Proud owner 85 D50 (New to me)

[Gremlin50D]

First time I have found myself on a new forum just a heads up english spelling,punctuation is not my strong suit so sorry ahead of time if it's hard or annoying to read.

Ended up in the market for a new vehicle always loved a Plymouth arrow but they are rare to find down here so decided to go the D-50 route scored a family owned 85 D50 with a G63B 5spd less than 5k rebuild I don't quite know how to search the forums but it may or may not have been post here before.

Paid $2000 for it 171k miles original
Current issues
1.Tons of wiring bugs from (random) no crank to ebrake light stuck to dashights flicker
2. Random rattling sound when shifting at 3k-3,5k
3. Bench seat me being (5'4"-5'5" depending on footwear) causes issues for passenger
4. The most annoying is a random buzzing coming from the dash stops with a good tap to the top of the dash

My current plans
1. Fix and rewire alot the after market gauges have some sketchy wiring done.
2. New radio 2x10's behind the seat (s)
3. Find some good bucket style seats
4. Build a fiberglass center console
5. Build a fiberglass dash,Door panels
6. Full rubber floor cover
7. Redo exhaust full header to duals out
8. Possibly dual weber?
9. Repaint and cruise it around town and enjoy the d50 life
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[Gremlin50D]

I also do plan to do a 125amp alternator from a 1990 ram along with the voltage regulator, And would like to upgrade the headlights to some Leds along with find a way to get the wipers to work right had a bad rain storm here ended up having to wait 3 hours for it to blow over could not see at all.

[Gremlin50D]

Also forgot to list previous owner did a weber upgrade egr delete and had a sound system in it at some point was ripped out and left behind a fair bit of wires under dash looks like spaghetti not hating on the old owner as I do love wiring jobs and finding out and working out the kinks and bugs.

[xboxrox]

Shiney paint & unique color ENJOY :thumbup:

[Gremlin50D]

Yes sir she unique the paint is a wild off green wish I could find the paint code for it.

Anywho ended up fixing most of the rats nest wiring got the gauges working and found out my cluster lights up green?

So opinions on going full green on the rest of the gauges?
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[geezer101]

The outside of your truck is awesome. The rest is a blank canvas craving some mods. Someone at least went to the effort of changing the carb over to a Weber so that is one less thing to cross off the list. Some fresh seats and interior (maybe a big rework of the engine bay as it's really letting the team down...) and it'll be 'minty' inside and out :grin:

[geezer101]

*find a set of Gen 2 front steering hubs and brakes and you can go up to vented discs - nut and bolt swap :thumbup:

[Gremlin50D]

The exterior is gonna get repainted at some point gonna attempt to rematch the paint. Now interior wise I'm thinking

Full fiberglass sub box across the back tie it into a fiberglassed center console to a fiberglass dash full early 90's mini truck style for subs set on Fosgate same with amp and speakers,subs

Under the hood at some point I will pull the engine respray the bay thinking black with green metal flake full rewire is already on my list got most of the interior wiring redone.

[Gremlin50D]

Also for brakes I'd like to upgrade the front for sure and look into disc brake conversion for the rear and side note for wheels gonna polish and run what I got for now till I find a good combo

[geezer101]

The cabs in Gen 1's are really tight so there is little chance of fitting a regular sub box in somewhere but a slimline active sub under the passenger seat or right behind the drivers seat will work. And for something with a small cab volume some of them are quite surprising. There isn't much point in using a 4 channel head unit as there isn't any 'staging' with the seat headrests literally touching the rear glass, but if you could find a gadget that will add SRS control to front and rear speakers it'll turn the tin can cabin into an ampitheatre. I'd go for a pair of 6.5" splits with crossovers, the main speakers on the doors with the tweeters up on the pillars, a pair of 4" speakers up high in the back corners of the cab turret in a custom roof console and the sub in either location as mentioned earlier. If the dash bezel hasn't been butchered you'll be able to fit a single DIN head unit in neatly. New mechless head units are the way to go as there's all kinds of obstructions inside the dash frame and the prices aren't as crazy as they used to be. Keep us posted with plans and progress :thumbup:

[Gremlin50D]

Truck came with a old Sony Xelod head unit already gonna swap it out with a JVC KD-T910BTS I bought for a other project
Subwoofer wise behind the seat I have plenty of space to fiberglass a custom box after I give this old girl some sound deadening subs are gonna be 2 10" fosgates powered by a 500watt fosgate

Door speakers are already 5.25 fosgate but will get swapped to fosgate 6.5 with some tweeters on the upper a pillar for rear head speakers I was gonna do 5.25 or 4's

Now seating wise bench is going already going to look at some seats today with good center spacing for a custom center console I plan to add 2 speakers (unknown size atm) and 2 tweeters amp for the speakers I have a few older fosgate r250x4's I'd like to use (a weeeee bit of a bass head/audiophile)

[Gremlin50D]

Here are some photos of the current setup using a bt adapter for my phone due to lack of good local radio.
https://i.gyazo.com/3c571901dfee0aa7d5253c3c6ffa5e5a.jpg
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[Gremlin50D]

And side note noticed on mobile I have no wait to edit my post kinda strange unless it's how everything is just setup or I am blind lol.

[Gremlin50D]

By chance any one know where to find a replacement grille found out today mine has 2 clips holding it all the others are broken clean off and missing so I can't just repair them.

[xboxrox]

By chance any one know where to find a replacement grille found out today mine has 2 clips holding it all the others are broken clean off and missing so I can't just repair them.
The guy painted my truck used zip ties but if you hunt online long enuff I think they are still available given enuff time to locate them ~ small black zip ties 1 2 3 done deal

[Gremlin50D]

Well I did just end up zip tieing the grille back figure I'll find one someday also side note since I bought the truck it has had some odd issues

Main issue was this rattling at around 3k rpm looked into what could cause it from crank pulley to bad clutch plate etc etc... turns out was the heat shield on the factory manifold pulled it off 2 already broken bolts and noticed I have a 4" long Crack on 1 runner and a wonderful 2mm hole in one side where it has cracked and fallen apart..... so searching for a El cheapo header.
Also noticed I had a O2 sensor and under dash passenger side is a box googled the numbers and it said mitsubishi ecu yet my truck is a G63B carbed vin also states it was a 2.0 carbed I'm new to working on these engines never seen a o2 on a carbed engine.

[Gremlin50D]

And a update a few changes have been made fixed the ebrake light was a leaking passenger wheel cylinder cause the brake switch to let me know it was low on fluid. Added some stickers cleaned it looking in 15x7 -6 offset wheels and some general grabber 205/75r15 tires

[xboxrox]

And a update a few changes have been made fixed the ebrake light was a leaking passenger wheel cylinder cause the brake switch to let me know it was low on fluid. Added some stickers cleaned it looking in 15x7 -6 offset wheels and some general grabber 205/75r15 tires
Aftermarket wheels ?

[Gremlin50D]

Yea they are KMC KM522 Enduro 15x7 not my ideal choice but wheel options are kinda slim given offset and offset I'm aiming for.

[xboxrox]

Yea they are KMC KM522 Enduro 15x7 not my ideal choice but wheel options are kinda slim given offset and offset I'm aiming for.
They look good, you getting them black yeah (?) Their web site says they don't fit my 1986 PowerRam50 ~ I'm guessing you been doing a lot of math & measuring to make sure they will work ~ am interested to know how they affect steering 'n if they stick out past the body sheet metal ~ please post photos :thumbup:

[Gremlin50D]

When I get them I'll take photos for sure I did do as much measurements as I possibly can and yes I'll be getting them in black also the way I see it I have 14x7's on the truck offset is possibly 0 but have not checked them off the truck. But they are flush with the sheet metal I my self am not a fan of wide poke/stance

[boozehero]

Some suggestions:
If you go to a PPG body supply store, some of them have special cameras that will (closely) match the color of your truck. They will give you a paint code that may be a perfect match, or very close. I have done this many times with the PPG boyz in Baton Rouge.

Check out Isuzu Trooper factory alloy wheels. They are the exact correct offset and bolt pattern for these trux. I have a set of them on my 79.
They are 16x7 and look factory. There are several styles to choose from. I have a set of 5 spoke wheels, they look outstanding.
http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=26494&stc=1
I bought a set of 225/60 - 16 z rated tires. There was no difference in ride and handling...
And if you believe that, I have some nice ocean front property in the Sierra Nevada desert I'd sell you...
Needless to say, the truck has a totally different personality.

There are headers for sale on ebay all day long. I paid $160 for one and had it ceramic coated for another $250.http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=26495&stc=1
I ran 2.5" pipe from the header to a high flow 2.5" cat, then reduced to 2.25" to a Spintech muffler and 2.25" tailpipe to the rear valence.

High flow 2.5" cat:
http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=26496&stc=1


2'25" Spintech muff
http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=26497&stc=1

I also installed a Weber 38/38 DGAS high performance carb. The combination of the carb/header/exhaust also didn't make much difference - NOT.
The truck cruises at 80 with no prob now, and runs to 100 easy. (At least on a flat highway)
I did a bunch of other factory upgrade - Tach dash, three spoke factory steering wheel, factory oil pressure and ammeter gauges, and going to add A/C. I also bought a Bell tech front sway bar -soon to install.
Oh, and I went from a 4 speed to 5 speed. This rig only came with a 4 speed behind the 2.0 engine in '79.

Ok, didn't mean to jack your thread, but you said you were looking for some stuff to upgrade you're rig. Hope this helps a little.

[geezer101]

These trucks have a 'feedback system operating the peripherals on the factory carb. They rarely fail but make working on the truck a PITA. The Mikuni works 'ok' when its in good shape but there are components on them (secondary vac actuator, auto choke, choke release assist, fuel cut and bowl vent depending on year model) that fail and are either near impossible to get and severely kneecap the engine in the process. Once you get a stock engine to breathe properly it's a totally different beast. Mild steel headers are a good idea to replace the cast iron manifold - add some thermal wrap to keep engine bay temps down and keep the gasses moving fast. And IMO the JVC head units are better than Sony stuff. I'm using an older JVC I grabbed from a U-Pull-It yard and it is awesome :grin:

[Gremlin50D]

I honestly do not mind a good hijack lol gives me plenty of ideas for a header I had a issue with the pacesetter not fitting Honestly was my fault was not aware of the different heads these engines came with I do currently have one in the works but looking at 2-3 weeks out.26533

[Gremlin50D]

Also update time I reckon been a busy hell of a week starter went out at first thought it was a wiring issue but turned out the starter was just tired. Well while I was under my truck i figured I'd see if I could find this strange vibration source and noise I was hearing at 3k rpm and when I was over 45mph.26534
Don't see it yet let's look closer
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Judging at how bad it was and the rust built up I figure it had been like this for a long time before I even bought the old girl lol ordered a new one and new u joints so that is my current project.
And a little side story I got these old Slapper,Track bars from a good friend years ago was gonna use them on another vehicle I used to have but they did not fit well I got the idea to see if they fit the truck and they fit it very well so cleaned them and painted figure might as well run them and get some good tires take her to the local drags for some simple fun.
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Color used was John deere yellow later I'll have them powder coated another color
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And my led light conversion is done the triple gauges got a 10mm Led and the Tach used a 74 led bulb they are not stuiped bright but good enough to see.
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[boozehero]

LEDs are cool.

Too bad these trucks don't have enough bag to spin a tire for any distance.
Traction bars are good to keep wheel hop under control - if you have enough power.
Even with the power increase mods to my truck, I don't think it would have enough juice to do much damage to the right rear tire...

BTW, I will be advertising a bunch of parts soon. I have a tach dash that is the correct replacement to upgrade your truck to the factory tachometer.
I've never been a fan of "hang on" tachs.
I went to al lot of trouble to locate the correct factory tach cluster for my truck. It's different than yours. Probably paid too much also. But, it works and looks great. I also added LEDs.

[geezer101]

A pair of tramp bars, a bunch of gauges and an LED upgrade - NICE :grin: Might be time to think about a headlight upgrade too. Driving by candle light sucks... and have a crack at dynamically tuning the ignition. There are a few hidden ponies and some added torque in there. If the ignition coil is either original or at least older than 10 years it's time it was retired (if it's been a daily driven vehicle and not laid up forever...) Good spark = good performance.

[Gremlin50D]

I might jump on it lol my work has slowed down a bit tho already have wheels n tires lined up to buy as well as plans to redo the whole ignition setup I have a Weber 38/38 I'm trying to get along with a Header as of right now the truck is somewhat peppy its not a super fast truck and I don't plan on making it one any time soon.

[Gremlin50D]

The coil is from another D50 it is well over 10 years old spark compared to my 1990 corolla it is pretty weak the head lights are going for sure along with all the old wiring the previous owner had something wired into them and alot of the wires are messed up hit a good bump the lights become strobe lights till I shut them off and cut them back on but she is a project and I am happy with it also got the driveshaft done if it does not rain tomorrow I'll throw it in and the track bars and see how it goes. Also if anyone is running a rear swaybar how does it improve the handling seen one pop up online and I might add one to my list.

[Gremlin50D]

Well I was helping a friend today and he had a box of fosgate speakers from his old bass wagon ( 6x15's) he said he wanted to swap the speakers for some more powerful ones so I walked away with 4 fosgate prime 6x9's got no idea what I'll do with the other 2 but wondering if anyone has put 6x9's in there doors? I belive I have 5.25 or 6.5's in my door currently.

[Gremlin50D]

Side note been driving around for a good bit now with the slap bars on had to do some minor adjustments but they fit good and work decent did launch the truck a bit hard way harder then I ever had and it felt very planted to the ground.

https://i.gyazo.com/4a3c9c3e1b4e04dd5d0d5f9e9d3f988a.jpg before I had adjusted it right after I had installed them fit decent.

https://i.gyazo.com/b26df54ea08ff4b948ed51a8b36b2121.jpg
In the photo looks like it is on the stop but it's not just the angle of the photo.

[geezer101]

My truck had 6x9's in the doors when I bought it. I was not happy. Not because the speakers sucked (which they did...) but the kid who owned it butchered 2 good door cards and had to cut through the chassis of the doors in a bad spot to make them fit. The L200 doors have quarter windows in them so at least the glass wouldn't be fouled by the crappy speakers when it was wound down which is something I have a feeling you may have to contend with. Rockford Fosgate speakers were good back in the day. I had Punch 5.25"s and X-overs up front on my first good audio install. Hey you got them for free and it is your truck, but be aware you may need to cut into the reinforcement inside the door and/or support for the window mechanism.

[Gremlin50D]

The door cards I have are sadly not original but a reskin and the panels them self have alot of water damage and are falling apart I'll have to pull the speaker and see where my reinforcements are not a fan of butchering any type of reinforcement even if it's not something majorly structural I might try to see if I can center the speaker right on top of my pre existing one and see if I can just trim out the metal around it and avoid any braces. By chance do you have any photos of your doors with 6x9's?

[geezer101]

Ok, tried to upload and got 2 failed messages so no idea what is up with that. The 6x9's were vertically mounted just forward of the window winder handle. They were a no brand co-axial speaker - one of the co-axial supports fell to pieces, leaving the centre tweeter to dangle from the wires hanging off the main cone.
Perfect choice to cut up a good Royal optioned door trim :cussingblack:

[Gremlin50D]

I use gyazo for posting images makes it easier and a great alternative to photo bucket. I know my trucks package is just the custom base model nothen fancy but I will see if it is possible on my door with out hacking if it is ill share some photos lol.

[boozehero]

I have a '79 that is all original - no hacked door cards or door chassis.
I had both sides off to see what I could do to install speakers for the factory stereo I managed to find.
The factory speakers are proprietary and are Mitsubishi design. I couldn't find anything that came close to fitting in the factory configuration.
I saw a picture of them in a factory repair manual, they are weird. Period.
I looked everywhere - Crutchfield, eBay, on line, Mitsubishi electric - nothing. All of the trucks in upull yards had major HACK jobs for speaker mounting replacements.
I finally went with Yamaha box speakers on the floor in front of the bench seat. They are narrow and long with ported openings... and... sound amazing.
Not what I want, but until i find something that fits correctly, they will do for a temporary sound system.
I even found the correct factory speaker wiring that goes from the cab to the doors.
I also made 2 new plastic diaphragm (vapor barriers) for the door cards since they are almost perfect.

Sorry, didn't mean to write a book, just some stuff I found out (adventure?) to find the correct parts for this truck

[clunkheads]

I love the new car!! random question though, how the heck to I make a new post?? I want to post my car with some questions and I have no clue how to do it, did they take it down? thanks

[geezer101]

I love the new car!! random question though, how the heck to I make a new post?? I want to post my car with some questions and I have no clue how to do it, did they take it down? thanks


No luck with starting your own thread? The site can sometimes be a little 'touchy' with new members. On the header screen for this forum section there's a box with "Title/Thread Starter". Just choose one of those options and you will be rolling :thumbup:

[Gremlin50D]

I should have taken photos today but short storytime.

Went to pick up some dinner first time driving the truck since I returned and rebuilt my Weber 32/36 and retired the engine, Everything was smooth take-off idle, etc.... well I got to roll my window down after getting some dinner driverside binds up hard could not get it to go up or down.....

So I start scratching my head thinking nothing of its take-off hear a little rattling hit a roundabout my door goes flying open scared the piss out of me lol, So I get home all while holding my door shut as it was no longer latching I had gotten angry and tried to slam it a few times not smart on my end but hard to drive stick 1 handed with a shift knob that fell off and a door not latching so was having a bad day well pulled my door apart and just the plastic latch tab broke and found hacked up to hell doors. Like I no longer feel bad about wanting to install 6x9's now also new shifter is in the mail felt going old-school so photos soon.

[Gremlin50D]

Autocorrect got me on a few things meant to say retimed and retuned, rebuilt.

[Gremlin50D]

And forgot to mention when the latch arm popped off it bound up against the window arm preventing it from going up and down and with the window stuck down it put enough pressure on the latch release assembly to hold the latch in the open position so my door was just a mess.

[Gremlin50D]

While thinking about the doors alternatives for door cards? Currently thinking .063 aluminum panels anodized black or fiberglass panels.

[geezer101]

A cautionary tale of using aluminium inner panels. A while ago while I was involved in novice rally a guy in our group made lightweight door cards from alu plate. Yes it did look cool but after a spill on a rally leg, he slid his car sideways into a tree and pinballed off it. The door card popped free of the door and sheared off his elbow. It was nasty. He would've taken a beating regardless but the door card did the majority of the damage to him. Fiberglass would make for a cool looking moulded panel and you could spray it with adhesive and wrap it in felt etc plus add provisions for a valet light and door speakers. Seen some interesting spins on custom door trims using fiberglass but the stuff is kinda heavy. What about MDF and wrapping it or maybe a sheet of ABS plastic? ABS can take a hit, is waterproof and pretty easy to cut, shape and drill. Stuff is pretty light too...

[Gremlin50D]

A cautionary tale of using aluminium inner panels. A while ago while I was involved in novice rally a guy in our group made lightweight door cards from alu plate. Yes it did look cool but after a spill on a rally leg, he slid his car sideways into a tree and pinballed off it. The door card popped free of the door and sheared off his elbow. It was nasty. He would've taken a beating regardless but the door card did the majority of the damage to him. Fiberglass would make for a cool looking moulded panel and you could spray it with adhesive and wrap it in felt etc plus add provisions for a valet light and door speakers. Seen some interesting spins on custom door trims using fiberglass but the stuff is kinda heavy. What about MDF and wrapping it or maybe a sheet of ABS plastic? ABS can take a hit, is waterproof and pretty easy to cut, shape and drill. Stuff is pretty light too...

I looked into ABS and it seems the best way to go so far on order

1. 2x Sheet ABS panels
2. Billet interior grab handles
3. Billet window cranks
4. Refreshed oem interior door handles
5. Cheap bucket seats

[Gremlin50D]

Small minor update had a spring pop in the seat so my seat has zero support very rough ride. Also this is a run on post figured easier to jam everything into one post.

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I am very aware the truck requires a good cleaning.

Side notes did get a new shift knob 100% better from the previous one.
26696 scored it for $14 good steal I figured.

Also I did get around to testing some wheels I had laying around first tried some 15x10's just for the hell of it and they fit rather well just stick out 5.5"
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Also borrowed a spare from a 04 silverado 1500 ls 235/75r16 and also fit better then I expected jack is under the control arm so it's compressed but a bump I'm sure it would rub.
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235/75r16 vs my 205/75r14
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So ended up with some 16x7's came with junk tires from a tacoma got a feeling ill have to do some minor sanding/grinding but $50 for the set figured it was worth the risk. Tires I plan on running 215/65r16 General Grabbers A/T should not knock off the speedometer off by 1-3 mph at most.
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[xboxrox]

Hi Gremlin :thumbup:
Thanks to these old & rather cool Japanese vehicles we don't have to concern ourselves with making new car & truck payments for 96 months @ $850.00 a month plus insurance

[xboxrox]

Hi Gremlin :thumbup:
Thanks to these old & rather cool Japanese vehicles we don't have to concern ourselves with making new car & truck payments for 96 months @ $850.00 a month plus insurance

I'm here on Oahu island windward side ~ Hawaii is like a fancy Alcatraz & my studio apt is a very cozy cell ~ the warden lets us go to the beach too ~ my Dodge is just able to keep pace with most of the stop & go traffic over here on the Rock
;)

[geezer101]

Bucket seats are big improvement over the bench unless you like your passengers to get up close and cozy lol. Those old school 15x10's look legit but too bad they aren't going to cut it. You got ambushed pretty badly with the self opening door. Could've ended far worse...

[Gremlin50D]

Hi Gremlin :thumbup:
Thanks to these old & rather cool Japanese vehicles we don't have to concern ourselves with making new car & truck payments for 96 months @ $850.00 a month plus insurance

I'm here on Oahu island windward side ~ Hawaii is like a fancy Alcatraz & my studio apt is a very cozy cell ~ the warden lets us go to the beach too ~ my Dodge is just able to keep pace with most of the stop & go traffic over here on the Rock
;)

I do a decent amount dirtroad driving and highway,interstate so far my only complaint is Atlanta,GA rush hour traffic lol no issues keeping pace also heard Hawaii has a decently sized mini truck scene over here in my state you don't see them that often in total my area alone only seen 4 (including me) Ram 50,Mightymax trucks and 1 Plymouth arrow lol most of the time you see ford rangers,s10's and maybe a few old toyotas but that's it.

[Gremlin50D]

Bucket seats are big improvement over the bench unless you like your passengers to get up close and cozy lol. Those old school 15x10's look legit but too bad they aren't going to cut it. You got ambushed pretty badly with the self opening door. Could've ended far worse...

I could make the 15x10s work but would have to run a small tire and zero power steering would be a huge pain and I agree bucket seats are the way to go hopefully I'm able to snag these local ones I found every vehicle I have owned that had a bench I swapped to buckets. And the door issue is now solved and it was a hairy situation to be honest it did scare me I normally don't wear a seat belt down the dirt roads but after that incident I think I will play it safe and buckle up.

[Gremlin50D]

Well guy backed out of the deal on the seats then it dawned on me before I got back into the mini truck seen I was and still am big into corollas and tend to pick up a parts car once in a while had this old trashed AE101 corolla hanging out in the woods been there doors open for 4 years? If not longer seats where not to to bad better then what I currently have seeing as my bench has broken springs and what not so a few patches and good scrubbing they look better with no moss and spiderwebs and pinestraw had alot of old engine parts sitting on them so heavily oil stained this is after 2 shots with a pressure washer and 8 scrubs with Meguiar's cleaner figure some seat covers here soon will help they are pretty comfy and everything on them is functional so for free recycling they will work.

26702

[xboxrox]

Hawaii mini trucks help the old white men with affordable transportation & eveyone else driving a mini truck uses them for loud music, jacked up sky high, tires 'n wheels so wide they take up more than one lane, LED bright light machines blinding everyone else ~ mini trucks are the cheapest vehicles to buy & use as a modified toy
Toyotas are plentiful here, old is cool VW wagons and the kine ~ new stuff is all Jeep Wranglers & Teslas & Forerunners & some Corvettes 'n Porcshe ~ then come the motorcycles scooters bicycles skateboarders pedestrians & roosters hens chicks
Driving here is best described as a CIRCUS !!! For example at four way stops each driver will begin waving their hands to give the ok for other drivers to go first ~ so whoever waves first or waves the most they win the contest for who's rules of the road will we follow this time ~ everything possible has jumped out in front of me except a commercial jet landing for HNL ~ I started driving at age 15 1/2 in California and was lisenced to drive in Japan for more than 10 years and I am still driving at age 73
WHEN I SAY IT'S A CIRCUS ~ YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT ~ I was lisenced in NY WA CA Japan Okinawa HI ~ Lisenced to drive 40 passenger bus too !!!
CIRCUS
CIRCUS
CIRCUS
:thumbdown:

[geezer101]

Well George, at least you can't complain about it being boring on the roads in Hawaii. I'd be more worried about the guys who decide driving while wasted is a good idea. I hear tales about how bad the driving in Florida is :shock:

The 'rolla seats will do the job and who knows, you might find something nicer in the future. We have monthly deals on parts at the local U-pull-it yards and pairs of seats for $99 often comes up (least once a year). I grabbed a pair of seats from a Peugeot 306xsi with lumbar and height adjust and stashed the belts in the backrest pockets so I wouldn't have to mess with seat belt mods. It's illegal for yards here to sell used belts and they won't let you just 'take' them. Old lap belts from back seats make great engine hoist straps and the belt anchors are perfect for hooking up a shackle bolt through and hanging off an engine lifter hook.

[Gremlin50D]

Hawaii mini trucks help the old white men with affordable transportation & eveyone else driving a mini truck uses them for loud music, jacked up sky high, tires 'n wheels so wide they take up more than one lane, LED bright light machines blinding everyone else ~ mini trucks are the cheapest vehicles to buy & use as a modified toy
Toyotas are plentiful here, old is cool VW wagons and the kine ~ new stuff is all Jeep Wranglers & Teslas & Forerunners & some Corvettes 'n Porcshe ~ then come the motorcycles scooters bicycles skateboarders pedestrians & roosters hens chicks
Driving here is best described as a CIRCUS !!! For example at four way stops each driver will begin waving their hands to give the ok for other drivers to go first ~ so whoever waves first or waves the most they win the contest for who's rules of the road will we follow this time ~ everything possible has jumped out in front of me except a commercial jet landing for HNL ~ I started driving at age 15 1/2 in California and was lisenced to drive in Japan for more than 10 years and I am still driving at age 73
WHEN I SAY IT'S A CIRCUS ~ YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT ~ I was lisenced in NY WA CA Japan Okinawa HI ~ Lisenced to drive 40 passenger bus too !!!
CIRCUS
CIRCUS
CIRCUS
:thumbdown:
Sounds interesting haha over here the most interesting thing is wrecks at the round about and thats it no many if any sites to see also I have been driving for a while as well but only got a proper license 11 years ago before that it was all back road driving.

[Gremlin50D]

Well George, at least you can't complain about it being boring on the roads in Hawaii. I'd be more worried about the guys who decide driving while wasted is a good idea. I hear tales about how bad the driving in Florida is :shock:

The 'rolla seats will do the job and who knows, you might find something nicer in the future. We have monthly deals on parts at the local U-pull-it yards and pairs of seats for $99 often comes up (least once a year). I grabbed a pair of seats from a Peugeot 306xsi with lumbar and height adjust and stashed the belts in the backrest pockets so I wouldn't have to mess with seat belt mods. It's illegal for yards here to sell used belts and they won't let you just 'take' them. Old lap belts from back seats make great engine hoist straps and the belt anchors are perfect for hooking up a shackle bolt through and hanging off an engine lifter hook.

Sadly there is only 1 half decent junkyard in my area we have no pick n pull,pull a parts that requires almost a 2-3 hour one way drive and the local yard normally likes to charge 150+ for a single seat and they have nothen older then 1999 they refuse to keep anything kinda crappy place.

[geezer101]

You work with what ya can get. I'd love to get something like the seats out of a Polaris RZR. They look freaking cool :grin:

[Gremlin50D]

You work with what ya can get. I'd love to get something like the seats out of a Polaris RZR. They look freaking cool :grin:

You can find them online for pretty cheap lots of people swap seats but idk if I'd like to sit on one day after day lol can't be to comfy after a while.

[Gremlin50D]

Sorry for lack of updates not much has changed on the truck I did get some brackets made up and got my seats installed "photos coming later" but had to park it today till the weather let's up alternator won't charge the battery with the window wipers going and headlights if I try to listen to the radio it just shuts off and the battery light flashes once the voltage gauge reads a hair above 12v and confirmed with the a good multimeter the alternator is not putting out enough to run wipers,headlights,radio at once and I've yet to upgrade to the sound system I had planned or add led lights I was gonna add.

Now I have a new battery all good grounds and power wires alternator test good had it tested 5 time back to back to really put a load on it and it passed I know it's only 45amps but even with the headlights going and wipers going turning on the indicators everything dims voltage his 10-11v every time the light flashes.

I have scoured the internet for a clear 100% upgrade path and many people say ls swap it or 4g63t swap it �� I'm just looking to upgrade my alternator I did see 2 post here but both where not clear enough for me to understand heard someone say a 318 alternator fits but requires a voltage regulator ok no problem just need a wiring diagram then I get told it's not a good conversion? So is there a clear 100% drop in alternator upgrade or am I just really screwed here.

[boozehero]

Suggestion - A (1) wire GM 100 amp alternator. They are universal , although you may have to be creative with the brackets (modify)
They are relatively inexpensive and kick butt with power output.
They are all over eBay and the usuals - Summit, Jegs, etc.

Frankly, it sounds like your current alternator has a blown diode. You can have one bad diode, the unit will still provide 12 volts, but will have no amperage.
Unless you have a 1,000+ watt sound system, the stock alternator should be able to power a moderate sound system.

[geezer101]

The stock 45 amp alternator can run all of the factory systems without being compromised so it does sound like there is something wrong to get a voltage drop before even really putting a demand on it. That aside, an alternator upgrade is worth doing. That, and a bigger CCA capacity battery. When did batteries get to be so expensive... :shakehead:

[dash]

noticed car batteries big price increase about 18 months or so ago
Sounds like only when indicators are on, there is a problem? .....could be a short in bulb socket, circuit, ground, flasher unit, etc
Made a simple bracket for a GM 1 wire small case 100A alternator, on my starion sohc 2.0 many years ago
$60 at a local rebuilder. Helpful guy, swapped pulley & wired a simple pigtail, for plug-in.... as I was green at the time

[Gremlin50D]

I figured something internal was bad in my alternator the sound system I will be installing is a p3sd 10" fosgate I had plans for 2 12s the amp I'm using is a rockford fosgate p1000x I'll be running 2 6x9s 2 6.5 rockford fosgate speakers powered by a fosgate p600x4 only thing changing in the future is a full fiberglass box with 2 12's already have plans for a second battery big 3 upgrade when the alternator gets done current battery is the biggest I could fit before it hits the hood.

[Gremlin50D]

When I first got the truck I had a issue with the lights flickering ended up rewiring a good bit and removing undersized wires that where for what I can only assume was a set of leds under the dash or underglow I had found some speaker wire running under the floor mat threw the floor it was cut under the floor but still connected to the light circuit

[Gremlin50D]

Small update will have a good update coming next few days been hard at work redoing mass majority of the wiring harness deleting stuff that was either not oem or was no longer being used since the weber conversion currently waiting on some 4 gauge wire to redo the starter wiring and then the new to me alternator is getting the big 3/4 upgrade got most of my low budget sound system done simple 10" fosgate waiting for my 6x9 speaker rings they where back ordered also had the brakes go out so replaced the master and then blew the driver side wheel cylinder.......much fun well today I went to move it nice 90F weather normally the ol girl fires right up after hitting the choke but now it has to crank for almost a minute before it pops off shooting carb clean in the carb it starts up I did check for trash in the lines it was clean same with filters I can see the choke setting now before it was a 50/50 pumping the carb 3-5 times makes no difference wanted to ask here for tips or advice before I break out the wooden hand screw driver and start attempting to tune it more.

[Gremlin50D]

Started looking into that 1 wore gm alternator route and seems like it would not only be easier but cheaper making a bracket is no issue by chance do you have a wiring diagram for converting it to a 1 wire so I can figure out if I can delete more wiring while I'm in there lol.

[pennyman1]

an alternator from a starion / conquest or mitsubishi van is 75 or 100 amp, and is a direct bolt in. you may have to swap the 2 wires on the pigtail to get it to charge, but I have bought new mitsubishi 75 amp alternators on eBay for 35.00. Be sure the one you get looks the same as the one you have - not all 75 amp mitsu alternators are the same mounts.

[Gremlin50D]

Pennyman after seeing that I found a 75amp for $37 shipped on ebay was rather ecstatic lol

But it seems my truck is having a new issue every week it's something else acting up or failing for 3 days now I've just fought threw it I can crank and quickly let go of the key the truck fires right up sometimes it won't even do that and I'll have to leave the truck in the run position get out push it jump in dump the clutch and it will start but won't start via the key? All it does is spin over and over so I'm assuming with the key in start position I'm loosing spark? Or somthing is messed up with my ignition switch......

From what I could find via Google everything aims to my ignition switch but I couldn't find a replacement anywhere.So I'm kinda out of ideas at this point I can't keep bump starting it everyday it gets rather exhausting lol.

[Gremlin50D]

I am officially stumped went out this morning and started to check connectors I must have messed with somthing because everything is working cycled the starting process 4 times to verify then let it warm up to operating temp then repeated the starting process 4 times again it fired right up not gonna complain just confused lol.

[geezer101]

...an intermittent fault. 'Good' that it's running now, but that bug in the electrics will come back and haunt you. I think the ignition switch could be the problem too. They get worn out, crap builds up inside of them - they can be disassembled but it's dicey taking the only one you have out of the truck to mess with.

[Gremlin50D]

...an intermittent fault. 'Good' that it's running now, but that bug in the electrics will come back and haunt you. I think the ignition switch could be the problem too. They get worn out, crap builds up inside of them - they can be disassembled but it's dicey taking the only one you have out of the truck to mess with.

I feared the same thing that it will come back I tried to find a ignition for the ol girl but seeing as they are discontinued ill have to just deal with it and come up with somthing when it finally fails.

[Gremlin50D]

https://gyazo.com/f0f130faac13a7a9776192b8ca4c994fWell a long long over due update The issues i was having with it not wanting to start was sorted turns out when you don't have a timing belt tensioner bolted down anymore the belt tends to flap and things jump lol the cam timing was way way off honestly surprised the truck even ran but i have been driving the truck like this for months what ended up causing me to check it was my water pump went out did not realized that is a good afternoon job there.... Alternator wise upgraded to a 75amp starion alternator still going strong due to a few cancer scares but all is well i did put the truck to the test back on the 3rd,4th,5th with towing my boat the whole setup weighs shy of 3000lb loaded with fuel and all the gear its right at 2890lb towed it pretty well i will be honest i was shocked how well it towed no issues at the boat ramp cruised at 55mph did not drop down but 1 or 2 times boat is 30ft long also got my banner done.https://i.gyazo.com/f0f130faac13a7a9776192b8ca4c994f.jpghttps://gyazo.com/f0f130faac13a7a9776192b8ca4c994fhttps://gyazo.com/f0f130faac13a7a9776192b8ca4c994f

[Gremlin50D]

Also here is a link to the photo if it does not load properly https://gyazo.com/f0f130faac13a7a9776192b8ca4c994f

as for the other stuff i have my wiring harness torn apart been getting rid of alot of stuff the truck is currently waiting for wheels/tires/driver side wheel bearing,front brakes with the prices of everything gone threw the roof i have been putting the truck on the back burner and focusing on my motorcycle so another reason why updates have been scarce.

[geezer101]

Err, cancer scares... hope you are doing ok and glad to see you back on the site :)

[Gremlin50D]

Well been recouping on health issues and had to drive my truck to Atlanta this past week and to Florida well on my way home I had a strong odor of burning oil and then my clutch started to slip turns out both front and rear seals in my transmission are bad and it's gonna need a rebuild I'm in Middle Ga anyone know anyone close by or know if anyone has one for sale the oil I was able to get to looked pretty metallic and pretty sure it ate a bearing or worse I parked it since I can have someone pull it but I don't even know where to start on possibly rebuilding it myself nore do I have a place to do it at I think it's a Km132-8 transmission I have had zero luck on finding anyone who can rebuild it no one wants to touch it and only one shop near Atlanta said they would rebuild it but I'm looking at $2200-$2800 according to them so would it even be worth rebuilding or parting it out or just sell the whole truck as is?

[geezer101]

Glad to see your back again. There are rebuild kits for the KM132 and the transmissions themselves aren't hard to pull apart. The main issue is ensuring you get the right bearings for them. This is when it's handy to have a local company that sell bearings and seals over the counter so at least if you get in a bind, they can measure the parts you bring in and find an alternative/matching part...

[Gremlin50D]

Yeah i've been trying to be active on here but just been busy with everything else I drove to South Carolina picked up a Engine and Transmission for $200 Engine was pulled due to a few jet valve issues and the owner is now using the truck as a storage bin till he can get around to dropping a 2.3 in it from a ranger lol so i got a driveshaft,Engine,Transmission plus all hardware and everything also came with a new Dizzy,New Starter,Semi new clutch lol and new shifter bearings everything had 202k miles he did say the transmission might have been gone threw at one point but he couldn't remember to me it looks like it has shaft play is like zero I just gotta save my pennies till i can afford a clutch kit and a clutch cable mine is starting to fray and i know my clutch is not in the best.

[xboxrox]

Replace the clutch cable ASAP ~ don't wait for it to break..! Hope you have great roadside assitance with your insurance policy & expect to have a tow if that cable breaks...

[Gremlin50D]

Replace the clutch cable ASAP ~ don't wait for it to break..! Hope you have great roadside assitance with your insurance policy & expect to have a tow if that cable breaks...

Truck ain't going anywhere anytime soon I've yet to pull my blown transmission as I can't do it by myself due to my health.

[xboxrox]

Oh darn Gremlin,
Praying you feel better soon & able to get the help you need getting your truck running...

[Gremlin50D]

Had the other half decide the Gremlin had been sitting for to long and we both got under it had issues removing the drain plug it almost knocked her out took a while to break it loose but transmission was not terrible just some shavings and a few knocked off teeth and a damaged shift fork as well as the front input and rear bearing being pretty much gone it wasnt terrible between both of us we got it fixed truck has been running great for the last week other than oil pressure has been a bit hit or miss has yet to drop to 0 but gonna end up pulling the engine apart possibly this winter or January as long as my other half keeps driving me to work on the Gremlin it will stay around lol, Hell we have already been talking about dropping in a Buick 215 or a Rover Aluminum V8 and keeping it manual but who knows we will see.

[Gremlin50D]

Was helping a friend and had someone knock and break the driver side mirror off so slapped on some c10 mirrors they work decent but take some time getting used to.https://i.gyazo.com/b29f719ff98f3532954db16810f4740a.jpg
https://i.gyazo.com/764e676c152290547e55b80f87898f0f.jpg

Here is a photo I ment to post in the update above from when the truck was sitting with transmission issues.
https://i.gyazo.com/3ce76177f70725d6c4958e42cb915dba.jpg

[xboxrox]

Green Gremlin looks pretty good ~ do you have a photo of the C10 mirror mounted on the door..? Sounds like you made good progress getting your truck improved ~ IMHO it is best to keep Mitsubishi parts & drivetrain ~ Ford Ranger 'n Buick NAH :thumbup:

[Gremlin50D]

I currently do not have a photo but they are just Ebay StreetRod 4" universal door Edge mirrors knock off pillar C10 mirrors chrome is nice been on the truck for a few rain storms no rusting also i did have to bend the brackets a bit for me to see but they clip on using 2 allen screws and i do recommend Lock Tite also the passenger side is more or less for show to be honest because i mostly just look out the rear mirror with my seating position being the way it is.
Green Gremlin looks pretty good ~ do you have a photo of the C10 mirror mounted on the door..? Sounds like you made good progress getting your truck improved ~ IMHO it is best to keep Mitsubishi parts & drivetrain ~ Ford Ranger 'n Buick NAH :thumbup:

[Gremlin50D]

Green Gremlin looks pretty good ~ do you have a photo of the C10 mirror mounted on the door..? Sounds like you made good progress getting your truck improved ~ IMHO it is best to keep Mitsubishi parts & drivetrain ~ Ford Ranger 'n Buick NAH :thumbup:

Well small update when I parked the truck 3 weeks ago it was at 10psi of oil pressure I made it back home from being OTR

[Gremlin50D]

(Damn signal and phone service) Just got back in town from being OTR and went to start it 0psi of pressure shut if off have not pulled the front cover or anything I fear either my balance shaft belt failed or it seized up a damn Balance shaft how screwed am I? I have already started to look for a non jet valve head and a oil pump and balance shaft delete kit Is this even worth it because the only shop that is willing to rebuild it wants almost $1800 for it to be reworked and this is me providing the parts.

[Gremlin50D]

Update on the ol Gremlin she is down for the count (for now) didn't let the rain stop me threw together a temp cover and tore into it sadly my fear turned to be true balance shaft frozen up broke the belt and when turning the oil pump side its a bit on the stiff side drained the oil and nice and Shiny, But inspecting the rod bearings they don't look to have gotten hit terribly nore the crank bearings gonna end up working the frozen shaft out and doing the delete but big question how does the extra vibration effect the oil pump? I remember reading when doing the balance delete you gotta swap oil pump gears? Also sorry for lack of photos have not been in the picture taking mood ending up loosing my husky of 12 years that has been in my other past photos someone decided that they deserved her more than the person who raised her and legit stole her from my yard back in December.
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