Damn! searching for something else I ran across this old post. Can't believe that my 90 day project is still on going 4+ years later. It is damn close now. Time sure flies when your having fun
can't believe I'm 6 years into a 90 day project. in my defense I didn't know when I started this would turn into a money pit. I'm just $7.41 away from $2000 invested in this old dog, counting the $340 to buy the damn thing. I've had it together and apart a couple times. it is apart for the last time. just added front disc brakes and under floor power unit. just have to finish the headers. run the brake and fuel line. then final ***emble. I have a wire kit, gages, gl*** all cut. power windows. interior . wide white walls.
I just read this whole thread and a couple things that got me. Steve (OldSub) died of cancer. he was a great guy with the same dream we all have. I'll be 70 in April and realize that time waits for no man. at my age I hate the word DEADLINE but April is the date to have this truck on the road. Steve I think about you every day. the other thing is I was trying to lower the truck. thru several odd happenings I ended up with a corvette front suspension (O.K. it came out of a 49 fleetline but it's the same as the 53-62 vette) I added heavy vette coil springs 54 chev uprights, disc brakes, gas shocks and having a heavy sway bar made up. along with radial www tires. the rear axle flipped (axle over the springs) with 3 inch blocks, may change the blocks later after I find the final ride height. the front came down 8 1/2 inches without cutting the springs or anything other than the later uprights. the back is down 8 inches this is a work truck running utility boxes. the boxes looked like elephant ears from the front of the truck. so I narrowed the nine inch Edsel rear end 10 inches now the boxes lay nice and even with the cab. the cab was chanelled 5 1/2 inches to line the bottom of the doors with the bottom of the front fenders. now without running boards and step. the utility boxes hold the same bottom line and the little doors over the tire stow nothing except the top of the tires and the gas cap I measured the top of the roof with a stock truck and mine was 16 inches lower
this is timely, I was going to start a thread for the final build. should go fast and focused on this spring
I have all the gl*** cut and tempered and the windshield cut to fit. I've decided to change the rear window to a flip out style. today I decided to go back with the vent windows. my plan was to do a fresh post on how to cut down vent frames. as it turns out what I ended up doing won't help anyone with half a brain (it turns out I don't have half a brain) I dug out my old vent ***embles and remembered why I went to one piece windows in the first place. mine are completely rusted thru the frames. the outer frame and division bar are ok so I cut them down first thing I do is make a pattern of the opening out of card board. then mark the pivot points on the pattern for later reference
next I dis***emble the frame most have screws on the top pivot. these trucks have rivets careful to just drill or grind the heads the punch the rivets out. and a nut on the bottom with washers and a spring. notice the washers are also limit how far it opens. want to get them back in the same order after the vent frame is out need to take the outer frame apart removing as little as possible
this is where the show and tell ends. my gl*** frames were both rusted clear thru. so it would be a waste of your time to show you what I did. I will say I had some stainless steel frames from a 47 Mercury and now they fit a chopped 54 GMC the third photo here show how to transfer the upper pivot point to the reshaped outer frame so the vent opens like factory. the fifth photo is before and after on the mercury vents. still need to be cut polished and drilled for the upper and lower pivots. much easier to reshape the original frames. but the reason this build is cheap is I'm not buying anything I don't have to
the stainless frames kind of go with my build theme of to much pitted old chrome on a beater every day work truck. I hhave an old air horn and clearence lights on the roof. 54 stude hooded headlight rings. 52 DeSoto front bumper. 60 dodge tail light Bezels.
this truck had shaved door handles when I got it. I like the looks but hate the h***le and the thought of being locked out, worse yet locked in. I have installed Bear Claw latches on the B-pillar with solinoids and a manual release. I'm using four of those power window switches that use the stock handles. two for the door solinoids. two reasons for this. first being channeled and chopped I would rip clothes on the latch pin if it was on the body side. second reason is I can put a safety release outside without going thru the door hinge.
today I put all the GM parts on the re shaped mercury vent frame. looked around the shop for a vent seal to chop and fit for this lo-ball project and as luck would have it, the only one I could find was the one I needed. fit perfect. just cut a little off one end. had to bend and change location of the top pivot to line up with the bottom. tried it in the door for the first time and it fit perfect and opens and closes like factory. I can't find the photo's I down loaded will be back soon
had to down load them again for just one photo. have about 8 hours and still not finished with the first one. don't think I could sell many at a grand apiece. good thing for me is I don't change myself.
this is a my ladder next to a stock truck and mine. the Cad motor is still the only reason I started this project. I've always wanted a cad motor with a stick. then came seven items on the roof, air horn and lights that it took a month to decide. I had the parts and wanted the look. but.... it was like adding warts
got both vent ***emblies done. the gl*** I'm using is probably illegal in 49+ states there is no vision problems looking out. but is bronze reflective (those gold mirrored looking buildings) so looking in (sorry officer) can be a problem, it's my cheap attempt to for go AC. I'm working on the door gl*** and power windows now. the flat floor and firewall are covered with 1/4 inch insulated aluminum (free stuff) from a dis***embled reefer truck. I'm running a double panel roof aka steel headliner which was more trouble than chopping the roof.the whole cab is insulated plus the reflective gl***. the cowl vent, door vents and a flip out back gl*** should create good flow thru ventilation without engine or sun heating the interior. plus louder pipes for better gas milage
this not a slam to other builders, Honest. for me personally I couldn't do a 4 inch chop and 5 1/2 inch section withour removing the 5 1/2 inches out of the overly tall hood. I had no thoughts of the R&C dream truck or any other build. I just started cutting the roof. 4 inches on the A piller 3 3/8 actual chop. then the utility boxes (free) were to short for the frame. seemed cheaper to stretch the cab than shorten the frame and drive train. the bottom of the doors were 5 1/2 inches above the bottom of the fenders , so that's how that number came to be. I thought of taking half from the fenders and half from the hood. being lazy just went with 5 1/2 from the hood and firewall then cut straight down between the fender and door to close the gap on the firewall and line the door and fender bottoms. I left the floor intact. used brake metal to fill the section of the doors (free again shop s****s from a customer friend) so all the stock cab mount never changed there are photo's of all this under "shop truck build" on my website www.oldcargl***guy.com I'm going to post some photo's of some way cool trucks with the shrunken head look just for comparison
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