SUPER CREW!!!

[m880cummins]

I had the tyvec suit but my T-rex arms would make my chest hit the drip rail.

Charlie

[1STGENFARMBOY]

thats funny right there.

[matthewh]

Nice looking Crew Cab, Can't wait to see it finished and all assembled. Nice work btw

[m880cummins]

A couple more pictures of the paint, door assembly started, final engine internal parts purchased and modified kick panel for the fresh air vent on passenger side. I took a driver's side vent, split the seam where it is glued together, rotated the rain shield and traced it onto the passenger side, plasma cut the hole bigger and grafted a piece in to cover the remaining opening I don't need.















Hole needs to be trimmed up with the die grinder now but it is ready to rock and roll!

Engine parts. Resurfaced lifters, ARP rod bolts and a new genuine cummins oil pump made in england.







Charlie

[BobS]

Did you have any problems with the kerosene heater causing fish eyes in the paint? A friend tried using one while painting a car and had problems. He also used an exhaust type of venting system.

Just an in general comment/opinion about those vents that Dodge put in the kick panels. Those were the most worthless and trouble causing things that Dodge engineering ever created. I sealed BOTH of mine up within a year after I got my truck. During the rainy season they both leaked. During the dry season they are usually kept closed because all they ever seemed to do was blow dust off the floor and circulate it around in the cab. They are the #1 major contributor to floor rust.

[m880cummins]

It was either closing the hole up and being unable to clean out the cowl or put this in. I am modifying the drainage trough for the cowl and it was either to remove the entire cowl or modify it to have a supply of fresh outside air if I wanted it. The nice thing is the truck won't have carpet and I myself tend to lift the floor mats out and clean the floor pans about every 2-3 months. If I see any water I'll deal with it.

The heater actually had diesel in it and I had not a single fish eye. I spent some time wiping it down, lightly tack ragging it and the furnace filter takes the dust and airborne junk out before it goes into the booth. Fisheyes are also hugely dependent on the quality of paint you use. For instance, shopline (ppg economy brand) is horrible with orange peel, fish eyes, sagging and texture. It all depends on the quality of the product and the painting environment. If a company offers fish eye additive and it is readily available, don't use their paint. Shopline brand at my local paint place had a box full of fisheye remover additive. It is a clue....

Charlie

[m880cummins]

Some pics:

Cab done:



Fender mods!

Made 2 candy-canes!











Went to my rebuilder's house today to finish my engine in his garage. Turned out awesome!









Shaved .040 off the tops for head clearence to factory spec plus an additional .015" and then did .050" fly cuts from there for lift clearance and for use of big intake/exhaust valves



Beauty:







Dropped my Dana 80 off at my buddies house so he can machine the spindle flanges for press fit onto housing. Mocked housing and spring perches up on frame yesterday and it looked and fit great.

Going to work on it tomorrow, saturday and sunday with hopes of finishing paint on doors and fenders, finish frame and start final assembly on motor. I hope to test run the motor in the next two weeks.

Charlie

[m880cummins]

BIG WEEK AHEAD!!!! AAHHHHHH I can't control myself! I'm jumping off the walls at this point! Motor is coming together, axles coming together, body work getting wrapped up (except the bed) and front springs from Alcan on MONDAY OR TUESDAY!!!!!

Here's the weekend of course!

Dropped housing and flanges off to my buddy and for a couple bucks, he bored the flanges for a press fit. I mocked everything up, slid shaft in, bolted everything down tight and rotated calipers to place the bleeder valve properly. In the end, they are the same location as the front position.











Then moved on to the cab. Set the rear window gasket in hot (almost boiling) water, scrubbed it clean and then the back glass literally slid in to place with a THUMP! These old gaskets are really nice when they are warmed up.



Couldn't resist moving it outside for a picture show with the beautiful weather we have had recently.







Freaking beautiful. I love the color.




Back to the role as sandblast bi*ch









Blasted the IC rad support I plan to use for now until I fab my own





Sandblasted steering column housing and shortened it about 8" and added in a sealed roller bearing on the end to rid of the crappy cast aluminum plastic thingy. Also need to do a custom shaft and steering shaft for it. No pics

Goal by this hour next Sunday:
Frame finished, painted, front spring mounts made, axles painted, ROLLING.
Doors and fenders painted, doors mounted, rear seat installed, steering column done.
Motor mount holes drilled and test fit motor.

Phew...A lot of work ahead!By the way, there are 707 photos of this truck uploaded to this forum now! Probably near 1000 all done. My eyes hurt. I freaking hate the new photobucket too...

Charlie

[m880cummins]

IT ROLLS!













Frame is as high as the Rat!



Charlie

[1STGENFARMBOY]

I spy.......an old Oliver in the barn.

[m880cummins]

Wish it was mine....I'd be crawling all over the owner if it was a super 99.

[m880cummins]

Was able to finish painting the cab and assemble the dash and hand ghe doors. Sandblasting hardware is a breeze if you punch a piece of cardboard full of holes. Also, I deleted the stock heater control and painted the dash body color and the top in bed liner. Looks really good body color. Will have a black glove box, gauge brow and black door panels and pillar trim. Also worked on the frame. Received my ALCAN 6" springs this week. Full military wrap in the front with 5/8" spring eye bolts front and rear. Used a hole saw on the frame for the rear mounts and welded a piece of DOM in and pressed in a poly bushing. Almost done frame work. Hope to paint frame Tuesday along with the front axle and that will allow me to get it rolling with the cab on....































Other stuff:

WAITING!



Front axle shafts:



ALCANS!




THE RAT!

Finished roof inner structure and hand made a Drivers side A pillar. Need to channel the roof some but it is close.







Need to finish up the passenger side of the trans tunnel and clean up the welds but...



Model A rat rod cab is now about 70% 16ga steel. Real fun to weld, not so much fun to cut.

Charlie

[m880cummins]

Tonight, I ordered the last part to make it a roller. Got my high steer arms with studs and king pin bushings. Went with springless because of the weight of a 37" hummer tire and the weight of a hummer wheel. It will require adjustment as the bushing wears but I'd rather deal with that than a death wobble. Ordered my U bolt kit for the Dana 60 front and tonight, I finished boxing the frame, painted it and bolted the cab down. Also installed the alcans! Had to drill the shackles out to 5/8". Need 2 more greaseable bolts for the front eyes....















If I could only get my hands on some Hutchinson beadlocks for good money...

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn26 ... CN9893.jpg

Charlie

[BobS]

Good progress.

FWIW & being an old timer, I found it to be unimaginably easier to assemble the running gear completely [engine, trans, xfer case] and then simply set it in place in a rolling chassis from the top BEFORE putting any body parts in place. This made it easier to be spot on by using the engine assembly as a jig in locating the transmission crossmember location. Everything then is installed in one piece from the top side. This also made it easier to measure the rear drive shafts lengths based on the location of the drive shaft pillow block mounting location which I retained in the stock gasser location.

[dazedandconfused]

Are you not coating or painting the bottom of the cab?