BillyBob Pre-Restoration Log

TRUCK LINKS including vendor sites for old parts, custom parts, and tools as well as sites for classic car and truck organizations

STORE Operating in association with Amazon.com, books, recordings and tools can be purchased.

PLANNING for the restoration including project schedule and cost estimates.

TRAVELS WITH BILLYBOB With apologies to Steinbeck, this area of BillyBob's Garage will be used to log the trips BillyBob and I make together.

WORK-IN-PROGRESS was the restoration of parts of BillyBob that I could accomplish without a garage up until the summer of 2010 when I finally got enough warehouse space to work in. Now, it also includes the continuing work on BillyBob in the shop.

PRE-RESTORATION includes log entries of minor repairs and and adventures between time of purchase and the time when I started restoration, a piece at a time.

JR'S KORNER JR's Korner is the history of BillyBob before I got him authored by my brother, Wm. C. Kephart.

BILLYBOB MAINTENANCE Ever changing detailing, oil change, lube, etc. maintenance routines specifically developed for BillyBob, including required tools, materials and procedures.

STEALTH SHOP Urban residence design with large integrated shop and separate living quarters for a relative or renter.

5. How do ya start this thing?

January 24, 1997. I'd been having trouble with the starter. Sometimes when I "stomped" on the starter "button," the engine would crank slowly a few turns and start, or maybe it would not. At other times nothing at all would happen. I made arrangements at Palmetto Chevron to have the situation looked into.

At the Chevron station, they like to use BillyBob to train rookies. If they have a new youngster working for them when BillyBob is in for servicing, they have the newbie put the truck into the service bay. This is usually an occasion of great mirth for the oldtimers.

For those of you unfamiliar with the "Advance Design" series of Chevrolet trucks of which BillyBob is an example, a bit of explanation is in order. These trucks have separate ignition and starter switches. The ignition switch is on the dashboard. You place the key in it and turn to the right to turn on the ignition just like a modern vehicle. On a modern vehicle, however, you keep turning the key at this point to engage the starter. On BillyBob, you "stomp" on a big "button" switch on the floor to engage the starter.

The oldtimers will peek around the corner as the rookie gets in BillyBob in the parking lot and turns the key to start BillyBob . . . nothing happens. After a few minutes the rookie decides BillyBob has a dead battery. As the others pretend to be busy, the hapless intern rolls the mobile battery charger out to the parking lot and lifts the hood on BillyBob, only to be further confused by the fact that BillyBob does not seem to have a battery . . . at least there is no battery in the engine compartment! The battery for the Advance Design pickups is located on the passenger side under the cab floor and is accessed from inside the cab. It is about this time that one of the mechanics will walk out to BillyBob to rescue the rookie.

An hour or so after I dropped BillyBob off, Gary called me to report that I needed a new starter. I thought BillyBob would have to stay at the Chevron station for a week or more while they found a starter, but he was ready the next day. Gary had the starter rebuilt overnight rather than search for a new one. Some previous owner had converted BillyBob from a six-volt to twelve-volt electrical system. Now, when I step on the starter button, it really cranks.

April 30, 1997. I tried to start BillyBob this morning, and got nothing for my efforts . . . no "juice." The electrical system seemed to be acting up. I have been wary of BillyBob's wiring ever since I got him. The person who had converted it from six-volt to twelve-volt had not done a professional job . . . There are loose wires, bare spots, and "dabs" of electrical tape everywhere. My brother is an electronics engineer and electrical systems are second nature to him. To me, they are somewhat of a mystery. Rewiring BillyBob, however, was not one of the things JR had gotten around to before selling BillyBob to me (they know my brother as "Krash Jr" or more commonly as "JR" in these parts).

When I first complained to him about neither of BillyBob's two fuel gauges being operational, he replied that he knew the sending unit in the gas tank was OK. In a cavalier manner, JR suggested I hook up a multi-meter to the sending unit and make resistance calculations in my head, on the fly, to determine the gas level . . . or something to that effect!

I don't recall how I got BillyBob to the Chevron station, but after checking it over thoroughly, they installed a new battery ground cable and ran it to the engine block instead of the frame. They also must have replaced fuses, because when I got BillyBob back in the afternoon, the heater fan was going full-blast . . . this is South Florida! BillyBob's cab gets hot without the heater . . . there are numerous holes in the firewall and it is not insulated. I could not find a switch for the heater fan, so I eventually cut the wire to it.

< Back to IntroWHOA! Baby >

You can email me at  webmaster@laroke.com

Issued Wednesday February 11, 1998

Updated Wednesday April 18, 2018

copyright © 1996-2018 Larry Robert Kephart all rights reserved