LockDoc's "Low Budget", "Low Maintenance" Project Thread

[regan wilson]

I like your little splicing rig. Good luck on the rest of the wiring.

[Richard2112]

Originally Posted by LockDoc

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Another picture with bumper and cowl vent on. The bumper bolts aren't tight. I need to pick up some stainless ones.

LockDoc
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That is freakin awesome. Nice!

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by regan wilson

I like your little splicing rig. Good luck on the rest of the wiring.

Thanks Regan. They are available at Harbor Freight. You can also get them with a magnifying glass on them.

Originally Posted by Richard2112

That is freakin awesome. Nice!

Thanks Richard.

LockDoc

[LockDoc]

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Thought I would post an update even though there isn't much to post. Too many interruptions.

I decided to replace all of the exhaust manifold bolts on the 8.1 engine but I'm not having any luck getting a few of them out. I don't want to take a chance on twisting them off so I will just leave them. I am using the Chevy 454 exhaust manifolds on it and they fit great. I am going to trim a little off of the frame mount flange where the arrow is pointing. It has about 1/8th inch clearance but I would like to have a little more. The stock 8.1 manifolds are too bulky and hit the frame. I started cleaning the 454 manifolds up that I wanted to use and found a crack in one of them. I could probably weld it but there is a guy here in town that has a whole pile of them so I will just get one from him to replace it.

I had to replace the brake lines on my 2003 Chevy Suburban plow truck, so I lost a couple more days on the project because of that. Then yesterday My wife calls me from town and says that the shift lever in her '05 Buick Rainier is stuck and won't move. She turned the ignition switch off and now it won't start either. I hopped in the '67 Panel Truck and went in to check it out. The shift cable came off of the transmission arm. There is a plastic retainer that holds it on and it broke in half. After doing some research on line I went to NAPA and purchased the repair kit for it. Two little dinky plastic bushings 14 bucks.... Wow!

Back to the project. I ordered a fuel filter through my local NAPA on Friday. I had a couple of the later model filters but they both had the AN fittings on both ends and I couldn't find the adapters that I would need to make them work. The one I ordered has a 3/8" female flare fitting on one end and a 3/8" hose barb on the other end.. That should fix that problem. It should be here tomorrow.

With any luck at all I'm hoping to fire it up in the next week or so. I've been holding off on getting it running because I know if I do I will want to drive it instead of working on the small stuff that needs to be done....

LockDoc

[CG]

I met board member birdistheword this weekend and he was driving his Longhorn project. He converted to DRW and it looks pretty good back there. He had to make his tubs wider like yours and the tires do stick out just a bit, also like yours. But it seems so minimal and really doesn't look weird. I wouldn't think you would actually need to add anything to the fender lip like some folks do. I probably should have taken a picture heh.

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by CG

I met board member birdistheword this weekend and he was driving his Longhorn project. He converted to DRW and it looks pretty good back there. He had to make his tubs wider like yours and the tires do stick out just a bit, also like yours. But it seems so minimal and really doesn't look weird. I wouldn't think you would actually need to add anything to the fender lip like some folks do. I probably should have taken a picture heh.

Hey Mark,

Yes, a picture would have been good!

I am going to try it without any flares and see how it goes.

I have been getting some small stuff done. I had one manifold bolt broken off that I am working on getting out but it is giving me fits. Hopefully I will finish that up tomorrow. Got my new fuel filter installed so the fuel system is finally done. I think I will install the radiator tomorrow and figure out where I want to put the battery box. I moved it to the drivers side on the Panel Truck but I'm not sure I want to do that on this one.

I mowed the yard and used the weed trimmer yesterday. I have 3 acres so it takes me a while to do....

A deer was hit out in front of my place last night. It was a really big doe. I hooked on to it with a chain and drug it down to the bottom of the hill, about 100 yards west of me, and pushed it down in the ditch. I got up one morning a year or so ago and there was a dead one laying right in the middle of my driveway down by the road. We have a lot of them around here.

LockDoc

[birdistheword]

Pretty cool build. Here's my 71 C30 Longhorn. I used the front suspension and wedge brakes from a 1978 cab and chassis along with the narrow 14 bolt. The front all bolted right on and used new 71 tie rods. The rear axle bolted right in and just needs the shock mounts fixed. For the bed I just cut the floor to be even with the leaf springs and bolted in repop 4" wider wheel tubs.

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by birdistheword

Pretty cool build. Here's my 71 C30 Longhorn. I used the front suspension and wedge brakes from a 1978 cab and chassis along with the narrow 14 bolt. The front all bolted right on and used new 71 tie rods. The rear axle bolted right in and just needs the shock mounts fixed. For the bed I just cut the floor to be even with the leaf springs and bolted in repop 4" wider wheel tubs.

Thanks Erik.

Yours Looks good! Mine isn't going to be that pretty.....

What year was your 14 bolt, is it '78 too?

I need to weld shock brackets on mine too. I looked at the aftermarket tubs but I have extra stock ones and I am trying to use up my extra parts instead of buying anything.

LockDoc

[regan wilson]

Originally Posted by birdistheword

Pretty cool build. Here's my 71 C30 Longhorn. I used the front suspension and wedge brakes from a 1978 cab and chassis along with the narrow 14 bolt. The front all bolted right on and used new 71 tie rods. The rear axle bolted right in and just needs the shock mounts fixed. For the bed I just cut the floor to be even with the leaf springs and bolted in repop 4" wider wheel tubs.

I agree. That's a neat looking 30.

[birdistheword]

Thanks but trust me it's not a pretty truck . Side tool box is toasted, original wood bed floor is falling a part, and all the red paint is faded with the original ochre peaking through. Yeah the 14 bolt is from the same 78 cab and chassis truck.

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by birdistheword

Thanks but trust me it's not a pretty truck . Side tool box is toasted, original wood bed floor is falling a part, and all the red paint is faded with the original ochre peaking through. Yeah the 14 bolt is from the same 78 cab and chassis truck.

Thanks.

I haven't had much time to work on mine. I spent 3 days putting a fuel pump in my wife's '05 Buick Rainier. I can see why they get big bucks to do that... .. Living in Iowa makes it worse because of all the rust on the bottom side of the truck. Bah, Humbug....!

LockDoc
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[LockDoc]

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OK, I have been gone for 2 weeks visiting my brother in Georgia. I think I am caught up on my stuff here at home now so maybe I can get something done on the Dually project. A local guy that's building a '72 Blazer stopped by a couple of days ago and bought $650 worth of parts, He stopped by again yesterday and picked up the stuff he couldn't get in his small pickup before. Of course we always have to talk trucks for a while when he stops by.....

I worked on the exhaust manifolds yesterday afternoon and this morning, replacing the lower studs. There were a couple of broken ones and the rest were pretty rusty so I decided to replace them all. I had to heat them all cherry red with the acetylene torch before they would break loose. Ran a tap through the holes to clean up the threads and installed the new ones. Glad that's done!

I ordered the manifold to head gaskets online from NAPA just now. They qualified for a 15% discount so the total price was $22.50. They will be ready for pickup at my local store Monday afternoon..... As soon as I get the manifolds on I can install the inner panels.

I went back out this evening and installed the radiator and hoses.. It is getting dark pretty early so I didn't have much time. Fan clearance worked out really good.

LockDoc

[Ol Blue K20]

I love it ! Keep it up Leon.

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by Ol Blue K20

I love it ! Keep it up Leon.

Thanks Dale. I will see what I can do....

LockDoc

[LockDoc]

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Got the passenger side exhaust manifold and inner panel installed today. I am moving some vehicles around so I can get the Dually back in the shop before the really cold weather and snow arrive. It has actually been nice here for the last week but we are supposed to get a couple of inches of rain the next two days.. No complaints about that.

I will work on the drivers side manifold and inner panel between the rain drops...

LockDoc

[LockDoc]

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Finally getting back to the project again after a couple more delays. I got the drivers side exhaust manifold and inner panel installed. Now I can get the ECM and other components mounted and finish up the wiring. I removed the bed again before I get ready to put it back in the shop for the winter so I can weld the shock mounts on the rear end housing and paint it. I also removed the rear bumper. I am still working on moving some vehicles around like I did last winter to be able to get it back into the shop. I just have too much crap....

LockDoc

[Ol Blue K20]

Originally Posted by LockDoc

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Finally getting back to the project again after a couple more delays. I got the drivers side exhaust manifold and inner panel installed. Now I can get the ECM and other components mounted and finish up the wiring. I removed the bed again before I get ready to put it back in the shop for the winter so I can weld the shock mounts on the rear end housing and paint it. I also removed the rear bumper. I am still working on moving some vehicles around like I did last winter to be able to get it back into the shop. I just have too much crap....

LockDoc

I'm glad you're back at it. Having too much crap is a good thing in my opinion!

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by Ol Blue K20

I'm glad you're back at it. Having too much crap is a good thing in my opinion!

Thanks Dale. Too much crap may be a good thing to a certain extent, but I get carried away with it....

Another nice day today so maybe I can get some more outside work done. I have enough extra parts left to piece together another '67-'68 front clip so I will work on that for part of the day.

LockDoc

[kev2809]

looking good doc!

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by kev2809

looking good doc!

Thanks Kev. I wish I had more time to work on it..... Raining here today.

LockDoc

[Dieselwrencher]

Nice work on your dually Leon! Sorry to hear of all of your issues that pop up but I share your luck and feel your pain. Will you be selling the other 67 front clip or keeping it? If I don't see you and Pat before Christmas, may you and your family have a very Merry Christmas!

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by Dieselwrencher

Nice work on your dually Leon! Sorry to hear of all of your issues that pop up but I share your luck and feel your pain. Will you be selling the other 67 front clip or keeping it? If I don't see you and Pat before Christmas, may you and your family have a very Merry Christmas!

Thanks Ryan. You guys have a Merry Christmas too.

I just moved the '34 into another building so I can now get the Dually into the shop. I will be doing that today.

A friend of mine gave me a 9x10 storage building so I have been working on that for the last few days getting it ready to move.

I'm going to hang on to the other front clip for a while. I actually had enough decent parts left over to put another '68 clip together. I still have a few small parts to bolt on, and I need to decide which one I want to use on the yellow '70 Short Bed.

LockDoc

[LockDoc]

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I finally have room to get the C30 project back into the shop. I had the wife help me with the move. I still have a few more things to move around to give me a little more room but it's not bad..

Hopefully I have all of the winter preparations done so I can get busy on this thing again.....

LockDoc

[LockDoc]

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More delays. Son has been diagnosed with tongue/throat cancer so have been helping him out. Took him Monday to get Kemo Port and feeding tube put in because he won't be able to eat after they start Radiation. It will make it hard for him to swallow. That poor guy can't catch a break. His wife died 1 1/2 years ago from Pancreatic Cancer on her 50th birthday.

I did get a chance to work on the Dually a bit this last week.

I had to go to the local body shop and scrounge up a bracket and cover for the ECM. Not sure what I did with the one out of the '03 pickup that I parted. It may be around here somewhere, I don't know. I had to modify it so it would mount where I needed to put it. I cut most of the original mounting tabs off.

All of the electrical components are mounted so I can finish up the wiring. I need to get this wiring mess cleaned up.

Even though I am staying with the work truck theme I want it to look half way presentable and be safe.

Not sure how much I'm going to be able to work on it in the next few weeks. Son starts treatments on the 21st. Time will tell.

LockDoc

[kev2809]

damn Leon, sorry to hear about your son, that's some tough news