RE: [ihc] More Postal 800 talk

["Ed Sohm" <idaemes@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Power Steering - John says he can handle it, and a preliminary estimate
doesn't seem too bad.  (I won't make him sit down a figure out a firm
number until I KNOW I'm going to buy the truck.)


You know, on 4 cylinder 800s, the steering box is inside the frame rails
so a LHD power box would from a ScoutII would seem to be just the ticket
to replace a RHD 800 box.  




Power Brakes - John thinks the non-powered brakes will be fine.  (The
800 is, apparently, about 1000 lbs lighter than the Scout II)  Even
though I was talking about paying him to do the work, he felt it was
unneccessary.  Nice to deal with an honest guy.


I'll defer to John's judgment on this.  I know my 800 with 4 wheel drums
sucks.  Disk fronts without power may be great, I have never owned a
non-power ScoutII.




Lastly, Ed Sohm makes some good recommendations.  First, why do you
think I should swap the 152 for a 196?  (General question for the group,
which I've asked before, can a 196 even be swapped in?  I mean, easily. 
A 392 COULD be swapped in, with enough work...)  I will NOT put A/C in
this rig.  It'll be a delivery truck, with windows open all the time. 
Kinda pointless to put A/C in.  I'll never see benefits commessurate
with the cost.  But the combo can be a bit of a dog, and it'll all be
good.  I'm delivering mail.  If it can't move a fully loaded truck
(truck, me [~175lbs], up to 1000lbs of mail and parcels) then there's a
problem.

I've never owned or driven a 152.  That is why I recommend waiting and
watching for a 196.  You may not need it. 
If you heat proof well enough, you probably won't need A/C.  Once you
get acclimated to not having it anyway.  If you were used to A/C, you
would never want to drive the 800. 


I like the idea of heat-proofing the floor.  Or, should I say, making it
heat-resistant.  I'll be asking for recommendations for materials should
I buy this rig.  (Although I love the herculined bed in the Scout II. 
Is there a heat-reflective herculiner/rhinoliner available?)


I would go with Tom's recommendation of reflective bubble stuff to see
how it works.  You can go low buck like Tom or check out the stereo
places for the spendy stuff.  Dynamat? I think

Good luck,

Ed