I think im goin with the commercial red/silver stripe original color. i really want to go with omaha orange/black stripe but im not sure. i might sway to the orange mostly because i have never really warmed up to my red 3500 crew cab dually... if enough of ya say go orange i'll do it though. no progress tonight, worked on customer cars all day...
...ain't that about a *****.... oh well, these days we gotta take the work where we can get it. man u do whatever you want with the color, but my vote is gonna have to be for Orange... (since my 54 is no longer going to be orange i suppose someone's should be! ) can't wait for more updates! keep up the good work
gimmie some tube axle/r&p ideas done right. that is intriguing to me. no-one has a dash layin' around? id hate to buy a whole cab just for the dash.
took the p***enger side door apart last night, what a pain/being my first time taking apart a door with wing windows. once i found that bolt from the bottom i had it though. so tonight I'm gonna pull the back window then figure out how that inner/rear structure comes out... then its time to take a few inches out. maybe only two. any suggestions? i want it to be barely noticeable but not obvious. i have it taped for 3" right now...
general info on vin#. chevy tk on the driver door hinge post and chev did not use vin on frame untill second series 55,s whats on the ***le can vary from state to state some used the engine serial #.
I'd like to see someone leave the rear window the stock height and just move it down a bit. I don't like the mailbox slot. All my trucks are 5 windows so I'm not chopping anything just yet. I've also seen some nice work with the A pillar slanted and the roof left in 1 piece rather than cutting it into 4 and filling it. You've got to tilt the window edge too, though, to make it seal right. There is a post about sectioning an AD truck right now around here and there is a picture of a satin black truck that has a nice pancaked hood and chop. Different shape.
that is exactly what i was planning on doing with my 54, but the previous owner had already started the chop on it ( cutting the roof into quarters) and chopped the rear window frame too, but i am planning on getting a stock rear window frame and replacing the chopped one and moving it down slightly. as far as i can forsee, this would be the most visually appealing. mail-slots are not really that nice to look at or look out. here is some pics of a guy i went to school with, and his 54 chevy being chopped. and just for ****s and giggles here's a pic of some of the first ch***is work. thats my 2 cents. hope this maybe helps. sorry i dont have any finished pics of the chop, but it did end up looking very nice. so there you go!
not sure, i never saw the truck that far down the road. those pics were taken almost 4 years ago and i haven't seen the truck since. i am thinking about calling him and seeing if he has any recent pics. i am trying to figure out what to do with my quarter windows too, i might cut out the frames and remake them to stock (i have stock gl***) or else i might get rid of them. i kind of like the look of a 3 window better anyways.
i havent really looked at mine (and now its covered in snow) but i imagine its just spot welded in? then drill out the spot welds with a spot weld drill bit. otherwise... ???
ye, i saw that its spot welded along the back window edge and the door frame back edges. an ive got some spot weld drill bits from back in my body workin' days. i guess ill get at it tonight. then get it braced up w./some angle iron. i started da'ing the body down last week, what a mess! there were two coats of red then the orange... ill get some pics of the progress tonight...
Saw a truck where the guy(claimed he) used lexan or plex and laid over the originals and claimed he melted the replacements to the original's shape to install in his chopped top? The truck was recently finished. They'd scratch and wear quickly? Couldn't you cut the originals to fit as they're laminate?
Very, very nice work, keep it up, and keep sharing your progress. I like both trucks. And you are right to go ahead with what you have. You are doing the right thing asking questions, I ask everyone I can if I’m in doubt, and then try and sort through the answers. I get good, not so good, and plain old “made up so’s I can say something answers”. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o> With that said, my 2 cents-all its worth-answers on the boxing: I agree, your welds look sound, but plates will add peace of mind when you hit a pothole at speed. You say it’ll all be covered up, next time if you don’t want it to show, you could plate the inside before you join the rectangular rails, you can do it with plug welds to join the boxing plates to the outers. The idea posted earlier about putting plates into slots sounds good, too. There’s a thread on r&p on straight axles: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4516<o></o> <o></o> My 2 cents on choosing a r&p , traditional advice says in order to avoid bumpsteer, choose a rack and a mounting location so that the inner pivot point of each tie rod is in a line with the upper and lower control arm inner pivot points as seen from the front of the vehicle. As the upper and lower control arms move in an arc, the tie rod should move parallel to them, otherwise when the suspension bumps, it will pull or push the steering arm, resulting in bumpsteer. A straight axle pivots from the opposite spring perch, so the geometry is not optimum for a r&p. But with some straight axles, the drag link can pose problems, as the front axle pivots up and down, the drag link (relatively) shortens, not so optimal either. These guys have figured it out somehow: http://www.unisteer.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=8000470-02&Store_Code=UNISTEER I’ve been trying to figure out an economical solution to improved steering on my ‘54 f100, without going the IFS route, but nothings cheap enough yet, and its still a stock six that can’t see the other side of 60, so I’ll most likely leave it alone. <o></o> Real nice old tech article on basics of IFS here at R&Custom: http://www.rodandcustommagazine.com/techarticles/135_0401_independent_front_suspension/index.html And the “worlds street rodding authority” has a good straight axle article in current Feb ‘09 issue.
was hopin' to get the cab inner structure out tonight but that mother f'er has at least 200 spot welds in it. drilled all the ones around the back window and around the door edge. then came the bottom edge, holy **** does this ****. ill have it out tomorrow night. then brace it up and cut...
here's what i did after work today. since its x-mas eve the shop was pretty quiet after the last customer picked up their car @ 3:30p.m. marked it for 3" (i will regret that later) then cut that ***** off with the 4 1/2" grinder with a thin disc, needed a lil' help from the sawzall at the w/s posts top off top back on i think it looks too led sled/full custom with 3" out. im prob gonna put 1" back in it.... now for the fun part of making it all go back together and look decent. 4'10" at the top of the roof at ride height though, i like that...
3" looks just about right IMO. As far as the ND ***le goes, my '49 is ***led by the door tag. Let me know what you need of a dash, I'm going to go back to my farm and cut up a cab I got laying around for DeuceKustoms. I'd cut out what you need for the dash as well.
im warming up to it, i just shouldve done 2" i think. antibling- let me know what you can get for me and how much. i really need a complete dash cut out. the more complete the better. i would like to get one that has a complete intact glove box (the cardboard box itself doesnt matter, just the door/hinges) for the driver's side of mine. also the gauges. i would like to take another speedometer and convert it to a tach using an auto meter 5" monster tach that i have laying around. im gonna do the same to the speedo, and the other gauges, just put modern gauge guts behind the old stuff. my plan is to move the two existing gauges to the middle and add one more then put another glove box on the driver's side that has been narrowed. a little off topic but ive noticed that alot of you guys posting in this thread are from the midwest mn, nd, wi, etc. what events are you guys planning on attending this coming summer? it would be great to meet you guys and see what youre doing... and if any of you are ever in south central wi stop in an say hi! my shop is open 6 days a week 'till 9p.m.
I will be at Back to the 50's in St.Paul, 3rd weekend in June for sure. Driven Custom's Hot Rod Drags in Sabin MN in July (most Likely), don't know what all else, being that I am getting hitched this summer, so it will be busy.
Matt, I did a post on the Autometer gauges into AD pods in my son's truck a while back. If you need gauge bodies to do what you plan, let me know, I've got spares. I like 3"!
if you can get me a link to your gauge retrofit that would be awesome! i need as many ideas as i can get. my plan was to dis***emble the ad gauges (two speedos and the other) then remove the movements from a 5" autometer tach, and speedo, then of course the needed autometer other gauges. then mount the movements to the ad housings and put the old needles back on. then figure out what to with the odometer hole in the tach. i was kinda leanin' toward idiot lights in that spot. unfortunately ill be missing back to the 50's and pretty much every meet up to july 14th since i am currently participating in my local sherriff's incarceration program. seems he caught me enjoying a few beverages one night a year and a half ago and had an opposing opinion to mine as to how i was getting home. so 6 1/2 months with a gps bracelet is my program. for some reason i just didnt get it (drinkin' and drivin') till (5/11/'07) and thought i could get away with it... oh well, after july 14th im done with it for good. i was planning on having my trucks at some events though, one of the guys that works for me and a high school buddy ofmine might just head up there and check ya out. ill post some pics tonight of the progress. i started welding the roof back on last night. what a job for a first timer! pretty intimidating but its workin' out really nice so far.
a little off topic but ive noticed that alot of you guys posting in this thread are from the midwest mn, nd, wi, etc. what events are you guys planning on attending this coming summer? it would be great to meet you guys and see what youre doing... and if any of you are ever in south central wi stop in an say hi! my shop is open 6 days a week 'till 9p.m.[/quote] Great list of show dates here: http://www.hotrodch***isandcycle.com/events.php Madison Cl***ics hosts 3 swap shows in Wi, Iola is great for parts, World of Wheels in Chi and Indy both have "62 car show tributes planned
well i have found that i am not an accomplished top chopper just yet. i really wanted to do this with what i have but its just not gonna happen, i need a roof skin to finish this thing up... heres some pics. so im on the hunt for a ****ty cab with a good roof. still looking for a dash too. havent been too impressed so far with what people have to offer so i may just pick up a cab that has one in it.
well i would say that you got a pretty good start so far... my best advice would be don't rush it, take all the time you need cause the more time you take to do it the first time, the less of the chance of having to do it a 2nd time. of course i am sure you already know that, but sometimes we get carried away and forget! keep up the good work, i am anxious to see the chop done!!
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