1960 Bagged, Bodied and back-halfed with Cummins 4BT

[Pariah]

Hey guys, thought since I'm new here I'd post up a project that I've been working on in my garage for about a year now. I traded it for a 54 210 I had sitting and wasting away in my driveway for the last 8 years. My plan with this project is to build a fun one off, back and forth to work daily driver...that way I can keep my current tow rig at home and keep the miles off of it. When I first brought the truck home it was pretty much bone stock and clapped out. It did run pretty decent but after doing my homework, I decided everything from the body down wasn't worth messing with. A guy I was working with at the time mentioned he had an S10 chassis that he had back halfed and had a narrowed rear end built for it that was originally going under a 34 Ford truck for his uncle but decided the frame wasn't going to look right and offered to straight trade it for a bagged Nissan hardbody frame I had for sale. Well after being assured that the frame was legit and square, I took his word and went and picked up the frame with the 34 sheet metal still sitting on it. Unfortunately, after pulling the Ford junk off of it, where I could get a good look at the frame, I realized this dudes square, or idea of square was so far off that I had to cut and trash all the frame work behind the cab and start over. On a positive note, my last few days working for my previous employer, a coworker and I were able to design and punch out a new, fully custom back half on the plasma table at work before I had to leave. Once I loaded all the pieces up and brought them home, I quickly got started on getting the back half pieces assembled and welded to what was left of the original S10 frame. I decided that an LS swap or typical V8 swap just wasn't going to do this rig justice from what I originally visioned this project going. I hit up Chad McKinney which is known for his large collection of cummins 4Bt and 6bt engine and trans pullouts and got one coming after selling a recently completed project I also had sitting in the driveway. Once the 4bt/nv4500 arrived it was on to countless hours and regular late nights of metal fab and homework on this site and looking for bargains on eBay. It's still an ongoing project at this point but I figured it was time make a thread on this one to get some thoughts/suggestions constructive criticism etc. Anyway, sorry if you actually suffered through the background on this build but it should be worth it I hope. I actually skimmed out about 98% of the bs and drama that got this rig to where it is now.

[Pariah]

Working on getting the rest of the pics up. Sorry, iPhone upload issues I guess.

[Pariah]

Getting started w frame.

[Pariah]

Ok so I can only upload one photo at a time on my iPhone for whatever reason.

[Pariah]

Another pic

[Pariah]

And another

[DakotaKid]

very interesting build... Subd.

[Pariah]

Originally Posted by DakotaKid

very interesting build... Subd.

Thanks for saying so👍

[Pariah]

Another shot of the steering.

[Pariah]

So after about eleventy thirtyteen hundred hours of searching, I found what I think would be a perfect, and unique solution to running the played out cone filter off the turbo for this build.

[Pariah]

It's an era correct paint pressure pot. Think 62ish based on the info I found on the regulator. I'm turning into a multifunctioning piece. It'll be the air filter housing as well as a thought of after the fact "pressure regulator" for the belt driven York compressor I'm going to use for the air ride system. I'll still rely on a pressure switch for tank pressure but just thought it would be an interesting addition.

[Tropical Snowstorm]

Great fab skills! Digging the project, looking forward to where it goes.

[Pariah]

Originally Posted by Tropical Snowstorm

Great fab skills! Digging the project, looking forward to where it goes.

Much appreciated. It's gunna be nutty man. Definitely a love it or hate it build. Haters always welcome though

[Pariah]

Installed and ti heat wrapped. Everything cold side and hot are getting heat wrapped by the way. Not because of some performance based theory but just because I think it'll look better when finished. I don't want anything looking new on this build. Every bit of fab work will be left raw so that it cancer's out quickly. There will also be a lot of copper and brass used anywhere possible so that it can be aged to give this rig the look like all this work was originally done in the early 60's. Why? Because Roadkill I guess.

[Pariah]

After a lot of homework and measuring and remeasuring, I found an intercooler I could sneak in behind the grill with very minimal cutting.

[Pariah]

Yes, the radiator is a bit too high. I'm trying to figure out the best solution to getting it the extra inch and a half or so lower. I'm either going to have to modify the lower tank to clear the gearbox, tilt the front of the gearbox down, switch to an Astro van gearbox and rework the linkage a bit or switch to a rack and pinion setup...or go with a slightly shorter radiator...at least that's all I've been able to come up with as far as ideas. Any others would be greatly appreciated!

[tinydb84]

Man that thing is cool!

[Pariah]

Originally Posted by tinydb84

Man that thing is cool!

Hi Fi!

[Pariah]

Still tweaking it to get it perfect but you get the idea.

[Pariah]

And the exhaust side is built.

[Pariah]

Another pic

[badherb]

If someone hates on your project then they clearly don't see the craftsmanship and engineering you have put in. EXCELANTA!

[Pariah]

Originally Posted by badherb

If someone hates on your project then they clearly don't see the craftsmanship and engineering you have put in. EXCELANTA!

Haha yeah! Thank you sir. One of my favorite quotes of all time was from Kenny Powers in the first season of East Bound and Down where he said "Any one that hates me are haters, and haters can suck it."

[Pariah]

Oh yeah, the exhaust doing the peekaboo out the passenger front fender was because when I was originally looking and planning it all out, there was a huge gaping hole where the bottom of that fender was completely rotten out so I figured why not route the exhaust out there and do a sort of an up-skirt setup. Or smoking out any Prius that happens to roll up next to me at light. No offense to anyone on here that drives a Prius everyday to work. :/

[roushinator]

WOW!! What an awesome build!!