Slow leak is getting faster

Recently a somewhat annoying slow leak in my tire has become a faster one. It appears that the problem is the tire stem valve. I noticed the one that is leaking is slightly different than the 2 rear tires. This one isn't bolted to the steel rim like the others. It turns out that rims on these old trucks have an oval, not round, cutout for the valve stem. And I now realize how scarce the required oval stems are to come by, which probably explains why only 2 of my four tires had the correct ones in them. My local tire guy was able to locate 4 new oval valve stems from an olditme supplier he has been dealing with for years. Later this Spring I will swap out all four with these new ones.

NADA value as of 3/20/07

Truck, Van, & SUV
1949 Dodge Pickup 1/2 Ton
Original MSRP: $1,263
Low Retail $4,700
Average Retail Value $9,300
High Retail $15,500

Arm rests for Rojo

Although not very common on Pilot House trucks, arm rest were an option. I have wanted to add these to my truck, not for the comfort of my arm, but out of concern that I might pull off the door handle when closing the truck door from the inside. This is not really an issue when the window is rolled down, but early Spring or late Fall one does not want to roll down the window simply to get a better grip to close the truck door. Fellow pilot house trucker, Reg Evans, has supplied me with a photo of his.

....Continued.....

Well, I was lucky enough to locate these MoPar original arm rests. Can't wait to get them installed.

Here is an alternative that Jim Shepard used. I really like it and may still go that route. He used an inexpensive door pull manufactured by Stanley purchased at Home Depot.

Here is the finished product. The armrests look good and feel solid. I am very happy with the result

To convert or not to convert......

...that is the question. I am considering coverting my oil bath air filter to a paper filter type. I have seen several examples other peoples work posted on the web. It looks like a relatively simple project, but I am somewhat reluctant to proceed. Will I be affecting the value of my "completely stock" and "as close to original as you can get" truck for the sake of convenience?

Example 1: Norm's Coupe
Example 2: How-to article on a F*&d website

I decided to convert. The filter I used is a Carquest #88179 for anyone that has a similar type filter housing. It seems to seal quite nicely at the top and the bottom when the wingnut is tightened. Looks pretty darn close to original to me.

Finished product complete with original manufacturer instruction decals:

Spare oil bath air filter

I recently picked up an oil bath air filter on ebay with the intention of testing my refinishing skills on a spare rather than the one currently on my flat-six. If the result is a good one, I will swap it out with the one I'm currently running. Although the filter was advertised as in good condition, it is over 50 years old and had a fair amount of worn paint, rust and pitted in areas - nothing a little grinding and paint can't fix.

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I decided to convert the original oil bath air filter setup to a more modern paper element style. The canister will look original but the innards will be modern. See for yourself here.