hey all, so, got the truck to the house, started tearing all the stuff off we`re not gonna use/keep, replaced battery, ignition switch, gas cap, topped up all fluids, tore the carb aapart and master cylinder, now gonna replace points but don`t the gap, any one with any good ideas?
now the frustration sets in, needs points, a carb kit and the starter is real slow, removed it and found the rear bushing tore up and a broken brush spring, go to several parts stores and no luck at all, all the points i`m finding are backwards, crab kit has the wrong accelerator pump and can find nothing on the starter, i`ve had better luck getting parts for older cars, whats the deal with this thing, anyone have an idea where i can find parts for this thing? any help would be appreciated....
If I remember right some of those old Mopar trucks had a 325 v8 in them .I do not know if that is what you have or not but it is worth a try. The 325 looks like a 318 but I believe it was a truck block.
Got checking and from 1957 to 1959 dodge had a 325 truck block. If you don't do any good finding parts locally ,,try kanterauto.com .they are out of Boonton New Jersy and have parts for most all old engines. Maybe get a couple numbers off of your engine and see if it is a 325. Good luck and enjoy that time with your boy
yeah, so frustrated, can`t find a starter anywhere, can find bits and peices here and there, but in 2 or 3 different places.....hey, low cruiser, its not a 325, its a 318 wide block........different from the LA 318....its a 1960.....thanks for the info
Good Starter piece. Keep it simple, and have him do a lot of the work. He will learn a lot and also learn to respect the machine and treat it with respect. Your time with him will be well spent, you to will become friends as well as father and son, and he will have a vehicle of his own. Most important is HAVE FUN and take a lot of pictures. My hat off to you. Been there Done that. Iceman
Actually, it's ALL The SAME internally, save for the intake and heads. And parts are WAY easier to find than you think. JOIN THIS: http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/318poly/ ~Jason
Dude - where are you looking for parts? There's parts everywhere for those. Like I said - ask around here - they'll set you on the right path: http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/318poly/
thanks for the link abomination, right on the first page, cool shit.......well, been a few days/ weeks, but plenty of progress, boy has been getting home fom school and gettin in a couple of hours of work before i get home and help him out.....got alot of the wiring repaired which was a bout a half of a rewire job, half ass rebuild on the starter, carberator, all brake cylinders, got the dash all wrung out, all lights working, actually took for a little spin around the block and to the gas station, trans worked perfectly, engine purrs like a kitten......very nice trcuk so far.......so, with all that pretty much taken care of, and not gonna tag it til next month, leavves us with some time, so, started body work, shaved some of the trim that we were missing or didn`t like, reinstalled the stuff he wants to keep on it and started filling holes......get all that done......worked on a low buck lowering job.......got the front done, took out about half the leafs, still has five, was recommmended way from the sweptline site, seemed to lower it about 5 inches, seemed to soften up the front to nicely.....after that, moved to the rear and then........decided to removed the bed and start on the shortening job........woooow thats alot of work......so, here she is as of tonight.......probably cut the frame tommorow and get it most of the way back together....then the bed by this weekend............and get the rear lowered while its all apart.......any and all comments are welcome........ideas as well.........
Looks like this is going to be a cool project for your son and you. My Dad started teaching me about cars at age 10 or 11 and I'll be forever grateful, bloody knuckles, empty wallet & all. Subscribed. I just remembered, we had a '63 Dodge wagon with a 318 wide block in it and she'd cruise at 70 all day long. Good old motors for sure.
Congrats to you and your son! I have two daughters that don't live with me, so it's hard to get them involved. I do have a step son, and we haven't been getting along very well. He just turned 14. He talked about liking Mustangs so I thought I would get him in the garage when I'm working on the Nash. First thing I did was let him use the impact wrench to take off a tire (I would have had to work my way up to that when I was a kid). Then I popped the hood and showed him the engine, talked about how a 4 cycle engine works, pointed at the carb and started explaining the fuel system.... He stops me mid sentence and says "I said I liked Mustangs, I don't care how they work" and walked back in the house. WTF???!!!! Probably Facebooking his friends on how lame I am.
Your boy is lucky to have a dad who spend time with him learning working with hands . Beeing metal or wood is not important . Even not american iron or rice aluminium . I would also think you are lucky , but I suppose that if your kid want an old car while just beiing 15 , it s not just chance Mine are still too young ( less than 5 ) , but already work on my 38
My son just turned 17 last week and I know the pride you feel. Mike and I have been working on bikes and trucks for several years now. He is becoming a fine man and I am proud to call him my best friend. My only advise for you is to let EVERONE know what his interest is and what he is working on. If your friends and family are anything like mine, you will have parts and tools being offered by everyone you have ever heard of and from total strangers. When I put out word that Mike was interested in a car project, within a week we had a 4 bolt main 350 with a turbo 350 offered for the project for free. The next week we had a call from a guy that had a Buick Regal as a donor vehicle, "can I bring it over for you this weekend" the guy on the phone said. I had only met this guy a couple of times and he just wanted to contribute to the project. The neighbor offered the 49 F1 bodywork for $250 and kept on bringing parts that were not even part of the deal. I guess the point of the rant is that people will want to see a young person succeed. So many people see the young kids getting into drugs and zoning out on video games that when they see a young guy actually trying to accomplish something they will want to help. That is my experience anyway. Good luck to you and your son.
If he were my son, that's what would have happened. His mom and I have had many discussions about starting to turn him into a man and she wants no part of it. She doesn't get that she's turning him into a little girl... I tried, not my problem anymore!
boy that does hit home my son and I built around 5 cars in his teenage years, now he is 25 and has kids, and like the other guy I dont see him much. he went on to build trucks 4x4 ? he has one little ranger 2300 with VW water pumper injection backed with a T-3 turbo its scary fast. but not like the Novas we used to play with or his Z-28. now for the grand Kids !
So being a "man" is just through metal work ? Maybe there s a middle .... If your kid don t like cars , maybe he s right ? Slapping won t change anything . I d prefer my sons being "girls" than choosing their tastes for them . This is a polite way to say what I really think .. Just love him as he is . What you write is awfull ...
How did this cool thread of a father/son project turn into a thread on how to raise kids. Lets get back on topic and not ruin this guys thread.
Neat that he's interested in the old iron, even more so that it's "grandpa's old truck". Our kids are precious, and one of the things I've ALWAYS gone overboard about is defensive driving, and safe vehicles. I have a couple of recommendations I'd make if it were my son's project. Have him put 3-point seat/shoulder belts in it, and convert that single circuit brake master cylinder to a dual setup. If I recall, Mopar started to use dual master cylinders on some of their drum/drum cars in about the middle 60's. I believe the dual master that I put in my New Yorker was from a 66 or 67 Dodge Charger. Enjoy your time with him and the project. They grow up way too fast.....
Congrats on the build. My grandpa and I started on my 54 Chevrolet 3100 when I was about 14. It's built a very strong bond between us, and I learned so much along the way, from a man who was building hotrods in the 50's and 60's. Since, I've built several more on my own, from motorcycles to 4x4's to musclecars, now another classic truck. We (including my younger brother) now have four trucks we're building now, and I try to make it a point to get my three year old son out in the garage every chance I get, and that's his favorite place to hang out. Hope you have a great time, and good luck!
no pics of the progress tonight, nothing really to show, got the frame marked out and partially cut on one side......driveshaft removed for cutting tommorow at work and thats about it, will try to get some pics tommorow night when i cut the frame the rest of the way and begin putting it back together..... yeah ebbs......gonna put a dual circut master in it out of a later model full size sedan....used one in my 55 dodge.....bolted right up.....the one i used was out of like a 70 belvedere.....workked good....also a couple down the road gonna get a disc kit from scarebird to convert the fron to discs......and figure out the seatbelt thing.....too....thanks
pics from tonight....check em out.....let us know what ya think....ended up maring and cutting frame, took 6 inches out of the wheelbase making it 110 inches and bobbing the frame 11 inches, so, truck will have about a 6 and a half foot bed.....should be close to what an original shortbeds dimensions where.........we`re liking it and having fun.......
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