back home with the deuce! but that light switch..

well, she made it back. What a trip! Now, I had no experience driving heavy trucks and a lot of what I thought was the way it was but it's definitely different in a lot of ways. Learned a couple things, first is that the shift pattern sucks! Learned a bunch of other stuff but forgot it. <img src="emoticons/icon_smile_approve.gif" alt="Approve">

Anyhow, my plans were kind of upset cause last night, pitch black crusing along all of a sudden my lights all go out! I go to fiddle with the switch and it won't move. The dash panel lights worked for a little longer, then they quit too. Now all I get is the blackouts I also stripped out the switch itself trying to get it to work. Took the switch housing apart and some of the wires had melted together. <img src="emoticons/icon_smile_angry.gif" alt="Angry">

First question- I couldn't find any circuit breakers ANYWHERE- where should I look? Are the headlights on a circuit breaker?

Now, is it most likely the headlights or tail lights shorted somewhere and that burned up the switch or is it most likely the switch? I plan to rewire the burned stuff but wonder if I should track all the wires or if this is common in the switch?

Other than that, everything went fine. We had to sleep in our rental car cause we couldn't drive all night like we'd planned, MAN was it cold!!!

Also, ended up leaving all ten wheels and the front flanges on the whole way. It was just too cold and I felt sick the whole way (I think I was getting an exhaust leak in the cab), but it still averaged a tad under 10 MPG, I was surprised

catch you later, thanks

That shift messed me up the fist few times I drove too, almost stalled in going for what I thought was 4th, but was actualy 5th. But luckily, the shift pattern is riveted to the dash if you're ever unsure

<font color="green">[3]<font face="Comic Sans MS">Lance, the circuit breakers are on the firewall in the engine compartment. I'm thinking there is one in the switch as well. You might try sending 24V through each of those switch wires to see what happens. Could probably inline a fuse in the power you feed it and it one of wires fed blows the fuse, then you got it. The switches can be a pain but after a while you can unlock and switch them with one hand.</font id="Comic Sans MS">[/3]</font id="green">

Lance;
That trip sounded like my first trip with 'Storm except change the light switch to the expen$$$ive fuel pump. Check out my conversion on the horn/light circuit I posted this spring and that should help you with that problem. Remember more pics, pics, pics!

well, here's a pic, I'd have had more but my camera batteries went dead. I'll be sure to snap more conquering adverse terrain This is in Winnemucca, we couldn't wait to get it home before we painted our personalized markings! And I don't like that camera cause the optics are screwed up- I look too big standing next to it. In pictures they look a lot smaller than they really are, you notice that?

<img src="http://www.buschandbusch.com/deucetrip.jpg" border="0">

Lance, it looks real clean. Looks like you ended up with a decent truck man. Keep us posted on that silly light switch ordeal.

surprisingly clean for the price- I plan to repaint it all forest, nothing major just a respray over the existing paint. Kill a little rust here and there, fix the lights, fix my air buzzer, for some reason it's going dead, re-wood the rack and seats, reupholster the seats with foam and canvas, um... Kill the rust in the bed as well. What do you think- I was going to get some of that marine paint that kills rust and paints at the same time, just roll it on with a roller like you would a garage floor. SOund OK?

She runs real good (although I am known to grind gears here and there) <img src="emoticons/icon_smile_approve.gif" alt="Approve">

Nice looking truck. If you need actual GI paint I got it. Ditch he air buzzer and replace it with the warning light kit that's available. Forget putting wood troop seats on it, you can pick up a complete set of fiberglass troop seats for under $200 at the Tower Park meet in Lodi this spring. Canvas seat covers and foam cna be picked up from David Pizzoferato at Tower Park or www.odcloth.com He brought me out some real heavy duty foam and man are those seats comfy now!!

Nice looking ride MonsterMan, so you drove it back from the drmo yard, i always wondered how guys did that without any tags, do you just drive them anyways? Yeah i know silly question.
But for sure nice ride, im jealous i want mine running now dang it.. ahhh patience i keep telling myself..

Originally posted by Wyattearp

Nice looking ride MonsterMan, so you drove it back from the drmo yard, i always wondered how guys did that without any tags, do you just drive them anyways? Yeah i know silly question.
But for sure nice ride, im jealous i want mine running now dang it.. ahhh patience i keep telling myself..

Click to expand...

actually I cheated and bought a clean truck from Idaho Motor Pool, but it's still a big risk driving 420 miles in a truck that's almost 40 years old! <img src="emoticons/icon_smile_approve.gif" alt="Approve">

I had insurance lined up and faxed to me beforehand and Alex sold me a temp permit for the front window. But, we had numerous troopers tail us for a while (my brother was behind me in the rental car) and then just ended up passing without a second look. Pretty lucky in that regard

They probably figured that it wasn't worth the risk trying to stop you, i don't think there pit manuever would be sucessful against the deuce. My big problem is im so far away from anyone that deals with the vehicles or engines thats the reason I don't have a runner as of yet. I think here in Va. the insurance depending on what you use the truck for runs about $800 a year thats not bad at all. Im will have to contact dmv about mine as there were no papers with the truck i bought it privatly from a guy whom had it and the papers, well who knows... If nothing else this can be my parade truck and then i will get one for myself as a daily ground pounder.

Wyatt!

If you don't use your Deuce for a commercial truck, and are willing to store it indoors, you can get insurance for less than $100.00! <img src="emoticons/icon_smile_jawdrop.gif" alt="Jawdrop">

Antique plates are available in many states, (Illinois), if the truck is at least 25 years old,
also less than $100.00! <img src="emoticons/icon_smile_jawdrop.gif" alt="Jawdrop">

$800.00 is robbery! <img src="emoticons/icon_smile_pissed.gif" alt="Pissed">

actually i got that number from the source you hooked me up with about the engine, and he has his tagged a Private use, so that why it was so high, actually im thinking of doing this one as antique and i do have a place to store it inside. I would like to use this one in Parades and other events. Then when my dodge is paid for just take those monthly payments i was making there and set that aside and purchase another one, but we will see what happens.
The truck i have is in very good condition, im not sure what its role was in the service but it had been used to push snow with before i bought it, i just hope i don't run into any problems when i get ready to have the paperwork and stuff done with the dmv. Actually the only rust on the truck is around the front windshields and where the top of the solid cab bolts to the bottom piece, moisture problem there is what cause that rust.

Wyatt!

I can't help you with the DMV question, as my Deuce came with a title! All I had to do was transfer it from the state that I bought in, to my state! The VIN # was already on the title, it went as smooth as silk!

As for the EVIL but necessary insurance......!

J. C. Taylor Antique Auto Agency, Inc.
320 South 69th Street, Upper Darby PA, 19082
1-800-345-8290, FAX-1-610-853-0114
www.jctaylor.com

This company is a leader in insuring collector vehicles!

I am a happy customer, but have no connection with the company!

Thanks LH for the info, yeah im not to worried about the title thing i will just have a new title done as the other one is technically lost somewhere out in lala land i suppose, either way the deuce is mine and it would take an army to depart her from me...
I was out looking at the engine i got from Bjorn, i noticed on the exhaust side there is some oil seepage where the exhaust manifold goes together (not where its bolted to the head), is this just normal or could that be a bad ring i need to check, I know alot of times little things like that can tell you alot about an engine, but i just got excited pulling the cover off of it out there, even though its not running, wow i got the green disease LOL..

Originally posted by Wyattearp

I think here in Va. the insurance depending on what you use the truck for runs about $800 a year thats not bad at all.

Click to expand...

eek! check out gulfway insurers of florida, just do an internet search. I was reccomended them by another guy here, forget who. Anyway, I tried Hagerty colector insurance but you need a fully enclosed solid garage, I only had a carport. Good luck fitting these in a garage! Progressive wouldn't take mine, even though I told him I knew other decue owners they insured. My insurance company, Country, wouldn't take them (incidentally they bought out Farm Bureau, who insures another guy on this board). I thought I was screwed until I tried Gulfway, and got it for $169 a year. No garage requirement, no mileage limit, you only need another vehicle insured for regular use. I'm in NV by the way

<font color="green">[4]<font face="Comic Sans MS">I use Gulfway Insurers and love it. I can drive it whenever I want for as long as I want and don't hve to garage it. Great folks to deal with. As far as that stuff in the manifold it might be slobber. Thats a nasty oily substance that is considerably thinner. Basically at idle and sometimes even in cold weather they don't burn all the fuel and it pools there and can slobber. Stoke it up and run it when you can. How far are you from Bjorn's place? He's got a cool ride doesn't he?</font id="Comic Sans MS">[/4]</font id="green">

the farm bureau buy out is news to me, still the same here, with the main office here in Richmond, could be that FB downsized and sold some branches off also. Im going to check with my local FB that my parents have been policy holders with them since the 70's and i since the start of the 90's and see what they have for something this big. I may just put farm tags on it like my dodge LOL..... Actually the guy i got the engine off of he mentioned Gulfway also...

Hey guy! My came from GL. sharp, stockton as what you see in the photo for $1500 minus the cargo top that I got from alex(Idaho Motor Pool)also,the United States Government Certificate to Obtain Title to a Vehicle (SF-97)took it to the DMV and got the Title to Vehicle with out no hook <img src="emoticons/icon_smile_approve.gif" alt="Approve">boy she run great<img src="emoticons/icon_smile_big.gif" alt="Big Smile"><img src="http://www.darkraven.us/DCP_0865.JPG" border="0">

Beautiful truck MM, looks about in the same shape we got ours in, except our headlights were flipped from yours

Keep on deucin'