The building of "Monroe" 72 4x4 swb

[tutone]

Ol blue is officially 115" now. Got the rear mounts tacked on and headed to town for some bolts, nuts and welding rods. Yank the six next and in with the new eng/trans.

[tutone]

Well the prep work is pretty much finshed on the frame. Ready to hook up the brake line and cut off the gas lines to fit. Then a coat of paint and I can start cleaning the eng combo and set it in.

[tutone]

Got some black paint on the chassis. Engine install next.

[tutone]

Motor and tranny in. PS not hooked up yet because of brackets not fitting due to exhaust manifold change out. Gonna have to scavange a set of brackets pretty soon. Will degrease and wash the transmission as soon as these weekly bouts of weather let up.

[tutone]

A quick effort to get the cab back on before this next round of winter weather. Now I have some things I can do in the shop for the next couple of days.

[tutone]

Well the old shop truck is going back together. This winter project is spilling over into spring, but I am happy with the results so far. 7 out of 8 bed bolts dropped right in. The 8th took one hammer tap. That isn't too bad for the amount of hacking and cutting involved in shortening one. I still have to tack my back stake/supports and finish bolting them together, but It is a process. Here are a few shots of where I am at. Thanks to my buddy Jerry for his help setting the bed on and aligning.

[Getter-Done]

Nice Work

Looking Good

[tutone]

Thanks, worked on getting the tailights and stakes tacked today. Had a little work on the driver side to get a good gap. Working with the cheap aftermarket chrome makes me want to pull what's left of my hair out.

[tutone]

Funny how none of the aftermarket crap fits. I keep telling myself that its just a shop truck. The back is pretty much complete. I bought the lower tailgate trim but I think I will save it for another truck. The back wiring harness was a good investment all in all.

[Leonard1]

Just read the entire thread, and I must say that it doesn't do this truck justice. I've seen it in person a couple of times, and ol Tutone has done an excellent job on this little ride!

[tutone]

Thanks for the kind words. Just a few more days of wiring, brakes, and this and that and this puppy should fire off. Got the front end back on and still plugging away.

[tutone]

Well I've been piecing together the cooling system on this truck. Ended up getting a 4 core Champion radiator. Top hose from Advance for a 71 c10 fit like a glove. Bottom hose, forget it. Searched the forum and got a squarebody lower hose. No dice. Went with a flex hose and got it to fit. That's been holding me up this week. Rain moving in for 3 days, so maybe I can get this thing further along. I lack hooking up the starter and HEI to crank it. Next post , maybe she will come alive. Will let you guys in on it as soon as it does.

[Getter-Done]

Good deal

Part Numbers Please on that radiator stuff.

[tutone]

Will do on the part numbers. I will be out in the shop tomorrow and get some photos. Everything fit pretty good surprisingly.

[tutone]

Here are a couple of shots at the radiator and hose setup.
Champion 4 core radiator frm Southern Ky Classics
Upper hose from Advance Auto (part # in pic)
Lower flex hose from Auto zone.# 81351 Dayco
I think they are ugly but there isnt much choice right now.

[tutone]

Guys, this is the part of the build that nail biting takes over. One little victory at a time. Put the battery on, hooked it up, (no fire dept call), hit the key and she spins over. I will fill the radiator, wire up the hei, and rig up the throttle and cross my fingers that all this work wasn't in vain. I pulled it outside to do a little shop cleanup and took some glamour shots, or not. Drivers door has some WD40 on it. Gotta get that shiney mess off.

[chevytom7267]

Originally Posted by tutone

Hey guys, I am back in the game. Picked up a pile of good parts from a good buddy, some of which I sold him. It consists of a good long bed 4x4 k10 frame and a decent 72 cab. Of course there is a good reason for this build.
We are about to be grandparents for the first time and its a boy, Jackson Monroe. Paw is gonna build him a truck and if he hates it, he can sell it and buy something he likes. Going to shorten it to a 115" length and paint it in the 72 theme of white/black/ white. Lots of metal work, lots of hard work and I can't wait for him to ride in it. I have almost everything to assemble this thing, but I will make a few changes along. Stay tuned as I will post often and update progress. When I get it home, I will get some pics up here.

Cool truck!

[tutone]

Originally Posted by chevytom7267

Cool truck!

Thanks. I guess maybe a little update. I got the blue truck running, and it didn't take much. I really don't think the eng/trans sat long without use. Waiting on a shifter linkage kit, need to bleed brakes, you know ,all the little stuff to get it on the road. Won't be much longer.

[tutone]

Finally, got my shift linkage from Classic Industries in CA. About the only game in town it looks like. Got it on and adjusted today. It seems like the closer I get , the harder it is to get the parts to finish up with. Hopefully , I can get these brakes bled and get it to the exhaust shop soon.

[tutone]

Well today was epic for the old blue truck. I backed it out of the garage under its own power. Last Saturday at the swap meet at Super Chevy, I found enough rustic trim to finish it out. Still have to weld outers on it and put the hood on. Its off to the exhaust shop next and replace the rubber in front with the right size. Those are roller tires on the front. Here are some shots of her as it sits. The stance is good, brakes are good, PS feels great, and I am sure after a set of plugs, it will purr.

[Getter-Done]

Originally Posted by tutone

Well today was epic for the old blue truck. I backed it out of the garage under its own power. Last Saturday at the swap meet at Super Chevy, I found enough rustic trim to finish it out. Still have to weld outers on it and put the hood on. Its off to the exhaust shop next and replace the rubber in front with the right size. Those are roller tires on the front. Here are some shots of her as it sits. The stance is good, brakes are good, PS feels great, and I am sure after a set of plugs, it will purr.

Everything looks Great.

The hubcaps make it

That's just my Opinion

[tutone]

/\/\/\/\
Yes sir. I get it back tomorrow evening, I hope. Some days progress goes better. I have my lights working, dimmer, blinkers and dome.
No horn. No wipers. No fan motor. I will have to troubleshoot these items and get my gages working. One day at a time is the plan.
Hot Rod Reunion in Bowling Green on Father's day weekend. Gonna go to that one for sure.

[Getter-Done]

Originally Posted by tutone

/\/\/\/\
Yes sir. I get it back tomorrow evening, I hope. Some days progress goes better. I have my lights working, dimmer, blinkers and dome.
No horn. No wipers. No fan motor. I will have to troubleshoot these items and get my gages working. One day at a time is the plan.
Hot Rod Reunion in Bowling Green on Father's day weekend. Gonna go to that one for sure.

Maybe an issue at the fuse block?

The truck is looking great

[tutone]

I think the wiper issue is a switch problem. The fan motor is a broken fuse plus a switch, probably. Horn? Who knows. I will sort it out for sure. Got back from exhaust and it looks great, sounds good, and all tucked up under there like it should be. It is hit or miss in these parts on a custom job. All the old timers have retired and a lot of these young guys are learning how to bend pipe. Popping the ds door panel off next and putting on a mirror and another door handle, adjust the door, and off for the maiden voyage. I looked at the sticker on the old plate and it has been off the road since 1993. Another one saved.

[Low Elco]

Great work, I dig it!