1958 SWB C4 Fleetside - NZ Build

[daveshilling]

Originally Posted by G&R's57GMC

Hay Dave is your bracing the same as Kevin C’s ?

Yes it is.

[QBRacing]

I will try to remember to make a video this week but what a mission the hood brace swap was, and all because i wanted to run the eddie motorsports hinges.

THE STORY
If you haven't read the rest of the thread my cab is actually a 57 (confirmed via hinge mounts and wiper motor mounting/setup).
Luckily I bought the EMS hood mounts after figuring that out.
The mounts supplied when I bought the truck were 58-59 mounts which had been drilled and slotted to fit to the firewall.

What I did do is find a 55-57 hood locally here in NZ and got it cheap.
After measuring the hoods they are the same width at the rear but the 55-57 is wider at the front due to the single lights.
I cut the rear of hood up to ensure I was able to keep the rear brace where the hood hinges mount as the plate is a different shape
Then I confirmed it fitted

What I forgot to check or factor in was that the middle of the 58-59 hood drops back down leaving the ridges, where the 55-57 stays high, so it wasnt such an easy fix.

[QBRacing]

-So I got a panelbeater (mate of a mate of a mate) who went to work and made it all fit (for a lot more than i estimated but it needed to be done)

He started with my 58-59 hood and removed the stock rear brace without damaging the hood to much.

Then cut the centre sections out of both rear hood support braces.

He then took the outer mount pieces from the 55-57 and started to piece the centre 58-59 section back in using the spare pieces to make it look somewhat factory.

Then he stitched the new rear mount back into the 58-59 hood and got it all ready for painting.....

Now I have a 58-59 hood with a custom rear hinge mount panel to mate to the 55-57 EMS hood mounts into the 57 firewall.

Why is nothing ever easy

[QBRacing]

While all that was going on I also made an upgrade to the CPP undercab brake setup I had previously installed.

While this item was in my prebuild sheet and approved by the LVVTA over here what they couldnt tell was that the pivot pin does not go all the way through the arm, and that the pin ends up sitting in a bush that is welded to the arm.

needless to say they failed me when it was checked and said I needed a longer pin as IF the weld failed I could be left with no brakes. (I call bs).

So back to a member at the local hotrod club who is an engineer and while correct to a degree we come up with an easier and cheaper solution than making a whole new pivot pin..... affix something to the missing bit.

So he drilled and tapped the pivot pin, made a spacer that sits in the hole and installed a grade 8 bolt, now if the weld brakes it cant go anywhere.

Box of piss fix - score.

[Jason 56]

Hood came out great. It’s amazes me sometimes what we have to do to get an idea to work. Great engineering on the brake fix too. So glad I’m not required to have mine inspected where I live. Keep up the good work.

[QBRacing]

Here is the video I mentioned about the 55-57 Eddie Motorsport Hinges which I fitted to the 58 Apache Im almost done building.

CLICK ME TO WATCH EPISODE 75

[QBRacing]

So the only thing that the certifier failed me on in my last check was the emergency brake. It just doesn't hold enough tension to stop the truck from rolling, even on a slight slope (5-6 degrees).

So over the last week I reworked my old setup. Video Here if you dont want to read and would rather listen to me babble on for 5 minutes. :P

I started by having the shoes relined and radius matched as they were only grabbing such a small amount of the pad that it was never going to hold.
I removed the pully and eyelets and re rerouted the front cable down the side of the left chassis.
From there it goes to a t-bar which splits to two cables and includes a return spring (not mounted to the exhaust this time).
There is a short cable which runs directly to the factory left rear c4 cable, and, a longer cable which crosses the chassis to the factory right rear c4 cable. This one required the removal of the factory 58 handbrake chassis plates which wasnt to big a job.

It seems to work in testing to the fact that with 5 clicks I cant move the rear disc even with a pry bar,

Fingers crossed when I take it back to him.

[QBRacing]

And I final got THE VIDEO of my dyno run from the other week....

It made 395rwhp and had over 500nm of torque from about 2000rpm until 6000rpm where it dropped off (redline 6400)

Engine/trans from a 2001 VT Holden Commodore (LS1/4L60).
Rebuilt bottom end with stock rods and pistons
Stock PCM tuned with HPTuners Software
TEA 5.3L 862 stage 2.5 truck heads
Fully CNC ported intake and exhaust runners with 64cc chambers
Competition 4 angle multi angle valve job
Ferrea 2.040" stainless back cut intake valves
PAC Racing Dual .650" spring kit with Titanium retainers
Trickflow Solutions Stage 3 Cam (Duration: 228/230, Lift: 585/585, 112lsa)
Trickflow Solutions Steamport Kit
Brian Tooley Trunnion Upgrade
Edelbrock Super Victor Intake Manifold
Edelbrock LS1 Valve Body & Coil Covers
Edelbrock Fuel Rail
2004 LS6 Injectors (12561462 = 28.8lb @58psi/4bar)
Holley 4150 Throttle Body
Speed Performance 1-7/8" to 3" Stainless Long Tube Headers
Complete 3" system, 2" H pipe
Two 3" Flowmmaster Delta 50 Series
NGK Iridium plugs
14" x 5" K&N Airfilter

[Rickysnickers]

Nice

[Blake_H]

It sounds great! Should definitely move you right along.

[QBRacing]

Certification complete

Now I can register it for the road and start to drive it...

Woohooo

[Rickysnickers]

Congrats! Interesting, NZ assigns a modern 17 digit VIN. Was the original VIN tag on the cab? If so, why don't they use that?

[6DoF]

hell yeah! time for miles!

[QBRacing]

Small update after a couple if thousand KMs.

The door cards rattle like a mofo. Thats because the Altman door catches bolt to a skin that bolts to the door card that bolts to the door. Can YOU see the problem...

So
I stripped it all down,
Cut out the centre section of the factory door card leaving about a 5mm-10mm lip inside the raised swage line,
Spot welded the skin to the card (removed 1 rattle spot)
and painted the inside with a rattle can.


Video Here incase you want to see it, otherwise pics below

I still need to sand and prime the outside of factory metal card but I want to increase the hole size for the electric window switches then cover the factory card with the same material I used for the 1/4 kick panels. this will also stop the main card from rattling on the door itself removing the second rattle.

I have also been trying to find what people with the 1 window conversion have been using for the inner and outer window channels so I can finish the upper sections of the doors so if you have any hints, tricks, tips please let me know.

Q

[QBRacing]

Here is what I tried so far for the door/window weather strips.

Due to the different radius I cant find anything local to fit, so I took to cutting a straight piece of weatherstrip but that didnt work to well and when the window went up and down it pulled the sliced bits and twisted the bent section out of shape.

I am now leaning towards two sets of factory weatherstrips with a cut and join in the middle and a small plate at the front for the larger opening.

Q

[slammed57]

I saw these On a Beautiful 59 .. I took a pic of it because I,ll probably go this route with mine. I believe steele rubber makes them. just another option I thought I,ll share

[QBRacing]

So .....

I don't recommend the speedway motors fuel filler cap for the deck of your projects (sorry).... and I just wish that I had found the ultimate solution before getting it but them's the breaks

After almost 2 years I have given up on the tiny access hole and the other day spotted a JK Jeep Wrangler and thought that would be perfect for the job.... So i went and found a cheap aftermarket one ...

And its so simple and so much better....

Enough talking.... enjoy the pictures and the always popular Youtube Video