Dutch '59 Fleetside Longbed

[RockinKees]

Made an exhaust of things we had lying around, hoping it to be a little less loud.
When I change the front and rear axle, I also going to make a stainless steel exhaust with "normal" mufflers

The fueltank is now ready, fillerneck in place above the rearbumper.

All I have to do now is adjust the parkingbrake, wire the whole car... mount a radiator (it's on his way), start up and take it to the station to get my Dutch title
But that should take another month or so. I'm sure I forgot something along the way....

I'm keep on building!!

[Katrina/10]

Are catalytic converters a requirement?

[RockinKees]

No Gary, but you haven't seen the inside of the converters

We changed them a bit and hoping it be a little less loud now.
We shall see next week....

[Katrina/10]

I see, just wondering why the extra pieces in the exhaust. Great truck project, by the way!

[RockinKees]

Thanks!

Most is for getting my Dutch title on the truck, when that's been done, I'm realy going to work on it. Jaguar IFS and IRS, little lower, another color, you know it....
Then the fun begins!

[Katrina/10]

Sounds like a good plan. There are some photos of Jag swaps on this board, hopefully you can find all the parts you need.

[RockinKees]

I already have the axles, with rack and pinion and the brakebooster and MC from the same car.

Pics of the swap are difficult to find on the board, I did get a lot of good pictures and info from Nev68 on this board, he told me to contact him if I had any questions about this.

I am very thankfull that people you don't know in person are such a great help!!!
Thats why I read a lot on here, I learn every minute !
The best forum I've ever came across!!

Having a good time when I'm not wrenching on my dreamcar

[Katrina/10]

You're off to a good start, then. People who like old trucks usually like helping other people with old trucks!

[RockinKees]

Today my new radiator arrived from the States, that was a quick one!
Also in the package was a proportional valve for the Jag brakes.

Jaguar don't use this valve in the V12 after 1983, but the Pick-ups are a bit lighter at the back, better to use one I think



The truck now starts, runs, stops and shifts!
The shifting was a bit of a problem, because the linkage was a mess.
Made a new simple linkage (temporary), and yes, we can drive forwards and backwards!

Tomorrow the first testdrive...wish me luck!

[Kim57]

Nice looking parts.
Good luck on the test drive.
Kim

[_Ogre]

Originally Posted by RockinKees

Most is for getting my Dutch title on the truck, when that's been done, I'm realy going to work on it.

we do the same here... get it titled and registered in stock format

then cut it up and modify everything.
great minds think alike

[RockinKees]

It was a busy day at the office

Put in an old radiator to let the engine run a while and to make a short testdrive.
Well, the engine runs pretty good, sounds okay, but have some trouble with the alternator, that makes a noise I don't like.
We'll tackle that later.

Two short videos for those who like to see:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foRP...ature=youtu.be
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZPT...ature=youtu.be
You can hear the noise from the alternator in the second vid.

After the short testdrive I began to make mounts for the new radiator, underside mount is ready, upperside I have to make.

Grind it in and bent at 90 degree angle:


Weld it


And make this the underside...


So you can put the radiator in his place like this:

[Kim57]

Nice job on the radiator mount.
Kim

[RockinKees]

Thank you Sir!!

When I said this is a budget build, I meant it...
Got a "new" battery for free, only thing is that it won't fit the stock battery box. So I measured the old box, measured the new battery and build one myself
Parts are from a secondhand store and some steel strips out of a building supply store. The weldinggas to make this is more expensive!!

Hope I measured right and the box bolts right in....We will see Monday!



Completion when we go work on the axles and chassis....

[Kim57]

Looks good.
Nothing wrong with building on a budget.
Kim

[RockinKees]

Batterybox fits like a glove!



Radiator also mounted in. Maybe it's a bit overkill but at least it doesn't fall out





I also made an adapter for a electric fan switch which is mounted in the upper radiator hose. I haven't got a switch yet, have to find out which one to use, I made a temporarely plug, so when the time comes, I can switch the two.





I could have bought one, but this is much more fun!!

This morning I found out that the driversdoor needs repair at the lower hinge. I saw a few here on the board with the same problems, so I think it is quite common issue with these trucks?
No problem, after repair it will be as strong as new, or better!

[Kim57]

Looks good.
Kim

[RockinKees]

After a few days of nothing due to physical discomforts ( I have a sort of braindamage that get me into hard muscle pain after load of muscles), I tried to make a radiator overflow bottle out of a bottle normally used to warm babies



Drilled two holes for hose pilars so you can see the content. Welding didn't work because it's so thin, you burn a hole in it as soon the flame hits the surface. So I soldered it...



Have yet to make a pipe that goes to the bottom of the bottles that connects to the overflow of the radiator, but I didn't have the pipe....

I also made a little bracket for the prop valve that I will use when changing the axles and brakes, all in rough shape. I will make it all properly





Tomorrow I will try to go to the truck again, fix some small things before I will rewire it.

[Kim57]

Looks good.
Kim

[RockinKees]

Today was time for changing the Redneck Linkage for the carb.
The PO had this made with a true Californian string
Well, it worked, but not allowed for the Dutch Title....

Made a quick one out of a Harley clutchcable I had in spare.
It is a bit heavy, but will be changed after I get my title:









This works pretty good as I may say so
Again, one thing off my "Bucket List"

[Kim57]

Nice job.
That's the first time I've seen a spring as a throttle cable.
Back in the 70's I worked with a guy who would wedge a piece of wood between his seat and the gas pedal as cruise control on long trips.
Kim

[RockinKees]

Well Kim, it's no spring as throttle cable, it is a 3 mm (0.118 inch) thick clutch cable. Maybe you see that black rubber as a spring? Or that big spring I use as return spring? This is already been changed into other, smaller springs..

Today I wanted the truck back on the carbridge or ramp ( or whatever it is called), but the truck wouldn't shift gears... No forward or backwards.
After a minute of trying I got some movement.
Strange, because I have driven it a few weeks ago.
Now it is sometimes making some noise and won't get into gear, and then it will shift again, slips, slips not, very strange....

So I took the trans apart as far as I could, and find "some" dirt lying in the oilpan.
Filter isn't good either...but I didn't find any metal particals! Lucky me
Not that this is telling me good news tho....











I cleaned the parts, bought a new gasket set and hope the dirt was the problem of it all. The truck hasn't been used for 8 years, maybe all the dirt out of the oil has been going down and that causes my trans problems.
Tomorrow I am going to build the trans together and hope it will shift again, if not, well, I have to overhaul this trans.









Brain cleaned and build together



Nice new gaskets



So tomorrow I hope I will have good news regarding to the trans, I can't use this sort of bad luck...We'll see.

[Kim57]

Oops.
I meant to write string referring to how the truck came to you.
That's what I get for not proofing what I typed.
Good luck on the trans fix.
Kim

[_Ogre]

automatic transmissions semi-terrify me
i can do a lot of ''stuff'', this is not one of them

[RockinKees]

Kim, that string, well that worked too

Automatic transmissions aren't very hard to do, if you can build an engine then you can build a trans too!!
Just take a good look at what you are doing, the same for engine building!

I've cleaned everthing inside the trans, checked all parts, new seals and gaskets where necessery, new filter, new oil, filled it....and yes we have a working trans!!
It has not been very hot yet, but it shifts now and no more odd sounds.
We will see if this helped, for now it is okay, it feels good.

Whats left is make some repairs on the chassis, which are a must for the Dutch title, and repair the lower door hinges.
The PO had cut a hole in the front crossmember and cut the whole original crossmember for the gearbox out, only two pieces are left in the chassis.
The front one is repairable, the two pieces for the gearbox must disappear (what aint there, you can't examine....).

After that I can finally go on with rewiring the truck...

To be continued