49' Patina bagged in PA

[99 to Life]

10-25 Sat, got cab back on. bounced around alot today. buttoning things up here and there. Got radiator hoses on. Did up brake line in back, put some clamps on fuel lines. Tossed seat in to set height. It needs lowered by an inch. I'll be getting a nice cover made by december I hope. cut steering shaft to the length I want. Made up this bracket to hold it tight to cab floor. I need some Dshaft and steering knuckles to finish the steering. Then put on the PWS pump and get lines for it.

Hoping to get something started with the pedals. I need to either build the brake pedal or have something to moch up so I can get the booster placement and get it on. I'll have to order clutch pedal most likely.

[oldman3]

99, taking shape and looking super...Jim

[Advanced Design]

Yeah moving right along really nicely! Looks great.

[rusty76]

Looks kool already!

[99 to Life]

Lv2tri2, no doubt express away. I'v read enough on hoffman to steer clear. I didn't know Johnny Law was apart of them. I think they also are in cahoots with the ebay store I bought the claws off of. I'd have to look them back up. I wasn't happy with them dooping me at all. I'll prolly just get better ones and keep these around for moch ups.

[99 to Life]

10-27 Today was one of those days that makes you wonder why ya go through hell to build a friggin truck. I decided to take the brake pedal assembly out of a 95' full size chevy truck I have laying around. Bad idea in the sense that it took me hours to get it out and the ebrake assembly. The brake assembly had about six hidden and very hard to reach spot welds on it. So thats what ate up the time. But, it does fit nice. Its an inch longer than an s10 pedal assembly so it allowed me to mount the booster a tad higher. If you notice on the factory firewall there is a portion where the booster goes, it literally is about a 5x5 area in between the factory beads. So just so happens thats how
big the booster bolt pattern area is on the back, so it fits like a glove.

I think I'll use this ebrake set up, kinda feeling these kind and I think I can make it work pretty easily. but I'll have to get my clutch pedal in first and see how much room I got.

Took some measurements for my steering. These stainless headers where a move I had to make bc the s10 headers just look like crap and get rusty. So I bought these on the notion that I'll make the steering work any way I can. So I'm going to order up some stainless ujoints and DD shaft and I think I can squeeze through the header. If I can't I'll reroute around the header.

[Advanced Design]

Have had those days too. The brake bracket fits really well and that looks like a straight shot to the steering box. Gonna be nice!

[oldman3]

99, nice job on the brake set-up...Jim

[99 to Life]

10-31 Got a couple hours in today. Got CCP big bore s10 calipers. Claim 20% more braking power and slightly lighter than a stock caliper. Got russel stainless brake line up front and back. Got shocks painted.

Got a wilwood clutch pedal, not much to it. Could have made one off these specs to be honest. I think I'll make one and also a brake pedal just to have for moch ups and future builds. it isn't the longest pedal so it mounts a little lower but I think it will look good with the wilwood MC once I get that ordered up. I just ordered my brake MC today and some steering stuff, so I can start on steering next week. Tomorrow I'm doing gas pedal and buttoning up stuff.

Fortunately I have a couple bigger ticket items I'm getting from some suppliers but I'm trading print work for. So I'll be getting the accuair VU4 valve pod and a Rebel wiring harness for a fraction of the costs. So that will really help out with keeping the build going on schedule. Its not always time time thats the issue, go figure.

[99 to Life]

11-3 Today was ruff thats for sure. Weather was a little warmer even though it snowed a couple days ago. Got gas pedal in but realized I didn't have the carb bracket, so I ordered one up. So I'll button up the cable next week. I might cut this brake pedal and bend it to straighten it out, or my friend has another assembly that would work so I might try putting that in and see if I like it better.

Got fuel regulator mounted to frame hope it will hold up there. I still have to run the main line up to the carb, where I'll have a filter and pressure gauge within that line.

I got some brake lines flared and I managed to strip out my CalVan tool that I liked, its only been used for like 10 flares so I'm going to be hitting them up for a new one. I need a little more line to finish the system, MC should be here by the weekend. Hoping to paint it, bleed it and get brakes bled.

Got some steering parts coming so I can start buttoning up the steering. I found another set of headers I might order when I finish the truck, the driver side header is really long so its making my exhaust sit too low on that side, I'll address that when I get the truck running and driving etc. Shooting for January to be done with most of it. Prolly iron out things in spring/summer. I'll be making new link bars for the rear.

[99 to Life]

another pic of the booster, got it mounted up a couple inches higher than my 51's so I'm pretty happy with the location. The clutch MC will be mounted beside it, hoping to have that done as soon I can get it ordered up.

[rusty76]

Making progress..

[Advanced Design]

Looking good 99. What was the brake line tool that failed after 10 flares? Bummer.

The brake pedal does look a little tight to the gas pedal.

[99 to Life]

thanks guys, managed to scrape up some change for a few key parts for this weekend.

the brake tool is called the CalVan tool. got it off amazon. Its really a nice tool and I was cautious to not strip it out, but I think since I put it in a vice and had more torque than I should have on it, may have been the culprit. I might try and run a die down it and see if I can't get the treads back. The other problem with this design is you have two pieces of cast aluminum, coming together to make 1 thread that the other part of tool has to thread over. If the threads don't line up in the least, your done for. but... when it works it holds the line better than those cheap wing nut tools. Luckily I'm just running all 3/16" copper nickel line so its easy to work with. The other tool I got won't do 1/4" hard steel line so thats why I bought the Calvan tool, so I'll just have to either fix this, get a new one or just use it for 1/4" and use my other tool for the 3/16.

[99 to Life]

11-8 Sat, Ruuuuufff last couple times working on the truck. what will go wrong does. Waiting on supplies that shoulda came in mail, waiting on refund from another company, messed up ordering my steering ujoint so I gotta send that back. As you can see by the pic I'm not sure if I'll be able to clear through the headers. So I'll try and route along the side and or try a different header, which I was going to get another one anyway because this driverside one is a little long.

I did get my sending unit for my gas tank, got it in and plumbed up the fuel lines in the rear. Got the front all done too. Got fuel pressure gauge, fuel filter and regulator all in. Got rear brakes all done, waiting on MC that should have been here already. Got most of the front brakes plumbed.

got wilwood clutch in, need a fitting to hook up line and get that bled.

managed to get a run of stickers done up for rebel wire. I'll be getting their 21 circuit harness in return. I'll do up some shirts for them too. Lastly got my driveshaft ordered from southwest speed. Should be here next week.

[FarmerSid]

You sure got a lot done even though you had some issues. Right on.

[Advanced Design]

You did make good progress! Stickers look good too....part of your business?

[reaper71]

99tolife. For what it's worth Rockyhinge is a Co. You can get USA made hinges very nice units check them out..
Here is a ref. Pic

Mark....
Btw truck looks great!!!

[IWanna49]

Hang tough, 99. All that is a PIA, but you've been through worse. Just a bump in the road for ya!

Would you be able to heat/encourage the header with a hammer to get enough clearance? Looks like you're pretty close

[99 to Life]

thanks guys, AD yeah I have a print shop in pittsburgh we do shirts there. I do stickers as another side business and then also my coffee&customs stuff, I'm spread thin.

reaper, yeah I'v bought stuff from rocky hinge. I wasn't aware they had a locking bearclaw though. I'll have to check them out again. I been through tons of research on a locking usa made claw years ago when I wanted to put them in my 51'. Found a guy on another rod site that makes them, but not locking. I always wanted to use the door handles and with the turn down handles to work I would need a spring kit rock hinge sells. I ended up just making a custom dead bolt lock for my 51' using a remote key fob to activate it. on this truck I could settle with the extra costs.

49' not sure I could caress these headers, they are stainless for 1 and two I have to get all the joints on there and see what they are gonna do. Worse case I just route it to the side and have a heim jont come off my shock mount. then run 3 joints instead of 2. a little more money. either that or get different headers, which I been thinking about for the drivers side anyway. its just a bit long for my liking.

[99 to Life]

11-10 Today was surprisingly warm, so I decided to start stripping down the rest of my parts. didn't get very far today but I got one front fender stripped and started coating bf I ran out of chassis saver. This rubber that was all over this truck is a pain to get off and stinks. Maybe I'll try that stuff that melts rubberized coatings off next time. I welded up some patches on this fender as well. the hood and other 3 fenders all need some work.

Got my clutch bled as of now I can't tell if its good or not. have to start up the truck and get it in gear maybe next weekend when my driveshaft shows up. If anything I might have to adjust the pushrod a bit. My brake MC is mia and I contacted the seller today with no reply, so lets just say I'v had the worst month of ordering parts outta the almost 12 months I been working on it. Would really love to have brakes bled next weekend and a possible put it in gear and move it. but.... I need to work on my steering alot. I ordered up two ujoints today. Would be lucky if I can get them to work and not reroute the steering.

[Advanced Design]

The fender looks solid in this picture. Were you able to clear off the rubber coating? Better luck with parts ordering....closer and closer to driving!

[Billys68SS]

Man, that fender is in way better shape than the ones I'm working with. Looking good Henry! Waiting on parts sucks big time, especially when you don't know when or if you're even gonna get em! Hope it all comes together for you buddy.

[99 to Life]

yeah my front fenders weren't too rotted. I have more work to do on the other one that is for sure. My rear fenders need quite a bit of work. Yeah sux depending on parts. I still haven't heard back from the ebayer that sold me the MC, they took my money and I should have had it thursday but now its tuesday, so something is not right. I had another place have to resend me something cause it never showed up, then I had a place send me calipers that weren't what they said they were, then I ordered the wrong ujoint for my steering. So I have to send that back, and ordered different ones that are on their way.

Luckily I have stuff to do in the mean time, like finishing the bed and fenders thats more just busy work. But.... I would like to drive this thing outta the garage bf a blizzard comes.

[99 to Life]

11-15 got a few hours in today. Cold but clear out so I decided to start stripping my other front fender. The tear in the fender adds character but since its where the brace mounts to, I needed to fix it. I didn't have all my dollies with me so I'm waiting on the final shaping with the right dollie since it curves and also has a rolled edge to it, I don't wanna crease it cause that would suck.

So my shipping/buying qualms are still going. My brake MC should be here monday which is about two weeks late. So hopefully I can finish up the brakes.
Got driveshaft from southwest speed. I never dealt with them but they do answer the phone and have been around for quite some time. I got this DS and yoke with you joints for 209 shipped. but... the yoke isn't gonna fit for my trans and same with the ujoints. So I found conversion joints from moog which range from 16-23 a piece. The yoke fortunately I had. So i'll just sell this one off. Should hopefully wrap this up tomorrow.

Lastly I'm having super problems with my steering. I don't quite have the steering tube secured and tightened down to try and cycle it. A. I need a specific bearing to put in the bottom of the tube, B. I need a heim joint to keep the lower shaft in position. Even with everything in place I'm not sure if the geometry will work. So, plan b is to move the whole shaft over a few inches, but.... that means I'll be making more holes in my already finished firewall. So all my options include backtracking or spending more money, like for the camaro headers which are shorter, I may be able to sqeeze the shaft through them but I can't say for sure. I wanted to get camaro headers anyway because the driverside header I have now is rather long and makes my exhaust sit too low.