4x4 AD truck I saw last weekend

[mr48chev]

This truck belongs to one of the guys who was at a class on metal working that Gene Winfield did in Idaho last weekend that I went to. I did get a lot out of the class by the way.

Anyhow it's an interesting and not fancy AD truck that has been converted to a 4x4 and still has the stock 3/4 ton frame and what appears to be an Eaton rear axle and stock front and rear leaf springs. I never found out who owned it or what it had under the hood.











I thought that some of the guys who are thinking of doing a 4x4 might be interested.

[OrrieG]

Interesting. Are those back blocks really wood or just rusted in a woodgrain pattern? Front is a drivers side drop so probably has a Ford transfer case, driveline and axle; all the NAPCO conversions I have seen on GM are passenger side drop. I think Dodge, Jeep and International at passenger drop too. It has a NAPCO trim piece on the hood, maybe they did offer driver side drop???

[mechanixman]

I can't see anything rusting in that pattern unless they did it on purpose.
I'm guessing it's wood.
Could it be a napco axle that was flipped and a ford transfer case?

[NEWFISHER]

Neat LOOKING truck, but I am also cautious of the wood blocks for a couple reasons.
1) If he used woould blocks, what are the other modifications like
2) If he used wood blocks, what the F is he doing at a Gene Winfield class learning about metal stucture in classic and custom cars?

I hope it was just parked outside, temporarilly waiting for his $26 Summitt order to show up so he could switch out the wood blocks for something a little safer.

[mechanixman]

Ditto.
I could understand the bed mount blocks being wood, but that's a pretty structural piece..

[98layinframe]

Looks like the wood is under the frame.. so probably a quick bumpstop extension kinda deal.
Posted via Mobile Device

[mr48chev]

The Blocks are steel but may be steel tubing stood on end. The truck looked like it had been together in that form for years and got used as a truck. No show stuff or fancy stuff just an old truck still holding down a job and going to work every day.

[mechanixman]

It's great.
I wish more of the our trucks were like this. Don't get me wrong, Just about everyone on this forum does amazing work. But it seems like people like to drop their trucks till they scrape, and a few have trailer queens.
Just my 2 cents.

[Highsider]

I tried to sharpen the photo, but I still have no opinion.

[NEWFISHER]

Mabey a steel block under the ubolts, but looks like wood adjacent to it as some kind of stop as mentioned. Still a neat LOOKING truck that is well used, not afraid of a job or a parking lot.

[Dan in Pasadena]

I'm not saying this IS wood, but if it is, can someone just say it?

Wood parts in your suspension = Mickey Mouse, half-assed & dangerous. Doesn't matter "how long it's been working." Doesn't anyone NOT agree with that?

[SCHRUMGMC]

Looks nice
What Color are you going to Paint it ?

[NEWFISHER]

Originally Posted by Dan in Pasadena

I'm not saying this IS wood, but if it is, can someone just say it?

Wood parts in your suspension = Mickey Mouse, half-assed & dangerous. Doesn't matter "how long it's been working." Doesn't anyone NOT agree with that?

Neat LOOKING truck, but I am also cautious of the wood blocks for a couple reasons.
1) If he used woould blocks, what are the other modifications like
2) If he used wood blocks, what the F is he doing at a Gene Winfield class learning about metal stucture in classic and custom cars?

I hope it was just parked outside, temporarilly waiting for his $26 Summitt order to show up so he could switch out the wood blocks for something a little safer.

[NEWFISHER]

Originally Posted by SCHRUMGMC

Looks nice
What Color are you going to Paint it ?

Tell us you read the thread or are joking

[ChevyBrad]

That is awesome! I would love to do that to my truck. Minus the wooden blocks. Ha ha.

[dicer]

Yeah I loved the "slammed" into the air look. And you don't have to worry about speed bumps either.
Nor cut the _____ outa the frame.

[mr48chev]

I'll be up there next weekend to take my wife on a weekend vacation so I'll try to see if it's around and get some better photos of the rear blocks in question. As I said before the truck has the appearance that it has been exactly the way it is for a number of years and gets used all the time.

[Trekster]

Here is a link to a 55 NAPCO that my friend Eric drug home. It looks like there are blocks on the rear end but they don't look like wood and they do not extend inboard like this other one. Could these wooden blocks just be on the inboard side of the steel blocks? I don't know what purpose they would serve. The front ends look like they are about the same. It could be an original NAPCO.


http://s640.photobucket.com/albums/uu130/54hotrod/1955%201st%20Chevy%203600%20NAPCO/[/URL]

[Trekster]

http://http://s640.photobucket.com/u...?sort=3&page=1

try this

[Trekster]

I give up, anyway it looks close.

[Clarance J]

Originally Posted by Dan in Pasadena

I'm not saying this IS wood, but if it is, can someone just say it?

Wood parts in your suspension = Mickey Mouse, half-assed & dangerous. Doesn't matter "how long it's been working." Doesn't anyone NOT agree with that?

Dan, Yes I agree with you on all the above. But do you know this man or any of his circumstances as to why his truck is like that. In this forum there are hundreds of trucks that have been owned by their owners for less than ten years or so and most were bought to fix up or hot rod or slam them, whatever. You've owned yours just about two years now and have done a great job of bringing it back to life. Now I have a question for you. Have you ever had to depend on your truck to help you make a living? 30some years ago when I came to Oregon there was very little work here so I started selling fire wood. It was heavy loads and I had to do the same thing to carry that extra little bit to sell. Yes its Mickey Mouse, half-assed & dangerous but sometimes you have to do what you gotta do. FYI I got air shocks later on.