49' Patina bagged in PA

[99 to Life]

So I went back at the engine again. Took valve covers off, I had them swapped and so the one was hitting the rockers. I readjusted a couple valves.

Checked clutch and glad to know its working. My pedal had to mount a tad bit low and it was hitting the floor, so I luckily had some room to back the clevis out so I had more travel. The pedal is flush with the brake pedal.

I'm still running really rich. I just realized too, I might have my carb spacer on backwards. and I need some more fittings so I can hook my fuel regulator up. too much fuel going into the carb. but its slowly coming together.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDjA...ature=youtu.be

[99 to Life]

1-12 monday, haven't had too much picture worthy stuff to post. I got the steering all in and finalized. I since I had a one of my ujoints already and it had a 5/8-36 spline. I found a 2" splined shaft on ebay for cheap. worked out great because the main shaft in the steering column is 3/4" so I welded the 5/8 spline to the end of it which allowed for it to still be able to slip through the bearning at the bottom of the column, if need be.

Finally started on mounting my compressors. I have been debating where to put them since I have no room in the very back bc of the gas tank. So I made up this bracket bolts to the boxing I had on the frame. I drilled and tapped the boxing plate so I can just bolt this bracket on, rather than welding it on. I still have to get some bushings to put under the compressors, then make the other bracket and paint them. My theory is to run the compressors away from the tank to let air cool before they enter the water traps and into the tank. My tank will be mounted behind the seat. debating on the accuair manifold going in the cab as well. I'd route the exhaust outta the cab obviously.

Can't see in pic but I hooked up my vintage turnsignal switch. Much more fitting than the chepo chrome ones. Steering wheel is about 6.5" from dash and 8" off seat. In my 51' I'm 5.5" to dash which I like but makes it 6" off seat, so leg room is a tad tight there. So I made sure to bump the steering wheel out a touch on this build. I'm a big fan of the stock columns but I'm sure I'll be using an aftermarket tilt on some builds too.

[Advanced Design]

Looking really good 99! Steering clears really well.

Nice lope to the engine...sounds good!

I notice a number of builds on here using Accuair. I was planning on Ridetech for the Burb and still researching alternatives. What sold you on Accuair?
Thanks!

[99 to Life]

thanks AD, as for the manifold decision. I don't really have a strong answer for you. Maybe because I'v seen so many of them being used on good builds, I take that as dependability and as professional as you can get. The accuair is just so small and basic, you just plug your controller right into it (though its expensive) I just used an AVS controller cause I had it, got the wiring harness adapter so I can hook it into the accuair manifold. The other reason is, I traded some print work for the manifold from a local air ride shop so it worked out. I think the ridetech would be a good choice too, I really think those two companies are about as top notch as you can get.

[reaper71]

looking really good...1 more step!

[99 to Life]

1-13 thanks reaper. Got the other compressor bracket done and bolted up for trial fit. I put some primer on them until I can get them coated up. went to hardware store and like always get nickel and dimmed on bolts. Got some stainless bolts and rubber grommets for the compressors.

Tossed door on just to see what I been missing, can't wait to have all the sheetmetal back on so it looks like a truck again.

Revisited the radiator a little more. Everything is dang near identical to what I did on my 51' as far as placement, the nest for the bottom, the angle of the rad, the way it will mount etc. I'm not sold on it, so I made this topper that will help make it look more tied together. It won't touch the radiator and behind it will actually be poly bushings that will press the rad tight together. I'll eventually put some dimple dies in this I think. On the outter side of the rad, I bought some high heat resistant rubber so the rad won't rub on the metal. I still have to trim my upper hose. I'm attempting to run #2 or 4 all thread through the rad to bolt my fan to it, rather than the zip ties. so the rad will mount on the engine side.

The rad and steering are examples of stuff that was once moched up or could get my by, so I though, then I'm back at them. Which in the long run is ok, but moral of it is, I go back and forth and jump around too much. Money is sometimes the culprit and then its the order of things and how they need to be done. for example doing everything you can to get it running and driving, then going back and finalizing everything. Thats been my goal, its just about there.

[oldman3]

99, we all go thru the "put together take apart, put together" and the money thing, we hear ya. Looking good and getting close that's what counts...Jim

[IWanna49]

Your cab and fender sure look a lot like mine!!

[99 to Life]

1-17 Pics don't show much. Made some progress on finalizing the radiator mounting. All and all if I were to have gotten a rad that had different side mounts, I probably could have used the stock rad support, just modified a bit. Which is what I initially had moched up along time ago, but with this tri 5 rad the side mounts have a bend to them instead of being straight like a 53-54 belair would have. anyway.....I think I'm gonna throw some dimple dies in this, and then paint it after the truck is done and on the road, prolly wait till spring to do some random paint thats left. There is a polly bushing behind this cover, that squeezed the rad in nice and tight, this cover doesn't hit radiator so there is a tiny gap between it and the rad. Got my puke tank mounted too.

I got some #2-56 all thread that I'm gonna make fan mounts out of, instead of the ziptie locks. This way I will be able to take the fan off without removing the radiator/draining fluid/annoying fiasco that can be. That way if the efan ever dies, its and easy fix.

tossed bed back on so I can locate my filler tube one last time, welded up this tab so I can mount it to the bed. I now need some reducers to run from my filler to the tank, then the breather line. I should be taking bed apart and coating everything from the bed wood down. All this rust you see under neath will be encapsulated. Then I can mount bed for last time, and mount the tail lights etc.

lastly, started on a mount for my brake switch

[oldman3]

Piece by the radiator will look cool with the dimple dies...Jim

[Advanced Design]

Very cool 99. It is all those little details that take a ton of time. Nice progress.

[hotrodelrod]

looking good!

[99 to Life]

1-24 Still chipping away. Got compressors mounted, figured out my manifold placement. Started on a bracket for mounting it. I think its gonna work out alot better in the back by the bags, keeps routing the lines alot easier. I also think I can fit the accuair 6" diameter tank right on the xmember you see. Which would make everything much easier to route, rather than the tank in the cab.
I need to get some heavier gauge wire and rig up the relays and such and really knock this air management out. need the tank and some more fittings too.

Got bumper back on, still undecided on my front turnsignals so I can't wrap that up will I figure it out.

Money is very tight right now. Still need PWS pump and tie rods and its officially a driver (not counting the air management). Need mufflers still.

I put my aluminum water pump on, wasn't liking the black one. I also put the PWS pump bracket on. I'll be getting a diff alternator too.

Got the bed all torn apart, made some patches, coated everything with chassis saver and herculiner that will be exposed to the elements underneath. Hoping to have it back on real soon.

Lastly, on the hunt for some fuel filler hose (man that stuff is expensive) rather than spend 50$ on 5" worth of hose and an adapter. I found a filler hose off a jetski with the perfect dimensions, 2" ID on one side 1.75" ID other side. I'll need to trim to fit, but I got it on ebay for 13 shipped.

Here is a shot of the lower radiator hose. These can be real pain to find. part number is Dayco D70685 I cut 4" off the long end.

[Advanced Design]

99 you've been busy! Compressor mounting looks good...getting closer to driving.

[oldman3]

Keeping busy is right. Looks great, won't be long now, little by little...Jim

[reaper71]

Nice work..

[99 to Life]

thank you guys, so here are some pics of the bed thats just about all way on. you can see I coated the areas that will be covered with some chassis saver and on the outsides I did chassis saver and herculiner.

the tubing frame inside the bed is what the bed wood will sit on. this frame will unbolt and come out, but... the bed wood will be able to slide right off of this, so any maintenance work can be easily done. for example, draining the water traps to the air ride system. I would have had more bed depth had I not ran a disc brake set up. but, I wouldn't have been able to run my gas filler were it is, so I guess it all worked out.

got the fuel filler neck almost done. so glad I didn't spend 50 bucks on 6" worth of hose and an adapter. Found this jetski filler tube online for like 13 bucks and just so happen to be dead on with what I needed, just had to cut it.

should have some more air ride plumbing soon, hoping to have it plumbed and wired in the next two weekends, so it should all run on its own very soon. then back onto some interior wiring. once I get the pws hooked up and air ride done, its a full on driver. now its just a bunch of little things to finish.

[99 to Life]

1-31 Got a little time in today, not much. Got tons of things in the mail. Finally got my tank, I'll make straps for it tomorrow possibly. Fits like a glove. Ran all my lines for the most part, minor adjustments will be made later. I still need to get and plumb in the water traps, I'll put them before the manifold.

I should be able to have it working completely on its own by next weekend, will be the last big hurtle. Here on out its all buttoning up, finishing wiring and doing the interior.

The relay you see which I have yet to wire up, is a stinger 80amp. I find it better to use one of these than to putz around with the tradition relays which my biggest beef with them are, the skimpy wire gauges they run on them. So rather than having a million more wires and such, I feel this will keep it very simple and clean. I'm running both comps into a fuse box, then 1 wire into this relay, then 8g wire to the battery off the relay, which I'll have it wired to a 50amp toggle switch behind the seat. so...... for whatever reason I need to kill power to that area I can do so. I'll also have a toggle switch up on the dash that will control the circuit to the air switch, thus being able to control the comps manually if I want to right up at the dash (reason for this is say you kill your battery and get a jump, well you don't want 40 amps worth of compressors kicking on during that process).

[Advanced Design]

Well thought out 99. Getting close.

[47 Fasttoys]

Morning '99, progress is looking good. I have a question: what is your brake switch out of? I need to set up one on my build and cannot use the pedal mounted style. I need one which has both N.O. and N.C. contacts.
Thanks,
Rob

[hotrodelrod]

Nice progress, getting close!

[reaper71]

Pretty damn slick!!

[chev3600]

Very cool! You're so close now. Jetski parts? Thats thinking outside the box!

[99 to Life]

47- the brake switch is just an early s10 one. very simple

chev3600, thanks yeah there are alot of things in the boat world, believe it or not is cheaper and can be used for cars.

I'm hoping the good weather comes soon cause I wanna drive this outta the garage real bad.

[99 to Life]

2-2 Finished up the brackets for the tank, they wrap all around and tie into the xmember from underneath, I welded a bolt to the straps and the when you tighten the bolt it draws the straps tighter. I actually really wanted to use this material, I just think it flows good with the aluminum tank. I'll be painting the straps though. My friend thought these looked like a last resort! which they were my first thought!

Started a little more wiring on the system. Should have it working next weekend if all goes well.