1947 Panel Truck Frame swap with ’88 k2500

[Second Series]

With the warmer weather I’m getting back at this. I’m using the original steering wheel on an ‘80’s column. When I tighten the nut, the steering wheel gets tight and hard to turn. I trimmed it to fit. The pass-through spring contact is at the 12 o’clock position on the ’47 steering wheel, so I installed the cancel cam in that position. The ‘80’s steering wheel has the spring contact at the 10:30 position. So now the left turn cancel cam is shifted. My plan is to build up a new cam in the correct location so it will work here. I’m getting continuity when I press the horn button. I have the ‘47 light switch connected and working. The brake and clutch switch mounts have the switch operating opposite of the ‘80’s such that when the pedal is at rest, the switch is depressed, and when the pedal is stepped on, the switch is released. I found some four pin switches that work where 2 pins are normally open and two are normally closed. The brake switch uses the normally closed contacts for the lights, and the normally open contacts for the 4x4 circuit(or could be used for the automatic transmission application). The clutch switch uses the normally closed contacts for the start circuit. Turn signals work. I’ve removed the cluster connector, and am in the process of extending the wires for gauges and dummy lights. I did wire up the volts light and resistor temporarily. I dismantled the donor gauges. The plan is to use the dummy lenses mounted in a box below the dash. I test fit the A/C unit, and then decided to fit the heater controls and dummy lights between the dash and A/C, test fit picture attached. I’m not thrilled with the A/C brackets. I’ll make one hanger.

[Second Series]

I’ve got the lights working as they should. There was a 50/50 chance I wired up the rear lights correctly, I lost that bet. I had to remove the rear interior panels to swap the wires. Now the brake and signal lights are brighter than the running lights. While I had the interior panels out, I replaced one that was under cut. The spray adhesive that I used had failed so I re-did all the panels. I think I needed a longer setup time before applying the two surfaces, this time I waited two minutes after spraying the adhesive. I just re-used the panels and tolex, it was difficult to line up the two pieces, but it came out o.k. The first time around I had glued the cut panels to uncut tolex and then trimmed after for a perfect fit.
The light switch is wired to keyed power so the battery won’t drain if I forget to turn off the lights. I modified the profile of the steering wheel so it transitions to the ‘80’s column, and painted it and the horns with some single stage black paint. Steering wheel is mounted, and the horns are too. I have the original horn relay in place but just as a mounting lug for the two horn wires and the wire from the donor relay. Horn works with the button on the steering wheel. All the lights work as they should. The final light is the single rear light above the license plate. I mixed up 4oz of the Windsor Blue and painted the rear light housing. I’ve also removed the car tent and the panel truck is out in the open from now on.