Hot Rods 32 pick up build thread! Drive it to torque fest 2013 mission!

What's up guys! So a little background info, my original user name here has been Diesel627 for the last 5-6 years or more. That name didn't mean anything an it was something quickie to come up with one day just to start a membership here. So after deciding it would be cooler to have a user name that included my real name (Ranier), and something that would rhyme and be easy for people to remember when introducing myself as a member here, my Freind had started calling me Damn Near Ranier as a joke cause all my cars are half done, or because I always get them driving and say its not done, I still wanna do this or that or paint it ect... You know the story. There never really done are they!? Haha well I found that getting your user name change was not an option so I just started a new account. Sooooo for my first post I figured I had better post my build thread for my recently finished 32 pick up! So on to that!
Years ago I decided I wanted to build a traditional hot rod truck, cause who doesn't like trucks! So I put the word out I was looking to buy a 32-34 project, a cab or parts. Luckily my parts broker ( as Marcey recently referred to him as Hahahah!) Jeff or ***us on here. Anyway he called me and told me he had scored a 32 pickup cab! I was able to buy it, but of course it was missing the drivers door as with most of these trucks are. So I stashed the cab away an started buying other parts over about 3-4 years, ending up with a real used and abused original set of 32 rails (which had to have been used under a roundy round car) a 32 pick up box, and a 32 pick up grille I scored on eBay! Now the funny thing is I got all these parts over the years from Jeff (***us), except for the grille, hood, motor trans, wheels ect.. Now onto how and when I got started with the build.
The real motivation to the build was when I scored some 40 rims with brand spankin new big and lil firestones at the roadsters swap here in St. Paul, I say they were a good motive is because the rims where painted white already and that helped me decide on a color and direction to go with, so that lit a fire under my ***, plus finally having all the major parts to get started helped too!
I won't go into how, where and when I got all the parts because with most stuff it's a long story, and the truck was bought in peices over 3-4 years with the majors coming from ***us. I did buy the 32 hood I used on it at torque fest 2012 and that was part of the reason I wanted to make it my mission to drive it to the 2013 show! So now on to the pictures and build!
Here's what the cab looked like when I started, and with the united pacific firewall. Also bare with me on pictures I just realized that I will have to transfer pics from one computer to another so over the next day or so I will have to edit and re edit this thread an ad pictures as I go.

Here are the frame peices I started with. Thankfully I was able to use a friends frame jigto get the rails squared up and cross members welded in. I would have been completely screwed and unable to used this ch***is with our it! So thank you again to Joel!



Pie cut, heat, bend, smash!

This shows how far out the p***enger side rail was from fitting in the jig, it also shows the frame horn ends I had to make, someone had hacked them off about 3" for some odd reason.

The drivers side rail was the same, way off! Also between the firewall mounting bolts and the front spreader bar holes the drive side frame rail was tweaked up about 1 1/2" so to get the front cross member level there was more pie cuts and heat to get it into place.

Just about got the frame level and square here, so final welding begins


Finally got the ch***is good an welded up, now for Mock up so I can start fabing the center crossmember, rear suspension ect...

Here's the box I got. It's seen better days! Someone made a 1/2" wide cut down the side way back when, who know why? But hey, Jeff (***us) found this box at a farm equipment auction here in Minnesota, and the price was right!!

A friend called and asked if I would be able to host a photo shoot for Roy Varga!!! Hell yes!! So I quick tack welded the rear axle in, and ***ailed the front suspension to make the truck a roller just In case It could be used in some of the RULER pinup pictures to be taken at my house!

Roy Varga is one hell of a cool guy by the way, if you have a lady that would like to be shot as a pinup hit him up! His wonderful lady does the wardrobe, hair an makeup as well! His pictures are amazing!! Here are some behind the scenes pictures from the shoot.

My bike and other projects I have set up as props


Looks like I reached my max limit of pictures to upload using the iPhone app, so stay tuned I will continue!


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So after the phot shoot i was able to get back at it! Back to the photos: Lining up the rear axle and marking out the wheel base

Boxed the front part if the frame

Set the motor and trans in to make motor mounts and trans crossmember. Went with a 1958 283 motor for drive train. But this motor in the shots is a mock up 350 I had around.


Got the motor nice and tight to the firewall, I like to use mechanical fan, and points distributors. Also plan to run a full hood so I needed to make sure I had room for the grille and rad to fit in stock location.

I sure love 32's for the fact that you can mount the firewall and test fit the grille, rad and hood! I always start at the front and work my way back.


Perfect fan clearance, I mounted the motor up high so the fan pulls through the entire rad and not just the bottom.


It's tight but I'd rather be tigh to the firewall and not the rad!


Started on the motor mounts








DamnNearRanier is my new user name, Diesel627 is the user name I went by for a long time, if we were friends before please re-friend me!

 

should be a cool one but hasn't torque fest 2013 already happened before you started this post?

 

rebuilt the spindles, I bought a 1940's Montgomery an wards spindle bushing reamer on eBay years ago, sure is nice to be able to do almost anything myself.
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Made a removable trans crossmember, and started on the center x member. It won't be fancy looking but it will work and be strong.
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Here are the center x member legs done along with a dropped laser mount I made that will also sere as a driveshaft loop.
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Scored this old hurst shifter for jamin gears threw the Saginaw 4 speed.
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Boxed the rear section of the frame
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Started in on the ladder bars
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Blasted the rear axle, and cut off the stock brackets.

Made the spring hanger brackets, which was interesting since I used a reversed 32 spring, which of course is a v shaped spring or curved spring.


Here's the rear suspension all done! Sits nice and low even with the stock 32 rear crossmember. Basically instead of flattening the crossmember I made my own spring hangers that mount lower than stock so it sits about 4"-6" lower out back.



More to come.......


DamnNearRanier is my new user name, Diesel627 is the user name I went by for a long time, if we were friends before please re-friend me!

 

Yes it happend last weekend, I had been meaning to do a build thread since I started the truck, but never took the time, so I am doing it after the fact. But hey I built the truck on time and drove it to the show.


DamnNearRanier is my new user name, Diesel627 is the user name I went by for a long time, if we were friends before please re-friend me!

 

Made front shock mounts

Made rear shock mounts. On my mode a coupe I made upper shock mounts and I had problems with them cracking so this time around I made a cross member so make it all stronger.


Once the ch***is was about done I blasted the cab and got it ready to start patching, and making pedals ect...



Here's the drivers door I finally got for the truck build. I ended up having to buy a whole Truck just to get the door, an the door is ruff, but hey! I got a door!

Had to fix the top hinge mount on the door.


On to chopping the top! After talking to Jeff (***us) about how much he thought I should chop it (he chopped a 32 cab that he is building for his wife) he volunteered to come help! After kicking it around a bit we decided to chop it 3" which equals out to 3" in the back, and 3 1/4" in the front. I am real happy with how it came out. It's obvious that its chopped but I didn't sacrifice any comfort.



It's a convertible!






DamnNearRanier is my new user name, Diesel627 is the user name I went by for a long time, if we were friends before please re-friend me!

 

Way cool. keep it up

 

Hey ranier you should pm ryan & have him change your old name to o the new one

 

Much better!
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With the box on.
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Now to get the body lines to line up, and doors to close right.
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After the top was chopped and tack welded on, I moved on to making the floors and bracing the cab up nice and bolting it all on the ch***is nice and square before final welding the top, and making all the pie cuts and fitting the A pillars.
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Started fitting a seat. 32-34 trucks are pretty wide. They are too wide to use the standard caravan bench seat like in coupes, so I used a 1990's s-10 bench. The back fit perfect, but the seat part had to be narrowed. I just shaved the foam off on the ends.
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I used the stock s10 seat back mount to mount the back to the cab so that the back can fold forward and I have storage behind the seat.
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I used f-1 pedals. It took a lot of cutting, heating an bending to make them fit. It worked out great in the end, but when I build my 32 5 window I will be using the Pete and Jakes pedals, and build a different style center crossmember and trans mount. (The Pete and jakes pedals mount pretty far back because the pedals are pretty long. They wouldn't fit because of where my trans crossmember was.)
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Put the 58 283 motor in that is the actual motor I am using. Also I mounted the vega box when I took out the mock up motor.
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On to lining up the A pillars from the chop. I found that cutting the front off of the pillars worked the best. I tried just putting a slice in the top an bottom and pushing the bottom in and pulling the top out, but it didn't line them up very well.
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More to come!







DamnNearRanier is my new user name, Diesel627 is the user name I went by for a long time, if we were friends before please re-friend me!

 

This is gonna be GREAT!!! Woot! Love me a '32 truck build thread....

 

Well.... I haven't tried but there is a thread in the tech section that says that Ryan won't do that anymore! I'm sure he had piles of people wanting to do it, plus I think he might be concerned that people who have burned people in the cl***ifieds or something might try to skate by, by changing their name? I don't know, so I just figured I'd start a new account. But maybe I'll give it a shot I spose the worst he can do is say no!


DamnNearRanier is my new user name, Diesel627 is the user name I went by for a long time, if we were friends before please re-friend me!

 

Ummm looks like I'll have to do some editing on my puter since some of the pictures don't seam to be showing up!

 

good work.
Al.

 

so did you make the T-fest show?...if your truck is blue with those white rims; I gotta tell ya our club (Tin Butchers) was commenting on how much we liked that truck; it looks good with a full-length bed, too many guys hack em too short and are useless as a truck.

 

Thank you! Yes it's midnight blue with white rims. I agree completely on hacking the box length! I kept it stock because its a truck and I want to use it as a parts hauler. Shortening a box 3" is about the most I like, most People seam to do 6" or more, if its a channeld truck then it looks good and makes sense cause the box is pretty much useless then anyhow. Having the stock length box was Also something to think about when we chopped the cab. Too much and it would look squashed! I am very happy with the proportions. Thanks again!!

 

Well I can't seem to figure out why some of the pictures didn't work so I guess I just continued on
Here's a picture if the pedals, and master cylinder mount, it's hard to tell cause its a small picture but its tight, but worked out well.
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I used a Chevy vega clutch cable since it was such a tight spot. It was easier than trying to make linkage, and actually works great! The clutch is real soft and smooth throughout the travel.
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Pedals with the pads on them, and through the floor.

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Started making the steel, removable tunnel. The nice part about using wood is that it's all removable so any clutch work or if I need replace the clutch cable or service the master it's all easy to get at!

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Here's a shot with the ram horn manifolds and the hood top on, starting to look like something! I tell ya tho these trucks look crazy with out a box on them because of the short 32 wheel base!

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Finally mounted the grille, radiator, and hood all permanent. Looks great and it all lined up no problems!

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Handy dandy stands I made out of square tubing for the rear hood latches.

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Got a 35-36 car dash on eBay! This will be my first time ever mating a different dash into a hot rod! I love the look of these dashes with the waterfall, plus having a glove box will be killer!

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So now none of the pictures are loading!!?? Can anyone help me out as to WHY!? This is frustrating. With out photos this is all pointless.

 

Ok cool I figured either that or it was a typo but didn't see an indication either way in the first post. Looking forward to reading this fast forwarded build thread

 

Get yourself a zips riser and you can position your fan in the middle of the radiator. HRP

 

where's the pics?...

 

You had me at truck
But i hope you get the picture thing figured out.

 

Sure ive seen those zips kits, but they are way to expensive for what they are. Way I did was mounted the motor up higher until the fan was center'd in the radiator. It worked out great, and was free! Hahaha. But the down fall is a higher trans tunnel which might not work for some guys.

 

Thank you!! Yeah it's odd that some pics loaded and some say path not recognized? I loaded the pics from my phone and they where all taken from my phone in the same format so it's not adding up? Maybe their was too much activity on the site when I did it? I'll deff go back and reload them maybe thy will fix it!

 

I'll try to reload the photos here

 

Nice work! I hope to chop my '32 pickup sometime in the near future. The 3" chop looks just right. I was on the fence weather to go 3" or 4" with mine. Looking forward to more pics.

 

Looking forward to seeing this one cruise around. Subscribed.

 

Did you ever put that 5-window roof to use? How about those rusty rails?

This pickup looks good, and has a lot of the style I'd like to use in my own truck some day.

 

All righty! Back to the pictures and words that go with pictures. I ended up posting the pictures that didn't load at the bottom of the the story because I had to add them using the "quote" option. Anyways here goes.....

Here's how I fit the 35-36 dash. I cut the lip off the inner top, and rolled it over so I could get the top edge of the dash on top of the 32 truck dash rail.
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Then to mount it I just drilled holes across the top of the dash and made little stands that I drilled and tapped so I could use screws from the top to sinch it down. I also used a bracket on each side to attach it to the dash rail. I wanted it to still be removable. I know with mating a 50's car dash into a hot rod sometimes they have to be welded in and that would make wiring the car a little more annoying!


In this pic you can see the screws across the top. I know some people would rather hide all the mounting and hardware but I countersunk the holes and used flat blade screws and I think it looks cool. Also I cut out the old gauge holes an welded in a flat piece to cut holes to run stewie gauges.




Once the dash was mounted I hacked up a f1 column drop and made it work with the 35-36 dash and the speedway stainless column I used.


Here it all is with the 50-52 Buick steering wheel.




I used a 32 Chevy headlight bar I had got for 10.00 has a nice curve to it, so I cut the ends off an welded them on underneath the head light mounts, so it all mounts to the front frame horns. And of course some guide headlights.






Made an in floor under the seat battery box. Space was tight so I used the dreaded side post style battery. Haha


Laila approves!


Battery in.



I them moved on to all the patch panel work. I didn't take many pictures of all that cause its tedious and very time consuming! Basically both the doors needed inner and outer bottoms, I had to do cab corners. My good friend Jamie helped me out big time by doing the cab corners, And the inner door bottoms. I am capable, just not a fan.


Here's what I did for a gas pedal. There wasn't much room so I had to be a little creative. I used a 32-34 original s**** pedal, welded on a top arm for the cable operation. Then I just used a price of solid stock through some small rod ends. I used a cable for simplicity, direct linkage is of course the best, but having a cable keeps the fire wall sealed up and I had all the stuff laying around to do it.


Made a trailer hitch/gas tank mount in the back off the rear frame horns. It worked out well, the box hides the gas tank. I used a 53-54 chevy car poly tank cause they are cheep, and 16 gallons! Beats a stock 10 gallon 32 tanks! Plus then I was able to have the filler come out the drivers side of the box behind the wheel well.



Stay tunned more to come! I hop these pictures keep uploading!