49 ls1

[DeanTX]

Glad to see you back Chris. I've got a lot of help and ideas from your posts with my '51 S10 swap project.

[rustytruck50]

Welcome back! Hope all is well as can be!

[Advanced Design]

Chris, good to see you back and posting!

[oossuuu754]

Chris it was so good to hear your voice today. You truly made my day! Cecil is great and I promise someday I will bring him back to you and we will go drive him! God Bless you and thank you again for your service to our country!
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[skymangs]

And a big thank you to Sean sparks for starting that gofundme page.

[Big Daddy Bear]

Welcome back!

[MIKESAD50]

Glad to see you getting back. Glad your doing better.

[STOCKISH]

MAN! Glad to se youre doing better. Sorry to hear about the mishap. Hope all is good with you.

[LEEVON]

Chris! Glad you're posting again. I saw you in Ottawa, glad you made it out. You haven't left our thoughts. Leevon

[BC Toy chest]

Just been reading your thread and did not expect to see what happened as I came up on your last 2 pages. God bless you and your family Bro and wish you complete recovery.

[Robert Andrew]

Originally Posted by skymangs

So I wound up cutting the ends of the 55 dash off, then integrating them into the doors, so that when you close them the dash becomes wrap around. I think it looks kinda trick, but there's a helluva lot of metalwork left to do!

I bought a 59 pickup dash for my 51 today, because I was impressed with your adaptation, and I have a few questions. I love the AD pickups, but the dash doesn't really appeal to me, and I love the 55-59 dash, especially with the ends wrapped onto the doors.

It appears that you have welded the wrap around ends to the door panel, which then makes the window surround trim impossible to remove. How did you engineer that so the window surround can be removed?

Are you eliminating the rubber weather stripping that seals the inside of the door to the door jamb?

Thanks,

[steve aleve]

Hey Skymangs,

I wanted to check with you to see what the track width is on the front end of your frame. I have read that a camaro sub is about 2.5 inches wider than the stock track width and I wanted to see if you had to do anything different to get those wheels to fit. Thanks again for your help! You have always been amazing and willing to help everyone!

[skymangs]

Originally Posted by steve aleve

Hey Skymangs,

I wanted to check with you to see what the track width is on the front end of your frame. I have read that a camaro sub is about 2.5 inches wider than the stock track width and I wanted to see if you had to do anything different to get those wheels to fit. Thanks again for your help! You have always been amazing and willing to help everyone!

not sure what the track width is, trucks in mo and i'm in ia. just don't make it to low and you'll be fine. no rub as long as the suspension is aired up. i run a 17x7 up front.

[skymangs]

Originally Posted by Robert Andrew

I bought a 59 pickup dash for my 51 today, because I was impressed with your adaptation, and I have a few questions. I love the AD pickups, but the dash doesn't really appeal to me, and I love the 55-59 dash, especially with the ends wrapped onto the doors.

It appears that you have welded the wrap around ends to the door panel, which then makes the window surround trim impossible to remove. How did you engineer that so the window surround can be removed?

Are you eliminating the rubber weather stripping that seals the inside of the door to the door jamb?

Thanks,

i welded the dash ends directly to the window trim, there is one sheet metal screw in the bottom half attaching it to the actual door. for exactly that reason. be advised this mod is not for the faint of heart, it's a whole lot of work but man does it look cool when finished.

[steve aleve]

Thanks!!!

[Wyattdog2]

Originally Posted by skymangs

So I decided to mock up the 5.3 in the engine bay to see where I was at, and where I'd have to cut. I mounted it about 2 inches higher than I would have for a 350, so I can use the stock pan. Since this truck will get bagged, I don't want anything hanging below that crossmember.

Initially I had about 3.5" of clearance between the wp pulley and the rad. I'm looking for about 5". Rather than buy a different accessory drive, I decided a 2" recessed firewall was a good option. So I made some rough cuts, bolted on the trans, and blocked it in position.

what radiator did you use? I have same combo but also want dual elect fans and not finding anything that I think will fit. my firewall is not cut but the motor is very close.

[skymangs]

Originally Posted by Wyattdog2

what radiator did you use? I have same combo but also want dual elect fans and not finding anything that I think will fit. my firewall is not cut but the motor is very close.

I used speedway’s 19x22 universal rad w/ pass inlet/outlet. For the fan I used a single hayden 16", that’s one thing I’ve learned, not to skimp on fans. I only use hayden 16" now.

[Wyattdog2]

Originally Posted by skymangs

So I wound up cutting the ends of the 55 dash off, then integrating them into the doors, so that when you close them the dash becomes wrap around. I think it looks kinda trick, but there's a helluva lot of metalwork left to do!

That dash is very cool! You said you useded a speedway universal 19 x 22 radiator? Those are 22 wide it looks like, I did not think that would fit. Did you remove the flange of the support on the inside to fit it?

[skymangs]

Originally Posted by Wyattdog2

That dash is very cool! You said you useded a speedway universal 19 x 22 radiator? Those are 22 wide it looks like, I did not think that would fit. Did you remove the flange of the support on the inside to fit it?

It is 19" wide, you’ll have to trim the backside of the core support.

[joedoh]

not to disagree, but the speedway rad is 22" wide and just barely fits in the (trimmed) core support. its listed at that width on speedways site.

one thing I dont like about the speedway rads is that they use the same end tanks as wider (32-40") rads, which on a wider rad needs the lower hose pointed at the water pump. but using it on a 22" rad, that angled hose fitting points at the harmonic balancer.

I used an aluminum rad on the last 41 I did and the 19x22 was just barely too wide for the 41 core support, searching on ebay I found a 19x21 rad, and another benefit was that the lower hose outlet was straight and not pointed at the lower pulley.

if you think you will run a stock mechanical fan, it will be very tough to get the rad in a good spot to do that, the way it mounted in mine the fan would have cut the lower hose in half. I used a 16" electric puller on that truck.

[skymangs]

Originally Posted by w70442

You're welcome. Good luck on the compressor work around. I just broke down and bought their compressor. One less thing to deal with. I'm creating enough of my own issues with the ideas I have for my build.
Interesting that you wrapped the dash around on the doors. I believe you did it cause the dash you installed originally did it but I was thinking of extending the AD dash around onto the door like that just cause I think it would add a little more modern/custom look.
Rock on........

On the Compressor, my kids truck has been running an R4 pancake for 8 years and one of my other builds uses the stock denso compressor and a Vintage Air compac and he reports no issues in 5 years! I think that myth is definitely Busted! I think that’s just something Vintage Air says to sell Compressors.

[Jesse49chevy]

Originally Posted by skymangs

I just wanted to share this, I found this beautiful steering column on ebay. I checked into the company before I bought. I just couldn't believe an aftermarket tilt column for $160. They are based in Iowa, 100% locally made, and had great ebay feedback, so I took a chance. Column arrived today, couldn't be more pleased with the fit and finish of the column. Tilt, brand new 4-way and turn signal switch, it even came with billet knobs on all the levers. Totally impressed, well worth not having to re-work junkyard columns!

What length is this column? What brand is it?
Great job by the way.. Love all that you have done...

[skymangs]

It’s a 30" Gearhead motors from eBay

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by skymangs

I am back, and posting again. Thank you Sean for setting up the gofundme site. It really did help. Thank you again. I'll be calling later today. I hope you're still happy with your truck.

Soooo happy you're back bro.

[skymangs]

Originally Posted by Gregski

Soooo happy you're back bro.

Thank you, I’m so happy to be back! The alternative is unthinkable! Almost got me, but I managed to squeak by!