You are welcome Dubie, I am glad that it is up and rolling! I look forward to seeing the video, I am sure it is going to sound mean as hell!
no real noticeable progress this week, just tidying up some wiring in the engine bay and under the dash but I couldn't help but get a good shot of the stance. This weekend is supposed to rain so I hope to gain a lot of ground on the little things to finish it up
a little update for those following this build. We bled out the brakes this weekend but not before fixing all the leaks. The flare just needed a small tweek to seat properly on a few joints. Other than that, it went pretty smooth. The drive shaft got a new set of U-joints and then it was painted before being installed. Right now we're working on getting this new tranny cooler mounted and plumbed in so we can turn our attention to getting the exhaust on and get this cam broken in. I'm dying to drive this thing!!!
No doubt! In my case the closer a project gets to the first ride the harder it is to keep an even keel. On one of my first big projects, ('70 340 Duster) I'd been working on for maybe a year and a half or so back in the mid-late '70s, it was mainly an evening and weekend thing, buying what parts I could and doing this and that little thing (Uncle Sam didn't pay that well back then), but when I finally got the 340 block & heads all machined, all the other engine parts I needed for the assembly, the new clutch assembly, a used replacement 4 speed for the one I broke racing, brakes and other things, all of a sudden I realized that I might actually be getting close to putting the beast on the road. Took my last 30 day leave and wrenched like a maniac until I got the car nearly together. Made lotsa progress and the first time I heard that cam with open headers I was a happy sumbich. The only thing bad thing that happened; Elvis died the same day I put the motor in the car. Remember it like it was yesterday.
Now that the cam is broken in, the idle and timing is all set and we have a temporary exhaust on it, I thought I'd share some video of it starting and running. It goes into to have the pipes properly bent and all new donut gaskets installed on Friday. This was just a hack job exhaust to draw some of the heat away during the cam break in. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDhni3m2tCA
Well it's up and driving. We had to drop the tranny yesterday to replace a brand new torque converter that wouldn't lock up before taking it for exhaust and inspection. That was a bit of a piss off but, shit happens. My buddy that followed me to the shop snapped this quick picture
GREAT NEWS!!! The truck passed provincial inspection standards. The shop is now starting on the exhaust today so we could be cruising by the weekend
Here's a link to some video of it running. 350, ram horns,2 1/2" pipe, Magnaflow mufflers with 4" megaphone tips http://youtu.be/_v2_aNqkvUY
i haven't really kept this up to date so here's a little catch up. I ended up removing the box to beef up the C notch considerably. I know I was told it was going to be weak but I had no idea how loose the back end was going to feel. I was also having some issues with the brakes dragging. Turns out, the rod was slightly depressed into the master cylinder keeping the brake pressure slightly on and then after driving for a while and things got hot, the wheels didn't like to turn very easy. So a few turns out and a couple test drives and things were looking good. I got the heat issue solved by using a larger fan and some water wetter in the cooling system so now it doesn't move over 195. Then yesterday, I was heading home from a 30 minute drive and could smell antifreeze right when I was pulling up to my shop doors. The rad had popped a leak in one of the cores. So I drained it out and tonight I'll remove the entire thing and drop it off at the rad shop for repair
a quick shot of the door panels now that they are complete and the Dirtbag awaiting it's rad to come back from being repaired
the truck drives and handle excellent, better than I imagined it would. We managed to put 600 miles on it before tucking it away for winter. I have to be careful of large speed bumps and protruding man hole covers but other than that, it's an absolute blast to drive. Even with the factory manual steering, it steers with one finger if you're rolling. The truck gets tons of thumbs up and people stop us every where we go to talk about it. It's now being taken apart so we can paint it and put the bed floor in it Thanks for checking in guys
The Jalopy Journal
