Backyard built 55

[918Wbrown]

Originally Posted by 6DoF

the weave on the drive shaft

rest is fitting up quite nice too, just bangin stuff out.

Trying to man. Most if the local car shows are around August, September, and October so I'm trying make a few of them.

[918Wbrown]

Originally Posted by 57FleetsideC4

coming along really nice your welding skills are top notch. Great progress. Steve

Thanks steve I appreciate it.

[918Wbrown]

Originally Posted by Rickysnickers

I apologize in advance as this may sound like a stupid question. How did you measure for the shifter and make the hole so tight so that it just fits? There's a gaping hole in mine for the floor shifter, that was already there.

Never a stupid question when your looking for an answer. All I did was measure from the edge of the trans tunnel to center of the shifter, and the width, measure from the front of the shifter in park and the back of the shifter in 1st and cut a small hole. Removed my shifter knob so it would slide over, then I took a sharpie and marked the edges where it was tight and used an end grinder and burr bit to slowly open the hole until it fit perfectly.

[918Wbrown]

Been a minute so I'm gonna drop a whole bunch of photos and info at once haha. I've been asked how this build has came along so quickly? Because I've treated it as a full time job. Literally working 8 to 10 hour days on it to try and get it where I want it. Let's see first I'll go over the battery box, mine tray was trash but the uprights were in great shape I also had a new off of another year truck I'm not sure what it fit but I cut them both up to make one that fit my truck. Worked perfectly. https://youtu.be/Ab6MfFM4I2E

[918Wbrown]

Next let's move onto the wiring. I ordered a complete update kit from American auto wire and these awesome wirefly crimpers. I CANNOT stress this enough get these crimpers off amazon if you use this kit, your standard harbor freight ones aren't going to work. Even if you do get it spliced together is it going to last for years to come? Probably not. I also soldered every connection and shrink wrapped them for extra insurance. If your a normal guy like me getting a 25 pound box of wiring dropped off at your door was the most intimidating thing to date. It's not hard, yes it takes time, yes you need to go slow but the instructions they send are amazing. The customer service is even better I had a few questions that I thought would kind of stump them or they may have to get back to me, nope every call to them was over within 5 mins because they know their product.

[918Wbrown]

The only four connections that I didn't crimp myself were the main 175amp fuses that power you fuse box, starter, and alternator. I took them to a local electric shop and they hydrolic pressed them for free.

[918Wbrown]

This kit even has the single pin connectors to replace your park lights, along with the boots and sleeves to cover the wires. Had to throw alittle tail light action in there.

[GreasyLikeaBurger]

Man that came out nice. Back in the like 99 or 2000, I rewired my '56 Merc front to back with wiring I "Johnny Cash'd" from work(if you know what I mean). I literally just cut the harness in the middle of the car, and made new a new harness based on the wiring diagram in the manual. I couldnt find new sockets for the tail lights, so I ended up soldering large balls of solder on the end of the wire for the socket connectors, it worked for several years without issue. So its nice to see new reproduction sockets/wiring are available.

[6DoF]

1) that red firewall n dash still get me every time

2) do you have a URL to the crimper n such? that looks like an upgrade i should buy into here ASAP.

[Rickysnickers]

There a few different choices here, but I think you will find what you are looking for.

https://www.amazon.com/Wirefy-Crimpi...hi&sr=1-3&th=1

[6DoF]

looks like only the 8pc kit comes with the open barrel crimp tooling for weather pack connectors ... looks like you got the 8pc.

:addedtocart:

[6DoF]

i have one of these guys for doing cables with, it's amazing. did steel cable railings in my house, but then also some big-a$s battery cables more recently.

https://smile.amazon.com/Hydraulic-B...s%2C721&sr=1-7

[918Wbrown]

Originally Posted by 6DoF

1) that red firewall n dash still get me every time

2) do you have a URL to the crimper n such? that looks like an upgrade i should buy into here ASAP.

https://www.amazon.com/Crimping-Tool.../dp/B07GFXHH91

Yeah I got the 8 piece kit it had what I needed.

[918Wbrown]

Originally Posted by GreasyLikeaBurger

Man that came out nice. Back in the like 99 or 2000, I rewired my '56 Merc front to back with wiring I "Johnny Cash'd" from work(if you know what I mean). I literally just cut the harness in the middle of the car, and made new a new harness based on the wiring diagram in the manual. I couldnt find new sockets for the tail lights, so I ended up soldering large balls of solder on the end of the wire for the socket connectors, it worked for several years without issue. So its nice to see new reproduction sockets/wiring are available.

Haha that's great man one piece at a time! Also you did something most people wouldn't think of and made it work, ingenuity is a thing of the past these days.