Fire! half-ton pickup

[highbeams]

Half-ton pickups without tailpipe run the risk of a bed board smoldering fire directly above the muffler exhaust @ highway-speeds 60+-.

Upon your exit stop, you will be shocked that you're on fire; wafting smoke.

Personal experience 1968 buying a '38 half-ton from a farmer w/o checking tailpipe or no tailpipe. Thank you.

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Last edited by highbeams; Yesterday at 02:01 PM. Reason: addition
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[Tinker]

Highbeams I prefer to have a complete vehicle fire started in the engine compartment. most likely.

or parking on dry long grass after a day of running.


but respect your thoughts...

[Bob NH]

On my truck the tail pipes were pretty close to the bed wood where they went over the rear end so I made a metal shield with spacers fastened on the bottom to hopefully prevent a smoldering oak bed !

[deuce_roadster]

A friend of mine with a Dodge motorhome had a fire the same way, hole in muffler pointing up at wooden floorboards. Lost the whole thing going down the road.

[highbeams]

Wow; freaky stuff. I, downright flat-out, 'lucked out'; it shoulda gone up in flames. Freaky good stuff happens too. You know, while driving it, I did smell smoke. looking around- hmmm, there's a fire somewhere out here. Kept looking.

You can imagine my being 'freaked out' upon getting into reality. It was really burned in oblong shape.

I posted this incident short & readable.

If interested in the long version, the truck was spotted by my bro. This was an outside-the-'barn find' in a neighboring (Wisconsin) county. Upon arriving, the farmer said that it 'ran but didn't go anywhere'. It was dentless, but apparently painted (silver-gray) over the green w/a barn broom. Quite sad-looking. Price negotiation= $150 beginning at my offer of 135.

Log-chain towed to our farm. My father & I pulled the shifter top to discover no oil in the case, worn into the case considerably. Another freak happenstance, my bro knew a guy w/a '38 sedan @ a farm setting out. My father & I visited that guy, told him our situation. "You can have the trans out of that car for five bucks." We pulled it and put it in the out-of-barn find that afternoon.

Later, during spare time, I pulled the brake cables. The cables and cables housings were rusted as one piece. Required one afternoon of slightly hammering each cable housing on a railroad rail 'anvil', attempting to pull the cable(s) w/a Vice-Grip. hmmm. then vertically hanging the cables and dribbling Liquid Wrench into the cable&housing(s). Then next afternoon, back to the anvil. Repeat as necessary, from each end. Success, but stopping - excuse me, applying brake pedal pressure well in advance of a required stop resulted as a rolling stop.

Hand drill and disk sanding the entire truck. Light gray spray-can primer.

An out-in-the country local painter in his garage shop= compressor spray painting,

I selected 1965 Chev light yellow with black (the orig Volkswagon type) wheels, and '38 style entire-wheel-covered/center-chrome hubcaps, black barrel-nose grill. It looked conservatively sharp!

Sold the truck for $1,500, advising the buyer about the brakes, as he listened to the V8.

It was a good-steering enjoyable truck.

* Upon seeing my first post re pickup tailpipes receiving no responses, I did the second post, same info different caption. I truly wanted pickup owners to be aware & wary.

Pat

[highbeams]

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Tinker -

The bedboards stayed in! after the garden hose 'application'

Pat -

[GB SISSON]

I also have made a heat shield or two. Just think of the forge blower effect created when racing down the road at 40! Glad your's didn't end in disaster. My first flathead was a 38 PU and it sure steered like a dream. Glad you added your story. How old are you now and when did this out of barn-find take place?

[highbeams]

Originally Posted by GB SISSON

I also have made a heat shield or two. Just think of the forge blower effect created when racing down the road at 40! Glad your's didn't end in disaster. My first flathead was a 38 PU and it sure steered like a dream. Glad you added your story. How old are you now and when did this out of barn-find take place?

GB Sisson: 75 now. Experiencing the . . . to-the-end of the TP.

The 'incident' was experienced in 1968. Thank you for you interest!

Pat highbeams

[highbeams]

GB Sisson: 75 now, incident experienced in 1968.

thanks for your interest!

Pat highbeams.

[highbeams]

GB Sisson: 75 now. Experiencing the . . . to-the-end of the TP.

The 'incident' was experienced in 1968. Thank you for you interest!

Pat highbeams

[highbeams]

Originally Posted by GB SISSON

I also have made a heat shield or two. Just think of the forge blower effect created when racing down the road at 40! Glad your's didn't end in disaster. My first flathead was a 38 PU and it sure steered like a dream. Glad you added your story. How old are you now and when did this out of barn-find take place?

GB Sisson: 75 now. Experiencing the . . . to-the-end of the TP.

The 'incident' was experienced in 1968. Thank you for you interest!

Pat highbeams

[GB SISSON]

Sounded like a story from back in the 'olden days'. My favorite.