Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

Brian and his team at Premier Upholstery in Rogers. Great team!

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

This has got to me my favorite AD truck at this point...can't wait to see it finished. Big time congrats! What an amazing build.

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

This is awesome! make sure to post a video of the 1st ride if you can!

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

I don't see how you'd want to drive it now! way to much work into this thing. But yah for sure its just a truck, drive it.

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

Wow Marvin looks amazing. Nice execution and strong work getting to this point. Hope you have a good show. Can't wait to see more pictures.

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

Hey all-

Back home from the car show, and feeling just great. Not to sound too dramatic, but this weekend was truly a dream come true. Not only the past three and a half years, seeing Marvin get torn apart and pieced back together - it goes back way farther than that. Probably back to early teenage years when I really started to get interested in cars and started dreaming about someday turning Marvin into a little bit of a street rod.

While it is definitely true that I love my family, my girl, and my kids more than an old truck, I probably wasn't thinking much about those types of things in my early teens. So seeing Marvin all back together again and looking so sharp - that's really the closest thing I've ever had to a "lifelong" dream! I think all the elements really came together well to create something special.

I feel so amazingly fortunate to have been able to get in touch and work with some truly fantastically talented shops during this build. The shops are their people, and I got lucky to find some true craftsmen and artists. In so many ways, Marvin is their truck too. Kurt and the crew at Creative Metalworks, Ron and the guys at Unique Body & Paint, Brian and the team at Premier Upholstery, Bob Peterson, and Bruce Horkey - these guys all played huge roles in making my dream come true and I count them as lifelong friends. I will be forever grateful for their hard work, talent, and careful attention to detail. For a guy like me that doesn't know jack about turning a wrench, it was truly a joy to work on this project with a group of guys that valued my input and let me be involved in every step of the design and decision-making process.

I think Marvin had a lot of fun at the show. I know I did! Couldn't stop staring at him from every angle. I think the best part, though, was watching other people stopping to enjoy having a look. Had some great conversations with a lot of very nice people. Big thanks to Root2812 for coming down and saying hi! Really looking forward to the next show we get to go to.

I'll stop rambling now and get onto the photos. No play-by-play commentary this time, just the pics! Marvin is about 99% complete, although there is a short "to-do" list of small items to still take care of back at the body shop. Hope to have him here at home in about a month. Then the fun really begins! Please don't mind the trailer in the outdoor photos. Marvin isn't going to be a trailer queen, but the Minnesota roads still have a ton of salt and sand on them, so we gave him another comfy ride back to the shop. Will be hitting the road soon, though! Love how the sun came out for a couple of the outdoor pics - you can really see how the paint jumps off the truck in the sun!


http://i.imgur.com/F8SjzfQ.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/G158mFd.jpg

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

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

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

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

http://i.imgur.com/l8cKElx.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/5qgoknk.jpg


continued...

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

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

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

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

http://i.imgur.com/g0xkZxO.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/2gk0MEV.jpg

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

http://i.imgur.com/D0Ld6in.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/1cxCdPO.jpg


continued...

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

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

http://i.imgur.com/dneD9s1.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/79Sco6f.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/39qtNNT.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/20dAMJm.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/HWiY7J5.jpg

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

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

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

Thank you for giving me a tour of Marvin. The truck is beyond words. I appreciate the good conversation too. Marvin was such an inspiration that I went right out to the garage when I got home. You will be hearing from me a lot. :)

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

Beautiful! And outstanding execution. How does Marvin sound?

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

Drop dead gorgeous.

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

Congratulations it looks great. I bet you are excited.

Marc

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

Beautiful truck! I hope to see it around central Iowa this summer.

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

Thanks! You know, in all the excitement, I totally forgot to take any video of Marvin running - but trust me, he sounds great! The long tube headers, Porter mufflers, and EPS cam really give the motor the sound I was looking for - low, mellow, rumbly. I did post an idle video a few weeks back from the day of first start-up:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOo100I0bZ4

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

Congrats. What an awesome truck.

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

Beautiful truck, great work by all, and thanks for the pics...Jim

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

Truck looks amazing.

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

Nice coming out party, now you can drive the wheels off of your truck for the next 50 years!!
Excellent job, well done!

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

Marvin is incredible...truck of the year nominee.

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

Truck looks great! The one picture thru the rear window into the cab got me all horny for a second. I thought you actually did something funky and installed a wood slat floor in the cab to match the bed but then noticed it was the reflection of the box wood lol.

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

Haha, it does kind of look like that! Just carpet for me, but I did see a 59 chevy with that kind of cab floor in the May 2016 copy of Classic Trucks Magazine. Looks real nice! See http://www.hotrod.com/cars/featured/...than-a-beater/

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

Spectacular! dug

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

Wow super nice!! Congrats!

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

You should make these dash valances and sell them. I want one to hide my A/C also!!!!

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

Well, I've been enjoying the good weather and putting some miles on. Marvin drives so nicely, it is almost hard to believe he's the same old truck! Plenty of power, sounds great, smooth ride, and solid handling. A/C has been nice too, with these recent warm weeks. It has been a dream come true to drive him around town!

You know what they say, a project is never really "done," and maybe that's true here also. Have had a couple gremlins to work out - squealing belt, leaking power steering reservoir. Those types of things will probably be a part of life this first year or so to get things really dialed in. Also, decided to add a pinstripe around the beltline of the cab, and I think it turned out really sharp!

I'm looking forward to the Goodguys car show in Des Moines in a couple weeks - will have Marvin there on the Saturday and Sunday of that show. If anyone is going to be at the show, please don't hesitate to come say hello!


http://i.imgur.com/zX0ktS8.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/35vr5hl.jpg

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

http://i.imgur.com/0vCR5UU.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/7USS3HG.jpg

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

Beautiful truck man! Enjoy it!

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

Marvin came out very nice! you driving much?
How is the battery working out? If I recall you mounted an Odessey under the seat?

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

Looks sweeeeet...Jim

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

Driving quite a bit! Almost any chance I can get. No long road trips yet, though. The Oddysey battery under the seat has been perfect. Sure, it is a small battery, but it has not failed to turn the motor over effortlessly. Probably wouldn't want to run one in the winter, but not an issue here. I really like the under-seat location for keeping it hidden and keeping the engine bay nice and clean.

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

Hey everybody, just a quick update here as we get closer to the end of the summer. Been driving Marvin everywhere that I can and just having a blast! Just a couple small changes recently to share:

Made an adjustment to the coil-overs on all four corners. I'm guessing that the front shocks had "settled" a bit with the driving I've been doing, and the front fenders were down over the tires farther than I prefer, and the back end was starting to kick up pretty high over the rear tires. Started to be at the point where it had quite a rake to it, and mismatched fender/tire openings, so re-adjusted things to get the running boards as close to level with the ground as I could. I think this is better than the rake look on this truck:
http://i.imgur.com/mO3yQCB.jpg

Also, used a leaking upper radiator hose as an opportunity to have the steam-port tubing re-done. The way it was before was perfectly functional, but not the cleanest looking install. Here's the new approach, which is plumbed directly into the water pump:
http://i.imgur.com/s2fGp1P.jpg

A couple more pics of the new steam tube setup:
http://i.imgur.com/R3ZvSMx.jpg

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

For reference, here's a picture of the old setup. I think the new way makes the engine bay look a little cleaner:
http://i.imgur.com/X8XvYPp.jpg

And finally, for fun, I had been working on a "garage improvement" project for Marvin to give him a safe place to hang out free from the dangers of bicycles, razor scooters, and hula hoops. Not a lot of room in here to maneuver, but the shelves and drawers make it so that all the "truck stuff" can now be removed from other parts of the home and kept in here. Still working on that, haha:
http://i.imgur.com/PDlm0lQ.jpg

Marvin looks pretty comfy tucked away in his new "house:"
http://i.imgur.com/eIgyKPd.jpg

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

Good move! - much nicer stance....

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

The steam port plumbing change does clean that up a bit. Looks good.

And the garage space looks perfect to keep incidental damage away.

Glad you've been enjoying Marvin!

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

good googly moogly thats a pretty truck! :clap:

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

I got to see Marvin at GoodGuys, very nice truck! I especially like how they did the back of the hood, adding another layer to it like a doorskin to keep it rigid (wish I'd have seen that 6 months ago before mine was painted). The back of the hood flopping around and hitting the cowl is the biggest rattle I'm dealing with now in my truck.

Nice, safe location to keep him in!

http://i869.photobucket.com/albums/a...pscc3zjrfv.jpg

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

Beautiful!

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

Stance looks great, nice storage area for Marv....Jim

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

Beautiful Truck, i've read thru the build at least 1/2 doz times, lots of great details to see. In post above by BlueJeep he mentions additional layer to back of hood, i can't find this in the build, how/what was added to increase rigidity?

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

Hey thanks all for the supportive comments - having the most fun sharing Marvin with with community!

Thanks for stopping to take a look! I don't think we got the chance to chat? I might have been off running around somewhere - possibly buying a corn dog. Or two. Looks like this was on Saturday afternoon once the rain finally stopped. Fun show!

I don't have any good pictures handy right now, but there was some additional metal added along the entire length of the back edge of the hood where it meets the cowl. When I get home from my work travel later this week, I will take a couple pictures and post them up!

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

I scanned the area and none of the guys near it looked like they owned it, so yeah the corn dog stand must have been calling you. It is a nice show, thought it's usually MUCH hotter than it was this year.

Re: Marvin (1953 3100)
 

can i ask how easy it is to operate the e brake when its positioned like this.. as you are pulling it forward instead of up to work it?
looking for ideas for my e brake

ian

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

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