Re: "Albert" -- 1949 AD, S10 Chassis
 

Ok, I snapped a couple pics. Looks like its somewhere between 6 and 7 inches. I didn't think it would be that low. I need to get it off the ramps to see what it's like but I'm trying to get my running boards mounted up.

*****EDIT*****
After getting most of the swap fabrication done and the truck sitting on the ground with the wheel/tire combination I'm using (245-45R18), the front bumper is riding at 5-1/2 in. off the ground. Having driven it around a bit, I don't think I would want to go any lower on a static stance.
**************

Re: "Albert" -- 1949 AD, S10 Chassis
 

Thanks! I had seen several other guys do it this way and it turned out to be a fairly easy way to go about it. Right now I'm taking a guess at were the height of the front should be. I built it with a little room to shim it up or down and once I get the hood on I'll get it set.

Re: "Albert" -- 1949 AD, S10 Chassis
 

Looks like you've been busy. The truck is looking great!

Re: "Albert" -- 1949 AD, S10 Chassis
 

Just wondering if you got around to doing your front brake lines on the brake caliper conversion and if so what did you do to make it work

Re: "Albert" -- 1949 AD, S10 Chassis
 

No, I have not. Plumbing my brakes is on my to do list. I did save the lines from my donor S10 and also have a set a lines off a 2000 Blazer. I'm hoping one of the two will work out. Otherwise, I'll probably get some generic flex lines from Summit or Jegs.

Re: "Albert" -- 1949 AD, S10 Chassis
 

I got the radiator all plumed up, upper and lower hoses, and the transmission cooler lines. My first attempt at the radiator hoses was bending a coat hanger to the shape I wanted then picking out a handful of hoses at the parts store, I finally gave up on that approach not being able to find one that would fit and went with a flexible hose. The upper house is a Gates Vulco-Flex II, 20 in. long. The lower is a 19 in. Gates green strip Vulco-Flex, 19 in. long. I like the Vulco-Flex II better, it has a coil spring inside it and is easier to bend, but some reason, Gates doesn’t make them with 1-3/4 in. outlets on each end of the hose. I also installed a thermostat housing that has a swivel head to provide a better fit of the upper radiator hose.

The transmission cooler lines were plumbed with 90 degree brass fittings I found at the hardware store. I pulled hard transmission cooler lines off a 90s Chevy 1/2-ton which are plumbed to the transmission. I cut and bubble flared the hard lines just below the radiator. Rubber transmission lines link up the radiator to the hard lines.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-S...193%252529.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-N...194%252529.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-J...195%252529.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-m...196%252529.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-L...197%252529.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-O...198%252529.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-r...199%252529.jpg

Re: "Albert" -- 1949 AD, S10 Chassis
 

The low pressure line is no big deal but I couldn’t get the high pressure line I had off my donor S10 to work out to my liking. I ended up assembling the high pressure line from AN fittings. This was the first time I used AN fitting and was impressed how well everything went together. This is what I needed:

-- Earls Power Steering Hose -6AN Fitting 90 Degrees, EAR134606ERL
-- Earls Power Steering Hose -6AN Fitting 45 Degrees, EAR139106ERL
-- Earls Power Steering Hose O-Ring 16 mm to -6AN Adapter, EAR961955ERL
-- Earls Power Steering Hose O-Ring 18 mm to -6AN Adapter, EAR961956ERL
-- XRP Power Steering Hose -6AN, Marked as Aeroquip Air Brake Hose (only black hose I could find)
-- Lower Pressure Hose 16 mm O-Ring Fitting 45 Degree

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-K...200%252529.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1...201%252529.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-A...202%252529.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Z...203%252529.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-q...204%252529.jpg

Re: "Albert" -- 1949 AD, S10 Chassis
 

That worked well. Very clean!

Re: "Albert" -- 1949 AD, S10 Chassis
 

Hussey, got your PM. Thanks for your comment. Your build depicts valuable information to me and I am sure others. Thanks, Clay

Re: "Albert" -- 1949 AD, S10 Chassis
 

Man, I’ve been dragging lately, about the only thing I’ve accomplished in the past month is get the hood mounted and front somewhat aligned. Oh, I also installed a new passenger side lower door hinge and got my doors aligned to where they open and close like they should, guess that’s something too.

Hope to get to the metal store over lunch sometime this week so I can get the front bumper and running boards mounted up.


https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-B...205%252529.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-V...206%252529.jpg

 

Re: "Albert" -- 1949 AD, S10 Chassis
 

Beautiful truck. Awesome build.

Re: "Albert" -- 1949 AD, S10 Chassis
 

doing some really clean work man. its turning out great. im about to start my 51 swap to an s10 frame with air ride and ls swap. keep the updates coming and thanks for sharing this info

Re: "Albert" -- 1949 AD, S10 Chassis
 

Progress is progress. Looking good!

Re: "Albert" -- 1949 AD, S10 Chassis
 

Looks great! Totally ripping off your cab mount ideas. Awesome job.

Re: "Albert" -- 1949 AD, S10 Chassis
 

go man, go!

Re: "Albert" -- 1949 AD, S10 Chassis
 

Very nice build, great attention to details! ;)

Re: "Albert" -- 1949 AD, S10 Chassis
 

Just a couple pics of the front mounting and fitting in case anyone wanted to see how the pan below the grill was trimmed.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--...207%252529.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-V...209%252529.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-s...208%252529.jpg

Re: "Albert" -- 1949 AD, S10 Chassis
 

Any pictures of your bumper mounts

Re: "Albert" -- 1949 AD, S10 Chassis
 

Coming up....

Re: "Albert" -- 1949 AD, S10 Chassis
 

I finally got around to getting the front bumper brackets made up. I used some 1/4 in. 2 in. flat stock with a 90 degree bend in them for the bracket to the bumper. This bracket then bolts to a bracket that I welded to the frame. Not sure why I needed a separate bracket that bolted in-between the frame and bumper but that’s what I came up with.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-v...210%252529.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-y...211%252529.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-g...213%252529.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-X...212%252529.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-m...215%252529.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7...214%252529.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-T...216%252529.jpg

Re: "Albert" -- 1949 AD, S10 Chassis
 

Nice work....Sub'd

Re: "Albert" -- 1949 AD, S10 Chassis
 

Very nice, clean work!!

Re: "Albert" -- 1949 AD, S10 Chassis
 

maybe someday you want to run with no bumper, ADs look good like that. I had a 65 chevy and the front bumper mounts were part of the end of the framerail, so without a bumper it looked cool but had those bumper mounts sticking out. so it was run a bumper or cut the frame off.

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m...A6858C71A6.jpg



anyway, your truck looks fantastic!

Re: "Albert" -- 1949 AD, S10 Chassis
 

This is a lot of great information. I may be using some of your ideas here and there especially on the radiator mount. Keep the pics and info coming along. The truck at this rate will be done in no time.

Re: "Albert" -- 1949 AD, S10 Chassis
 

Sounds like as good of an excuse as any. I have seen a couple without front bumpers and they have a cool look of their own if they're sitting nice and low like your truck above.

Re: "Albert" -- 1949 AD, S10 Chassis
 

Thanks man, this site has been a wealth of information for me!

Re: "Albert" -- 1949 AD, S10 Chassis
 

Just for the hell of it I set the truck on all four tires last night wanting to see where it sat. I had a couple folks asking how high I thought the running boards would be off the ground. The front bumper is about a 1/2 in. taller than a beer can. The back of the front fenders are sitting right at 6 in. off the ground. There may be some front coil trimming in the future but I think I’ll be leaving the front at this ride height until I get it on the road and see just how much lower I can go. I would like to get the back end dropped some more to get the truck sitting level, but I won’t mess with that until all the metal is in place.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Y...229_220549.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-P...229_221408.jpg

Re: "Albert" -- 1949 AD, S10 Chassis
 

Thanks for the update. I think it looks perfect where it sits now.

Re: "Albert" -- 1949 AD, S10 Chassis
 

I think the stance looks good as is but that's me but i see what you mean about the getting the bed on. keep it up!

Re: "Albert" -- 1949 AD, S10 Chassis
 

Hussey, did you ever mention how many owners "Albert" has had? I'm curious because the fact the name stayed on the truck might mean you are only the 2nd owner.

For my 1951, I am the third owner. The second owner had it since 1960 or so.

Re: "Albert" -- 1949 AD, S10 Chassis
 

I'm going to guess that I'm the third owner to make use of the truck, for me the sheet metal that is.

I know Albert Reeter wasn't the first owner because you can see a ghost image of painted door letters behind his. After Albert a guy bought it at the Reeter farm auction. He kept it for a while with hopes to get it going one day. After some time he then sold it to his son. Same story there. That's when I became the current owner.

If you look on the door it's from Chillicothe, MO which is also where I bought it from. They have a car show there every year and I hope to take it back when I'm done with it, I'm sure it'll get some attention just from the door letters.

Re: "Albert" -- 1949 AD, S10 Chassis
 

Sounds like it stayed its whole life in Chillicothe until you found it.

Re: "Albert" -- 1949 AD, S10 Chassis
 

always fun putting metal on. amazing how fast you can build a truck (moch up!) then amazing how long it takes to really build the truck.

Re: "Albert" -- 1949 AD, S10 Chassis
 

I love the stance.......looks great!!

Re: "Albert" -- 1949 AD, S10 Chassis
 

Running boards are mounted up. I saw a few different methods out there, I got this idea from chopit on 67-72chevytrucks. It worked out well for me. My boards had been patched by the previous owner which I think warped them. You can see I had to clamp the running boards down to my welding bench since they were warped so bad. Building this “frame” helped hold them straight making it easier to get them mocked up to the cab. I used 1x1.5 in. 11 GA for the frame and 1.5x3 in. 11 GA for the mount that bolts to the frame. My forward mount is mounted just behind the splice on the frame which is nice flat spot. The rearward mount is forward of the rear of the cab.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-h...217%252529.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_...218%252529.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-W...219%252529.jpg

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https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-v...224%252529.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9...225%252529.jpg

Re: "Albert" -- 1949 AD, S10 Chassis
 

very nice, def one of the better designs I'v seen. its a PIA on the last mount because of the leaf perch. you handled that well. I also like how you bolt them on. thats how I do them.

Re: "Albert" -- 1949 AD, S10 Chassis
 

Thanks! Yep, on mine both the front and rear mount would have interfered with the rear hitting the leaf spring shackle and the front hitting the body mount.

I chose to bolt them on so I could also tweak them up and down without shimming the running board. Right now I just have the running board frame tacked to the frame mounts. I lined the boards up with them touching the rubber flap thing, not sure what you call it, behind them under the cab. I wasn't sure of exactly where they would need to be until the bed was in position.

Re: "Albert" -- 1949 AD, S10 Chassis
 

nice work like always! very simple and clean

Re: "Albert" -- 1949 AD, S10 Chassis
 

After some adjusting and tweaking of my running boards I started getting the bed fitted up. So far I have the right side mocked. I had picked up some wheels a couple of weeks ago on CL and couldn’t resist bolting them on to see how they looked.

The wheels are American Racing Torq Thrust 2 18x8. The previous owner had them on an 88 Monte Carlo SS. The tires are 245/40-18 Brigestone Potenza.

The tires are a little thinner profile that what I would like but the wheels and tires were close to new and I paid $750 for the set with lug nuts so…I can live with it.

I’m looking forward to getting the bed finished, sitting it on the ground, and rolling it outside to see how it looks.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-z...28226%2529.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-E...28227%2529.jpg

Re: "Albert" -- 1949 AD, S10 Chassis
 

Looks great dude.

Can you should some photos of how your mounting the bedsides to the bed floor?