What did you do with your truck today, Part 3

[Marty68]

To this

[mick53]

My timing cover is kicking my butt. The cover I'm using from Tom Lowe welds pretty well, It's cast. The center part from summit is terrible. As soon as you hit it its like a sponge full of air and crap. So I have to build it up and then machine it bit by bit. I retrospect I should have bought the $100 cover instead of the $50 cover. It's perfectly fine for what it was made for and pretty on the outside but evil lurks within. On a happy note my new oil pan for the 292 arrived today. Those aren't the right hoses I just stuck them on. It still needs polished for aerodynamics.

[MiraclePieCo]

Originally Posted by Marty68

To this

That sure looks better. I like the black and the natural (I hate to use this word) patina.

[Marty68]

Originally Posted by MiraclePieCo

That sure looks better. I like the black and the natural (I hate to use this word) patina.

I de arched the bumper. By slotting over the square bolt holes. I cut the curved end of bumper off then rounded the ends. Welded all up ground iff. I wanted to leave it but.. the son of a painter in me made me epoxy it. Assembly tomorrow

[Marty68]

Originally Posted by Marty68

I de arched the bumper. By slotting over the square bolt holes. I cut the curved end of bumper off then rounded the ends. Welded all up ground iff. I wanted to leave it but.. the son of a painter in me made me epoxy it. Assembly tomorrow

Trying to post pic

[joedoh]

Originally Posted by Marty68

To this

I like the shape. I dont like the flat AD rear bumpers and on my last one I used a 41-46 front bumper that looked really similar to your final product.

IMG_2804 by Joe Doh, on Flickr

[MiraclePieCo]

Just for contrast, my pickup rear bumper was de-arched and tucked:

[Marty68]

Originally Posted by MiraclePieCo

My last one was de-arched and tucked:

Nice

[mick53]

I got the timing cover welded up and mostly machined. I had to build it way up in a couple spots and then machine back and forth so I didn't lose my center. I went through 4 3/16 rods. I managed not to warp it mostly because I was busy grinding tungsten's. I still have a few pits but nowhere important. I think I'm done welding. Quit while I'm ahead, maybe. I haven't been able to check the center since I welded it.

[idbeast]

Well, just an update to let you all know I'm still alive, but haven't done anything on the '56 except drive it, however it is supposed to go in to get the interior done next week!

[Dyslexic Dog]

Not sure where to post this but has anyone had issues with Gearhead Ent. in Iowa? I got a Must II front end a year ago. The parts were not machined properly, I got hand written instructions, and when I asked for a parts list for replacement items, I got hung up on twice.

You look at the ebay site and it says they are a wonderful 99% seller. I question that. Many build sites say to stay away from them.

[Dyslexic Dog]

Not sure where to post this but has anyone had issues with Gearhead Ent. in Iowa? I got a Must II front end a year ago. The parts were not machined properly, I got hand written instructions, and when I asked for a parts list for replacement items, I got hung up on twice.

You look at the ebay site and it says they are a wonderful 99% seller. I question that. Many build sites say to stay away from them.

[DransportGarage]

We went "round 4" trying to put my windshield in today. This is, once again, with my pro installer who has worked in the glass business since he was 12. We tried a different repop windshield this time. He has never seen anything quite like this. To provide a little sanity, we're trying to find an original windshield we can borrow, just so we can check the cab.

The way it looks, the windshield needs to be ground down about 1/8" at the upper corners. It's wrong in a COMPLETELY different way from the last repop window we tried. My guy has a grinder, and will be back to my place in January. (I'm having some minor surgery on 12/10 and will be out of commission for at least the rest of December. No big deal...)

I'm starting to wonder how many garbage windows are floating around, being sent back for lack of fit, then sent out again by the suppliers. They always want them back when there's a problem, so what else could they be doing with them?

[mick53]

Originally Posted by DransportGarage

We went "round 4" trying to put my windshield in today. This is, once again, with my pro installer who has worked in the glass business since he was 12. We tried a different repop windshield this time. He has never seen anything quite like this. To provide a little sanity, we're trying to find an original windshield we can borrow, just so we can check the cab.

The way it looks, the windshield needs to be ground down about 1/8" at the upper corners. It's wrong in a COMPLETELY different way from the last repop window we tried. My guy has a grinder, and will be back to my place in January. (I'm having some minor surgery on 12/10 and will be out of commission for at least the rest of December. No big deal...)

I'm starting to wonder how many garbage windows are floating around, being sent back for lack of fit, then sent out again by the suppliers. They always want them back when there's a problem, so what else could they be doing with them?

Maybe they just pass the bad ones around until someone breaks it.

[DransportGarage]

Originally Posted by mick53

maybe they just pass the bad ones around until someone breaks it.

Bingo! We're going to grind on this one, and the heat and vibration has been known to start a crack. We'll see, in January.

[mick53]

Originally Posted by DransportGarage

Bingo! We're going to grind on this one, and the heat and vibration has been known to start a crack. We'll see, in January.

I have a small glass shop where I blow , cast, bend ,cut and drill glass. Windshield glass has a high COE (coefficient of expansion), probably about 120. This makes it easy to cut but subject to cracking due to the high expansion rate. What you want to avoid is temperature differential. Warm glass is easier to work with than cold glass. warm up the entire piece and use warm water. I like to submerge if possible. Also a couple of suction cups help with vibration. Your expert probably knows this I just thought I would throw it out there.

[DransportGarage]

Originally Posted by mick53

I have a small glass shop where I blow , cast, bend ,cut and drill glass. Windshield glass has a high COE (coefficient of expansion), probably about 120. This makes it easy to cut but subject to cracking due to the high expansion rate. What you want to avoid is temperature differential. Warm glass is easier to work with than cold glass. warm up the entire piece and use warm water. I like to submerge if possible. Also a couple of suction cups help with vibration. Your expert probably knows this I just thought I would throw it out there.

Thanks, Mick. This could be a big help, depending on my guy's knowledge. I know he's a great installer, but I don't know how strong he is in molecular science!

[la hi]

Windshield install!! Why don't you call Safelite glass and have them come to your garage and install the windshield in a couple of hours for a couple hundred dollars. Worked for me on the 57

[Marty68]

Attempted to "outline" letters on tailgate.. didn't like it so I washed it off with lacquer thinner.. to my delight it was slowly removing grey.. so I exposed a little blue

[Marty68]

Originally Posted by Dyslexic Dog

Not sure where to post this but has anyone had issues with Gearhead Ent. in Iowa? I got a Must II front end a year ago. The parts were not machined properly, I got hand written instructions, and when I asked for a parts list for replacement items, I got hung up on twice.

You look at the ebay site and it says they are a wonderful 99% seller. I question that. Many build sites say to stay away from them.

i wonder who makes their stuff.. Spartan Rod works in Sparta Wi. supposedly makes and ships 50 kits a week to somewhere is Iowa.

[MiraclePieCo]

Originally Posted by Dyslexic Dog

Not sure where to post this but has anyone had issues with Gearhead Ent. in Iowa? I got a Must II front end a year ago. The parts were not machined properly, I got hand written instructions, and when I asked for a parts list for replacement items, I got hung up on twice.

You look at the ebay site and it says they are a wonderful 99% seller. I question that. Many build sites say to stay away from them.

Several of those positive feedbacks are from me. Lots of parts on my truck are from Gearhead. Always great quality, low prices, fast shipping and excellent service. The lowering springs for my MII front end were right on the money.

I'd trust their Ebay seller rating more than forum gossip. I've seen too many unreasonable customers go on crazed vendettas, joining every forum solely for the purpose of single-handedly destroying a seller's reputation - including one paranoiac on this very forum who accused me of being the seller operating incognito and then followed me from forum to forum to harass me. I couldn't post anything anywhere without this guy answering back that I was a cheat and a thief, when in fact I'd never met him ever. I see he's still a registered user here, although moderators have removed most of his posts.

Sorry if you were wronged, but Ebay has a procedure for a money back guarantee if purchases are not as described. You'll get more satisfaction that way than going public with your beef.

[Dyslexic Dog]

Originally Posted by MiraclePieCo

Several of those positive feedbacks are from me. Lots of parts on my truck are from Gearhead. Always great quality, low prices, fast shipping and excellent service. The lowering springs for my MII front end were right on the money.

I'd trust their Ebay seller rating more than forum gossip. I've seen too many unreasonable customers go on crazed vendettas, joining every forum solely for the purpose of single-handedly destroying a seller's reputation - including one paranoiac on this very forum who accused me of being the seller operating incognito and then followed me from forum to forum to harass me (I see he's still a registered user here, although moderators have removed most of his posts). I couldn't post anything anywhere without this guy answering back that I was a cheat and a thief, when in fact I'd never met him ever.

Sorry if you were wronged, but Ebay has a procedure for a money back guarantee if purchases are not as described. You'll get more satisfaction that way than going public with your beef.

Wow, I have them a positive when I got my shipment, after that, no way. I understand everyone can have a different opinion, but the material and information I received was not how I would do business.

[MiraclePieCo]

Originally Posted by Dyslexic Dog

Wow, I have them a positive when I got my shipment, after that, no way. I understand everyone can have a different opinion, but the material and information I received was not how I would do business.

As I said, no one on this forum can fix the problem. File a case with Ebay and/or PayPal.

[idbeast]

Finally, Tuesday the Beast goes in to get the Interior done!!!

[mick53]

I'm making progress on my timing cover. I almost gave up a couple of times and just had someone make me a new one. Now I think I have a shot at pulling this off. I had to put so much heat into the piece replacing bad metal that it shrank considerably. So I welded up the holes and dab by dab made it wider. Then I machined the back and got it surprisingly flat (big win). This now gives me a flat surface to work from. Of the 5 countersunk holes 4 go into the back half of the cover and 1 goes into the engine block. I was careful to center my now oblong hole on the crank when I countersunk my holes. Now I have to rebore the hole (scary).