Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)

[6DoF]

Originally Posted by 57FleetsideC4

I wish I had your welding/fabricating skills. Hitch looks great and works great to. Steve

thanks! only way to learn is just go do it. break some eggs, make a mess, have fun with it.

[6DoF]

fixed it! it's soooo much better now ... almost too smooth. pretty sure i'll be adding clicks to actually make it a little more responsive, and for a little more top RPM just cuz race truck things.

so first thing last night, lets try the cam plate. well, it's already fully to passenger side, crap. try mid, try full drivers, no change. time to pull the idle spring and see what's up for settings that way. feel like i'm going to drop stuff in the pump, and the wife offers to stop on her way home for a new pen magnet for me. she's awesome. in the mean time i watch the PDD gov spring install to see what i missed cuz none of the adjustment instructions make any sense on mine. see nothing i don't remember, go start pulling it all out just to make sure something stupid didn't happen like ... wait ... ccrraaaaaaappppp ... i put the springs in upside down with the bottom seat on top.

throw it all back together with a conservative click count, now all the descriptions make sense and are super easy to set up. back to the cam plate, still little change, but obviously was full passenger for it's entire life, lock it down and send it. she now starts with no throttle input, idles at like 800 cold n 830 warm, brakes or steering don't affect it much, i can even get going in 2nd gear with no throttle. almost like that's how it was designed!

[RockTonka]

[Jason 56]

Always nice to find a simple solution to a problem. It’s coming along great!

[6DoF]

truck did great, but it needs AC freakin ASAP. speaking of AC, the airstream's worked great until the condensation started running out between the wall panels instead of the drain. tried a few things but i'll need to tear the covers off and that can wait til sweater weather.

5th gear, 65mph, 2300 R's, it just didn't care that the trailer was back there. on the way out was 93deg, high humidity, and some of the long up-hill runs into the mountains the engine would get to 208, once to 214, but right back down to 190s on the downhill. might need a little more cooling capacity to run AC and pull a 10k trailer. but that's a Future Matt problem.

the waves, thumbs up, camera's, was crazy. ppl at the campground were obviously talking about it cuz ppl would come by and know some of the details already

[6DoF]

i've gotten little to nothing new together on the truck other than some tuning as i've been driving it. the ride and power just keep getting better and better. i have however been going to a few cruise nights, and really enjoying talking to ppl. the reactions have been awesome.

this weekend was a rat centered cruise/show. i got there early but was shuffled down into the cruise lot, not the main street show. was probably better that way actually cuz i got to park with my parents who drove their Jeep and the '69. then just as we were getting ready to head out, this dude comes walking over the hill with a freakin trophy! custom rat shop owner from NC that was part of the show picked the '55 as his favorite! freakin honored

[RockTonka]

That's cool...congrats!

[dsraven]

if you put a bumper on the front it would look even lower.

[6DoF]

Originally Posted by dsraven

if you put a bumper on the front it would look even lower.

getting there!

i have a front and rear to put on, currently doing the bed floor / fuel filler

[KevinK7]

Amazing job on the truck, crazy fab skills
I travel through PA often. Following through the thread seeing 'somewhere, PA'. Then on the very last post (and kudos on the well deserved trophy), ...Mars.
Ironic, I head to the Bakerstown area a few times a year

[6DoF]

haha, thanks much. would "black n gold country" be a little closer circle?

[KevinK7]

Originally Posted by 6DoF

haha, thanks much. would "black n gold country" be a little closer circle?

yup
Great idea on the gas filler too, fits right in with the theme of the truck
...well done.

[6DoF]

new bits! got the bed floor screwed down and the fuel filler set up. floor is just pressure treated 3/4" ply stained black. it'll eventually get a full rubber bed cover, just not decided between utility or fancy yet. battery hatch i used 2 marine hatch latches for easy access, the maintenance/show door in the middle will get another pair with some hinges.

the fuel filler i can't take full credit for, I saw the jerry can filler neck on insta-tube or whatever propaganda site it was scrolling. the dual filler however was me and i hope it works as well as i'm thinking it will. we'll find out after work when i try n fill it. so the can is screwed to the bedside, you open the lid to reveal a Y tube. stick the fuel nozzle down one or the other and send it. each has their own vent. the tanks have a balance tube between them and i only draw/return to one, but it's not enough to fill thru. a check valve does keep it from draining away from the main in a long corner or hill.

the side of the jerry can is cut out for easy access, but will get covered by an old job box. it's next on my list to get off the garage floor. will be nice to have some extra storage to just throw stuff.

[6DoF]

filled up after work, the dual filler worked great! put it in one hole 'til it clicks, minor adjustment to the other hole, and run 'til it clicks again. so far no leaks either.

i just simply love driving this truck. sure there are things to fix up or finish, but it just makes me happy!