I just bought a crew cab!

[USN78W150]

Crew Cab

Congratulations, Chewie. Welcome to the Crew Cab Club. :) I vote for Air Force Blue when you repaint the truck. My ex USAF '85 W350 is going to stay the original color. Yours is the first pre 1980 Crew Cab I have seen that has the gas tank on the frame, as opposed to inside the cab.

[The Other Ross]

I'm feeling left out.I bought my '72 crewcab in 1993.I used the D500 to haul the cab part to the scrap yard a couple of months ago(completely rusted out).It now has an Arizona clubcab on it...not the same.

[KRB64]

Congratulations! I was watching that one.

I'd keep the color - otherwise it will look like all the other trucks in the parking lot...

Good luck on getting back home.

[Hobcobble]

Nice looking rig! If you're passing
through Webster City.... give a
wave to all my cousins :)
John

[74w300uteline]

power steering mid 70's learnathon

chewie I recieved your message but unfortunatly I'm not qualified to answer your questions. My 75 X airforce crew is currently being restored at the world famous "Triple R" facility in New Haven Indiana. Ron Reichart Restorations has agreed to enter a joint venture with Bergen County Power Wagons and restore my truck to its former glory or better. This joint venture consists of Ron doing the difficult work, and me sending funds. pretty sweet deal for me. My 77 m880 doesn't have power steering either and the novelty wears off really fast.

lets open this thread up and get some power steering advise, horror stories, success stories, compatibility issues and maybe some tips on where to find parts.

PS love the color

[712edf]

lets open this thread up and get some power steering advise, horror stories, success stories, compatibility issues and maybe some tips on where to find parts.

I believe two styles of boxes came on them. Any 1/2, 3/4,1 ton 4x4 should have a box that works. 4x4 Ramchargers/Traildusters too.

Guys put stuff up f/s on RCC all the time.

There are 2-3 yr old threads here that are very detailed about this swap.

I am an odd duck. I converted my 1978 W200 from power steeering to manual. I don't have the removed parts though.

Bucky

[Chewie]

Well, I made it up here!

We decided late last night to make a short weekend of it. Good thing, too, as the weather dropped a bomb on us during the trip up with snow and freezing rain!

So that means I got to play in the snow a bit while I ran the truck through its paces. I'm sure that it has 4.10's now. All positions work on the TC, the brakes are good, and it starts and runs fine. There were a few drips inside the cab near the windshield, so that area will need some attention, but there weren't any odd noises running down the road, so all is well today. I guess the real test comes tomorrow. I brought two boxes worth of tools, a tune-up kit, and a roll of duct tape, so I'm ready for the trip.

The guy who sold this thing really went out of his way to make this go well. He power washed the engine and the drivetrain, put it up on a lift and greased it, did a brake inspection, and then left it out on some fresh snow. No old drips, no new drips, and nothing dripped after the half hour test. He even paid for a tank of fuel during the test drive!

Like I said, the real test comes tomorrow, but as of right now, I couldn't be happier.

I have a crew cab!

[Gordon Maney]

Great news. We will be interested to hear the trip report.

[KRB64]

...I am an odd duck. I converted my 1978 W200 from power steeering to manual. I don't have the removed parts though.

Bucky

Yes you are! Can I inquire as to why???



As far as converting to power steering, I did mine many years ago. I just went to the junk yard and pulled a box and pump off an RC. The plumbing changed sometime later, maybe around '80? Manual was fine on the road but in the fields PS is wonderful!

At the time I remember there were two kinds of drop arms. Maybe one went one way and one the other? I visually matched mine and it went fine.

Sounds like a consciencous seller. Good luck on the ride home. I envy you. You'll get lots of stares and smiles.

[jakenok]

anyone have the paint code for this color? I need to paint my Townie this spring and this would be a great color.....

[712edf]

Yes you are! Can I inquire as to why???

I had a 72 W200 that I was parting out. It had manual so I just kept it & put it on my 78 W200.

Its a simpler set-up. I like fewer parts.

Bucky

[Gordon Maney]

I had a 72 W200 that I was parting out. It had manual so I just kept it & put it on my 78 W200.

Its a simpler set-up. I like fewer parts.

Bucky

It is interesting that the parts interchanged between those two model years. I would not have guessed that to be likely.

[712edf]

It is interesting that the parts interchanged between those two model years. I would not have guessed that to be likely.

Some things from 72 thru 93 swap out rather easily, others require a few mods. I used a different column housing because I also swapped from auto to 4-speed & wanted the simpler column that didn't have shift indictator, nor tilt steering.

My 78 W200 club cab started life as an automatic, full time married t-case P/S,P/B truck........Now its a 4-speed, divorced part-time t-case (with LU-2 winch) with Manual brakes & steering. I used all factory parts from various donor trucks. Other than a few holes drilled was all bolt-in.

Other than cabs, mine began equipt very similar to Chewies crew. Even same 149" WB. We just headed in opposite directions with the steering (no pun intended).

Bucky

[712edf]

Its also amazing that Chewie's truck still has its tailgate. 70'd trucks seem to lose them over the years, especially ex-fire VFD fire trucks.

[74w300uteline]

amazing

I'm lovin those hubcaps
chewie, carry a spare ballast resistor and grease the front hubs. check the cowl for pine needles, I hate pine needles