Re: 1958 Saab story
 

will you need to boost the rear a bit to level the truck? adjust the air bags?

Re: 1958 Saab story
 

I'm not sure yet. The rear shocks haven't showed up yet. I'll get those mounted and see what adjustments need to be made.

-Josh

Re: 1958 Saab story
 

more clearance, and probably getting less compression with new shock valving too. much win

Re: 1958 Saab story
 

Is the second half of this a genuine question or you trying to explain to him how to change the rear height?

Re: 1958 Saab story
 

That's what I was thinking. It's definitely stiffer over bumps now, but I'm just glad it doesn't rub

-Josh

Re: 1958 Saab story
 

I pulled it out of the shop and let it air up and measured at the rocker behind the front fender and in front of the rear wheel. It's 7 1/2 inches up front and 8 1/4 at the rear. It looks level enough for me not to mess with it, and it's not sagging in the rear.

-Josh

Re: 1958 Saab story
 

Well the exhaust issue is fixed, which was a huge relief. While driving around, I was trying to pay attention to the headlight coverage and cut off to make sure I'm not blinding oncoming traffic with 4 low beams. My driveway to the shop is a bit of an uphill, so I think it gives a pretty good example of the low and high beam outputs.

-Josh

Re: 1958 Saab story
 

stance looks bang on to me, quite level instead of a big rake angle. lights are really bright too. do you get guys flashing their high beams from oncoming traffic?

Re: 1958 Saab story
 

Surprisingly not. I thought for sure every other car would be flashing me, but I think maybe twice so far. A lot of people around the Atlanta area run their high beams, so I get to see their faces (literally) when I let them know with my high beams.

-Josh

Re: 1958 Saab story
 

Rear shocks came in, so I replaced those.

-Josh

Re: 1958 Saab story
 

I mounted and wired up a reverse camera. Has to pull the driver's seat and center console to run the cable, but everything works, so it was worth the effort.

-Josh

Re: 1958 Saab story
 

That’s funny. I always wanted to add one since it had the right radio already.

Re: 1958 Saab story
 

Madkidd wanted to know what the truck weighed since the body swap. It was his Saab that I used as a donor and he said it felt lighter and more responsive when he drove it, so we weighed it at his dad's house with racing scales.

-Josh

Re: 1958 Saab story
 

Since the ignition switch is in the center console, I wanted to hide it and make it look like a cup holder.

-Josh

Re: 1958 Saab story
 

I bought a "stash can" online, drilled out a slot on the bottom and secured the ignition key with epoxy. The only key I have to carry is the door lock key.

-Josh

Re: 1958 Saab story
 

Madkidd told me my rear turn signals weren't very bright, so I replaced the top tail lights with another set. They're definitely brighter.

And I wired in a wiper switch, since the wiper setup I'm using is controlled with all power outputs instead of completing ground circuits like the factory setup.

-Josh

Re: 1958 Saab story
 

https://youtube.com/shorts/4feNSczON7g?feature=share

Quick video of the ignition switch.

-Josh

Re: 1958 Saab story
 

that's absurd! i love it!

Re: 1958 Saab story
 

hahahahaa :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

might want to pop the top though, someone way less likely to steal a stale mt dew. :lol::lol::lol::lol:

Re: 1958 Saab story
 

I took the day off work and spent my dad's birthday at the summit racing car show.

-Josh

Re: 1958 Saab story
 

Now that’s a great pair !

Father and son , oh and the trucks .

Oh and Happy Birthday dad .

Re: 1958 Saab story
 

I removed the old cardboard (probably asbestos) sounds deadening material and found a few surprises. Some really old matches and a mouse's nest

-Josh

Re: 1958 Saab story
 

This is the same stuff I used on the roof of the Jeep. It kept oil canning at high speeds, and it fixed the issue, along with extra roof braces. It's called mat66.

After I finished putting everything back together, dad and I took it for a drive. It was loud and tinny before and conversations were muffled. Now I can have a normal conversation without shouting.

-Josh

Re: 1958 Saab story
 

very nice

Re: 1958 Saab story
 

Well the compressor went out for the rear suspension, and I had to save up because I bought another project. So $385.00 later, she's up and running. It was looking pretty pathetic in the garage with the rear wheels stuck in the fender wells, but I took her for a test drive to run through the gears and shake it down and everything's working correctly.

-Josh

Re: 1958 Saab story
 

hopefully it was easy to get to with the new body on there

Re: 1958 Saab story
 

The last one of those I changed was near the $1000 mark, CAD. you can also swap out to the coils, they are a direct drop in. All you need is the coils and rubber pads from a wreck ( or new ones)

Re: 1958 Saab story
 

He is fully awAre. There is a reason why he left the air ride system.

Re: 1958 Saab story
 

yeah, I figured he knew that, pretty sharp guy. just posted it for the lurkers in case somebody else is doing something with a trailblazer/envoy.
cool looking unit.

Re: 1958 Saab story
 

This is exactly the reason I made the floor panels removable. Putting the bolts in blind was fun, but I'm a diesel mechanic so I'm used to changing parts by feel instead of sight.

-Josh

Re: 1958 Saab story
 

hey Josh, good to hear you got it up and running. are you driving the crap outta it now? hope so, cool looking unit for sure. I bet you get lots of looks when driving it.
whats your new project? another frame/body swap?
how about a few pics of the current project from all angles now that it is sitting how you like it.

Re: 1958 Saab story
 

Here's the new project. It's a 1967 Buick special wagon. All original with 62k Miles on it. The floor pans are wasted, but the body is solid and straight. The plan is to sell the 65 skylark wagon to buy a 2008-2009 Pontiac G8 gt or gxp and cut the wagon floor out and set it on the g8 floor pan.

The panel truck will be my dad's daily driver, since I have the Jeep.

-Josh

Re: 1958 Saab story
 

Since dad and I are planning to take the 68 jeep trailblazer ss and the panel truck on the hot rod power tour this year, I figured it probably needs functioning wipers. Thankfully, brothers trucks has a life time warranty on the setup. The aluminum tube shot out of the holding bracket and kinked the first time I turned them on with the wiper arms installed. Then the motor developed a dead short and just popped fuses as soon as you turned the switch.

I figured there were probably too many Bends from the motor position to the first wiper arm. So I replaced the first aluminum tube with a length of steel brake line. Then I mounted the wiper motor at the driver's side kick panel. Now the drive cable is almost a straight shot to the first wiper armature with a slight bend along the floor pan and a large 90 degree radius just under the dash cover. I made a bracket out of bed frame rail to secure it to the entry step. It works on low and high speed now and it's not even in the way as your swing your feet in and out of the truck

Josh

Re: 1958 Saab story
 

did you have plans on the cut away on the end of the dash? I will eventually end up there too.

Re: 1958 Saab story
 

On mine, the dash pad fit, but the piece with the defrost grill and speaker grilles has to be shortened. Now, left to right, the window cranks are so far forward, I welded up the holes and went with power windows from nu-relics.

Josh

Re: 1958 Saab story
 

This guy again

Re: 1958 Saab story
 

I read through your build the last two days . WOW!! Love it.:metal: I always liked the 55-59 Panels and Suburbans . Been following on your wagon build too. I never knew Saab and Envoy/Trailblazers were at all similar. Not that there's not enough lighting up front but some of those 3/4 in lights might look cool in the left over bumper bolt holes ;).

Re: 1958 Saab story
 

I thought about getting a dimple die and reshaping the holes in the front bumper. I see all these extra lights on these new trucks and I keep going back to "less is more".

Josh

Re: 1958 Saab story
 

The transmission input shaft speed sensor is acting up, so I have to replace it. When I jacked up the truck to start pulling the transmission, I noticed an oil leak from the engine. The exhaust y- pipe is in the way of everything, the transfer case has to come off, etc. etc. Since I'm going to pull the engine anyways to check for cracks, I can leave the transmission in place and replace the sensor.

Then there's the whole "while I'm at it" moment. I was fine with the way the truck ran with a stock lq4, but a little thumpity thumpity would also be cool. So I ordered the Brian tooley racing "Truck Norris" camshaft and everything that goes with it. New gaskets and lifters and springs.

I couldn't find any shorty headers to bolt up to the stock y-pipe, so I ordered the speed engineering headers and y-pipe without cats that bolts directly to the existing exhaust.

All new belts and tensioner, spark plug wires and whatever other new shiny things that will nickel and dime me to death, but I'm excited to hear the new exhaust note when she's finished.

Josh

Re: 1958 Saab story
 

nice!!

https://media.tenor.com/sBbWFhxqAysA...rabbithole.gif