This is a copy of the story I e-mailed my freinds that have been following my restoration of the truck. By request, I have posted it here:
OK. This is where the Brannon genes kicks in. So I am in the shop tonight, and thought "hmmmmmmm, I wonder what would be wrong with taking her for a spin around the parking lot" . WELLLLLLLLL, Let me tell you about my "little" "spin".
First off, knowing I would be taking the seat out tomorrow, i figured I would just stick two tiny bolts in to keep it in place (kinda) while going around the lot. Second, I knew the brakes felt a little mushy, but was thinking they would firm up a bit after a lap or two. ( They did NOT!! ) The gas tank behind the seat is out, so there is very little back support for the seat. (More on that latter)
Soooooo, I stuck my two itsy bitsy bolts in, fired it up, and bucking-jumping-sputtering out the shop at a crawl I went. All is good. Ease around the corner onto the pavement. All is good. Stop to snap this photo & truck starts to smooth out real nice and is sounding better. All is goooood. THEN, I get back in, turn around in the parking lot and realize at this point the brakes are a joke. The only one working is the right front wheel. But never less, that wheel DOES stop, so i figure it's OK for the parking lot. NOW, here is where the JACKSON genes kick in. I'm thinking to myself "how much takeoff power has it got??? I must see. i MUST see! " So, backing up to the far end of the parking lot, I slip it into drive, off the brake, and nail it to the floor. ALL WAS NOT GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The truck jumps forward like it just got rear-ended by a Mack truck, in doing so, the law of action/reaction comes into play. My 2 little bolts break loose, remember the missing fuel tank I mentioned being gone? ---> seat tries to flip back, slamming the back of my head into the back METAL wall, truck has hit about 20 MPH in the first second, the throttle return spring decided it wanted no part of this commotion and went away from the truck, leaving the throttle stuck on HELL, In a mass-panic for the key switch, that, by the way, up until this point had been neatly propped up on the dash since the instrument Parnell is currently removed, In grabbing for the key switch it gets knocked off into some space-time continuum black hole, and at this point I am REALLY wishing I had POWER BRAKES & POWER STEERING!!! The ONE right front brake has given up on stopping and is just going along for the ride! Ever so quickly I am gaining up on the end of our property line, thinking to myself E-R-G-I-E!!!!!!!!!!!!!
But, alas, I manage to find the elusive key switch and get it stopped!
WHEW!!!!!! Well,, THAT was interesting! Now lets get her back into the shop! So, after my heart rate comes back down from 1638bpm, I TRY to ease into the shop. No throttle return spring, almost non existent brakes, and one hand trying to kick the transmisson into drive, back into nutral, coast down to a stop, repeat again & again. Meanwhile, the other hand is trying to maintain a grip on the key switch and steering wheel at the same time. Sooooooo, as I make the right turn into the shop, NEEDING to turn IMEADIATLEY to the LEFT as soon as I get through the shop door, the truck starts to stall out. Now I am telling you at this point as God as my witness, in a mode of pannic to keep the truck running I "BLIP" the throttle. Only problem is, when one has NO throttle return spring, there IS NO "BLIP",,,,,,,, Jus WIDE OPEN !!!!!!!!!! At the very second I realised what I had done, I tried to bump the gearshift into nutral. NOPE!!!! Must have bumped the shifter too hard, because NOW the shift linkage has broke! By the grace of God above, I get it shut off 3 or so inches away from our shop truck!
By the way, when one only has a front right brake, it does NOT like to work when turning left!!!!!!!!
I'M GOING HOME NOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
