Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)

[6DoF]

Originally Posted by 57FleetsideC4

I wish I had your welding/fabricating skills. Hitch looks great and works great to. Steve

thanks! only way to learn is just go do it. break some eggs, make a mess, have fun with it.

[6DoF]

fixed it! it's soooo much better now ... almost too smooth. pretty sure i'll be adding clicks to actually make it a little more responsive, and for a little more top RPM just cuz race truck things.

so first thing last night, lets try the cam plate. well, it's already fully to passenger side, crap. try mid, try full drivers, no change. time to pull the idle spring and see what's up for settings that way. feel like i'm going to drop stuff in the pump, and the wife offers to stop on her way home for a new pen magnet for me. she's awesome. in the mean time i watch the PDD gov spring install to see what i missed cuz none of the adjustment instructions make any sense on mine. see nothing i don't remember, go start pulling it all out just to make sure something stupid didn't happen like ... wait ... ccrraaaaaaappppp ... i put the springs in upside down with the bottom seat on top.

throw it all back together with a conservative click count, now all the descriptions make sense and are super easy to set up. back to the cam plate, still little change, but obviously was full passenger for it's entire life, lock it down and send it. she now starts with no throttle input, idles at like 800 cold n 830 warm, brakes or steering don't affect it much, i can even get going in 2nd gear with no throttle. almost like that's how it was designed!

[RockTonka]

[Jason 56]

Always nice to find a simple solution to a problem. It’s coming along great!

[6DoF]

truck did great, but it needs AC freakin ASAP. speaking of AC, the airstream's worked great until the condensation started running out between the wall panels instead of the drain. tried a few things but i'll need to tear the covers off and that can wait til sweater weather.

5th gear, 65mph, 2300 R's, it just didn't care that the trailer was back there. on the way out was 93deg, high humidity, and some of the long up-hill runs into the mountains the engine would get to 208, once to 214, but right back down to 190s on the downhill. might need a little more cooling capacity to run AC and pull a 10k trailer. but that's a Future Matt problem.

the waves, thumbs up, camera's, was crazy. ppl at the campground were obviously talking about it cuz ppl would come by and know some of the details already

[6DoF]

i've gotten little to nothing new together on the truck other than some tuning as i've been driving it. the ride and power just keep getting better and better. i have however been going to a few cruise nights, and really enjoying talking to ppl. the reactions have been awesome.

this weekend was a rat centered cruise/show. i got there early but was shuffled down into the cruise lot, not the main street show. was probably better that way actually cuz i got to park with my parents who drove their Jeep and the '69. then just as we were getting ready to head out, this dude comes walking over the hill with a freakin trophy! custom rat shop owner from NC that was part of the show picked the '55 as his favorite! freakin honored

[RockTonka]

That's cool...congrats!

[dsraven]

if you put a bumper on the front it would look even lower.

[6DoF]

Originally Posted by dsraven

if you put a bumper on the front it would look even lower.

getting there!

i have a front and rear to put on, currently doing the bed floor / fuel filler

[KevinK7]

Amazing job on the truck, crazy fab skills
I travel through PA often. Following through the thread seeing 'somewhere, PA'. Then on the very last post (and kudos on the well deserved trophy), ...Mars.
Ironic, I head to the Bakerstown area a few times a year

[6DoF]

haha, thanks much. would "black n gold country" be a little closer circle?

[KevinK7]

Originally Posted by 6DoF

haha, thanks much. would "black n gold country" be a little closer circle?

yup
Great idea on the gas filler too, fits right in with the theme of the truck
...well done.

[6DoF]

new bits! got the bed floor screwed down and the fuel filler set up. floor is just pressure treated 3/4" ply stained black. it'll eventually get a full rubber bed cover, just not decided between utility or fancy yet. battery hatch i used 2 marine hatch latches for easy access, the maintenance/show door in the middle will get another pair with some hinges.

the fuel filler i can't take full credit for, I saw the jerry can filler neck on insta-tube or whatever propaganda site it was scrolling. the dual filler however was me and i hope it works as well as i'm thinking it will. we'll find out after work when i try n fill it. so the can is screwed to the bedside, you open the lid to reveal a Y tube. stick the fuel nozzle down one or the other and send it. each has their own vent. the tanks have a balance tube between them and i only draw/return to one, but it's not enough to fill thru. a check valve does keep it from draining away from the main in a long corner or hill.

the side of the jerry can is cut out for easy access, but will get covered by an old job box. it's next on my list to get off the garage floor. will be nice to have some extra storage to just throw stuff.

[6DoF]

filled up after work, the dual filler worked great! put it in one hole 'til it clicks, minor adjustment to the other hole, and run 'til it clicks again. so far no leaks either.

i just simply love driving this truck. sure there are things to fix up or finish, but it just makes me happy!

[6DoF]

one more check mark on the list! one more item added

got the "feet" cut off the job box to make it shorter and got that screwed down into the bed. my front bed lip was just a TAD thick and had the box overlapping the bed door by like 1/4". small trim and good to go. the new list item though is cutting the box down more by sectioning out like 3-4". it doesn't impair my vision out the back, but it's just a bit big/intrusive cosmetically i feel like. that's a figure Matt problem.

a now Matt problem will most likely be a lot of banging and clatter from the box.

front end is jacked up so i change the lower shock bolts. one has rubbed a really bad groove in the pass front tire, it's not nice. i need to get some button head bolts to replace the hex and swap this tire with one of the inner duals.

[6DoF]

racking up the miles now, the wife wants to take it any chance we can. the fuel filler is working great, except i have to drop the pass side of the truck like 2". the crossover tube is too flat and will back up the foam into the nozzle where it clicks off. then the motor so obviously wants more fuel and trying really hard to not just let it eat, i'm not ready to build the top end yet.

finally stopped working on the new shop long enough to do a few things this weekend.

air bags, small changes made a huge difference. the front i had not matched the bag max compression to the truck's full bump, i was able to add a 1" spacer under the bag and still get full drop. that's probably 2.5" out at the wheel. so now full height is 125psi, not the 160 i had been running. not only does it fill WAY faster, on the first tank even, but softening things up made it all work so much better. even found the air leak in the front left line and got it sealed.

then onto the back bags. 4 was still a good idea for load, but ONLY if i need load capacity. i unbolted the bottom of the load bag, dropped the truck, and plugged the bag/line. when the truck lifted, the bag stays compressed and just along for the ride with the chassis. this takes the rear from 35psi ride to 80. way more spring works a lot better with the shocks and matches the front better. the ride was already good, but now it's down right amazing. firm and connected, all while floating along.

3rd try ordering hinges for the bed hatch and finally got what i needed. hinges up really nice, and they are pinned to just slip off when up if i'm working back there. the side tilt gives me so much more room for working in there.

one thing that's driving me nutz, and not sure i'll ever be able to do anything about ... is this engine and transmission leaking oil. there is no way anything under this truck will ever rust now