Markeb01 Build Thread

[markeb01]

Okay so I know my truck is done, and there’s no need to keep messing with it- but!

We cruise through parking lots and car shows with the pipes open, and it’s so disappointing closing the cutouts when we head back out on the street. So I’ve been contemplating different mufflers to make it sound better with the exhaust closed, and it dawned on me these are the best sounding mufflers I’ve ever heard. I’ve used them on several cars and my wife’s truck as well as my truck.

What killed how cool they sounded was adding a balance tube when I had the new exhaust done back on 2007. So today, I popped over to my custom muffler shop (Discount Muffler corner of Argonne and Sprague) and had the balance tube (H pipe) removed.

The cool part is Harvey removed the pipe, capped the sides, and then welded the tube back in place for strength so there’s no evidence anything has changed! Except for the sound of course which is much more impressive, especially on full throttle.

The before and after pictures looks the same:



Here’s a short clip of the truck idling after “removal” of the balance tube. And yes it’s a rainy and a very moist day. This isn’t a very good capture as I’m using my cell phone but it sure sounds better in real life:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Wdw...ature=youtu.be

[Ta2Don]

Those mufflers are seriously...

Songs Great, even on the cell phone video...

[TJ's Chevy]

Sounds great Mark! I subscribed to yer Youtube channel!

[siggyfreud]

Sounds nice. What mufflers are they?

[markeb01]

The disappointment with the cell phone is it doesn’t capture any of the base. The microphone will tolerate the open pipes, but it doesn’t reproduce the full range of percussion “music” very effectively. Before we start attending car shows this year I am going to replace the Chinese dash cam with a GoPro. That should get the job done and allow uploading more interesting videos.

Back in the late 70’s or early 80’s when the mufflers first came out, they were called “Tarantula” mufflers. Later on they changed the name to “Terminator”. They’re made by Flowtech. The mufflers may have been their only product when the first started out. The sales kid at Super Shops pointed me towards them, as I needed to mount the muffler with the inlet in the center and the outlet at the top (I think).

At the time, Flowmasters could only be installed in one direction which wouldn’t work, so I gave the Tarantula mufflers a try because they could be installed in either direction. The part number I’ve always used is 50121:



http://www.summitracing.com/parts/big-50121flt

They also started out much less expensive than Flowmasters. The Tarantula’s were about $35 each while the Flowmasters were like $55 each. Now both brands are right around $75-$80. I immediately fell in love with the sound, which is somewhat like the old Walker Corvair Turbo mufflers. They’re deep and throaty, but don’t have the tinny sound of many competitive mufflers. I had them on my 46 sedan, my wife’s 68 F250, and the GMC. They never wear out or burn out in my experience, and they don’t get louder with age. I’ll probably never experiment with anything else simply because I like these so much.

Another “feature” that’s hard to describe. With individual head pipes (no crossover or H pipe), they have a harsh “bark” at full acceleration under a load. Revving the engine doesn’t really create that sound, but full throttle in gear does. Installing a balance tube really quiets them down and kills the bark. To me, with the balance tube they sound like a 1960’s Corvette with a stock exhaust system. It’s nice for those preferring that sound, but IMO it’s kind of tame for a hot rod.

[McMurphy]

Thanks for the link Mark !!
I think you just solved a question I had for me

[markeb01]

Today certainly went a different direction than yesterday. I was taken back almost 50 years to Marine Corps boot camp, and reminded what an entire day of physical punishment and abuse feels like. Our back yard had about 20 yards of embedded river rock that needed to go someplace else to make room for more lawn and edge blocks. The rocks were stuck in mud, roofing felt, and weeds. We went to rent a Bobcat, and discovered a smaller piece of equipment called a Dingo (made by Toro). It’s a tracked machine with many accessories available, including a small bucket on the front. So it seems at least one of its functions is moving material from one place to another. Here’s what it looks like. Yes that’s me in my fancy duds providing ballast on the back!





For an old guy with bad knees and a rotten back, it appears the primary function is to injure the operator! Holy crap this thing is rough!! As it bounces over rough surfaces the standing platform slams into the ground sending shock waves through the spine. At the other end of the cycle, it can easily send the operator flying through the air if not holding on firmly. The standing platform pivots (for clearing rocks and debris), making it easy to fall off for first timers. When running on smooth surfaces, the cleat tracks cause it to vibrate so violently it shakes your brain into stupidity! After the first minute of operation, I realized I’d never survive the experience without a back support and braces on both knees.

On the other hand, I can’t remember when I’ve had so much fun. I love working outdoors, but anything that requires bending and stooping is out of the question, so I don’t get to do much of it anymore. We finished the day having relocated about 75% of the rocks. Tomorrow should be fun too, completing the rock removal, pulling a couple of tree stumps, and grading the driveway.

While we were out we also picked up 5 gallons of white paint so I can finally get the rest of the garage painted once the yard stuff is done. Life is good!

[Grizz1963]

Morning Mark

Never realized just how grey your beard was..... ( says a grey beard)

You are right, outside work is greeat.

Love special tools. Here in the UK a lot of them are available but in South Africa most yard jobs are done with a pick n shovel and a barrow.

If you were closer I could have given you about 20 liters of paint, more cheap bootfair scores from last year when I painted my garage.

[Ta2Don]

I too enjoy outside work… Looks like a productive day and well worth the aches and pains... I find that following the aches and pains comes a better countenance and better outlook… I always feel invigorated and ready to keep going following the initial aches and pains that follow a busy weekend...
As much as proper maintenance requires painting, that is the one chore I avoid at all costs, I am glad my wife enjoys painting… A few years back, the boy and I were able to attend a Bears game up in Chicago, thanks to free tickets from an Eagles player that happened to be a friend and client. We left Saturday morning and by the time we got home Monday evening, my better half had completely re-painted and re-arranged the Living room.
Have a great weekend Sir!

[McMurphy]

dude, I have a full size Case 580 backhoe you could borrow !!

[siggyfreud]

And if he leaves Alaska now driving it he'll reach you in a few months!

[McMurphy]

Originally Posted by siggyfreud

And if he leaves Alaska now driving it he'll reach you in a few months!

Mark is actually closer to it than I am.... it is on our place up in Chattaroy.

[markeb01]

Originally Posted by Grizz1963

Morning Mark
Never realized just how grey your beard was..... ( says a grey beard)

I used to claim they were blond hairs popping out, like when I was a young child. But I gave that line up a long time ago as I don’t think it was fooling anybody!

Originally Posted by Ta2Don

I too enjoy outside work… Looks like a productive day and well worth the aches and pains... I find that following the aches and pains comes a better countenance and better outlook… I always feel invigorated and ready to keep going following the initial aches and pains that follow a busy weekend...

As much as proper maintenance requires painting, that is the one chore I avoid at all costs, I am glad my wife enjoys painting… A few years back, the boy and I were able to attend a Bears game up in Chicago, thanks to free tickets from an Eagles player that happened to be a friend and client. We left Saturday morning and by the time we got home Monday evening, my better half had completely re-painted and re-arranged the Living room.
Have a great weekend Sir!

I have exactly the same feelings on both subjects. I can sit around and be in pain from doing nothing, or I can be in pain from running myself into ground. Both approaches hurt, but I feel much more accomplished if I somehow “earned it”.

I also despise painting, always have. Models, cars, and houses. I don’t like any of it. Normally with rooms I do all the roller work (the easy part) and my wife does all the miserable tedious details. Somehow those rules seem to have gone out the window when it comes to the garage however as my wife is too busy doing the landscaping!

Originally Posted by McMurphy

dude, I have a full size Case 580 backhoe you could borrow !!

Another reason you need to hurry up and retire!

. . . . . . . .

Running the Dingo 3 days in a row really beat the crap out of my back and knees, so I haven’t been getting much done the last few days. Today I felt good enough to start on painting the garage, so I began with the entry wall (where the garage doors are). I picked it first knowing it would be very tedious, since almost nothing can be removed and all the garage door hardware had to be painted around. So a few hours later that part of the garage was painted. Some spots needed stain blocker, and all of it needed at least 2 coats as its 30 year old sheetrock that’s never had anything on it but dirt. Painting it white sure brightened things up:





As I wrapping up the paint work for the day, the mail man showed up with my newest acquisition. I keep asserting the truck is finished, but I keep finding that one more thing it just can’t live without. Going back to my childhood, my next door neighbor had several Buicks. In addition to educating me on Dagmar bumper bullets, he also had a 1949 fastback with the gun sight hood ornament. He affectionately referred to them as pedestrian gun sights, and claimed they were one of the greatest marketing gimmicks ever created by man. In a war weary nation filled with millions of veterans, what better product to plop right in front of the driver than a stylized gun sight.

I always thought they were cool, and with my Buick grille bar, portholes, and somewhat Buick like bumper bullets, it’s been bugging me that I’m missing one critical piece – the hood ornament! I’ve been studying these things for several months, and wasn’t convinced I could easily adapt a late 40’s – early 50’s Buick ornament to my hood. The slope and size of the hood is so different, I thought it would likely be problematic to make the base fit and align the “torpedo” at the correct angle. Here’s an example which I believe is a 1947:



After extensive research I discovered there were numerous aftermarket flavors of Buick-like hood ornaments around (both vintage and current). I finally found a mint condition vintage accessory ornament designed for a 46-47 Ford:



It appeared relatively easy to adapt, and since my last car was a 46 Ford, that sealed the deal. As of tonight, here’s what my hood looks like:





I’ll take some better outdoor pictures as soon as I get a chance to wash the truck again.

[Ta2Don]

Garage is Looking Great! and that Hood Ornament is Sweet!!!

[piratexpress1369a]

now that will look cool on the hood

[markeb01]

Another full day in the garage today, but not much to show for it. I spent another 2-3 hours “adjusting” the mounting of the hood ornament so the “ring” sits vertical and the “torpedo” is level with the ground. As mounted yesterday it was sloping forward too far and just didn’t look right to me. I used a pair of stainless steel mag wheel washers my son fabricated for me years ago as a base. They needed to be angle ground to correct the level on the hood, and also needed to be Blanchard ground flat on the mating surfaces. It’s just not that easy to accomplish when done with hand tools. So I just kept working until the fit was perfected:



Once that was done, I turned to the “ugly” wall and stripped it of everything but the brackets that will remain. There were at least 50 holes in the sheetrock from years of wall anchors that were all filled, followed by covering and stains with Kilz stain blocker.



If all goes well I’ll have it in finish paint by tomorrow afternoon. The shelves may take a bit longer as I’m going to paint them in gloss white instead of leaving them in bare wood.

In the FOB* department, we took the truck out for a ride tonight and were amazed at the performance improvement brought about by the addition of the hood ornament. Driving through a smoky area, it was easy to see the ring caused the smoke to swirl past the sides of the windshield, and the torpedo caused a reverse vortex that created negative pressure against the base of the glass pulling the truck forward like I had added nitrous!


*Full of Baloney…..

[pdxhall]

[piratexpress1369a]

[Ta2Don]

Love the FOB moment!!!

[markeb01]

Okay - so I may have slightly overstated any gains brought about by the hood ornament, but I did get the ugly wall painted this morning. Now all that's left is the ceiling. I'm sure looking forward to the additional brightness and having this wrapped up after all the years of putting up with the crappy appearance. I'm imagining the ceiling will offer the greatest improvement in light improvement. The new garage doors have certainly eliminated the dust, noise, and breezes:

[Grizz1963]

I always paint my garage walls white or even off white with any cheap paint as under coat and a second layer of cheaply acquired white of decent interior grade, regardless of how much stuff goes up on the walls.

The extra reflected light makes a huge difference.

Looking good Mark.

Har Martin over for BBQ, Bikes and Bü!!$#1771NG last night and he was going on about his love for the GMC grilles, which led us to the conclusion that yours is one of the best of the breed.
He also insisted on trial fitting my Chevy bonnet badge, which I will not be refitting, but agreeing we like your gun sight.

[dean jendro]

Don't forget the floor.

[Bomp]

I use that "special epoxy" paint on the floor, helps one clean spills easily.
I can crawl under a rig and not even have to use a trouble light. Naps are optional.

Looking great

[61K10]

Looks good Marke---funny how yards--garages--trucks seem never finished, always something to do.

[markeb01]

Originally Posted by Grizz1963

I always paint my garage walls white or even off white with any cheap paint as under coat and a second layer of cheaply acquired white of decent interior grade, regardless of how much stuff goes up on the walls.

The extra reflected light makes a huge difference.

Looking good Mark.

Har Martin over for BBQ, Bikes and Bü!!$#1771NG last night and he was going on about his love for the GMC grilles, which led us to the conclusion that yours is one of the best of the breed.
He also insisted on trial fitting my Chevy bonnet badge, which I will not be refitting, but agreeing we like your gun sight.

It looks like I’ll be using your approach on painting the ceiling. So far in the garage I’ve used “ceiling paint” which is inexpensive and comes in a 5 gallon bucket. The walls have so much pegboard, tools, and stuff on them the sheetrock doesn’t really show up all that much. But the ceiling looks terrible. 4 coats of paint aren’t enough to cover the tape marks. I painted 1/6th of the ceiling last night, so for the rest of it I’ll just give it one coat at do a 2nd coat with something better.

I fell in love with the GMC grille back in the 1970’s when my brother in law had a couple of hot rod trucks with 8” & 10” slot mags and other typical stuff. Both had the GMC grille which I thought really suited the body style. My favorite Chevy grille is the 63, but whatever year I got I intended to swap to the GMC grille anyway.

Originally Posted by dean jendro

Don't forget the floor.

It’s funny I never even considered the floor until now. With everything else all tuned up, the floor looks terrible so I’ll have to something.

Originally Posted by Bomp

I use that "special epoxy" paint on the floor, helps one clean spills easily.
I can crawl under a rig and not even have to use a trouble light. Naps are optional.

Looking great

Do you remember what brand and color you used? And did you add the little specks/flecks in the paint? Does it get slippery when water is spilled on it?

Originally Posted by 61K10

Looks good Marke---funny how yards--garages--trucks seem never finished, always something to do.

That is certainly one of my biggest problems. I have a hard time knowing when to leave stuff alone, and if I look hard enough I can usually find something that can be made better!