OT UH OH!! The Bug has bitten again (Dail up warning)

[greg g]

Well, the bug has bitten. I made a deal for a 56 Studebaker Pickup Kit. I will be picking it up from Northeast Pa. this Friday and Saturday. What I have gotten into is a frame with 4 wheel disc brakes, Ford 9 inch rear from a late 80's T bird, a Studebaker 259 V8 with an adapter for a GM automatic.

It retains the straight axle, but has been upgraded to a dual MC. I will need to source a trans, a drive shaft, rear crossmember/trans mount, alternator carb and some other sundries. The manifold if for a 4bbl, it is already plumbed for dual exhaust.

The body sits on another frame with no running gear. It will need a bit (read a good working over) of body work. Driver's floor is gone, and the pass door is toast. The bed is decent as are the front fenders and grille.

Comes with a starter for the trans adapter, a Studebaker 4 speed trans which hopefully I can sell, and then also the frame the body is on.

So I built models as a kid this can't be much different.....I guess my wire welder will ge a work out, and my shade tree body work will be taxed, Can you say great stuff foam. I can. Guess the P15 will be the primary parts chaser for her new garage mate.

The rear motor mount needs a little work

The MC set up

The T bird diffy

Tail gate, and hood are straight, Front fenders have been rubbed on before

bed is fairly solid but needs some work.

[Plymouthy Adams]

Oh no...just when you thought it was safe to go back out to the shop..

Congrats...I know you have been searching high and low for sometime now.

[Don Coatney]

Used to call them "South Bend Vibrators". Looks like the cats meow Greg. Bet you got a big grin on your face.

[PatS....]

Sounds like fun, Greg. That rear motor mount looks fine to me...a bit long on the right, but that's easy to fix

[greg g]

I may need to address that prior to the 80 mile return tow. Chunk of logging chain oughta do the trick.

[Brad Lustig]

You must be real thirsty to drink out of that "glass"

Should be a fun project!

[greg g]

Sellers primative recycling system. Apparently doesn't work cause there were empty barley pop bottles scattered liberally about the garage.

[Olddaddy]

I'd say you did pretty good for yourself! Great job, keep us all posted.

[Normspeed]

I'm anxious to see the body stuff. Are you gonna be running an outrigger off that rear motor mount?

BTW, those pictures load real fast even on dialup but thanx for the warning.

[BobT-47P15]

Well now, Greg, nothing like a good jigsaw puzzle, is there? My money is on you to turn it into something nice.

(Did you ever notice how many cars and trucks there are like that......taken apart, some modifications started, then work halted. Now the kit is for sale. I think some folks don't realize what it takes to put one back together.)

[Young Ed]

I seem to run into a few. That's what my truck was. They had 2 trucks. One was an abandoned project they bought from a resto shop. They put a v8 in the frame that wasn't from the body shop and then transfered the freshly painted parts from the body shop to that frame. So I got a restored frame with no drivetrain and the cab and body from the other truck! What a mess. Oh and of course since they were planning to rod the engine and bellhousing went in the trash. Dang it

[greg g]

Well Bob thanks for the vote of confidence, however this may turn out to be a ticket to the undone project boat. I am sure there are plenty of seats still available. This will be a shade tree project utilizing all the Cobb Job tricks I can remember (save for the mechanicals). So it probably won't look like much for a while. Here are some of the body or lack thereof.

[greg g]

Sumothers

[greg g]

Last ones till I get it home.

[Normspeed]

Those are great looking trucks. Have fun.

[Norm's Coupe]

Greg,

What brand welding wire do you use? I'm rushing out to buy stock in that company and also the makers of Bondo right away. You have a little work cut out for yourself there.

[greg g]

Well, I been using the stuff from Harbor Freight. But it is questionable quality at best. I think I will get some real stuff from our local welding supply store..

Probably Lincoln or another name brand.

As for the bondo, first you need to call our broker and get some shares of the company that makes Great Stuff closed cell spray in foam. I use it for backing up bondo. I know the cab corners are bein repoped as weld in patches, but they are over 100 bucks a pop. So I will build a cardboard dam on the inside of the cavity, duct tape some visqueen plastic over the hole, foam it in, remove the visq, shape it with a hot wire foam cutter, skim coat it with some reinforced filler, then putty to finish. I have done this type of repair on winter rats and got a couple years of winter driving out of them before they started to go south again. So in a fair weather vehicle, they should last until I can afford the repops.

The foam also acts as a sound deadener, and keeps the moisture away from the backside of the "repair".

[Don Coatney]

Greg;

Found this if you need some body parts. Different year but might be bolt on stuff. I have met the owner of this truck and he is a good guy.

http://forum.olskoolrodz.com/showthread.php?t=33790

[blueskies]

Now you've done it! I guess there's going to have to be another BIG RACE ...

Nice color by the way-

Pete

[40phil41]

Well Greg, I was going to say that you have a lot more energy and ambition than I have. However, I am about to start the resurrection of my rusty 1964 Tempest which isn't a whole lot better than your truck, although it is in one piece at the moment.

Let's see who gets theirs on the road first. I'm not making any bets.

Good luck and have fun,

Phil

[Plymouthy Adams]

oh no...a race of yet another kind....

[greg g]

Thanks Don but no sheet metal from the M series crosses to the R and E series.

[greg g]

Well seeing how I have joined the reanks of the retired, I will have lots of time. Now as for money, I will be collecting a bit les than I was making 2 years ago,but a bit more than 2 weeks ago. So the balance will be delicate until we can get out house paid off. that will free up a bit of change, and hopefully will get don by June or July. Still need to feed the insurance and the county but the principal and interest payments will constitute a nice raise when they are gone.

So I will take the tortoise slow and steady approach, and maybe can have it road worthy ( if not asthetically pleasing0 before the snow flies.

[greg g]

Pete, I already got a blue car, so I'm thinking two tone silver, light over dark or cab and box light and fenders dark. I believe the light silver with a nice orange peel will serve as camoflage for less than professional body work. Or may go beige and brown along the same lines.