Rebirth Update #7...

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This is a short update to showcase a long awaited addition which went live yesterday...As long-time followers of this series know, I was reminded of many things I liked and missed about my old 1973 Chevy gunshow hauler when I began the current project on this truck...One of those missed items was the running boards on that older truck...They were the plain aluminum cab-length stepboards seldom seen on today's trucks...In current times fashion seems to dictate pretty nerf bars, or integrated sidesteps, with some even automatically raising and lowering for entry and egress...Without taking away from those designs, they just didn't suit my own tastes or needs...I wanted the plain running boards which I liked on the older gunshow vehicle...

My beloved previous truck, a quadcab dually, had wheel-to-wheel Tough Country tubular boards with expanded metal inserts which I really enjoyed...However these were unavailable even by special order for my current truck, and a diligent search through internet sources turned up nothing which suited my needs until I looked at the website maintained by accessory manufacturer Owens Products...This is an established older company with a diverse product line, but still listed the exact running board style I remembered from my long gone 1973 Chevy, and they still listed a part number for my particular truck...However it was out of stock, and a search of their many vendors turned up no matches...

It was listed on the website as available for order in either polished aluminum diamond plate, or black extruded aluminum with grit tape on the step surfaces...I did not want the polished finish on this truck, although I preferred the diamond plate design, so I opted to order the extruded option, and I was promised delivery in about six weeks...A young lady named Jenny handled my order from start to finish, and is to be commended for her patience and professionalism with this finicky and demanding customer...At the end of six weeks I inquired about my order, and was told they were waiting on the raw material from their supplier; she assured me of production in another four weeks...After that time passed another conversation with her brought her agreement that they really need a new supplier, and she said an option would be to change the order to polished aluminum which was already in stock...

This would entail my getting the product refinished to black myself, but given the only option of waiting even longer, I gave the go ahead to change the order...She even issued a partial refund to reflect the lower price of the material...She added a note to my order asking the production crew to rush my order since I had been waiting so long, and to my surprise it arrived at my door safely and ahead of the new promised shipping date...My thanks go again to Jenny for handling a difficult situation, and at the same time retaining a customer...This left the task of refinishing the boards to black, and since I really like the bedliner that was applied earlier to my flatbed by VIP Tinters, I took the unopened box of parts to Jason and Allan, asked to have them refinished and installed...As promised the entire job was done on time while I waited, and as a bonus it was noticed that tiny bubbles, unnoticed by me, had developed in my previously tinted windows...Both windows were retinted on the spot under warranty...VIP Tinters is entrenched on the Truckman Highly Recommended List...

As always, new photos of the additions will be found at the bottom of the accompanying photo essay here...

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Rebirth Update #6...

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While waiting for more parts and accessories to arrive, all special ordered, and some which had to be manufactured, I whiled away my time with smaller projects, such as replacing the paddle latches on the Rawson-Koenig toolboxes under the flatbed...the truck was purchased without keys to the existing locks, and ordering new ones from Rawson-Koenig only turned up some that were unusable because of wrong operating levers and their being permanently welded to the assembly...Grainger often has hard to find parts, and a trip to the local outlet with the old part in hand proved hopeful as the salesclerk ordered new cylinders for me based on her catalog descriptions...Alas these arrived and were also unusable because they would not engage the latch plunger...

At this point, I thought I should look for new latch assemblies instead of trying to replace the lock cylinders...Amazon lists many different styles and sizes, not all of which show their dimensions...Choosing from the ones which offered their dimensions, I ordered two new complete assemblies keyed alike...On arrival these were found to be not quite dimensionally identical to the old latches, but the lock cylinders were the right ones...But to make them work on the old latches I would have to cut away some of the supporting framework on the doors...Never being one to shy away from a challenge, I got out the tools and started cutting...

The old latches were fastened from the inside to the framework I had cut away, necessitating drilling new holes to mount the latches to the outside of the doors...Once this was done the latches were reinstalled with machine screws, new lock cylinders installed and tested for correct contact with the plungers...I had to adjust the latch faces on the boxes to get a tighter fit for the doors, but all turned out well...At least until I filled the boxes with what equipment I wished to carry for roadside use, and went to lock everything away for the night...This is when I found the "keyed alike" locks were not keyed alike...I had four keys to one of the locks, and none for the other...However a quick message to the Amazon seller got an apology and a new correct cylinder shipped immediately...It's good to be able to lock the meager contents of the boxes away from uninvited fingers...

In anticipation of another upcoming addition, I bought two steel gate pulls, and installed them on the headache rack as grab handles...The biggest item for this update is the Tough Country front bumper which arrived and was installed at Texan Hitch in Conroe today...Owners George and Robert specialize in customer satisfaction above all else...Like most business owners they stock what is popular, but when a finicky customer (like me) comes in, and can't be satisfied with what is on the shelf, they go the extra mile to please the customer...I noticed this low-key business approach on my first visit, and consequently came back to Texan when I was ready to buy...

The new bumper was ordered, and after a short wait (which always seems longer) it arrived at Texan Hitch, and I made the appointment for installation...I was in and out in an hour...I couldn't be more pleased with the product and the service...Those readers wishing to refresh their memories from the beginning of this saga can begin reading here, then follow the list of updates at the top right of each page...New photos were added at the bottom of the photo essay here...In the new photos the front bumper is the only clean part of the truck following yesterday's mudstorm...

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