Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window

[Coupeguy2001]

I have been off the forum for a while.
So sorry to hear about your mother. She raised a good son. (one interested in task force trucks) but hey, your dad had a part in that too.
Looks like you are getting closer to that $50 K number every day.
Time to upgrade your garage with bells and whistles. (literally) for security.
I have another friend still in california that tells me that custom cars and trucks are being stolen by the hundreds and shipped off to foreign countries. The ads for the stolen vehicles aren't even shown in this country.
Not to add paranoia, just an ounce of prevention.....
Keep it up Dan, looks like you are going to have that killer truck soon.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Thanks for the kind words Coupeguy. Truthfully, mom didnl't have anything to do with making me a Task Force truck guy - dad did that. I "helped him" swap out the 235 for the 283 he put in it (I handed him wrenches) and later he swapped that out for a 348.

Dad's been gone since 1990. He was only 66 when he passed and I'll be 62 soon so it's feeling like he died VERY young now. But mom raised me otherwise and she did a good job otherwise.

Yeah, the price on this originally-intended-to-be-a-shop-truck is going way up. I always wanted a beautiful one and I never thought I'd be in a position to have one. Now I just hope this comes out like I have in my mind's eye. Time will tell.

[Coupeguy2001]

You'll get there. Problem is that yours is finally going to be prettier than mine...............

[Dan in Pasadena]

September 12, 2016

Ok, I'm out of town but "Mike" sent me this photo today as a teaser and I am stoked about it. The Flat Out crossmember has been mounted and suspension parts fitted. Obviously, the rack isn't in yet and I can't tell for certain if everything has been welded out yet but it looks good to me!


He also told me the engine was torn down and there were no issues, all is good. It's been honed, re-ringed, new bearings and seals installed. Awaiting new head bolts from GM to finalize the rebuild. The trans has been torn down too and no issues were found. I opted to go with a Mustang 8.8 rearend instead of rebuilding my 10 bolt, which will give me four wheel discs and I THINK limited slip. Not that I really need either but the rear discs will look better if I end up going with those spoked wheels above. Man, the "slippery slope" is slick as hell!

I'll be back in town shortly and will check in then with more photos.

[Kim57]

Going to be real nice when finished.
Kim

[ChuckDriver]

Wow, that's coming together fast!

[Dan in Pasadena]

Thanks Kim, thanks JJ!

I'm honestly REAL excited, I haven't been this excited in a long time over anything. I was talking about building a '55-'59 since I was 25 and that was long ago, unfortunately. I had a small window '57 20+ years ago that had been a Navy vehicle and then a school district truck. I had no MIG welder then, few tools but got it running nice even if not all that cosmetically nice. Had to lose it during the divorce 16 years ago front my high school sweetheart and swore I'd get another and it would be nicer. Getting close feels like revenge, somehow! Lol.

[oldman3]

Front end looking sweet...Jim

[Dan in Pasadena]

Thanks Jim! Can't wait to check in on the progress when I get home.

[Rude Dude]

Dan have them box the front of the cross member since the have it there

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by Rude Dude

...box the front of the cross member...

Rudy,
?? Do you mean the front of the frame rails? The cross member IS boxed from
Flat Out.

I actually wondered if there was any value to doing that beyond the obvious aesthetic improvement? But if I do that it wouldn't it be best to box the entire frame? These trucks were meant to flex a bit given they'd be on farms, etc.

[Rude Dude]

Yeah Flat out frame boxing plates are real small in front and back of cross member they think you are going to leave your stock one. Your pic I see it was removed hope the guys who installed it moved the flat out cross member an 1 1/2 forward of stock centerline and braced the front forward of frame. All that open space is going to be visible to radiator core support mounts when looking into the engine compartment that's why I was asking if they are going to box it in plus your are increasing the ponies going to an ls setup

Originally Posted by Dan in Pasadena

Rudy,
?? Do you mean the front of the frame rails? The cross member IS boxed from
Flat Out.

I actually wondered if there was any value to doing that beyond the obvious aesthetic improvement? But if I do that it wouldn't it be best to box the entire frame? These trucks were meant to flex a bit given they'd be on farms, etc.

[Rude Dude]

Also do you need a c notch with flat out for the rack and pinon like this build

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=591004

[Rude Dude]

Dan that is sad sad sorry to hear about your truck, well you could always buy it back for the motor that only has 46K on the block and put it in your truck.

[Rude Dude]

Dan the truck is coming outstanding I am jealous, centering of the front suspension perfect where did you find this guy he doing great work. Keep posting them picks.

[Coupeguy2001]

Now you know why I didn't take mine completely apart.
I was done in 4 months, and it woulda looked the same as it does now just shinier paint.



But yours will always be nicer--as long as you jack it up and wipe the dust off the frame every month.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Hi guys. Yes, there will be a small C notch for the rack and I know Mike planned to weld a bar across the frame rails before removing the factory crossmember.

I'm trying to remember but I THINK the '57 truck that is in his shop now (I posted photos of above) has NOT been fully boxed in front. I also know that truck has the same 6.0 LQ4 my truck will have but is twin turbo'd with the intent to make 1000hp - crazy to me. What I don't know is if it's "finished" in front or if he still intends to box the rails fully. I'll look into it as soon as I get home. Thanks guys!

[Dan in Pasadena]

Ok, so here's how MY day went yesterday. We got home from an international trip of a lifetime Thursday afternoon, I woke up with what I thought was the flu yesterday - yup, both ends of me. Ugh!

My son came over to borrow my beautiful '08 3500 crew dually to run an errand. At the gas station he SAW a rat run out from under my truck, then run BACK under it! He says he remembers thinking, "You better hold on tight you little effer!"

On the way back on the freeway he thinks he smells smoke (there've been lots of brush fires in SoCal), but the truck is running fine and a minute later he sees a whisp of smoke from the hood and looks for a place to pull off just as the engine dies. Opens the hood to see full on flames. Calls the CHP and Fire Department of course.

Engine and cab are fully involved and my truck is a total loss! I'm heartbroken. I bought this truck as a "Happy Birthday to Me" gift 12.01.08, my 54th birthday. I kept it in pristine condition. It had only 45,000 miles on it and less than 1000 miles on a brand new set of BFG All Terrain tires on it. It had Linex sprayed in the bed, stainless running boards, fifth wheel hitch, airbags in the rear, one of those huge dual receiver hitches I needed when I had an 11-1/2 ft. Lance camper on it. I fully expected it to last me the rest of my life.


This just kills me. I'd parked it behind our gate in back next to our grape arbor that was full of fruit. That attracts rats of course but I never thought. Obviously, they chewed something that let fuel fall onto something hot, I'm guessing the turbo charger piping.

[Dan in Pasadena]

We have some great memories from the trips we took in it. A few years ago when we still had the big Lance camper we took it and our boat to Lake Tahoe for their annual wooden boat regatta, then over the hill to attend Hot August Nights.





I suppose the lesson to us all is to guard against vermin near our vehicles and especially near our projects. I was lax about putting out poison and traps in the last few years. My '55 can't come home to these conditions so I'm gonna have to get SOME kind of control on it. I wonder if it's possible to train a rescue cat to stay in the garage & shop as it's home to hunt rats or will it just run off? Oh well. Have a better day than me guys. The flu-ish thing has passed and I'm going to see the progress on my truck today. More positive, interesting photos upcoming later today. Best, Dan!

[Advanced Design]

Oh wow, so sorry to see that happened! At least no one was injured.

[ChuckDriver]

Ouch, sorry brother!

[Dan in Pasadena]

Thanks you guys! I'm upset but I keep telling myself no one was hurt and its insured so I'll only be out the deductible and I'll get a new or newish truck out of it. (I STILL mourn my dually though. I'm psycho, I almost regard my vehicles like living things. I kept her so pristine, it was love in an oddball sort of way!)

[Russell Ashley]

I'm sorry to hear about that, Dan. I just posted about my friends car going up in smoke and now see this.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Rudy, I took a photo but it didn't come out. Get this: the engine fire was so hot that the driver side alternator case literally MELTED! It's an aluminum case and I was blown away that the case metal looked like dripping metal and the windings inside hadn't completed melted yet.

It actually occurred to me that the engine and Allison trans might be reusable to someone. But I think it's iffy. Temps must have been very intense for awhile.

[Dan in Pasadena]

September 17, 2016

Okay, back to happier subjects:
Stopped by the shop today to check the progress on the build and here are the pictures:

The engine and trans are fitted. Mike used a CPP trans cross member that he, "...made a little love to" - his words - to make it work. The engine is just jacked into position now but he will make the engine mounts this week along with a few other things.







A close up of the welding on the front C notch for the steering rack.


The Mustang 8.8 rearend. It's been torn down to install new bearings and seals. It is a 3.27 ratio and is limited slip. Also has disc brakes. I asked him to have the axle flanges redrilled to the Chevy car pattern of 5x4.75 to match the front.


Summary for the Day
He is rebuilding the rearend now. The engine and trans have both had a refresher rebuild, for lack of a better description. I will drop off the inner fenders so they can be. Trimmed and a rolled edge be put on them. I'll also drop off the ididit column I bought some time ago - hope it's the right size; and the column drop. He also needs the transmission cover - it will have to be reworked for the 4l85e - OR I'll just buy a repop factory stock 4 speed cover which has a hump in it if I remember right.

Those rims are just 14" rollers that BARELY fit without the calipers on. I'll take him the 15" Torq Thrusts I have just so he'll have these rollers to use on other projects.