GMC General at abandoned house

[thomastractorsvc]

So it will be green and yellow?

[JTFormula]

Chris,

That's awesome! Thanks for continuing this thread! I have a blog I started too "Save the General" but was slow on the updates. Let me get that up to speed first and then you can send me updates so I can post it. I couldn't be happier with the buyer.

Those door latch issue bothered me enough to know it should be fixed but I learned to live with it. You have a better workshop since mine was always outside.

[DieselDeere]

Like most things with this truck, if something is broken, the missing piece is hidden in the interior. In this case, the passenger door handle was missing and someone replaced it with a small ubolt and some flat stock. functional, but hideous. While cleaning the cab, I found the broken handle under the passenger seat. I took the driver side apart for a template, then went ahead and built up that crappy pot metal and put new holes in it. It doesnt look perfect but i was afraid of adding any more filler and risk eroding the face of the handle. The ugliness is hidden inside the housing when it is assembled. Maybe one day i'll stumble across a nice pair of door handles. This will work until then though. The shaft was also damaged so i had to make a new one of those as well using the other side as a template. I got the floor needle scaled and painted with the first coat of black. making progress.

Edited December 30, 2015 by DieselDeere

[j hancock]

Very fine whittling job on the pin!

Welding pot metal is black magic.

[41chevy]

What did you use on the Pot Metal?

I've done pits an cavities on parts to be rechromed with Conductive Epoxy but do have a few items that need "weld" repairs. Paul

[Vladislav]

Small world. I'm the guy in NY that bought this and while searching for some parts for this old girl through the power of google, I stumbled across this thread. If it's alright with you guys, I'd like to do my best to keep the progress of this truck documented in this one location since JT has done such a good job so far.

While cleaning the cab, I realized the rubber floor mat was soaked, most likely from a water leak in the cowel, so i removed that and vaccuumed the floor clean to let it dry out. I will wire wheel and paint the floor to protect/seal it and then remake the rubber mat. I had to replace a few s194 bulbs in the dash to get all the warning/turn signal indicators to work, and fix some grounds to the cab lights. Im just really impressed how complete and rust free the truck is. Today i decided to take both door panels off to address the door latches and exterior handles. A plethora of broken torsion springs really compounded to not allowing them to work the way they should. Anyway, like what was already mentioned, this will be a truck to haul tractors to pulls and shows and will be painted black to match the rest of the fleet.

That's cool you continue to track down the progress in the same tread.

Congrats on the purchase!

Nice looking truck.

On my mind it might be kept in dark blue (or darker than now) to keep its originalyty and match the fleet with a little exception.

And welcome to the forum!

Vlad

[Brocky]

Welcome to the DOG house, even if you do not have a Bulldog..

Thanks for keeping us updated..

[DieselDeere]

That's cool you continue to track down the progress in the same tread.

Congrats on the purchase!

Nice looking truck.

On my mind it might be kept in dark blue (or darker than now) to keep its originalyty and match the fleet with a little exception.

And welcome to the forum!

Vlad

The original color of the truck was red with triple stripes down the side. Im tempted to recreate the triple stripes but on black. similar to this

What did you use on the Pot Metal?

I've done pits an cavities on parts to be rechromed with Conductive Epoxy but do have a few items that need "weld" repairs. Paul

I had to do a little experimenting as it seems that the same technique doesnt always work, but this repair was built up with aluminum. I was skeptical at first but it stuck very well. Strong enough where i was able to broach that square hole, not just file it from a round hole.

[JTFormula]

I forgot to mention the door handle was there. When I cleaned out all the junk from the cab almost three years ago I found it and tucked it under the seat so I don't lose it. Then I completely forgot about having it. I'm am thrilled you are taking care of the door issues. And quite impressed with your fab skills too. How did you make out with the drivers latch? I had a good feeling I was handing it over to the right guy.

You know, I may have to drive up to you to see it all fixed up. As I mentioned to you and your buddy you should show it at Macungie in June. It doesn't make a difference if it's painted or not. Everything and everyone is welcome.

[DieselDeere]

Been picking away at the truck and like usual, things tend to snowball. I drained and removed the wet line tank, and also removed the hood after I stripped the emblems off in preparation to set the new hood on. Also, I dont like the factory battery mounting location. i think it sticks down too far and out too far and i dont like how the tanks arent even side to side. I took the battery box off and will be using a between the frame rail box for the 4 batteries.

Of course the next step was to remove the driver side tank so i could move the brackets forward, but there are a few dents in the tank to fix, and while its off i might as well polish the whole thing, but then the other side wouldnt look as good... so now both tanks are off the truck. The fifth wheel plate got removed so i could clean and paint the frame better but i still need to free up the locking mechanism for the slide. I removed the wet line pump from the truck and I will most likely remove the PTO off the trans and get a newer air operated PTO/Pump assembly to just mount on the transmission. The driver side tank will become the reservoir for the hydraulic fluid and I will need to weld in a larger bung to be able to handle the flow. Today i was able to locate a red general that has been off the road since 1994 (according to the stickers) but it is not for sale. The owner was nice enough to let me snap some pictures of the cowl area so i could re-create the factory hood rests. I dont want to damage the new hood. Tomorrows plan (since it will be above freezing) is to get the wheels off and flip them around and roll it outside to steam clean the engine and frame in preparation for paint.

[mrsmackpaul]

your ripping right into it making the rest of us look bad whats wrong with the old hood ????

Paul

[Mcrafty1]

Silver 92, they made alot of power with the large nozzles, and a lot of rpms, sound really nice with a gutted muffler or 2!!

Yes, I owned on for five years in a 1980 Chevy Titian....It was Rated at 365HP when I bought it (it was in OK city and I flew down and drove it home to Maine) and I had it turned up to 435HP. If I recall those were the min/max HP of that engine if all was stock. It did run very well but.........4 miles to the gallon loaded or empty was the average mpg in the entire 5 years I ran it.

[Vladislav]

Hope you'll go smooth through al the story.

Would like to see a progress.

And just forgot to mention, I'm agree on the black with red strips paint scheme idea.

Would look cool on my mind.

[JTFormula]

Holy crap! You've taken this to the next level. Makes me happy.

Paul - the back of the hood where it meets the cowl was chewed up from people letting it slam down on the cowl. I drove to MA to get that green hood two years ago. The back yard looks weird with it gone now. I wanted to use it for a picnic table one 4th of July.

[mrsmackpaul]

so I take it you have been searching for the right truck for some time

Paul

[DieselDeere]

so I take it you have been searching for the right truck for some time

Paul

I have been looking for the right truck for a long time, probably 2 years now. Originally i wanted a Chevrolet Bison but those are near impossible to find so i set my sights on a general with complete interior, budd wheels, and a Detroit.

I got the wheels flipped around and chose the 4 nicest steel wheels to send out for powdercoat to use as the rear inners. Trying to get my hands on a set of 6 reasonably priced alcoas for the front and outside rears. After blasting the grease away from the suspension components i realized i will need to get new bushings for the arms on the rear axle which isnt a huge deal. I'll probably paint the frame with all the air lines intact, then disassemble the air lines and replace them so it looks nice and fresh with new plastic and rubber lines and clean brass ferrules. I dont like seeing paint on rubber or plastic lines or fittings if i can help it.

[thomastractorsvc]

Looks like at your pace by the end of January should be ready to roll.

Try http://www.vanderhaags.com/index.phpfor the rims. I bought recon polished for $200 each from them.

[JTFormula]

I just said to my wife after showing her these pictures "you know, Chris has three things I didn't have"

1. A place to work on it

2. The right equipment to work on it

3. The skills to work on it

I'm excited to see the progress.

[rustydog]

This guy means BUSINESS !!! good luck with the project....although doesn't look like you need any luck.....rusty

[DieselDeere]

The battery box came yesterday, so after work I spent some time brainstorming on how to fit it. I will have to re-locate the supply reservoir and the dryer to under the cab. I also need to keep in mind a location to mount the pogo stick for the trailer lines. I will move the air line bulkhead from the lower cab seam to along the frame so the battery box will be able to open and sit flush against the back of the cab. I also got the rear tank mount off so i can move it to the front of the frame to shift that tank. Still trying to brainstorm how i'm going to package everything and still maintain some sort of routing for a Y pipe for a second stack.

[mrsmackpaul]

Hope your not planning on drilling thru the flanges of the chassis to mount the box as this is a no no out here and they wont let your register it once its been done

just saying

Paul

[JTFormula]

The bison that was at Macungie ran the exhaust pipes under the cab not behind it. There's room.

[DailyDiesel]

The truck made it to Rochester, NY? Awesome! Maybe I'll see you at the ATHS show in Syracuse or the ESATA show in Spafford, NY. They love both old tractors and trucks at that show!

[m16ty]

Hope your not planning on drilling thru the flanges of the chassis to mount the box as this is a no no out here and they wont let your register it once its been done

just saying

Paul

I'd probably drill the battery box and clamp to the flanges.

[Joe Ditchkus]

Nice welding on the battery box. I would think some gussets on the battery box for support. After some miles of bouncing around the aluminum would either crack or bend. Like Mrsmackpaul said drilling frame flanges is a nono.Maybe mount a cross support to frame to bolt box to. Joe D.