1972 Longhorn 4x4 Diesel Project

[Dieselwrencher]

Thanks guys! Royo that seat is out of a 69 Buick GS. I'm keeping them for my 68 GS project. I want to use these for the head rests for my 68 seats.

[Dieselwrencher]

I did make some head way on this thing this weekend. It is being kind of a pain however. I had to remove the front crossmember ans build a new one. Now I have the engine sitting where I want it and need to build engine mounts and an engine crossmember. I had to remove the exhaust manifold and turbo because the turbo outlet was in my broken heater housing. LOL While I was removing the manifold, 5 of the 12 bolts broke. Great more work.

As far as strengthening the frame, I won't have to at all. The Longhorn frames are the same as the 1 ton pick ups. Under the cab I think the frame is 7" or 8" tall.

[royo]

Originally Posted by Dieselwrencher

Thanks guys! Royo that seat is out of a 69 Buick GS. I'm keeping them for my 68 GS project. I want to use these for the head rests for my 68 seats.

Thx bud i,m looking for some seats kinda like those

[Dieselwrencher]

Originally Posted by royo

Thx bud i,m looking for some seats kinda like those

Any certain year or basically GM medium sized car? O know where there might be some from a GTO/Lemans.

[Dieselwrencher]

Ok some more progress pics. I had to remove the stock front crossmember because I would have had to remove too much from it to get the engine in there and decided it would make it too weak.



The engine is sitting where I need it to get the trans to line up with the driveline.



I finally got my plasma cutter back from the Snap-on guy and it has never worked this good. I think it was junk when I got it! It cuts really nice now. The operator could use some practice though!

[Dieselwrencher]

I brought my Dana 60 front inside to thaw out too.

[mcbassin]

Great progress!

[Dieselwrencher]

Thanks!
I had to build new engine mounts because I didn't like where the stock brackets would have placed the engine crossmember. Now hoprfully tomorrow I can start on the engine crossmember. I will be using 4" c channel for the sides and 2"x4" 1/4" square tubing for the center. I am going to make this bolt in the frame rails with some channel as well. I think that will be plenty strong.

[royo]

Originally Posted by Dieselwrencher

Any certain year or basically GM medium sized car? O know where there might be some from a GTO/Lemans.

I,m not sure. I,m wanting to put a set in my 69 Chevy. and it looked like that those type of seat mite work

[Dieselwrencher]

Well this morning I started building the RH side of the engine crossmember.




I had to cut out a portion of the frame where it was recessed for the old control arms so my inner plate would sit flush in the frame rail. I have cut a piece out and will weld it back in tomorrow.

[Dieselwrencher]

More work going on. I got all the mouse house floor mat out as well as the nasty glove box. Man it was bad! I removed the steering column and glove box door to get ready for my van tilt and cheyenne super glove box door.

[496 chevy]

this is a nice build. good work it is lookin sweet.

[Dieselwrencher]

Thanks. Maybe someday I can get it back in the shop and work on it agian.

[propanemudtruck]

Very cool build! Hey you don't like cummins do you? I wish I could get my hands on a couple for my plow rigs. Heck, I'd love to swap a 5.9/NV4500 into my super duty some day too! Nice list of toys you have, look forward to seeing the rest of this build.

[mcbassin]

Looking very good! Sweet!

[Dieselwrencher]

Thanks guys!

[Chevymaniac]

Is this project on the back burner now, was really excited to see someone do a project like this as i hope to put a cummins in my truck soon.

Great work done so far.

[Dieselwrencher]

Yes it is on the back burner a little bit. I am taking the Dana 60 from this and putting it in my 76. But I have a newer ford D60 I'm going to use on the longhorn instead. I am also on the verge of going auto with this truck now as well. Once I get some other projects done, I'll get back to this truck.

[SmokeShow]

Any news?
Posted via Mobile Device

[Dieselwrencher]

Actually, yeah. I forgot about this thread. Go to this link and at the bottom of this page starts some more progress. I am hoping to get back on it at the middle to end of November.

[MrBeast]

Dont see a link?

[Dieselwrencher]

Whoops sorry. Here it is.

http://www.67-72chevytrucks.com/vboa...light=longhorn

[Dieselwrencher]

Ok, I'm going to update this thread and try to bring it up to date.
9-14-10
Well, I finally drug the ol Longhorn out of the weeds and got some progess made on it. I was hoping to have it driveable under its own power to the All Truck Nats in KC last weekend, but it didn't happen though. But, I did still take it there, and we had a great time.

I drug the truck in the shop on Saturday the 3rd of September, and the truck show was the weekend of Friday the 10th-12th. So I didn't give myself a lot of time. Ok here we go.

Once I got my mind made up on working on the truck again, I started to gather parts up for the truck. The engine I originally had in this is going in my 76 since I want to sell it and keep the Longhorn. So I drug out an engine of my brother's that needed work. It is a 1990 5.9 that came from a Case Magnum tractor. It was VE rotary pumped, and the head was off of it. My dad rebuilt a head for me, and my brother tore the engine down to start the p-pump swap. His engine has very large air mixture bowls so that will help with allowing a big injector and some big timing without killing the head gasket. Then I started measuring to see how my ford D60 front was going to fit. Well, it flat out wouldn't without a lot of modifying the the chevy chassis. The ford D60 is 5" wider than the chevy D60. I know the 79 D60 will fit, but I sold the only one of those I had this spring. Seeing how I was on the hunt for a coupler for my NP205, I called up one of my buddies and purchased a D60, auto trans and a NP205 all from a 92 dodge cummins truck.

I sat the engine short block in the frame and found all of my previous cross member pieces, and began to finish it. Once I got it finished, I welded up the holes in the frame from the 2wd cross member. I used some scrap steel and made some plugs to make it easier to fill in. I both welded the cross member in place and bolted it in just in case. I'm sure this truck will see some abuse in its life.




As you can see in the first pic, I ran into another problem when putting the dodge D60 in my chevy. I had a rh top cast mount from my chevy D60, but the inner bolt holes that go nto the housing are different from the chevy and the dodge. So I started to build one because I knew the guy I got the dodge axle from more than likely didn't have the right one. I will have to finish that piece later. I also had issues finding my nuts for my u-bolts. Imagine that huh?




Once I got the engine put back together and painted, I stuck it in and then hung the transmission on it. I decided to go with a 47rh which has overdrive and lock up. I want this truck to get great mileage and be easy for the wife to drive.

Next thing was getting the rear suspension figured out. I went out and fought off the dang wasps and cut the front spring hangers from my blazer chassis. I ended up not using the rear leaf spring hangers from the K5 blazer because the longhorn ones were an inch taller. I ended up finally being able to use some brand new leaf springs I had laying around for years. They were about an inch shorter not installed but ended up being only 1/2" shorter once installed.

My next problem was trying to mount the front hanger lower support brackets to the longhorn frame. On the K5 the frame is flat at the front spring hanger and on my longhorn it is angled, so I will have to modify them sometime. I ended up retaining the chevy D60 for now but have plans to install a dodge D80 soon.

[Dieselwrencher]

Here are some pics of the truck as it sits on my trailer right now.




I did remove the bed to make it easier to do the rear suspension and I will install more than likely a marine plywood floor so I can get the truck usable.

I did get my tilt from Sharpie installed too. Thanks again Dennis! I also put my wood grain gauge cluster and cheyenne super glove box door in, a long with a borrowed seat from Brothers69c-10. Thanks Mathew!



It has a 4" lift with 285's on it right now.




Here are some pics of the engine that Wayne took at the All Truck Nats last weekend in KC.

[Dieselwrencher]

Well after I finish the 04 ford I'm doing, I'll get this back in the shop. I think I'm going to set the engine farther back in the frame, and redo my RH side of my engine crossmember to allow for more clearance on the differential housing. Another thing I forgot, on my cowl hood. Once I actually bolted hinges on this truck, the back of the scoop did hit. So I will have to trim it when I fix the front portion of it that cracked from snow and water getting in it and cracking the bond this winter.

10-18-10
No more progress, but here's the newest piece for the truck. I will say, it looks nicer in person than in the catalogs.



11-03-10
Well I purchased some new to me mirrors for the truck last week and they came in the other day. I went out and put them on so they won't get lost.





The more I look at this truck, the more I think it needs atleast 33's.