56 task force on 80 1/2 ton frame pictures

[Kim57]

Looking real nice.
Kim

[56hotrodred]

Hey thanks Kim.

I finally feel like I am getting somewhere.

[rgunlock]

Just found your build thread and went through it. You're doing a really nice job! I've got a '59 lined up as my next project and have been considering a squarebody C10 chassis so its nice to find similar builds in progress.

[56hotrodred]

Hey thanks Rick. Its been a long haul and now I am putting together a spreadsheet on all my expenses!!!

I did not go the cheap way as I had with all my other builds over the years.

This one is for me to keep and I am only going to do it this way once so it is what it is! Its still going to hurt though... next build back to donor vehicle(s) and used parts. I'm on a small ranch in the country so I have room to park stuff.

With that said this truck should be a really nice driver and I plan on driving it.

Always wanted to cruise the West Coast Highway and this one might be the vehicle to do it in. It would be fun to hit as many car shows and Friday night parking lot get-togethers as we can on the way.

I used the C10 chassis because it was close, cheap and already stripped. My original frame was bent a bit. I think I payed $500.00 for it. I have seen them go a lot cheaper with the body on.

It looks like Ridetech, at least I think its them, came out with several suspension options for the square bodies. Looks like really nice stuff. Anything you want to make it ride and drive like a fancy car. Air bags, adjustable coil overs, 4-link whatever you want!!!

There is also a place on line that sells a kit to mount the Task Force bodies an a square body frame. Cant remember who it is right now but it was about $700 or $800. If you can fabricate then you don't need it but it looks like a pretty good option for some.

However if you have a good original frame there is probably just as much, if not more, aftermarket parts available. I don't regret what I did but am not sure if I would do it again.

My cab is now at the body shop to get dash and firewall painted and rest in primer then I get it back. Hope to put all body on frame, get it running and back to body shop before I go down to Arizona around Christmas. Then it should be done in body shop when I get back up here in March/April.

Anyway thanks again for the nice words. Just holler if you have any questions.

Barry

[Purcell69]

That is a nice build you have going there. Keep up the good work!

-Joe

[56hotrodred]

I have been busy especially now that yard work has dropped off. My wife and I had a lot outside projects planned and completed around the place this year.

The major components are on the frame and I am waiting for the cab to come back from the body shop.

I had to sand off a couple of places on the frame and am impressed with the Eastwood primer and chassis paint. It was a bear to get a good ground.

Anyway here are some pictures of the frame and driveline. Not sure about final routing of tailpipes but have lots of time to think about that. Might leave them the way they are!

I built the exhaust from the headers back and for the most part am pretty happy. Its not perfect as I had some challenges as the headers did not both aim straight back. So both sides are not symmetrical! I bought the x pipe with a few other pieces and another exhaust kit - all aluminized pipe that welds really nice.

Also I am still working on the cold air intake system. I am installing the IAT out on the end of the intake tube. After looking at welding in an aluminum bung or rather finding someone to weld it in I have decided to try setting the IAT sensor in a rubber grommet and then drilling a hole in the aluminum intake tube. I will actually drill the hole, insert the grommet and them the IAT sensor!

It should be a lot less work and something I can do myself. My research has indicated that this should work! Many IAT sensors are actually in rubber grommets inserted into plastic air intake tubes.

The driver shaft in the pictures is one I had laying around. I was shocked when it fit but I only have chevy truck stuff laying around the place. It is actually between a half and three-quarters of an inch too short but after researching it a ton I think I will be okay. I wonder once I start dropping the cab and body back on if the will be even less of a difference. I am thinking the weight of the body will drop the suspension some and push the yoke in even farther! Not sure if this makes sense!!!

Have not started any wiring yet but that will start once the cab is placed back on the frame for the last time! I have the AAW classic update wiring harness waiting in the wings!

[56hotrodred]

I just got the call that I can go in to the body shop and pick up my cab.

Boy am I excited now!!!

The original plan was to only paint the dash and firewall and give it back to me to put on the frame and hook everything up and then get it all back to them running before I go south for the winter in January.

I was surprised when the body shop owner texted me pictures with what looks like the whole cab painted. In actuality the dash and firewall have two coats and everything else has only one coat. He said it would seal up the high build primer that is overtop the epoxy primer.

I was surprised when I noticed one of my firewall holes to mount the Vintage Air evaporator was filled in! They left the top one but filled in the bottom one! I will have to re-drill it but am pretty sure I will be putting a few other holes in the firewall as well. At least it will be going back to them for final paint and I will just bet you to fix up a couple of my "screw-ups."

Made sense to me but I am going to have be more careful. Going to buy many rolls of masking tape before I start crawling all over it.

So the colour is close to the original blue/green and is actually very close to seafoam green in the sample colour book they showed me. They shot me some colour on a can a few days ago and I really like it.

Now the fun begins as I have been collecting all the parts - I know I will need more - for the last few years!

I am pretty sure I will have some questions especially regarding the linkages for the engine and transmission!

[rgunlock]

Wow, that looks like it covered really well for one coat - looks great!

The crimpers that AAW sells work really well for securing terminals when you start in on wiring. I tried some generic crimpers first that just weren't getting the job done.

[Kim57]

Cab looks beautiful.
Kim

[56hotrodred]

Originally Posted by rgunlock

Wow, that looks like it covered really well for one coat - looks great!

The crimpers that AAW sells work really well for securing terminals when you start in on wiring. I tried some generic crimpers first that just weren't getting the job done.

Thanks so much for the compliments. I guess I should change my handle to 56hotrodblue!!! My first inclination was to paint it red but decided against it.

That is good to hear about the crimpers because I bought a set of their crimpers when I got the wiring harness.

I am getting ready to go pick up the cab now and will no doubt be down in the shop till late tonight. I have one of my sons around so with his help and my tractor we should be able to get the cab sitting on the frame today.

[dsraven]

thats cool,nice to see more than less done when you get it back. the color looks good.
are you going back to stock driveline, suspension etc?
I am in calgary n.w. I have a few parts for the 57-58 series. let me know if you need something specific. no body parts really except doors but if you need some little interior part or something. I'm not going stock interior or underside so i have a few extras.

[56hotrodred]

This one is a Restomod with a 350 ramjet engine and 700r4 transmission. Its also sitting on a shortened 1980 C10 frame.

Thanks so much for your offer. At this point I think I have most everything but you never know.

[56hotrodred]

It has been a big day and I am now beat!

Went to Coaldale, a town about an hour away, to get my cab and then got it home and with the help of my wife and one of my sons and a tractor got the cab on the frame without even a scratch.

No small miracle as my tolerances are tight. As you will see in one of the attached pictures the trans dipstick tube has about 3/8 ths of an inch with the electrical plugs on the distributor about an inch of clearance.

I am going to pull out the wiring harness first thing tomorrow and see how hard it is going to be to install it. I hear I can index the distributor and get those plugs pointed to the passenger side or worst case scenario I can slide my motor forward a bit. I installed some Dirty Dingo sliding motor mounts to move the engine back for clearance upfront but have a bit to spare I think.

[dsraven]

looks great!

[Rickysnickers]

That looks really nice. Well, done job this far!!

[dsraven]

are you gonna have room for the distributor plug in?

[mikebte]

Originally Posted by 56hotrodred

I hear I can index the distributor and get those plugs pointed to the passenger side or worst case scenario I can slide my motor forward a bit. I installed some Dirty Dingo sliding motor mounts to move the engine back for clearance upfront but have a bit to spare I think.

Yes, you can move that distributor. Mine points to the Drivers side and clears just find. Hardest parts was pluging in the oil pressure sensor under the distributor.

Looking nice.

[56hotrodred]

Originally Posted by mikebte

Yes, you can move that distributor. Mine points to the Drivers side and clears just find. Hardest parts was pluging in the oil pressure sensor under the distributor.

Looking nice.

Thanks for the kind words. So far I am pretty happy with the way it is turning out.

I was looking at that oil pressure sensor plugged hole under the distributor but do not have to use it. My Autolite oil pressure gauge does not use that hole. It uses one of the holes down by the oil filter. Way easier as I already have the sending unit installed.

I plan on indexing my distributor to point towards the passenger side but have not quit figured that out yet!!!

Right now I am also trying to figure out my AC and heater lines. I think I have all the lines in the engine compartment side figured out but its a different story in the cab side! I have installed a custom bulkhead fitting and am trying to figure out how to get from the evaporator to the bulkhead. Its tight but I think I am on the right track. I may have questions if I can't get it!

[Purcell69]

Originally Posted by 56hotrodred

I just got the call that I can go in to the body shop and pick up my cab.

Boy am I excited now!!!

The original plan was to only paint the dash and firewall and give it back to me to put on the frame and hook everything up and then get it all back to them running before I go south for the winter in January.

I was surprised when the body shop owner texted me pictures with what looks like the whole cab painted. In actuality the dash and firewall have two coats and everything else has only one coat. He said it would seal up the high build primer that is overtop the epoxy primer.

I was surprised when I noticed one of my firewall holes to mount the Vintage Air evaporator was filled in! They left the top one but filled in the bottom one! I will have to re-drill it but am pretty sure I will be putting a few other holes in the firewall as well. At least it will be going back to them for final paint and I will just bet you to fix up a couple of my "screw-ups."

Made sense to me but I am going to have be more careful. Going to buy many rolls of masking tape before I start crawling all over it.

So the colour is close to the original blue/green and is actually very close to seafoam green in the sample colour book they showed me. They shot me some colour on a can a few days ago and I really like it.

Now the fun begins as I have been collecting all the parts - I know I will need more - for the last few years!

I am pretty sure I will have some questions especially regarding the linkages for the engine and transmission!

I really love that color! Mine was originally that color or close to it many, many years ago, then some previous owner painted it white. Once everything else is done, I'm going back to the original color, with a white roof.

Yours is really looking nice!

-Joe

[56hotrodred]

Hey thanks.

The more I am around it the more I like it. It looks different in the sun, much nicer actually. The lights in the shop do not do it justice.

I am working out a lot of little things like AC hoses, starting the wiring, building in behind the seats so I can put my engine wiring harness and computer back there and much more.

By the way I really did not like the wiring harness that came with the 350 Ramjet engine. It took me a while to get it laid in and then I had only one place to mount the ECM and it just did not look right. Many have been splitting the wiring harness and extending the wires to the ECM but I am going to get a whole new engine wiring harness system from Ron Frances Wiring that will give me multiple options.

Making another order tomorrow.

[Purcell69]

Ron Francis makes a top quality product in my opinion. I bought a harness kit from them about 20 years ago. It was very easy to install and the quality of the wire used is much better than Painless. Their support is excellent and it is easy to upgrade. If you haven’t used them before, you will be impressed.

-Joe

[56hotrodred]

The Ron Frances 350 Ramjet wiring harness looks like a good system. The harness that came with the Ramjet was disappointing to say the least.

I am only using the Ron Frances for the engine wiring harness as I already have an AAW custom upgrade truck wiring harness. It also looks like a good system.

I should have some more pictures soon as I am working on lots of little things and everything is laying all over the place. Looks like a bomb went off in the shop right now!!! But stuffs getting done!

Had to make another order to Summit for a bunch of little AC & heater fittings and other things. Thats when I ordered the Ron Frances harness. Lucky for me they have one in the works so I might get it sooner than later. One thing about Ron Frances I don't like is their long order processing. It can take 2 weeks to get stuff. But I guess Summit is spoiling me.

As said more photos soon.

[56hotrodred]

Lots getting done although shop still looks like a bomb went off. Heres a few more photos that I took a few days ago of whats happening. I have come a long ways since these were taken and will take more photos today.

You can see the lower dash extension we built and I now have it marked out in order to cut the A/C vents and a couple of gauges like the transmission temp gauge and a clock to maintain balance. The far right A/C hole is going to be tough to get to because the Vintage Air evaporator is right there but I think I can build a little box behind the A/C hole with a way to attach the ducting. I did not want to cut holes into my virgin dash.

The Ron Francis Ramjet engine wiring harness arrived on Saturday and I am well into its installation. Looks like a nice system! I have included a picture of the wood I have attached behind the seat in order to attach it. Lots of wires getting run and at this point I hope I made the hole big enough to get them all through. You can see the hole in the floor behind the seat where the wires will come up and I have outlined the spot with pencil where I will mount the Ron Francis system and my ECM.

Also started to run A/C lines in both engine compartment and under dash. Nothing is crimped yet and the lines under dash are a real pain. Not much room and some of the hoses will be seen although they will not be as visible as they are in the photo. I can still shorten them up a bit.

I am having a hard time figuring where to put the auxiliary positive and negative wiring junction blocks and want to keep them close to the battery that is on the frame under the passengers feet. They are currently wire tired to the inner fender as you can see in the picture.

By the way the inner fender is still in gray primer while I keep drilling holes to mount things!

I also got my electric wiper motor and arms so it has to go in real soon before that real estate gets filled up.

[56hotrodred]

Got several more things moving along tonight.

I ran the AAW rear frame/body (i. tail lights, license plate light, brake lights turn signals, etc.) wiring along with the fuel gauge sender and fuel pump wires out to the back and have them sitting on the fuel tank.

I still do not have the main fuse panel and that wiring started yet because I want to install the windshield wiper motor and arms. I also picked that up last time.

You can now also see most of the Ron Francis engine management wiring harness taking shape behind the seat.

And finally a good portion of the engine wiring including the injector wiring.

I think most of the wiring is turning out pretty nice! Sure nicer than the original Ramjet "octopus" I had previously installed.

[Rickysnickers]

Very nice work! If you do not have a fuse panel, then what is the big silver box mounted on the wall in, what i will call photo #2?