49' Patina bagged in PA

[lower50's]

Very nice job on the truck, that was a ton of work to bring that cab back to life. You will be so happy when you can drive it next spring!! Love the Viair, accuair stuff. Just got my air system going today. I agree with the relays too small of wire. I used a ford style starter solenoid.

[99 to Life]

2-14 thanks gentlemen. 47- I don't have any insulator between the two. I did have some rubber grommets on the other side, but they were getting sucked in as I didn't have washers small enough to use. I guess I'll take me chances for now.
-lower50's thanks yes the cab has killed my timing. I have about 150 hrs in it. maybe with doing firewall too, can't recall right now. I do have all my hours logged though. The firewall and back of cab were around 20hrs of work alone. My door bottoms and miscellaneous parts cost me about 40hrs in metal, body and paint. I have over 500hrs in the build so far. not including dash and engine.

So here is a cupholder/ dock I'm working on. I'll have two air gauges in there as well. It will be all metal finished and depending on interior I may leave the metal look or paint it. this isn't the final shifter, and I'll be making a custom boot.

[Advanced Design]

I like the cup holder. Looks good!

[hotrodelrod]

looking good! You have some great ideas. Thanks for sharing.

Rick

[99 to Life]

thanks guys, I was going to put the air gauges in the cups to hide them, but I didn't wanna have to lean up to look at the pressure. Also would have been cool cause the gauges woulda lit up the cups. I'm thinking on maybe adding some type of light to this, so when you turn on the courtesy lights (that I'm custom rigging) it would display the air ride stuff. I really didn't want anything in that spot but as we all know some areas need to be infringed upon when building custom things.

I'll be working on another console that will be up up under the dash a little more. It will house the Vacuum, Water, Oil, Volts, Air fuel ratio and possibly fuel and tank pressure gauges. I really contemplated making all one console, but I felt it would be a little too much of a bucket seat thing, and also I want to be able to have a 3rd person sit in the truck if I got in a pinch. So there will be some leg room left with having two consoles.

[99 to Life]

2-16 mon, so here is the cupholder/console for the air ride controller and gauges. These are dual needle so these two run all 4 bags. I'll have tank pressure gauge on its own under dash by steering column, along with a toggle switch to control the compressors manually if needed.

Started on my other more hidden console/cluster. I had a much more elaborate idea, but with lack of tools and already over planned hours on this build, I went with a simple effective design. I'll have 5 gauges down below where you'll just be able to see them from the drivers seat. So not too in your face and not too hidden. Vac, Oil, Temp, Volts and Fuel will go there. I'm planning on making a recessed shelf to hold say your phone or things like that. Up top on the console I'll have a usb and another ciglighter outlet. I'll most likely keep my air fuel ratio gauge up there outta site somewhat.

So like most things on this build. I got it ruffed in, just need to go back and button a million things up. I'm gonna paint the bigger console and might leave the cup holder one raw metal. I'm ditching this shifter too.

[Advanced Design]

That is a neat idea 99. Just lots of details on a build.....and a lotta hours.

[lower50's]

Your cup holder/console look great nice use of space!!

[99 to Life]

thanks guys, yeah lots of hours that is for sure. Only thing keeping my sanity is the fact that even if I had the truck done, I couldn't drive it outta the garage cause of the 3ft of snow built up in my compound. That and I have to work as fast the things I can afford per month. Catch 22 on all the metal repairs I made to the cab, doors etc. It gave me things to do with not having to spend a ton of money, but... it ate up a ton of hours. More hours I put in, the more I learn so its not a bad thing. Its just hard to imagine doing all the rest of the cars and trucks I have bc I know how long they take to do them right or to my liking.

[IWanna49]

All that time will build you a good rep for people looking for someone to build for them tho. Nice work on the console. I'm gonna steal a bunchl of your ideas!!

[99 to Life]

thanks 49'. its all about balance. You can take whatever ideas of mine you want. I'm considering a type of aftermarket gauge cluster on the next build. I hate the look of most all of them, but I could make my own face plate to keep it more original looking. that way it would save me alot of gauges in that console. Especially since I think the next build I'm doing an LS engine so all the sensors are electronic anyway.

[rusty76]

You're doing fine work. I enjoy reading your builds.

[oldman3]

Hey 99, what's going on, haven't heard from you in awhile, snowed it or what?...Jim

[99 to Life]

3-2 yeah I know I skipped a week on posting cause there weren't much pics. I'll start with this bunch. Finally painted my console thingy and started plumbing in the gauges. Still need my fuel gauge. Money is non existent right now. I added a usb/power port up top just for extra convenience for a phone charger etc. I also added an amber led light on both sides and top of the console which will be controlled by a toggle, so... if I want to really light up the interior I can. I'll also have some behind the seat etc.

I'm reposting the before pic so you can see how much of this console will be seen, basically not much at all. Carpet will come right up to it and I think it will blend in good.

[oldman3]

Pics a little dark, but looking good on the console...Jim

[99 to Life]

here is the LED light, not wired up. so I'll get a shot of that next week. Also here is my dock I made for under the dash so I can mount my HUBS for the negative and positive gauge wires. this makes life a ton easier. My friend thinks I'm nuts for wiring each pos and neg gauge wire on its own. I made it this way so you can pull the gauge out and diagnose or change it without disturbing the rest. I also have my Efan relay docked here and a power dist block.

I loomed dang near every wire, even if it was just a single wire. I ran a pos and neg main wire from the dock up through the door pillar and back to the battery, so I know I'll always have a solid ground and plenty of power to the front if I ever need to add anything. I also am labeling every wire I can.
I'v spent some time making custom harnesses for everything too. lotta wires to light up these 5 guages, the 3 bag gauges, air fuel gauge and then the tach and speedo.

Speaking of tach, I'm retrofitting one into the original gauge cluster. It will be very cool and I can't wait to get it done and show everyone. At a glance you'd think it was a stock speedometer.

[Advanced Design]

Prett trick wiring work 99! Appreciate the update.

[reaper71]

Coming along nicely...

[IWanna49]

Great attention to detail!

[lower50's]

Every thing is lookin good!!
Wiring takes a long time to do properly, anyone can twist some wires together and a bit of black tape.

[99 to Life]

3-7 sat. thank you gentleman. So today is one of those days where not much to show pic wise and or progress wise. I don't have alot of pics bc my phone is always full. So anyway, my bed was missing the DS stake pocket and the PS you can see it's mangled on the bottom. So I can't even mount my hinges for the tailgate. (which I have since done on the DS since I got the new pocket on). This is the story of my life with this build. Just so many things that normally wouldn't need addressed. So rather than shell out $75 for one I got it done and on. I actually just bolted it on. I really don't like that these were welded on. its a haven for rust.

I started working on my door panels that I'll be upholstering. I'll get some pics when I get them done. Also got a few things done on my tach conversion. Maybe I'll have a pic tomorrow. My garage leaks really bad with all this snow on the roof (flat roof). Can't wait for spring so I won't be soaked all the time and stop wasting money on heat!

[Advanced Design]

Nice save on the stake pocket. Maybe patch repair the right side, lower portion of the stake pocket?

Come on spring!

[oldman3]

99, nice job. I'm like both you guys, tired of the snow and cold, ready for spring...Jim

[lower50's]

I'll second that Oldman3

[99 to Life]

3-14 Finally some warm weather and rain. Just in time cause I was running outta places to put snow!

So the windshield was a disaster. Initially was giving me alot of fits. I finally put some bolts through the center to help it stay in place. Buddy of mind broke the driver side (can't see in pic), so I'm just getting get a whole new deal which is beyond annoying. I think everything I do on this truck I have to redo.

Got some bed wood in, nothing special right now. Gonna stain it later on and also going to try another wood version.

I did paint my cup holder and I'm really glad I did. I'll get some pics of that. Did some more wiring inside. Still chipping away. lotta work left still.