The Trip - Part 2A quick "flash forward" teaser pic of the truck where it is today is below.
Current temporary residence is under the gas station awning at Steve "KCMongo's" shop awaiting my return to continue brake and carburetor work we started in mid-May. More on that part of the story in a future installment!
Now where was I in this story from long go???
Oh yeah, Dad got the truck to Wisconsin in July 1995, but I wasn't due to rotate stateside from Korea until the end of November that year. I received a new letter from Dad around my birthday in late August to ask if "I had received my birthday present" from him yet? He couldn't find any original manuals on the truck, so ordered one from
Faxon Auto Literature and had it shipped to me in Korea. I still have the manual and order stuff from Faxon showing he got a reproduction 1948-51 Shop Manual with the 1952 Supplement.
His letter actually arrived at the same time as the book. Boy was I excited to have them both! Was a great distraction reading through it while having nothing to do in my off duty time!
Dad's August letter was mostly about things other than the truck.
He did say he had gone to the library and researched info on the 1954 235 as some specs and settings may have been different than in the shop manual. Dad also mentioned he had spoken with my Grandpa Carl and shared more info on the truck from that conversation. Turns out one of the extra parts that came with the truck was another 4 speed transmission, but Carl said it was an earlier un-synchronized one. More on that "crashbox" transmission in a future post. Carl also said he built the "sheep rack" out of oak. Dad said it was
heavy as it also had steel plates and strapping that made up the structure. The rear gate could be lifted out and hooked to the rear of the structure to create a walk up ramp into the back of the bed. Dad suggested the rack could be partly disassembled to leave the sides on for hauling things and lighten the load. For the time being, we decided to leave everything as it was. We discussed plans to get the truck to my next duty station in Kansas City, but that was going to be a while since he didn't want to drive it on salted roads in the dead of winter. Not to mention I was going to be busy settling myself and family into our new home, school and job.
Further talk on the truck didn't come until Dad's next letter in October 1995. He let me know he was making sure the truck was being kept up by starting and driving it a bit at least weekly. In early October he checked the coolant in the radiator and found it a little low, so topped it off and took it for a spin. When he got back and parked it in the pole barn, he noticed a small trail of coolant leading into the barn - OOPS! Further checks showed coolant leaking from the water pump. He purchased a rebuilt water pump and installed to cure that problem. Not too many other truck related things to report on for the next few months while I rotated back stateside and set up at new duty station. More in my next installment.
