New guy looking for a thread
 

Hi there,

New guy here. I introduced myself in the welcome section just now. Thanks very much for having me. I really appreciate the truck specific site you offer.

Purchased a 58 gmc 1/2 ton short box big window with the 336 engine and hydramatic transmission a few months ago and Im currently waiting on delivery in the next month or so. PO is doing some work on it for me.

Anyway, that being said, I came across a build thread of a red chev TF truck and I cant seem to find it again. I think its the one where the family put their handprints on the back of the cab. Im pretty sure it was on this site. Can anyone help direct me back to it please?

Thanks for your time.

Elliot

Re: New guy looking for a thread
 

nope, wrong site bro, that was on The HAMB.

right here

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/s...d.php?t=460642

Re: New guy looking for a thread
 

Thanks so much. I really appreciate the help. Just wanted to get a better look at his chrome smoothies with white walls. THinking of doing the same.

Re: New guy looking for a thread
 

Maybe you can buy his. He swapped them out for Torq-Thrusts and black walls; posted a photo of it last Fall. I LOVE that looks but I'm prejudiced, I have them on my truck!

Re: New guy looking for a thread
 

Thats a good idea thanks. His are bias ply though, I think I would prefer radials. Not sure what difference it really makes, was just along the lines of what I was thinking.

Which look are you referring to? chrome smoothie or thrusts? Figure you mean the thrust from what I can tell in that sig pic.

Re: New guy looking for a thread
 

Yup, Torq Thrusts. Though mine are not really TT's. They're some kind of 60's knockoffs I got VERY cheaply off Craigslist. I paid $160 including nice center caps then bought four take-off 225/75 tires (I wanted 70 series, but hey they were cheap too) from an F150 truck for $60...and they were almost brand new!

Re: New guy looking for a thread
 

Thats a pretty sweet set up in terms of price. I respect the idea of setting something up through some searching and work rather than just dropping a pile of money on things. Unfortunately for me where I live, there just isn't much out there, so everything I buy would have to be shipped to me anyway which would cost a fortune making up for the difference I would be saving.

I dont know if its my work computer or the actual pic, but unfortunately I cant make the pic any larger to view.

Re: New guy looking for a thread
 

It's the pic. BTW I am right there with you on the smoothies with whitewalls. It just looks classy.

Re: New guy looking for a thread
 

you need to spend some time on Kijiji and Ebay there Devlin. You'd be surprised at what you can find right here in Canada. And especially where you live. You have such a high population to pick from within a few hundred kms that availability of parts should be high. Have you checked with any wreckers in the outlining areas?

Re: New guy looking for a thread
 

I'll try again:
Nah, doesn't want to work for some reason and I can't upload from Photobucket (like I ususally do) from my work computer. I'll try again later.

As for chrome reverse/baby moons and wide whites? I'm 58 so I went to high school from '68-'72. My dad was a construction guy (so he was around young guys with trucks all his career life and by extension so was I) and I don't ever remember seeing a truck with white wall tires. Not ever. Hell, I don't remember seeing them with mags wheels either til later.

Slot dish mags were new in the mid 60's and I only saw a relative handful of guys that could afford them. Sure, they were on cars in magazine but in those days there weren't unlimited cheap Chinese imports and palces to buy them like now. There was no internet to shop unlimited sources.

I DID see trucks with chrome reverse rims and baby moon hubcaps though...occasionally. We had a relative with a school bus yellow '56 F100 that had chrome reverse/baby moons - but he didn't work with it.

Don't get me wrong, I genuinely like the wide whites on older trucks. I just want my truck to look like it would have IF I'd had money when I was in college in the early 70's - about the first time I started to see lots of cars with aftermarket rims on them.

Re: New guy looking for a thread
 

I agree with you Dubie to an extent, however something like chrome smoothies and white walls is something that ppl normally end with, not start with, so for the most part they are keeping them. If I was looking for some original 5 inch wide 6 lug steel wheels then yes i could probably find them around at a cheap price, but then would want them made wider and chromed, or even just chromed and then the price starts to mount.

Re: New guy looking for a thread
 

you might luck out and find someone that has a set in their garage from a previous project or bought a set that didn't fit or look right once they got on the truck. It's always worth a shot if it's going to save you some $$$.
I take it you and the seller of the truck settled your differences? I remember reading your story on the Hamb.

Re: New guy looking for a thread
 

Hey LordDevlin, I'm going to be running exactly what Syndicate was running, on my '57. He's a great guy to chat with too, been a good source of info. I even ended up going with the same suspension he first ran too.

Good luck with the project.

Ryan

Re: New guy looking for a thread
 

The wide white, chrome reversed combo is what I'll run.

Re: New guy looking for a thread
 

I have the same suspension drop as Robert's installed on my 56. His initial set p that is, with mono leafs, dropped axle and Nitro slammer shocks. I'm running a set of Corvette rally wheels on mine though

Re: New guy looking for a thread
 

Dubie, how do you like the ride? I'm not sure what to expect as I'm used to multi-leaf set ups for Jeeps and trucks. What did you do for steering? I went with the power rack and pinion conversion to hopefully save some headaches with bump-steer and what not.

Ryan

Re: New guy looking for a thread
 

i haven't driven mine yet, it's still in the process of having everything finished. I heated and bent my steering arm to bring the drag link parallel with the frame to avoid bump steer. I looked at the racks, but the angle was pretty severe for the steering shaft, especially with a solid axle. There's pics of my build in the projects forum

Re: New guy looking for a thread
 

Thanks. I figured. Trying to avoid one headache usually leads to at least 2 more! I'll go check it out the build.

Ryan

Re: New guy looking for a thread
 

Hi Dubie,

Back at work so I'm back on the site... Busy night last night so wasn't able to check the thread.

In terms of getting things settled, well yes somewhat. He actually relisted that truck and sold it for 1200 more so gave me my money back and kept the 500 deposit. I think that pretty much showed that he acknowledged that the truck wasn't as advertised (frame shortened to less than a short box frame). So thats how that was left off.

This truck I'm getting now is from a friend of a friend. He bought it in Texas and had it shipped to London Ontario to work on for himself. But he decided to do me a favour and sell it to me after he worked on it. Mainly cosmetic, box off refresh, painted frame, engine compartment etc. Its being put back together now. Looking forward to getting it.

Re: New guy looking for a thread
 

Thank Ryan. Ya I am definitely wanting a dropped axle front and rear lowering springs for the back. Thinking 4" dropped axle. Then Ill see if I need to lower the front more with some springs. His truck definitely looks great. Im gonna need some help when it comes time to do the work so I'm glad theres plenty of help on here.

So youre running the chrome with wide white as well eh. Sounds good. Was Syndicate running reverse wheels as well? I have trouble telling the difference sometimes in pics. Im still fairly wet behind the ears when it comes to all this stuff.

Elliot

Re: New guy looking for a thread
 

Elliot. I looked a long time for my (CPP) dropped axle and actually found it brand new in the box and powder coated on Ebay of all places. Quite a bit cheaper than I thought I was going to pay too. I've already got the mono-leafs and plan on running the chrome-reversed with wide whites (if I can afford it). Over all I think it's supposed to be a 6" drop in front and 5" in the rear, but we'll see when it's all bolted up!

Ryan

Re: New guy looking for a thread
 

I got 6 inches of drop on all 4 tires with that same set up. You can get a little more with the right tires. I will warn you though, they are LOW when you do this to a solid axle. Mine has 4" of ground clearance to the bottom of the axle

Re: New guy looking for a thread
 

So I think Im settled on the chrome smoothies with the wide whites. I was speaking with my father, and for his truck he got some wheels made from original steel wheel centres welded into a wider rim. He went with 3.75" backspacing because he determined that if you go with 4", you will hit the drag link on the front left wheel when turning sharp. I only see 4" backspacing for chrome smoothies if you have anything over a 6" width I think. Do you guys have any thoughts on this?

Re: New guy looking for a thread
 

I have a 7" wide Corvette Rally wheel with 3 1/2" back space and everything fits ok. I wouldn't go with a 4" back space if you're running the stock steering set up

Re: New guy looking for a thread
 

Thanks Dubie, thats what my dad had said. I mean I plan on getting the dropped axle from Sid and changing out whatever he recommends, but thats it in terms of steering changes. I just find it strange that 6 lug is for the gmc which is what I have and most wheels I see new online are all 4" backspacing with the 6 lug. Figured they would tailor it better to fit what they are meant for.