Hi, my name is Andy, and I have a gas problem. It started off small - a little whiff here and there; nothing that would cause too many people to notice. After a while, that wasn't enough, and the scent started to become overwhelming. Before I started seeking help, the odors became a point of tension among friends and family. Now that the problem is out in the open, the early warning signs were clear. The small puddles of gasoline under the parked truck, the trails of liquid following me around. The 'No Smoking' signs around the truck at work. The gas station that now has a sign posted stating that "spills are your responsibility". Having to fill up at different stations every time to avoid the embarassment of being recognized as "that guy".
Seriously, this truck has fuel system issues. The metal line with the hole worn in it has been replaced. The vent hose has been reattached to the tank (a one inch opening at the top of the tank allows a lot of fuel to spill out). All of the hoses have had clamps added to them. Today, I found that the tank has a leak at the seam where the filler goes through. Enough is enough - the truck is going to get parked tomorrow after I stop and get the parts to fix the car's brakes. Then, as soon as I can work enough overtime to pay for it, I'm going to order a new plastic tank, a new hanger and rods, and the proper fuel line to replace the Fisher Price version installed now. Gotta do it - the nice old man at the muffler shop requested that the leaks be fixed before he started welding the new exhaust onto the truck!
The brakes are better. I reworked them all and got a pedal with more 'feel' than the hard/dead pedal it used to have. Before, stopping was a matter of prediction/luck. Now, it is more consistent. Not quite up to the inspection standard of stopping the vehicle from 25mph in 20 feet, but closer.
Anybody remember that whistling noise that comes from a wing window that isn't quite closed? After the last few cold mornings, I am again familiar with that sound. If you change speed right, the pitch goes up and down - almost a replacement for the missing radio....
Simple joys of driving an ugly old truck: nobody (NOBODY) pulls out in front of you. Don't know if it's the big ugly grille or the generally disheveled appearance of the truck, but people make way for the big old boat.
The truck isn't that big, but I guess the combination of its size and the sound that emanates from the holes in the exhaust caused a little elementary school kid to think that my pickup was a big rig. He stood there on the sidewalk with the rest of his field trip group and pumped his arm in the classic "blow your air horn" motion. Sorry, kid. I was too busy doing the old truck dance to have a free hand to honk the horn.
Even with all the issues that this truck has, it is the perfect Vermont summer vehicle. It's a blast to drive - I even took it over to Littleton this past weekend. One hundred miles each way. Fifty miles an hour (or less.sometimes a lot less). Stopped halfway to get some pictures proving that it made the trip.
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