My Truck - My Blog

I recently joined this group and this is the first time that I am posting. This posting was prompted by an email from someone in this group, Armison, who found my blog and wanted to compliment me about it. It seems that he is not the only one. After reading replies to his post I realize that others have been talking it up as well. What compliments, thanks!



My first experience with vans of any vintage was when I was stationed at Fort Rucker, Alabama from 1966 to 1968. In their infinite "wisdom" the Army brass thought it would be a good idea to turn me into a Military Policeman since my experience and knowledge was in broadcast engineering! I was a TV cameraman employed by ABC Network in NYC!

One of my duties was to occasionally drive the MP "Paddy Wagon" to Fort Benning, Georgia when we had enough AWOL prisoners to take to their stockade. Our vehicle was an early Ford Econoline panel van. It had a heavy mesh partition separating the front from the rear. The same mesh covered the rear and side door windows.

Since Uncle Sam bought base models of everything I have to assume the van had a 144 c.i.d. six. It was slow. How slow? Well, with me driving and another MP riding "shotgun" and three or four prisoners in the rear, I very rarely got into third gear except on level ground. On hills? Fuhgeddaboudit!

Back then that was a modern van and now it is considered "Vintage" just like me! I turn 63 in a couple weeks and have been medically retired since 1990. I have been keeping myself busy with hobbies including classic and not-so-classic restorations.

Yes, I admit to owning and restoring....Corvairs! Such blasphemy! One of the Corvairs was registered to run the Cannonball until health concerns forced me to drop out. I had sponsors, a NASCAR engine builder and a pro driver all signed on. C'est la Vie.

My current daily driver is a 1988 Pontiac Fiero GT that I purchased three years ago with 2,500 miles on the odometer. It is a fun ride with a five speed, V6 and it kinda keeps me young or at least making me think I am young! I have to admit that it is getting a bit harder to get out of it as I get more "vintage."

After I did a total restoration of a '66 Corvair Corsa I needed another project. It had to be something different. I gravitate toward unwanted, less desired vehicles. Call me a "foster parent" who likes to be different. Other folks will restore Mustangs, GTOs and Corvettes. They will spend $20,000 on their project and get more when they sell it. Me? I'll spend that same amount and get back less!

I decided to buy and restore the Econoline pickup for a couple reasons. First of all, I never owned a pickup and it would make a fun ride to the Home Depot. Secondly, the Econoline was unusual in construction and style and would be a rare sight on the road. Third, it didn't look all that hard. Oh, yeah?

This project has consumed my time and over $20,000 so far, hence the nickname, "The Money Pit." I changed the paint color after it was already painted with a 3-stage paint. I allowed my wife to chose the color thinking that it would make it easier to continue spending $$. When I went to see the truck in its new color, 2006 BMW Sterling Pearl Gray Metallic, I got sick. It looked not unlike a Navy support vehicle. Pearl paint looks nice on curvy sports cars but on flat-sided trucks? That prompted the color change to the 2006 Corvette Monterey Red that you see in the photos. This color is also a 3-stage paint. There he goes again....throwing money into "The Money Pit."

The body is currently back in the shop getting totally repainted because of a couple seam cracks in the rear corners and the A-pillars. Because the paint cannot be blended it is easier to paint the entire vehicle....again. At least it is not costing me this time.

If you have been keeping up with the progress via my blog you know that the engine, transmission and rear axle have been rebuilt. The engine is sitting on a stand....waiting. The springs have been re-arched, the kingpins replaced and a total replacement of all brake components has been completed. I rebuilt the steering box and Fred C in Rhode Island restored and recovered the seats which are waiting for installation.

I hope I haven't bored you all to tears with this long missive. I wanted to introduce myself.

The following are some links to photos and web features pertaining to some of my past cars including my first car.

Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rblachut/sets
Cannonball: http://corvaircorsa.com/cannonball01.html
Corsa: http://corvaircorsa.com/blachut01.html

I own two other blogs that some may find useful:

http://earlyeconolineresources.blogspot.com/
http://earlyeconolinetips.blogspot.com/

Thanks for your time and bandwidth!

Ron B. in Lake George, NY
'65 87B Special aka "The Money Pit"
Photos: http://tinyurl.com/3eywxg
Restoration Blog: http://tinyurl.com/3ahk9r
Email: YahooRon(at)roadrunner.com
eBay Member: 64spyderman

Thanks for the compliments. I no longer have either 'Vair because I had to make room for my Econoline. Did you happen to see the pix of the "Garage Mahal" on flickr?

Is that Rhino lining that you used for the floor in the econoline? If so did you apply it yourself or did you have it professionally done? I scanned through you blog but could not find anything on it.

The Rhinolining was sprayed on the roof and walls in addition to the floor and bed by Ziebart in Albany, NY an authorized dealer. I had it done to soften some noise and to eliminate the need to paint. I am sure it is a good rust preventative also. There are additional photos here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rblachut/sets/72157600149016186/

Welcome Ron... I've had your blog bookmarked from the day I bought my 64 Econoline Falcon van in April, but most of my adventures have kept me in the forums and haven't begun restoration! Your blog is one of the easiest reads and so resourceful... I can't say enough about it. Our paths may have crossed on other econoline forums as well... maybe I just think so because I've visited your project pages several times.
I think one of the best ideas you've brought forward in your restoration is the use of brass bushings to tighten up linkage slop... probably retained many original parts that way! Also, your descriptiveness on the steering gear refurb! I would like to know more about your 3.03 rebuild!

Cheers,

Corey

Corey, Thanks for the compliments! I am confused by your last statement. What is my "3.03 rebuild?

Ron B. in Lake George, NY

The tranny... mine has looked like it needs attention from the first day I bought the van, and I know my speedo drive gear is not where it belongs... might not even be in the case! It's a job I'd like to dig in to. I didn't know what the model name was, just figured out from my Chiltons book that that must be the model I have (3-on-the-tree). Apparently 3.03 is the space in inches between the two shafts in the tranny. I can look at pictures and read in books, but have no experience what the actual disassembly, refurbishing and reassembly challenges are.

Ron B. wrote:Corey, Thanks for the compliments! I am confused by your last statement. What is my "3.03 rebuild?

Ron B. in Lake George, NY

Corey, Ooooooh! The transmission! It is not an easy undertaking unless you have the right tools. I didn't.

I was able to get it pretty much disassembled but was stopped in my tracks by a couple things. I didn't have a puller nor a press to remove and install the shaft bearings. I also don't own a split ring remover that is monster sized.

I took the box of parts to a fellow who rebuilds manual transmissions. He has the tools which I don't. The shop is part of a Carquest Auto Supply franchise and he ordered the bearings by matching up the old Timkin numbers. The same with the seals. He did the work that I was unable to.

As Clint Eastwood playing Harry Callahan in Magnum Force said, "A man's got to know his limitations." I sure know mine!

Cheers!

Ron B.

>>>>As Clint Eastwood playing Harry Callahan in Magnum Force said, "A man's got to know his limitations." I sure know mine!
Cheers!
Ron B.

Ron,classic line from a classic movie for sure. One of my all time favorites:-)