Project#1: Bright Horizons - 68 Swb big block on Air!

[El Campo]

Seatbelts look amazing! Btw I had a set of those Flowtechs on my BB and it made tremendous torque with them. Made 633 HP 666 TQ on a 535 with AFR heads. So they can yield some impressive numbers. Ground clearance was just fine on a 4 inch drop in the front. I obviously needed bigger headers but they work fine on a smaller engine. Never let them get hot (like from timing being jacked up( because they will rust in no time then (I suppose any header would though) but otherwise they hold up fairly well.

[Jastos]

It's going to look like a barbershop pole when you are done with it.

[Jastos]

I trust you on the seat belt choice (and everything else), but just was curious what the differences were. The shoulder belts would be nice though as my daughter will be riding with me. Hope to get down there soon. Kind of bummed out I haven't been able to make the trip again since meeting you.

[VA72C10]

Chop is done. Went well on both pieces...sprayed rust neutralizer as preventative maintenance since it was opened up....grinding now welding next. Pictures when done so I can beat the rain...
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[gringoloco]

Can you go into detail about where/how you are measuring for your cuts? Seems like precision would be important for this kind of job...

[Xeen]

The suspense is killing me.
I don't care what anyone says it takes brass clankers to chop a roof, you've got the right stuff man!

[Chvy2NV]

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[shawno72]

Wow this is looking great!!

[VA72C10]

I'll respond to everyone later


And I have the sheet I used for measurements I will post and do a step by step....but likely after oct 13th as every minute till then is taken

Couldn't weld because of pending rain and distance from plug will explain later.

Will need some more grinding and a few small filler pieces made but overall I am happy since I did 99% of the work myself (only had help lifting the old roof off and new one on) but glenn was great with information and they say: "give a man a fish....."

I feel confident I could do this again....and could take on a chop top if someone wanted in the future....
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[VA72C10]

Trying pictures again... not working right now....will try this evening...
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[68 Four on the Floor]

I dont mean to disrespect but a chop top is a totally different animal. looking forward to pics !

[VA72C10]

Originally Posted by 68 Four on the Floor

I dont mean to disrespect but a chop top is a totally different animal. looking forward to pics !

I understand completely but it's all about measuring and geometry.... and I only like mild chops myself....it's all metal though not like wood where a cut 1/8" too short and you're buying a new piece
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[VA72C10]

Roadster!
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[VA72C10]

The thing I learned and would change is choice of tool....the sawzall blade deflected and caused it to not be 100% along the line as it went through despite my best efforts....I will use a cutoff wheel to finish the cuts and if I ever do another...glenn uses the sawzall and recommended it and it works, but not as precice to me.

Also, I would never chop the other top first....with the new roof sitting on the ground it was hard to make sure the tape was at the same angle. I triangulated the best I could, but as you all know...there aren't too many sharp corners on these trucks....

Here's the sheet I made so I can confirm the window openings.

Only one clamp on each corner in these pics...a little tweak and it will fit very nice with minimal work.

And pics of where it sits as of now....waiting for mon or tues so I can physically get to it to weld.
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[jlsanborn]

Nice job dude! Looking forward to the weld-up and final measurements!

[68 Four on the Floor]

Cordless band saw might give you the cuts you want.

[VA72C10]

Originally Posted by jlsanborn

Nice job dude! Looking forward to the weld-up and final measurements!

Thanks, will be mon or tues before that truck is moved and we can push the truck into the shop to weld it. Final measurements will be the same as the first ones took a couple quick ones with it clamped and it's really close already with no adjustment...just placed on top and clamped so we could cover it up.

Originally Posted by 68 Four on the Floor

Cordless band saw might give you the cuts you want.

That is definitely a future purchase i'd like to make. Used one to cut the drip rails off my first project and the cuts are very precise. But, I've gotten pretty good with a cut off wheel as well....
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[El Campo]

I use a mini air body saw for sheetmetal. Harbor Freight (hate that place but I still have some stuff from there) has one for only 12.99 on sale all the time and it works beautifully if you keep it oiled. It is like a mini sawzall and is way more precise than I can get with anything else and I have used everything else many times before. Just don't get the HF blades as they are crap. Get good American made blades if you can find them and you will be able to do much more precise work. Another nice thing about it is you can cut curves even better than an air nibbler does (without distortion). Can't do that with anything else really besides a nibbler or jig saw.

[VA72C10]

Finally received the hidden hitch....had some shipping issues and delays mainly due to me getting the label to them...then the company not printing it out for a week...
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[tmorton]

What furl tank are you going to run under the bed; I am looking for one that doesn't hang below the bumper line. Great work and I appreciate the thread with all the pics.
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[ZUBZ]

Subscribing to this thread.....Cant wait for the air install.....

[VA72C10]

Originally Posted by tmorton

What furl tank are you going to run under the bed; I am looking for one that doesn't hang below the bumper line. Great work and I appreciate the thread with all the pics.
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Actually using the in cab factory tank. Check with fuelcellguy or boyd welding on here for nice tank options made to fit our trucks correctly.
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[VA72C10]

Originally Posted by ZUBZ

Subscribing to this thread.....Cant wait for the air install.....

Me either....one of my favorite parts! Accuair will be ordered next week!
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[zicc1835]

im going to stay tuned looks good keep the pics coming

[VA72C10]

Thanks! Decided I'm going to upgrade to shoulder belts on the truck as a bonus. Jastos has really stepped up with some top quality products on the truck and the shoulder belts will just be some icing on the cake Plus, more importantly; His daughter will be riding in the truck with him often so I think it's a great upgrade for safety. Since the factory style boots aren't available...I'm using the closest ones I can find and also make the belts a little longer so they buckle closer to your lap instead of having a buckle sitting on your chest the whole time. Seems both more comfortable and safer to me...