Dan's First Big Dump

[CarolsHusband]

As most of you know I've had my '42 Chevy dump truck for a couple of years. It's not the first time I've bought the right car at the wrong time but as with the Skyline, a good deal only comes up now & then.

This one never saw any combat action (not that many made it out of America) but apparently it was used in the building of the Alaska Highway.

After the war it became a council truck/ snowplough in Canada and the came to the UK in 2017-ish. 

This is what it looked like upon arrival

The bloke who bought it was tempted by the silver screen & painted it back to army spec for the " Masters of the air" mini series. Bit of a shame really.

He did some work on it but it was never really a restoration. Sadly I've lost a lot of pictures & videos but you'll get the idea.

So the time has come to get it on the road properly. I've done some miles in it but it's a bit of a handful as is, especially with no indicators, brake lights & barely any mirrors.

It still fires up fine

 

And I've cleared some space & moved it over so I can get round it. Brakes need bleeding. wiring needs doing & hopefully the mirror situation is in hand.

Having been under/over/inside it recently, it has become clear it wasn't originally a tipper. Various, but not all the right parts have been fitted but there's still stuff missing. I'm not sure if I should leave it or turn it back into a cargo truck. Biggest problem is that the levers for the bed are where your right foot wants to be for the starter & the throttle. 

I've got size elevens and it's hard work not getting caught up.

Anyway, my plan is to civilianise it again. Nothing more than some paint & decent mirrors really. Maybe a couple of marker lights and an airhorn. I made a model of it with the intended paint jawb. I'll let the sea air add the rust...

I'm hoping to get it out in the lanes & cause tourist mayhem before the summer holidays are over.

Thank you for your interest.

 

 

 

[CarolsHusband]

You vill ask zee questions

[CarolsHusband]

Nearly bled the brakes, by which I mean I did three out of four corners but one nipple was seized & rounded off so it's going to be dualies off so I can get at it properly.

I'm also going to need some bigger spanners.

Not entirely convinced It's not actually the master cylinder letting by but here's hoping a big load of air comes out the last wheel cylinder

Also had a look at the tomfoolery that is the tipper controls. It's a period bed, piston & pump but the linkages are all homemade & the levers are totally in the wrong place. They're s'posed to be tight against the seat base.

They are currently where your foot needs to be for starting, driving, braking etc. Not ideal. and the hole in the floor is pure butchery.

I'm going to move them. Maybe to the bin & just bolt the bed down, or go the whole hog & change it for a wooden cargo bed which is probably what it came with. I'll check serial numbers though & if it was an earlier steel one I'll just get rid of the tipper gubbins.