Super Duper Haggis Hauler II - The Resurrection

[Captainfab]

The hole next to the clutch master is where most of the factory wiring passes thru the firewall. Of course there would be a molded plug there.

[MacQuigley]

That 55 bench seat is gone anyway. Shame. Mate just came back to me and it would have done. Think I'll go with the Daimler one.

[jchav62]

Great work!!!

[ibrown50]

I remember what the door looked like before you started with the speaker hole and everything, it turned out really well, cracking job

[MacQuigley]

I was going to attach the old pictures Ian but I cant find them and of course since Photobucket screwed us all over all the pics are missing from my old thread.

I was beginning to regret filling in the lip the skin makes on the inside but I'm actually glad I did that now, but it was a lot of hours filling, sanding, filling sanding etc and you know how much I LOVE that!

[Captainfab]

Those spacer brackets on the bottoms of the bedsills must be a stepside thing. The fleetsides do not have those.

[MacQuigley]

Had a look on LMC's website and they show the same shallow spacers for both the step and fleet sides but Ive no idea really. At least I know what to do now.

[MacQuigley]

Found the door "before" pictures!

[MacQuigley]

And now







Might have been a lot of hours but it was worth it. Not show quality perfect but as I need to keep reminding myself I'm not a paint and body guy or a mechanic, I'm an electrician (and even then Ive been in management way, way longer than I was ever on the tools). So I'm happy with it.

Shame I still have the other one to do though!!!!!

[jimmythompson1964]

Looks good, and you know what you've got, I value that more that just having a a pretty finished product. Not many body shops will put the extra time into it like you do. It just feels good to fix this old rusty metal and give it new life.

[MacQuigley]

Finally got this door just about finished. Not going to bore you with the details of just how much of a hash I made of it last weekend but its taken a week to rectify my stupidity!



I also got the wiring to the engine bay and lights all in place. Not that you can see much of it but its there.



Finally, and I know its a C3 not a C10 but I paid a visit in on my Vette at the paint shop at lunchtime. Not finished, or even nearly finished, but it is started. Seemed sensible this time to get a painter to paint it and not an Electrician!

[mjh1965]

Bill it looks like they will both be done af the same time .Then you will have a problem , choosing which one to drive. Oh to be you.

[MacQuigley]

Not a hope Martin. I hope to have the C3 on the road next month. Sadly the C10 will be lucky to be on the road next year especially if I keep taking as long to paint parts!

[MacQuigley]

I can almost see a finished truck in my mind!








It does need some adjustment and unfortunately the bottom corner is hitting the B post which will need some sanding and repainting (that will be fun!!!!!), but other than that its nearly there. Of course with every silver lining comes a cloud - Ive still the drivers door to do!

In other works the back axle came off so I can finally change the bearings and I welded in the mountings for the gas tank.

[Captainfab]

That looks quite good to me

[mjh1965]

Those gaps look great Bill . Your hard work is starting to pay off.

[MacQuigley]

Well it took most of the night but that's the rear diff back together




What a pain in the arse it was getting those two little gears back in (spider gears I think)!

[MacQuigley]

Well it was a weekend of mixed fortunes, some successes and some annoying disappointments and a near disaster!

So Saturday saw me getting the rear end buttoned up fully. Freshly painted trailing arms back on, repainted axle now complete with new bearings back on and shocks, panhard arm, discs and callipers all on. Had to source new bolts for the shocks as the ones I bought from LMC were far too big for the shocks and there was no chance Id get them through the frame mounts. Fortunately a local fixings company had the correct size and all I had to do was drill lout the frame mounts.



After that I spent the rest of the day working out what I need in the way of fuel and brake lines and all the fixtures and fittings. Im planning on going PTFE for the brake lines for the first time. Will look much better than copper, especially in the engine bay.


So yesterday with my aim of getting the motor fired up before the end of the summer I decided to fix down the inlet manifold and set the distributor timing. Problem #1 the engine was seized! In truth I was half expecting this as It had sat since I fit the radiator and couldn't get in to turn it over by hand and that was one of my reasons for wanting the motor running.

Anyway, I got it freed up reasonably easily and was then able to fit the distributor and set the timing.


Problem #2 When I went to put in the distributor lock plate I couldn't get the bolt in. Partly this is because of problems I have with my hands resulting in a loss of sense of touch (long story its down to trapped nerves in my neck) and partly because of the threads were blocked, as it turned out with fine sand (must have been when I blasted it. Anyway I cleared it out and tried to fit the lock plate.

Problem #3 Whether again due to the fingers or just plain stupidity I dropped the bolt and guess where it went? That's right straight down the distributor hold and into the engine!

Many expletives later and some throwing of spanners I calmed down (no wonder I have high blood pressure as well!) took the inlet manifold back off and with a bit of luck fished the bolt out with a magnet on a stick! It could have been so much worse and if Id had to pull the engine to get that bolt out Im not sure the build would have restarted for some time!



Anyway the distributor is back in and I'll set it up tonight, but I could do with less days like yesterday and more like Saturday. That said, although there is a hell of a lot of work left to do I can just about see the beginning of the tunnel if not the light at the end of it just yet. Lets just hope its as straight as a die and not to many twists and bends in it.




Oh and I also got my "new" bench seat in. Well when I say in its just sitting there at the moment but I think it will do the job.



And I also got the fuel pumps located. Still to clean these and paint them - they came with the 454.

[MacQuigley]

If ever there was a truer statement it must be with one step forward there are 2 steps back!

So tonight I decided to fit the fans to the radiator. Thought it was going to be a bit of an issue but it ended up being fine, though the mounting kit I bought is crap and I will replace it.





So next I just wanted to refit the valve covers. So yesterday when I took them off I had a little difficulty with the drivers side. When I fit the engine I hadn't fitted the brake booster and they are real tight together. But it came out so it must go back in right? Wrong! No matter how I wangled it the damn thing just wont go back in. Looks like another new booster will be required and of course that will need painting (so there are my 2 steps back). Of course I could go for chrome and at least Id not have to paint it. I reckon one out a C3 Corvette should do the job. Going by the one in mine its chubbier and not so wide in diameter, which will help with clearance issues with the clutch master cylinder.




Oh the joys! Someone want to remind me why we do this again???

[ibrown50]

Hi Bill, as my dad would say, “that’s what happens when try to fit a quart into a pint pot”

Great progress non the less, the bench seat look right at home 👍

[MacQuigley]

Yip I guess Its my own fault. Id have saved myself so many issues going small block. But then again there aint no substitute for cubic inches.

Seeing as you two gents are only running mouse motors I don't suppose you have need for a new, never used brake booster?

[mjh1965]

I already have a new one that came with my front disk convention. I don't no about Rian as he is still running drum brakes all round . I guess you don't need good brakes with a mouse motor . Then he does like to weld in flipp flops so I guess he likes living on the edge

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by mjh1965

I already have a new one that came with my front disk convention. I don't no about Rian as he is still running drum brakes all round . I guess you don't need good brakes with a mouse motor . Then he does like to weld in flipp flops so I guess he likes living on the edge

I have a booster.......

I also do not drive like a bike racer.

And living on the edge is about the only excitement in my life.



However, would you be able to actually get done or do yourself..... a small dent cut open and welded into the cover, still keeping it functional, but making the space more open and releasing the pressure??

[MacQuigley]

Not really keeping this up to date of late. Mainly because what Ive been doing is all fairly small boring stuff.

So whats been happening?

Well the brake lines are all run in. Decided to try PTFE lines for the first time. Hope that wasn’t a mistake.

Electrics are run out to the back, though I’ll need to run in some additional cables as I want to be able to switch the pumps.

Talking of the pumps they are stone chipped and fitted but there coming off tomorrow as I need to drop them so the inputs line up with the output of the gas tank.

Gas tank wise I had to get a new boss welded to the output as the thread was damaged, another POL POS! That gave me the opportunity to add a 2nd so each pump has a dedicated supply.

Had to remove the steering column so I could remove the stainless shaft because it was rusted to hell – yet another POL POS!

New chrome 7” booster fitted, though Im waiting on an adaptor coming to allow me to use the same master cylinder.

Bought a shot blast cabinet – that’s nice. Handy cleaning up the steering shaft (I hate POL).

Still planning on getting the engine fired up by the end of the summer but lest say that’s 1st October. Fingers crossed.

[MacQuigley]

I seem to be constantly waiting for small parts to arrive for one system or another. Couldn't finish the brake lines last week as I was waiting for parts. Though Im still waiting for a "spud" to go between the booster and master cylinder I did at least finish the connections



Couldn't finish the fuel lines yesterday as I was still waiting for P clips. They have arrived today along with the bolts I need to finish the steering column so that should see a couple more parts done tonight.





And I decided to go with a matt heat resistant finish on the inlet. Ive noticed on the C3 that the combination of primer base and clear seems to be going soft in the heat so I thought Id re do the 454 manifold matt with 650% paint. It needed painting anyway as the paint had been chipped taking it off a few times.



Plan is to paint the master cylinder to match