Wamego: 1949 GMC 150

[Advanced Design]

You guys are knocking it out. High five for the PPE! Those wires can be nasty....and noisey too. Bet your neighbor was sending good thoughts...

[RDrancher]

Looks like you're making good progress.

Good score on the daughter's old boyfriend. My oldest daughters first bo still stays in touch with me and they haven't dated for 15 years. He never misses dropping a note or text on my birthday and fathers day, and asks my advice from time to time. I guess introducing him to my favorite pocket .38 during out first talk made quite a lasting impression!

[joedoh]

yeah he is a great guy, asks for and actually listens to advice. we check in on him if it gets to be a while since we heard from him.

Originally Posted by Advanced Design

Bet your neighbor was sending good thoughts...

haha originally it was just going to be johnny using my metabo grinder, which is pretty quiet. but when he brought his roommate I had to dig out the old cardboard frieght chicago electric angle grinder, and those have a 145db 1200hz squeal/buzz/rattle, think of a garbage disposal choking on a concrete hornets nest.


I am pooped. I put the front end back together for mock up and decided the old passenger side fender would be just fine for that activity. still took a while, I am missing the top bar of the rad support so I whipped up a couple braces to keep everything together. the fender went right on after some massaging of the core support. I didnt want to but I pulled the rad, just to keep from breaking it with all the jostling.

IMG_0909 by Joe Doh, on Flickr
IMG_0910 by Joe Doh, on Flickr
IMG_0911 by Joe Doh, on Flickr

popped it on and need to trim both the frame horns and the inner fenders a little more.

IMG_0912 by Joe Doh, on Flickr
IMG_0913 by Joe Doh, on Flickr

its already pretty low. I like it a lot, and its going to come down a little more. once I get the mounts made and the rad/condenser installed I will order the wheels.

more to come!

[joedoh]

had to trim the air directors and core support and even the frame horns a bit more, so I pulled the clip back off.

while I had my head out of my butt getting some air, I remembered that I had mismatched body mounts on the cab. lining up the front clip with various mounts didnt seem like a great idea. I had bought new energy suspension mounts a little while ago so I popped them on.
IMG_0929 by Joe Doh, on Flickr

after the trim everything went together like butter. well, almost.

IMG_0932 by Joe Doh, on Flickr
IMG_0933 by Joe Doh, on Flickr
IMG_0934 by Joe Doh, on Flickr
IMG_0935 by Joe Doh, on Flickr
IMG_0936 by Joe Doh, on Flickr

here is the problem. the accident damage in the core support made things out of line.
IMG_0937 by Joe Doh, on Flickr

the bottom crossbar lined up with the sway bar so it looked straight enough, but the top fender mount was wagged back.

IMG_0939 by Joe Doh, on Flickr

I sat and thought about my options. I dont have a torch. pounding on it with a sledge didnt appeal to me. in the end I decided that I could cut the uprights and bend them individually after using a prybar to get the core straight.

IMG_0940 by Joe Doh, on Flickr
IMG_0941 by Joe Doh, on Flickr

elapsed time: 10 minutes, no disassembly required, everything fits.

I popped the 'new' hood on for a look too, it sits too high in the back on the drivers side because of a dent in the top (from falling over, the hired help denies knowledge), I am going to build a panel tweaking tool but everything else looks right so tomorrow I should have the core support mounted and a good start on the rad/condensor mount.

IMG_0942 by Joe Doh, on Flickr
IMG_0943 by Joe Doh, on Flickr
IMG_0944 by Joe Doh, on Flickr


look at how mean that stance is. I cant wait to order wheels. the bottom of the fender is only about 3" off the ground, the new tire size will make it almost an inch higher. hell yes.

[8man]

Looking good. Nice job at fabbing a fix in a hurry.

[rusty76]

Looking good.

[Palf70Step]

Really nice work!

[oldman3]

Joe, did you have to weld the wings back, after the adjustment...Jim

[joedoh]

thanks all

Originally Posted by oldman3

Joe, did you have to weld the wings back, after the adjustment...Jim

yes, the last picture is just tacks, I guess I didnt take a picture of it fully bent back and welded. but it is!

[OutlawDrifter]

Rolling right through it all!

[joedoh]

its definitely easier than the handbuilt 41-46 trucks! everything led to everything else on those.

well I got what I wanted done today, front clip leveled and mounted. its just tacks right now till I can flip the front end and weld the bottoms/ add legs to the frame mounts, but because its in compression, I can lay on the core support and it doesnt budge. that lower cross bar tack came loose yesterday when I was prying on the upper mount, so dont look at it for level, I tacked it back but obviously not square.

I went with cantilever mounts outboard of the frame, I know they will fit with the tires because I have done this mod once before. I would have put them closer to the core support but I want all the room I can get to install the condenser and rad. I cut the inner so its still removable, I could have bolted it but this worked better welded.

IMG_0946-1 by Joe Doh, on Flickr
55735205623__FAD495E8-257F-4B3F-B809-7EABEF0E2800-1 by Joe Doh, on Flickr
IMG_0955 by Joe Doh, on Flickr

had a nice brain fart, I was tacking the drivers side in and the mount tacked to the frame fine but the weld was spluttery and useless on the core. turns out having the ground clamp on the frame mount meant there was no ground path to the core haha. I only swore twice before figuring it out.

[Nut Case]

Joe you lay down some great welding beads.


NC

[OutlawDrifter]

If you put the double time hurry on it, you could bring Wamego up to the All Truck Nationals in KC next weekend and park next to Francis....just saying.

[joedoh]

that might be a bit sporty, I think maybe 3 weeks though and I will have a running driving truck

[8man]

Joe, what gauge steel did you use on the radiator mounts? They look "substantial".

[joedoh]

they are 11ga. I have two sizes of steel in stock, 12 and 11ga. I usually make body mounts from the 12ga, but lately I have upped it to 11ga

I got the inners cut for the rad and mostly got the rad fit, but lost my phone in the shop haha. now that I can see where the mounts are on the frame I am thinking about moving them in slightly.

[oldman3]

joedoh, moving them in for tire clearance or ?...Jim

[joedoh]

yes and no jim. I have done this style mount before, on my last 49. it had plenty of clearance even before adding spacers.





but since this one is 2" lower and I am planning a 245/40/20 front tire, I think I would feel better with just a little more breathing room. call it experience in being humiliated. call it avoiding the measure once cut twice syndrome. haha

[Matt_50]

Joedoh you need to slow down your making me look bad! I went back to first post, it's been less than two months.

[BIGglaSS]

Originally Posted by Matt_50

Joedoh you need to slow down your making me look bad! I went back to first post, it's been less than two months.

No kidding! I think he's built three trucks faster than I could build half of one!

[joedoh]

you want to see fast, check out some of skymangs builds, a month and a half! I would need 10 hr days with 4 hr naps.

I am just screwing around in between contract engineering jobs, my 5 year old started full time school a couple weeks ago and its delirious fun to work on this stuff. the last truck pays for the next, if I can keep that going maybe I can keep one soon.

[joedoh]

I took yesterday off for the holiday of bbq and family, so that left me free on labor day to work!

got the mounts moved in 1 1/2" on each side. there was at least 2" of clearance on the current tires, and the new tires are 2" larger diameter so 1 only more inch closer (radii), but I decided that I didnt want something simple NOW open-hand slapping my nuts LATER when everything is harder to get to.

IMG_1001 by Joe Doh, on Flickr
IMG_1002 by Joe Doh, on Flickr

I had the holes cut for the rad but its supposed to rain some more this week so I started on the bed. I used the forklift to yank the metal floor out after cutting all the tack welds, then cut the center out and took off the aprons and stub running boards, and cut some rough wheel arches in the bed sides. then I trimmed the s10 floor to 50 inches, and put the bed on the truck first and then the s10 floor in the middle. thats where I stopped today, its not done by a long shot but at least its all there ready to be adjusted and welded.

IMG_0996 by Joe Doh, on Flickr
IMG_0997 by Joe Doh, on Flickr
IMG_0998 by Joe Doh, on Flickr
IMG_0999 by Joe Doh, on Flickr
IMG_1003 by Joe Doh, on Flickr
IMG_1005 by Joe Doh, on Flickr
IMG_1007 by Joe Doh, on Flickr
IMG_1008 by Joe Doh, on Flickr


as I am typing this, it is raining BUCKETS, so I am glad its all inside and ready to be adjusted/welded. poor spiders on that wood had a safe haven under the steel, and now they are drowning.

more to come

[Palf70Step]

NIce. You got a good bit done today. Glad you missed the rain. WE had a little break finally from rain here, but tomorrow it starts all over. Looks like you may get ruminates of our storm Thursday or Friday from what they are predicting.

[joedoh]

yep I saw that, its what made me move to the bed instead of work on the radiator mount. supposed to rain all week! here is our next 8 hours. so happy I have everything inside.

[8man]

That looks like our forecast.

That's a lot of work for just one day. Wish I could get that much done.