(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.)
Electrical
I keep a variety of spare fuses on hand in the glovebox. Fuses are cheap and do not go bad if kept dry. I also keep a voltmeter in the glove box.
Ensure the cigarette lighter works. Replacing a cigarette lighter plug is simple. Having an operable lighter plug can mean the difference of not only being able to pump up a flat tire, but also preventing hypothermia. If you are stuck in the backcountry, a cigarette lighter can be used to start a fire.
The factory battery cables mounted to the side of the battery. I have never liked side-mount battery cables. They can be difficult to attach jumper cables to and on more than one occasion, I have had the internal terminal nut strip out, which can cause the cable bolt to loosen over time, creating a poor battery connection. I replaced these cables with standard terminal cables that connect to the top of the battery.
When I was in high school, a friend told me to take the rotor out of the distributor when parked at school, at work, or at a car show. His reasoning behind this was that if someone was able to quickly hotwire the car, it would never start without the rotor. If the perpetrator could quickly figure out the issue, it would be incredibly unlikely they would have the proper rotor on hand. I have never forgotten that lesson, even though I never took his advice. In the event of an EMP/Solar Flare, any still-running vehicle will be a target. Removing the rotor may be the simplest option to protect your property from being taken.
Truck Tools and Accessories
Not all of the following tools and accessories stay in the truck at all times. Rather, these are all items I use to maintain and repair my vehicle(s) and also spare parts I keep on hand. This is a basic list-there are a lot of items not listed because of vehicle type, use, personal preference, etc.
A complete set of standard box end wrenches
(1) four inch and (1) six inch Crescent wrench
A complete set of standard sockets and rachets
Channel lock pliers
Needle-nose pliers
Two to four different sized Philips and Flathead screwdrivers. I like screwdrivers with rubber grips. They are easier to handle when covered in grease, grime, and oil. I have also used a screwdriver to remove an overtightened oil filter. Stab the old filter with the screwdriver and use it for leverage while turning it.
Hammer
Pry bar. If your belt ever needs to be replaced, or has gotten loose, a pry bar can help you leverage the alternator and /or power steering pump tightening the belt, while you tighten the bolt(s) down.
Rubber gloves and hand cleaning soap. There are countless varieties of soap. Pick the one that works best for you.
Flashlight with spare batteries. Flashlights with built-in magnets have their place and are extremely useful.
Spare fuses
Spare bulbs for your taillights, turn signals, etc. I also keep a pair of spare headlights at the house.
Spare fuel pump, fuel filters, fuel line and spring clamps
Factory or aftermarket jack. Harbor Freight has a great selection of inexpensive, smaller floor jacks. If you use a jack, make sure you chalk your tires.
Tire iron. I do not care for factory tire irons. I keep a star style tire iron in all my cars. Make sure you can remove the lug nuts on your vehicle. Most tire centers use impact guns which overtighten the lug nuts to a point where they cannot be loosened with a tire iron.
Tow rope, or tow chain.
Fire Extinguisher
Spare thermostat, thermostat gasket
Spare fan belt
Spare quarts of oil, power steering fluid, brake fluid
Spare distributor cap, rotor, coil
Carburetor rebuild kit, complete with spare jets
Timing light
An original owner’s manual and/or a decent repair manual to show you how to take something apart and put it back together
A variety of different sized vacuum plugs. When I replaced the carburetor, even though it was a bolt-on replacement, it was originally from a newer vehicle and had more vacuum lines used for smog control. I fixed this by putting rubber hose plugs over the vacuum stud(s)/line(s).
Pros to having an older vehicle
Older vehicles can still be found relatively inexpensively.
Older vehicles tend to retain some value/worth.
Older vehicles typically have less expensive DMV registration costs.
Basic upkeep and maintenance. Most maintenance can be done at home with standard hand tools, thus avoiding costly auto repair shop rates.
If left mechanical, they are EMP/Solar Flare proof
Cons to having an older vehicle
They are not always reliable. If my Silverado sits too long without being run, the battery drains and will not start.
Older vehicles usually have only two-speed windshield wipers. Cars from the 1950s and earlier had vacuum wipers, which meant the slower your speed was, the slower the wipers worked, and alternately, the faster you went, the faster your wipers could operate. I was on a road trip though the Unita Mountains once, when a beautiful 1957 Oldsmobile convertible passed us. A few miles down the road, a massive thunderstorm started. A few miles further, we passed the Oldsmobile parked on the side of the road. Its vacuum wipers could not keep up with the amount of rain coming down!
Older vehicles typically get terrible gas mileage. One of the reasons I quit driving my Silverado, was because the gas bill was costing too much.
The majority of mechanic shops no longer work on older vehicles. Those that do, charge an arm and a leg because it is considered a specialty service.
Future Projects
Three years ago, I bought a late 1940s five-window Chevrolet truck for my son and me to restore and for him to learn basic mechanics on. Currently, it has a 1960s, 250 CID inline six-cylinder engine mated to a low geared, manual four-speed transmission. The transmission also has a PTO (power take off) which drives a dump bed. As soon as we bought it, my son and I replaced the distributor cap, rotor, coil, spark plugs and spark plug wires. We bled the hydraulic clutch reservoir, which made for easier and smoother shifting. Regular brake fluid worked extremely well in the hydraulic clutch reservoir (check what your vehicle requires before adding a possibly different or incorrect fluid).
Bleeding a clutch reservoir is done much the same way as bleeding a brake line. Put one end of a rubber hose, a couple of feet in length, on the bleeder valve, with the other end fed into an old bottle. Make sure the rubber hose fits snugly onto the bleeder valve and slowly crack the valve with a box end wrench. Have a helper repeatedly, but slowly, press in the clutch pedal until the fluid from the reservoir begins to drain into the bottle. Once the fluid is draining into the bottle, tighten the bleeder valve, remove the hose and then top off the clutch reservoir with fresh fluid.
One project that I am gathering parts for on the late 1940s truck, is to replace the old gas-powered engine with a rebuilt Cummins diesel engine. I have not decided between a 4BT, commonly found in generators, or a twelve valve six cylinder. It will likely be the latter. I will build the Cummins with all new manual parts, so it will be completely EMP/Solar Flare proof. Whichever engine I choose, I will likely mate it to an automatic transmission. I am leaning towards an Allison transmission, but frankly, I have not taken a deep dive into the subject. Since I will be replacing the transmission, I will no longer have the PTO, which, in turn, will eliminate the dump bed feature. I already have several people who want the old engine, transmission and dump bed ram. I will replace the dump bed with a custom-made flatbed to more easily haul firewood, hay, etc.
When I replace the engine and transmission, I am going to build two fuel tanks; one for regular, store-bought diesel, tank number one, and one for either biodiesel, cooking oil, or used motor oil, tank number two. I will install selector valves to choose between the two fuel tanks, depending on the time of year. If the air temperature is low, cooking oil and biodiesel can gel easier than regular diesel, which can have an additive to keep it from gelling. A radiator-like heater coil will be built into tank number two to assist in warming the fuel on cold days.
My goal is to primarily use very well-filtered discarded motor oil. I have a friend who owns a lube and oil garage, so the raw fuel will be unlimited and at a very low cost. I will use fifty-five-gallon drums to haul the oil to my house. I plan to build a type of home filtration system where I can pump the old oil through a filtering screen and into an elevated holding tank. The holding tank will likely be an IBC (intermediate bulk container) tote which is two hundred seventy-five gallons. The holding tank will have a gas station-style hose and nozzle. The tank will be elevated to use gravity, instead of electricity, to fill my fuel tanks.
Conclusion
I no longer drive my grandfather’s truck as much as I would like to, but I maintain it and use it around our farm. I also maintain it to ensure my family has a mode of transportation if there is ever a widespread emergency. My truck will never win any awards, but I do believe Elvis Presley said it best: “Life is too short to drive boring cars.”
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