Home » Public Forums » GMCnet » Our new baby. A 77 Kingsley
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| Re: Our new baby. A 77 Kingsley [message #272809 is a reply to message #272770] |
Sun, 01 March 2015 08:11   |
kerry pinkerton
Messages: 2565
Registered: July 2012
Location: Harvest, Al
Karma: 15
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Kool! Thanks Chuck. My son just looked up the current value of the coach 1977 price and it's about 150K in todays dollars.
Was the Kingsley only available in the twin/dry bath? Or were other floor plans available?
Kerry Pinkerton - North Alabama
Had 5 over the years. Currently have a '06 Fleetwood Discovery 39L
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| Re: Our new baby. A 77 Kingsley [message #272810 is a reply to message #272809] |
Sun, 01 March 2015 08:25 |
C Boyd
Messages: 2629
Registered: April 2006
Karma: 18
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The brochure says there were 5 floor plans available.
kerry pinkerton wrote on Sun, 01 March 2015 09:11Kool! Thanks Chuck. My son just looked up the current value of the coach 1977 price and it's about 150K in todays dollars.
Was the Kingsley only available in the twin/dry bath? Or were other floor plans available?
C. Boyd
76 Crestmont
East Tennessee
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| Re: Our new baby. A 77 Kingsley [message #272831 is a reply to message #272770] |
Sun, 01 March 2015 13:32 |
kerry pinkerton
Messages: 2565
Registered: July 2012
Location: Harvest, Al
Karma: 15
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Just got home. VERY, VERY IMPRESSED.
It was a bit of a pain to change the throttle cable but once that was completed, I added a quart of oil and fired it up. Got a belt squealing but it stopped after we got to speed.
Here is a good things:
- Drives like a DREAM. Better than our Ellie with EVERYTHING new on the suspension. No wiggle in the wheel, hands off at 60 mph and the wheel stays rock solid.
- No rut wander
- Temperature stayed at 180 degrees
- Oil pressure stayed at 40 (needs changing)
- Tranny shifts very, very nice but kicks down a bit too easy. I probably bent the accelerator pedal when I was changing the cable.
- PLENTY of power. Runs up hills without any hesitation. Really has some fortitude.
- Engine starts immediately and runs totally smooth. No movement at all.
- No musty smell which implys that there are no leaks.
Not so good things:
- Original wipers did not work. Of course it was raining a bit so we got some Raine-x and rolled on. Looks like Mr Ken will be selling me another set of his electric wipers.
- Exhaust temp gauge didn't work
- Oil temp gauge doesn't work
- Heater blower doesn't work
- Air compressor didn't start but there are some switches that I didn't want to experiment with until I got home. Probably just a fuse.
Found the ECU and the laptop. After we eat lunch, I'm going to spend the afternoon cleaning out all the mice nests and throwing things away so we know what we have. The cherry cabinets are just new doors all of which look really nice. I haven't opened up the propane compartment yet and don't know if the tank is empty or not. The new fridge is at least propane plus ??? Volts because when you turn it on it says 'propane'.
I'll take more photos and inventory things and make another post later.
Kerry Pinkerton - North Alabama
Had 5 over the years. Currently have a '06 Fleetwood Discovery 39L
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| Re: Our new baby. A 77 Kingsley [message #272847 is a reply to message #272809] |
Sun, 01 March 2015 22:31 |
hal kading
Messages: 642
Registered: February 2004
Location: Las Cruces NM
Karma: 4
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Kerry,
When we were looking for a rear twin layout, the Kingsley, like yours, was most common GMC factory outfitted in 77, but still quite rare. Most 77's were the 26-3 layout, which is what our second GMC (Kingsley) has.
I'll take a guess and say your Kingsley was painted as a 78 to be used as the model for the 78 brochures.
Hal Kading 78 Buskirk & 77 Kingsley Las Cruces NM
[Updated on: Sun, 01 March 2015 22:32] Report message to a moderator |
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| Re: [GMCnet] Our new baby. A 77 Kingsley [message #272848 is a reply to message #272784] |
Sun, 01 March 2015 22:42 |
kerry pinkerton
Messages: 2565
Registered: July 2012
Location: Harvest, Al
Karma: 15
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powwerjon wrote on Sat, 28 February 2015 20:19...The fuel injection system appears to be an Accel Gen 6 MPFI system, the same as I run. I was probably put together by Rance Baxter at rancefi.com . Do you have the cast iron or Edelbrock manifold. The Gen 6 system if everything works will just motor down the road. You don't need to play with it or change parameters or you will be parking it. The computer is the hard part to find and the rest is pretty much available ;off the shelf. I didn't bring my parts list when we left for Tucson, but I have found the injectors , fuel regulator. What color injectors do you have? When I get home I can get you all the information I have rounded up on the Accel DFI system. When you go to his site go to the GMC motorhome page and click on the 500 Cadillac 4 barrel style. The Gen 7 upgrade is the next step if you want to upgrade the electronics, the manifold and injectors are reusable.
On Location in Tucson
You nailed it Jon, It is a Rance Baxter system running on an Axcel ECU with 6.2 software. My son Kris found the lapton and the software discs. The manuals were in a cabinet. I haven't tried to power the laptop
up yet.
I found reference to a couple more names. There is a box lid with Rance Baxter on it attached to a postcard with the name Mr. Hoffmans with a North Augusta, SC address. There is also an invoice for Calmat software and cable from Rance to Klaas and Frances Vietje with addresses in Hollywood Fl and Charlotte NC. I'm assuming they at one point owned the coach. Possibly they were the folks who did the Caddy?
Anyone ever heard of either of these two folks?
I have a bunch of photos and stuff but have had company today and don't have time to upload them. Spent the afternoon vacuuming out about 5 lbs of mouse poop and another 15 lbs of mice nests and throwing away a bunch of old kitchen stuff.
Kerry Pinkerton - North Alabama
Had 5 over the years. Currently have a '06 Fleetwood Discovery 39L
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| Re: Our new baby. A 77 Kingsley [message #272882 is a reply to message #272770] |
Mon, 02 March 2015 17:46 |
kerry pinkerton
Messages: 2565
Registered: July 2012
Location: Harvest, Al
Karma: 15
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Making progress on the history. Spoke with Zeb Frady Sr (Southland in Atlanta). He remembered the coach. He got it from the Vietje (pronounced VJay) in Charlotte. The lady had been driving because the man was not in good health. It broke down and she had it towed home. I googled their address and got a phone number. They answered and I had a good conversation. They purchased the coach from Buskirk in 1987. Buskirk did the upgrades including the Caddy.
They didn't really use it for anything other than a temporary home when Klaus was working out of town. They had a lot of problems with it and were frustrated with the bills and being stranded. On the last trip, they stopped at a rest station and noticed smoke. The exhaust pipe was rotten and had caught the floor on fire by the propane tank. They put it out and kept rolling. When they got close to home, they noticed smoke and pulled over. There was a broken knuckle and the grease had overheated and caught fire. They put it out and had it towed home.
A couple days later, they called Zeb Frady and told him if he would send their biggest wrecker and get it out without hurting the driveway, he could have it. 
Zeb told me he had repaired the bearings and the A-arms which probably explains why it drives so good. Zeb had just sold his Royale and was going to keep the Kingsley for his personal coach. One day, his son took a call from a customer and sold the Kingsley to David Klutzenbaker, who sold it to Harold Ring, whose estate I purchased it from. Buskirk is dead and the business closed so any further history won't be possible unless there is information in the Registry. I haven't heard back from John Shotwell yet.
Btw, I told the VJays that apparently they had fixed the 'last' problem because the years since Zeb sold the coach had apparently been trouble free.
Kerry Pinkerton - North Alabama
Had 5 over the years. Currently have a '06 Fleetwood Discovery 39L
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| Re: Our new baby. A 77 Kingsley [message #272888 is a reply to message #272887] |
Mon, 02 March 2015 18:55 |
kerry pinkerton
Messages: 2565
Registered: July 2012
Location: Harvest, Al
Karma: 15
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Senior Member |
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Larry wrote on Mon, 02 March 2015 18:49Any chance you will drive it to Patterson? That looks like a 75-76 eldo 500 FI manifold and TB. Got a few things we could talk about there.
No, it's not remotely ready for prime time Larry but I'll enjoy talking to you and others about the EFI. If you have any questions I can answer, or take photos so you can answer, let me know.
Kerry Pinkerton - North Alabama
Had 5 over the years. Currently have a '06 Fleetwood Discovery 39L
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| Re: Our new baby. A 77 Kingsley [message #272902 is a reply to message #272882] |
Mon, 02 March 2015 20:46 |
Bob de Kruyff
Messages: 4260
Registered: January 2004
Location: Chandler, AZ
Karma: 1
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""Buskirk is dead and the business closed so any further history won't be possible unless there is information in the Registry. I haven't heard back from John Shotwell yet.
""
Kerry, there are two distinct Buskirk operations. My coach was restored by Clarence before he sold out to Wes Caughlin and became Cinnabar. Cinnabar has all of the records pertaining to my coach. Clarence had a run in with Wes and started his own operation around the corner. So, there may be hope.
Bob de Kruyff
78 Eleganza
Chandler, AZ
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| Re: [GMCnet] Our new baby. A 77 Kingsley [message #272904 is a reply to message #272888] |
Mon, 02 March 2015 21:37 |
Kosier
Messages: 834
Registered: February 2008
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Kerry,
That big air compressor looks like one of Darcy Moses's units. If so it's
built from a York AC compressor and a modified starter.
They were a very good unit and very high volume.
Gary Kosier
77PB w/500 Cad
Newark, Oh
-----Original Message-----
From: Kerry Pinkerton
Sent: Monday, March 02, 2015 7:55 PM
To: gmclist@temp.gmcnet.org
Subject: Re: [GMCnet] Our new baby. A 77 Kingsley
Larry wrote on Mon, 02 March 2015 18:49
> Any chance you will drive it to Patterson? That looks like a 75-76 eldo
> 500 FI manifold and TB. Got a few things we could talk about there.
No, it's not remotely ready for prime time Larry but I'll enjoy talking to
you and others about the EFI. If you have any questions I can answer, or
take photos so you can answer, let me know.
--
Kerry Pinkerton
North Alabama, near Huntsville,
77 Eleganza II, "The Lady", 403CI, Manny Brakes, 1 ton, tranny also a 76
Eleganza to be re-bodied as an Art Deco car hauler
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| Re: Our new baby. A 77 Kingsley [message #272907 is a reply to message #272884] |
Mon, 02 March 2015 22:08 |
cbryan
Messages: 451
Registered: May 2012
Location: Ennis, Texas
Karma: 3
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Kerry,
With reference to the pictures of your new Kingsley,
That "something" next to the EFI computer is the serial port interface with the white coiled wire that you plug into your computer. Ken can help you with cracking the password if needed. Horrors, built in 1996 it says on the interface, you might be running Windows 95 and won't that be fun? Editing now, I misread the picture caption, and I have no idea what that APLW black box is. Thought you might be referring to the serial interface in the picture above.
The muffin fan buzz box, might be a Xantrex item. They were built for marine environments and the fan is pretty loud. I have mine apart now and am thinking of putting a larger, quieter computer fan on it. It would be bulkier. It was the cat's meow back then. Lighter and would independently charge three banks of batteries without interaction. Nice. If it really was set and forget. Emery Stora has had his for more than 15 years and has had zero problems with it. I will keep you posted about mine. It is on the table right now, I'm trying to find out why it wants to charge up all batteries, reduce to a float charge and then after a couple of days wants to put out 20 amps, running the fan 24/7. No apparent drain, but must verify. Ground connections, proper AC polarity, that has to be checked, all the caps look good, even have the optional remote battery temperature sensor hooked up but no sign of it in the battery compartment. I'm going to remove the circuit board soon to make sure connections are not damaged. It was installed top bolts only, so that banging noise I heard hitting bumps was the inverter slapping the back wall. Can't be good.
Most swear by theirs. I would keep close watch on whether the Xantrex overcharges one or more of your batteries, if that's what you have. The fan runs when charging over 20 amps on my Xantrex 40+. Just thinking about it, I don't know if you had any current drains while the buzz box charged. If you didn't and it keeps it up and boils out the batteries, you join the owner's group. Can't fix them, no circuit diagram or troubleshooting instructions, got to return them with money to the factory, they send you a refurb. I plan to solve this problem whenever I can. It is under the bed in back on mine and sounds like a vacuum cleaner randomly cycling, when it is working properly. Just thought I might have a dead battery and the charger doesn't like it, it won't keep floating it, but on second thought, something must be taking a charge or you couldn't get 20 amps out. A mystery to me.
The Buskirk mods, I think I remember that Jim Bounds reports that they sandblasted the frames, but left the sand between the frame and the bogie subframes on the rear, and some corrode out. Keep an eye on that or have a nice project finishing their job. Right up your alley, metal work.
Those cherry cabinet doors look very much like Royale items.
All I can report now. Looks pretty good.
Carey
Carey from Ennis, Texas
78 Royale, 500 Cadillac, Rance Baxter EFI.
[Updated on: Mon, 02 March 2015 22:28] Report message to a moderator |
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| Re: [GMCnet] Our new baby. A 77 Kingsley [message #272909 is a reply to message #272884] |
Mon, 02 March 2015 22:17 |
sgltrac
Messages: 2797
Registered: April 2011
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The padded headliner is PIMP Kerry!!
Todd Sullivan
Sully
77 royale
Seattle
> On Mar 2, 2015, at 4:27 PM, Kerry Pinkerton wrote:
>
> Posted a bunch of new photos in the album:
>
> http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/g6746-77-kingsley.html
>
> Here is the engine top less air cleaner. Zeb Frady Sr said the engine was dirty when they had it and they did not clean it.
>
> http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/77-kingsley/p57356-hpim1381.html
>
>
>
> Here is the ECU and a bunch of stuff associated with it that I know nothing about.
>
> http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/77-kingsley/p57354-hpim1379.html
>
>
> Something else by the ECU
>
> http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/77-kingsley/p57353-hpim1378.html
>
>
> The ECU
>
> http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/77-kingsley/p57352-hpim1377.html
>
>
> Lower cabinets
>
> http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/77-kingsley/p57348-hpim1373.html
>
>
> Upper cabinets and the padded and button tucked headliner
>
> http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/77-kingsley/p57346-hpim1371.html
>
>
> The big compressor under the left bed. When I got the correct adapter so I could plug it in today, it runs when the ignition is on. Not sure if it's
> just a booster for on AC. There appears to be one of the original 12V V-twin cylinder pumps under the drivers hood. It runs also when the AC is
> plugged in. Not sure why it only runs when plugged in. Doesn't make much sence to me.
> http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/77-kingsley/p57342-hpim1367.html
>
>
> http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/77-kingsley/p57343-hpim1368.html
>
>
> Aluminum water tank with winterizing instructions. Whole house water filter is next to it.
>
> http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/77-kingsley/p57340-hpim1365.html
>
>
> Large water heater with heat exchanger and water lines from the engine.
>
> http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/77-kingsley/p57339-hpim1364.html
>
>
> Looked all over for the buzz box and FINALLY found it BEHIND the oven on the wall. One odd thing is it has a little muffin fan on it that runs a few
> seconds every few minutes. It may not have been plugged in for quite a while and may be trying to charge a huge 12V truck battery back by the
> Generator.
>
> The only 12V fuse panel is beside the toliet paper holder, unlabled of course. Seems like an odd place for it. Is that where it was originally????
>
> The new fridge works fine. It is a two way, propane and AC.
>
> Any observations or thoughts are welcome.
> --
> Kerry Pinkerton
>
> North Alabama, near Huntsville,
>
> 77 Eleganza II, "The Lady", 403CI, Manny Brakes, 1 ton, tranny also a 76 Eleganza to be re-bodied as an Art Deco car hauler
> _______________________________________________
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> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://temp.gmcnet.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gmclist
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Sully
77 Royale basket case.
Future motorhome land speed record holder(bucket list)
Seattle, Wa.
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| Re: [GMCnet] Our new baby. A 77 Kingsley [message #272927 is a reply to message #272913] |
Tue, 03 March 2015 08:05 |
bdub
Messages: 1578
Registered: February 2004
Location: Central Texas
Karma: 5
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Yes, they're 12V. They generally used a golf cart starter. A
motor/generator. However, Steve Ferguson rigged a 110AC motor to his,
working off an inverter, that is a screamer.
bdub
On Mon, Mar 2, 2015 at 10:53 PM, Larry Davick wrote:
> On Mar 2, 2015, at 7:37 PM, Kosier wrote:
>>
>> That big air compressor looks like one of Darcy Moses's units. If so
> it's built from a York AC compressor and a modified starter.
>> They were a very good unit and very high volume.
>
> ...and if I'm not mistaken they are 12v DC not AC.
>
>
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bdub
'76 Palm Beach/Central Texas
www.bdub.net
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| Re: Our new baby. A 77 Kingsley [message #272928 is a reply to message #272907] |
Tue, 03 March 2015 08:39 |
kerry pinkerton
Messages: 2565
Registered: July 2012
Location: Harvest, Al
Karma: 15
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Senior Member |
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cbryan wrote on Mon, 02 March 2015 22:08... Horrors, built in 1996 it says on the interface, you might be running Windows 95 and won't that be fun? ...
Yep, I plugged in the old Compaq laptop (probably state of the art when they built the coach), it powered up with Win 95 which I remember well.
I have the 3.5" floppy disk for the software and a manual which talks about stuff I don't understand in terms of setting the various things.
Kerry Pinkerton - North Alabama
Had 5 over the years. Currently have a '06 Fleetwood Discovery 39L
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