the mass devaluation of the dollar.

[VWNate1]

Understood, been there and done that .

For serious good door repair one removes the exterior skin for hammer and dolly works then sorts out the hinges and other fitment issues, once that's all done and the door opens, closes and latches okay you tack on the outer door skin as close to the belt line matching as you can then open it and slowly finish it .

As I've said so many times : when new most of the Advance Design trucks were sold long before they were made and GM refused to run a third shift so Ford was beating them in light truck sales, GM's answer was to crank up the line as fast as it'd go and shove them out the door with appalling build quality .

The old Hot Rodder in my old shop spent over a year fighting with his cab, the passenger side door (it almost always seems to be the passenger side) on his '49 3100 series was simply awful, mostly the cab's jog work was done so poorly that no amount of pulling, stretching, bending, cutting and welding would give him a decent closing door much less one that wasn't at least 1/4" off along the belt line .

There is a company called (IIRC) "Trique" that makes modern day door latch kits for your '54, they're safer too .

[vintovka]

[QUOTE=VWNate1;9320938
There is a company called (IIRC) "Trique" that makes modern day door latch kits for your '54, they're safer too .[/QUOTE]

I'm afraid the door is so bent that hinges would need a major tweak before any latch would work. The fit is so bad i don't want to even post a pic so ignoring it for now. Maybe if i can find someone who can really fix it i'll do something about it.

While distracting myself i thought i would up grade my vacuum gauge before the show this last weekend. Bought a real fancy one with adjustable colored leds and other feature from a "big name" maker. BAD IDEA!. Worked great for a couple hours then needle jammed on max vacuum reading and it started flashing all sorts of lights. The engine immediately lost power, had it towed to a shop and missed the show. They found that the electronic module that connects to the engines vacuum leaked and was sending bad info to the gauge, They also said It leaked so much it about damaged the plugs from being way too lean. This well known company and their rep blew me off even after i provided all the receipts. Seems the gauge is no longer available after jut 4 months. Will give them a week then will post their name here and 3 dozen other forums + BBB. Seems i can't catch a break with both hands and net.

[VWNate1]

Sigh ~ I hear you cry .

How about a pic of said vacuum gauge ? .

Being old I understand and really like vacuum gauges, I have an old "Motor Minder" typ one that has colored graduations on the gauge's face .

You're still alive and having fun with something you've had for fifty years ~ I'm say that's catching a seriously good break .

I'm also old and still plodding away, all 'round me others are dying and it's driving me crazy(er) .

[dsraven]

man, sorry to hear about your luck. it always happens when you have plans.
nothing really beats the good old fashioned tried and true mechanical vacuum gauge with a copper tube that connects both ends. like some cars from the '60's came with. it works or it don't work. usually not a huge vac leak if the gauge quits. no whizzy led lights though. I usually look at quality mechanical or electronic gauges used in instrumentation, like techs would use in their daily jobs. they take a beating and keep on working. I find a lot of the "brand name" stuff sold at the local parts stores are just cheaply made offshore things waiting to give up. everybody has the same "good stuff" because they all have the same sources for parts. sometimes it's the same parts reboxed under a different label name

[dsraven]

I also like to keep it simple. if it is a thing that is required for engine monitoring, like oil pressure, coolant temp, volts/amps etc, the basics, then maybe a gauge is needed. otherwise the extras, however whizzie they look, become another thing to break and/or maintain. a vac gauge, to me, would simply be used for fuel mileage purposes. I just use my foot on the pedal and my eye on the gas gauge, haha.
hope you get it sorted and you win for a change. best of luck and keep on plugging along, good to see your posts and pics of the truck

[vintovka]

Originally Posted by VWNate1

Sigh ~ I hear you cry .

How about a pic of said vacuum gauge ? .

You're still alive and having fun with something you've had for fifty years ~ I'm say that's catching a seriously good break .

I'm also old and still plodding away, all 'round me others are dying and it's driving me crazy(er) .

Your right. Still this side of dirt and i good health is all that matters. The truck is a joy to drive and NEVER made it more than a mile without making someone smile, wave, honk or even follow me to talk!!

As for the crap gauge, If they don't get back to me i will not only post a pic but documentation showing these electronic gauges are not only defective but may cause damage. Think they know all about it and gone into duck and cover mode as all traces of this model gauge has miraculously disappeared from the net. FWIW i have an acquaintance at one of the major car magazines where they advertise plus about 10 forums. Not a good time to sell shoddy stuff unless your a beer maker. I would caution any gauge that can interfere with your engine should be avoided.

i have a Auto Gage mechanical on the way. The offender is back in the box safely away from the vehicle.

Somewhere i have a "mileage minder" gauge i bought in 70's sitting around new in box. Will look.

[VWNate1]

If you bought it via credit card you should be able to reverse the charge by telling your C.C. they refused to honor the warranty .

Please do widely share the name of the maker and the seller too as they should be standing behind anything they sell .

[vintovka]

Originally Posted by VWNate1

If you bought it via credit card you should be able to reverse the charge by telling your C.C. they refused to honor the warranty .

Please do widely share the name of the maker and the seller too as they should be standing behind anything they sell .

Filed a dispute already, both vendor and maker actually fighting it. I don't think i am the first or alone in this issue as they seem very accustomed to complaints and skirting stuff like excluding customized vehicles. Might be a turning point for relying on CC's to defend users.

[VWNate1]

That's terrible .

A while back I was talking to the help person on my card (YES ! a real person and in America !) and she said "no worries, we're behind it for years, as far back as we have records of the purchase .

I was flabbergasted and said thainx but I managed to get my issue sorted out by applying firm and *polite* pressure along with plenty of documentation .

Best of luck to you Sir .

[vintovka]

Still waiting for a response from gauge company. So far they have refused to accept proof of purchase and CC says they are even fighting dispute. I see a lot of similar complaints on net. Sorry for those with a heavy investment in them. Thinking of making a car show display featuring their products and offensive "customer service". Will "out" them in due course.

Still working out wiring with radio/player remote control. (pics in post#181). This allows the radios IR remote to work with the glove box door closed but with the key in to "ON" position. My columns "aux" position is non op and have NO interest in messing with it in my remaining lifetime!!. While i find my " negative (ground) kill switch still works exceptionally well i need to route radio positive direct to battery. This will allow me to use radio/player and alarms without key on but shut everything down instantly with kill switch. Really handy when working on electrical, security or winter storage. Works great with battery minder too. Yes i know ground type kill switches are heresy but seems to work well. With removable key i know it going nowhere unless towed.

[VWNate1]

Good to see you're still tinkering away with and enjoying it ! .

I'm guessing the primary concern with ground kill switches is damaging the alternator ? .

It's like those who don't understand how things work claim pulling the ground cable with the engine running to test it will damage it ~ not so : reconnecting it is what causes the damage when the alternator spikes if it was working when you removed the ground cable .

Anyways, I hope you're enjoying it this Summer, I am realizing I simply cannot do the works I used to do and worse, I no longer love to drive for hours / days on end but I'm still a GearHead and enjoy working on my oldies and driving / riding them too mjst not more than a few hours at a stretch .

[vintovka]

Yes, driving it everyday and loving it every second. Finally getting to enjoy the full power of the "GM performance" 350. 650 CFM carb and headers. The acceleration and handling is flat amazing. Still vividly remember the leaky 235 and being literally stopped dead by high winds. Power steering and brakes are a pure joy -- the latter have flat saved me twice in last couple weeks. Both times from pedestrians oblivious to reality compounded by incompetents and by drivers who drive way too fast and smash the brakes without notice.


It is clear to me those who drive vehicles with all original equipment do so at extreme risk posed by all the modern ones on the road.

[VWNate1]

I can dig it .

My fast days are far behind me now, because I know how to properly tune them I always found the 235C.I.D. engine adequate .

Uo grading the brakes etc. is a serious safety improvement .

I'm wheezing 'round in this heat wave in my '59 VW Beetle survivor .

It's a true P.O.S. but again, it runs *perfectly* and stops on a dime so I love it, I don't need to go over 70MP in it and it goes that speed easily if not much faster .

I'm not sure what we can do about the myriad bad drivers and idiot pedestrians who never look where they're going .

Red light runners so on and so forth .

[vintovka]

Having suffered the 235 for 30 years from 69 thru 99 i can only remember the bad stuff. The horrible, many multi hour long trips on I-15 from Las Vegas to LA and back in a weekend were brutal. Max speed was often like 55- max due strong desert headwinds. Always at nighttime due to temps and stripped to skivvies. Peeling exposed back and leg skin off the Naugahyde and (the seat springs out of ones butt) was always fun.

As for technology i think we might agree you had to be skilled to survive back then. Current tech makes most current drivers heavily dependent on inherent mechanical and electrochromic safety devices. Insurance companies have indicated its both proven to falsely increase driver confidence and to assume ever other vehicle is similarly safe.

On another small matter i think i have the sound system set up to operate how i want it. and will post pics if anyone cares.

[VWNate1]

I remember traveling in just pants with an old clean shirt draped over the brown Naugahyde..... .

Taking the time to close all the air leaks through the firewall and past the floor boards is always wort the effort .

I can dig it, I'm loving the AC in my current shop truck, it's usually on 365 days the year .

[vintovka]

Why i chose a climate which stays 55- 64 most of time. The need for Home and auto a/c is exceptionally rare. We use the auto a/c only when venturing inland and the home a/c seems reserved for when wildfire smoke makes it to the coast. I see no need for a/c at all in the 54 although a good heater is a must.

Still in process of tweaking some of the stuff on the 54. From previous posts the sound system is enclosed in the glove compartment and operated via a remote. Since i have no functional AUX key position I ran fused power direct to both the radio and the IR transmission cable set up. This allows me to use the system without opening the glove box door. Safety shutdown is still with the cutoff switch.

I also added grommets to the tank neck on the DL fender. Less spillage and it now allows the nozzle to rotate clear of the fender. Fills very easy.

Last pic is just one of the several cougars that come to check on us. Today is no exception. Per usual It was formally disinvited by a near blast from our family protector Mr. Mossberg send it and its much bigger buddies unharmed but certainly scared sh-tless upriver.

[VWNate1]

I can dig it, I grew up in the country and prefer living in town .

Oregon is (IMO) a nice place but can be weird .

My old '49 came to me with a glovebox mounted radio cassette, also a nasty plywood console with whoppingly big amplifier and graphic equalizer, other crap I neither needed nor wanted, the German made cassette player was nice, I still have if stashed God knows where .

I'd rather have a heater than AC .

Since you brought it up, what gauge is Mr. Mossburg ? .

I guess no one still uses rock salt loads in battered .12 Gauges, boy howdy did that ever sting .

I live at the base of the San Gabriel mountains and we're getting black bears in the neighborhoods now, so much housing has been built into their habitat .

Then of course, some damnfools think "they're so cute !" and feed them, now I see bears going up to parked cars in the turn outs I like to stop in when riding my Moto......

Be well Good Sir ! . hot as blazes here so naturally I was outside doing yard works .

[vintovka]

The very first pic of this thread shows the unrestored 54 back on our mid sized ranch in El Dorado Calif. I will say living there was a mix of our first dream home and hell. The hell being the weather (117f+ at times) and the draconian politics. I now realized how much of our productive lives were lost to that narrow handful of working hours (5 - 10 am) when if was possible to work outside without passing out. Even inside the $700-800 electric bills made us skimp on ac. We understand its much, much worse now.

As for the 54 i feel we are close to minor tweaking and maintenance. Down to tidying some wiring today and touch up paint. It runs and drives and been a daily driver these last few weeks. Still getting honks, waves and smiles each time. I do NOT understand those with psychotic needs to literally blow up their engines and nearly crash in attempt to get my (or others attention) at stop lights or on crowded streets. This includes infantile cyclists who are obviously deaf/deranged.

Have contacted a couple of shops about having at least the fenders resprayed with matching (Air force blue) bedliner like Hippo or Rhino. Am very open to comments or suggestions on this.

Will be posting my opinion of a certain major Automotive gauge manufacture and how little they respect consumer rights and the law in general in these days of unlimited chaos.

Heres a calming closing pic by Lake Tahkenitch just off 101 between Florence and Gardiner.