Scout » History

AHA!

bill — Mon, 03 May 2010 15:06:54 +0000

I have just identified the source of the donor bucket seats in Peer Pressure, compliments of Jalopnik.com and a weekly feature run there called Down In The Junkyard. It seems they were originally in a mid-80′s Dodge Shelby Charger, a vehicle produced during the Malaise era of Detroit, where turbocharging a 2.2 liter, 106-hp engine was considered “fast”. The telltale sign: The Shelby logo embroidered on the seats, something I’d never recognized until now. Woof, what a pig. And to think I’ve been seriously considering replacing them with the original seats from Chewbacca (or even a set of donor seats from a PT Cruiser)!

In brighter news, the top is off and stored in the basement for the summer, and the bikini top has returned!

Battery Not Included.

bill — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 16:53:36 +0000

So, this Tuesday, the Scout made her maiden 2010 voyage into the city after having a new water pump installed. As recounted elsewhere, everything went smoothly until the 5-year-old battery decided it was finished, and stranded me in the parking garage after work. Jen came and gave me a jumpstart and I made it home fine, so it’s pretty obvious what the next outlay for the Scout will be.

After that, we move on to the carburetor. The mechanics tightened the Thermoquad down and plugged up a vacuum hose that was open, and the engine sounds a heck of a lot quieter now. They warned me about gas leakage from the carb, though, and suggested a rebuild ASAP, which has been on my radar since the day we got the truck started. I’ve been doing some research into rebuilding the Thermoquad, and from what I’ve read it sounds like a hassle to get dialed in correctly (and moreso to find someone competent enough to do so).

So I think my plan of action will be to buy a new or rebuilt Holley 2300 series and install that in place of the Thermoquad. From what I’ve heard the 2300 is more common, easier to work with, and generally a friendlier unit to n00bs like me. IHOnly North is offering rebuilt carbs for a decent price, and I will definitely give them a ring when I’m ready to swap out what I’ve got.

Further Identification.

bill — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 19:41:14 +0000

So having pulled enough parts off my truck to know the original color was a gold metallic (the original spray is evident behind the door panels and under the dash pad), I took a little time to research when that particular only-in-the-70′s color was offered. Paging through IH paint codes this afternoon, I confirmed that particular shade of gold wasn’t offered in 1976, the year my VIN states; it’s actually from 1975. I’m pretty sure it’s the one called “Gold Poly”. And, the grille shell on the front is either a ’71 or a ’72. So I’ve got a ’79 frame, a ’75 body and a ’76 VIN, which makes a lineset ticket all but useless.