51' 3100 build in PA New to Site

[52 choptop]

99, I just bought a Maggie blower for my 52 when I realized that there is NO room for my mechanical fan. I already have the same electric you have installed on the front of my radiator (which I think I have turned on twice as this motor stays pretty cool). My question, now that you have some miles on her is your fan still doin the trick? thanks

[99 to Life]

chop top, yeah fan is doing the trick. However, before I added more antifreeze I was never above 190. I have gotten a little over that on hot days but nothing to worry about. The volume of my aluminum radiator might have some effect as opposed to yours. I used a 55-57 bel air size radiator, 2 core from champion. The fan is 16" I believe, something like 2200 or 2700 rpm. I'd recommend the fan and rad for sure.

[99 to Life]

7-16-12 Here are some shots earlier in the month with my bro's 53'. Also shot of my freshly painted door logo. Just about done, now onto the other side. Might put one on the bed floor too. Been putting some miles on her. I have to wire up a relay for my headlights cause my light switch can't seem to hang when I am running high beams.

[wuss721]

Those locks are cool do u have any pictures of the door jam?
Posted via Mobile Device

[99 to Life]

I don't think I do have any pics of the jam at the moment. I will get you some however, maybe some measurements too. The unit I built is super snug in behind the door jam, just had enough room.

[99 to Life]

7-19-12 Car Cruise in

wuss721 PM me if I don't post any pics. I might forget, I'm always busy.

So I was working yesterday and my bro hits me up, asked if I wanted to head up to the Pleasantville car Cruise. Well, Pleasantville is about ten minutes from Titusville, where I keep my truck. But we are both in Pittsburgh, so that is a two hour trip. I dropped what I was doing and headed up with Kris in his 53', picked my truck up and headed out. The weather was pretty bad all day so it put a real damper on the show, but non the less some people showed up and it was cool. I really like the logo they had on their coozies and shirts. It was their 4th annual show. Kris and I both won our raffles, I got 5 qts of Brad Penn oil. Pretty psyched on that.

[99 to Life]

7-22-12 Weekend.

Well I finally wired up a headlight relay for my high beams. Low beams didn't seem to ever give me any fuss, when hi's were on, they would trip my headlight switch. So I wired up a circuit breaker, seen in the pic one is for my headlights and the other for my efan. I wired the light relay on the drivers side since that is where all my headlight wires came into, I previously made quick disconnects on them, so now I can unplug them and plug them in as I please, incase the relay goes bad etc. If I were to do this wiring again, I'd put my harness in the middle of the cab and wire all my relays inside the cab on a separate panel.

oh had the truck in a 45 minute parade never leaving 1st gear, with a stiff clutch, I was over it. My foot fell asleep right off the bat. But it was cool to see everyone appreciate the truck.

[99 to Life]

Been awhile since I posted. Lots going on in my life. Got a baby on the way and trying to get another garage put up before snow. Snagged a 49' panel truck so it wouldn't get scrapped. Needs a ton of work but I got a lot of extra parts for it.

Also snagged three nice bench seats that looked like they were from a van or something, they were in the trash and I def could use them for some future projects.

Lastly snagged a 49' and I love the patina. I got a bed and fenders for it, along with running boards. Just need to find another door to match the patina. Plans are to go with a metallic gold and white interior, gold rims with whitewalls and put on a bagged s-10 frame. SBC with 5 speed. Can't wait to get this one started.

I been working on body work on my 52' that will be painted. Very time consuming process. Will set up a build thread for that soon and also this 49' pick up.

[99 to Life]

here is the panel and also the other door logo on my 51' which is completed, this is just a pic before I was done.

[LEEVON]

Truck is looking good, glad to see somebody actually driving one!

[Atommik]

Looks like you've got "a few" projects lined up. I really like the panels...maybe someday I'll get a chance to build one!!

[99 to Life]

Well I haven't even put a thousand miles on it this year, last year was about a thousand. So really I haven't been driving it much, just been soo busy and when I actually plan to the weather is crap. But the little time I have driving it is awesome. Can't wait to get another one on the road. I have a 235 with a t-5 that will go in my 52'. I'm gonna dress this engine up nice and put a pertronix electronic ignition in it, maybe a dual carb set up at some point. I'll start a thread on this real soon. Been putting tons of hours in metal work.

[99 to Life]

atommik, oh yeah plenty of projects. I'v slowly been working on a 52' that I'm gonna paint. I work on fenders and doors etc during the week after work. I'll do cab, suspension and all that stuff up north where I go every weekend, but get one day a week up there to work on anything. The 49' I just got, I'm hoping to get done first while I slowly work on the 52' because the 49' I'm gonna leave in patina. The 52' will be painted metallic seafoam blue with white roof and have the 235 in it, hopefully bagged rear atleast, this will be on the original frame. The 49' will have the sbc with 5speed and fully bagged on s-10 frame hopefully. Then I have a 53' belair I'd like to do for the family. I wanna paint it metallic pink with white roof and put a LS engine or something like that in it. So I got my work cut out for me. Not to mention, I have a 55.1 series 5 window, parts for a 63' chevy truck, and a 53' buick that could be done. OH and the panel truck. I was thinking of contacting a local votec school and see if they would be interested in working on the panel or buick, maybe spark some younger people into working on old stuff. Plus it would get me further along in some of my projects. I have no help and I'm still trying to build a garage and get more tools that I desperately need.

[cleanshaven84]

Wow, you weren't lying when you said you had some projects lined up, lol. It's good to see people saving these trucks though. Once I get my '49 done, I'm thinking of doing a panel or even maybe even a 1 ton crew cab to haul the family and a camper around with.

[Homebuilt Hotrods]

Coffee and Customs, awesome... Nothing better than the two.. Sweet truck by the way.

[daverod]

You need some more old trucks . I thought I had it bad. Dreams of old trucks on bags with LS's Keep pumping them out. It's got to get easier. Thanks for your help on stuff and stuff.

[99 to Life]

garage built, thanks man. I'm hoping to open an actual coffee shop and have a small private customs shop connected to it. I got the coffee going, logos, shirts, and working on a better website. So eventually I'll it will all come together.

Daverod, yeah man I just got a 52' deluxe fastback so my list is getting large, basically for parts and yard art, couldn't pass it up. I like to save stuff from the shredder, but I do have quite a few projects slowly in the works. I wanna get these next two trucks done and then maybe my 53' belair, which I'm hoping to put an LS in that one. Main problem for me is time, I get one day a week to work on some stuff and during the week I get 6 hours usually to work on my metal for my 52', got some stuff in epoxy just waiting to get more pieces ready for epoxy. I honestly want to work on projects everyday, but its probably a good thing I don't cause it keeps it fresh. I just have soo much to learn and so much I wanna do. But as I look back, I'v come a long way in three years. I can't emphasize how much good this site does for people. I love to help others with a problem, it how we learn.

[daverod]

I hear ya on the stuff to learn. Your right about this site helping you learn. I was going to put a LS in this truck then pust out. Good thing though because now I'm almost on the road.

[99 to Life]

11-19-12

Well got a baby girl on the way, so been swamped with that. Finally got a few decent days this weekend, so I got my slab poured for my metal garage. Poured the slab at 20x24. Garage is 18x24. It was a bit cold and the concrete didn't wanna set up, so my finish is far from as smooth as I wanted. So I'm just gonna epoxy coat it over the spring or something. Now I gotta put up block and bolt the base down, then its just a matter of bolting up the walls, and roof. Once its up, this will be the home for this 49' in the pic. Got the s10 frame sitting ready to be bagged, I will take the metal off this frame and put it in garage and the fun shall begin. Can't wait. Will be working on baggin it first then probably the engine and then fitment of metal. Thats my guard dog Gretta!! Still working on my 52' parts during the week, so I'll be bouncing around. Had my 51' out and was gonna take it to pittsburgh but the front brakes are rubbing pretty bad and creating alot of resistance. I changed pads and that didn't solve the problem, so I think I got bad hoses and or calipers and or the aluminum spacers might be absorbing the heat and locking these up. Anyone ever have any problems with aluminum front spacers? The backs don't heat up at all, the front lugs get sooo hot you can't even touch em. Annoying, more crap to fix. So that is partially why I don't like getting the 51' out, I can't bare to have every single vehicle I own needing work. I just put cats on my silverado and I got more work to do to that truck. My s-10 has some issues and is my daily driver. But I'd rather put money into the new projects and of course all this new baby stuff I gotta buy.

[daverod]

I'm thinking that shop will come in handy. Are you going to get it done before snow flies?

[99 to Life]

oh yeah I'm sure I'll be putting it up the day snow starts to stick, but I don't even care. This will be up for sure. Hopefully I can get a work bench, tool box wood stove ( I gotta nice antique one, big) and an engine or two in there. Def don't think I'll have the room I planned, for my break, air compressor, engine hoist and all that. Especially when a frame and cab are in there. Eventually when I get my other garages built, this will be strictly for engines and fabricating.

[daverod]

Sounds like it's going to get crowded fast. You can never have a big enough garage.

[99 to Life]

oh yeah plenty of cooks in the kitchen for this poor garage. That is why I wanna get more up and dedicate this one to all engines and fabrication and or just one thing, that way any garage I go into I'm only working on what I should be working on. I'd like to have a big barn/garage someday and section it off into paint, fab, storage etc. ahh possibilities are endless, taking it one step at a time. Three years ago I had virtually nothing, so I'm slowly getting there.

[daverod]

My dreams are just about the same. A big barn full of old trucks and engines. Is it all just for fun or have you figured out how to turn old trucks into gold. Seems to me all they do is suck up cash. You do have a good start and lots of moto. I like the idea of several smaller shops. It will be easier to heat and to clean.

[99 to Life]

daverod, all for fun right now. I'm kinda in the collection stages because I have the means to store them, well most are outside right now, but eventually want to have everything inside out of the elements. I just got a 52' fastback which is beat and will be yard art, but it had some good trim and useful things I could sell to get my money back, and a good title. So I'm always looking stuff to keep it out of the scrap yards. Thought about maybe doing my own salvage yard if I get enough vehicles. Eventually want to build and sell them though. But I wanna build what I want then sell it, not build to someones needs, cause I don't get down with alot of peoples vision. So I did start Coffee N' Customs which eventually will be a shop. All in all, I just like learning and saving antiques so our children can enjoy them and people can appreciate the craftsmanship that went into america back then, unlike today. We are spoiled and ungreatful, we stole this land and we scrap everything and pretty soon china and mexico will be making our babies for us.