LFD's low buck truck build!

[RMATTZZ4]

Hey Rok, between your job your own projects customers projects wife projects and new kid projects do you ever really get to drive the rock crawler you have....

[Rokcrln]

Originally Posted by RMATTZZ4

Hey Rok, between your job your own projects customers projects wife projects and new kid projects do you ever really get to drive the rock crawler you have....

You tell me

Kevin
LFD Inc.

[WinDancer]

Kevin, tell me more about your line bending tool- is that it standing next to your brake booster?
Your skills are amazing with all this stuff

[Rokcrln]

Originally Posted by WinDancer

Kevin, tell me more about your line bending tool- is that it standing next to your brake booster?
Your skills are amazing with all this stuff

Thank you! The bender is a Blue Point #TBS300 and was about $65 from Matco or Snap-on. The flair set was about $2-300 or so all money very well spent if you plan on doing one nice show car or alot of customer work.

Kevin
LFD Inc.

[Rokcrln]

I have the mounts done for the tank and comp. I used weld in nuts to make things easier for mounting. I then ran the hard lines, manual fill valve and the dump valve. I will be able to reach it all right thru the drivers side wheel well. Not a great set up if you are running full air suspention but since this is only for when I am towing or hauling a heave load it will work just fine. Well off to the parts store for some final pieces.

Kevin
LFD inc.

[Rokcrln]

Valve set up $10 worth

[gferris5]

Kevin-
I'm sorry, I must have missed it--that's the problem with keeping up with the thread: you forget what happened earlier. What are you going to do with your exhaust? I remember you saying the misses thinks it too loud, but I don't remember what your plans were.
edit: I mean in terms of routing around the x-member and whatnot.

Looks great, as usual, btw. Three words though: Chrome gas filler!

[68GMC454]

looks great..
billy

[Rokcrln]

Finaly the brakes are bled and finished, I pulled the in cab gas tank and started changing out the body mounts. The front cab mounts are rusted stuck fo they will be fun and the rad suports are also rusted I tested teh stock gas sending unit wire to the new tanks sender and it showed just over half a tank and I put between 12 and 15 gal into it so I think it should be just fine. Now I need to get the body mounts changed and the bed bolted back on and it is off to the alignment shop then to the muffler shop next.
Almost back on the road

I amso mounted the power supply for the air system with left over parts I poulled off one of my old crawlers. It is a 30amp breaker and a constant duty sylinoid. I just have a jumper wire that I clip on to the batery for power as needed. Not the ideal set up for on and off but it sure was cheap

I have spent about $150 in misc brake parts and body mounts and about 10 hours for brakes, air system and tank removal.

Kevin
LFD inc.
$3397.26
107.5hrs

[krue]

Love the tools, wish I could justify buying some for myself.

[Rokcrln]

Were about in Nor-Ca?

[faribran]

Kevin,
will the Blue Point tubing bender bend tubing (as you pictured with quarter) that tight?

[Rokcrln]

Originally Posted by faribran

Kevin,
will the Blue Point tubing bender bend tubing (as you pictured with quarter) that tight?

That is how I did that one. I went out for pics of the bender and thought I would show what it can do!

Kevin
LFD Inc.

[WinDancer]

More great work!
You are at 107 hours- I would probably be 107 weeks getting all that work done. I can understand the feeling of doing it yourself, but some of us have absolutely no aptitude for this kinda stuff
Absolutely none of my business and I won't intrude like this again, but if you are willing could I ask what 107 hours of your time doing this stuff is going for? I can see that many times professionals are so much better equipped, have better tools and more experience, but this is also a very large part your native abilities to 'see' how things need to be and understand the very best way of doing it.
Anxious to see the completed project.
Will you then sell this truck and do another or ???
Thanks

[Rokcrln]

Originally Posted by WinDancer

More great work!
You are at 107 hours- I would probably be 107 weeks getting all that work done. I can understand the feeling of doing it yourself, but some of us have absolutely no aptitude for this kinda stuff
Absolutely none of my business and I won't intrude like this again, but if you are willing could I ask what 107 hours of your time doing this stuff is going for? I can see that many times professionals are so much better equipped, have better tools and more experience, but this is also a very large part your native abilities to 'see' how things need to be and understand the very best way of doing it.
Anxious to see the completed project.
Will you then sell this truck and do another or ???
Thanks

This is my shop truck and will end up with my logo on the door and be used for parts runs, swap meets and get togethers.

For hourly rates in Cali I have seen them from $50hr well over $120hr for the real upper end shops end shops.
So this wehical will not get sold but if things get slow in my shop I will find another and build it to sell or pre sell it and build it to suit the new owner.


Here are two pics from tonight. The brakes are done, body mounts are in but still need some shimming, headers are removed and stock manifolds are on and ready for the exhaust shop on Friday morning. It goes in for the four point allignment on Thursday and should be cruising around town by Saturday. I also had a set of tires I had laying around for years mounted on my new (to me) ralleys that I painted grey this morning. The first shot is at static ride heigth and the second is with the rear bags inflated. I get 3" of lift at the hitch and this should be plenty to level things out for towing.

Kevin
LFD Inc.

[72CSTC5]

He could tell you but then he would probably have to kill you!! Remember labor is twice is much in Cali too!!

[RACINJASON22]

Kevin You gotta move those front marker lights down to match the rear ones.

I love em" down there but I think they both should be down to line up.

Is that in your plans?

When do you think Low Buck will see paint?

I'll quit with the questions now

RJ22...

[Rokcrln]

Yes they will move down as well but I have not started the body work up their yet. I only did the rears because I was welding the rear bed back on so it made sence. They are also moved back a touch and the fronts will slide forward just a bit as well. You know you are the first person to point them out It will not see paint untill after the next customer build is done and out. His vehical is sitting on my trailer right now but I had to get this drivable before I could start his. I also want to drive mine for awhile before tearing it down for paint. I still have a few tricks up my sleave I want to play with before calling it ready to paint.

Kevin
LFD Inc.

[RACINJASON22]

Someone else did mention it awhile back in the now 436 posts now how could you have possibly missed it with all your FREE time J/K

Can't wait to see your other tricks, I was just wondering cause I'm still like a kid and can't wait.

I really like em" down there NEVER would have thought they would look better than factory as much as I like these trucks the way they are but, I do none the less.

RJ22...

[irongun324]

Well I'm absolutely loving what you've done with the truck here, Rokcrln. I'm still of the "wish I could" crowd with money shortage, but maybe one day.

I had a question though: I know this might be a little more work on your part, and you've been giving mini updates as you go, but when you near the end of your project here, could you maybe markup a single list of parts bought and tricks done ( extra belt on water pump, axle flip, etc) with expenses? I think that would be nice to see as well as what you've already shown us. Just an idea.

[Rokcrln]

Originally Posted by irongun324

I had a question though: I know this might be a little more work on your part, and you've been giving mini updates as you go, but when you near the end of your project here, could you maybe markup a single list of parts bought and tricks done ( extra belt on water pump, axle flip, etc) with expenses? I think that would be nice to see as well as what you've already shown us. Just an idea.

Well atleast you dont want much


Had a big day, I woke up at 3am (normal time) and headed down to the Oakland bay area to get one of my jog sites started before I headed to the shop for print review. At 7am I meet Marty over at East Bay Frame and Axle. They don't open until 8am but he said he would meet me their early to drop off the thuck due to my schedule. You all would love his shop, I walk in and up hanging from the rafters is a SWB complete chassie. Over to the left is a CST factory 2WD Blazer that is getting a new front frame due to a wreck and a few other real nice cars. In front of the Blazer if a sweet 41 ford deluxe coupe I would love to have

So he did a full 4 corner alignment and every thing checked out great. The front wheels look good now that they are straite and tucked in the fender just enough with the 6.5" ralleys I have on it with 8" out back. He also changed the Yoke on the rear diff as it was warn out from a bad driveshaft in the past. My new shaft would not get tight in the yoke so he put on a used one for me to stay with my Low Buck theme I have going. All this for $187.19

Their are shops close to me but I started using Marty several years ago and his work speaks for it self and he is a very honerable guy to deal with. The shop is in San Leandro and he does frame shortening's as well.

Then on the way home I have a nice Pro Street 66 chevelle play tag in trafic and boy did that thing sound good.

At 8am I will be heading up to Santa Rosa to ge the exhaust done at A1-A performance muffler. Again he is 80 miles away but worth the drive and I have had every exhaust system done by Gary for the last 15+ years.

Kevin
LFD inc.
$3584.45
107.5hrs

[Rokcrln]

Oh ya and I had a cool 70 SWB follow me all the way home

[72CSTC5]

Nutz, you are just like me when I used to drive down the I-10 corridor in Texas I used to snap shots of cool cars while driving down the hiway. Looking good man.

[kevncar]

Rokcrln...what do you do for a living? Just curious from the 3am job site visit and plan review comment. I draw framing plans and shop drawings for structural steel buildings for a living.

[GREASEMONKEY72]

after seeing the truck like it is now i dont think you should paint it, you cant replicate that patina look its got right now and you should just put your logo on it and call it good, well maybe after tweaking a few things like the sidemarkers and what not, but damn that truck looks *****in, nice to know it followed you all the way home to, thats a nice chevelle to, ill have to stop by sometime when im up there goin to wyotech in sacro