pdx-sanity66

[pdxhall]

Today I installed the hood hinges and springs. I also finished polishing the housing for my trans temp gauge, put it all together and installed it under the dash. It still needs to be wired up as soon as I get a sender for it.

[The Rocknrod]

Cool housing you found. The whole thing is coming together nicely.

[pdxhall]

Thanks, it's been a long time but Sanity is finally close to being complete, except for paint. The housing was originally a clock that sat on the dash and I was going to just restore the clock but then I got to thinking....also, I knew it was cast aluminum so I decided to polish it rather than paint.

[Corts60]

Looking great buddy! I love that little housing.

[pdxhall]

I installed my seats and I'm working on my Craftsman tool box center console.

[cwcarpenter98]

That's a cool idea for the center console. Maybe add some cup holders off the front of it?

[pdxhall]

Originally Posted by Corts60

Looking great buddy! I love that little housing.

Thanks Cort. I couldn't pass it up.

Originally Posted by cwcarpenter98

That's a cool idea for the center console. Maybe add some cup holders off the front of it?

Thanks. I removed the piano hinge and reinforce the side a little and then hinge it so it tips back but won't be noticeable. i've got all the original hardware to put back on. Fun project so far. I hope it works out. I've been thinking on the cup holders. got to be there somewhere.

[LT7A]

Wow, this is quite a saga. I read your thread over the last couple of days and I'm very impressed. You have a calm way of going about the work you're doing and learning the necessary skills. The truck reflects your insistent efforts and is the quality of a project built by a good shop. I will enjoy following along now.

[pdxhall]

Originally Posted by LT7A

Wow, this is quite a saga. I read your thread over the last couple of days and I'm very impressed. You have a calm way of going about the work you're doing and learning the necessary skills. The truck reflects your insistent efforts and is the quality of a project built by a good shop. I will enjoy following along now.

WOW, thank you so much. you're comments mean a lot. There are only a handful of people that have seen Sanity in person and I am really proud how it's turning out. Things have slowed down a bit the last few weeks because of the heat wave we're having down here. I haven't had a chance to get some painting done on some critical parts right now and I'm waiting on new wheels to arrive.

[pdxhall]

I've been a little quiet for a couple of weeks but I've got a few things done. There's something I've been avoiding talking about because I feel like a fool for what happened. It started back when I was first firing up Sanity for the first times. I was running straight off of the manifolds so it was very limited and I needed to get some sort of exhaust on to continue running the engine. For some reason I was very reluctant to do it myself....so I did some research and trusted Sanity to a local exhaust shop. This is the first thing I have trusted to anybody to work on my truck except for the upholstery on the seats. Well, I got the job done, and you guessed it, it sucked. It didn't look so bad from the underside and I still had the old plywood bed on. When I took the bed off to replace it is when I got a real good look at the work. I can't live with it this way but I won't go in to details now. So I've torn most of the exhaust out and I'm in the process of buiding my own 2 1/2" exhaust. Two steps forward one step back.

[cwcarpenter98]

Dang, that sucks about the exhaust. I too have a not so great looking exhaust. It's something that I've wanted to do myself, just gotta find the time to do it. Your welding skills are better than mine though, so I'm sure it won't be too hard for you

[pdxhall]

Originally Posted by cwcarpenter98

Dang, that sucks about the exhaust. I too have a not so great looking exhaust. It's something that I've wanted to do myself, just gotta find the time to do it. Your welding skills are better than mine though, so I'm sure it won't be too hard for you

Thanks Christian, it's going pretty well. I've got it set up, now tear down for welding and add some hangers.
I got my new wheels today. 17x8. I had to try one on Sanity. I'm lovin' them.
Now to get tires and get them mounted.

[roll_the_dice]

Originally Posted by pdxhall

I've been a little quiet for a couple of weeks but I've got a few things done. There's something I've been avoiding talking about because I feel like a fool for what happened. It started back when I was first firing up Sanity for the first times. I was running straight off of the manifolds so it was very limited and I needed to get some sort of exhaust on to continue running the engine. For some reason I was very reluctant to do it myself....so I did some research and trusted Sanity to a local exhaust shop. This is the first thing I have trusted to anybody to work on my truck except for the upholstery on the seats. Well, I got the job done, and you guessed it, it sucked. It didn't look so bad from the underside and I still had the old plywood bed on. When I took the bed off to replace it is when I got a real good look at the work. I can't live with it this way but I won't go in to details now. So I've torn most of the exhaust out and I'm in the process of buiding my own 2 1/2" exhaust. Two steps forward one step back.

Sorry to hear about your exhaust. I just went yesterday to talk to a shop about exhaust. Like you no one has done anything to my truck but me. Now I am apprehensive. I hate to have anyone else do anything to my truck.

I hope you get your exhaust on soon and you will be better off for having done it yourself.

Love the new wheels!

[pdxhall]

Originally Posted by roll_the_dice

Sorry to hear about your exhaust. I just went yesterday to talk to a shop about exhaust. Like you no one has done anything to my truck but me. Now I am apprehensive. I hate to have anyone else do anything to my truck.

I hope you get your exhaust on soon and you will be better off for having done it yourself.

Love the new wheels!

Thanks, I'm a lot more pleased with it already. I would make sure the the shop uses mandrel bent tubing. That's just my opinion after this adventure.
I'm hoping to get some tires mounted on the wheels very soon. If anybody has any suggestions or favorites I would welcome them.

[88Stanger]

So i never went through your entire thread, i would read a page here to there, but damn i just did the entire thing today! What a crazy, fun and great adventure you have been having! Awesome work Sir!! Love to see what/where you started and where you are now... it great!

[pdxhall]

Originally Posted by 88Stanger

So i never went through your entire thread, i would read a page here to there, but damn i just did the entire thing today! What a crazy, fun and great adventure you have been having! Awesome work Sir!! Love to see what/where you started and where you are now... it great!

Thank you so much for the compliments and taking the time to read my thread. I started with not much of a budget, working full time, and being a single parent working in half of a two car garage. Now I have the best setup I could wish for but the older I get the tougher it gets but I can see the finish line and that keeps me motivated.

[pdxhall]

So, the exhaust project is getting close to completion. The welding went okay and like anything learned I got better as it went. The bad news is I got literally 3 in. left on the last piece and my mig gun bit the dust. I learned to weld on my little Eastwood 135 welder and I love it so I bought the replacement gun made for the welder. It went on fine and I'm ready to go. I still have to get some hangers on but I know where I'll put them. Here are a few pics of what I've been up to.

[roll_the_dice]

Congrats! Looks good. You have rams horn manifolds don't you? Can you show a picture of what you did coming out of the manifolds?

[pdxhall]

Thanks. The front of the exhaust from the x pipe to the manifolds is still the work of the muffler shop. It is useable for now but I will redo it after I get a few more pressing things done. What I can tell you is I discovered a few things while the front was being done. I ran into the only downside I have found from moving the engine 2 1/2" forward. It made the passenger side coming off the manifold tricky, I knew it might be more than I wanted to attempt and is the main reason I sent it to a shop. All in all I ended going to a mini-starter and they ran 2 14" pipe off the manifold to the x-pipe. When I redo the front I will stick with the 2 1/4 coming off the manifolds but I will switch to 2 1/2" as soon as I can. Right now I'm getting some hangers figured out and tailpipes.

[roll_the_dice]

Originally Posted by pdxhall

Thanks. The front of the exhaust from the x pipe to the manifolds is still the work of the muffler shop. It is useable for now but I will redo it after I get a few more pressing things done. What I can tell you is I discovered a few things while the front was being done. I ran into the only downside I have found from moving the engine 2 1/2" forward. It made the passenger side coming off the manifold tricky, I knew it might be more than I wanted to attempt and is the main reason I sent it to a shop. All in all I ended going to a mini-starter and they ran 2 14" pipe off the manifold to the x-pipe. When I redo the front I will stick with the 2 1/4 coming off the manifolds but I will switch to 2 1/2" as soon as I can. Right now I'm getting some hangers figured out and tailpipes.

Thanks, I knew we had the same manifolds and both moved the engine forward...so your truck is as close to my build as I have found so I watch yours closely as we are in similar stages also.

[pdxhall]

I had an accident with the clearance lights I planned on using. After carrying these things around with me for years I dropped one of the lens and broke it. If somebody has an extra one lying around that they'll part with I would pay a fair price for it. pics of the lens for match up.

[pdxhall]

It was a great day to pull Sanity out of the shop for some fresh air and a photo op with the new wheels and tires. I expect another inch or so drop as I add the hood, the glass, the bed wood and the tailgate and any settling of the springs.

[pdxhall]

I've been working on wiring and test fit on the rear lights and tailgate. I painted the light housings with a clear coat and then a highly reflective chrome like paint on the fronts. All light assemblies are originals to Sanity. I have been finishing up the rear electrical and I am restoring the original bezels to a brushed look. The rear bumper will be either painted white or rechromed. I had to slightly modify the 67-72 rear bumper brackets to fit and the they bolted up to the original holes in the frame. The tailgate was a real pain to get on by myself and the help of my cherry picker.

[LostMy65]

Looking oh so good.
Perfect stance.

[pdxhall]

Originally Posted by LostMy65

Looking oh so good.
Perfect stance.

Thanks my friend.
I'm happy to report that I found a replacement for my broken clearance light lens so I'm back in business on that project. I'm almost done wiring the taillights and I'm working on the tail pipes. I'll try to post some more pics later.