M37 Restoration (53-41242)

[Wayne Hingley]

The most widespread issue on this truck is the aged and damaged wiring. Almost every single wire has bare sections where the insulation has dried, cracked and fallen off. If I bend a wire, the insulation immediately disintegrates. One large power cable for the slave receptacle was routed in such a way that it was pinching between the brake peddle arm and the floorboard. It would be a fairly major (and frustrating) undertaking to replace a vehicle wiring harness without removing and stripping the cab from the frame. For me, one if the things I’m looking forward to is getting all new wires, fuel lines and brake lines on the truck.

Some examples of crispy and damaged wires:

[Wayne Hingley]

Lifted the engine and transmission out yesterday. Unfortunately I need to go away for work, so it will be a couple of weeks before I can get back at this.

[Wayne Hingley]

At some point someone had a need to cut a crude series of 4” to 6” holes to create a passageway from under the drivers seat, through the back wall of the cab, through the front wall of the cargo box, and then through the cargo box floor into the tool storage area. I have no idea what it was for. Some of the holes were cut out with a torch, and some with a mechanical cutting tool (possibly something like an air chisel). The holes were not pretty.

I repaired the cargo box floor and front wall many months ago, and finally started on the cab repairs.

A few photos of the tunnel of holes... I’m puzzled by this one.

[Wayne Hingley]

This is what the holes in the cargo box looked like.

[Wayne Hingley]

Cab tub bottom side. Kind of dirty and crusty looking, but very solid. Should be like new once cleaned up.

[Wayne Hingley]

I opened up the transmission a couple of weeks ago. Very clean with new looking oil. No rebuild tag.

[Wayne Hingley]

Over the past several weeks I found some time to finish repairing the holes in the cab under the driver’s seat, stripped the doors and rebuilt a winch and PTO. I’m planning to get the frame stripped down this weekend and ready to sandblast next week. Hopefully the weather cooperates for the sandblasting.