Re: Buying a C304.
Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2011 5:10 pm
Other than the steering wheel, I haven't had TOO much trouble finding parts - it shares parts with volvo cars and Land Rover 109's pretty extensively. The steering wheel was admittedly a bizarre problem to have, but I bought mine from a bizarre midget artist for about half what I would have paid for one normally, so, I really shouldn't complain.
I still need to run through and find exactly what size and spline count the wheel is (I admit, once I got the new one I stopped looking because I was pretty sick and tired of it at that point), just to add to a database of parts.
The new parts company Tatanka has been FANTASTIC with finding and shipping parts - I really cannot express just how great is is to have them around. They're also having some shops make runs of rarer parts (CV Joints for one), given another year or so and we'll have a pretty good parts network again.
I think I'm going to bite the bullet and convert mine over to 12v electric next summer, 24v parts (alternator, starter, ignition) are - not impossible to find, but nowhere near as prevelent, and if I want to go with an electronic ignition (123Ignition), it makes a lot more sense just to convert EVERYTHING over, particularly with radios, electronics I'd like to add, etc.
I'm going to keep all of the 24v components so I can retrofit it back to original military configuration if need be (I HATE making permanent modifications to a collector vehicle that would prevent it from being restored to it's original configuration), but it's just not worth it keeping it 24v for my use.
Top speed with the XZL's is about 70 MPH on flats/up very slight hills.
With smaller tires, it depends HOW small I want to go, at this point I'm saving up cash for other needed work first, tires are going to be quite pricey.
At this point it's running absolutely beautifully. Only problems I'm still having are all electric in nature (front circuit for external 24v ports is dead, can't seem to track it down without pulling the dash, ditto with left-front turn indicator, switches for interior cab lights are broken - the lights work, the switches have a spring that push the contact out that closes the circuit, the springs broke long ago and crumbled into dust, and the lamp assemblies are riveted, so I'm going to have to drill and re-rivet them to fix). I'm getting absurdly good fuel milage (13-15mpg so far), and the heater is working well, I just need to plug up some of the leaks in the system (again, removing the dash will be required to reach the area I need to fix). Same with the passenger side wiper squirter (aforementioned crazy artist got confused and dumped antifreeze into the windshield washer fluid reservoir, and then let it sit there, where it jellified and killed the pump and melted the squirter. Replaced the pump with the one for the headlight wiper system, since I don't have those yet, for the time being), so since I'm going to be yoinking the dash, where all the electrical systems live, I figure it's a good time to go ahead and take the 12v conversion plunge.
I still need to run through and find exactly what size and spline count the wheel is (I admit, once I got the new one I stopped looking because I was pretty sick and tired of it at that point), just to add to a database of parts.
The new parts company Tatanka has been FANTASTIC with finding and shipping parts - I really cannot express just how great is is to have them around. They're also having some shops make runs of rarer parts (CV Joints for one), given another year or so and we'll have a pretty good parts network again.
I think I'm going to bite the bullet and convert mine over to 12v electric next summer, 24v parts (alternator, starter, ignition) are - not impossible to find, but nowhere near as prevelent, and if I want to go with an electronic ignition (123Ignition), it makes a lot more sense just to convert EVERYTHING over, particularly with radios, electronics I'd like to add, etc.
I'm going to keep all of the 24v components so I can retrofit it back to original military configuration if need be (I HATE making permanent modifications to a collector vehicle that would prevent it from being restored to it's original configuration), but it's just not worth it keeping it 24v for my use.
Top speed with the XZL's is about 70 MPH on flats/up very slight hills.
With smaller tires, it depends HOW small I want to go, at this point I'm saving up cash for other needed work first, tires are going to be quite pricey.
At this point it's running absolutely beautifully. Only problems I'm still having are all electric in nature (front circuit for external 24v ports is dead, can't seem to track it down without pulling the dash, ditto with left-front turn indicator, switches for interior cab lights are broken - the lights work, the switches have a spring that push the contact out that closes the circuit, the springs broke long ago and crumbled into dust, and the lamp assemblies are riveted, so I'm going to have to drill and re-rivet them to fix). I'm getting absurdly good fuel milage (13-15mpg so far), and the heater is working well, I just need to plug up some of the leaks in the system (again, removing the dash will be required to reach the area I need to fix). Same with the passenger side wiper squirter (aforementioned crazy artist got confused and dumped antifreeze into the windshield washer fluid reservoir, and then let it sit there, where it jellified and killed the pump and melted the squirter. Replaced the pump with the one for the headlight wiper system, since I don't have those yet, for the time being), so since I'm going to be yoinking the dash, where all the electrical systems live, I figure it's a good time to go ahead and take the 12v conversion plunge.