cookie cutter 53

[e-rock]

It's time for me to stamp out my own truck! Picked up a 53 3600 3/4 ton. It's pretty rough but that's ok, I'm a poor boy. My goal is to make a runner and driver, do really care what it looks like right off the batt.

I did tinker with the original motor for a couple hours and got it running and driving, but the motor was stuck before I started. I poured oil in the cylinders and finally got it to turn all the way over, then I had to beat all the lifters up and down for a while haha. She finally fired up tho! I drove it in my garage.

Anyway, I will keep the original frame, but ditch the rest of the drivetrain. I'm on a budget so I spend a couple days in the junk yard pulling parts for the build. Found a 5.3 motor that was pretty rough and unknown miles for 200$. Tore it down, it looked fine, new gaskets and that's it. Did the harness myself, had the computer flashed by lt1swap.com

Picked up a 4l80e trans, and a 8.8 rearend with 3.73 posi out of an explorer, I did this on thanksgiving holiday because my local upull it yard is 40% off on holidays. Had about $212 out the door for both of them! Can't beat that!

I did splurge on front suspension, got a ebay mustang ii. It was cheap but still a lot of money.

So, that's my plan so far, that should keep me busy for a while. Plus the cab needs lots of rust repairs, a sheet of 18ga or two is in my future.

[Daze57]

would like to picts of your project

[e-rock]

Here is video after I got it running. She puffed a light haze of blue but not bad considering it was stuck!

https://youtu.be/19W2QNSKgCY

And here is video, where I finally made the ls motor run on the stand. I was pretty excited about this. The first time it busted off was a great motivator.

https://youtu.be/T2DYh-5W8bw

[e-rock]

Got it in the garage last weekend, and pulled the front end apart. I am working on getting the IFS set up right now.

[joedoh]

nice work done quickly! that was quintessential old truck noise in the video, I was smiling a lot, especially hearing that reverse gear rattle/grind.

[e-rock]

I forgot to put this one in the first post. It's important I think haha!

This was after I had alteady pulled some of the crap out, I thought to myself, I really need to get a picture of this. Some critter had drug all this debris in thru a half broke window. The cab was literally filled up to the windows with sticks and random crap. Not sure what was living in it.

Notice the odd parts inside, olds rocket steering wheel, can't remember what the radio was from think it said Pontiac on it or something but they butchered the dash getting it in there. Not sure what the gauges are from, they don't quite fit, but are from the 50's too I think. Seats, no idea, whay those are from, we are guessing a boat maybe, they are small bucket seats. Probably some young punk in the 60s did all this. I probably would have done crap like this in my younger days lol! Hell I am still doing it.

Maybe in 40 years, some guy will get the truck and be saying the same thing about my work ha!

Anyway here's the pic.

[II_Slow]

Way to bring one back from the grave. That thing was probably going to rust to the ground right were it sat. And I like your roll up your sleeves and let's get this done attitude. Frugile SOB you are, too. Awesome deal on those salvage yard parts. I'll bet your's don't drag out 4 years like mine has. Full speed ahead!

[e-rock]

Lol, well I've got to be honest with myself man. Making a dream list of parts that are not attainable in a reasonable amount of time, will get me nowhere. I've been there before. We all have!

Everytime I look at the cab and bed, I get discouraged real quick. I just try not to look at it haha! I know I can get the drivetrain knocked out, fairly quick hopefully, so that will give me motivation once I have to start other parts of the project that are... less exciting, we'll say.

[Advanced Design]

Cool truck and project. The video reminded me of my uncles 49...nice job on getting the 5.3 running.

[iowaboynca]

Admit it... you were grinning just a bit going back and forward! I know if it were me, I'd be thinking, "where else can i drive this thing? the tires aren't THAT bad..."

Way to save an old truck.

[e-rock]

I was! If the thing had a radiator and any brakes at all, I would have driven it more, for sure. The wheels were locked up when I drug it out of the woods, so I had to beat the drums off and take the shoes out, just to get it off the trailer.


Little bit of progress. These cheapo IFS kits, the crossmember is really designed for use with factory style control arms, even tho I ordered it with tubular arms. I understand, it's kind of universal and that is probably part of the cheaper price. Nothing g a little fab work can't take care of. The ends of the crossmember are open, I'll probably cap it off. One thing I don't like is the height of the lower control arm hole is really high, which leaves lots of crossmember hanging down below your center line. More work than I care to tackle to improve that, so I'll just live with it. Also the crossmember is really to narrow for the frame rails, there is a good 8th to 3/16 gap on either side to fill. Boxing plates were to big, had to trim some off.

The good thing about metal is you can always take some off, and if you take to much off? Weld it back on!

Fitting, filling, notching, mocking. I'll get there, slowly.

[e-rock]

Damn thing is on there forever now, hope it's right!

[e-rock]

Got it sitting down at ride height. I'm loving the new stance, great motivator. I took the back wheels off just so I could give myself a visual.

Next project is setting motor and tranny in, and getting some mounts made.

[Advanced Design]

Nice progress...Yep, getting them back on the ground for a visual are a big motivator for me too. Looks good.

[Russell Ashley]

Nice work on the truck. You have some interesting rides there. Is that a Dodge coupe in the back ground of the last pic?

[e-rock]

Yes sir, a 51 dodge coupe. I built that this year. I have a blast driving that thing around. It's all old school tho, manual everything, bias plys. I put a 318/727 in it. And a 8 inch ford with 3.00 gears. It rolls down the hi way nice.

Here is a pic when I drove it to colorado in September.
There are a couple videos of it, if you search the link I posted of the LS motor firing up, that account has a few videos of the car.

[e-rock]

Got the old trans crossmember out. What a pain in the butt that was! Rivets freaking suck! Glad that is over.

Got the motor and tranny mocked up and setting on blocks. Still need to make mounts. Gotta figure out manifolds, these babies aren't going to work. I've seen some people cut the flange off and weld it back on at a different angle, but I'm not sure what I'm going to do just yet. That truck oil pan is Hard to get above the crossmember. I've got the pan pretty much level with the bottom of the crossmember at this point. That's about the best I'm going to do. Looks like I am going to have to remove the crossmember at the back of the cab or rework it. Or maybe a carrier bearing. I'll figure that out later.

Anyway, here's pics, I know everybody likes those.

[CanadianKid]

love the LS and the mustang II front end. Looking sharp

[e-rock]

Thanks.

I decided to use the factory truck motor mounts. I was going to use a bushing and sleeve type mount, but decided that might be to rigid. So here's what I came up with.

Pics might be hard to figure out, but we are looking at the passenger side motor mount.





And here it is in place and bolted to the mount. Unwelded of coarse.





That's all I got. Took me all day to do those. Haha

[e-rock]

Oh I wanted to show where I was at, with the transmission height. It is invading interior space some what, but not to bad. It may come down slightly also. I have it stuffed all the way up for mockup.

Have a look at that floor too! Oh yea looks like lots if fun there. (Sarcasm)

[e-rock]

Working on the exhaust manifolds. I refuse to use headers. I can't stand their problems. I have read that the ls manifolds are cast steel and not iron, so they will take a mild steel weld pretty good. Plenty of turbo guys cutting the flanges off and welding v-band clamps on them.

So I decided to cut one open. I figured, well I can't use it anyway, so I'm not loosing anything If I screw it up.

Driver side would not clear the frame, so I cut the flange off, pie cut it, and clocked it slightly better, and welded it back on. Presto my exhaust problem is gone.! It seemed to take a weld good, and it fits now, that's about all I can say about it. On to the next problem.

Here's pics










I didn't Think the passenger side would fit either, but it does actually barely squeeze by the frame with a little clearance, so I'll leave it alone.

[Advanced Design]

That is a great solution on the manifolds. Good work...

[iowaboynca]

x2...i think you just came up with a "hack" that no one here has thought of before...
Nice job.

[e-rock]

My dad got me a shiny steering column and wheel for Christmas. Looks pretty sweet. Next project is mounting it and finishing up steering linkage and get brake pedal assembly mounted. The pedal assembly I am using is out of a jeep cherokee, pedal, bootster, master and proportioning valve.

Seat out of an astro van. Was unsure if I liked it at all, but it's really the only thing I could find in the junk yard that was close to being a right fit. Probably recover it eventually. I did not have an original seat for this truck.

[drivea55]

wow! great work on it all.

keep up the progress