The Egg Hauler.... not much of a build

[jcramsey]

Originally Posted by coulter

the new stance looks great!! cool lookin truck man

Thanks man! Just scoped out your build......your truck looks killer! Lots of awesome in that thread

[coulter]

thanx man!!!!!

[ridinlow68]

Originally Posted by jcramsey

Exhaust pipe went on without a hitch yesterday. Didnt even need any balin' wire or bungee cords! Was able to take it out again to the local meet again this morning. My wife did some shopping while i talked cars with some new folks. Great start to the weekend. Also met fellow board member ridinlow68 who was actually in town from Maine on vacation. He has a killer build going on in the 67-72 section. Project FROSTBYTE

It was great to meet you as well! It was cool to look over your truck in person. Man, does it have some great character! You're doing it right. Also, your exhaust sounds great, that's what caught my attention as we were walking around the show when you pulled in! haha

Here's some pics of your truck we took at the show. If you want the hi-res, let me know.

[jcramsey]

Originally Posted by ridinlow68

It was great to meet you as well! It was cool to look over your truck in person. Man, does it have some great character! You're doing it right. Also, your exhaust sounds great, that's what caught my attention as we were walking around the show when you pulled in! haha

Here's some pics of your truck we took at the show. If you want the hi-res, let me know.

Rick, thanks for the compliments and the pics! I would appreciate the hi-res, the ones you posted look pretty awesome already...I'll PM you my email address.

Glad to get some feedback on the exhuast...wasnt sure what it really sounded like to someone outside the truck. Straight pipe it will be then! I did have a little exhaust envy whent he guy beside me in the Grand National fired his up with the cutouts open. I've never heard a 600+ hp v6 Buick before.

[TJ's Chevy]

To bad your so far away! I'd love to see you truck in person.....maybe go on the track and have a race... We both have 6 cylinders!

[jcramsey]

Originally Posted by T.J. MCCAULEY

To bad your so far away! I'd love to see you truck in person.....maybe go on the track and have a race... We both have 6 cylinders!

I know man I'd love to come check out that sweet 292 in yours. Sounds good in that video you posted. It's only about 3,000 miles from SC to OR.... I could have my little six pegged out around 60 mph and be there in about a week hahah.

That'd be a sad race on my part. Between the worn out six and needing a new clutch, I aint putting much of the original 165 hp to the ground. Who knows when this old motor is gonna lay down on me though, it starts up and runs like a champ every time!

One of these days I'll build it right, but right now I'm having too much fun drivin'

[TJ's Chevy]

Originally Posted by jcramsey

I know man I'd love to come check out that sweet 292 in yours. Sounds good in that video you posted. It's only about 3,000 miles from SC to OR.... I could have my little six pegged out around 60 mph and be there in about a week hahah.

That'd be a sad race on my part. Between the worn out six and needing a new clutch, I aint putting much of the original 165 hp to the ground. Who knows when this old motor is gonna lay down on me though, it starts up and runs like a champ every time!

One of these days I'll build it right, but right now I'm having too much fun drivin'

Yeah with my 292 having 140,000 on it who knows when the oil pan is gonna fall off! I'm in the same situation, It runs good so I'm havin a blast drivin it!

[jcramsey]

Got a little bit of excitement/adventure coming up for The Egg Hauler in the near future. Selling my DD Toyota 4runner locally and found a replacement up in Johnson City, TN. Planning on driving the 66 home to my folks place in WNC next Friday morning, helping my dad and brother do some work on the house, then up to Johnson City to possibly buy a car and visit some family while we're there.

So far I've only done local driving with the longest trip being about 50 miles round trip....and no interstate. This will be about a 280 mile ride...about 3/4 interstate. Plan is to head out early and be through Columbia, SC before their rush hour and just tool along at a comfortable 60-65 mph hopefully not sending too many folks into blinding road rage.

Any must-have spares for the long ride?

[TJ's Chevy]

tires, plugs, spark plug wires, jack, compression gauge, wire tester, fuel pump, alternator if you drive in wet areas, and lots a tools! Spare head light are good to. I would get a spare hei....

[jcramsey]

11/01/2013

3:30 am : Woke up, kissed my wife goodbye, slipped on my tennis shoes and grabbed the clothes I had packed up the night before.

3:35 am: The Egg Hauler is rolling out of the driveway and into the dark night. Hopefully I didnt wake any neighbors.

3:50 am: Made it through downtown and all the stop lights - all highway for the next 227 miles. Foot didnt hit the brake pedal until I stopped in Columbia for some gas around 5:50 am. So far so good. Back on the highway and the little six kept on diggin' right around 65 mph until we hit the state line and then it was backroads for the final 40 miles.

8:25 am: Just a few miles out from my folks place now. My brother was finishing up hanging a few lights on a house they just built so I figured I would roll by there on my way in. Had the six wound out as I gave him what I like to now refer to as a "buzz-by"

8:30 am: Pulled into my folks garage just in time to miss the rain that kept up for the next three or so hours. Definitely glad I left so early.

Drove back yesterday in normal heavier traffic and managed to keep up fairly well. While no speed demon, I am pleased with the engines ability to maintain a respectable speed through the rolling hills in the upstate of SC.

I am pretty happy for my first major trip in the truck. No issues, no scares and I think gas consumption was better than I expected although I was too concerned with making it to actually figure out any numbers. I did have a good sized oil leak underneath after I came back to check on the truck the next morning. Loose valve cover bolt was at least a partial culprit. I still had a leak this morning in my garage...but not as much.

My next task I think is to find a good deal on a T86 overdrive trans to hopefully make this a little more highway friendly.

[Low Elco]

Glad the trip went well!

[rusty76]

Congrats on a safe and fun trip.

[jcramsey]

Originally Posted by Low Elco

Glad the trip went well!

Originally Posted by rusty76

Congrats on a safe and fun trip.

Thanks guys!

Sold my DD last week so the 66 is taking its place until I can find a replacement.

[NEWFISHER]

Daily driving the older ones is what its all about...good job

[jcramsey]

Had some family in town last weekend for my wifes swearing in ceremony to the SC Bar so I took the time to recruit my dad and brother into helping me remove the bed so I could get access to the frame and install my c-notch and lowering blocks. Removed a handful of bolts and the taillights and the bed was ready to go. Ended up using a logging chain on the rear and ratchet straps on each corner of the front. Also built a little frame screwed into a wall stud to further support it. Working out great so far. I can park in the garage and pull it forward just a bit when I want to work on the frame. Ground out a few of the rivets in preparation for the notch to go in, and went ahead and put the lowering blocks in today, just to see how they were going to do. I'm pleased. Hopefully I can get the free time this weekend to finish up the notch and get the bed back on.

Everybody likes pics...

[rusty76]

Cool to see ya working on the truck. Congrats to your wife too!

[jcramsey]

Here's whats coming down the pike for the Egg Hauler after I get the c-notches in and bed back on.

3 speed w/ overdrive!

After my big trip to NC it was very evident that an extra gear out on the highway would be really helpful. I found a guy up near Greensboro, NC that had two overdrive transmissions for sale and my dad and brother went to pick them up for me a couple weeks ago. My mom, dad and brother came to visit me and my wife this weekend and help put down some new floors upstairs, so the transmissions came along for the ride. My dad had an extra 3speed he gave me so I've got a side cover and a good set of gears if it turns out I need them. Hopefully I should be able to make at least 1 good transmission from all that I have. You can see a few chipped teeth on the gears on the second pic...enough to both with or should I go ahead and put in the better gears from the other trans?

Fingers crossed!

[rusty76]

Man I was thinking if you came to Greensboro you should have yelled and we could have gotten together. Glad to see you got another trans.

[TJ's Chevy]

Coming along nicely.

[jcramsey]

Originally Posted by rusty76

Man I was thinking if you came to Greensboro you should have yelled and we could have gotten together. Glad to see you got another trans.

If I get down your way again I will be sure to give you a holler. I've been close to Midway quite a few times, but its been a while. Most of my friends from college are from Thomasville.

[TJ's Chevy]

Originally Posted by jcramsey

If I get down your way again I will be sure to give you a holler. I've been close to Midway quite a few times, but its been a while. Most of my friends from college are from Thomasville.

Sorry if I missed something...but...are those trannys automatics??? Just wonderin....cause they don't look like 200 or 700 r4. Nice finds.

[jcramsey]

Originally Posted by T.J. MCCAULEY

Sorry if I missed something...but...are those trannys automatics??? Just wonderin....cause they don't look like 200 or 700 r4. Nice finds.

Hey TJ..these are 3 speed manual trans with an external Borg Warner R10 overdrive unit (looks like an oil filter sticking out of the side of the trans). This way I can retain my factory 3 on the tree, but get the extra gear I was looking for without having to chop up my floor.

[rusty76]

Originally Posted by jcramsey

If I get down your way again I will be sure to give you a holler. I've been close to Midway quite a few times, but its been a while. Most of my friends from college are from Thomasville.

Just came through Thomasville the other day.

[jcramsey]

Finally got a free weekend to work on the truck! Had the whole day this past saturday to finish up my c-notch install. Worst part of the install was grinding/drilling out the old rivets. Once I had them out and my notch marked on the frame it was smooth sailing. I thought the fitment on the CPP notch was excellent as the passenger side slid right on and all the holes lined up nice on the first try. I attribute this to the slotted hole design in the notches because the two track bar holes on the back of the drivers side notch were not slotted and I had to widen the frame holes just a bit to get them lined up. Overall I was very pleased with the parts though.

[rusty76]

Looking good