My other car (Warning: Ford Content)

[peterws1957]

Had a pleasant surprise when I sold my old Recaro seats on eBay, got quite a bit more than I paid for the new ones, so happy. It felt like a bit of a win, which I don't get very often with this truck.

I went to the American Auto Club meet on the 7th Jan at Barton Airport. There seemed to be a lot of interest this month, possibly with it being the first one of the year, though they seemed a bit limited on space with us all being crammed in together on the overflow car park. The field which is normally used seems to be undergoing some groundworks so is unavailable at the moment. I may try it again though not for a while now as I have other stuff to be getting on with. Hopefully they'll have sorted the parking out by then as I want to be able to leave when I want and not have to wait for others to make way. At least it was bright and dry though bitterly cold.

Apart from this little outing, nothing else has been happening really due to various factors conspiring against me but the new speedo (in mph) is now fitted. I did try by just replacing the cable as mentioned in my previous post but, whilst the noise was better, it was still there and with a lot of needle bounce so a replacement head was ordered from the US. Now fitted, tested against Waze on my phone and it's spot on.

A quick thanks to @peterws1957 for suggesting the My US Address thing which I signed up to and used for the speedo. Not bad on the shipping costs, in fact better than most, and it saves a lot of hassle. A quick service as well, taking under 3 working days to get here.

I've been trying to get on with the little jobs which tend to add up though even keeping up with the cleaning regime has been a struggle, especially with the weather we've had. One of the little jobs was trying to improve the erroneous wiring, which is now looking far less like the rats nest it previously resembled, though it still needs a bit more tidying up. I've also filled a few cracks in the dash-pad where the previous owner had used double sided tape to hold the rev counter in place, though this was worse than anticipated so is taking a while. It's looking better now but still needs a bit more work before the tacho goes back.

I still have water leaks. It seems that the bed drain I cleared earlier is still backing up, probably due to the wiring harness which is blocking it's route. I've cleaned a load more mulch/soil out from where the drain dumps but it's been overflowing onto the cab floor. I've now taped the wiring together to consolidate it and lifted it up to free the channel as much as I can though I think the only solution to this will be to re-route the drain. I could possibly get it to flow out through the rear wheel arch which is only a few inches away but the access is going to prove challenging. I think that this will be a job for a younger and more flexible mate to sort out.

Still loads to do but getting there slowly. Treating it to an oil change next week, just waiting for the local suppliers to get the filter.

Glad the MY Us worked out. I half considered going to the Barton meet but decided against. Sons were there but not in any of their weekend cars. (The 57 delivery they blagged off me still needs a touch of final fettling apparently). The AACNW whose event it is are a hardy bunch so they get there every month. Sod's law that the first Sunday date clashes with other events in the NW - Charity Farm and Heskin Hall both near Chorley ish and Longridge which gets several hundred cars (well worth attending when it gets going) . Other events happen occasionally on the same dates at 2 car detailers one off the East Lancs and one just off the M65 the latter attracting high end MB's. Too many choices!

 

[daveenty]

Cheers Peter, I didn't notice your old '57 there but there was a lot of stuff crammed into a very small area and it was just starting to get a bit chaotic when I decided to call it a day.

I never seem to get to hear about these local events really though a couple of the names you mention above seem a bit familiar. I wouldn't mind a run out to a couple of them but the Merc's not going back on the road till April now and the truck is a bit hit or miss if it's all in one piece or not...

 

[daveenty]

I managed to get the oil change done though for some reason I struggled to get an oil filter this time, it took a good while and an alternative supplier in the end but all is now good. I've dropped the oil viscosity down slightly, from the 20w50 which was in it to a 10w40, mainly as it was taking a good three or four seconds for the oil light to extinguish on cold starts. The slightly thinner oil seems to have helped as it's now going out a lot quicker, not quite instant but a lot better. I suppose there will always be some delay, especially as it can go for a good few days in between starts, so a bit of drain down is only to be expected, especially given the age and design of the motor.

I've now hopefully got my problem pickup bed drain sorted out. Basically put a couple of new hoses directly from the bed drains to a couple or holes which were cut into the rear wheel arches, silicon sealed and a tight push fit on the bed side. It still wants a bit of trimming under the arch but it's practically unseen and it's nice to see water running straight out of the truck without going halfway round the cab. Unfortunately I had to get help with this job as I was struggling with the limited access and gave up after getting myself wedged in between the seats. Initially only the drivers side needed re-routing but, as the cab was half stripped, it seemed logical to do both sides to eliminate any potential future blockages.



I mentioned back in November that I'd blocked the cowl (scuttle) vents off. This was done to keep the rain out but it was causing a few condensation issues as there was no fresh air entering the cab. Consequently the blower fan was struggling to keep the screen clear so I had to keep a window open which rather defeated the point. After ensuring that the cowl drains were still functioning and water was flowing out quickly, I re-fitted the original grills. At the moment everything seems to be dry but I'm not holding my breath and am fully expecting to have a bit more waterproofing to do yet.

The dash lighting is refusing to illuminate for some reason. I've no idea when this started though I've not used it in the dark until recently so it could be that they've never worked. I think this will be farmed out to my auto spark as I have a few other bits for him as well and I don't really mix well with electrical things. Talking of electrical, I've decided to ditch the tacho. It was a dashtop one, as can be seen in post 85 from December, held in place with double sided tape which had caused the dashpad to split, possibly just with vibration. I'm still in the process of repairing this so I don't want to put it back for the same to happen again. It's not that it's really needed anyway as it won't be getting over-revved.

I think the next job will be the pickup bed as it's starting to show a bit of surface rust, especially where I started rubbing it down. I'll be trying to get this started in the next few weeks when the weather picks up a bit, as it's too cold and wet at the moment. I still don't know what I'm going to do with the bed, I don't think that a proper bed liner like Raptor would look right, so I'm swaying towards a quick rattle can blast of Satin Black, mainly because I have a few cans to hand so the cost would be minimal. I'll make a decision when I've started the preparation as that way there'll be less time to change my mind. I'll be trying to get this done before Newby Hall in May but won't be too upset if I don't manage it.

 

[daveenty]

At the moment the engine seems to be running fine, the temp gauge is at the cooler end of normal and the heater is getting warm (though not hot). All the hoses are warm to the touch and the (new) thermostat seems to be opening when required. The coolant level is a bit low down in the radiator but it's on the cold fill marker which is two or three inches down from the neck. If I top it up beyond this line it will spit the excess out, so I've been using an overflow tank, just a plastic milk carton, with the radiator overflow pipe placed in the top of it. If this works than I may go a bit further and fit a proper one or, there again, I may just learn to live with it and stop messing with things for a while. Incidentally, and typically, since I started using this overflow, it's not spilt a drop.

I've made a start on the pickup bed. The first job was the "smugglers box", basically a bolted down panel over the hole where passengers feet went were it a saloon/estate. I'd already looked at this area so knew that it wasn't rotten unlke lots, all it needed was a bit of tidying up. The drains were clear so a quick vacuum out of accumulated dirt and rubbish was all that was needed. Once clean, a quick rub down and a thick coat of black enamel brushed on will hopefully preserve it for a bit longer.



Box without cover. The two oval rubber grommets in the box are access covers for the top mount on the rear shocks so access still occasionally required.

I'm painting the main bed in matt black. It was going to be satin but I screwed up on the order, so matt it is. Shame really as I have a bit of satin knocking around, just not quite enough to complete it. It's only going to be a light rub down to remove the surface rust and key the paint as I don't want to go too far with it, the truck has lived a life and I'm happy for it to show a bit of wear and tear. The main reason for this refresh is preventative maintenance and not particularly for cosmetic purposes.



As it's currently looking with the cover back in place. Rear half of bed yet to be painted.

I'm still having a few problems with the handling in that, whilst nowhere near as bad as it was, it does like to wander all over the road when being driven normally. The shock mounting rubbers are perished and allowing the shocks to wag around in their mountings so that will be the first job. New shocks ordered as I reckoned if the rubbers are perished, the rest won't be far behind and for under £70 for the pair, it was a no brainer. I'm also thinking that the whole front end is too high. I contacted a local spring company with regard to shortening the coils but they want the springs for up to 8 weeks which, to be honest, I found ridiculous as I can get new springs for around £50/pair delivered within a week. I'll see how it goes with the new shocks before committing to anything else, it may be that they cure it, though I'm not holding my breath with that.

 

[daveenty]

Just a quick update this time as not a great amount has been happening, partially due to the weather, mainly a lack of interest on my part.

The new shocks arrived from the US in under a week, more excellent service from Rock Auto. They went on without drama, I didn't even bother putting the truck on the lift, just jacked it up on the driveway. I may have got away without even taking the wheels off but one of the retaining bolts would be awkward to reach, more so to get the rubbers and washers back on it so, for the extra few minutes it took, it was out with the jack and axle stands. I've not driven it much since but in the few miles I have done it seems a lot better, more positive and with much less skipping around. The old shocks had actually been leaking quite a bit when inspected and they also had little resistance so, combined with the perished rubbers, they were well worth changing.

After that little diversion it's been back to the pickup bed with more rubbing down and painting, but the weather's been atrocious with constantly heavy rain so it's been a struggle and is being done in ever decreasing sections. I've also found a few micro blisters on the drivers side door and rear wing which are similar to the ones I had in the bonnet. These were caused by damp in one of the filler coats, so ultimately I'll have to strip it down to bare metal as I did with the bonnet. Initially though I think it'll just get a good dose of looking at. It's not too bad from a distance so there's no real rush to get it done, just something else to add to the ever increasing list of jobs.

I'll be leaving the truck alone for a week or two now, as I want to start getting the Mercedes cleaned and prepared for it's first trip out since September when I took it off the road. It'll be taxed in April, then I'll give it a couple of local shake-down runs just to make sure everything's OK, then it's down to Clevedon for the forum meet up at Avantgarde, a nice little 400+ mile round trip.

 

[daveenty]

Another day another water leak...

Decided to give the truck a quick clean up as it was a dusty mess after finishing rubbing down and painting the pickup bed. Put the hose on it and was semi transfixed watching the water pouring out from my new wheel arch drains. After washing it, I jumped in to put it back in it's parking spot and was greeted with the sight of a damp carpet at the back of the drivers seat. This was close to where the previous leak was but, after stripping the trim out, that area was still dry. There was a slight water trace on the back wall of the cab, so it was a case of looking around that area a bit harder. Armed with a kettle full of water, I started gently pouring around the rear screen area and eventually ended up with a tell-tale drip under the window on the inside. There's a chrome strip around the rear screen which seems to be held on by double sided tape, so I gently prised it back and found a small gap in the screen rubber. This was also visible on the inside now I knew where to look so I've currently squeezed a load of mastic in the void. I'll keep a close eye on it and if it stops the water ingress than great, if not then a new rubber will have to be fitted though I'll be using a local screen company for that as glass is something I don't do.

Back to the Merc again now, carrying on from where I left off.

 

[100%Bitch]

View attachment 80126

Oh, I like that.

 

[daveenty]

I've not been up to much really apart from finishing painting the tailgate inner panel. This was pretty battle scarred, probably just from loading/unloading stuff over the years. Several old drilled holes in the bed sides have also been filled though are not yet painted, purely due to apathy and the constant wet weather.

I did manage to fit a pair of stainless steel exhaust tips. These have been on my "to do" list for ages to eliminate the hot oily fumes which exited horizontally near the back of the cab on each side, meaning anyone remotely near got a blast of dirty hot air. These tips are curved so now point downwards toward the ground. An added bonus here is that I can start it at home and not have to clean the side door to the house of oil/fuel every other day as it lives adjacent to it.



The rear window was still letting water in so I took the plunge and acquired a new seal. Typically, after another application of mastic it seems to have stopped leaking. Even after several nights outside in the open and with all the bad rain we've been having it's been completely dry inside. My local glass company have had a quick look at it and are calling me back with a fitting date though I'm still awaiting the call from a week ago so I'll probably just leave it for the time being.

I've been doing a lot of cleaning as several meets are now starting to sneak up, so it's been a case of getting both cars something like. The Merc is relatively simple as it doesn't really go far but the truck is a challenge as it gets left outside and used for those little run around jobs. I'm not going over the top with it, it's never going to be a beauty queen, but I do want to get it something like presentable.

The first of the meets is Newby Hall near Ripon which is usually a good turnout, or at least the May meeting is. The September one was a bit of a let down last year, cold and poorly attended but it's a good run out for the truck so I'll probably do both again.

Once back home it should be a simple case of getting the Merc ready for the annual Benz on the Green meet near Portsmouth . After that I'm not too sure what's happening, so will be looking out for a few local meets who may accommodate a noisy old pickup.

 

[AMGeed]

I've not been up to much really apart from finishing painting the tailgate inner panel. This was pretty battle scarred, probably just from loading/unloading stuff over the years. Several old drilled holes in the bed sides have also been filled though are not yet painted, purely due to apathy and the constant wet weather.

I did manage to fit a pair of stainless steel exhaust tips. These have been on my "to do" list for ages to eliminate the hot oily fumes which exited horizontally near the back of the cab on each side, meaning anyone remotely near got a blast of dirty hot air. These tips are curved so now point downwards toward the ground. An added bonus here is that I can start it at home and not have to clean the side door to the house of oil/fuel every other day as it lives adjacent to it.

View attachment 89503

The rear window was still letting water in so I took the plunge and acquired a new seal. Typically, after another application of mastic it seems to have stopped leaking. Even after several nights outside in the open and with all the bad rain we've been having it's been completely dry inside. My local glass company have had a quick look at it and are calling me back with a fitting date though I'm still awaiting the call from a week ago so I'll probably just leave it for the time being.

I've been doing a lot of cleaning as several meets are now starting to sneak up, so it's been a case of getting both cars something like. The Merc is relatively simple as it doesn't really go far but the truck is a challenge as it gets left outside and used for those little run around jobs. I'm not going over the top with it, it's never going to be a beauty queen, but I do want to get it something like presentable.

The first of the meets is Newby Hall near Ripon which is usually a good turnout, or at least the May meeting is. The September one was a bit of a let down last year, cold and poorly attended but it's a good run out for the truck so I'll probably do both again.

Once back home it should be a simple case of getting the Merc ready for the annual Benz on the Green meet near Portsmouth . After that I'm not too sure what's happening, so will be looking out for a few local meets who may accommodate a noisy old pickup.

Time to bend Acid's ear for another MSL GTG Dave.
It's about time he did one. Has to be at least 5 years since his last AMG one?

 

[daveenty]

Time to bend Acid's ear for another MSL GTG Dave.
It's about time he did one. Has to be at least 5 years since his last AMG one?

He seems to be more into McLaren than AMG nowadays Roger, I've not seen him for a long time though may try to call in on my way to Horndean. If not, I'll probably see him at TRAX though it'll be a bit late to arrange anything after that.

 

[peterws1957]

I've not been up to much really apart from finishing painting the tailgate inner panel. This was pretty battle scarred, probably just from loading/unloading stuff over the years. Several old drilled holes in the bed sides have also been filled though are not yet painted, purely due to apathy and the constant wet weather.

I did manage to fit a pair of stainless steel exhaust tips. These have been on my "to do" list for ages to eliminate the hot oily fumes which exited horizontally near the back of the cab on each side, meaning anyone remotely near got a blast of dirty hot air. These tips are curved so now point downwards toward the ground. An added bonus here is that I can start it at home and not have to clean the side door to the house of oil/fuel every other day as it lives adjacent to it.

View attachment 89503

The rear window was still letting water in so I took the plunge and acquired a new seal. Typically, after another application of mastic it seems to have stopped leaking. Even after several nights outside in the open and with all the bad rain we've been having it's been completely dry inside. My local glass company have had a quick look at it and are calling me back with a fitting date though I'm still awaiting the call from a week ago so I'll probably just leave it for the time being.

I've been doing a lot of cleaning as several meets are now starting to sneak up, so it's been a case of getting both cars something like. The Merc is relatively simple as it doesn't really go far but the truck is a challenge as it gets left outside and used for those little run around jobs. I'm not going over the top with it, it's never going to be a beauty queen, but I do want to get it something like presentable.

The first of the meets is Newby Hall near Ripon which is usually a good turnout, or at least the May meeting is. The September one was a bit of a let down last year, cold and poorly attended but it's a good run out for the truck so I'll probably do both again.

Once back home it should be a simple case of getting the Merc ready for the annual Benz on the Green meet near Portsmouth . After that I'm not too sure what's happening, so will be looking out for a few local meets who may accommodate a noisy old pickup.

Welcome to the world of old leaky US stuff Dave.

 

[daveenty]

Welcome to the world of old leaky US stuff Dave.

I should know better at my age Pete, I'm not exactly new to this car thing.