Frankentruck

[cwcarpenter98]

It was only a matter of time until it happened, but it finally did. When I installed some halogen bulbs a while back, the retaining ring on the driver's side had a slight bend in one spot. I didn't realize it until I tightened up the screw and the bulb cracked. The crack was small, so it's been like that for a few years. Over the Christmas break, the driver's headlight lost low beam, but still had high. The crack finally got bad enough to let water in, so that's probably what killed it. Anyways, replaced that today.

Went out just now to test it in the dark and the high beams decided to not work. I've noticed that for a few months, I've had to lightly tap the grille around the passenger bulb to get the high beam to turn on. Well, the relay harness I have is starting to come apart at the connection to the battery. I can wiggle it around and make the high beams turn on and off. The low beams are fine. Of course, all my wiring tools are back home, but I know my church family down here has what I need. It'll get fixed eventually

I'm also thinking of switching around the wires in the headlight switch plug so that I can have both the park lights on and the headlights on at the same time.

And last for the night: check out how well the under hood light works. I didn't use the flash on my phone to take the last picture. It's from a 87-96 Dakota and I think I have an 1156 bulb in it. I got it from a junkyard, so it was around 5 bucks. There's a plug at the bulb and at the base of the hood. I will unplug it at car shows or when I don't need it on while working under the hood. I can check the oil at night without needing a flashlight

[roll_the_dice]

It's always something! Keeps us on our toes anyway!

When I replaced my wiring with the AAW kit, I wonder if the new light switch comes so the parking lights and headlights come on together...because mine do and I never had to do anything special for it.

[cwcarpenter98]

Originally Posted by roll_the_dice

It's always something! Keeps us on our toes anyway!

When I replaced my wiring with the AAW kit, I wonder if the new light switch comes so the parking lights and headlights come on together...because mine do and I never had to do anything special for it.

That, it does!
Could be the new wiring for yours. I have a factory reproduction fuse block, so I think I just have to switch a wire around in the plug. Slightly more annoying in my case because I have to take the speaker out to get up under there

[350TacoZilla]

love the underhood light, I have one I snatched from a mid 80s chevy truck that has a on\off switch and a reel so you can take the light with you and wind it back up. I have had it for years waiting on this project lol.

Edit: I feel like I've already said about this light but not sure lol. they say the memory is the....wait,what was that saying again?

[cwcarpenter98]

Originally Posted by 350TacoZilla

love the underhood light, I have one I snatched from a mid 80s chevy truck that has a on\off switch and a reel so you can take the light with you and wind it back up. I have had it for years waiting on this project lol.

Edit: I feel like I've already said about this light but not sure lol. they say the memory is the....wait,what was that saying again?

Thanks! I had heard about the light as well, but wasn't able to find one when I found the Dakota one. I knew the Dakota one would work well because the original one to my 95 Dakota is still working great. I also like how it's got a plug at the bulb and a plug at the hood, so I can unplug it from the hood side if I need to pull the hood off.

I know I had talked about the light before in my thread, but I was taking night pictures, so figured I would mention it again

[cwcarpenter98]

I hate waiting on parts to show up. USPS has apparently misplaced the NOS sending unit gaskets I purchased so that I can replace the brass float and sending unit gasket that have both deteriorated beyond repair. I want my fuel gauge back to working, dang it.

Anyways, I was doing some thinking and came up with a name for my trailer. I'm going to call it Half-Wit because it's half a truck and not easily motivated unless hooked to something else

I'm planning on taking Frankentruck and Half-Wit to the GA C10 Club swap meet on March 12th. They haven't been together since I before I put the new tires and wheels on Frankentruck, so I'm looking forward to see how that looks

[aggie91]

I know the feeling of waiting on parts. Order some the other day, they sent the wrong part as someone retagged it with the wrong labels at the warehouse. Now I am waiting of the replacements, but was refunded all my money and then ordered from another source.

I like the name for the trailer. Seems fitting to me.

[cwcarpenter98]

Originally Posted by aggie91

I know the feeling of waiting on parts. Order some the other day, they sent the wrong part as someone retagged it with the wrong labels at the warehouse. Now I am waiting of the replacements, but was refunded all my money and then ordered from another source.

I like the name for the trailer. Seems fitting to me.

That's the worst. I had that happen on one of the AC parts for my Dakota a while back. No fun for sure.
My seals finally showed up today. Hopefully I'll get a chance later in the week to get the new float and seal installed.
Frankentruck and Half-Wit kinda has a nice ring to it

[cwcarpenter98]

Took a few minutes to get the float changed out. No more leaky brass. The Jeep float fit nicely in the stock sending unit. That NOS gasket was nice to use as well.

[cwcarpenter98]

I cleaned the glass today, so basically, I washed the whole truck

I have been throughly enjoying using Frankentruck as my daily driver since coming back to school.

I had noticed a weird sound that developed. Thought it might have been some piston slap starting up. I went home over the weekend to see one of my good friends for the first time since they moved out to Washington, so I decided to try to identify the noise as well. I was standing on the rear bumper and wiggling the whole truck when my dad noticed the tailpipe moving around a bunch. Way back when I got the muffler installed, I forgot to reinstall the hanger that was near the old muffler. Because of that, the exhaust was shaking around too much and causing that weird noise. Got the hanger back in and that noise seems to have been fixed. Of course, there's other squeaks and rattles, but one day they will be fixed. I think that lack of exhaust hanger helped contribute to the exhaust manifold donut gaskets blowing out a couple times before I replaced with the metal versions a year or so ago.

Not going to be doing much to the truck other than enjoying it since I've got this last semester and I've started studying for the first of 4 parts of the CPA exam. Fun stuff

[The Rocknrod]

Always feels good when you find the problem.

[cwcarpenter98]

Originally Posted by The Rocknrod

Always feels good when you find the problem.

It definitely does!

Now, if only I could fix the other squeaks and rattles... Oh wait, that would mean starting all the rust repair on the cab

[350TacoZilla]

Man I'd be worried with that cab that one day your going down interstate and find yourself in a convertible c10. Do they make replacement pillar patch panels and such or are you going to need a donor cab?

[cwcarpenter98]

Originally Posted by 350TacoZilla

Man I'd be worried with that cab that one day your going down interstate and find yourself in a convertible c10. Do they make replacement pillar patch panels and such or are you going to need a donor cab?

I am also slightly concerned about that, but I took the interstate route back to Milledgeville on Sunday morning and nothing came flying off yet I don't believe it's gotten bad enough yet for the roof to completely rip off.
Most likely, I won't be starting the rust repair until I pass the CPA exam. Could be done with that by August, or longer, I don't know yet.

I have patch panels for the floor, rockers, cab corners, above the windshield, and entire roof panel. I have the inner and outer upper corners of the windshield from a donor cab and a donor section to replace the damage on the passenger side. I will probably need some other donor pieces as I dig into it, but I want to save the cab since the cab vin and partial frame vin are still matching.

[realvc]

Good luck with your studies. My wife is a returned CPA. She says it was a great career for her for more than thirty years.

I enjoy your truck thread a lot.

[cwcarpenter98]

Originally Posted by realvc

Good luck with your studies. My wife is a returned CPA. She says it was a great career for her for more than thirty years.

I enjoy your truck thread a lot.

Thank you, and thanks for following along!
My mom also has her CPA license, so I think I got that from her

[cwcarpenter98]

Filled up today for $3.29. That was a punch to the wallet, but my 8.5:1 CR heads are making it less painful than it could be.
I chose to daily drive Frankentruck since this is my last semester and I'm close enough to be able to walk to campus.
Not complaining about the gas prices. I've made my bed and have to lie in it now

[Braunschweiger]

Be happy, we Europeans would be happy if we had such petrol prices. In Germany we currently pay €1.82 for 1 liter of E10 Super. That would be about $6.77 a gallon

[cwcarpenter98]

Originally Posted by Braunschweiger

Be happy, we Europeans would be happy if we had such petrol prices. In Germany we currently pay €1.82 for 1 liter of E10 Super. That would be about $6.77 a gallon

Dang, that doesn't sound fun

[SkinnyG]

A gallon of regular up here is $4.52US

[Paul Y]

£1.48 per litre of e10 here so around £6.72 per imperial gallon or $9.14 per imperial gallon.

I didn't even get bought dinner.....

P.

[SkinnyG]

That would be $7.59 for a US gallon, they are smaller than an Imperial gallon.

[cwcarpenter98]

Originally Posted by SkinnyG

A gallon of regular up here is $4.52US

Originally Posted by Paul Y

£1.48 per litre of e10 here so around £6.72 per imperial gallon or $9.14 per imperial gallon.

I didn't even get bought dinner.....

P.

Originally Posted by SkinnyG

That would be $7.59 for a US gallon, they are smaller than an Imperial gallon.

I wouldn't be surprised if it goes higher. Oh well, I'm still going to enjoy driving my truck

[cwcarpenter98]

Drove up to Athens this morning to take my first of four CPA exam sections. I feel like I passed, but now I get to wait anxiously until I get my scores back on the 17th.

Frankentruck did great as usual, both there and back. I've passed an antique shop in the little town of Bishop every time I've gone up to Athens, so I stopped in on the way back. I found a 1970 Cherokee county license plate to add to my collection. The 35 was the county code for Cherokee county back then. Since that's the county I've lived in most of my life so far, I couldn't say no

[72cs20]

Originally Posted by cwcarpenter98

Drove up to Athens this morning to take my first of four CPA exam sections. I feel like I passed, but now I get to wait anxiously until I get my scores back on the 17th.

Frankentruck did great as usual, both there and back. I've passed an antique shop in the little town of Bishop every time I've gone up to Athens, so I stopped in on the way back. I found a 1970 Cherokee county license plate to add to my collection. The 35 was the county code for Cherokee county back then. Since that's the county I've lived in most of my life so far, I couldn't say no

Good find on that vintage plate! I like that kind of memorabilia.