1989 Pace Arrow recovery and possible restore.

Rickf1985 · August 22, 2015, 04:54 PM

Well I figure I might as well start a thread here on this Pace Arrow I bought so I can keep all of the stuff about it in one spot as I get it to where I will be working on it and deciding if it is worth restoring or not. I went over to the lot where it is located today to hack through the jungle on the drivers side so I could get the drivers door open to get the info from there and also to check to be sure the generator was there, it is. I tried to get it started but the electrical gods were not liking me today and after weed wacking and chopping my way all the down one side only to find out I cannot open the door for some unknown reason I was to tired to fight with it. I did jump the coach batteries and everything came on, I mean EVERYTHING! All the lights, pump, fans, it was all on! Well, we know that works. I hit the generator switch and it cranked, I did not expect it to start. Once I get it to where it is going I will set up a remote tank for the generator so it will have clean fuel. I posted a request for any wiring diagrams in the electrical section since I have not been able to find a darn thing on these things. I am going back tomorrow to pay for it and get the title and try again to get it started, I am suspecting a bad battery connection somewhere but I have Dave on the case just in case there is a relay I am missing. I know he will find it. I did not take any pictures today since it was just to damn hot and I wanted to get done and out. I am still thrashing to get my other one ready for a trip next week. This was not really good timing but it was one of those deals that you have to jump on or lose. Towing will be Monday and I will try my best to get pictures.

Oz · August 22, 2015, 10:34 PM

Looks like a very interesting adventure with lost of twists, turns, ups, downs, knucklebusting, frustration, progress, set-backs and eventually - success! I'm glad you're taking us along for the ride!

Rickf1985 · August 23, 2015, 03:26 PM

Well it is out of the hole and on it's feet. My helper did not show so I was on my own. It is now paid or so the project begins. Had to jack it up about two feet to get the wheel out of the hole it was in and get blocking under the wheel. The gas tank took a pretty good shot but does not appear to be leaking. The fuel pressure regulator is leaking though but the gas coming out smells like good gas and not stale and varnish. That is a good thing. I did get it started on ether but found out quickly that the lower emissions pump is frozen so I could not run it more than just a burp or I would bur the belt off. Naturally it is the one that is damn near impossible to get to. if it were the top one I would just cut the belt but this is the belt that runs the water pump. Following are some pics of the hole recovery.

Here is a before and after of the drivers side.

M & J · August 23, 2015, 03:34 PM

Even more evnious. Wish I lived closer. Be great to help bring this coach back to life.

Rickf1985 · August 23, 2015, 04:01 PM

Yea, I wish you lived closer too. I am getting too damn old for this kind of stuff! Note the rear of my truck, thirty cinder blocks that I loaded in there for weight for traction, now I have to unload them.

DaveVA78Chieftain · August 23, 2015, 06:18 PM

Us old guys never learn do we?

Rickf1985 · August 23, 2015, 07:29 PM

Nope, I just unloaded all the blocks from the truck and they were a lot heavier than they were when I put them in.

TerryH · August 23, 2015, 07:43 PM

That's why God invented apprentices. And sons.

Rickf1985 · August 23, 2015, 08:15 PM

I only have daughters and they are long since married off. My apprentice was supposed to show up at my house at 08:00 but never showed and texted me at 10:30 telling me he just got up. He never did show up at the lot where it is at. His pay for helping me was free welding lessons, YEA, RIGHT!! :)rotflmao :)rotflmao Not now!

boogie_man · August 24, 2015, 12:09 AM

That looks like a cool rig Rick !! Sorry you had to do it all by your lonesome though, looking forward to seeing your progress after you recover

Rickf1985 · August 24, 2015, 07:32 PM

Well, Finally got it towed at 5:00 this evening! And not by the company that I started with. I was at the camper at 05:30 this morning pulling the drive shaft out and attempting to reseat the bead on the flat tire. No luck on that so I went home after not getting hold of the guy for towing to get an extension cord to use for my slightly larger electric compressor after finding out there was power there at the pole. Sure wish I knew that when I was jacking it up to get it out of the hole. I have an air powered jack! Still no luck with the other compressor nor with a ratchet strap around the tire. No, I am not going to use ether. Home again, call the towing company and get several excuses like they had a truck break down and they are tied up on the road. They will be out by noon. Back I go, I call around 1:30 and I am told he is on the way and will be there in a minute. The driver calls 20 minutes later to find out where it is located and finally shows up at 2:30. Immediately frowns and tells me he cannot tow it because of the flat tire. He also has an attitude and I can tell it is because he is being asked to tow an old RV with his shiny 40 ton wrecker. Yup, They sent a 40 ton tri-axle to tow a 7 ton vehicle. I went off on him! I asked him what kind of company would put a wannabe driver like him in a quarter million dollar wrecker. Did he turn down $5,000. tows on the turnpike because the vehicle had a flat tire? I sure as heck didn't when I was towing heavy! I fixed the tire! He gave me the number of a tire service and left. I called the owner of the company who I had originally set this all up with, and who was aware of the flat tire, and told him he needed to get better trained drivers. He offered to come out tomorrow himself and tow it for me at a discount, I told him to forget it since he told me that the truck he sent was his smallest heavy wrecker. I know better, I have worked for one of his competitors in the past so I know exactly what he has. I told him there was no way he was going to get the RV where it needed to go with a 40 ton machine. I called a different company and they were out in an hour and a half, just in time for me to have the spare from my other RV on there. Pleasant driver and right sized wrecker. Better price. Not as good as I would have gotten from the owner probably but hey, I have principals. The driver could not put it in the field do to his company forbidding driving off road but he did put it right next to the field so I will drag it in with my truck.

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M & J · August 24, 2015, 08:25 PM

Progress Rick. Dont blow a gasket amigo. Everything in due time.

TerryH · August 25, 2015, 01:09 AM

Looks like your "Flanagan's" guy was competent, capable, amenable and considerate.
Good choice.

Rickf1985 · August 25, 2015, 06:47 AM

By the way, the other guy in the picture is my buddy Jim, I have to give credit to him also since it is his property the RV is going to be on for a while. I do a lot of work on the Jeep's he takes on the cross country antique military vehicle reenactments. Picture driving a military Jeep 4,000 miles in 30 days! I'll build it bit I ain't drivin' it. W%

LJ-TJ · August 25, 2015, 07:30 AM

Hey Rick nice pickup.

JessEm · August 25, 2015, 10:23 AM

Quote from: Rickf1985 on August 24, 2015, 07:32 PM
Not as good as I would have gotten from the owner probably but hey, I have principals.

Schmitti · August 25, 2015, 12:29 PM

I wish you much fun when renovating

Thomas

jeno · August 25, 2015, 01:32 PM

Wish I had your ability so much I'd like to do with mine.

DaveVA78Chieftain · August 25, 2015, 05:48 PM

Quote from: Rickf1985 on August 25, 2015, 06:47 AM
Picture driving a military Jeep 4,000 miles in 30 days! I'll build it bit I ain't drivin' it. W%

Nay, you will be following in the Pace Arrow. Creature comforts ya know

Rickf1985 · August 28, 2015, 08:23 PM

Well the pick up earned its keep and pulled the beast into the field next to where it is sitting in the pictures. Didn't get any pics of that move because all hands were busy and could not take pictures. Aside from getting my good spare off tomorrow for my trip next week it is going to sit until I get back. Then I will try to get the generator started with a remote gas tank so I have power to work from. If that goes well I will be cleaning out the inside and getting one of the emissions pumps I took off of my Winnie on there so I can run it. I know it will start on ether so I just have to get gas to it. Will get a regulator repair kit and that should get me gas to the carb.

M & J · August 28, 2015, 10:27 PM

I dont see any pictures. Just blanks ?

Oz · August 29, 2015, 12:24 AM

Yes, a LOT of "blanks". There was no photo links so there was nothing I could do except delete all the blank space.
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Rickf1985 · August 29, 2015, 08:47 AM

Oz, I don't know if you were serious or not but there were no picture links. There will probably be no more pics till after my trip and I get time to get cover there and work on it. Two weeks after my trip to Virginia I have a day trip up to Gilbert Pa. for the last show of the year and then I can concentrate on getting some other stuff done. Like splitting several cords of wood! D:oH!

DaveVA78Chieftain · August 29, 2015, 03:17 PM

Rick - There was about 10" of dead space earlier. Everyone thought you had posted some more pics.

Oz · August 30, 2015, 11:59 PM

Yes, there were no links. I went to check them in the editor to see if there was a problem with the bbc code tags or something, but there was absolutely nothing, only your text and a huge blank space, like Dave said.