"52 3600/3100"

[Mains52]

Got this baby on the way!! Can't wait to get it on. I was told I could have a garage day this weekend so I plan on prepping the frame and getting the boxing plates at least tacked on.

[whitedog76]

Originally Posted by Mains52

Got this baby on the way!! Can't wait to get it on. I was told I could have a garage day this weekend so I plan on prepping the frame and getting the boxing plates at least tacked on.

Spoken like a true family man. LOL.

Is that the CPP unit?

[Mains52]

Originally Posted by whitedog76

Spoken like a true family man. LOL.

Is that the CPP unit?

It’s from a place called Bro-Speed on eBay they have a ton of stuff. It was 160.99 free shipping. They sell them specific for each vehicle. Got some pics to post of my boxing plates I made and tacked in during my garage time on Saturday. My phone posts them side ways so I’ll have to wait until Tuesday when I’m at work to post the pics. Family man is for sure had to take two weeks off the truck dang near and order parts and wait while I did the flooring and trim in the upstairs. Good news is that I get to use a portion of my annual bonus to get the front end finished.
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[Mains52]

Updated boxing plate pics. My welder says I need 030 wire to weld the 1/8 plates so with my 023 I just tacked them in place to get them in there. only used a cutting wheel and barely a half to get them cut out. I thought for sure it was going to use all of my cutting wheels. I like how they turned cant wait to get them fully welded in and the MII put in. I also wire wheeled behind where the boxing plates went and threw some rust reformer paint on the frame for some extra protection down the road.

[Erics51chevy]

Your frame looks great. Not much pitting like mine. I used 3/16 flat plate for my boxing plates with a bevel on the ends. Just because thats the width of my frame. If you havent, check out weld through primer. Spray it on the back of the plate your welding and the frame so there isnt any porosity created by the paint, and its protected from rust.

[Mains52]

Originally Posted by Erics51chevy

Your frame looks great. Not much pitting like mine. I used 3/16 flat plate for my boxing plates with a bevel on the ends. Just because thats the width of my frame. If you havent, check out weld through primer. Spray it on the back of the plate your welding and the frame so there isnt any porosity created by the paint, and its protected from rust.

Yeah I’m really pumped on how nice the frame is. I am going get on order some weld through primer. I should have before I racked these but when I get a minute I’m the garage I get out there and try to finish something

[Erics51chevy]

I hear that! There's never enough time. Spraying some on the backside through a hole in the frame will be good enough. Lowes or home depot has .030 welding spools. Not weld through primer though.

[Mains52]

Originally Posted by Erics51chevy

I hear that! There's never enough time. Spraying some on the backside through a hole in the frame will be good enough. Lowes or home depot has .030 welding spools. Not weld through primer though.

I have .030 for my flux core but I just got my Gas Mig working decent and wanted to stick with it but since my crossmember comes this weekend it will be hard for me to not switch it over and just weld it.

[Mains52]

Got my crossmember in the mail today. This thing looks great. It also came with boxing plates to my surprise. I am very pleased and cant wait to get this baby on. Should have a rolling front end by the end of March.

[joedoh]

woop woop! looks good

[dsraven]

stick with the gas shielded mig, better weld. also the 030 will be better. take a deep breath and polish some chrome somewhere, haha.
nice parts.

[dsraven]

1 thing you could do while you wait is find some DOM tubing and fab up a re-inforcing "tube" for the power control arm shaft. it would go between the front and rear of the crossmember and be just as wide as the inside edges of the lower control arm and have the same inside diameter as the lower control arm pivot shaft. it would help support the control arm better. maybe your kit came with that I also install a tab on the frame to suport the rear of that shaft.maybe overkill, but thats me.

[Erics51chevy]

Boxing plates the same thickness as yours?

[Mains52]

Originally Posted by dsraven

1 thing you could do while you wait is find some DOM tubing and fab up a re-inforcing "tube" for the power control arm shaft. it would go between the front and rear of the crossmember and be just as wide as the inside edges of the lower control arm and have the same inside diameter as the lower control arm pivot shaft. it would help support the control arm better. maybe your kit came with that I also install a tab on the frame to suport the rear of that shaft.maybe overkill, but thats me.

I will be doing that after I get my Control Arms the kit I am looking at comes with the tube pre-cut and the tab also. Thanks

[Mains52]

Originally Posted by Erics51chevy

Boxing plates the same thickness as yours?

Boxing plates are 3/16 and mine are 1/8. I may change them out but the frame is 1/8 and that's what they use on the TRUCKS show so I figure its safe. I'm not sure yet I was kind of proud of myself for being able to make them myself. I know its just a simple flat piece of steel but the self pride you get from just doing it makes ya happy haha.

[Mains52]

Ok fellas a little update after a long hiatus. So my buddy bought a 69 camaro around the same time I bought my truck just under 3 years ago. 40k$ later, yesterday he told me he was taking off for the Power Tour in that camaro. Granted he only has a wife that doesn't touch his paychecks and no kids, this made me feel like such a loser for the fact that he bought a shell and built a possibly 100k$ car from the ground up in the same amount of time that I have switched frames three times and went back and forth on what I wanted to do. I am still way off of being on the street.
So all that being said I have set a goal to have the truck on the road by my birthday next year in 2019 and intend on making that goal. I started buying some parts again and as soon as I get time I will be busting ass on the truck. I went back to racing Motocross again after a 5 year break and have been doing pretty decent so its taking up a lot of my time and money also.
I won an auction from speedway on ebay for a set of drop spindles for $47 and some change so I'm pumped on that. I also seen a truck the other day that's virtually what I want out of my truck and that helped kick it into gear. i stopped and took a picture. Sorry for the long update and BS. my next posts should be project pics.

[Erics51chevy]

Damn layin frame.

[Mains52]

Got some time in the garage last night managed to get my old beat up kick panel out and my new one sort of fit into place. Going to try and tack it here and there tonight.

[gigamanx]

Keep plugging away. Nice score on the drop spindles!

[Mains52]

Thanks Gig!! I told my wife last night that about $3500 and the truck could be running driving and she thought I was insane wanting to put 3500 more into it. haha. It cracks me up that she doesn't realize if I had a bagged truck with a 5.3 on the road for a total of $5500 I would be doing pretty well.

[Erics51chevy]

I tell my girl i could always go buy a new car for over 30k. Which would you prefer? Ha

[gigamanx]

Originally Posted by Mains52

Thanks Gig!! I told my wife last night that about $3500 and the truck could be running driving and she thought I was insane wanting to put 3500 more into it. haha. It cracks me up that she doesn't realize if I had a bagged truck with a 5.3 on the road for a total of $5500 I would be doing pretty well.

$3500..yeah that's what it cost me to purchase and fix the SBC 350 I got off craigslist then needed a torque converter and transmission. I thought it was an awesome deal haha.

I'm just shy of $14,000 with a running, driving, truck. That is from the day it rolled off the trailer until now. Its all a matter of perspective as I cringe at spending $800 on new brakes for my Hyundai Santa Fe daily driver, but went and spent $800 without blinking on some sweet wheels for the pickup truck.

I can't explain it really.

[Mains52]

Originally Posted by gigamanx

$3500..yeah that's what it cost me to purchase and fix the SBC 350 I got off craigslist then needed a torque converter and transmission. I thought it was an awesome deal haha.

I'm just shy of $14,000 with a running, driving, truck. That is from the day it rolled off the trailer until now. Its all a matter of perspective as I cringe at spending $800 on new brakes for my Hyundai Santa Fe daily driver, but went and spent $800 without blinking on some sweet wheels for the pickup truck.

I can't explain it really.

Oh I am with you. I can't stand putting money towards daily drivers. I am just about to the end of all of the 40-50 dollar crap I can sneak past her. Its almost time for the 200+ purchases. Shes not going to be as cooperative with those I am sure.

[gigamanx]

At some point I just started taking boxes into the garage before she saw them.

Wife: "Hey that looks new"
Me: "Oh no, it came like that, I just cleaned it up a bit"

Or, try the significant other's approach...

Me: "How much did those shoes cost?"
Wife: "I saved $60!"
Me: "Yes, but how much did they cost?"
Wife: "On sale!!!!!!"
Me: "Oh, nevermind"

[dsraven]

I tried this when it was paint time on one of my projects.
ask her how much a bottle of finger nail polish is, then extrapolate that into how much per gallon, then tell her how much a gallon of that really cool car paint is. waaaay less. don't mention the other stuff, like air compressors, sanders, paint booth rentals and such.