1941 project fenix

[joedoh]

axle installed, rolled out



rolled the cab back in to weld in the fender studs. originally the nuts were on the back side but they were stuck like glue, rusted after 75 years. I thought that it might be easier to line up if the studs poked out and you could hang the fender then add washers and nuts when you wanted.



started fixing my oops wrong hole.


welded up the tops of the motor mounts, still need the 7/16th 3" grade 8s


trans crossmember installed


more tomorrow, assembly should move quick, cab only comes off one more time after that. need to go to the scrapyard with the eyetalian superstar (the 95 longbed I just picked up) and dump the steel I have, the gas tank has a hole in it! gonna try a coarse thread bolt in the hole with some shmutz just to get by till I strip it for the next project.

[lower50's]

Good Job!! The springs look good keeping the flat helper you won't have to worry about bottoming out as much. If you move the cab back some more will you still have room for the rad?

[joedoh]

oh yeah, I moved the engine almost 10 inches, I could open a homeless shelter under the hood.

[Metalmaker]

Looks great! Homeless shelter... LOL Is the rear end back in the stock location, or did I miss something along the way? 118" vs. 115" wheelbase, running boards and fenders bolting up?

[joedoh]

it was a 3/4 longbed, I can do what I want to the running boards.

[Metalmaker]

Got it. Thanks!

[joedoh]

fixed the gas tank on the eye-talian. there was a legitimate 1/4" hole! like someone drained the gas tank! they had used "super seal" but that is made to patch rust weeping or seal in a clamped application. all it did was poke out a long finger of gas that eventually broke, keeping the tank almost completely empty. I drilled it out to 5/16 and used a flanged 3/8" bolt that I tapered the end of and cut a slot in so it would tap its own threads. when it was about 1/4" from seating against the tank I used some JB weld tank seal behind the flange and tightened it the rest of the way, then smoothed out the tank seal. worked great! no leaks.


I also drianed the rusty donor tank and diagnosed the poor running. the fuel filter was plugged up and when I pulled the tank pump I figured out what with, the sock had disintegrated and the blockage upstream was so severe that the hose between the pump and metal tube had blown out. no wonder it ran like dog poo.

put the brake lines in and stabbed the motor. the shocks bottomed out, guess I need some shorter ones. I think these may be fullsize shocks even though he said they were S10. the rear ones fit perfect though.



found some 7/16" grade 8s, had to go with 4" because they had 3" and 4" and beggars cant be choosers.


this is the driveshaft length I need. a reg cab unmodified driveshaft is 53". freaking yeah buddy.


stripped the dash for paint and rewiring.


tomorrow I put the cab on and look at the front fender spacing. wish me luck!

[rusty76]

You have got right smart done. Good luck.

[joedoh]

hey I caught the flu, feeling better today and finally got the body on. you can whistle through every body mount (that means they line up perfect) and the wheels line up perfect now too. so if anyone wanted to use the dimensions I gave above, they will work perfect (although I think the back of the cab might need to come up a hair, like a 1/4")

booster fits.


even fits when the fenders are on


wheel lines up

[lower50's]

Nice lots of win for you!!

[docrock]

Looks great

[Palf70Step]

Hope you get tp feeling better soon

[99 to Life]

looks real good. I got that same bug. only had it twice in 5 years so can't complain.

[rusty76]

Awesome

[Advanced Design]

Lotta bugs going around this winter...maybe because we haven't had much winter in these parts.
Good stuff coming together on the truck. Never heard the phrase before...you can whistle through the mounts....and I like it.

[joedoh]

haha thanks doug, I have my own way of speaking sometimes.

I have done a bunch, pictures are still in the phone, I have a teenager that is claiming ownership of every spare phone cord. most of them are at her boyfriends house or somewhere called "Idunno"

but I got the dash sanded and ready to paint, all new brake lines in, I even replaced the ones that run under the engine they looked crusty. the new one to the back is actually two, I had the choice of flaring the ends of 120" of 1/4" line OR buying 2 preflared 60" and a union, I chose the latter. I picked up a reg cab shortbed driveshaft and it fits perfectly 53 1/4" long yoke to yoke (center) but I cant find the caps for the u joints. I cleaned the garage completely and put the dirty plasma table by the end of the garage so I could just open the door and blow the dust out. The front mounts were 3/8" LOW so I rebuilt them slightly higher, and I started on the shifter linkage mount. I also cut out that rotted heater fitting and replaced the gas tank straps. The steering column mount is finish welded and the firewall clamp is installed along with the gas pedal. if I can get the mounts capped tomorrow and the rad mount on the truck I can start final assembly!

[lower50's]

You got a lot done be proud. I loved the final assembly part.

[99 to Life]

that end of tunnel can seem so far away sometimes! and for the phone cords we have 5 of us in need of a cord and its gotten very hectic at times, the kids are somewhat afraid to grab my cord!!!

[joedoh]

oh she is terrified of taking my cords. but I am terrified of mom. so its like rock paper scissors. kid takes moms cord, mom takes dads.

here is the fit of the driveshaft. you can see I still havent found the caps, which ironically is also in the bag with the gas tank strap bolt. yes the chain is stuck under the trans. I need to take the mount bolt out haha




here is that heater connector that was rotted off. I am picking up a 1/2" tap tomorrow to clean the threads.



new brake lines along the frame, new hoses. brackets need a squirt of paint but I still have other stuff on the frame to paint too.


before I weld up the body mounts I got the shift linkage in, pretty easy, I just mimicked the frame mount 9 3/4" rearward.



then I welded up the backs of all the mounts with a support


since I burned those in so hot I was on 30 minute fire watch (always wait 30 minutes after welding before leaving the area in case a stray spark is smoldering) so I welded up the headlight switch hole and some other holes on the dash


and gave it a thick coat of primer to sand back with some 180 tomorrow.


no big warping, pretty ok by me.

[lower50's]

Sweet. Funny you got the chain stuck I just did that working on my Jeep. Fire watch is a good idea, I always wait a while and then stop at the door when I leave with the lights off and look and listen.

[joedoh]

I was active on a local message board for years (when there was one) and a guy from coffeyville was building a dakota framed body swap and almost burnt his house down when he went in for dinner! that was at least 12 years ago, and I have done the 30 minute wait ever since.

the chain, geeze I can be a real doofus sometimes. its ok though, there is stuff I do really well too. hubris is a good way to balance your ego haha

[joedoh]

I found the right tap today, every tap on the shelf was 4 dollars, except this one. something tells me they know it is the "GM stupid heater fitting" size because it was $18.99. supply and demand, people! economists reading this are huddled together and saying things like "hee hee hee if all else stays equal" and "thirty basis points" while rubbing their hands together hunched over like a mantis. anyway


I have to take it back out and vacuum out the shavings but it fits


coat of paint on the dash, looks red but its brandywine/burgundy. I like this color a lot.


I was getting tired the other day cutting parts on the plasma table then taking them to the vice on my bench to grind. it is all of 10 feet away after all. so I thought about grabbing one of the extra rims in the back yard and getting some pipe at the yard, and building a nice vice stand for that 6" monster vice my wife got me last year.

then I came to my senses and hopped on craigslist. $30. work smarter not harder.


a couple holes and whoop whoop. grinder rest and hammer hole and everything. spoilt!


I need to do the frame trim for the fenders I have been avoiding, and put the exhaust and gas tank back in. more coming

[CSHADES]

Speaking from experience I would suggest getting rid of the hose end you put in there and just using a heater hose nipple like the older stuff had in it. I do this for a living and we have never had those stupid clip on hose couplers not leak after a short time. I replaced both of them on my Tahoe a couple of times after we put a fresh engine in it and they kept failing. I just put the regular hose nipple in and cut the end off the hose, slid the hose on the nipple and a year later no failures.

[joedoh]

thats good advice, thank you. I will probably do so because I am using a vintage air mini system and the hoses probably wont work as-is anyway

[joedoh]

check out my fancy shop vac attachment to clean all the shavings out of the intake from that heater fitting haha. its a QT cup with some 1/2" airline in it. the vac sucked to the bottom of the cup and I wiggled the airline around in the intake. worked awesome.


trimmed the frame. I was putting this off like crazy. I trimmed it for the cab and it was perfect but forgot the fenders hang under the cab.


also took care of the fuel lines in the front. on the earlier s10 frames the fuel lines run through the frame all the way to the front crossmember and then come out pointing to the front. I could have used longer rubber lines but I was worried about them getting caught up in the belt. so I cut the frame, bent them 90 degrees where they pointed at the engine and then welded back up so the plastic clip still isolated them. I put the clamps on after this picture.


I was pretty timid about welding around all those open fuel lines so I didnt put the tank in till that was done. tanks in, plumbed, wired, exhaust is moved and in, hung with a turndown.


I may take it to the exhaust shop and have the exhaust split with some cherry bombs but honestly, I like when the truck is quiet and modern more than rumpity rump.

look at all this kitty litter.


I was doing that heater fitting last week and had to move the trans dipstick slightly to get more room. well in the true fashion of this donor I guess that is all the stress the dipstick tube could take because there was a small puddle where it was leaking. I picked up a new one and installing it was a red fountain of fun.

the dash was painted but looked like shhhhhhhhhhh-iny garbage, yeah. I wasnt looking forward to sanding it all off so I planned to take it to the local soft stripper Monday, but when I got the frame ready for the cab it was raining. so I used my cup brush and then a red roloc to smooth out all the rough stuff and put another topcoat on it. it came out GORGEOUS this time, very little blemishes and I only "signed my name" (had a run) just barely in one spot. I have some 2000 grit so I can fix that.