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New Owner of a 48 or 50 B-2D126


bcantell

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"Rusty Truck" looks really good to me.  This must not be your buddy's first time with building since I see Clecos and the use of a bead roller.  If that had the flat six in it or a more modern V8, I'd eventually want it painted.  With the I6 diesel, I think I'd leave in rust.  Just the sound of it pulling up  would have me very curious.  Sorry Paul, flat six versus diesel at a rest stiop, diesel wins.

 

His intent is to leave it as is as far as I know. And yes - its not his first rodeo. We both met in the diesel performance world several years ago when he was drag racing and I was pulling a sled. We go back and forth and collaborate as well as lend fabrication assistance to each other for our various projects. I didn't do much with Rusty Truck - but his current race vehicle (compound turbo'd cummins powered S10) has several hours of help and fabrication in. And yes - typically diesel wins out over flat six - everyone keeps asking my why I am keeping the six in #7 and why I am putting one in my '28 Ford roadster instead of doing a diesel. lol

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At one time I had a Deutz 4 cyl oil cooled diesel with intentions of installing into a short bed Ranger pickup, complete with dual rear wheels.  Without room to keep everything, it went on the auction block when I sold the business. Oh well!

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The Custom that Hudson was posting about on Inliners a long long time ago when I first started really reading up and learning about the flathead that I had been driving nearly daily before I went to college. That was probably 2001-2002 time frame.

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I wonder what sort of vehicle you would really wind up with after a diesel swap on a Pilothouse? Would it be truly useful? or just a novelty item?

Has anyone actually done one and put serious mileage on it? It seems to me that due to the cab size and construction it would end up being another novelty build. I can't really imagine wanting to spend serious time in it with a diesel droning on and on.

 

Maybe it is just me but it seems like an awful lot of trouble to go to if the driving experience could be in question. Craigslist is full of very questionable builds. I have seen several modified Pilothouse trucks up for sale including at least 5 with 440's stuffed into them. They are always for sale.....you never see anyone driving them. Makes me wonder.

 

Jeff

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you have a good point...I sold my 41 dodge truck with a 440 and 4WD with 3.73 gears...now mind you I may but used the 4wd twice..pulling a guy out of a ditch...and the second time to see how high of a fence it would jump when goosed...(kidding but it sure seemed like it lifted in the center)  while the truck was a different look on the exterior being the military body and the Bill Blass colors.....the sound of the exhaust paint, and other features sure grabbed a lot of attention..but the cabs limited headroom and occupancy for maybe two adults and one small kid or puppy was the big part of me selling the beast..it was fun to drive but for sure it was not the first vehicle of choice for road travel..a definite toy if you will...toys are fun when new to you but often get put aside rather quickly..most of these type build fall into the toy catalog in my opinion..

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The Custom that Hudson was posting about on Inliners a long long time ago when I first started really reading up and learning about the flathead that I had been driving nearly daily before I went to college. That was probably 2001-2002 time frame.

You are correct that is the same Custom tractor. You might find this link interesting.

 

http://p15-d24.com/topic/31423-greetings-don-coatney/

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What does practicality have to do with this hobby?  Everybody invests more time and money than they're worth.  Lots of other hobby or pleasure expenses that have little monetary return for the investment.  Consider pleasure boats as an example.  I have no need or desire for one.  Others do.  Actual purpose, enjoyment for oneself. JMO, no disrespect to those who own one or two or three.  I'm sure they can be habit forming as well.

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the fun is in the build for a lot of people other than myself..the 41 Dodge was a exercise in patience...purchased entirely for therapeutic reasons.  A means to get my mind off other life matters at the time.  The fun in doing what I did, the design and making of the many panels/components and retrofitting many modern parts, the drawing of the wiring schematic and logging the part number/sources of the parts used for future repair and as a log to pass to new owner more than made the project just what it was..an outlet for mental mending..it well served it purpose and the new owners...a fun toy that was turn key...everyone won...if we settled for practicality at every corner...it would be a boring kind of life..everyone once in a while one needs to find a lucky charm in their cheerios

Edited by Plymouthy Adams
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I wonder what sort of vehicle you would really wind up with after a diesel swap on a Pilothouse? Would it be truly useful? or just a novelty item?

Has anyone actually done one and put serious mileage on it? It seems to me that due to the cab size and construction it would end up being another novelty build. I can't really imagine wanting to spend serious time in it with a diesel droning on and on.

 

Maybe it is just me but it seems like an awful lot of trouble to go to if the driving experience could be in question. Craigslist is full of very questionable builds. I have seen several modified Pilothouse trucks up for sale including at least 5 with 440's stuffed into them. They are always for sale.....you never see anyone driving them. Makes me wonder.

 

Jeff

 

 

you have a good point...I sold my 41 dodge truck with a 440 and 4WD with 3.73 gears...now mind you I may but used the 4wd twice..pulling a guy out of a ditch...and the second time to see how high of a fence it would jump when goosed...(kidding but it sure seemed like it lifted in the center)  while the truck was a different look on the exterior being the military body and the Bill Blass colors.....the sound of the exhaust paint, and other features sure grabbed a lot of attention..but the cabs limited headroom and occupancy for maybe two adults and one small kid or puppy was the big part of me selling the beast..it was fun to drive but for sure it was not the first vehicle of choice for road travel..a definite toy if you will...toys are fun when new to you but often get put aside rather quickly..most of these type build fall into the toy catalog in my opinion..

 

TODD will be a daily driver, especially with extending the cab.  That IMO will make him what he needs to be.  Sound insulation, modern comforts and a LONG life power train will make him a 3+ season driver for decades to come.  Not to mention I will use him for making deliveries of furniture and picking up supplies.  He will make shows,but he will also be a work truck.  I currenltly drive around in a GMC Sonoma with a 3rd door and it fits me and my life well, so a bigger truck with more carrying capacity will do just fine, and I happen to like the sound of diesel!

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I wonder what sort of vehicle you would really wind up with after a diesel swap on a Pilothouse? Would it be truly useful? or just a novelty item?

 It seems to me that due to the cab size and construction it would end up being another novelty build.

 

Jeff

I can fix the cab size and wouldn't mind doing one myself, just for the novelty of it.  I've had a couple different power plants and construction plans for just such a build running through my head for a half dozen years and I really don't need another truck or project for a while.   I sure, if or when the time comes, I can find some way to "justify" it.

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I wonder what sort of vehicle you would really wind up with after a diesel swap on a Pilothouse? Would it be truly useful? or just a novelty item?

Has anyone actually done one and put serious mileage on it? It seems to me that due to the cab size and construction it would end up being another novelty build. I can't really imagine wanting to spend serious time in it with a diesel droning on and on.

 

I really think a diesel swapped Pilothouse would be very useful and wouldn't necessarily be all that limiting. Personally if I was going to do it I would probably choose a 4BT with the hopes that everything fit neatly under the hood without the drastic firewall modifications to make it fit (4 cylinders versus 6). If you chose say the Cummins ISB170 - that is 170hp straight out of the box with all the modern conveniences and efficiencies afforded to late model common rail injection.

 

And the drone doesn't have to be a drone. Late model diesels are very quiet if you want them to be.

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Those Dodge  diesel power trains are quite  heavy. I Have a friend with a 2000 4WD Dodge diesel extended cab I've been in  quite a lot. Seems there is not too good of traction at the rear end in dirt/muddy and rainy situations... feels as the front end is so heavy.

I'm curious as to how good the traction is with the lighter pilot house cab and with the Cummins diesel set up.

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I really think a diesel swapped Pilothouse would be very useful and wouldn't necessarily be all that limiting. Personally if I was going to do it I would probably choose a 4BT with the hopes that everything fit neatly under the hood without the drastic firewall modifications to make it fit (4 cylinders versus 6). If you chose say the Cummins ISB170 - that is 170hp straight out of the box with all the modern conveniences and efficiencies afforded to late model common rail injection.

 

And the drone doesn't have to be a drone. Late model diesels are very quiet if you want them to be.

:D I have never had any luck wishing them to be quiet. :D I will agree though that some of the modern diesel trucks are fairly quiet inside the cab. I put a ton of work and insulating material into my stock engined truck and it was very effective. I seriously doubt it would be adequate for a diesel engined version. I am not saying it can't be done......but I think it will take extraordinary effort and thought to make a diesel engined pilothouse into a truck you would want to spend any serious wheel time in.

 

One of the biggest potential drawbacks facing an owner of any old truck is excessive noise and heat in the cab. I just recently went for a short ride in a fellows modified 53 chevy truck. Honestly I couldn't wait to get out. Granted it was a hot day......but the sound and heat level in the cab was ridiculous. I can't imagine what a long drive would be like in that situation. And it was just a built sbc. Quite frankly it sucked.....and I won't even go into the way it rode. No wonder he can't get anyone in his family to go for a ride.

 

Maybe I am coming at this from a different mind set than many of you? I have never considered putting this old truck back on the road as my hobby. Obsession maybe.....but not a hobby. I just want to get it right for me. Then I will be happy to just drive and maintain it till I keel over. All I ever wanted out of this experience was an old truck with some real character that I could keep running myself. Honestly I don't even go to car shows or care if the general public likes it.

 

There have been plenty of challenges with what I have done. And I am not at all against sensible modifications. I have done quite a few on my truck. Most of these worked out very well and are a distinct improvement over the stock arrangement. The things I tried that didn't work went bye-bye. All through the process I have tried to retain the basic design and character of the truck. My feeling about it has always been that if you change too much at some point it will no longer have the charm of a true Pilothouse. Then what is the point? Just because you can build something doesn't always mean you should. Out here we already have a "Bridge to nowhere" to prove that point.

 

Jeff

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I'm as guilty as the rest, but let's stop the diesel conversion talk here and if we want to continue it, I'll move the posts to a dedicated thread.  This is a long tangent from the beginning of the thread.  Deal?

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Wow!

 

That was quite a read.

 

Thanks for all the input and sorry I haven't replied, but life gets in the way.

 

Great info on the considerations of converting "Her" to a diesel in both the physical and physiological.

 

I must confess, this is my first 4 wheel project, (or 6) as all I've ever worked on for "fun" has been 2 wheeled, so maybe the diesel thing would be far fetching and end up being a pile of parts.  I don't need to use her as a truck, I own a 2003 Dodge Duelly Diesel that is my workhorse and that "She" really is a "WorkHorse"

 

I now feel I will pursue getting her running as she is and leaving the option of conversion for down the road.

 

Another consideration is, when I bought "Dee Dee"  (Double D") my close friend was going to work with me.  We were to use his shop.  Unfortunately, he passed this last March and the shop is no longer available to me.  After reading what some of you have said about the amount of work involved in a swap, I've decided I'd need to build a shop before building the truck, and that ain't happening any time soon.

 

I'll mess with her later this fall before it gets to cold out and jump into it next spring.  I'm going to enjoy her for what she is and can always do a convert later.

 

Thanks for all the great insight!!

 

I'm positive I'll be asking for more help soon.

 

Bill

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