** YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN ** The truck Chevrolet should have built.

[caviness]

nice build.

[Dieselwrencher]

I hope you had a Merry Christmas and enjoyed your vacation as well!

[mcbassin]

Hey nice progress! You are making this thing look like a truck now for sure.

BTW, $1600 is a very reasonable price. Keep the pics coming!

[Rokcrln]

I am liking the progress you are making. Someday I need to build one of these for my self or maybe I will just get my current project (LowBuk) back on the road and call it done

Kevin
LFD Inc.

[chevyblazer]

kolll plaing on doing one my self on a few years

[67cheby]

AWESOME progress

[Dieselwrencher]

Nice progress. Can I ask how you ended up with 4 denali's? They seem to be scarce around here at the auctions.

[drewskiren]

Originally Posted by Dieselwrencher

Nice progress. Can I ask how you ended up with 4 denali's? They seem to be scarce around here at the auctions.

A friend and I have a dealer license to purchase at insurance salvage auctions. We buy stuff all over the country and either make a run or have it shipped. I can't say I really "make" money at it, just usually get what I need and sell the rest to break even/ make a little. BUT, I have gotten what I need for free; the 2wd frame you see under my project is one. A 65,000 mile 5.3 engine, tranny, and rear axle is another.
This is a big part of why I am doing the Crew Cab with all modern equipment, I'll end up being in all those parts for no cost.

[Pop's C-10]

sweet build

[Splash4195]

Are you going to make the truck all wheel drive?

[drewskiren]

Originally Posted by Splash4195

Are you going to make the truck all wheel drive?

Nah, not much use for that in Memphis. I'd rather save the gas.

[mcbassin]

Looks like some great progress! I know how long it takes to knock those mount off. The pile of parts tells the story for sure. That is a sweet looking tool storage station you have there too. Keep the pics coming!

[drewskiren]

Originally Posted by mcbassin

Looks like some great progress! I know how long it takes to knock those mount off. The pile of parts tells the story for sure. That is a sweet looking tool storage station you have there too. Keep the pics coming!

Thanks - The toolbox is a Cornwell that I scored on eBay 2 years ago. The poor guy bought it new 5 years ago and paid over 10 grand. I won his eBay auction for $1600. Needless to say I went the next day to pick it up!

[67chevy1series]

have you decided to ''mock up'' the bed

[67cheby]

i wonder if you have the first 67-72 chevy truck with a late model Hydro-formed frame ???? Loving this build

[drewskiren]

Originally Posted by 67cheby

i wonder if you have the first 67-72 chevy truck with a late model Hydro-formed frame ???? Loving this build

Probably.

I know for a fact I have the first 72 CREW CAB with a late model Hydro-formed frame!

[drewskiren]

Originally Posted by 67chevy1series

have you decided to ''mock up'' the bed

I got on another thread yesterday that was discussing how bad it was to notch your frame from a strength standpoint. I posed a question about my hot rod pickup bed situation and one of the guys who was an engineer had a better solution and did a cad drawing of it. It involves a fair bit of work, but totally solves my frame kick up problem without having to cut on the frame any. Brilliant, thanks a lot John (Lakeroadster). I will be taking his idea and running with it soon.

[68 TT]

Originally Posted by drewskiren

I got on another thread yesterday that was discussing how bad it was to notch your frame from a strength standpoint, and I posed a question about my hot rod pickup bed situation and one of the guys who was an engineer had a better solution and did a cad drawing of it. It involves a fair bit of work, but totally solves my frame kick up problem without having to cut on the frame any. Brilliant, thanks a lot John (Lakeroadster). I will be taking his idea and running with it soon.

Could you put up a link to the other thread so we can follow along?

[swamp rat]

Originally Posted by drewskiren

Thanks - The toolbox is a Cornwell that I scored on eBay 2 years ago. The poor guy bought it new 5 years ago and paid over 10 grand. I won his eBay auction for $1600. Needless to say I went the next day to pick it up!

I cannot beleve he didn't put some kinda reserve on it! Musta been really hurtin for cash.. Good score! I'd give up all 3 of my rollaways and top chests for that.

[78bronzechariot]

Originally Posted by swamp rat

I cannot beleve he didn't put some kinda reserve on it! Musta been really hurtin for cash.. Good score! I'd give up all 3 of my rollaways and top chests for that.

I can believe it. I used to be a professional mechanic. Paid over $5000 for my Matco Toolbox. I hated my job, and ended up hating working on my own cars because it wasn't fun anymore. It was like being at work. I changed careers so I would enjoy cars again. Anyway, I was moving and I needed to sell it, so I let mine go for $1500. The problems with getting top dollar out of those things are: 1) most people don't need one because you don't have to worry about coworkers stealing your stuff, 2) the people who do need them can pay 50 bucks a week to the Matco, Cornwell, Snap-on truck instead of $5000 all at once, and 3) transportation: those things weigh a ton! took three good sized guys to lift mine into the new owners truck and that was with all the drawers taken out!

Still congratulations it is a nice place to store your tools when you have one, sometimes I regret selling mine.

Sorry to Highjack, end of tangent.... And you are building an awesome truck

[Dieselwrencher]

Nice progress on the frame! That is a great solution! Too bad he quit giving advice, he knows his stuff.

[Rokcrln]

I really like the newer frame, I have wanted to do this for some time now. My last work truck was a 2000 3/4T chevy with a 5.3 and I turned it back into our shop with 265,000 miles after only having to replace 1 fuel pump at 80K and a water pump at 210K. Even the brakes were the originals and I towed allot with that truck and over loaded it on a regular basis. Great platform for a daily driver.

Originally Posted by drewskiren

A boy we mentor lent a hand.

I think I just solved my labor problem!

Kevin
LFD Inc.

[drewskiren]

Got bored with cutting and grinding on the frame, plus, Gnande wasn't home to help so I thought I would start to investigate how the steering could be put together. The 2001 rack and pinion has some nice u joints that are required to get the severe angles to work out. I will have to keep that portion of the shaft. The 1972 shaft has some cool internal workings that are required to make the shift lever work and have detents for park, reverse, drive, etc. I'll have to keep that part of the shaft intact too. All of these required parts are about 6 inches too long. Uh-Oh.

[drewskiren]

Well, my investigation turned into full blown how in heck is this going to work/let's just try some stuff. I had really been dreading this and worrying how it would come together, so I just dove in. First thing I noticed that could go was the accordion looking shaft. Choped that off and the remainder slides into the leftover piece. I can now just weld this together and voila (pronounced wah lah) I just saved 5 inches. Next I pulled the shaft to the rag joint and discovered an extra 1.5 inches there by making up a connection sleeve from the leftover rag joint shaft. I cut a little 2 inch section out and drilled 2 bolt holes.

[drewskiren]

I wasn't so lucky that my sleeve just slid over my 2 shafts that I was bringing together, but they were both close. The 2001 end had 2 flat sides already, I just had to grind them down smaller. The old shaft on the 72 had splines and a flat groove on 1 side. I ground down the opposite side and the sleeve now would slide onto both parts. To me this is true Hot Rodding, taking parts from different vehicles and machining them to fit and work together. So much more satisfying to make it myself than buy it and bolt it on (sorry vendors).