New rubber

Hi folks - happy Labor Day Weekend! Are you sick of hearing about my truck? I suppose we could change the blog to "Mike's Old Truck Project" versus Our Seattle Adventure, as I could be doing this in whatever city. Well, when I bought the truck, my goals in the short term were to:
1) Fix the brakes - done
2) Change the tires - done (this post)
3) Install seat belts

Well , there were some bumps along the way!

Anyway, the tire thing proved more work than it should have - the rims on the wheels were 16", but designed to be used with inner tubes. The four tires were bias ply - front 6.50-16 and back 7.00-16. They were all terrible. Bald. The back ones were retreads, and it looked like the tread was peeling off. The thing bumped and glided all over the road, tracking in every road imperfection. The date branded on the tires was 1975 - so older than me!

I could find replacement bias tires on the internet from Jim Carter, but who to install? Most of the tire shops around here have young kids (with strong backs) that don't know how to work on these. My 35 yo neighbor saved the day - he found 4 16" radial tires (10 ply) off a duallie. Two were near perfect, two were somewhat worn, but still plenty of tread. $50 apiece for the good ones, $15 apiece for the worn ones. Bigger than the original tires, but would work. I found new tubes on E-bay. Plus a spare tire - it was a weird size - 6.70-15 - so no radial conversion. But I found a new old stock bias tire on E-bay that was perfect!

Jeremy (my neighbor) came home on Sat evening after work (his tire shop) - we ripped off all the tires and mounted the new ones in the yard! I have to emphasize Jeremy -- I'm not skilled with tire irons. But now they're on!

Now I just need to get the truck running again - but I figured out the problem... the wire between coil and distributor is shot! So I'm not getting a spark! More to come... Awaiting parts in the mail (story of the year).

Anyway, I took some pics of the tires - front left (radial) and spare (bias, new old stock or NOS).

Now I just need to work on those seatbelts...

Mike

Sweet old truck

Click here to view these pictures larger(TOP PHOTO)

Click here to view these pictures larger(BOTTOM PHOTO)

I wanted to post these pics - this is one of Butch's old trucks that has gone to pasture - now known as the "dump truck." It appears to be a 1950s Chevy Advance Design big truck - duallie, flat bed, probably 1-ton? Pretty neat! It was decorated as such for a wedding on the property. I will have to check it out in person next time I am back in MN!

Lauren's Wedding

Mike's coworker/friend married Doug in Los Angeles' Temescal Gateway Park. It was a quaint, beautiful setting, with a dinner/dance to follow in the reception hall downhill. All in all it was a great time!

Sunday Visit to the Beach

After the wedding festivities (more on that later), we headed north to see the beach and ocean at Leo Carillo State Park. The beaches in California are always crowded in the summer, Sunday was no exception. But it was still quite beautiful. [Marc] PS About the candid looking-into-the-distance style photos -- just something different to try, and everyone looks less squinty that way in the bright sun.

Harvest Time Begins

We're back from a weekend trip to Los Angeles (more on that later). My post-return inspection of the tomato plants found a good handful of cherry tomatoes. (Actually, I think the variety is officially a "grape tomato," but that's a finer point than needed.) The first of many, I can see. [Marc]

New turn signal lenses

They say that God is in the details - well, that's what I focus on when I get frustrated with the mechanicals... The secret is not to try to do too much at once, and remember that the cover can stay on indefinitely - and the truck WILL wait for you!!! The old turn signal lenses were original, cracked, and opaque. I found these from Jim Carter - about $4 or $5 for the pair. I polished up the chrome around them and put them on. Bit by bit...

New Glove Box

Another quick, inexpensive fix to add detail. The new glove box was $13 at Jim Carter. I should have snapped a pic before pulling old box - but as you can see, it was worn, had been painted once, and had water damage, etc. I think it was actually a grease stain on the bottom. There was so much space beneath the dash that pulling and installing took a mere 10 minutes!!! Notice the USAA card flashed at the side in the last shot. The AAA card will also be there!