just getting started

[encantotom]

as many of you that know me i am a bit nutty on if things work etc.

my new coach was built by mario andretti as a race coach. after 5 years he sold it to honda indy car engine team and they used it as a race coach. i bought it from honda. they were very nice to work with and they even drove it to my house in mesa, az from southern california for me to just look at it. then the fellow stayed from wed to friday for the deal to be done.

it had been setting for most of the last 2 years. they maintained the mechanicals but the systems and cosmetics were not as well looked after.

so there is a bunch of little things that are not as i want them so i am going through things as fast as i can to know what to do.

a few of them i have made progress on so far.

1. the headhunter pump was leaking. so i have to say i was stunned when i found out how much those babies are. like a grand. so i found a new old stock one (mach 5) that had been bought by a surplus place and got it for 375 shipped. it is on its way. i have to replumb it because it is a different series pump, but that is ok.

2. a few of the bay door actuator locks were bad so i used ron's source and ordered new ones for 17 bucks apiece.

3. closing in on getting a good deal on new bay door struts. i only have 5 bays with struts plus the engine door. the doors on the drivers side are all on vertical hinges and no struts.

4. i ordered some led replacement bulbs for the halagen fixtures inside. there are 70 of them. i ordered a few to see how they do before i take the plunge.

5. i got quotes on lifeline agm batteries. boy are they pricey....the batteries in the coach are toast. one was boiling like spagetti water. i checked the inverter charger and it is ok. it is a xantrex prosine 3.0. nice unit with nice remote over the driver.

6. the 12vdc compressor is not working either. newell wanted 500 for it. i found an unused exact replacement as part of a larger setup with valves and other things for 210 shipped at a surplus place.

7. my 110v compressor works fine but is too noisy for me. it is a jun-air model 600. newell now uses thomas compressors and the replacement is a grand. i will find a cheaper alternative.

8. i have some air leaks i need to trace but that will wait till i take it to my bus guy to have him do it while on a lift.

there are so many things i just dont understand yet. airlines and valves are all over the place.

my engine is wayyy too dirty. so i need to find some detroit diesel blue and clean and paint the back of it.

the next few weeks are mechanicals and systems. then onto the making of a bed. that will be fun.

tom

[folivier]

Early Christmas present, a coach with much to do! Priceless.

[lbrachfe]

Please tell me where do I get those $17 actuaters for the bay doors ? I was quoted close to $300 from Ford who produced the original part and need three. Good luck with the water pump replacement as I went through the same thing and ended up buying a new Headhunter direct for $816 as the modifications won't work well with the autofill and pressure regulator..

Larry Brachfeld
2003 #646

[encantotom]

hi larry. the headhunter pump i had was the jetpaq. it is no longer made. so i had to get the mach 5. i will figure out how to make it fit. i like plumbing challenges.

http://www.newellclassic.com/forum/s...ead.php?t=1415

look at this post and there is a link from ron skeen with where i ordered them at.

tom

[lbrachfe]

Thanks Tom,
I have the Headhunter which is made in my backyard here in Florida. My aux is a Shurflo extreme. I rebuilt my entire plumbing system in the water bay last month while waiting 2 weeks for my appt. at Newell to do a multitude of repairs and the tire upgrade to the 365's. I too realy enjoy working with plumbing and quite a few other asst areas on our coach. I hope to restore this poorly maintained by the first owner coach to it's original state, only better and value this site quite a bit for the suggestions and help in doing so. The guys at Newell have also been very helpful guiding me through several jobs.

Larry Brachfeld
2003 #646