Tooljunkie

I used a mid 70’s dodge 1/2 ton rear. 8-3/8 ring gear. Put in 3.55 gears. Im running 265’s on the back and with the automatic im right around 2,000 rpms at 60 mph. 
needed to use new perches, i made mine using square tubing and a hole saw. 

my 51 did this just as we were all geared up to go on a road trip. By pulling door shut and locking from the inside it would stay closed. A coiled spring broke,and i managed to repair it with parts from a spare latch. 

My wife insisted on seat belts, and i overbuilt the mounts top and bottom. I agree with the non-collapseable steering column being an issue. So my next builds will include an updated column. 

I think unbolting cam gear will allow access to the retainer. Probably the easiest course of action is to have a machine shop replicate the part. If its like the 218, pan has to come off to completely remove timing cover. 

Took three of us to get the glass in. From the inside. I tried to rope it in, but being 2 piece glass it wasnt working. I had a hook and a fiber stick i used,working from the bottom up. Alternating side to side. Carefully working the rubber out and over the pinch welds. 
and it leaked. Small bead of urethane sealed it somewhat. 

Not all the bushings are left hand thread. Those are good videos. 

And if its like my 50, the shackle bushings arent the most pleasant things to deal with. There are resources here on the forum explaining the replacemet of said bushings. A couple are left hand thread. 

When i started fixing up the frame rails on my 51 i used my ball joint press. Also provided a way to pry and twist the frame into submission. 
this old body metal isnt as easy to manipulate like later model stuff. 
i have yet to make up some dies,but its on an as needed basis. 
 

your press idea should work well, i would have made it with deeper jaws for other uses as well. 

This is one i found in its last habitat,price was fair so i grabbed it. 4” roof chop and set up for small block chevy. Front end may be dakota, havent identified it yet. Owner started on it,and lost interest and traded it for something else. Im on the fence whether i carry on with someone else’s vision or plunk body onto a 4wd chassis i have. 

On 4/25/2023 at 8:13 AM, ggdad1951 said:

One thing to help is to watch from the other side to see what needs to be done.

Exactly! And mimic what the working side does. 

Remove catch and slot the mounting holes in sheet metal. 
mine took some tweaking, i recall having to bend the catches to align with the latch. 

I used a spare rear filler panel and inverted it. Much better look than nothing there at all. Thought i had a photo, but i dont. 

On 2/12/2023 at 5:50 PM, Los_Control said:

Sometimes I wish I kept my keyboard to myself .... or had a rewind button.

Honestly I appreciate the skill & effort that went into the car .... way above my skill level today.

 

Some cars simply should not be chopped ... imho.  Seriously, just my opinion.

The rest of the work is not terrible .... That car needs a new roof line.

 

Anyone been watching this dude build this 35 Dodge? .... He claims it was 35 Dodge parts anyways ... then later he bought a 35 Desoto for parts.

He has done the roof maybe 3 times so far to get it where it is?

I am not against chopping a roof ... I just think some style needs to go with it.

 

 

 

 

 

Brent has built so many cars and trucks, too many to count. I live a couple hours away from him. He gets radical, and pulls it off every time. I dont know where he gets his energy from. 

Sewing is stressful in the beginning. Cloth is easier to work with compared to vinyl, can pull the stitches and re-do if its not perfect. Its been a while since i turned on my old singer, had it before youtube was a thing and learned by trial and error. Still not very good at it but i enjoy it when i get back in the groove. 

I sent vic an e-mail. Retiring. Was a great guy to deal with.We talked a couple years ago about distributing parts out of canada, but with covid and freight costs it just wouldnt be feasable. 
would have been a nice little niche for me. 
to source parts, obtain vendors and achieve discounts to make it a viable business in today’s economy, near impossible. 
I wish him well in his retirement. 

I prefer to use the universal long life coolant. As my luck goes i end up changing coolant whenever it all leaks out for one reasnor another. 

No proportioning at all. Requires a dual port master cylinder

I use rust check brand rust convertor. In a spray can. I find it goes a long way.i buy 6 cans at a time. May be a canadian product though. 

As far as re-using goes, if a guy has to heat/beat to get them off, cut and toss. But if they come apart without a battle i will re-use. Mine were nice,and i chose to reuse. If needed i make a sketch and have a local spring shop make them up. 

I got stuck with some 16 gauge. Its no fun to work with. But welding? Crank up the heat! 

Keeping your own record should be good enough,dealer or buyer can judge maintenance by looking at overall condition of vehicle. Keeping receipts of oil and filter purchases and writing mileage on them would be due dilligence. The only  new things i have purchased is a riding mower and my new kioti tractor. I will buy my filters and oil from dealer for 1st oil change at 50hrs, and aftermarket after that. 
used to be owners manuals had a checklist, that either the dealer or owner could fill out. 

I have a rather large tote,tools and fluids with some spare parts.fire extinguisher, small first aid kit, a jug of water. Mostly because i live outside of the city, and lots of backroad driving. Never know what could happen. 
 

im just so pleased with my truck, travelling long distances is becoming less of a concern. This has always been an important thing. Daily driver gets loaded with tools for long trips as well. 
and winter on the doorstep, its time to load up the winter gear.

i have been stranded in the past,i take precautions. 

On 10/5/2022 at 4:25 PM, Los_Control said:

I'm a little confused on this one. Auto parts stores are simply phasing out brake lines. Or any metal line like fuel or vacuum.

 

I can understand this if they offered a replacement like nicop. ... But they offer nothing .... Go kick rocks they say!

I have a parts + & a carquest in town..... I just can not understand why they are cutting out metal lines without a replacement.

My mistake was buying 5/16" to finish the rear .... I forgot I needed 1/4" .... I bought 3 sticks of 1/4" for $1.59.

I insisted the clerk made a mistake &  he insisted it was correct.

Once it is gone they will not replace it. .... I just wonder what the future is for metal lines that all cars use.

 

I would assume they will only sell bulk line. I have not heard of this here in canada, possibly a chain store policy? Seems odd,i go through lots of line in a year. 
i buy nickel/copper online, usually comes with an assortment of fittings. There is steel/copper coated as well, but the nicop is way easier to work with. 

I do carry a tool kit as well. And fluids, a few spare parts. I keep a large tote in the box. 5 gallons of water as well as a fire extinguisher. 
probably 3,000 miles travelled as well. 

Hey thougt i would start a thead about the breakdowns we faced during our summer of cruising. 
i was very fortunate,only 2 first one was the little flat wound spring in my door latch. I did figure out how to keep door closed on the way to a car show. Push door shut and lock it. Was an easy fix at least. 
second was wiper failure,light rain about 60 miles from home. Little bushings failed. Still managed to make the trip,and made up a permanent fix. Will attatch photo of the bushing. I deleted the little hex bushing and made one to replace rubber and hex combined. 
 

as i said, i got lucky this year. Hope next year goes so well.