Thanks all, I will be asking a lot of questions and will start posting pictures. I've already started my own website to chronicle my progress I just don't have it on the big interweb right now. As for disconnecting the battery, that was removed many ears ago.
Story time
I was a senior (back in 1980) and we were all getting together to have a kegger out in the boonies. I asked a very hot chick from the Cross Country team as my date and we set off. When we got to the dirt road, the ruts were so bad the both of us were bouncing around inside the cab. Not only did we not have seat belts but with every huge bumps, the rust from inside the cab rained down. Then to add to my embarrassment, dash fire number two ignited. (Thought I had fixed the problem.) That was the moment I realized that it was okay to carry a fire extinguisher in a truck. Not that I had one mind you, but it was suddenly a very good idea. Luckily, the fire subsided on its own, we pulled up to the bonfire and had a fairly normal time after that. No, I didn't score that night but I still remember it like it was yesterday.
For those of you who are wondering, the dash fire culprit turned out to be a loose hot wire bouncing around inside the dash. Faulty work from the previous owner but it cost me all new previously-owned gauges. I had just swapped them all out and the third and final dash fire caused me to load them all up with chemical dust when I grabbed that fire extinguisher. That dust is still in those gauges today and no none of them work.
I pulled the battery and every wire out of the engine compartment the last time I started the dream.
Thanks for listening.
Sam
