1949 Chevy 3600 into a daily driver

[Coach529]

Originally Posted by 1948GMC

I love your build man might have said it on hamb but I like it here better

Thanks man!!

[47 Fasttoys]

Good luck on the wiring Coach, I am at the same point right now and I figure 2 to 3 weeks weeks.
Rob

[Advanced Design]

Great build and love the way Henry has become part of your family. Awesome story....taghing along for updates.

[Coach529]

Finally got started on the wiring. First things I did was gut all the old wiring out!! It did not take too long.



After that I laid the new wiring and removed circuits and wires I would not be using. I installed the fuse block under the dash and starting pulling wires to the appropriate areas.





After the wires were in the area's I tackled the dash. It is always nice to get the toughest stuff out the of the way first.

[Coach529]

Wiring is complete.......been on the road at least weekly.

Battery is shot and will not hold a charge, but that is an easy fix. Hoping to put in my cam this week.

Sunday night was beautiful, with a perfect sunset. I snuck out of the house for a quick cruise while the wife put the kids to bed. Truck I horribly dirty......

[Red Foreman]

Your truck's looking sweet & that is a great picture!

[rusty76]

Looking good.

[Advanced Design]

That is a really good picture!

[Coach529]

Thanks guys!!

[JP_67_GMC]

Love this build, I saw Gene at the Toppers car show in Fargo not to long ago. Beautiful pickup. How do you like the stock type front setup? I have a 49 3100 on the back burner right now and was wondering about the suspension. I am planning on doing a Mustang II setup. How does it ride? Thanks, Joe

[Coach529]

Originally Posted by JP_67_GMC

Love this build, I saw Gene at the Toppers car show in Fargo not to long ago. Beautiful pickup. How do you like the stock type front setup? I have a 49 3100 on the back burner right now and was wondering about the suspension. I am planning on doing a Mustang II setup. How does it ride? Thanks, Joe

This truck rides OK if the roads are pretty good. On the rougher roads it can be a handful. I had removed leafs out of the spring packs to get to the stance I wanted.

Had I installed new springs when I installed the axle, I am told it would be much better.

I plan on driving him like he is until fall and then I am thinking about an IFS and IRS system on air.

[mikec4193]

Hey Coach

I was just at the front end shop and this fellow is street rodder through and through and I was asking him about setting up my straight front axle...without batting an eye he says to me...get a GM front clip like a Camaro or Nova and be done with it...makes you think about it when a guy that works on this stuff all day long makes that statement...his stuff he can climb into and take off on a trip and never bat an eye about it...still not sure what I wanna do with mine yet....my 2 cents

MikeC

[Coach529]

I have never been a big fan of clips. They are easy, and relatively cheap, but I always thought buying an engineered cross member was a better idea.

Personal preference.........either method will get the job done!!

[99 to Life]

not to clog up your thread by any means. I like seeing straight axles, inline 6's, bagged, modified etc etc. These trucks really look and do well in all facets. Problem I have with the clips are they are a bit wide (unless you go s10, which might as well use the whole frame). But... if set up right the GM engineering is pretty darn good, I'v read a decent amount on guys not liking the M2 set ups all that much. Hard to say until you dive in and try em all. Its like someone saying swap out that I6 for a small block, then a guy saying swap that sbc out for an LS. You can continue to better the vehicle in some ways but its the nostalgic and cool factor that very few guys still run today. The C4 suspension has become another option that is suppose to better than them all. Its just going to keep progressing and some people don't know or care where all this stuff derived from.

So like you said it all gets the job done, however when "rodders" talk guys into IFS and LS's and all the newer stuff (which I love too) the older ways get pushed farther into the dark and just become a bit harder to get parts for or have a community that knows how it all works. I think that is the essence of true hotrodding, balancing the new with the old. Pushing the limits but keeping the simplicity.

[Coach529]

Originally Posted by 99 to Life

not to clog up your thread by any means. I like seeing straight axles, inline 6's, bagged, modified etc etc. These trucks really look and do well in all facets. Problem I have with the clips are they are a bit wide (unless you go s10, which might as well use the whole frame). But... if set up right the GM engineering is pretty darn good, I'v read a decent amount on guys not liking the M2 set ups all that much. Hard to say until you dive in and try em all. Its like someone saying swap out that I6 for a small block, then a guy saying swap that sbc out for an LS. You can continue to better the vehicle in some ways but its the nostalgic and cool factor that very few guys still run today. The C4 suspension has become another option that is suppose to better than them all. Its just going to keep progressing and some people don't know or care where all this stuff derived from.

So like you said it all gets the job done, however when "rodders" talk guys into IFS and LS's and all the newer stuff (which I love too) the older ways get pushed farther into the dark and just become a bit harder to get parts for or have a community that knows how it all works. I think that is the essence of true hotrodding, balancing the new with the old. Pushing the limits but keeping the simplicity.

I agree 100%. And it all depends on the person building it and his vision. I would love to build a truck at some point with and LS motor, but I can never see one in this truck.

I love the look of the SBC and chrome air filter when I lift the hood. Cleaned up and modded inline 6's are awesome two. Everybody has the stuff they like.......and stuff they do not.

Speaking of IFS. I am leaning heavily towards a Danforth cross member, which accepts all the GM metric stuff. Seems pretty straight forward from the installs I have read.

[99 to Life]

Can you post up a link? I'd like to check it out. Scotts seems to make a nice one, pricey but I haven't heard a bad thing bout it.

[Coach529]

Originally Posted by 99 to Life

Can you post up a link? I'd like to check it out. Scotts seems to make a nice one, pricey but I haven't heard a bad thing bout it.

Very long post over at Stovebolt

http://www.stovebolt.com/ubbthreads/...&Number=338344

Check out start at post #138 of dwcsr's build thread.

http://www.stovebolt.com/ubbthreads/...&Number=338344

[Coach529]

Still plugging away and driving daily if possible. Always chasing little gremlins it seems. Rattles, squeeks, little issues.

Right now I have a constant 300ma drain on the battery, so it goes dead within 2-3 days. Chasing that around.

In the process of assembling parts for the "dream build" that I hope to complete this winter. Strip Henry down to the chassis and install a Danforth IFS Cross Member and a Ford Thunderbird IRS set up, both on bags.

I started separate threads for both installs since they do not seems to be very well documented.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=666720

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=670981

[49Fireman]

Right now I have a constant 300ma drain on the battery, so it goes dead within 2-3 days. Chasing that around.

Hey coach. I'm definitely no wiring expert but in the meantime while you chase that draw, you may want to consider installing a simple battery kill switch that you can shut off when not in use to stop or slow the issue. Just my $0.02.
Posted via Mobile Device

[Coach529]

Originally Posted by 49Fireman

Right now I have a constant 300ma drain on the battery, so it goes dead within 2-3 days. Chasing that around.

Hey coach. I'm definitely no wiring expert but in the meantime while you chase that draw, you may want to consider installing a simple battery kill switch that you can shut off when not in use to stop or slow the issue. Just my $0.02.
Posted via Mobile Device

I am planning to install one of those, but have yet to come up with a nice location to mount it.

Want it to be readily accessible, but yet not look bad.

[49Fireman]

my brother-in-law installed his under the dash on the passenger side (hidden but within reach). I plan on doing the same thing. We use them on all of our fire trucks to prevent battery failure. Hope it helps.
Posted via Mobile Device

[Coach529]

Originally Posted by 49Fireman

my brother-in-law installed his under the dash on the passenger side (hidden but within reach). I plan on doing the same thing. We use them on all of our fire trucks to prevent battery failure. Hope it helps.
Posted via Mobile Device

Thanks.....that would work and be pretty easy to get the battery cables to.

[99 to Life]

I'm a huge fan of kill switches, safer, a theft preventive feature, makes working on any new wiring a breeze (just flip the switch and no worries). I mount mine under seat since that is where I keep my batteries. Pretty easy to lean down and flip.

on the draw note. How old is your battery? Does it only do it when it sits obviously? Do you have a constant radio wire or radio wire hooked up? Only thing I can think of right now is to take a test light, pop every fuse out one by one and see if any light up. If they do when the truck is off maybe you can find the circuit that is constantly on. Alot of circuits are key powered so there should only be certain ones that would draw constant if the key isn't turned.

also you just installed a new harness right? what brand and how many circuit?

[Coach529]

Originally Posted by 99 to Life

I'm a huge fan of kill switches, safer, a theft preventive feature, makes working on any new wiring a breeze (just flip the switch and no worries). I mount mine under seat since that is where I keep my batteries. Pretty easy to lean down and flip.

on the draw note. How old is your battery? Does it only do it when it sits obviously? Do you have a constant radio wire or radio wire hooked up? Only thing I can think of right now is to take a test light, pop every fuse out one by one and see if any light up. If they do when the truck is off maybe you can find the circuit that is constantly on. Alot of circuits are key powered so there should only be certain ones that would draw constant if the key isn't turned.

also you just installed a new harness right? what brand and how many circuit?

The battery is only about a year old.....but it is a cheap Walmart battery.

I just installed a EZ-Wire kit. 12 circuit. I have been fighting this issue for awhile, before I installed the new wiring.

I have had multiple issues. First it was a battery with a bad cell, then I had a bad junk yard alternator when I installed the SBC. I still had a drain, but it was with the old wiring. Now the wiring has been replaced and still have an issue.

The alternator test good (getting 14.85vdc out of it) and the battery holds a charge.

[Coach529]