Chapter 11: Passage to Frisco
Chapter 11: Passage to Frisco
5 January 2000 The beast sleeps on the curb not 50 feet away from this very keyboard. Appropriately, I begin a new volume, in which the next rebuild steps will happen.
San Francisco, California. The view from Twin Peaks during the huge full moon on December 22, 1999. Delivery of the Beast with it's fully rebuilt motor took place two weekends before Christmas. I wasn't there, but Karen was able to pick it up. It was actually completed the previous weekend, but the oil pan sprung a leak after a few minutes of operation and it had to go back. Aside from that oil leak (which is still there, but only a trickle now) the Thriftmaster 235 is pretty much as good as new.
Karen kept it for a few weeks in Santa Cruz, where she tooled around in it, gaining the admiration of Cognochevy and novice alike. I came to Santa Cruz for Christmas and on Boxing Day I drove it to San Francisco.
The troublesome old carb-- a Rochester model C single-barrel, mated with a brand-new but leaky fuel filter. The journey along Highway One from Santa Cruz to San Francisco is arguably one of the most scenic on the whole California coast. It passes Año Nuevo Wildlife Preserve, Pigeon Point Lighthouse, and courses the wilds of Pescadero and Half Moon Bay. I had a lot of time to admire the view. The Beast, with it's 3.90:1 rear-end gear, short tires, and heavy-duty four-speed, topped out at an average of 50 MPH at 2500 RPM. The carburator, which I never noticed as a weak link in the overall stiff performance of the pre-rebuilt engine, was totally worn out, with a thready, delicate acceleration curve, an idle speed so high I couldn't syncho-shift, and leaks aplenty.
Several days later, I swapped out the carb for a fully rebuilt one from Jim Carter. When I cranked it over it caught perfectly and needed just a few turns on the adjuster to get it idling at spec 475 RPM. Smooth, powerful acceleration. Very nice indeed. Later, I actually had to raise the idle speed just high enough for the ammeter to tip over to the C side.
Other things I have done to the Beast over the last few weeks:
The Beast in repose in front of a Moderne office building in Lakeshore Villlage. • Fixed all the door locks as well as possible. It now requires a coat hanger or a tire iron to break into the truck ,where before entry was possible with a working thumb. I also replaced the front door handles and reversed the lock positions. Apparently, it was customary in the1950s to put the door lock on the curb-side door. I also added a Truck Club steering-wheel lock, because hotwiring the beast would require the expertise of the average 4th grader.
• Removed the towing hitch. To do so required I drop the spare tire, which I did-- on my hand. Upon inspection, I'm positive the spare tire is the factory original. It's a Mobil Commercial 6.70x15 with the shallow, slight zig-zag tread pattern typical of 1950s truck tires. Handsome, possibly a collector's item, but I'm sure as a spare tire it's worthless.
The Wiring Harness. Oh boy.
• As a precursor to the next major job, I swapped out the headlight switch assembly. It took hours, because I mistook a problem with knob height as a problem with the switch's inner workings. When I opened it up the detent spring caps flew every which way.
• Swapped out the non-standard front parking lamps and rear-view mirror with stock reproductions.
Spread out all over my workbench is the entire new electric harness, which I picked up a few months ago from Chevy Duty. It looks complicated, but as automotive wiring goes it's about as simple as they come. I've had a look at the wiring harness in my Grand Cherokee, and I predict that when that SUV is 46 years old and some poor boob tries to restore the electrical system it simply won't be possible.
That's the next big job, swapping out the wiring. The only daunting aspect of the operation is the fact it has to be done all at once. The new harness connectors aren't strictly compatible with the old ones. I've been studying the diagrams and the shop manual and I believe I have a pretty good understanding of the system. All I need is the time to do it.
It's been a real pleasure to drive the Beast around San Francisco. Frisco is a small town, seemingly made for a truck with low gearing. it gets up and down hills with ease. It doesn't turn as many heads as it does in Santa Cruz, but for now that's OK because it's a fright on the outside. Last Sunday I filled the back with rubbish and made a run to the dump on Tunnel Avenue (near 3Com Park). The guy running the scale really liked it. Afterwards, I opened her up on the two mile straightaway near Brisbane and got slightly airborne on the dips.
