The Grouch

That is the name that has been given to my latest old vehicle – Mac’s 1978 Dodge pickup. It fits for a couple of reasons. First, Mac used to be known as “The Grouch of the House”, and second, this pickup seems to grouch at doing things one would expect from a vehicle. Like staying in gear when you hit a bump. Squealing like mad when you make a turn before he’s warmed up (power steering pump needs to be rebuilt). Receiving only right-wing talk radio or sports talk stations, since it only has an AM radio and it seems that AM radio has been taken over by either political pundits who spend hours shouting at the rain while offering no positive suggestions, or sports pundits who spend hours shouting at the rain while telling all their callers that they are idiots. Notwithstanding the fact that most of aforementioned pundits have ever held elected office or played sports professionally (I said most – I know there are exceptions). AM radio seems to have no music anymore.

Oh well, be that as it may…

Went out to work on The Grouch this morning. It needs a new speedometer needle, and the bushing on the back of the instrument could use a spray of graphite (what’s left of the needle bounces a bit). It also needed a new lamp for the right front turn indicator. So after TLMK left for work, I went out to move The Grouch onto the driveway and into the shade. He fired right up, and as soon as I dropped him into gear, the horn started blasting. Just for a couple of seconds. Put him back in park and let him warm up. Dropped him into gear and started to back up and there went the horn again. Also noticed the alternator gauge was showing that the battery was charging pretty strong. I’ve suspected for a while that the alternator needs to be replaced. Good thing I have a spare.

So I decide to take it out and run it for a bit to help the battery charge faster. Getting up to speed while going past a school where some gals were having a soccer practice, the horn decides to go off again. This time for about a full minute. It stops, and doesn’t act up again while I get it home and back in the driveway.

OK – let’s take care of a couple of simple things. Replacing a turn signal lamp on a vehicle of that vintage is a matter of removing two screws, removing a bulb, putting a new bulb into the socket, and replacing the two screws holding the whole thing in place. Wrong. The base of the bulb seems to have gotten itself welded to the socket. The glass came out (amazingly in one piece), and the metal base stayed in place. With what looked like a bit of glass that had melted and re-hardened into a bluish blob at the bottom. So that will now require getting a new socket and rebuilding the turn indicator assembly. Put things back together and move on to the next job.

Sit inside the truck and take the dashboard off to get to the speedometer. Pretty easy – I’ve done it before. Ready to fit the new needle to the stem, and… I’ve lost the needle I got up in Cheyenne. I’m thinking many bad words. It’s getting hot out by now, and the cab is no longer in the shade. Fine. I’ll leave the dash disassembled and move it back onto the street until I can get the parts to fix things another morning. Start him up, and the horn starts blaring again. And won’t stop until I turn it off. Now I’m saying many bad words.

But also a prayer, and the next time I start him up, he behaves and I move him to the street without incident. We will meet again in battle another day.

Did I mention I love old vehicles?