Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

Those Hickory boards look awesome ! I hope my Black Walnut ones look as good as those do when I get them finished. Love the way you fixed the center of the dash too !

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

Mind sharing some part numbers?

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

Sure thing! My US Radiator part number was 080071ANDZ. If I remember correctly, there wasn't a separate part number for the fan and shroud - just an option that you can add onto the purchase when you call in your order. There are lots of ways you can spec your radiator there, but they are all built to fit and look stock: http://www.usradiator.com/radiators/...k.html?cat=644

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

really nice so far! going to keep an oeye on this build for sure.

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

dunno how I just stumbled upon this greatness. So glad to see a shop (didn't catch the name, know it was asked several times) that does things right. The story behind this is great. To be honest, seeing the original marvin made me kinda sad. I'd glady rebuild that!
Can't wait to see this thing on the road. great work. congrats

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

Hey everybody, another small update here. Haven't been able to visit the shop as much as I would like, because I've been out of town for work for almost a month straight! Have a couple weeks at home now, which I've been enjoying very much. Marvin continues to make some great and steady progress!


Here is some more floor repair. The original floor wasn't too bad, but there were some pinholes here and there through the bottom. So the thought was it would be the most straightforward just to replace the trouble sections entirely rather than fill the pinholes and count on the surrounding metal to hold up over time. I really love the beads in the panel here for added stability, even though they'll never be seen:
http://i.imgur.com/fXtaXV7.jpg


Got the Vintage Air Gen II a/c and heat unit mounted behind the dash. Nice and snug, and the valance under the dash really hides it completely! Also, the shop installed a metal bar running along the entire width of the dash that we can use to mount wiring and electronics under there, if needed.
http://i.imgur.com/E8iWFSr.jpg


Chassis continues to go together - here, the quality and looks of the Scott's IFS is really outstanding. Brake lines are getting installed also.
http://i.imgur.com/ixdGaIt.jpg


A couple weeks later, the chassis is getting very close to complete. Everything here has been installed for the final time - that is so exciting! Suspension, steering, rear end, brakes and brake lines - its all there. This has really turned out to be a beautiful frame for an old truck, I think.
http://i.imgur.com/uGaZGyU.jpg


Gonna just dump a few more pics of the frame here because I think it really sets the stage for how Marvin is going to turn out as his final assembly continues.
http://i.imgur.com/o0l2zmD.jpg


Here, the rear exhaust was mocked up for the purpose of taking measurements for the fuel tank, which has been laser cut and is being welded up as I'm typing this. Ended up with an 18-gallon capacity. You can also see the clean brake line work, and the completed rear end - went with 3.66 limited slip gears from Moser.
http://i.imgur.com/gGdKdJN.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/AmhthUx.jpg


Love this view!
http://i.imgur.com/KjdqJwy.jpg

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

Here's a better view of the meat of the brake line system. The master cylinder and brake booster mounted on the outside of the frame, as well as the brake lines and proportioning valve and check valves.
http://i.imgur.com/VxPVvYU.jpg


These wheels will actually not make it to final. I changed my mind on these and will instead be using 16 inch wheels painted in a trim color with 46 hubcaps and trim rings. But these wheels still look great for mockup purposes!
http://i.imgur.com/lQEb6L6.jpg


Not an angle of our cabs that we get to see all that often. The floor is fully repaired now, with new sections installed throughout.
http://i.imgur.com/rbBVczW.jpg


A picture from inside the cab with the floor repairs completed. You can see the two raised rails that were added to the floor under where the seat will be. These rails will be used as mounting locations for all of Marvin's electronics - fuel controller, spark controller, transmission controller, radio, amp, fuse block, as well as the battery. The seat of the bench seat will flip forward to provide access, which allows all that stuff to stay hidden under there.
http://i.imgur.com/Jn2ICyx.jpg


Final picture is of the compartments that were fabbed and installed behind the dash openings. The one on the right will serve as a standard glove box, and the one on the left will house a/c and heater controls, stereo controls, and a volt meter gauge (because I am replacing the charging gauge in the stock gauge cluster with a tach).
http://i.imgur.com/mM5N6hh.jpg


That's all for this update - more to come soon, I hope! By next week, the new wheels should be painted with tires mounted, and installed. Motor and transmission should be painted and installed back onto the frame, and sheetmetal should be very close to ready for color! Lots of fun to see the progress!

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

Super update, chassis is looking great, cab repairs are sweet, nice work...Jim

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

Amazing looking frame and sheet metal work!

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

Incredible!

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

Looks great. I picked up a couple of ideas. Subscribed!

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

Howdy everyone, quick little update here. Progress on Marvin has been slow but steady, and all of Marvin's parts are now 100% at the paint and body shop. As progress continues towards paint, now there are a lot of small "detail" items on the to-do list. I'd love to see color go on as soon as possible, but I think we've decided to send Marvin out for pre-wiring first, to make sure that all the holes/brackets/mounts necessary for wiring and hoses are already figured out before paint, rather than having to drill through the paint later. Its tough to be patient, but I've made it this far, so I know I can wait a little longer!

Just a brief set of pictures here, from my most recent visit to the shop right before Christmas. Most of the recent work has been focused on the cab, which is really turning out to have more little detail items to address than I'd ever really considered. Cab is sitting pretty on its own:
http://i.imgur.com/JPXDoFs.jpg

Here's a zoomed in version of the first picture. Might be hard to see, but the body shop has welded up all the seams, all over the cab, so that they are uniform and smooth. For example, the big seam that runs across the top of the firewall stamping. Small detail, but it will really make for a clean and nice look once the paint is on.
http://i.imgur.com/Qg20Vvm.jpg

A lot of work was done on the doors recently. The doors themselves were in great shape after their stay at the metal shop, but recently the door hinges were rebuilt, and the doors were hung to swing straight and true. We tested a stock replacement weatherstrip from Steele, but it was really thick and stiff, and it made closing the doors quite difficult. For now, we are using a more generic style of weatherstipping around the entire door that seems like it will still provide a great seal while being easier on door closing. Still not sure if I'll run the stock windlacing inside the cab. Its a bit chunky looking, but it does serve a purpose. There will be some additional touch-up on the doorframe gaps, but overall looking pretty good already.
http://i.imgur.com/rzc4ITK.jpg

Another big change is the install of the one-piece window conversion kits from Classic Truck Glass. This is to keep the original 1953 doors with the push-button door handles, but go back to a one-piece window and get rid of the vent window. I think this will be a cleaner look for the finished truck. This kit is brand new, and the only all-inclusive aftermarket kit for this that I'm aware of. The guys at the shop regarded it well - it was easy to install and seems to fit great. Appears to be well engineered. It came with everything needed to make the conversion - no scavenging window track out of pre-51 doors!
http://i.imgur.com/WMmpE0u.jpg

Here you can see the inside of the window install plus the Altman Easy Latch system that was installed to give the doors a more modern latching system. This was done for safety, reliability, and ease of use compared to repop stock latches. This kit is as good as they say - it is well engineered, easy to install, and works very well once it is in. We decided to weld in the new latch plate, but the kit is designed for bolt-in install as well. You might be able to tell at this point that I'm going with manual windows and manual locks/latches. I want to retain some of the original features that will hopefully keep Marvin feeling like an old truck, and having to roll down the windows is something I want my grandkids to know someday that we used to have to do!
http://i.imgur.com/bxxichh.jpg

Closeup here of that great Altman latch system, and you can also see the window regulator, as well as the temporary weatherstrip being used for now.
http://i.imgur.com/gAeFWOb.jpg

Here's the new striker and plate for the Altman latch system. You can also see evidence of the cleanup welding and grinding that was done on the seams running around the doorframes.
http://i.imgur.com/3G5wI9f.jpg

New one piece window in operation. The action is very smooth. I really had a hard time decided whether or not to keep the vent windows. On one hand, they are very distinctive, and definitely a cool feature of the old truck. On the other hand, they can be noisy, make mirror placement difficult, and not as clean looking as the one-piece windows. When I saw they had an all-in-one conversion kit available, I decided to give it a shot. I think they look great!
http://i.imgur.com/IWHxwaJ.jpg

Outside picture of the window in operation.
http://i.imgur.com/JIR7tDN.jpg

Here's a closeup of the window glass and track. One thing I like about this kit is tha tit converts to one-piece windows, but doesn't use the frame around the glass like the stock 47-50 trucks did. When fully rolled up, this glass still forms a nice seal.
http://i.imgur.com/FNJMWsp.jpg

Not much new to report inside the cab, but I like this shot showing all the dash mods that have been made up to this point. I think the result will be really sharp, but still not have a really obvious modified appearance.
http://i.imgur.com/gUCiz17.jpg

Last pic, showing the driver's door - same things going on over here. Rebuilt hinges, latch kit, window kit, weatherstrip, and door gaps. Window kit not fully installed on this side yet.
http://i.imgur.com/fHdlr6K.jpg

That's all for this update. Hope to have lots more to report in January! Also hope everyone is having a great Holiday season. Looking forward to 2015!

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

Cab is looking great, everything lines up nice on cab and door. One piece glass kit looks good, will have to keep that in mind when someone asks about a good kit...Jim

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

Awesome work, the finished product will be over the top!

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

top notch work for sure. I'm a big fan of the vent windows but I do like the one piece as well, thats cool they make a kit for it. I like the firewall welded seam. I just cleaned up my firewall and one thing that does bother me is that seam. Not sure if your are just temporary or not, but the 4 bolts in the upper right of the firewall, I ended up painting carriage bolts and put them through the opposite way. Helped keep the firewall a bit cleaner I thought, but not too clean, I like seeing factory touches too. I really like the attention to detail in your pics and the work this shop does. Your bill is prolly through the roof, but well worth it! Oh and I really like that you kept the roll up windows. Personally I don't like seeing every cool old feature turned into a new feature, defeats the purpose of having something old.

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

Have you got anymore details on how simple the window install was? As they mention on there website that you need to make up some gap somewhere, wanting to know what that involves ;)

Nice build.

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

Any Updates?

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

Hey, not a ton of new pictures to post, but I've got a few. There's been a lot going on with the truck, but not a lot that really shows up in a photo. Been working with the guys at the paint shop on a lot of "planning." Figuring out exactly what parts are going to go where and how. Getting little bits and pieces of parts that we need, and doing some additional body work & prep. Earlier this week, loaded Marvin up into a trailer and took him across town to ANOTHER shop - this time for "pre-wiring." Here, a VERY knowledgeable guy is going to set up all the wiring and electronics ahead of time, as well as do some things like plan fuel lines, a/c lines, throttle pedal, etc. This is so that we know exactly what bolts and holes need to go into the cab BEFORE paint happens. This is set to take about 2 weeks, and then it is back to the paint shop and some color can start to happen, I hope!

Before I post a few pics, I want to answer the earlier question that I missed about the one-piece window kits. I'm told that the kits were very impressive, had all the parts you'd need, and installed pretty easily. I don't have an electronic copy of the instruction sheets, but I'd absolutely bet that if you contacted the company, they'd email you a copy. Got both sides in the truck now, and they look great!

Anyway, here's the few picture updates I've got since last time. Hope to have a lot more to share in the next few weeks!

Got the hole punched through the dash valance for the steering column. Column still needs to be pushed down through the firewall a bit more (sitting too high in these pictures), but I think the result is a really great look. Hides the column bracket and looks clean!
http://i.imgur.com/2G1Gf0P.jpg

Here's another angle of the column.
http://i.imgur.com/ouBuBGP.jpg

Here's all the components for the front of the engine that have been prepped and painted semi-gloss black. Stuff like water pump, a/c pump, brackets, pulleys, etc. Would like these components to just blend in to the engine compartment when the hood is open rather than really 'jumping out' at you visually.
http://i.imgur.com/l9ZauNr.jpg

And, got the truck's accent color sprayed on the wheels, engine, transmission, and intake (not pictured). Amazing to see some more color going on! This color is a perfect match for one of the interior leather colors that will be used, and I think will look really great with the red paint with gold metallic that will be used. There will also be some brightwork on top of the motor that I think will really set it off. (air cleaner, valve covers, valley cover, headers)
http://i.imgur.com/C89EtZq.jpg

Another shot of the painted motor nestled within that Scott's IFS. The engine and transmission have been installed onto the frame for the final time, unless we find some unforeseen need to remove them later. Fun to see anything getting installed for the "last" time.
http://i.imgur.com/0mV4pqY.jpg

More updates soon!

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

Great to have stuff going in for the last time. You know it's starting to come together now...Jim

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

Agreed. You can almost convince yourself that you can see a light at the end of the tunnel. But probably still a little too early for that, haha!

Just a few more pictures from a quick visit today. More assembly to the motor. Turning out looking even better than I had imagined. Glad it still has a carb intake look while being a newer LS motor. You can see the power steering lines getting made, if you look close. Forgot to get a picture inside the cab where there's already a bunch of wiring/electronics setup getting taken care of. All the electric components are being mocked up under the bench seat, and it looks COOL!

http://i.imgur.com/CMhS8sf.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/mtyqehM.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/6dyT2cY.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/9BnUDQh.jpg

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

Looks great, Hope mine comes out half as good as yours.
Look forward to seeing some color on it.

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

Really nice!!

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

It is nice. The FAST is a good looking set up. When you can, please grab some pictures of the electrical work under the seat. That would be interesting....and useful for ideas too.

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

I'm curious to see what you do with the ignition coils. Are you mounting the ignition box on the intake?

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

Will do! Probably later this week or next.

The coils will be hidden using two-piece valve covers. The passenger side valve cover that is shown only has one of the two pieces installed - the actual valve cover. Then the coils go on top of that, and then there's a cover piece that goes over the coils to hide them. Pretty slick. The drivers side has both pieces installed, but its hard to see because its all covered up with painters tape to protect the finish from dings/scratches (polished aluminum).

For the ignition box - I'm not using the MSD box that comes with that Edelbrock intake. I'm using a FAST product called "EZ-LS" that will drive the coils. This will integrate really nicely with the EZ-EFI fuel system and the EZ-TCU transmission controller - all three computers will connect to each other and talk to each other. The EZ-LS computer will be mounted under the bench seat in the cab. It is funny you mention mounting the ignition box on the intake. One of the first things I noticed when the intake was painted and installed for the first time is that mounting support for the ignition box that is sticking out right in the front and center. Hate to create more work, but it has been bugging me, so I think it is going to have to be ground off and repainted. I'm really fortunate that the body shop guys have a lot of patience with me haha!

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

engine is looking killer. so how many man hours are into this build!!!!!

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

Beautiful build full of awesome craftsmanship!

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

Haha, I've got all the paperwork, but I've never added it all up! Think that will be a rainy day project for sometime after he's back on the road.

Just a few more pictures from today. Definitely a lot going on now - really figuring out how the guts of this truck are actually going to sit.

Here, mocked up the headers and steering linkage once again. Looks good. Probably going to run into some trouble using the stock style shorty spark plug wires for the LS motors - not enough clearance from the headers. Have to figure something else out. You can see one of the finished power steering hoses here. Almost looks totally hidden away:
http://i.imgur.com/avnVq0f.jpg

Other side of the power steering pump showing the other power steering line. Also pretty inconspicuous:
http://i.imgur.com/nBlHXQl.jpg

Back side of the motor, along with the transmission. You can see how the engine wiring is routed along the top side of the transmission to go under and then up through the floor of the cab to under the bench seat, where all the electronics will be. Also, you can just kinda see a little knob/cylinder looking thing sticking through the firewall in the area of the transmission "tunnel." That's the starter switch! :)
http://i.imgur.com/xUbNYOw.jpg

Inside the cab, lots going on here. Stock throttle pedal getting mocked up (a linkage for this is getting made at the fabrication shop). Next to that, you can see how Marvin is keeping his foot pedal starter button that you saw the other side of in the previous picture. Really excited to keep this fairly unique "feature" of the truck. Good view here also of the main grommet for wiring coming up into the cab under the seat.
http://i.imgur.com/4pov76m.jpg

Here's a good view of all the electronics getting set up in their permanent homes under the bench seat. There's the battery, fuel controller, spark controller, transmission controller, radio, amp, equalizer, and a small fuse block. Harnesses getting customized or made up and put into place. There will also be a larger fuse block and relay panel in the middle. Nice to have all the brains of the truck under here in a clean and easy-to-access (but hidden) location.
http://i.imgur.com/I5IWqap.jpg

Another view of the pandemonium happening in the cab right now. So much going on! And I can't say enough good things about the thought and care going into the design/placement of these systems and the worksmanship of the install.
http://i.imgur.com/vgDhiRj.jpg

Next week, hoping to visit again on Friday for some more updates. Should see a lot more of the wiring install, coil wiring, a/c and heater hoses, transmission linkage, wiper motor, main fuse panel, etc. Looking forward to sharing more photos!

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

Thanks Torchlight. Looking really good!

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

Looking good, what battery is that you are using?

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

Its an Odyssey PC680MJT. Small battery, definitely not one for winter-time use, and definitely not for running the radio without the alternator spinning! But, it should be great for summer-time cruising and will have more than enough oomph to turn over the LS motor. Plus, its a sealed AGM battery, so no problem to install it on its side in the interior of the cab.

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

Looking forward to see how you mount the seat and still keep everything accessible. Great idea!

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

I can answer that! Bench seat frame from Glide Engineering - the one they make for this truck has a seat that flips up and forward, for access to underneath. Will definitely show pics again once it is upholstered, but here is an old pic that gives the idea:

http://i.imgur.com/S1uUkDi.jpg

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

Cant wait to see it and will be checking out that frame for my project. Thanks for the ideas you've shared!

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

Hey folks, another quick update here with a few more pictures. Stopped by the shops this morning to see the progress, answer some questions, and work out a few plans for next steps. It has been super fun to witness so much progress that you can really "see" as of lately. As always, the guys working on Marvin are doing amazing work!


Here you can see that fabrication is complete for the panel that goes in the center dash opening. This houses the radio controls, a/c & heater controls, and a voltage gauge. The voltage gauge is there because I'm replacing the voltage/amp gauge in the stock gauge cluster with a small tach needle, but I still wanted to be able to monitor charging status. This compartment will be hidden behind a stock style glovebox door, so none of this will be visible except when I'm fiddling with the controls.
http://i.imgur.com/VhcjV55.jpg


Great to see all sorts of little details getting worked out. Here's an Ididit shift linkage kit installed with a custom bracket on the firewall. Very solid.
http://i.imgur.com/SxrOVGs.jpg


And here you can see the linkage that was fabbed up to connect the stock accelerator pedal with the throttle body. Also you can see a little work on the fuel and vacuum lines.
http://i.imgur.com/Jkx4SDz.jpg


Inside the cab with that throttle pedal. Keeping the stock look pedals, all "through-the-floor."
http://i.imgur.com/YeJv0Ng.jpg


Around back, the exhaust was reinstalled, this time with the addition of an h-pipe. The exhaust went back in to help with planning for mounting of the gas tank and fuel lines.
http://i.imgur.com/KNMdv65.jpg


Kinda hard to tell what's going on in this picture, but this is behind the dash, camera pointed through one of the stock gauge openings. This is the electric wiper motor and linkage kit from Newport Engineering installed and tested to run great! Nice kit.
http://i.imgur.com/gKRPYJF.jpg


Also, got the painted wheels back with the Michelin tires on them. 255/65r16 for the back and 215/65r16 for the front. The wheel color is the same as what went on the engine. This color will also be used on the faces of the gauges inside the cab, as well as the tailgate lettering.
http://i.imgur.com/apusz8a.jpg


Going to run the wheels with trim rings and 1941-46 truck hubcaps. Even though they aren't perfectly true to original, I prefer these older hubcaps to the ones that came stock in 1953. I think they look very sharp!
http://i.imgur.com/ZnaUcRo.jpg


Hope to have more to share soon!

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

Amazing work!

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

looking very nice! Like this build.

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

I've got the same color 16" wheels with those hubcaps, rings, & almost the same tires (235s on front - same on back). They look and work great & get lots of comments...

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

I agree, impressive work. I especially like the center opening panel for the radio, hvac and voltage gauge. Everything looks very good!

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

Howdy, another update here today. Lots happening, for sure! Right to the pictures:


Some front end parts went on for mockup purposes. Radiator support, inner fender. You can see the Vintage Air condenser mounted in front of the radiator and the A/C and heater hoses getting run.
http://i.imgur.com/SQGcy8c.jpg


View directly from the front. Most of the hoses and wiring are being run on the "outside" side of the engine bay sheetmetal so that the engine bay stays as clean as possible. Do you see the larger hole in the center of the "skirt" piece in front the radiator? I learned that was there so that you could stick a rod through the front grill and manually crank the engine over if you had to for some reason. A hold-over from when engines were commonly started that way. Cool little piece of trivia that I didn't know about our trucks!
http://i.imgur.com/JYQcTDV.jpg


Here you can see the lines that were ran for the transmission cooler. You can also see the pretty tight clearance between the radiator fan and the water pump pulley! Glad everything fits.
http://i.imgur.com/hn6PCGn.jpg


They aren't 100% in place yet, but here's the routing of the A/C and heater lines out of the engine bay, through the inner fender wheel well, and on into the cab. There are rubber grommets for the hoses up inside the lower cowl area. You can also see where the A/C drier is hidden. A coolant overflow tank will sit next to it in this area, but it hasn't been installed yet.
http://i.imgur.com/K0RG4H0.jpg


This picture shows the new hard fuel lines that were made for the throttle body, as well as the transmission dipstick that has been installed. The fuel lines transition to rubber hose underneath the cab before going back to hard line as they run along the frame rail. The section of rubber hose gives vibration separation between the engine and frame. Both the oil and transmission dipstick tubes will be cut down so they aren't sticking out nearly as much as they currently are.
http://i.imgur.com/HWm7ag7.jpg


Top-down photo here showing the A/C and heater lines coming right off the compressor and water pump and going straight into the inner fender opening. The ultimate effect is that you barely see them at all!
http://i.imgur.com/YPU1Rv4.jpg


Kinda hard to tell what this is, but this is a photo of up underneath the passenger side of the dash, showing where the A/C and heater hoses come into the cab through the lower cowl area. There's a plate that will go over the opening to cover it all up.
http://i.imgur.com/mQQUPPn.jpg


Looking down through the floor of the cab, you can see the fuel lines coming under the floor and just starting to transition to rubber hose as they make a turn towards the passenger frame rail.
http://i.imgur.com/djhpeZz.jpg


This shows the fuel lines (supply and return) coming back along the frame rail to near where the rear-mounted tank will be located.
http://i.imgur.com/i8aQ1xS.jpg


Faces for the rebuilt stock gauges have been painted the same trim color as the engine, transmission, and wheels. These will go back now so the gauge markings can be added and the gauges re-assembled. I did notice that the two round center pieces were painted the wrong color - they need to be the red body color, so they'll have to go back for a quick re-paint.
http://i.imgur.com/ovNvYae.jpg


And here are some of the CON2R steering wheel parts that have been painted in the red body color. There were some other parts in addition to these, but they were already packed for shipping back to CON2R so the steering wheel can be assembled. This is my first time seeing the body color painted on anything other than a sample card, and I have to say I think it looks stunning! The picture doesn't do it justice.
http://i.imgur.com/ltvqztr.jpg


That's all for this week - hope to have more to share next week or the week after. Probably only 2-3 more weeks before Marvin goes back to the paint shop for final prep and paint, which has me pretty excited!