Interior

Had to wait almost a week for all the parts I ordered to get in, I suppose the July 4th holiday didn't help any. I got a new light switch, a new dash pad, new lighter, and new driver's side door molding/weather strip.

I had to remove the radio to get the old dash pad off, contemplated a new one, but decided to save some ca$h.

Here's the new weather strip

Well I was very close! ... and I saved myself $80! (because I can return the unopened part)

The replacement Ignition Control Module has a slightly different layout for the pins...

so I was checking to see if I has enough "spare" wire to make all the connections when the red wire popped right out of the crimp-on connector.

Whoa! that's not good ... So I crimped on a new connector and decided to put it all back together with the old part and try it. I was really uncomfortable with the idea that this solid state part had gone bad after 1400 miles. Not that early deaths of solid state electronics don't happen, I was just hoping for something more typical, like a bad connection/ground.

Back together, and the engine roared to life! ... I'm smiling! :)

I'm still waiting for the headlight switch to arrive, but my wife decided we should buy a replacement dash board (the colored foam piece that spans the width of the cab) ... she found some on ebay for ~$60 and since I had the instrument panel completely open, it was a no-brainer to to open it up some more. Maybe I'll buy a nicer radio while I'm at it.

here we go...

So, I bought a 1967 Chevy C20 pickup from a friend. No, really, we're still friends. He put a lot of money into it: new 350 V8 and an automatic transmission. (If it were me, I'd have kept the manual trany but, whatever.) It's really pretty under the hood! Anyway, as cars (vehicles) go, after 2 weeks it's already got problems. I let my son drive it, (ya, 'nough said) and I'm pretty sure he pulled the key out with the ignition still on, because the next day the battery was bone dead. I charged it up, and the next day started it up... after LOTS of turning it over. It finally did start and ran fine, but I had no where to go and it was late, so I shut her down... forward two days. Cranking and cranking for 3 minutes, then I started smelling gas. Something ain't right.

It's only got 1400 miles on the new engine, but it's mostly vintage, so what could be wrong? I grew up in the '70's helping my dad work on his cars, but I haven't worked on cars since then. I'm not afraid to, just rather not. But all that's changing now! :) So this blog will detail my journeys breathing new life into this classic truck.

I'm new to blogging and new to working on vintage vehicles, so please chime in if you got (constructive) words of advice!

Since I could smell gas and the engine was turning over, my next thought was ignition. I measured 12v at the coil. I pulled a plug (it was wet) then observed no spark while turning the engine over. I then moved to the plug to the coil wire and got no spark there either. I'm thinking points/condenser... pop the distributor cap, and, hey ... this thing has electronic ignition! (points)

So now I'm tracing out the wires to draw up a schematic. I came up with this...

I'm no mechanic (yet) but the tachometer connected to the "-" side of the coil doesn't seem right. Most diagrams I've seen have it on the "+" side and go to ground. I also don't know why the coil gets 12v from both the ignition switch and the solenoid. I colored the electronic "points converter" red because that's the ($80) part I believe I need to replace.

I've also purchased a new headlight switch:

Chevrolet Pickup Truck Headlight Switch C/K (8 Terminal)
Make: Chevy / Model: K20 Truck/ Year: 1967
Price: $25.95
Item: 1AZHS00203

from http://www.1aauto.com (found somewhat randomly through a google search) so I have the dash apart too.

the journey continues...