For What It's Worth

[Speed]

Hi all;

I did a little more work on the '54 a couple of days ago,and got the charging system to charge. Acts like the VR is bad,though,charges about 5 amps at idle,and 50 amps at running speed. I'll try the "Whack it with a big screwdriver" treatment tomorrow. Anyway,I drove it around for about 10 minutes,got to use all the gears,though never had room to run it out in top gears. seems to shift well enough,and none of the boxes are especially noisy. The 2 speed shifts okay,but dropped out of High into "neutral" once,which I took to indicate it's leaking a little vacuum through a line somewhere. I'm working towards getting a title for it now;Dutch sent me some info he got on petitioning the court for title and ownership. If I can go that route,I pay a $49.00 filing fee,which is not refundable,give a letter to the Judge explaining how I ended up with the truck,what my intention is,and why I should have the title,and I'm given a court date. then,I appear before the Judge,and he or she either denies my request or gives me a document which I take to DMV and they put through for my title. So far,my options are this,taking the truck to Garcia Towing in Wells,paying $120.00 and leaving it for a couple of months then paying the other $120.00 to get a title,or going through another title outfit,many of whom get titles from other,easier states,which are regarded with great suspicion here in Nevada. The ID number doesn't show up in the system through Nevada DMV,so either it was last titled in another state,(I suspect California,because the rearmost driveline section was built by a shop in Sacramento,Ca.according to the sticker on it.)or it was only registered in Nevada from another State's paperwork,which I'm told was common years ago. I learned I could also file a civil action through Justice Court to get "Ownership and Title of an abandoned vehicle",for $275.00. (Don't see THAT happening) If I can get the name and some kind of address for the last registered owner on record,I can still do the registered letter trick,but there was NO info with this truck. I'll figure something out.

Speed

[Speed]

I fooled with the charging system a little more,and by kicking the High beams on,the charge rate drops to about 20 amps at road speed;I tried smacking the regulator with the big screwdriver's handle,but it doesn't seem to have made a difference. Maybe everything is working okay-it's been so long since I had anything with a generator I've forgotten what their characteristics are,outside of "they don't charge worth a damn at idle".

After puttering around town with the truck for a little while,the Clark doesn't seem too hard to get used to. The 2 speed is even more user friendly than I thought it would be.

I moved a trailer for a friend today;it was a little more work than I wanted to get into,but was actually easier than I expected it to be. I took pics of it,so I can post one.

Speed

[Speed]

Well,I talked to a "Higher-Up" at Nevada DMV in Carson City today about my "lack of title" problem on the '54. She says the registered letter is no longer acceptable. Also,the guy who had the truck before me can get in big trouble for giving it to me,because technically he didn't own it. (no title) It sounds like if I can just track down a relative of the woman who owned the truck before she died,he or she can get a replacement title by bringing all the pertinent numbers and info,and a death certificate and their authorization to conduct the deceased owner's business to DMV,so it looks like I need to do some detective work. Once all the elections are over,I'm gonna start working on the new "lawmakers" to improve the process in Nevada for getting titles on old cars and trucks. We can't even scrap an old junker from out in the hills without a title,unless we cut it up,to a point where it's "not recognizable as a car". Personally,I think that's a pretty loose criteria,extremely open to one scrap yard worker's personal judgement. I figure it's cut up enough when it can no longer be assembled into an operable vehicle;that,I assume,is their intent.

I decided not to put too much more time into the '54 GMC until I have a title for it. I'll probably keep gathering parts for it though. Since I have some driveway open,I think maybe I should take the '54 out to where the rest of my stuff is stored,and bring the in,to work on some of the stuff IT needs done. OR,I probably should drop the tanks on the Chevy one ton and clean 'em out,swap in the good gas senders,replace the rubber lines,change the transfer valve and switch and install a new fuel pump,and hook up a choke,and fix the tach,and replace the speedo cable and some dash light bulbs,and tune it up,so it'll be reliable this winter (it has a KICK ASS heater! )but I'd rather work on the . This stuff on the one ton is all-well,ALMOST all,just minor stuff that's gone sideways in the time I've been abusing-driving it,but the stuff the needs is stuff it's been needing,and I've put off to work on other trucks I used almost every day. I just feel like it's time to attend to the 's needs. Well,guess I'll see how things look tomorrow.

Speed

[other dog]

Well,I talked to a "Higher-Up" at Nevada DMV in Carson City today about my "lack of title" problem on the '54. She says the registered letter is no longer acceptable. Also,the guy who had the truck before me can get in big trouble for giving it to me,because technically he didn't own it. (no title) It sounds like if I can just track down a relative of the woman who owned the truck before she died,he or she can get a replacement title by bringing all the pertinent numbers and info,and a death certificate and their authorization to conduct the deceased owner's business to DMV,so it looks like I need to do some detective work. Once all the elections are over,I'm gonna start working on the new "lawmakers" to improve the process in Nevada for getting titles on old cars and trucks. We can't even scrap an old junker from out in the hills without a title,unless we cut it up,to a point where it's "not recognizable as a car". Personally,I think that's a pretty loose criteria,extremely open to one scrap yard worker's personal judgement. I figure it's cut up enough when it can no longer be assembled into an operable vehicle;that,I assume,is their intent.

I decided not to put too much more time into the '54 GMC until I have a title for it. I'll probably keep gathering parts for it though. Since I have some driveway open,I think maybe I should take the '54 out to where the rest of my stuff is stored,and bring the in,to work on some of the stuff IT needs done. OR,I probably should drop the tanks on the Chevy one ton and clean 'em out,swap in the good gas senders,replace the rubber lines,change the transfer valve and switch and install a new fuel pump,and hook up a choke,and fix the tach,and replace the speedo cable and some dash light bulbs,and tune it up,so it'll be reliable this winter (it has a KICK ASS heater! )but I'd rather work on the . This stuff on the one ton is all-well,ALMOST all,just minor stuff that's gone sideways in the time I've been abusing-driving it,but the stuff the needs is stuff it's been needing,and I've put off to work on other trucks I used almost every day. I just feel like it's time to attend to the 's needs. Well,guess I'll see how things look tomorrow.

Speed

Man,what a bunch of b.s! The DMV's must be the same all over-I had to pay personal property taxes on a '94 Taurus I had for 2 years after it had been parked with a blown engine! I kept telling them the car was off the road,junked, but I had to take the title to the DMV and turn it in,so it can't be titled again,or I had to keep paying taxes on it. Pretty good car too,all it needed was a motor-everything else was fine.

[Speed]

It didn't used to be so bad,but then,as I hear it,some flakes started stealing people's older cars that broke down on Hwy 395 North of Reno and selling 'em to the scrap yards,so the laws got ridiculous. Now,NOBODY actually knows what the rules are ( as evidenced by the widely differing rules from one yard to the next.),so I think the scrap yards just spin the wheel to decide what we have to do to comply today. There HAS to be an easier way! Write me in for Nevada Governor,I guess.

Speed

[Bobby Covert]

There is an old GMC like that in Rockcastle county Ky. On 1-75 at the 59 or 62 mm. You can see it from the northbound side.He also has a COE pete and sleeper cab Autocar an A-cab w-900 Kw and a fire truck .Owners name is David Thompson. If anyone wants his phone # let me know and I will see what i can do.

[Speed]

Is it a '54? ('48-'53 style cab,with one piece windshield.) Sounds interesting,but I don't even have two nickels to rub together. (Plus it'd be a long trip to get it,and I can't easily make room for any more trucks until I filter out some other misc. vehicles and trailers I'm juggling.)

Well,once again,I didn't do what I shoulda-I'm gonna work on the a little before tackling the one ton's fuel system. It starts and runs,usually,and when it fails me,it's not too hard to pull the fuel line at the carburetor and shoot a little air back through it to the tank,to clear the pick up tube. Once the is operable,safely,I'll go to work on the one ton.

I decided my priority items on the will be brakes,wiper motor,mud flaps and hangers,seals for pinion yoke and input/output shaft,2 inch lift blocks on front axle,radial tires. I think I can live with the rest of it and still use the truck, and work on it a little at a time.

Speed