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

[joedoh]

I bet you get all the looks driving that around!

[vintovka]

Originally Posted by joedoh

I bet you get all the looks driving that around!

You know its kinda weird, Certainly not a show truck but it get honks and waves just about everywhere.

[vintovka]

Been busy last 6 months with our move. Restoring a 70 year old cabin during the faux-demic put every thing else on hold. Need a new garage for the 54 and contractors now want 2.5 times as much as last garage we built just two years ago at other house where it sits today. Most likely get a metal one instead of a 55K+ (!!!!) stick built. Things here are beyond dismal. No shows, parades or anything just grumpy masked morons. Will be flying flag upside down next time i drive it

[vintovka]

Well a year has passed. Not a very good year at that. New garage is built and the Cabin on the Siuslaw River front is almost done. Too cold and wet for taking the 54 out but adding some old and new pics. The first are back in 1985 when it was still on original frame with a 235. Pic shows it just out of the shop with a brand new metallic silver grey paint job. My Kid in pic is now 42! The pic with the lady is my now 96 year old mom. Good times pass quick. Bad times drag on.

[VWNate1]

The good thing is : you're still here and have good memories .

Somewhere I have a picture of me sitting astride my 1965 Harely-Davidson Pan Had Motocycle holding my new born son .

He's now 43 and I just visited him and my grand kids, life is very good indeed in spite of the last two years .

[vintovka]

Time fly's doesn't it? Also i asked mods to move the thread to the projects section which they did. Also need to update title to "52 years ago" !!!!

[VWNate1]

Yes, time certainly has a way of sneaking behind one's back .

Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana .

[vintovka]

Too true. Come spring i hope to drive the 54 as often as I can. Time slowed some when we moved to Oregon from the ranch in Placerville. Still going too fast.

[vintovka]

Well i backed out of the garage. Turned wheel to left and the power steering box literally puked all its contents out of the lower seal. I have less than 1000 miles since it was installed. The previous one lasted 2 months. Bad news is they are both NAPA Gold remanufactured by Cardone boxes. Good news is they both had "lifetime" warranties. Maybe 3 is the charm????????????????????????

[VWNate1]

Yes, this is a concern .

I didn't know Cardone offered a lifetime warranty, that's good .

I just ordered and received a rebuilt power steering pump for a '79 Dodge, I checked it out before trying to install and discovered one of the threaded holes in the back for the bracket bolts, was stripped and they'd ignored that , overhuled the pump and shipped it out anyway...

Good help is very hard to find these days, why I'm still doing most repairs my own damn self .

[LostChord]

Absolutely love your truck, very cool.

[vintovka]

Me too (when its not puking out one fluid or another).

[VWNate1]

AHEM :

Your truck is NOT puking out fluids, it's operating the clever "Flow Through Lubrication And Anti-Rust System", good design as it's still working as well as it did when new....

[vintovka]

Poor old thing is incontinent

[vintovka]

Well in the next episode of "as the stomach turns" there's some promising news and a warning. After repeatedly contacting NAPA over their crappy, potentially dangerous rebuilt steering boxes, i finally got a call from their chief resolution guy. After explaining this was the second failed box and expressing severe concern over a 3rd he made an offer i couldn't refuse. (I am Sicilian BTW). Today a primo box custom built by Red Top gears came by UPS express. They paid over $300 (plus a 200 core). Having it installed next week as (name a body part) is in dire pain. Does mean i am eating the labor from all 3 installs but better than forking out more money in parts. I have concluded NAPA is grimly aware that selling poor quality rebuilt stuff may be cost ineffective and are taking steps to improve the situation. When the box blew out the lower seal near lost control on a narrow river bridge. Came close to not being here. I do fear that as our nation rapidly succumbs to engineered chaos there is lots more bad defecation on the horizon.

[vintovka]

New "Redhead Gears" Power steering box was installed today, The could not believe the near new NAPA box had failed so badly. Apparently the core they used to rebuild should have been junked as the lower seal above the pitman arm had completely blown out. The new box is great and worth the over $400 it cost NAPA. STill cost me $180 plus the cost of previouslt installs and the $211 NAPA charged for the first failed one. It feels much tighter than others. Will post pics of old and new is anyone wants.

[nvrdone]

I would love to see pictures & details. I considering installing p/s on my straight axle '49

[vintovka]

Mine is on an 84 GMC K10 4x4 chassis so stock stuff is a no brainer. (if you can find non junky parts) Best to post on main forum for assistance/ideas on power steering upgrades. I will say that adding power steering to your 49 will allow a much smaller steering wheel increasing cab space.

[VWNate1]

I hear you .

I just replaced the weepy original power steering box on my brothers 1979 Dodge D200 long service bed crew cab beast, one of the threaded holes on the cast iron part was clearly stripped and full of SWARF ~ I guess no one bothered to properly look at the core first .

RockAuto.com is very good about this sort of thing and sent me a call tag and as soon as I shipped the bad part they shipped me another, good one, I had it installed by the time they received the defective part .

I'm going to return the old weepy pump as good cores are getting hard to find and this pump fits a million or so old ChryCo products .

Glad you didn't go off that bridge ! .

[vintovka]

The defective box is back in their hands. Shop that did work said they will not use any Napa rebuilds or replace a napa rebuild with another. Bottom seal and washer near pinion fell out on return counter along with remainder of oil. Never seen the like.

[vintovka]

Just an update. Somewhat calmed down since our move to the cabin on the Siuslaw River. Been a tumultuous year plus and put everything on the back burners. Now that the 54 is back to full operational status (i hope) it was time to automate its new garage. I added a door opener and bought a car cover from CA covers ---and it fits. I actually washed the 54 for first time in a year just so i could try it on. The door opener opens both the 10x8 doors simultaneously and required fabrication of mounts and a "door bar". Got ideas off net and modified things a bit. Need to hurry as time in my "4th quarter" is rapidly running out as memory, skill and stamina drain away.

[joedoh]

love the ingenuity! nothing like a new shop too

[vintovka]

Thanks. Will say a metal shop wasn't my first choice but the cost of another stick built was out of the question. The vertical double door opener is a bit strange but works. May really appreciate it during next winters rain storms. The only other option was like 5 to 10 times more and possibly outside my abilities. Next issue is addressing leaks and steering column issues. .

[6DoF]

i am sending that door bar idea to a buddy right now

[Tempest67]

neat idea with the 'door bar'........thanks for sharing