Zeph's Dodge WC26 Carryall Restoration

[zepher11]

Hello Zeph,

Looking forward to seeing the next project, an early super rare one at that !!

I noticed in the video that the grass out there was brown, and super dry already .

Have you made any evac plans for your vehicles, in the event of the fires in California that pop up in the summer ?
Is there any fire proof , concrete warehouse building nearby that you could get them all inside just in case ?

Best Regards,
Ray

Hi Ray,

We mow our fields and all our neighbors do the same. We're mostly farmland here, but grass fires are a possibility. However, I think we're pretty good. My shop is about 90% fireproof. It's has the concrete siding, and the roof sheeting is 100% fireproof as well as the composite shingles. I think the only thing that would burn would be our house. It would go in seconds. My wife would be happy. We will end up bulldozing it one day and build a new one. Shops way nicer than the house.

I just inked a deal for another 2000 square foot shop on Friday. Builders are busy, so won't likely start construction until March of 2022. It will be metal, so pretty well fireproof too. Then I can store all my other trucks and parts in there and work on trucks in the fully insulated shop. I've already filled up my house garage and my 2000 square foot shop. Onwards and upwards...

[70th Division]

Hello Zeph,

That is great to hear !!!
Your current shop is an awesome structure, and I enjoyed following your posts on its construction, I was building my jeep barn at about the same time.
I also used hardie board siding, and used old style metal 1 1/4 crimped
ripple corrugated roof panels.
It took me some time as I built it myself, and I am very happy.
It is great that you have another building going up to keep vehicles in, you can never have too much space !!

I insulated the entire building with flame proof rockwool insulation.
It costs a little more that pink insulation, but will not burn, or even smoke with a direct flame on like most every other insulation.
I insulated mainly against the Florida heat !!! It makes a huge difference, especially in the roof to stop the heat transfer from the metal roof panels into the jeep barn and beer loft. I added a 220V window ac/heat unit as well, and it works good with all the insulated and finished walls.

Best Regards,
Ray

[zepher11]

Hello Zeph,

That is great to hear !!!
Your current shop is an awesome structure, and I enjoyed following your posts on its construction, I was building my jeep barn at about the same time.
I also used hardie board siding, and used old style metal 1 1/4 crimped
ripple corrugated roof panels.
It took me some time as I built it myself, and I am very happy.
It is great that you have another building going up to keep vehicles in, you can never have too much space !!

I insulated the entire building with flame proof rockwool insulation.
It costs a little more that pink insulation, but will not burn, or even smoke with a direct flame on like most every other insulation.
I insulated mainly against the Florida heat !!! It makes a huge difference, especially in the roof to stop the heat transfer from the metal roof panels into the jeep barn and beer loft. I added a 220V window ac/heat unit as well, and it works good with all the insulated and finished walls.

Best Regards,
Ray

Your shop sounds nice. I'll get the roof insulated and maybe the sides in the new shop. Supposed to be 115 here on Friday. Insulation does all right, but when the doors are open doesn't seem to matter. lol

A/C would be nice. Have thought about a mini-split for the shop I have now as it's fully insulated. Would be nice in the summer. Don't have to worry about it being too cool here in the winter. Rarely if ever happens. Maybe gets in the 20's, but just in the mornings on a clear day in the spring time.

Just need to find a spot for the new shop. Still looking around at options here.

[70th Division]

Hi Zeph,

Wow those are high temperatures !!!
It gets hot here but not that hot !!
The heat here added with high humidity really makes it ugly in summer, not to mention the hot sun !!
Keep us posted when you select a location for your new building.
I love building, and I am watching, and hoping for lumber prices to get back to normal.

Once you start the construction, it would be a great thing to again share the progress of it being built. We all loved to see your last construction project of your current shop.
Very impressive to say the least !!


Best Regards,
Ray

[zepher11]

Hi Zeph,

Wow those are high temperatures !!!
It gets hot here but not that hot !!
The heat here added with high humidity really makes it ugly in summer, not to mention the hot sun !!
Keep us posted when you select a location for your new building.
I love building, and I am watching, and hoping for lumber prices to get back to normal.

Once you start the construction, it would be a great thing to again share the progress of it being built. We all loved to see your last construction project of your current shop.
Very impressive to say the least !!


Best Regards,
Ray

Will do on posting photos once they get started. I'm not going to do as much, or anything, on this one like I did on the last shop. I've worn myself out building my own house and shops in the past. Still feeling the pain after all these years.

We lucked out. Only hit 111 degrees and 110 the last couple of days. Thankfully, we have a pool, so one can cool off briefly during the day.

Yes, the lumber prices are insane. If I were to build the shop I have now, it would be $150k plus. Knocked it out in 2014/15 for $65k. Plain no frills metal shop is way over that now. Really sucks. Oh well, it is what it is.

Tough to get any contractors to do anything as the housing boom is the greatest we have ever seen it here. Of course, everyone bailing out of the big cities, and the lose of about 18,000 homes from fires here in the past few years are putting pressure on everything. Seems like every house is getting bids over the asking price. Good time to sell, but then has to be replaced....not good.

Stay cool!

[zepher11]

Made another glove box insert for the WC26. Sandwiched a flat piece of rubber between two pieces of canvas for the floor. Helps retain the shape and helps it to side in and out well. I also sewed in a metal bar at the top of the front panel later. Really keeps it ridged pulling it in an out now. Nice to pull the whole thing out and set on the seat to eyeball what's in there...a bunch of junk...











Ended up making one for my WC52 as well. The 3/4 ton Dodge WC glove boxes are a bit narrower than the half-ton, and then it drops down past the door about and inch and a half, so can't make the canvas insert too tall or it won't insert. Still turned out pretty decent. At least it's easy to make a quick check of what's in there:

[mdainsd]

Love the glove box "latch" on the -52.

[mdainsd]

Love the glove box "latch" on the -52.

[zepher11]

Love the glove box "latch" on the -52.

Yes, that came with when I acquired the truck. Actually works pretty well.

[70th Division]

Hello Zeph,

Brilliant!!

It looks great, and nice and neat to control what gets put in the glove box .

You are becoming quite the canvas master

Keep up your good works !!
Is that Zeph-Roy ?

Best Regards,
Ray

[chibobber]

Zeph,
Nice stitch work. Did you ever cover up the bottom of the passenger seat?
Bob

[zepher11]

Hello Zeph,

Brilliant!!

It looks great, and nice and neat to control what gets put in the glove box .

You are becoming quite the canvas master

Keep up your good works !!
Is that Zeph-Roy ?

Best Regards,
Ray

lol...thanks Ray. Zeph-Roy is a good one. They are pretty handy for sure.

Zeph,
Nice stitch work. Did you ever cover up the bottom of the passenger seat?
Bob

Hi Bob,

Not yet. Moved the Carryall into the other garage for a few days to get the radiator repaired on the WC52. As you know, one has to remove the entire front end to get to the radiator. Fun times. Well, it's been at the radiator shop for over a month now and is gumming up the works. Been itching to get going on my VC1 as well, but getting blocked out. The radiator shop has the same problem. No workers. Everyone is paid to sit at home, so why work. Weird.

Then, of course, I am taking the opportunity to repair the gaping hole in the hood on the WC52 as well. Plus I will blast all the front end components and repaint. Nice paint job on there now, but whoever did it didn't use primer and the paint is pealing off in places. Trying to wait for a lull in the weather so I can get up early and paint. We're pushing 40 days now over 100 degrees. Not good painting weather.

Plus puppy duty is sucking up my time....and the dogs ate my homework. lol Hopefully, I can get the Carryall back in the shop within the next month if they get that radiator repaired!

[zepher11]

Finished off the stenciling on the Carryall the other day. I like to add the speed info on the back. Gives a little information before people flip me off as I pull over to let them safely by. lol





Also, I received my newly rebuilt generator and regulator. The set in the Carryall work fine, but wanted basically brand new. On a quest to make all my trucks reliable. However, keep losing fuel pumps. Had a brand new fuel pump in my Command Car and when I parked it for a week and changed out the genny and regulator on it. When I went to start it after the switch, it wouldn't start. Assumed electrical, but after checking everything for a few hours, it was the fuel pump. Just died. So weird. Rebuilt a pump handle unit and it's ok for the moment.

Anyway, out with the old:



No splash shield installed, so easy access from below:





Engine crane to save my back. The genny rebuilder said this 12 volt genny weighs 65lbs. It's a real brick:



Old on the left, and rebuild on the right. Actually both of these regulators are electronic now. I converted the one on the left, and the rebuilder completed the one on the right. At least he paints the base as is original:



All good now.



Took it for a ride around the block, however the engine still falls on it's face and flattens out and will not accelerate at a very low RPM. But it's charging the battery! lol

My next project is to change out to another NOS governor. I suspect that it's causing issues. The engine still doesn't run too well compared to my other trucks. Just can't seem to get this carburetor to work properly. Maybe it's the governor causing the issues? Hope to find that out.

I want to take the Carryall to the Plymouth show in, wow, only two weeks away! That is if that area doesn't burn down.

If I can figure the engine issue out, the next project is tracking down a rattle on or below the firewall. I thought I had found it (speedometer cable), but still doing it. Really weird. Not much there, but I'll keep looking. Then the last thing to do is to find a nice sized piece of sheet metal and button up the bottom of the jump seat!

[zepher11]

Performed an autopsy on the new fuel pump from the Command Car. Catastrophic failure. Looks like the fuel ate the diaphragm. I upgraded the diaphragm on the older style fuel pump, so it should be good to go. These new ones are riveted together, so one can't remove and replace the diaphragm:



Removed and replaced the governor with a new one. The old one, well they're both NOS and never used, from the Carryall is on the left. The replacement one on the right in the two photos below. They do look just a tad different. In any event, I can now run the engine up to the shift points, so the governor was the issue. Glad to have figured that out:





Still can't find the rattle, but the next shake down issue is that the whole vehicle shakes when the engine idles. Almost like the engine is mounted to the frame. Well, I thought I'd check the motor mounts....Ruh Roh...it looks like I muffed the rear engine mount rubber. Not sure how I did that.

Here's the rubber in the rear mounts on the Command Car:



Yikes, here is the rubber in the mount for the Carryall. Totally botched it! Zoned it somehow. Not feeling the Floating Power, or maybe I am...lol:

[chibobber]

Good thing you retired. Now you can dedicate yourself to your new profession as the "Head motorpool chief cook and bottle washer"