Ken_Hart

Reg, ya those are something I would be leary of depending on what they look like.. (they are usually a pressed/cast metal not a machined piece. Does yours look machined? Note sure what you paid for yours but back in the 90's I paid about a $100 a piece for mine.. I know the price has come down alot since then as custom machine work is more common.. Check out www.wheeladapter.com...

Reg, those would work to move the rims out some. I ran similar spacers on a project for a few years without any issues, just make sure the adapters are machined billet and not the cheaper stuff. Another option is to just have a new set built by a copy.. many can take your originals and put wider hoops on them if they do not offer exact duplicates in different offsets. Mark, what you have is a reversed rim. they remove the center section and flip it around so the wider portion is on the outside rather then the inside. It has been a favorite trick of hotrodders for years..

Having just done a Mustang II from Fatman, I will tell you it was an easy swap.

Charles, my parents just picked up a stock 48 Dodge convert last weekend.. I asked them how it went down the road (it has a 3 sp and flat 6).. they said it would do 65 no problem.. so maybe a car rearend is the way to go ?? Seen your blue 49 in Doheny coverage.. looked great

dmulhall - you just need to find a decent pilothouse cab (or better yet a pre-48 cab that is narrower) that has good patina, slice the lower portion of the cab to push in the ledge (since there will be no fenders) to create a taper to the cab - channel it over a homebuilt 2x4 frame and chop it some (do a swing out windshield (like a old VW bus), use a different grill and run it without fenders.. a ratrod on the making

Went to the NSRA event in knoxville TN last weekend.. decent turn out but only seen on pilot house. it was one of the first cars I saw when getting to the event and just by chance it was from my state of SC tried to find the owner and talk with him but never did. Here is a pic of the panel and a link to the rest of the pictures (most are of traditional styled hotrods) I took (incase you are interested) http://public.fotki.com/boones/car_shows/nsra-south---knoxvi/

Guess I need to get a Roberts catalog My main rods are bent right before it goes into the firewall bracket which look correct thou sort tweaked... My concern is with the prop rods. they are also bent and those I think are supposed to be straight

So does the rod stay flat/ level and bend to go into the firewall bracket. After seeing the pic I think my moveable bars/rods that hold the hood open are bent as yours look like they are straight and follow the main 'firewall to rad support' bar What is that on the end of the moveable bar (is that a piece of rubber ??)

I was messing around with my hood prop rods yesterday and I am not happy with how they fit.. (they came removed from my 48 sitting in a box and I do not know if they are bent or both from the same side Could someone post a few pic of how the rods install on the cab side (how the angle should be) and how the moveable hood holder looks when closed (attached to the main bracket). This may give me an idea of how bad off mine are.. thanks in advance.

Very timely, I need to pull mine from the steering shaft and I was wondering how to tackle it. Now I need to see what I can use as a substitute for horse shoes (I dont have a horse)... what have others used for this application

thanks Mike. I have some 1x3 steel sq tubing laying around so I think I will drill me a hole and give it a shot..

Thought I was post a follow up to my line of front suspension pic so folks can see the final results of installing a FatMan Mustang II with a 2" drop spindle Here is the before shot and after shot I know its not for everyone but I figured it would helps others who plan to run a modified front suspension so they can have move information to make the right decision for their application.

In the land downunder they have some great burnout competition at the Nationals. They let them have free reign of the area. It a go until you blow type of thing.. ITs a amazing to watch it.. as our US shows are so tame/ boring...compared

I need to purchase a set of cab bushings (rubber donuts) for the forward cab mounts but until I get that to that point I need to fab some temp spacers to allow me to bolt the front sheetmetal back on. I am moving back to Seattle from SC and have to get my 48 back to the point where it looks like a complete vehicle. . Can someone tell me the approx dimension between the frame mount and the cab support (with it bolted together). I have a 2x4 that I was going to drill a hole thru but it looks too thick... so I need to use something thinner and possible shim to something close. thanks for the help

you sure it was not beer and shine you were drinking as a youngster.. I was going to suggest you build a trailer to hold the stil... (but dry ice in it to look like it cooking some fresh shine....)

you actually drive that.. how do you keep from tearing the porch off when coming in and out of driveways or other steep inclines. Whats the history/ story on it (details please)...

The values have to go up.. Look at the prices of the other brands. the price of 50's chevy and ford trucks are getting way up there, its only reasonable that the price of a Dodge has to increase... Thou getting the top value will always be limited to those very special trucks (top top quality). most fall into the middle to low range if they are a driver..

looks like a fine truck, I like how the bumers have been tucked closer to the grill..

I am using the same set up and mixture. Thin metal is the toughest (especially butt welds) for me. The thick stuff like the crossmember and C notches were easy as its nice and thick. What I found is after doing sheetmetal I was hesitant to really give the thicker stuff a good burn. Get a few pieces of old bed rails (can be found on the side of the road or at a Donation center) and cut them up and weld on them turn the heat and speed up and have some fun.. I tacked the crossmember in, but had a friend who is a good welder do the final weld (I was doubting my ability). I did the C notches and other support pieces myself Let me know if I can help with info The whole step by step pictorial is on my website.

Do you mean higher gears to lower the RPM and get more top end speed?

The C notch is really easy and you can get a really clean arc if you cut the opening so the half tube sit flush or slightly out from the frame that way you can weld and dress them up keep the radius. I used a Miller Mig 135 to do all the welding. There is nothing to thick on the frontend install that can not be done with it. just give it lots of power (I think it recommended a 7 out of 10) and lots of speed. Get a good penetration burn and you are set.

To C notch the frame I used a 3" cutting wheel on my air grinder. Really basic but with a cutting wheel and a 4" mini grinder (to smooth the welds) it went pretty smooth. The kit came with the half round pieces which I sat inside the frame rail and traced with a silver pin (easier to see on a black frame). Then using a T square drew the lines under the bottom and started cutting those two lines first. I then proceeded to cut the half circle like a Pizza (straight cuts to the outer edge of the radius. When I had 3 or 4 cuts, I turned the cutting wheel sideways and cut between the radius points which resulted in a half circle cut out but not full round, using the grinding, I ground down some of the left over metal until it was round and matched the tracing. I set the half pipe in there and tack welded first, then did a finish weld followed by grinding the welds smooth.

mine are not riveted, they appear to be spot welded or attached by some other fashion..

not sure what year you have but I noticed two difference wth my 48. I have two tabs, but only two holes instead of the 2x2 (each side) as yours does on the center panel

Charles, thanks for the note, I purchased a lense like the one you showed right after I got the dodge but did not know what year it was for but since it said Dodge on it thought it would work.. Then later bought the NOS one similar to what I have now... you are a wealth of knowledge... again, thanks