Project Lesson Plan

[RootBeer 6117]

Few more just for the fun of it

[1952ssr]

I can't wait till I have spaghetti,LOL at least on my engine and not sitting on the dining room table (where my harness is now). I'm sure you've figured it out since I saw it in one of the pictures, but the driveshaft from the Buick should work for the S10, mine has a roadmaster driveshaft. You and your team are doing an awesome job.

[RootBeer 6117]

Your right the drive shaft does fit but it looks like it could be an inch longer if you look at the 3rd picture it needs to be in more, but I was waiting to see how much room I had to move the engine once the cab was in its permanent home.If I cant go back any more there is a local guy calls himself the Shaft Doctor I have traded him before for the right size.

[RootBeer 6117]

Whats a guy supposed to do? You post a picture of a 49 frame on craigslist to see if any body wants it. An hour later you get a text; Wanna buy a 51 cab to go on your frame? its setting on an S10 frame right now.
My mind says NO my fingers text back how much for all of it?
I get back the reply, the next thing I ask is were can I look at ?
I should have just said no cause I now own 51 5 window cab setting on a s10 frame(key word "setting")

[52 choptop]

Root, I have to say what you and your school are doing is refreshing. I'm from a really small town in WA and we all went to auto shop and worked on donated cars (preferably rods) in highschool. I'm in LA now with my 52 and a 69 Firebird. I called all of the local schools and asked if they needed projects (I would pay for all parts) and the only response I recieved was "we don't work on cars here". Keep up the great work. 52'

[RootBeer 6117]

Thanks 52
I hate to say it but I keep the public at bay as much as possible.It has become to much of a liability, we live in a sue happy world.I do stuff for teachers and allow students to bring cars in and have some donated cars,This project is coming out of my pocket,I do stuff for people I know well and understand the risk.
But even that is risky some of my biggest headaches have come from other teachers and one administrator that got all bent when a student messed up and it cost more than it should have. Gee its not like they are learning
Any advice I can give is consider being an advisor its hard to get people to show up to a meeting and if they do I make sure I help them any way I can.
Hires RootBeer

[RootBeer 6117]

(Just say No Just say No!) How much? yumm well yumm load it up...

I guess the best part is the wife didnt get real PO'd about it

[RootBeer 6117]

The lesson plan went well this week.The Auto Body teacher went to SEMA, he asked me before he left if two of better students AM and PM could come over and work on the 49, Sure I need to get the body on the frame square and the cabs mount made.So two of his and two of my students worked most of the week lining the cab to the frame getting the front clip squared and fabing cab mounts. Being the tightwad recycler I am I decided to use the old s10 mount and some free 3/16ths plate,I showed them how a lot of you did it,(we visit this site before class starts most every day) then gave them some free rein on the final design, My only instruction on the cab mounts was I don't want it looking like A bunch of Drunk Hillbilly's did it. We still have some work to do, but we made good progress. The welding instructor might have some instruction on the welding all I can say is, Thank God for grinders bondo and paint, for 17/ 18 year olds they did pretty good Im proud of them.

[Fat Mike]

Your project is looking very good and your students are doing a great job!!

[RootBeer 6117]

Thanks Mike, its been fun for the most part last last few morning sessions have reminded me why in did not become a body man getting the front end lined up has been a looong process

[RootBeer 6117]

Hand built with free child labor,The cab is mounted.
they fabed all this with some free 3/16ths plate the welding teacher gave me and a plasma cutter , mig welder and about 10 grinding disc.
I ended up 5" above the frame,ever since I started this project all I've heard is man why does everybody go so low(I'm in the heart of redneck4x4 country). I don't know how many kids and teachers gave me crap about going real low,then yesterday a auto body student said man you ought to lower it more, Where the Hell have you been the last year.So I went a little higher than most of you, I can still take a coil of the front end a 2" inch block in the back and some 17s it'll all be good. I didn't have to whack the floor pan to bad and got the engine setting back without messing with the firewall.
It hit me the other day I get to go to work and build my truck,but I've come a long way I spent many days and nights in a driveway or one car garage working on vehicles. Hats off to you guys that do it this way now.

[xpickup]

RootBeer 6117, It's great to see what you doing with your students. I wish we would have had something like that when I was in school. We DIDN'T even have a metal shop in school. Your students will have learned something that most do not ever get in school. It's good to see them WORKING on something. When I was in school (graduated in 1992) there was only probably 5 of us that were into car/trucks. Hopefully my son will be bitten by the auto bug. I think he will. Tell them to keep up the good work and I'll be watching.

[RootBeer 6117]

I'm having one heck of a time getting hood and fenders line up.The hood is setting high on the drivers side rear I cant figure out which way to go with the rear hinge we have loosened and moved and tightened and loosen, move, installed a different coil support, having to stop every 2 minutes to go fight a fire isn't helping. I did notice before I left last night there is a small support brace in the front corners the passenger side isn't attached I got to wondering if that had something to do with it.

[RootBeer 6117]

Parts truck number 2, This is setting on the same farm were my 49 was. As soon as I get title I am hauling it to school for parts. It has a nice mossy patina. By the tag number it says its a 1952 3/4, LR wheel has a cog bolted to that ran a chain and drove a seeder that sat on the back of the truck, My dad said they would put the truck in granny low and drive across the field spreading seed.

[RootBeer 6117]

I have lived in the shadow of an older brother, Literally and figuratively(6'3" to my 5"10"), He has a stable full of Hot Rods 1 full race 93 Firebird, a 90 S10, 95 short bed Chevy truck a 65 Chevy truck all tubbed out and his 54 5 window. His 54 was setting on the same farm I got mine from, I had to help by dad get it for him. I should say my dad watched as I loaded it by my self on a 95 degree day with a come-a-long,(Dad had just had back surgery)of course he make twice as much as I do and can afford to do all the fancy stuff. The 54 has been chopped and the hood shrunk, a 5.3 carbed engine.
65 not sure all the specs but I bet I could pay my mortgage down a bunch. He helps keep the aftermarket guys in business.

[RootBeer 6117]

Ok back to the 49 sorry been off track,
After what seemed like a long time( only 2-3 weeks at 2-3 hours a day) we got the front Radiator support in and mounted,not real earth shattering. Then in the matter of days the were able to mount the steering column, I am not real happy with the way its mounted.I have a column from a 79 Chevy blazer but I don't have the intermediate shaft for it, at some point I may change this. I used the roadmaster column it has everything to hook up to the wiring even "apply brake" to shift out out of park, it sets out farther than I want. I am figuring since I mounted my engine high and back its making me move my column to the left move than I want, I also lengthened the shaft 3" to make it fit. We also have the stock shift linkage hooked up after relocating the S10 shift bracket and adding 2 inches to the rod.

Then the Brake Booster master cly. I measured some trucks and cars to find out how High off the floor the brake pedal sat. 7 inches was the average, so I set my inside pedal bracket to this which puts my booster low,(Its low and has hydraulics), Thankfully we have a die grinder(I called death by die grinder) we had to die grind the holes over about 3/4 to get the master cly to set right.
I am going to make a punch list this week, we are moving along pretty good,next up everybody's favorite- wiring harness! woo hoo yes!

[RootBeer 6117]

A week ago all classes were challenged to a community service project to collect donations for a local women's shelter,We had to build a sleigh out of items from our class and the donations, So we found a new use for old 49 fenders and bumpers.

[bobinbc]

NIce work on the sleigh!! Very creative

[RootBeer 6117]

Originally Posted by bobinbc

NIce work on the sleigh!! Very creative

Thanks Bob
I couldn't get them into donating till the flames started going on then the class really got into it.

[RootBeer 6117]

#1 I drive by this every day to and from work.

#2 The Seats are almost mounted, as of today they work full power, heated and lumbar.

#3 Battery is in and the engine is cranking and the fuel pump is pumping.

#4 Bed mounts are almost done.

#5 ZR2 rear Axle is in 3:73 limited slip 8.5 ring gear rear disc brakes.

MAN I have got to find some wheels and tires! anybody got a spare set laying around the could lend a guy cheap,

[pinecrest]

Awesome project! I'll bet they enjoy talking about this with each other throughout the day. Now, give em a treat and get em a 502 or something. Supercharger? That'll make them smile.

[RootBeer 6117]

Originally Posted by pinecrest

Awesome project! I'll bet they enjoy talking about this with each other throughout the day. Now, give em a treat and get em a 502 or something. Supercharger? That'll make them smile.

Thanks pincrest, I'll let them know they need to buy the 502/supercharger,Like I tell them almost every time we working one it and all these grand ideas pop up "you pay I'll play" I'm hoping after the tax man & vet & kids doctor and...... get done with me I can afford used wheels for it.

The BIG Boss (superintendent) came in unannounced the day before we left for Christmas break and really liked it he's an old farm boy. Hopefully I scored a brownie point or two.

[pinecrest]

Haha. I just wrote that for their benefit. Really, as you know very well, there is more education going on than just turning wrenches and taking measurements. Planning, budgeting, timing, prioritizing, teamwork and much more.

One of the great lessons here, besides how to make a pretty weld, is making the most of what you've got... in this case, we're talking about a truck.

Keep up the great work! I'm a teacher, too, and in 2001, my school got rid of all tech classes. No more woodworking, no welding, no auto, nuttin. We do now have a very large art room/wrestling room, but something very important has been lost. Your students should feel very lucky to have this experience.

[1952ssr]

Looking really good, RB and man what a tangle of wires in that floorboard. You kids did an awesome job with that sled, a talented bunch with a great imagination.

[RootBeer 6117]

Originally Posted by pinecrest

Haha.
Keep up the great work! I'm a teacher, too, and in 2001, my school got rid of all tech classes. No more woodworking, no welding, no auto, nuttin. We do now have a very large art room/wrestling room, but something very important has been lost. Your students should feel very lucky to have this experience.

Pinecrest, I hate hearing about schools closing tech programs, its happening in this state also. I would not have made it through high school with out my shop classes,I hated "core classes".
I work in the capitol city and get closer to politics than I care, I know lawmakers that think every kid should go to a 4 yr college, to me they(lawmakers) don't have a clue about the real world.
Two weeks ago We got to do cross curricular training(theory of the yr) we dived in to teams with other schools, when I told them about what we did in auto tech, the leader was like "Wow it sound like you do what they are wanting us to do" I said Yea in this class the rubber meets the road its hands on. Hopefully some day they will get a clue how important these class are.
Sorry I get on a soap box
Joe