Hot Rods 40 Chevy Truck Help?

Ok, here is where I stand. I have started working on my truck, alot of people don't like it cause its not 100% traditional (maybe closer to 30%??). I started building this thing as a learning experience and I have learned VOLUMES between working on it and advice from the HAMB community. I have a set idea of what I want it to look like, and right now its fairly close to that. I do plan on doing some other stuff to it though, update some things to make it safer and stronger a**** other things.

Here is what I need now. I am trying to get ideas to steer this thing towards a more trad build without sacrificing the general look I want. I guess its better explained that I want a rather untraditional vehicle, but built in a rather traditional way. Does that make any sense at all? I'm going to lay out a few things that I am changing for sure, alot of what I did before was to see how it all worked/looked, now I'm in the doing it right stage

I am planning on building a new set of hairpins for the front. I have 4 peices of 1/4" wall dom tubing and hope to get some clevis ends from speedway soon. I would like to use a tie rod end as the attachment point on the frame. Any thoughts on strength?

I plan on completely re-thinking the rear suspension. I have the frankland quick change back there, I would like to use air ride out back (out of site) for the adjustability. What would you guys suggest for suspension?
I'm thinking a ladder bar setup would be quick and simple, with that should the bag mount over the axle or could it mount over the bars?

I'm not asking you guys to build it for me, just looking for some steering input from you guys, even people who dont like it (even you in south omaha) any constructive advice that advances this thing towards my goal will be considered.


Keep in mind that in its current state it is a rough idea, nothing finished, nothing close to finished, lots of work still to go.

 

Ditching the keg, going with a tank recessed in the bed to clean it up out back, also going to stand the radiator up vertical after the bed is dropped so the top of the bed is even with the body line.

Exhuast will be re-done as well, I want to do a lakester header kit and then if at all possible try to fit the pipe that comes off of the dump between the body and frame so the rest of the exhuast is hidden

 

Edited pic to give a better idea..
Kinda going for the dragster look with no radiator up front

 

....just when I thought I was doing bad work.

 

thanks for the help Beau, I guess you stop to slash the other 3 tires of the guy with a flat on the side of the road.

 

Just sayin. That 'bed' is a little rough dude. Also the radiator reminds me of a prerunner or trail truck when it out back.

Put a box and some doors on. You and I both know what can be done. There is more than enough threads and pictures to study. I have found that if you ask the questions you're asking,you are opening yourself up for ridicule. You know that already.

 

Its getting doors of course, the bed will be skinned, it will even have some resembence of fenders at some point thanks to WV vehicle laws. The way it looks in these pics was to get it all "one piece" to move it. Everything is rough, nothing is finished. The corners of the bed will have 64 impala taillights turned sideways to match the angle of the bed, most likely will have the regular brake light on top and the impalas reverse light on bottom. I do want an open front end to go with the dragster style. I plan on motorcycle fenders mounted to the caliper brackets up front.

 

Well, fenders are more traditional than most people here seem to think. That would help.

 

with the bed dropped down to make the top rail match the body line, any suggestions on rear fenders? I plan to run a wide rear tire 10" wide rims, was originally going to do a set of 33 18.50 15 mickey thompsons but I think that would be way to hard to make look right without narrowing the bed and having a huge fender or tubbing what little bed there is.

 

How 'bout putting the radiator up front behind a grill? That thing is salvageable!

 

salvageable.... maybe, its what I got so its what I'm going to make work.
radiator up front... I want to hide the radiator out back for the dragster look. I did think at one point about putting a radiator shell up front for the "ghost shell" I took my radiator off and drained the coolant to make a p*** at the strip look, but decided against it.

 

you really should have waited until people were actually awake on the HAMB to get this going. otherwise your just gunna get us grumpy last nighter to talk ****... and the drunk St. Pats crowd. you got your work cut out for you. I would get to welding and cutting!

 

I plan on lots of welding an cutting, trying to straigten out my ideas first though. I've had a lot of **** talked lol usually for every helpfull post there are multiple useless ones, I've done it myself. I figure it will be there when they wake up.

 

I think any more if you aim for traditional styling and go from there you can't go wrong because they had it right back in the day so you go only go up from there.... as long as damn spider webs and 569 skulls on everything arent involved.

 

I got a resin cast skull shift knob, thats probably the only skull going on it. It does have alot of spider webs though, but they are real from it sitting being neglected.

 

Not even bed time here! Different time zones do exist

Would still look better with the shell & radiator together!

Check the HAMB cl***ifieds -- saw a Last Refuge bed on there not too long ago.

 

Last Refuge? Nevermind I found it. A bit out of my price range. Plus it would loose the tail light idea... I do appreciate the tip though.

 

its weird but there (skulls and **** like that) mystic fads rather quickly. and then you just end up with something and Marylin Manson's ****tarded fans in vision as a hot rod.

Sorry to be not more helpful as far as like specifics... but it is 2 a.m. in wyo on the day after St. Pats and I'm out of drink.

 

Time zones... WTF are those... isnt it 2am everywhere....


man i better go ride my horse to town and get a tellagram out and tell everyone there is more than one time zone.

hahaha!

 

No prob Stutz, when you recover (if you remember this...lol) come back and chime in.

 

Do it! Fit a coloured plexi insert or something if you really can´t stand the thought of having a front mounted rad. As it sits now there´s just no shape to the thing - it looks unfinished. (Ok I realise that it is unfinished). Makes me think "where´s the rest of it gone?"

 

haha I'll be fine... its everyone else in the morning Ill be worrying about. hungover driving is just as bad as drunk driving.

Ill keep an eye and see if I can truely be any help.

 

Just like Paul Revere!

Man, I need to be drinking what you are drinking!

 

32sedan, the radiator\grille shell is not out of the question but it is a last resort. I want to take as much off of the front as possible. I have thought about going with a remote mount water pump as well. I am low mounting the alternator off the driver side of the block to keep it kind of out of site.

 

leprechaun piss, ground up clovers, and good old tullamore dew irish whiskey

 

Thats the good thing about working second shift, you get to miss the morning hangover traffic.

 

amen to that...

 

I agree with james D, wheres the rest of it? find a step side bed and cut it down. you will be far ahead in the long run.

 

JamesD, unfortunately the rest of it went back to the earth i do believe... I didn't know that they had a panel below the rocker untill I paid attention to a picture online. This cab is missing 5 inches in spots. I figure messing with this and figuring things out with it is better than spending bigger money on a nicer body and possibly ruining it. Hard to mess up a body thats already about gone (at least the bottom anyway).

 

clouderback, any recommendations as to what kind of stepside bed? This will basically be a stepside bed once it is skinned and has fenders.