Not Another Rebuild Thread....

[Captainfab]

I really enjoyed being able to visit with you and your wife and the show. Yeah I think we all got a good 'thawing out'

That was very cool that you were asked to be the pace car at SRP. I'm glad to see you made it back even though it also means back to work for you both.

[McMurphy]

Originally Posted by CRGRS 66

Well McMurph, a hearty welcome back!

Thanks !!

Originally Posted by Chad215

wow, welcome back- that was so cool to be the pace car, not many folks can say they have had that kind of experience! Bet your lady really enjoyed it too.

It was an honor to do it, and moreso in uniform.
Good memories all around !!

Originally Posted by Modges'66

WELCOME BACK!!!
Now get to work on your truck!!
Ha-Ha!

Yes dear.....

Originally Posted by flips72

welcome back, i bet the pace car experience was awesome now like modge said get to work

Yes dear .... Hahahah

Originally Posted by C@rnut001

Cool pictures of your pace car experience! Thanks for sharing and good luck getting back at your build!

wow you guys are a progress hungry pack!!

Originally Posted by Captainfab

I really enjoyed being able to visit with you and your wife and the show. Yeah I think we all got a good 'thawing out'

That was very cool that you were asked to be the pace car at SRP. I'm glad to see you made it back even though it also means back to work for you both.

Thanks John, it was fantastic to get to meet you too. Thanks for hanging out and visiting, too bad it was almost too hot to really relax and roam around looking at the cars.

So....
Not only did I accomplish a task of rebuilding a 20x25 hay shed that the roof had collapsed on back in 2009, but I also got an awesome deal on a 15 year old CASE 580SK Turbo backhoe. Ahhhh the things I will do with that bad boy!!

I also picked up this old man for $650....



It is a 1955 two ton dump bed. I doubt there is much I can do with the engine, it is a IL6 of unknown size, but the spark plugs were pulled out of it some time ago, so it probably wont even turn. But that is Ok. It will be an after retirement project and by then I will most likely be dropping a diesel in it.




This is my Tempest sitting on a bridge across one of our creeks on the land we are going to retire on.


This is my wife's 1972 LeMans Sport fresh from the restoration. It is still missing the GTO fin on the back that it is supposed to have but they are on back order and her old one was cracked very badly so we did not have it put back on.

[McMurphy]

The truck is very solid, and except for the driver side wing window all the glass is there and intact. The plan is for it to be a primary farm truck, with a secondary mission of getting our cars to shows in the Seattle-Portland and Boise-Missoula areas. The hope is to be able to hook up to a 20 foot tilt bed trailer we got, and drive one car up onto the truck, and trailer the other behind, hence the plan for a diesel engine upgrade.

But time will tell...

On a build note for my 66 Stepside here, I just bought a plasma cutter last night to help with body work and all that fabbing stuff I been doing. Last weekend was my 49th birthday, so as much as I really wanted to get out on my truck, celebrating that took presidence....at my wife's insistance.
So gotta make the wife happy ~some times~ I guess.

A few more pics of the vacation and I will stop, I promise.

This is the shed walls that we were able to salvage from the roof cave in, after we cleaned it all out and were in the midst of pouring concrete footers for the new pillar posts.



We used 6x6s for the pillars, and strung 3 headers made from 2x10s left to right across the back, middle, and front. Then we hung 2x6s between those with 3/8 press board roof, tar paper, sealer, and then the roofing tin.



All done here! If this roof caves in, I quit !!!!
Next year I will put in the man-door and partial wall on the left side, and am going to do a car sized awning door on the right. (awning door will swing up and have legs so when fully open will be an awning or "car port" kind of set up)


This spot is just a few paces from where our camper sits, and yes, I do keep my beer in the creek !!



This is the 7 foot waterfall on the other creek, this is about as low as it gets in high summer. About 40 feet past this water fall as you see it in the picture is the bridge where I shot the pic of the Tempest.


Anyways, enough of the boring you all with my bragging.... it was 30 days of pure bliss and we hate to leave it every time!!
Next stop there will be in May, when we go back and we will be doing Bloomsday!!

As always, thanks for taking a look you guys!

[markeb01]

Other than the cosmetics of paint the 55 looks to be a nice solid truck. I love the photo of the Pontiac on the bridge. Other than us not having a bridge, it looks almost identical to our old driveway in Idaho. Whoever did the work on your wife’s car did a beautiful job. Are you ever going to go back to pure stock with original wheels, or just keep it fun like it is?

I’m glad to see you made it home safely, even if vacation is over. The months between now and retirement should go really fast though.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

And the photos are hardly boring, those are very cool. Thanks for sharing. That bench next to the “crick” looks very inviting.

[Captainfab]

Happy belated birthday Mike

You have a very nice piece of property to retire on......I am a little jealous.

I am glad to see the body guy got your wife's LeMans done before you had to leave. The way he was talking at the show, I didn't think it was going to happen that soon. It looks awesome.

[C@rnut001]

Thanks for sharing your vacation pics...it is great to see what you got done and where you will retire. The 55 looks like a solid truck to build up for farm and towing use. I have to say that your wife's LeMans is an awesome ride! I also have to say it was great to see how you cool your beer....LOL... Anyway, thanks for sharing and we like seeing your cars and where you all will retire. Keep it up and keep the wife happy, you can tell that she supports your habit for cars and trucks...(some are not so lucky....).

[Chad215]

Congratulations on the retirement spread, looks really nice. I'm definitely jealous.

[CRGRS 66]

Thanks for sharing McMurph! Beer cooling in the stream... very cool!

[Bomp]

Happy belated birthday. Got to meet up with ya when you come down to Portland. Im an hour south.
Love the property just don't know how you got a piece of Heaven.
Posted via Mobile Device

[McMurphy]

Originally Posted by markeb01

Other than the cosmetics of paint the 55 looks to be a nice solid truck. I love the photo of the Pontiac on the bridge. Other than us not having a bridge, it looks almost identical to our old driveway in Idaho. Whoever did the work on your wife’s car did a beautiful job. Are you ever going to go back to pure stock with original wheels, or just keep it fun like it is?

I’m glad to see you made it home safely, even if vacation is over. The months between now and retirement should go really fast though.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

And the photos are hardly boring, those are very cool. Thanks for sharing. That bench next to the “crick” looks very inviting.

The 55 has some damage, looks to be a tree fell on it at some point and dented the hood and the p-side of the cab. With all that I am learning on this 66 build, I think I can repair it all. The plan is to buff out the original paint, shoot some rattle can flat black for accents, and concentrate on the power and drive ability of it.
Trish wants the classic Cragar SS rims eventually, but she really likes the turbines that are on there. You know me, I dont mind them, but I would not hesitate to dress them up some either!
23 Months till retirement, unless the Army gets wise and promotes me!
If you think that "crick" looks inviting, just wait till I get the swimming pond fully dug out! Next year you gotta stop by and join me down there for one of those beers !!

Originally Posted by Captainfab

Happy belated birthday Mike

You have a very nice piece of property to retire on......I am a little jealous.

I am glad to see the body guy got your wife's LeMans done before you had to leave. The way he was talking at the show, I didn't think it was going to happen that soon. It looks awesome.

Oh yeah, it was a close call on getting the car!!
She got to drive it for 2 whole days !!! and it still isnt done yet.... All in all though, he did incredible work and aside from it running 5k over the initial quote, I really could not be happier with the quality work he did on it. Next year while we are up there he will install the fin and then it will be complete!

Originally Posted by C@rnut001

Thanks for sharing your vacation pics...it is great to see what you got done and where you will retire. The 55 looks like a solid truck to build up for farm and towing use. I have to say that your wife's LeMans is an awesome ride! I also have to say it was great to see how you cool your beer....LOL... Anyway, thanks for sharing and we like seeing your cars and where you all will retire. Keep it up and keep the wife happy, you can tell that she supports your habit for cars and trucks...(some are not so lucky....).

Carnut, if you ever get a chance to come down to Spokane, I would hope you look me up! You are among many of the guys on this site that would be MOST welcome to pull a beer out of my creek !! LOL

Originally Posted by Chad215

Congratulations on the retirement spread, looks really nice. I'm definitely jealous.

Thanks Chad, but really, if you cannot dream of something nice, then what the heck is all that hard work for ?!?!?!?!?!?

Originally Posted by CRGRS 66

Thanks for sharing McMurph! Beer cooling in the stream... very cool!

Come up and pull one out man, we will toast the board and all the great builds here that bring us together !!

Originally Posted by Bomp

Happy belated birthday. Got to meet up with ya when you come down to Portland. Im an hour south.
Love the property just don't know how you got a piece of Heaven.
Posted via Mobile Device

I would love that Bomp, but if we get within arms reach of your build, we may never leave... the work you do is incredible. You make me feel like a sell out when I use any bondo at all ! LOL


Ok so... I was not sure where to start on my build, but then I had an epiphany and realized it would behoove me to roll this bad boy out and hit it with the pressure washer before the snow flies, or suffer the dust and dirt like I did last winter with the rest of the frame, body, and well everything !
So this is the first time in a year it has been outside!
comeing up on one whole year of ownership this month !! Wow the things I have done, and what I have yet to do !!


So yesterday I was working on my dash extension, just putzing around with it doing some hammer and dolly work to make it better, and today picked it back up....until the wife came down and offered to help.
I put her on grinder detail for the trailing arms until about 10 minutes into it she asked "How hard would it be to take these off so I can work on them better?"
So we found out how hard (not) and totally tore the rear suspension apart !!


I looked at this and thought, man I never would have belived I would tear a vehicle apart as much as I have this truck !! Man this is fun !!!


Rolled out the rear end, started taking it apart for new brake lines, cleaning and paint.


Well at this point, if everything is going to get paint, then EVERYTHING is going to get paint !!! I have decided that I do not like rust, and even a crappy paint job will protect better than bare metal so ......



Tomorrow is get some parts, and haul the transmission in to get all the right parts for it. Going to need a flywheel, clutch plate, clutch...and other stuff I dont really know about yet.
Then it will be time to the drop engine in !

Thanks for looking guys!

[flips72]

truck is looking great, glad your back at it. and by the way, absolutly love the retirement spot it looks very peaceful and quite.

[Bomp]

Thats the way,,,,,,,Jump in with both feet,,,,,Never look back,,,,,,ENJOY,,BUILD,,FABRICATE
and a good motor/assembly manual helps too.
I envy your enthusiasm.
Great work!

[C@rnut001]

Great progress man! Keep it up. If I ever get down your way, I will have to look you up. Your work looks good and it was a great idea to get her cleaned up and ready for all of your work this winter.

[clemdaddy]

Come up and pull one out man, we will toast the board and all the great builds here that bring us together !!

man, ain't that the truth...




with the pressure washer before the snow flies, or suffer the dust and dirt like I did last winter with the rest of the frame, body, and well everything !

snow flies... it's still summer, isn't it? you're right, its time to put in the firewood. damn, it goes too quick.

[McMurphy]

Originally Posted by flips72

truck is looking great, glad your back at it. and by the way, absolutly love the retirement spot it looks very peaceful and quite.

thanks Flips, we absolutley love it there and cannot wait to retire onto it.

Originally Posted by Bomp

Thats the way,,,,,,,Jump in with both feet,,,,,Never look back,,,,,,ENJOY,,BUILD,,FABRICATE
and a good motor/assembly manual helps too.
I envy your enthusiasm.
Great work!

And I envy your skills man !! Thanks for the encouragement, it helps some days more than I can say!

Originally Posted by C@rnut001

Great progress man! Keep it up. If I ever get down your way, I will have to look you up. Your work looks good and it was a great idea to get her cleaned up and ready for all of your work this winter.

come on down Carnut! I keep beer cold in the frige and coffee in the pot! We will stand around and talk shop !!

Originally Posted by clemdaddy

... it's still summer, isn't it? you're right, its time to put in the firewood. damn, it goes too quick.

too dang quick if you ask me!

**********************************************************

Pretty sure the only thing I need now for my power train is a transmission cross member.

I am not 100% sure my welding skills are good enough for me to make one, though I am kicking that idea around.
I am also going to cut the [ < () > ] in my center cross member to pass my exhaust thru like I have seen some guys do [ <o()o> ] ... you get the idea .... and I want the tranny mount to clear that mod as well.

Any suggestions?

I am thinking about the Camaro headers for exhaust by the way....

In the garage right now I am working on finishing up my rear end work, I am really digging it, just need to get another brake line fitted. I had to stop the other night because I was not giving the paint enough time to dry. Grrrrrrrr

After the rear end is re-installed, I will assemble my transmission and marry it up to the motor.

Ahhhh the best is yet to come !

[chad64chevy]

well thanks for check in on me mike, happy b-day and tell the wife happy b-day as well!! you have some really nice cars as well as land, when ever you come to oklahoma you have to let me know!! i got my wiring harness today i was surprized, i didnt think i would get it for another week!!

if you go with shorty headers or mid-length headers you will be ok to run your exhaust thru you trailer arm crossmember, as long as your exhaust doesnt hang below your frame you wont have to make to many bends in it! what kind of trans do you have?? there are some you can buy pretty cheap that will bolt right in!!

[Modges'66]

Looking very good!
Glad to see that you are back at it!
You gotta cherish the fact that your wifey digs it too!...How cool is that!
you have a good gig going there, Keep her happy!

[CRGRS 66]

Hey McMurph, nice to see you chiming in here and there, and nice to see some pictures of your truck. I will be starting a thread in the near future for the work I have planned this winter, then you can pester me for updates

[McMurphy]

Originally Posted by chad64chevy

well thanks for check in on me mike, happy b-day and tell the wife happy b-day as well!! you have some really nice cars as well as land, when ever you come to oklahoma you have to let me know!! i got my wiring harness today i was surprized, i didnt think i would get it for another week!!

if you go with shorty headers or mid-length headers you will be ok to run your exhaust thru you trailer arm crossmember, as long as your exhaust doesnt hang below your frame you wont have to make to many bends in it! what kind of trans do you have?? there are some you can buy pretty cheap that will bolt right in!!

I have a 4 speed muncie 20 I am bolting in. It has the bolt holes at the end of it like an automatic does, so I figure a common cross member will work. If worse comes to worse I will try making one.

Originally Posted by Modges'66

Looking very good!
Glad to see that you are back at it!
You gotta cherish the fact that your wifey digs it too!...How cool is that!
you have a good gig going there, Keep her happy!

She says I do....
We had a little birthday for her last weekend with a few friends, and while I was getting local coaching for my tranny rebuild I came across 15x8" Crager SS rims for her car for $300. Never been mounted with the lug nuts still in the bag, I figured I could not pass on that deal, and they are what she has always wanted for her LeMans.

Originally Posted by CRGRS 66

Hey McMurph, nice to see you chiming in here and there, and nice to see some pictures of your truck. I will be starting a thread in the near future for the work I have planned this winter, then you can pester me for updates

It will be pretty cool to see what you come up with in your thread !! I look forward to it!

[fryer1979]

Beautiful Pontiacs you've got, I especially love the Tempest and the fact that you aren't trying to call it a GTO. Very cool! And the pickup looks like it's coming along nicely as well, keep at it my friend!

[likaroc13]

It's cool that your wife is right there digging into it with you. You both have very nice rides . As I was just reading & catching up on your build, I realize once again how much I enjoy these builds that are much like a life story. Since redoing my build thread, I'm trying to do the same. I think "Markeb01" does a very nice job detailing things in his build that make it more like reading a novel (& i'm typically not a big reader )...& I think you're another that does this well, along with many other guys here. It's nice to take a glimpse into the life of the person sitting behind that computer, possibly thousands of miles away, who shares the same passion for automobiles & other things in life. I think it just makes it more personal, & you feel like you get to know that "invisible" person better...and if you're fortunate like some of us (hopefully all at some point), you'll get a chance via this forum to meet some of these fellow members in person someday.

Good luck with your continued progress!

[clemdaddy]

Originally Posted by likaroc13

It's cool that your wife is right there digging into it with you. You both have very nice rides . As I was just reading & catching up on your build, I realize once again how much I enjoy these builds that are much like a life story. Since redoing my build thread, I'm trying to do the same. I think "Markeb01" does a very nice job detailing things in his build that make it more like reading a novel (& i'm typically not a big reader )...& I think you're another that does this well, along with many other guys here. It's nice to take a glimpse into the life of the person sitting behind that computer, possibly thousands of miles away, who shares the same passion for automobiles & other things in life. I think it just makes it more personal, & you feel like you get to know that "invisible" person better...and if you're fortunate like some of us (hopefully all at some point), you'll get a chance via this forum to meet some of these fellow members in person someday.

Good luck with your continued progress!

dang, that was poetic. very well said... x2, and i don't use this little yellow guy often.

[Modges'66]

I don't see any new pics of shhtuff goin on over here...Whats the hold-up? LOL!

[CRGRS 66]

Originally Posted by Modges'66

I don't see any new pics of shhtuff goin on over here...Whats the hold-up? LOL!

kinda hafta agree, but I guess that I am not really in a position to talk now am I

[McMurphy]

Originally Posted by fryer1979

Beautiful Pontiacs you've got, I especially love the Tempest and the fact that you aren't trying to call it a GTO. Very cool! And the pickup looks like it's coming along nicely as well, keep at it my friend!

Thank you Fryer, I take that as a high compliment indeed! I am no purist by any stretch, I suppose if Hollywood approached me to use one of my rigs in a period piece, I would rethink it all; but for the most part no.
I came to realize one day with my original Tempest Custom that there were a lot fewer of the Tempest and LeMans at car shows than there were GTOs and clones. I would rather build or make something great, than imitate it. (for the most part... LOL)

Originally Posted by likaroc13

It's cool that your wife is right there digging into it with you. You both have very nice rides . As I was just reading & catching up on your build, I realize once again how much I enjoy these builds that are much like a life story. Since redoing my build thread, I'm trying to do the same. I think "Markeb01" does a very nice job detailing things in his build that make it more like reading a novel (& i'm typically not a big reader )...& I think you're another that does this well, along with many other guys here. It's nice to take a glimpse into the life of the person sitting behind that computer, possibly thousands of miles away, who shares the same passion for automobiles & other things in life. I think it just makes it more personal, & you feel like you get to know that "invisible" person better...and if you're fortunate like some of us (hopefully all at some point), you'll get a chance via this forum to meet some of these fellow members in person someday.

Good luck with your continued progress!

I know I am a pretty lucky guy, just as I know a lot of you out there have to beg, borrow, or sneak your time into the garage to work on your builds. I try to never take it for granted, even though it can be kind of spoiling me...
As for the story telling I have to look to Alan, MarkB, and Flips72 as they were the ones I recall the strongest for adding the human and living of life elements to their threads.
Me on the hand, I just like to write....

Originally Posted by clemdaddy

dang, that was poetic. very well said... x2, and i don't use this little yellow guy often.

I agree !!

Originally Posted by Modges'66

I don't see any new pics of shhtuff goin on over here...Whats the hold-up? LOL!

I did not get anything done, but now I do have some stuff done... here are your pics!!

Originally Posted by CRGRS 66

kinda hafta agree, but I guess that I am not really in a position to talk now am I

Your comments are always welcome here!
Like Modges and all the other guys, it is very motivating to know someone is actually reading this junk I put up here !!

**********************************************************

So when I took my rear-diff cover off I had to massage it some from being dented up on the bottom edge. So to prevent that, and to give me a place to put my jack, I welded on a plate with a gusset under it for support.


Then I rolled that mess back up under the frame that I cleaned up and painted, and bolted all that back up again. The only addition I made to the stock set up was lock washers on the ends of the U-bolts. Better safe than sorry!


Just a different view, like I told the wife today; I may not be able to make it work right, but I can make it pretty!
Yeah, she just laughed at me too ......
You can see the jack plate I made too. The gusset or brace is 2x2 square tubing I cut at angle. Nothing NASA here folks, sorry.


Well I meant to get my transmission married up to the engine today and REALLY have something to share, but alas, I was ganked by the guys at NAPA. The fly wheel I got was right diameter, right tooth count, wrong diameter for the crank shaft and bolt pattern to mount it on.... Talk about a disappointment !!

So then I got to looking at my power brake set up (I installed fresh rubber lines to the front calipers today too which put my mind in that frame). I had kept the steel lines from the donor rig, and in my tool buying frenzy I remembered I picked up a tube flare tool at some long lost garage sale. As soon as I found my tubing cutter I started dinking around with those steel lines.


I thought it turned out pretty good, especially after I polished up the lines like chrome. (sorry no picture of that yet as I had to disassemble all this and shoot some paint)


I got a plasma cutter a couple weeks ago, but really had not used it yet. So today I cut some 1/4 inch plate into some lifting shackles for the engine. I got it off the engine stand (to mount up my tranny) today and they worked great! I need to shoot a pic of them done which I forgot to do before I employed them.

I will save that for a raniy day, tomorrows post is going to be something special ..... well ...... special to me I suppose !!
See you then !