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I wanted to start a fun thread where folks can post pictures of what they see from the driver seat. I really enjoy the view from the seat of my 5 ton towering over traffic, pointed up a mountain side logging road or waiting in a parade line. It's interesting to see what other members get to...
Here are the bumper numbers before they got wire wheeled off and painted over. I couldn't quite make out what they said and the numbers were painted on at least twice on two different layers:
If I stare at it crossed-eyed long enough I can kinda make out an 'A-14' on the driver's side and...
Gary, by chance could you have an example of how the bumper numbers might read for this 5-5 unit?
My tattered bumper number pics are on my computer so I'll post them up later. Maybe you guys could help translate them
Whoah, that challenge coin is the closest match I've seen yet. The seller said he bought the truck from a guy in Yakima (160 miles SE of JBLM) and the Yakima guy still had the remnants of the auction stickers on the hood & drivers door. JBLM is the only location I've heard of for military...
Purchased Parts list for the entire 4 station VIC-1 intercom system:
(1) AM-1780/VRC Amplifier
(4) C-2298/VRC Crewmember control boxes
(2) H-161E/U headsets
(2) H-161F/U headsets
(1) CX-4720/VRC 12' Power cord, battery to amplifier (was 1' too short & I really needed a 13' version)
(1)...
I've been working on restoring the dragon stencils on my truck.
I used pin striping tape to outline the original with help from a large paint chip I saved from the pressure washer. Covered with this special massive masking tape and cut along the orange background with an exacto.
The side...
I may have added some complexity to the panel since I have access to a laser cutter at work but the u-bolt approach is a clean, simple way to mount a radio/intercom to the roof. It looks intrusive but none of the components touch my head or my passenger's heads.
I finished the install of my 4-person VIC-1 intercom system for my 813 with a soft top and it turned out super sweet!!!
I have a full write-up from start to finish here: https://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?188122-VIC-1-intercom-panel-for-soft-tops
Here are the final installation photos with everything cleaned up and in place!
Driving around with an intercom makes cruises a pretty unique experience. It's nice to have the outside noise sealed out and be able to talk to passengers without yelling. I have been hooking up my ipod to...
Getting closer to the finish line and some details before the soft top goes back on. I put some trim-loc rubber edging on all of the sheet metal edges that were not hemmed so that the top wouldn't get rubbed thru - it also gives the panel a nice finished look.
With the panel mounted &...
On the passenger side of the panel the wire to the battery goes through a rubber grommet, out over the roof tube elbow, and the into a grommeted hole I drilled in the side cab support. Now the wire is hidden inside the tube and is heading straight for the batteries.
The wiring for the courtesy lights is basic and pretty simple to put together. I used all military connectors and wire (14 ga.), but the bulb receptacles used 16 ga. connectors.
The wiring goes from the battery to the circuit breaker then to port A on the switch. Port B (taillight...
Now I'm into the really fun stuff - detail lettering! The two options are to apply a decal or paint the lettering on. The decals seem cheesy and would probably not last as long as the painting option so I went to a graphics design place to have them cut out the words I wanted in vinyl with...
Next up is assembling the courtesy lights. The bulb receptacle gets inserted into the bulb holder and then the bulb is installed and then the taillight cover is attached to the front of the panel. The bulb receptacles are simple two wire, dual contact, BAY15D pattern base units made for the...
I did a mockup of the cabling before painting the panel which allowed me to locate the cable hold downs and get some holes tapped in the hem of the sheet metal.
Now a couple coats of 383 green and some black plastidip.