Beverly Hillbillies

Vehicles and items that do not fall into the general M151 categories

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m3a1
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Re: Beverly Hillbillies

Unread post by m3a1 » September 20th, 2019, 11:30 am

Annnnnnnnd....it's back to the salt mines. Pulling the GTB back into it's slot using my new sheave. It's propped up on a barrel so as to keep the sheave in line with the pull. What a wonderful, labor saving device! Yes, the GTB rolls like a champ, but it's heavy. My suburban pulls it nicely at just above idle.

So, with that done and the photo shoot behind us, I'm back on the half track project. With Imelda hammering the Houston area, we are seeing quite a bit of humidity here in the San Antonio area so, working outside isn't going to be fun. :(

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Re: Beverly Hillbillies

Unread post by rickf » September 20th, 2019, 5:51 pm

With all the hormones flowing in that kid right now from that young lady you should have had him carry the GTB back into it's spot!
1964 M151A1
1984 M1008
1967 M416
04/1952 M100
12/1952 M100- Departed
AN/TSQ-114A Trailblazer- Gone

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Re: Beverly Hillbillies

Unread post by m3a1 » September 20th, 2019, 6:24 pm

Yeah, maybe so ...!!
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Re: Beverly Hillbillies

Unread post by m3a1 » September 25th, 2019, 1:46 am

Ok, we're gonna switch gears here for a moment....to something other than military vehicles because this is the Beverly Hillbillies thread and on this thread, anything goes.

Twice a year in Warrenton Texas and Round Top Texas, these two side-by-side communities arrange a huge gathering of people who sell stuff....and by stuff, I mean everything from Aardvarks to Zebras. Imagine several miles of country road lined with tent after tent, set up tent-TO-tent and all are crammed with tables and all those tables are crammed with stuff on top and more stuff below and what won't fit under the tent spills out into the open. In the outlying area are miles and miles of yard sales, barn sales, garage sales. You name it. Someone's got it. It's my kind of place. Experience has taught me to bring a trailer because it's about a 2 1/2 hour drive from mi casa and I don't like buying one day only to have to drive back by myself and pick it up the next day...particularly because, if left unsupervised, I.... Well....you know. :P

Now, I had a pretty good day, yesterday. I rummaged and browsed and looked for tents equipped with running fans because it was bloody HOT. Tents with particularly good airflow could easily be identified from afar because people were crammed in like North Korean boat people, and they were doing what I like to call 'the gun show shuffle' around the tables until they cooled off. It occurred to me that someone could make a pretty penny just by setting up cooling tents and charging admission. I sweated. Buckets.

By the end of the day I had come up with three WWII 50 cal ammo cans (from three different venders and each cheaper than the one before it) and a very attractive centennial casting of a Civil War Federal mirror (constructed of 8 lbs of solid brass) and so much bric-a-brac that it defies description. But the one stand-out item worthy of mention here was an arcade kiddie ride and even untested, it was a steal. I did not go there looking for it which is one of the dangers of being in Warrenton; stuff sometimes kinda leaps out at you.

And so, I present, for your viewing pleasure, my latest acquisition - the Amutec coin-operated tricycle-motorcycle arcade kiddie ride that I acquired for the low, low price of $125. Oh, ye of little faith! I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, for that kind of money, it'll never run. Not a snowball's chance...

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WHY, you ask? Am I a loony? Have I no respect for the value of a dollar? Why do I burden myself with such nonsense? Well, for one thing, I have a nose for a bargain and this little thing was marked for sale at about 1/3 what it should have been selling for. For another, there just isn't much to these mechanically and I can fix just about anything when properly motivated. And finally, I have a grandson and another grand baby on the way. I know what you're gonna say. "Grandkids? Isn't that a bit over the top, Grampa??" Well, YES! GUILTY AS CHARGED! :lol:

So, here it is on the Bat Trailer, ready to go the fastest it's ever gonna go.... 75 mph.

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Note the missing faux wheel insert. Hmm, he said, thoughtfully stroking his beard. :roll:

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Aside from that and the missing handlebar grips and the absent headlight trim ring, everything seems to be there. Judging from the footman loops I'm betting there was once a safety belt on this rig. Well, not any more and never, ever again. No safety belt! If one cannot be killed, or fall to one's death from a lofty height or at the very least, dismembered on a kid's activity center, just what is the point of having all that fun? :wink: So we dragged the whole shebang home.

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No key to the lock on the coin mechanism or the money box.... Happily, the money box door was unlocked already and the coin collection box was still in there...empty, yes.... but still in there. That's a very nice bonus. Coin boxes have a way of growing feet and walking off to who-knows-where.

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The face of the coin mechanism has a very minor bend in it's face where someone tried to get in there and then apparently thought better of it. Whoever you are, thank you for not tearing things up. At this point i'm thinking I might have to drill this lock out. Luckily, they're brass which drills quite easily....but, I have another idea I'll try first. Could it really be that easy?

But first, we make an attempt to run it. When we plugged it in and voice with a British accent said, "Start-up Check, OK" and a blinky light on the top of the gas tank began blinking. (grins all around) So, I produced a quarter and put it in the slot. Nuthin. Hit the change return button and got my quarter back.

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Yep, it really could be that easy. Six screws and the body comes away from the chassis exposing the coin mechanism and wiring. Yes, there are some tiny stress cracks in the fender arches but with the top half off, those will ridiculously easy to repair. Annnnnnnd.....

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Jackpot! $24 and change laying in there and a fistful off Chuck E. Cheese tokens. Somebody upended the machine and the coins spilled out of the coin box and into the aft compartment. Ni-i-i-i-i-i-ice! 8)

Though I didn't actually see him, the speaker apparently has a little British guy in it. :lol:

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And I find the coin mechanism is unhappily jammed with coins...

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I like the look of that, so...

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I happily UN-jam it! That's another $1.75 in my pocket. I'm beginning to like this business... :lol:

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And so, with the coin mechanism now empty, I insert a quarter and the little British guy says something to the effect of, Your ride is about to begin ...and away we go! The machine starts bobbing up and down, forward and back in a most sedate fashion while the sound card produces the rather incongruous sounds of a big, powerful motorcycle, being thrashed about by some maniacal rider who is going through it's gears willy-nilly, as well as the sounds of squealing tires and occasional police sirens which sound (disappointingly) rawther un-British. :wink: Well, you can't have everything. What an exciting ride through Lincolnshire England that was....and all for only 25 cents! Chromium plated, fully illuminated joy, all for less than $100 and some free game time at Chuck E. Cheese.

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Once the excitement died down, I turned my attention to the missing faux wheel. I don't like the original ones so whatever I do, I will do it on both sides ....and maybe even the front one.

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My replacement wheel is actually a drip pan that goes under an heating element on the top of an electric stove. It fits perfectly. I will have to make a cover plate for the hole on the dish and make a faux hub for the center hole or all sorts of creepy crawlies will make these wheels their home. I think I can live with adapting these drip pans, considering they're terribly inexpensive and fit so well.

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Cheers,
TJ
Last edited by m3a1 on April 21st, 2020, 1:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Beverly Hillbillies

Unread post by m3a1 » October 19th, 2019, 9:23 pm

I think we'll just title this installment as Longfellow Serenade. Why Longfellow? Well, because it's a long fellow and what follows is something of a serenade. I daresay this long fellow is long enough to have it's own block number.

So, what do you do when you have way too many trailers and need something that will push and pull and haul better than anything you've presently got? Well, you go find something that comes with a small price tag, a large diesel motor, a one ton suspension, a gooseneck hitch, freakishly large bumpers (with patina...which is a fancy Italian word for corrosion), a really long bed, four doors, big tires, four wheel drive and steps to get mama up into the cab so that she doesn't have reason to whine. She'll whine anyway, of course but that's another matter.

I bought this from a buddy who is just retiring from the PD and who is now clearing the decks of his now unneeded and unwanted stuff. Typically I'm not a Ford fan but this truck will serve my needs. I gave him just under book for this and he used the money to go buy himself a used civilian Jeep. Everybody goes home happy. The truck isn't perfect but it was reasonably well-maintained and in great shape for a truck that is..... 22 years old. Still a few things to be dealt with before I'm completely satisfied but I knew where most of the troubles were before entering into the deal.

So here it is, a 1997 Ford F350 XLT Crewcab 4WD Long Bed 7.3 PowerStroke Diesel....shown in no particular order.

These are what we call "Mama Steps".

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After taking the old tint off....what a difference! It was so bad I had to roll down the windows to see out.....literally. Note the little bitty car mirrors. Looking at other people's trucks I find myself experiencing mirror envy. Ahhh what the heck. They'll work. I may install a back-up camera later.

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See the tint on the back windows? (long low whistle) They were all that bad!

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Big tires. Not monsters, but big. Big is good.

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OMG it has [vent windows! I freakin' LOVE vent windows!

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If I ditched these bumpers I could probably haul more because they must weigh and absolute ton, but this is Texas and certain things are expected of Texas truck owners. Big ugly hats, big ugly belt buckles, big ugly boots and big ugly bumpers. So glad women don't enter into that equation! :lol:

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According to my unofficial survey, approximately three out of four pickup trucks in our area have four doors. I never would have guessed. In this photo, I'm parked on uneven pavement which is why the bed appears out of line with the cab. There's a lot of flex in that frame!

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Red-lined with a transmission cooling line leak. No worries. I'll get that fixed and that'll be that.

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Cheers,
TJ
Last edited by m3a1 on April 24th, 2020, 11:31 am, edited 4 times in total.

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Re: Beverly Hillbillies

Unread post by rickf » October 19th, 2019, 9:34 pm

Mine is a super cab so only two doors but still has the 8 foot bed. Something you just don't see anymore. If that has the 3.55 gears in it like mine, with both tanks full you can drive on the highway almost 800 miles before refueling!!! Mine gets 26 MPG on the highway and holds 34 or 38 gallons between the two tanks. I am running 265/75R-16 tires on mine which looks to be the same tires as yours.
1964 M151A1
1984 M1008
1967 M416
04/1952 M100
12/1952 M100- Departed
AN/TSQ-114A Trailblazer- Gone

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Re: Beverly Hillbillies

Unread post by m3a1 » October 19th, 2019, 9:39 pm

Yup, it has the 3:55 gears. Presently it has P305s on it and the speedo was adjusted to the new tire size. 37.2 gallons between the two tanks. I'm hauling a bit more truck around than you and then there's those big tires but I've kept my foot out of it and it has been no worse than my gasoline suburban.

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Re: Beverly Hillbillies

Unread post by m3a1 » October 19th, 2019, 10:01 pm

Oh, and by the way, if this truck ever has the misfortune to get wrecked, you KNOW the insurance company is going to total it. I will buy it back, of course..... and transfer the driveline to the GTB!

Now THAT is pure genius and I'm not ashamed to say it!

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Re: Beverly Hillbillies

Unread post by rickf » October 19th, 2019, 10:04 pm

You will find that 7.3 is a lot bigger than it looks in the Ford engine bay. They are a BIG engine! Not saying it would not fit but the torches and hammers and welder will get a workout!
1964 M151A1
1984 M1008
1967 M416
04/1952 M100
12/1952 M100- Departed
AN/TSQ-114A Trailblazer- Gone

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Re: Beverly Hillbillies

Unread post by m3a1 » October 19th, 2019, 10:07 pm

Nope. No dramas. It would be going amidships.

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Re: Beverly Hillbillies

Unread post by rickf » October 20th, 2019, 10:41 am

Whoa! Got to see the pics of this one!!!! I want to see the driveline setup.
1964 M151A1
1984 M1008
1967 M416
04/1952 M100
12/1952 M100- Departed
AN/TSQ-114A Trailblazer- Gone

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Re: Beverly Hillbillies

Unread post by m3a1 » October 20th, 2019, 11:40 am

Well, I was hoping to drive the F350 as a whole truck at least for a while! :lol:

I admit that I don't have it fully thought out yet and not one single measurement has been taken but to keep your imaginations going, here is the GTB again, shown in profile.

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The problem with the whole idea of using the 4x4 F350's components is that its power pack is so long. The other problem is this truck doesn't weigh anything and as you know, that diesel is torquey (sp?) as all get out. So a new problem crops up and that is, how to get all that power to the ground. Earlier, I was thinking I would be just going with a gasoline engine/auto and 2WD since the piñon of the front axle is absent. Rat rod it and be done with it..I'm rather sure a mouse motor and auto trans would fit. Installation of any engine would be directly behind the driver and cooling achieved by plumbing up to the front radiator. The floor of the bed just gets cut out to accommodate the engine and it would be made to tip (dump truck fashion) to make easy access to the motor.

Happily, no decision about anything has to be made now. This is presently an exercise in 'What If...' and the direction this finally takes will likely be dictated largely by what comes my way that could be adapted to this purpose.

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Re: Beverly Hillbillies

Unread post by rickf » October 20th, 2019, 2:21 pm

Curtis "V" drive transmission. A couple of my flat bottom race boats were V drive powered by blown big blocks.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V-drive
1964 M151A1
1984 M1008
1967 M416
04/1952 M100
12/1952 M100- Departed
AN/TSQ-114A Trailblazer- Gone

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Re: Beverly Hillbillies

Unread post by acudanut » October 22nd, 2019, 1:31 pm

That 7.3 Ford engine is one of the best Diesels ever made imo. The EPA killed it though. That Truck of yours will pull anything you want.
Mine is a 2000 and still hauling/pulling strong. Cheers to a Nice looking powerful truck.
How Many Miles are on it.?? I know a guy who has over a Million Miles on his. !!

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Re: Beverly Hillbillies

Unread post by m3a1 » October 25th, 2019, 1:09 am

227K on the ticker. Trans cooler leak has been resolved. I am now officially leak free!

Today, I scored a secondhand RKI brand headache rack for it. It's a little dog eared but it was only $40 which is about 1/10th of the new-in-the-box price. Secondhand is perfectly OK by me. It's a working truck, not a showpiece. I'm pretty glad to have it. You know what happens when you have a really long item to haul and no protection for the trailing edge of the cab. Well, that's not going to happen to me. Nope. So, I have a little fabricating to do (which is half the fun.)

Cheers,
TJ

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