Buying '78 Lil Red Express Truck

[MarkEagleUSA]

While you're at it, Ron...

I suggested that back in post #3...

 

[DavidC]

I suggested that back in post #3...

Yeah but you didn't have the cool video

 

[Wiredawg]

Friends,

had a side project: we haven't had sun in the last couple of days and the electric side of my solar hot water system was on the fritz. I flushed and drained it, no scale or corrosion. I pulled electrode, and it was great for ten years. Put an Ohm meter on it, and it checked out too. Found the thermostat on the fritz, so got a new one at Lowes. Got her all buttoned up and heating like it should.

Just so I could say I made SOME progress on the LRE today and yesterday... the cassette part of audio deck checked out, so tomorrow, gonna wire in the audio plug to the truck, run the vacuum line for the vacuum gauge, install the instrument panel back into the truck, and install the audio system. I'll let y'all know if I get all this done and post some pics.

Cheers, Ron

 

[jhenderson]

I see Mecum has one of these listed at the up coming Gone Farming auction. It’ll be interesting to see what it goes for. The pictures look pretty good.

 

[HPSimpson]

Ron, Sounds like some progress in completing the little Red truck before the freezing weather moves in just take your time,

 

[Wiredawg]

I see Mecum has one of these listed at the up coming Gone Farming auction. It’ll be interesting to see what it goes for. The pictures look pretty good.

I've seen one that has 4 miles on it never titled asking $50K and another that has around 4K miles for $38K. Both advertised with original tires. Great condition around $25K to $30K. Mine was $28K. No bondo, new paint, decals, wood panels, tires, carpet, no tears on seat, perfect dash.

All,

Today, I added dual 12VDC receptacles, wired the radio plug with remote on lead for amp and subwoofer, and wired but not installed LED under dash lights. Here's pics,

I discovered there is no glove box light nor switch and couldn't find any new or used on line. I'm engineering a plunger switch and LED license plate lamp. Won't have the switch for a couple days, so I'll run the circuit and light and complete when the switch arrives.

Cheers, Ron

 

[HPSimpson]

Always something you discover that needs to be added a nice touch light in glove box. What is the dial for under the dash for?

 

[MarkEagleUSA]

What is the dial for under the dash for?

Looks to be the original cigarette lighter perhaps?

 

[Wiredawg]

Looks to be the original cigarette lighter perhaps?

Mark,

I believe it IS the original cigarette lighter. I'm going to use some Simple Green and wire brush on a Dremel to shiney up the ash tray, looks like a long time ago, it was used. I'm trying not to hurry, got to remove the seat to mount the amp and sub... I should be able to work on it all day Friday, but I have an all day honey doo on Saturday. We try not to work on Sunday, but if I'm enjoying it, maybe its not really work? I got the tags today, so now, just have to finish my list. I want to test the fuel gauge before buttoning up the dash too.

Just one more tidbit: Not long after getting the truck, I disassembled the stock AM-FM, cleaned it, and lubed the dial, but the tuner needle would only move a little. Now, it moves freely. I can't help checking to see if it plays, but still 99.44 (Ivory Soap) sure I'm proceeding with the AM-FM-CD-Cassette player deck.

I had a 93 W250 I had a 2000W amp in with a CD changer. Used to pop the doors open and play music for 200 people at my former work annual picnic. I'd start the truck about every 20 minutes and let it run for 20 minutes. The one I'm installing in the LRE will do the same.

Cheers, Ron

 

[Wiredawg]

Friends,

I didn't get to do ANYTHING on the LRE I had planned.

Friday, a friend came over with his 2008 Ford 250 to change his fuel filters. the filter change was relatively easy, except we couldn't get it to prime up. After about 2 hours of running lift pump, cracking banjo bolt, trying to start, nada. I took my friend for a burger and asked him to Google a fix. There's actually one using some tubing, a tapped banjo fitting with a barb fitting with tubing feeding into a jug, and a locking air chuck with a barb fitting and some tubing going into a jug. Anyhoo, after one cycle of lift pump, got all air out and started right up. That was a total of around 4 hours, and I was tired, so didn't work on the LRE. Then, my wife asked me to bring our zero turn mower to my BILs house on Saturday to cut the grass. He's out of town and it was pretty high.

Saturday:
My wife leaves home early to finish a yard sale at her brother's house (it's on a busy road), and is this first to come up on an accident, where a young lady ran over a man standing out in the road. She checked on the man, he was still breathing and could barely speak. She tried flagging a driver down who just zigzagged past. Another driver came by and she got him to stop, and he started helping the man on the ground. My wife called 911 and waited until authorities arrived. We don't know if the man survived.

I used my Jeep and 5.5 X 10 utility trailer to haul the mower over. My wife told me what happened on the way over and I stayed with her for a while. I cut about 1.5 of the three acres, loaded it back up, and brought it back to the house and unloaded the mower and unhitched the trailer. That's when I noticed the left rear quarter window on the Jeep's hardtop was shattered. Don't know if it was road debris or what.... I did cut grass near it with discharge away from it. Anyway, I checked on a couple of the nation wide window repair chains, we used Safe Lite and earliest appts are week after next, both for mobile and in the shop. Checked my trusty OEM Service Manual and window replacement looks easy. Ordered glass on eBay, it will be here Tuesday and the primer with adhesive on Amazon, be here Monday. It'll cost me ~$130 to replace it myself.

So, I told my wife, OK asked, if I can work solely on the LRE Monday and Tuesday and fix the Jeep on Wednesday.

Pretty busy week. We pray the man hit survives and the young lady recovers from the stress.

Ron

 

[brucejohnson]

Wow! What a busy, challenging weekend for you. Wife and I will add some prayers for all involved too. Really sad.
Good luck with the updates for the LRE. I thought I had a glovebox light that would fit your LRE, but I couldn't locate it. Got a whole garage and barn to search through. I think your idea will provide better results than the 1/4 candle power of the OEM light. I used to have a translucent white glove box compartment that allowed more light than the black one with a small hole in it. Can't find anything anymore. Maybe one of the sons' requisitioned my stash sometime over the past couple decades for their mid/late 70's Power Wagons or Ramchargers.

 

[gsbrockman]

Seems as if you’re plugging right along with LRE!!!

 

[Wiredawg]

Friends,

Normally don't work on Sunday, but had catch up. I ran the leads for the optional volt and vacuum gauges, drilled the firewall and ran/ T'd the vacuum gauge line into the trucks vacuum line. New vacuum line is right above the electric connections below.

The original silver dash was pretty smudged and fresh paint didn't make it look better. Someone previously likely wiped it with mineral spirits or some other chemical that removed the texture of the plastic. Fortunately, I had bought another dash panel on Ebay when I was skeered of ruining the original when drilling the tach opening in it. Of course, now that I'm a veteran driller, it was cake. See difference below.

So Monday, looks like I'm going to install the dash, the radio, and button it up. Going to shiney up starter relay terminals and wires. I replaced fusible links as the old ones looked stressed. Tuesday, smoke test electrical system and startup the engine. If all good, I'll install the power amp and sub.

Cheers, my friends! Ron

 

[HPSimpson]

Looks great new dash on top going to be installed just take your time will get done soon enough.

 

[brucejohnson]

Friends,

Normally don't work on Sunday, but had catch up. I ran the leads for the optional volt and vacuum gauges, drilled the firewall and ran/ T'd the vacuum gauge line into the trucks vacuum line. New vacuum line is right above the electric connections below.

View attachment 116612

The original silver dash was pretty smudged and fresh paint didn't make it look better. Someone previously likely wiped it with mineral spirits or some other chemical that removed the texture of the plastic. Fortunately, I had bought another dash panel on Ebay when I was skeered of ruining the original when drilling the tach opening in it. Of course, now that I'm a veteran driller, it was cake. See difference below.

View attachment 116614

So Monday, looks like I'm going to install the dash, the radio, and button it up. Going to shiney up starter relay terminals and wires. I replaced fusible links as the old ones looked stressed. Tuesday, smoke test electrical system and startup the engine. If all good, I'll install the power amp and sub.

Cheers, my friends! Ron

Don't forget to roll up the Halon extinguisher and post the fire guard at the nose before powering up the LRE.

 

[Wiredawg]

Don't forget to roll up the Halon extinguisher and post the fire guard at the nose before powering up the LRE.

Ha Ha, so true! There is a pic on an LRE site when the Ammeter burnt the truck up.

I'm pretty confident, but still.

Cheers, Ron

 

[brucejohnson]

Ha Ha, so true! There is a pic on an LRE site when the Ammeter burnt the truck up.

View attachment 116616

I'm pretty confident, but still.

Cheers, Ron

Wowzer! The electrical engineers packed a lot of smoke in those wires for sure!
It looks like someone already got the only salvageable parts...the lug nuts.

 

[Wiredawg]

Wowzer! The electrical engineers packed a lot of smoke in those wires for sure!
It looks like someone already got the only salvageable parts...the lug nuts.

This truck was the worst configuration for high current issues with 60 amp alternator and factory air conditioning. The blower switch and connector, the fuse panel, the wires on the ammeter, and some firewall connectors were fried and two of the four fusible links were nearly fried. Lots of circuits and connectors were reconfigured and upgraded.

The 100 amp equipped trucks at least had a gauge or two larger wires, but still had all current flowing through the dash. Before I button up the dash, I may connect the ammeter in series with radio so it will show flow, but won't be a true ammeter any longer.

Cheers, Ron

 

[Wayne M.]

That sucks.

 

[GCroyle]

Ron,

Just now catching up on LRE, but right not I'd say your better half deserves a nice big bouquet of flowers for the major assist to the accident.

Ms. Ron nicely done.