Work on the baby HEMTT grinds to a start.

[Polverone]

Leonard,
Simply amazing work. It's been a long time since I have viewed the BABY HEMTT in person.
I am going to the big "pie in the sky" MV junkyard in Fontana (Fontucky to us locals) this weekend. Other than that 50 lb bale of $100 dollar bills you asked me to look for is there anything you need me to scrounge/measure/look for/take a picture of while there? Snatch blocks?
I know we found some star washers there last time. There is a trailer full of air cleaners and oil/fuel filters. Just don't know what #'s to look for or sizes. I got lost in there. Did find some brand new M35 Oil Filter canisters that were still raw steel - no paint.

Anyway, short story long, I will be coming up to my shop in Yuba the week of the 26th January and will be paying you a long overdue visit. Delivery first hand is always grand. I'll try and remember some treats for your 4 legged friends.

 

[Jones]

Always welcome, Gary.

I'm doing lots of little odds and ends projects right now like; wiring up the alternator and positioning and mounting the voltage regulator, soldering pins on wires to press into the multi-pin cannon plugs for the chassis wiring to cab quick disconnects. Everything is black wire with metal number tags and all gets loomed and secured in insulated wiring clamps.

Me brudder and I wrestled the last of the driveshafts up and into position so that part of the project is finished.

Finally found a steering box that's the right configuration! $1,349.00 my cost but it'll do away with all the Rube Goldberg linkage I though I'd have to run to use the box I had.

One of these days it's gonna dawn on me that-- "Hey, with another day or two of work, I'll be able to run the baby HEMTT down the street".
I'm already checking out which fast food drive-throughs are tall enough to accomodate us.

 

[Polverone]

I'm already checking out which fast food drive-throughs are tall enough to accomodate us.

Drive it on up to Yuba City for a leg strecher. They have a Sonic Burger there with the old style car hops. I'd love to see her try and hang the tray on the door. Heheheheheheh

 

[Jones]

Got most everything buttoned up for the next round of storms and thought it would be a good time to take a couple of pictures.

The baby HEMTT starts right up and the transmission loads and tries to pull against the parking brakes and wheel chocks.
Morse cables are in the works for transmission shift selector, transfer case, and throttle; as are hydraulic lines to replace the ones on the crane crushed when handled by less than attentive mechanics (read gorillas).
Most of the air brake lines are routed and in between the rain drops I run out and turn a bolt or two.

 

[Elwenil]

Very nice looking, Jones. I wondered what it looked like in a dead-on side shot. Looks sort of European, like some of the large off road racing trucks they have across the pond.

 

[SgtHatred]

I wish I had your skills. Can't wait till it's complete and you got it painted. Keep the pics coming!

 

[AN/ARC186]

Wow!!

 

[maddawg308]

Dude, you gotta take that to a National MVPA convention, it's just too awesome!

 

[cranetruck]

Looks good Leonard.
Does you dog (Cole? can't remember..) have a new friend?

 

[Jones]

Yeah Bjorn. Her name is Ruff and they do a real good job of keeping the riff-raff out when I'm away.
They're both rescue dogs from the pound and they get along and play like they grew up together.
Even considering his size, I'd rather tangle with Cole than with her; she's smaller, faster and has a much tighter turning radius.

 

[rizzo]

looks great.

 

[JDToumanian]

Leonard, how are you going to handle production when the military awards you a contract for 3,500 of those things?

Jon

 

[jpcj-7]

That is so cool, I want one!

 

[Stalwart]

AMAZING work Leonard! Nice work on the jack sockets, I have a friend looking for some but I might have to resort to crying and pouting till you make me some.

Do you often go to Tower Park? My wife and I will be going next year but we haven't decided what to bring.

 

[FireFighterHill]

So let me get this straight, its a Deuce with a HEMTT cab?

 

[gimpyrobb]

Well, uh, it started as a deuce. I think the only deuce left is the frame.

 

[davo727]

5 ton axles?

 

[jcappeljr]

Looks good,A lot of hard work,And a lot of good fabricating.

 

[Jones]

Deuce frame and shortened bed turned into a dropside, HEMTT cab and material handling crane, M-900 series 5 ton axles and transfer case, Cummins 5.9 diesel w/ factory air compressor and high-mount turbo, Allison AT545N transmission, 2 Ford 50 gallon "D" fuel tanks to copy the HEMTT's round fuel tank look.

I'm still making little brackets and stuff while inching along under this 20# lifting restriction but as soon as I can I'll be making mounts for the new "correct" steering box and gettiong it installed

Tip: If you see a sheet of 1/2" steel plate starting to slide; stand back and watch-- don't try to stop it with a body block.

 

[cranetruck]

........

Tip: If you see a sheet of 1/2" steel plate starting to slide; stand back and watch-- don't try to stop it with a body block.

Oh man, Leonard, it hurts just reading about it...hope you are all right.