'78 3/4 ton 4x4 FRANKENTRUCK

[dammitmitchell]

and that 4 runner will run forever BTW

[87 chevy silverado]

anything new?

[asphaltburner]

Yo! Happy New Year, all!
Nothing really new with FRANKENTRUCK, thanks for asking!



Just enjoying the iPod Kenwood with those four 6.5" Kenwoods in the corners!
Sure is funny how the truck hardly knows it's pulling a 17' trailer, when it does,...and the truck actually looks better with the hitch and the wider spacing of the exhaust tips that was necessary to accommodate it.
The bodywork looks really good, but weather and the house addition will cause further painting to be delayed 'till this summer/fall, when the addition is done. FRANKENTRUCK will be busy during that process,...trash truck and go-fer.
All have a safe celebration of the new year!
Todd.

[Hulk Will Smash]

Just got the chance to read through this. Nice work man. There's something special, for me, about seeing a field car saved from it's return to the earth. Nice work!

[asphaltburner]

Yo! Thank you very much! A lot of hard work, but fun. And sure worth it in the end!
FRANKENTRUCK is truly a great truck,...I just got lucky! I only chanced into the truck in the first place. I was looking for a cab for a flatbed and ended up using the flatbed as a donor! I still got one really nice truck out of the two trashed trucks.
I'm lucky to have been able to put it together, some of the parts were described to me as "rare as the dodo", but I found them.
As you were posting, FRANKENTRUCK and I were on aluminum "recycling detail" to Fort Collins (20 miles away) and we had FUN! It's heavy and powerful and drives like a dream. The gearing makes it quite "nimble" on the highway!
In addition, FRANKENTRUCK received a lot of notice and conversation at the recycling place today. The young fellow there just loved the truck.
Ran it through a short cruise of 4x4 H and L, 2x front wheel drive H and L, and 2x rear wheel drive H and L last weekend. What fun!
Gotta get that damn fuel gauge connection fixed. I've been just running it to empty and then swapping tanks. I'd rather not be doing that,...
Wish you could hear that stereo!
Thanks, again.
Todd.

P.S. I have a habit of saving cars and trucks from "returning to the earth",...I have 10, counting my '42 JD B tractor.

[Hulk Will Smash]

Right on dude, we've got a 50's era B back home. Funny thing, its kind of a frankentactor becuse it was resurrected from two or 3 other Bs.
Posted via Mobile Device

[asphaltburner]

Yo! Y'all!
FRANKENTRUCK and I have been BUSY!
Just finishing a 1200+ sq ft addition to the house that started with demolition April first. That's the reason for being SO quiet for the last year. Planning and executing the building of this addition.
Demolished 9' of the end of my 40' x 24' "manufactured" home, and added a 26' x 24' addition in it's place. FRANKENTRUCK had been reduced to trash truck service for months, and now has been doing hauling duty for construction materials on a regular basis.



I have not been able to load it to anywhere near capacity yet, and doubt that I'll ever be able to! Maybe when we go get flagstone,...Still, it'll handle 8600 lbs GVWR,...
Paint for the truck may be in the works for next year. If so, FRANKENTRUCK and I will have to make it to some local shows before I screw up the paint,...it IS a working truck!
Todd.

[thirdstreettito]

Additions are fun! And so is working with your truck! What kind of mileage do you get?

[my4by2]

Love the truck man! Good to see it in use too. Look forward to when you can get back on it again!

[TheWhiteElephant]

Right on! A truck doing what its supposed to!
Posted via Mobile Device

[asphaltburner]

The truck brought new sheetrock home yesterday, and hauled out the waste rock this evening. It's been busy constantly since our demolition at the beginning of April,...fetching building materials, and acting as trash truck ever since!
I haven't been able to tune it to better than 12.5 mpg average so far, but I've been working it more than tweeking the tune, and I think I could improve that slightly. Not exactly a gas sipping engine (!), weighs three tons, and the TH400 and 4.11:1 gears kill gas mileage, so 12.5 is doing pretty good.
Todd.

[TheWhiteElephant]

Originally Posted by asphaltburner

The truck brought new sheetrock home yesterday, and hauled out the waste rock this evening. It's been busy constantly since our demolition at the beginning of April,...fetching building materials, and acting as trash truck ever since!
I haven't been able to tune it to better than 12.5 mpg average so far, but I've been working it more than tweeking the tune, and I think I could improve that slightly. Not exactly a gas sipping engine (!), weighs three tons, and the TH400 and 4.11:1 gears kill gas mileage, so 12.5 is doing pretty good.
Todd.

ha! Yeah, at 12.5 mpg, I'd say you have some pretty good gas mileage.

[thirdstreettito]

Seriously, you have what, roundabout 300-400hp? And its carb'd. My 88 TBI 350 gets 12mpg. 180hp and fuel injection... Wanna trade?

[asphaltburner]

Wow! I guess I AM doing well! And the truck sure jumps when ya hammer the pedal, too.
It really turned out to be a great truck, and it was the help of all the folks on this forum that helped me to put it all together! Thanks to all of you guys,...those that helped me learn and all of you that have, and continue to, follow FRANKENTRUCK!
And I'm not trading OR selling, but thanks for the offer, man! LOL!
Todd.

[juiceman650]

Dude, after reading this whole thread it seems like FRANKENTRUCK turned out to be a FRANKENBEAST, you've created a one of a kind awesome truck man. Congrats and enjoy it!
Posted via Mobile Device

[asphaltburner]

Again, thank you very much!
FRANKENTRUCK was christened with that name by my wife since the truck was built from a '73 flatbed donor, the '78 that had been abandoned in a cow pasture, new parts, and junkyard parts.
Sure hadn't expected it to turn out to be a FRANKENBEAST, but it is probably a one of a kind, and quite awesome at that! Sure took a lot of work, but is has been well worth it. And I got one hell of a hard working truck for my effort, too!
Couldn't have done it without the knowledge that the folks on this forum were more than willing to provide,...thanks again to all of you.
Todd.

[asphaltburner]

Did ya see the stereo and speakers that I put in this thing,...they're phenomenal! What fun! And my installation turned out to look as good as professional! The iPod lets me carry my library of tunes in the truck. Plenty of amplification, too, via the Kenwood deck.
Todd.

[BIG V]

Very nice truck love the build

[juiceman650]

Originally Posted by asphaltburner

Did ya see the stereo and speakers that I put in this thing,...they're phenomenal! What fun! And my installation turned out to look as good as professional! The iPod lets me carry my library of tunes in the truck. Plenty of amplification, too, via the Kenwood deck.
Todd.

Yeah, I have a Pioneer in mine with the ipod hook up and I love it!
Posted via Mobile Device

[AuglyTruckGuy]

I saw this post a year ago when I first bought my truck to haul materials to the house I was building. Check it out. The same truck in California. Mine has a few more dents than yours I'll bet. I actually like the color. Wish I could find the original turquoise interior dash and door panels to replace my worn and cracked ones.

[asphaltburner]

Holy Crapolla, I NEVER thought I'd see another like it,...IT'S GREEN!! None are green! OMG!
We gotta trade VINs! I'd like to know more about your truck. Your's seems to be in GREAT shape too! This is SO cool!
I'll get my VIN tomorrow and post. Mine is now 350/400 NP205 (modified), 4.11:1, Warn locking front hubs, and twin gas tanks. I'll post pics of FRANKENTRUCK's refurbished interior, including the original door panels that are still in it. I used a camel colored dash, since I could not match the original. Painted the kick panels similarly, due to the lack of green replacements. Maybe you can salvage your old stuff,...
I just can't believe it! SO glad you posted!
Todd.

[thirdstreettito]

Wow! Now if only I can find one too!

[asphaltburner]

Yo! Y'all!
It's been a long time since the last post. The addition on to my house has consumed my time over the last year!
FRANKENTRUCK was out terrorizing northern Colorado again today,...what a great truck! It's been busy working over the winter and today it was keeping up with a Z06 on the way out of Ault, on the highway! 4.11s, no overdrive, and about 325 HP in a heavy P/U sure can be fun!
Todd.

[68 TT]

Glad you are getting to use and enjoy your truck Todd.

Is the addition to the house done or do you still have more to do on it?

[asphaltburner]

Down to fabricating maple windowsills now, and I have a short foundation wall that I need to form and pour, otherwise done! It's been a year since I began demolition April 1, 2011. The house has turned out so very nice!
This truck is GREAT, and it kicks ass too! 'Been hauling heavy loads, pulling stumps, and dragging downed trees since I finished it. It substitutes for my real workhorse, the '42 JD BN, and does quite well in that role. And you can keep up with that Z06, like I was talking about,...to an extent, of course!
Thanks so much, Todd.