Brent's '72 Custom/10 SWB stepside build

[brossow]

Originally Posted by my67chevytruck

Great progress!

Thanks! I forgot to mention the Caltracs that are shipping out today. Been so busy that my credit card company called me on Monday to make sure no one had stolen my card.

[brossow]

It's been a busy couple of days for the delivery guys around here. Yesterday the Thorley headers arrived, and today there was a big pile of packages on my front steps when I got home. It's like Christmas ... including the fact that I'm stuck with the bill.

Bolted up the headers tonight, just finger-tight on the bolts as I'm going to take them off again when I install the "real" transmission in a couple weeks when my buddy from Iowa brings it up to me. (I bought it last fall from a guy who lives near him and it's been sitting in his garage ever since so I didn't have to drive all the way down there to pick it up.)

Among the stuff in the pile were a 2400-2600 stall torque converter, an SFI flexplate, the braided fuel line, Moroso plug wires and NGK plugs, a chrome tranny pan, and undoubtedly something else I'm forgetting. While most of the stuff was right, the tranny pan was missing the bolts I paid extra to have included and the plug/wire set had the wrong plugs. What's wrong with people, anyway?

It just figures that all this stuff shows up the day before I have to leave the state for a family gathering.

Pics follow.

[brossow]

One more post so I can include a picture of my helper (my oldest, who will be 12 in October).

[brossow]

Anyone see the problem in this pic? This is how my day started out.

[lolife99]

You need straight fittings and 90 degree fittings on the hoses.
But I guess you figured that out already,...

[brossow]

Originally Posted by lolife99

You need straight fittings and 90 degree fittings on the hoses. But I guess you figured that out already,...

Ding ding ding! We have a winner! Yeah, I figured that out the hard way, but it's nothing even more money and another week of waiting for parts to arrive won't fix. Aaarggghhh!

In the meantime, I finished up everything I could, which is everything except the fitting at the tank. My only question is about how I routed the line up to the rail and whether anyone thinks it'll be a problem. It's well away from the exhaust and I couldn't come up with a better way to route it without risking interference with something else. I can move it if I absolutely have to, but I hope what I have is okay.

The line is secured every foot or so with stainless cushion clamps. As you can see I used the 12" Dorman double-bead line as-is. Some people have cut it down and put a new flare on one end, but I decided to use my tubing bender and get creative with the routing instead. In retrospect I would have used slightly shallower bends, but it's fine as it is.

Just noticed that the clamp on the right (front) of the fuel pump is slightly crooked. That's gonna bug me until I correct it.

Feedback is appreciated. I don't need my ego stroked but I would like to know ASAP if I did something stupid.

[Oldironracing]

Originally Posted by brossow

Ding ding ding! We have a winner! Yeah, I figured that out the hard way, but it's nothing even more money and another week of waiting for parts to arrive won't fix. Aaarggghhh!

In the meantime, I finished up everything I could, which is everything except the fitting at the tank. My only question is about how I routed the line up to the rail and whether anyone thinks it'll be a problem. It's well away from the exhaust and I couldn't come up with a better way to route it without risking interference with something else. I can move it if I absolutely have to, but I hope what I have is okay.

The line is secured every foot or so with stainless cushion clamps. As you can see I used the 12" Dorman double-bead line as-is. Some people have cut it down and put a new flare on one end, but I decided to use my tubing bender and get creative with the routing instead. In retrospect I would have used slightly shallower bends, but it's fine as it is.

Just noticed that the clamp on the right (front) of the fuel pump is slightly crooked. That's gonna bug me until I correct it.

Feedback is appreciated. I don't need my ego stroked but I would like to know ASAP if I did something stupid.

With the fuel pump at the top of the fuel tank in the frame what happens when the tank gets low on fuel. The fuel has to go up hill to get to the pump. They say this pumps will not suck fuel they have too have a gravity feed. It's time for me to do a fuel system and was wondering how this has worked out.

[brossow]

Originally Posted by Oldironracing

With the fuel pump at the top of the fuel tank in the frame what happens when the tank gets low on fuel. The fuel has to go up hill to get to the pump. They say this pumps will not suck fuel they have too have a gravity feed. It's time for me to do a fuel system and was wondering how this has worked out.

Dearly wish I could tell you, but for various reasons I had to put the project on hold in 2010 and haven't gotten back to it.

[Oldironracing]

I had to do the same thing 3 years ago. Just now getting back at it.

[msgross]

looks nice.. who had the best prices on that braided fuel line? I'm not running FI but like that look.

[brossow]

Originally Posted by msgross

looks nice.. who had the best prices on that braided fuel line? I'm not running FI but like that look.

I got the line and all the fittings from Summit. They did some price matching on the fittings but they were already lowest on the fuel line -- $72 for 20 feet of their own brand. Was on sale and may be still.

[brossow]

I've decided I'm just not comfortable with the fuel line routed through the headers like that, even clamped securely out of immediate danger, and so I ordered some more fittings tonight. The plan now is to come back from the fuel rail fitting with a 120° connection and run line along the rail to the front of the engine, then drop down and back under the engine tower and continue as it is now.

[my67chevytruck]

Nice Progress...

[brossow]

More parts arrived today. Discovered that it's gonna mean taking the rear springs out AGAIN. Oh, well....

[brossow]

Dropped the bed pieces off with my buddy tonight. They'll soon be in primer! Remembered as I was packing everything up to haul to the shop that I have a Mar-K smooth rollpan for the rear. Got looking at it at my buddy's shop and with the bed disassembled I have no idea how this thing is attached. Wish I'd remembered I had it when I had everything mocked up!! Anyone have pics or tips?

In other news, the remaining fittings for the fuel system showed up today. If it stops raining, I hope to finish that up tomorrow.

[LooseCannon]

Good progress!

[brossow]

Fuel system is done except for wiring the fuel pump. More progress to report later, I hope!

[brossow]

More progress? That was optimistic. I am NOT a fan of CalTracs after wrestling with these ill-designed pieces of **** for several hours in 90-degree heat. Details here.

[brossow]

Got a package from UPS today. Calvert Racing (maker of the CalTracs) located, purchased, modified, powdercoated, and shipped two new hangers at their own expense. I'll stop complaining immediately -- great service, even though I still don't understand how they sold these CalTracs in the first place. New one is in front; you can see how the opening is squared rather than rounded as in the old one (rear). Guess I know what I'll be doing ASAP!

In other news, most of my bed is in primer and the shop is clamoring for more parts. Need to get the cab up there soon! (Sorry, no pics yet!)

[local13hutch]

Hey guy I just checked out your thread for the first time and man I have got to say that is one lucky truck most people wouldnt have the heart to bite off that much rust and everything else repair you have done an awsome job and I see your helper is hangen in there every step of the way.. I have my kids envolved in my work also...You know he will be driving soon so has he told you what color he wants you to paint his truck yet...LOL...I have three boys that all drive cherry 72 trucks and I have been working on my truck for over five years and every time it gets close it seems my parts end up on there trucks...Great thread keep us posted.....jmtcw?...local13hutch....

[brossow]

Thanks, Hutch! Had I known then what I know now about the project, I don't think I would ever have taken it on. Ultimately the only things from the original truck that will live on are the bare frame (not even the front crossmember!), the rear axle, and the VIN tag/title. That reminds me ... I wonder where I put the VIN tag from the old cab?

It's been a great project, but in retrospect I would have been a lot further ahead just waiting for my divorce to be final and buying my older trucks back from my dad instead of moving ahead with this one. It just snowballed (as I think they all do to an extent) and next thing you know, well, here I am.

[matthew20061]

Originally Posted by brossow

That reminds me ... I wonder where I put the VIN tag from the old cab?

Haha, mines still in the glove box after the cab switch really need to attach it again being that I'm almost calling it finished. Dang it found another thing to do...

[brossow]

EDIT: The pieces Calvert sent back still didn't fit, but they've since made it right as I'll explain in a subsequent post. Previous rant removed.

[brossow]

I'm not sure where to even begin with this update on the CalTracs. I guess I'll start at the end and say that they are now installed and look fantastic; I expect they'll perform just as well.

Now, picking up where we left off.... Last time I posted, I had a rant about how Calvert had sent back hangers that STILL didn't fit right. That was a week ago last Friday. I freely admit it baffles the hell out of me how they could have everything at their disposal, go to great lengths to secure and modify hangers for me, and STILL not send me something that fit right.

So I fired off an email when I discovered the problem last Saturday. While everything LOOKED good, the pivots still didn't fit up into the hangers. I followed up with a phone call this past Monday, telling them that if they couldn't have something that worked properly in my hands by Friday (yesterday) then they might as well send UPS with a call tag and just give me my money back. Instead, what they offered to do was send UPS with a call tag for the hangers they had modified that still weren't right. They would fix them up and ship them back by Friday. Sounded good to me, so I said no problem and they ordered the call tag while I was still on the phone.

I got a call back a short while later. The call tag they had ordered would only be for UPS Ground, but they wanted the parts back ASAP, so they gave me their shipper number and asked me to send the hangers back overnight air at their expense. (I can only imagine what that must have cost!) I dropped the box off at UPS at 6:15 Monday night and it was in California by 3:30 the next morning. Calvert made some more modifications to the hangers, then sent them out the same day, again overnight air, along with a different style of pivot that offered more clearance as well as two more sets of bars of different lengths just in case I needed them because of the slightly different pivots. They called me to give me the tracking number and to let me know the package would be on my doorstep by noon on Wednesday. And again, this was 100% at their own expense.

That evening when I came home there was a note on the door that UPS had been there with a call tag but no one was home to give them the package. WTF? So I called Calvert and they told me the call tag they ordered yesterday must not have been canceled but not to worry about it. Okay, no problem.

So Wednesday morning I got up and went to work as usual. Checked the tracking status and saw that the package was delivered at 9:18 AM and left at my front door. Cool! But when I got home, the box was nowhere to be found. I circled the house several times, checked with all the neighbors, etc. Nada. And I'm in a safe, quiet neighborhood AND there was another unrelated package waiting for me, so I knew it hadn't been stolen. Had it been delivered to the wrong address? It was a mystery! So I called UPS's toll-free number, told them the situation, and waited for a call back from the local depot. While I waited, I circled the house one more time and I found the remnants of a call tag lying on the ground near some bushes by my front door. I didn't pay much attention, thinking it was just left over from the notice that had been stuck to my door the day before.

I got a call back from the local depot and they were still trying to get in touch with the driver who had delivered the package that morning. Great. So no one even knows where this package was supposedly left? After I got off the phone with them, I did some more thinking. I looked again at the call tag remnants I had found earlier and it struck me: the main label was missing! Finally I was sure I knew what had happened to the package, and a quick online check of that tracking number confirmed I was right. While one UPS driver had dropped it off at 9:18 AM, another had come and slapped a call tag on it three hours later and took it away before anyone but the mailman had even seen the package.

It was after business hours by the time I realized what had happened, but I jumped in the car and hurried to the local UPS depot anyway, knowing that there are people around there 24/7 and thinking maybe I could intercept it before it left the building. After an hour and a half of looking around, the supervisor making phone calls to the Twin Cities hub, calls to the national number, etc. it was decided that most likely the package had already left on a trailer bound for St. Paul. It's important to note that this was around 8:30 PM and the package had been scanned in but there was no departure scan. I thought that was strange but figured they knew what they were doing. The supervisor called the St. Paul hub again and I was told that they would intercept the package there and turn it around back to Mankato by early the next morning.

I woke up at about 6 AM Thursday and checked the tracking status. It showed a departure scan from Mankato at 8:58 PM -- a half hour AFTER I was told it was already out of the building and headed for the Twin Cities. But far worse, it also had an arrival scan ... at the CHICAGO HUB! Turns out it was never headed north and instead had been put on a trailer going directly to Chicago (or "Catch" in UPS parlance). I immediately called the local depot (thank goodness for Caller ID, because apparently that number is guarded more closely than the American Idol results) and asked what was going on and why my package was in the Windy City. The shift supervisor I spoke with was very helpful -- made a call to Chicago and called me back a few minutes later, saying he knew exactly what trailer it was on and that it WOULD be intercepted and turned around so I'd have it by Friday.

I watched the tracking status all day and the package never budged from the 5:10 AM check-in at Chicago. I took that as a good sign -- at least it wasn't moving on to California as far as I could tell. But as my work day drew to a close, I began to wonder why the box was still sitting there and so I called the national number to get an update on the package. The peon there told me that they had intercepted the package and it was coming back to me ... and that I would get it next Wednesday. WHAT?! UPS effectively steals my overnight air package and then thinks they can get away with sending it back to me via Ground service? I think not! I asked for his supervisor, who seemed to appreciate and understand the situation and assured me it would be taken care of.

When I got home, I called the local depot one more time to see if they could assure me that the package was in fact going to be there the next day. They let me in on a little secret -- even though Ground service from Chicago to southern Minnesota was supposed to take several days, it was actually an overnight trip whether it went by air or trailer, so either way the package would be here by Friday.

And it was. I opened the package more excitedly than any kid has ever opened a Christmas present and hurriedly assembled the pivots. YES! They finally fit!! Called Calvert to let them know the package had been located and that everything did seem to fit properly this time.

So today I went out and started the installation. Bolted on the passenger side hanger, stuck the pivot on and it fit like a dream. Got everything in place to put on the bracket that bolts underneath the axle using the spring's U-bolts ... and discovered that the holes in the bottom plate were too small for the U-bolts. OMG! Unbelievable. (The holes were apparently for 9/16" U-bolts but the ones that came with my springs were 5/8".) But I knew I could solve this problem easily, so with a trip to my dad's shop with the drill press and huge drill bits I enlarged the holes to 11/16" and everything fit like a dream. Sprayed some protective paint on the newly raw metal, gave it some time to dry in the sun, and bolted it all together.

I can't say that I would recommend the CalTracs kit as a straight bolt-on for obvious reasons, and I'm still not sure why they couldn't get the modified hangers right the first time, but at the end of it all I've gotta say I've never, EVER worked with a company that truly understood the value of customer service like Calvert Racing. Screwups aside, they did everything I asked in order to make it right, and they did a lot more that I didn't even ask of them, and every bit of it at their own expense. You pay a lot for their products, but now it's clear that you do so knowing that they will stand behind their stuff and not stop until you're satisfied. The sad thing for me is that I know I'll never in my life get service this good again.

Pictures follow.

Brent

[nuke1]

wow, now that is some trouble you had there, but in the end it all worked out at least!