ggdad1951 Posted February 25, 2019 Report Share Posted February 25, 2019 19 hours ago, JBNeal said: additional information when I get to that part of the detail work, I plan on on putting a dab of weatherstrip adhesive on the twist nails (that I will attempt to salvage) to seal the cowl holes you can buy NEW nails so you don't have to worry about keeping the old ones, and once installed they seal up nice and tight. The weatherstrip itself acts like a seal as well. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radarsonwheels Posted February 26, 2019 Author Report Share Posted February 26, 2019 Dang! Page 21 and hundreds of posts on here! It’s almost like I’ve been working on this thing steady for months and months now Working outside is starting to make me feel like I’m sharing the southeastern Pennsylvania weather report as much as my truck progress. It’s been super super windy here for a couple days- trees down all over and feeling colder than it really is. There is no way to weld outside and keep the shielding gas where it needs to go and I’m not doing sheetmetal work with the stick welder or running flux mig wire. Tomorrow is my day off- hopefully I’ll have a chance to weld up at least the driver’s inner fender. In the meantime I got the cab wiring almost finished- I still need a three position switch for the heater blower and I have to mount and wire in the AFR gauge. I decided to just make a black plate On the motor side of the firewall the engine bay is done. All the connectors and terminals are on. I have a nice loomed cable that goes to the headlights and turns in the front but I still need to make the harness section that will live over the grille and have the pigtails for the bulbs. Once my inner fender is solid I can populate it with the msd ignition box, regulator, horn, and fan controller and plug those in. I also need to mount the coil- probably on the intake. Gettin closer to fireup! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radarsonwheels Posted February 27, 2019 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2019 (edited) It sure is tight in this engine bay! I finished up the driver’s side front inner fender in metal with a generous rubber mudflap covering the area over the upper control arm. I installed the horn (Aaaaaooogah!), regulator, ignition box, fan controller, and grounds. The rear turns, tail lights, and right side brake light work. The high beam and turn indicator LEDs on the dash all work too. Hopefully the L brake light just needs a new 1157 bulb. The gauges all light up and the new battery still reads over 11 volts on the dash gauge after sitting a couple months- could use a trickle charge before startup. I gave the key a clockwise bump and the starter motor gave a quick grunt so that is working too. The gas gauge reads empty which is correct. I’m going to get a one gallon and a five gallon jug to get aquainted with how those amounts look on the gauge. I still have to install the coil, the O2 sensor, bung, and gauge, make a front lamp harness, and figure out why my fan doesn’t spin when I turn the controller down. It does click when I go past ambient temp so thats a good sign. I’ll jump it to see if it spins and make sure the controller wires are on the right terminals and getting juice, and possibly check the fuse. The negative battery disconnect switch under the bed works flawlessly. I’m glad I did that! Edited February 28, 2019 by Radarsonwheels Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Los_Control Posted February 27, 2019 Report Share Posted February 27, 2019 I scrubbed some rust off my paint today 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radarsonwheels Posted February 27, 2019 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2019 (edited) Here’s a shot where you can see the mudflap Edited February 27, 2019 by Radarsonwheels Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radarsonwheels Posted February 27, 2019 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2019 (edited) Fan works. Jumped it and it spun so I got out the multimeter to check continuity. I had the wrong spade connectors hooked up. Now to dig around for an 1157 edit: found one! All good now. Here’s a well timed shot with the left signal blinking and the high beam selected Edited February 28, 2019 by Radarsonwheels Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radarsonwheels Posted February 28, 2019 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2019 Busted out a quick coil bracket in 1/8” steel and wired it to the ignition and distributor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jomani Posted February 28, 2019 Report Share Posted February 28, 2019 13 hours ago, Radarsonwheels said: Waking from a deep sleep - how cool is that. ? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CO54 Posted February 28, 2019 Report Share Posted February 28, 2019 Looking good! Next thing we're going to hear about is your speeding ticket through the neighborhood on a test drive. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RNR1957NYer Posted February 28, 2019 Report Share Posted February 28, 2019 19 hours ago, Radarsonwheels said: Fan works. Jumped it and it spun so I got out the multimeter to check continuity. I had the wrong spade connectors hooked up. Now to dig around for an 1157 edit: found one! All good now. Here’s a well timed shot with the left signal blinking and the high beam selected Lookin' awesome, but tell the truth: you wish the temp gauge was a half inch smaller! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ehadams Posted February 28, 2019 Report Share Posted February 28, 2019 Looking great! I just caught up on about 3 months worth of this thread. Man I am tired just reading it. I appluad you for your dedication to doing this through the winter weather. You have provided so many ideas that my head is spinning and can't wait to get into the garage and work on mine again. All I have managed to do is pull a 318 out of a 85 D150 Van and scrub the 30+ years of grime off the engine. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radarsonwheels Posted February 28, 2019 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2019 Thanks fellas for the encouragement and ribbing. I really hope I don’t have to look at the h20 temp too often. A hotrod that overheats in traffic is no fun. Fingers crossed on that one! EHAdams post up some pics when you get done in the garage! I got the front all wired up- high & low beams and front turns. The old harness was in super sorry shape- rotten cloth, bare wires with green and black patina on the copper, y’all know the deal with ancient wiring. I was gifted some beautiful four strand loomed wire that was new old stock off a lull crane or something. It’s got a thick black sheath, hefty red white black and green wires with soft flexible insulation, and even talc or something inside the loom. I used it in a bunch of spots and I was able to do ground turn hi & low beam to each side of the front. The headlight backers/cups got new rubber grommets and everything has weatherpack disconnects for service. Now the wiring is totally done except the heater blower motor and the wideband sensor & gauge. I did get a three way switch for the heater and a ballast resistor to drop the voltage for low fan. Time to buy some antifreeze on the way home from work tonite! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f_armer Posted March 1, 2019 Report Share Posted March 1, 2019 Looking really good! Its kinda funny that we are at similar stages, im just waiting on some odds and ends for parts, but mine runs, and I'll be taking it for a short test drive in the next day or so. Sounds like you'll be tearing up the streets in no time. You did a pile of work on that thing in short order, congrats on a good job, and being on the home stretch. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CO54 Posted March 1, 2019 Report Share Posted March 1, 2019 You have it burping coolant yet???? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radarsonwheels Posted March 1, 2019 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2019 5 hours ago, CO54 said: You have it burping coolant yet???? Haha nope I am at work today and it snowed last nite. I could just stick the heater hoses to each other and fire up the motor but I have waited this long. I figure I’ll finish fixing up the heater and making the passenger inner fender & mudflap first. That way if everything goes smoothly on breakin I can just top off the coolant. I have a crossed off to-do list a mile long. I feel like I can see the end of it but there are still some big jobs. If I get busy this week maybe I can fire up in a couple wednesdays... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Elder Posted March 1, 2019 Report Share Posted March 1, 2019 I read that it is good to raise the front end in the air slightly...ramps?....in order to let the air escape easier.....the radiator cap is already the highest point but this makes it burp easier like a drain/waste vent system in your house, leaving room in the system for the coolant to force the air to the top of the passages and ultimately out of the radiator neck. It couldn't hurt. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radarsonwheels Posted March 2, 2019 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2019 So probably like a lot of you I haunt craigslist and more recently facebook marketplace looking for gems and keeping my thumb on the pulse of junk prices. I see the usual cast of decent looking trucks ruined with chevy motors and camaro clips that people want 10k for, and rusted out beaters worth 2500 that list for 5500- usually no juicy part-outs or reasonable parts trucks. but- I found this grille for reasonable and fingers crossed I’m supposed to go get it on monday! It’ll go in the attic until I get around to body work but I’m stoked on the find 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radarsonwheels Posted March 2, 2019 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2019 (edited) My truck’s front panel was bondo molded on (maybe leaded? I never dug in to find out and who knows how long ago). With this piece installed my truck would be totally free of bondo sculptured panels and all steel. Maybe someday I’ll find a clean windshield- the 54 is a one year only piece of glass since 55 wraps around the corners more and 53 is still the split B series... Edited March 2, 2019 by Radarsonwheels 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
9 foot box Posted March 3, 2019 Report Share Posted March 3, 2019 It's a plus that you got the tri-bar dodads under the headlights. AutoCityClassic.com, $269 for a windshield.W333, $90 shipped to Montana, they are in Minnesota, so it might be less to Bucks County. Beats $560, from Bob's in OR. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
59bisquik Posted March 4, 2019 Report Share Posted March 4, 2019 Great find! I searched for a long time to find the little emblems under the headlights which arent reproduced by the way. The only downside of your great find is the missing lower grill bar. If you had both chrome center trim pieces for the grill bars, they would of been worth a ton of cash to the 54-56 guys! Cant wait to see it cleaned up and installed! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radarsonwheels Posted March 4, 2019 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2019 (edited) Yup the little bars are definitely a sweet detail! I already have two big grill opening bars- unfortunately my bottom bar is the worse of the two but no big deal. Mine are painted solid and don’t have the cool chrome centers though. My truck came without them and I scoured junkyards and the web for a few years before I found them Edited March 4, 2019 by Radarsonwheels Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radarsonwheels Posted March 4, 2019 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2019 (edited) The ramcharger made it 3hrs roundtrip and I got my wife some amish food. The new nose is home! I think the best plan is to keep the center of mine which is really nice and graft one or both sides of this one on. I’m gonna stuff it in the attic for now but that’s a good score on the east coast Edited March 4, 2019 by Radarsonwheels 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radarsonwheels Posted March 4, 2019 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2019 (edited) Other than the roadtrip I got a couple tiny details done- plumbed the soft lines to the hard lines for the transmission cooler, and roughed up & epoxied one of those crazy strong magnets to the key for the locking lugnuts that came with my used wheels. That way I can tuck it in the cab and it won’t rattle or get lost. Edit: I also installed the heater fan switch and made a paper template for the radio holes in my dash. Gotta figure out how to fill them, add the wideband sensor, and make it stylish. The fanciest answer is to weld them shut, paint the whole dash in bass boat red metalflake, and hide a wideband bracket behind the glovebox door. I’m too greedy to get driving and while ratrod is not my goal it ain’t a show truck. At the same time I don’t want to spend time making it uglier than it is. I’m thinking of somehow making a single gauge pod that covers all the holes. A black sheetmetal plate attached with little screws like the dash panels would match the dash but I am thinking of trying to incorporate the finned mooneyes pod I got and or some more ipe wood for a little hotrod bling and luxury Edited March 5, 2019 by Radarsonwheels Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radarsonwheels Posted March 5, 2019 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2019 Not in love with it… Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merle Coggins Posted March 5, 2019 Report Share Posted March 5, 2019 What if you mounted it behind that opening, and make a simple “Radio Delete” cover over the whole area that can easily be opened for viewing? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.