dolla, i have to agree with kustombuilder on this, you're a sick phuck! please don't let any mag photogs see this when its done, it'll drive up prices of the 48-53 cabs. did you laser cut the crosses? thats a pretty cool idea. if you're going to the trouble to lift the motor that high, i ***ume a 6-, 8-, or in your case a 14-1 blower will sit atop this actually peaking over the roof? my pants are getting tight looking at this one.....
Come to SEMA this year...you and I and Court will jam ourselves in or on it... ...and I'll christen it the Whale Boat
cool project. rather than narrow too much maybe look at stepping the firewall forward a little to break up the width?? kinda like 41 - 46 did stock. I dunno or maybe wide side pipes
[ QUOTE ] Come to SEMA this year...you and I and Court will jam ourselves in or on it... ...and I'll christen it the Whale Boat [/ QUOTE ] i certainly hope to make it this year. it'd be fun... Mike
On the "lexus pipes" shown why is there a cut out to a normal exhaust system? doesn't seem to be a openable/shutable flap/plate system????? If yah gonna annoy someone annoy them i say! =] Cheers
Stolen... Yeah...the crosses are laser-cut. I actually pirated them from this Dodge project...the customer decided he didnt want them...and this pic gives you an idea how the back half will look on the '50, although I am using springs, not air bags... Regarding the induction, it was gonna be 3x2, but then my buddy the Parts Manager at the local Chevy dealer came by, said that thing needs 6x2, and he happens to have TWO of those laying around....so, yeah. 6 deuces, with staggered 12", 8" and 6" intake tubes...a blower would be great, but only if I can find a chain drive
Not a bad idea, but the issue with any firewall "extension" is that it enlongates the truck...and this thing needs the space between the firewall (specifcally, the cowl) and grille to be as short as is practical. I agree that the cab could easily be narrowed too much. Ryans original recommendation of 6" is what I was thinking, although when I laid it out yesterday, it occured to me that a tapered narrowing...4" in the rear, 6" at the cowl, would accentuate the taper of the frame, and allow me to use the stock seat back, which I want to do... ...in addition, because of the "under roll" of the body, having the rear tires protrude past the outside plane of the body ruins the look I am after...so, I want to keep the body wide enough to "cloak" the rear tires, when viewed from the front. As regards exhaust, refer to my header pic.
You can't see it in that exhaust pic, but there is a block off inside the large collector. Essentially, there are two plates, each with four 1 1/2" holes...one plate is welded inside the collector, the other is secured to the welded plate via a stud and nut... ..to "uncap" the headers, he simply loosens the nut, rotates the "free" plate to align the holes, and viola...open headers, more or less.
oh nice! those headers are wicked. The idea of narrowing more in front than in back sounds hard as hell but I like it a lot. How would you do it? Maybe get your chop tacked together at its current width, tack the doors in place and then start a making the new cuts. If you do it with the doors off they probably will never go back on? Not trying to tell you what to do just thinking out loud. I have only chopped one truck and its addicting. Every car I look at now I start thinking how and where I would cut it. hehe
one more idea. maybe an evenly spaced reverse step in the firewall and stretch the cab through the doors a couple inches. ok I will shut up now.
Narrowing the cab is actually relatively easy... These cabs have a gentle radius to the rear wall, so its not an issue of a tapered narrowing where I would have to try and maintain a flat rear cab wall...I just metal-finish the seam to meet the pre-existing radius... In the front, the cowl "peaks" in the center...as does the roof. So, the plan would be to cut out the cowl vent (so that I can reinstall it in its OEM configuration), cut out the dash, remove the center, rear cab wall brace, and about a 12" portion of the windshield brace...I'd remove that so that, when I weld it all backtogether, my windshield header seams are offset either side of the cab weld seam... Anyway, the actual process will involve making an adjustable jig that mounts to the hinge pockets and the striker plates in the rear door jambs. I will make this jig before I cut the cab, then simply adjust the jig the the new dimensions... ...cut the cab (removing the floor, but not the floor sills, in the process), bolt the cab to the jig, lay in an 11 guage floor (untrimmed for transmission clearance until after the cab is welded), square the cab, perform the narrowing to the roof, tack it all up, verify level and square, then trim and re-install the dash. After the dash is in, I'll hang the doors which, since I jigged the cab, should basically hang as they are supposed to, insofar as I haven't changed anything relative to the door openings (other than the top chop)... ...once the doors are hung, I'll complete the weld-up. Piece of cake Keep in mind that I did this Hummer for last years SEMA...400 hours in the hood alone. Hacking a '50 Chevy cab is a total no-brainer, by comparison.
Weird=Good I wondered how the construction was going on this since I hadn't seen any updates since your intro. Didn't you have a concept drawing or something? Very cool. I have been eyballing a pre-war International Semi cab for a similar project. How about some more pics of the chick?
Nah...the concept drawing was someone elses..."Fugly", I think? And thanks for the props...if YOU thinks its wierd/good, I must be on the right path. And just for you...another chick pic. Notice my input to her choice of shirt
ahhh I get it! so the 12" in the center of the winshield is used to keep the same v angle and since you are putting a new firewall in anyway that will be easy to line back up. But still! total no brainer? hehe. take lots of pics for us. Nice work on her headlights!
Man- DONT narrow that truck...... It would look like one of those morphidite gl*** sum'*****es they sell to fit an S-10. stay with the look you got and add a little length thru the engine bay and taper the cowl into a firewall that is [ahead] of the stock location so it has "cowl sides"...also channel just the front of cab a couple inches
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