jakes49er

Im hoping to. Been there the last two years....soo much fun and so much to see. Only wish i was far enough with the '49 to take it. I'll shoot for that next year.

Wow....6 months....havent done much to the old dodge. At 2 weeks old my son ended up in the hospital with RSV, got H-flu with it, pneumonia in both lungs and fought for his little life for 3 weeks and by the grace of God we were able to return home with him and there has been no turning back for him, he's growing like a weed. Everything slowed down for a while but I did manage to have a change of plans with the project and decided that I will instead be putting the Dakota frame underneath. Have the body sitting on it and i love the lower stance of the pickup. Now time to start on getting the body mounted to the frame. Summer was so busy, hopefully I can make some good progress here in the near future, I so enjoy working on the truck. More so I enjoy spending time with my family, you dont realize what you have until you almost lose it.

Off subject but I have to brag....My wife and I had a baby boy tonight..Jayce John....he is our first boy...we already have two girls...kinzie and bailey, 4 and 2 1/2 respectively....he and mom are doing great...Praise God from whom ALL blessings flow!!!!

Well I got the factory front suspension off and got the crown vic susp. mocked up. I think it looks good but is a bit wide and not enough room between the fenders and tires. There is plenty of room on the crown to cut about 4-5 inches out of the crossmember and weld it back together making it fit tight against the frame rails. I hope this gives me enough room to drop her a little lower still. Just thought I'd give a quick update on what I've done so far.

Gotta remember us midwest boys are corn fed too:)

Well I got the engine and trans out tonight...wasnt too bad I didnt think,took a little twisting and fanangling but its hanging from the cherry picker. I wouldnt want to put it back in as an assembly probably though. Anyway, now I can get to marking the center of the stock suspension so I can remove it and mock up the crown vic suspension...really looking forward to that to see if theres a drop in the ride height and if so how much.

Here are a few pics of the pickup Im working on. Got a couple hours in the other night so I got the front end off and will be pulling the engine and trans soon hopefully. Got the crown vic suspension awaiting the removal of the factory suspension so I can mock it up. I also got the 440 engine and trans home so it can be mocked up as well. Looking forward to seeing if I can get the engine to fit with an aftermarket radiator set ahead further in the grill area without modifying the firewall, although some of you probably know that already. Just one question, does the column come loose from the steering gear with the collar and bolt at the bottom of the column, or is there a long shaft that stays with the steering gear?

Thanks for the advice guys, I do have coworkers and friends that have done rat rods and such so I have a great support system as far as advice and help, just thought i would get some advice from all you pilothouse owners also. I also graduated from body school and have done quite a few rebuilders, just no rod projects,so i am not completely green to all of this. That being said, I know I have a lot planned but I am determined to get this thing going and in time get it finished....by finished I am looking to do the mods and have it functional/driveable.....not a show truck by any means. I look forward to being involved in this community and hopefully posting some pics in the future.

Hey guys, I love this sight and have been checking it all the time. I just bought my first rod build project and need a lot of advice. I purchased a 49 pickup as well as a 48 for parts,most parts are there to complete one. I would like to use the original frame but am wanting to lower the pickup,chop the roof considerably, and put in a 440 engine all keeping expenses down. I work at a salvage yard(mostly 90's up vehicles) and have access to quite a few parts I think may work. I purchased a 440 with trans from a coworker for a great price. I have a front suspension off a '08 crown vic that looks like it may work with some slight modification but it seems to me the suspension would sit quite similar to the factory height, which is what im trying to get away from. Has anyone used one of these suspensions in the past? Also any ideas what may work better for front suspension...I know mustang 2, but remember, I need to stay low on price if possible. Pics would be awesome so I could get some ideas. Thanks in advance for any help....everyone on this sight seems to be very helpfull...great for newbies like me