![\"\"](\"http:\/\/mater.jensenqualityhomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/Frame-Cab-Grove.jpg\" "\\"Frame")
<\/a> Both sides of the frame were worn from the cab resting on it.\nIsaiah, Joshua, and Jonathan helped me lift the cab back into place and once it was bolted down.. I was surprised at how much room there is between the cab and the frame now….<\/p>\n
I am amazed at how far the cab is sitting above the frame rails, and yet both rails were deeply grooved, as you can see in the first picture.\u00a0 The passenger side front cab mount was also cracked and I had corrected it and welded the crack.\u00a0 I am hoping that all these repairs are going to add up to a good fit and finish…\u00a0\u00a0 Here is one of the old cab mounts, no wonder it was rubbing on the frame rails.\u00a0 Can you say “rode hard and put up wet”?<\/p>\n This is similar to the rear shackle mounts.\u00a0 They too were worn to oval shapes.\u00a0 Poor Mater was definitely WORK truck.\u00a0 He only had 78,000 miles on the odometer if my memory serves me.<\/p>\n FIRST DRIVE<\/p>\n We drove Mater under his own power today.\u00a0 July 2nd, 2011.\u00a0 I’m figuring this is the first time in about 33 years that he was under power.\u00a0 (Registration sticker in window from 1978.)\u00a0 He doesn’t have a gas pedal yet, since the new triple deuce carb set up won’t work with the original linkage, but I ran a wire through the firewall and used it as a throttle.\u00a0 Made it a little hard to drive, having to use one hand for the gas…\u00a0 BUT we drove up the drive to the house.\u00a0 Since the bed isn’t on, there is absolutely no weight on the rear tires, so he didn’t have much traction.\u00a0 J&J sat on the rear frame rails to give him some added weight on the tires.<\/p>\n We now know where the name “Bucket Seat” came from.\u00a0 Should I upholster it, or use the original bench seat???\u00a0 Decisions, Decisions….<\/p>\n Bed, Fenders, Hood and Windshield in…<\/p>\n Father’s Day 2012…..\u00a0 Drove Mater on the road for the first time.<\/p>\n HOWEVER,<\/p>\n There was a very loud ‘clanking’ noise coming from somewhere, so we turned around and drove back home.\u00a0 We now believe the noise was coming from the transmission….<\/p>\n So far, we think the “indexing” mechanism was sticking and not holding one of the gear clusters in the exact right place…\u00a0 We are soaking the piece (we can’t get the drift pin out to take it apart.) And it is getting better.\u00a0 But the gears still weren’t lining up right.<\/p>\n \n Because of the triple deuce carb setup, I’m thinking that vacuum is going to be an issue.\u00a0 The original stock distributor is causing the engine to stumble badly.\u00a0 SO we got a new Mallory, mechanical advance distributor installed.\u00a0 Mater STARTS and runs like a champ.\u00a0 Starts up within 1\/2 turn.<\/p>\n WOOOOO HOOOO<\/p>\n I took a chance and DROVE Mater to the Graphic Design guy to put my Logo on the doors.\u00a0 I drove to the gas station and got Mater his first tank of gas in probably 30 years \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n I drove a total of about 18 miles, what a hoot.<\/p>\n THE BAD NEWS,<\/p>\n However, when I got there and turn the engine off, it wouldn’t re-start.\u00a0 It turned over, but wouldn’t fire.\u00a0 I didn’t have time (or tools) to troubleshoot it, so I left him there to be lettered.\u00a0 TWO DAYS later I returned with the trailer, and he started RIGHT UP…\u00a0 I put him on the trailer and brought him home.\u00a0 He has been starting like a charm in the barn, but the weather hasn’t been nice enough to drive him.\u00a0 I’m “thinking” maybe the coil might be bad?<\/p>\n Update<\/p>\n OK, I ordered new temp sending units because my temperature gauge wasn’t working.\u00a0 Drove it down the road to test it and the new ones work.\u00a0 HOWEVER, when I got back home, it wouldn’t start again….\u00a0 This time I was able to do some troubleshooting and it DID have spark. (So much for the coil theory.)\u00a0 BUT while checking the spark, it started.\u00a0 So back to thinking gas.<\/p>\n REAR END CLUNK<\/p>\n Remember the FIRST DRIVE experience?\u00a0 Well, got the TRANNY worked on, and now we think the noise is coming from the rear end.\u00a0 SO A GOOD EXCUSE to get a 9″ rear and tone down those 4:11 gears. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n Got the Rear Window installed today… it didn’t go as easy as I thought it would, but it’s in….<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>Getting to driving stage….<\/p>\n<\/a>SO…\u00a0 an update:<\/p>\n<\/a>Got this 9″ from a 1969 F100<\/p>\n