Every old truck has a gremlin or two, and this 1970 Dodge W100 long bed had both wiring and drivability issues standing between the maker and a Grand Canyon trip planned for next year. With a deadline on the calendar, the work has been methodical rather than rushed, and the progress so far reads like a proper diagnosis instead of guesswork.
The electrical side came first. Untangling the basic running light harness ate hours, new ground straps went in, and a replacement column switch for the brakes and turn signals lands next week. The dash indicators are mid-refurbishment, held up only by new bulb sockets. Once those switches show up, the truck is parts-complete apart from the radio.
The drivetrain is a solid foundation for the maker's goal of spirited off-road use: a 318 with an unidentified mild cam, an Edelbrock 1406 on a 2" spacer, a TF8/727 transmission and a hefty NP205 transfer case. The results speak for themselves. Lights burn bright, the remaining harness passes continuity checks, the 1-2 shift is clean with only a small flare from 2-3, and the last troubleshooting round left the brakes fully functional. The fuel system got purged again too, after repeated filter clogs despite a recently cleaned tank.
The open question is the engine. Idle vacuum sits at 16 inches, lower than expected, and idle runs at 1100 RPM against a 900-950 target; it will hold 750 but dies when put in gear. Timing gets redone and the carburetor cleaned again, with a new coil and plug wires planned, and a new intake manifold possibly on the table. A stethoscope session should tell whether it is lean, rich, ignition related or an exhaust leak. If it is not sorted by springtime, a crate engine becomes the fallback.