49' Patina bagged in PA

[FarmerSid]

Looks good 99. I hear ya on getting sick of the dirty stuff. Almost had enough working on the new firewall and floors. It's my third attempt on the firewall but now I'm happy.

[99 to Life]

3-24 Monday, usually never ever get to work on my truck two days a week let alone on a monday, well today I got a few hours in. So I got the inner fenders trimmed to fit and some moch up fenders and grille on. Though these look cool, they aren't the actual ones I'll be using. I'm pretty happy with all the fitment so far. I should be able to fab up rad support soon, then fine tune it for my rad once I get it. I'll prolly use a trifive car rad like I'v used bf, they have a 90* tab on them vs a straight tab. I got a good game plan for it, hopefully it pans out as well as I hope.

The last pic with the hood off is actually with the fenders a tad lower than the other moch ups. I'm thinking it will be set at this, bottom of fenders are 5.25" off ground up front.

[Billys68SS]

Looking good Henry!

[99 to Life]

thanks guys, where you been billy? yeah I'm diggin the front clip even though its not the one I'm using. I'm getting close to stripping it down and coating alot of stuff. Can't wait for reassemble and to actually get my engine done. I should also be getting bumper brackets on very soon too, makes a world of diff. Hate seeing these with no bumpers but thats my taste not everyone I'm sure.

[Billys68SS]

Dude, ive been around. Mostly lurking. Haven't made any progress on mine lately. Money has been super tight and weather hasn't let me get out and do anything either. I spent a little time out there tonight but mostly just looked at it and cleaned. I've got my engine on the stand, kinda cleaned up and got a new crank for it, but don't want to put it together yet until I decide what else I'm gonna do. Just not enough hours in the day.

[99 to Life]

billy, I hear yah man. its a nice winter we are having this spring!! money has been def an issue for me too. Just doing anything I can that don't require it. But its almost impossible to make decent progress without it. I thought I'd get my frame blasted and epoxied, but I might just be doing it by hand and using some chassis saver. Its always time and money or one or the other. OH wait and weather! Building an engine from scratch feels like an eternity trying to save up for all the parts, I'm getting really close to wrapping mine up. Hope to see you back at it soon.

[99 to Life]

3-30 Today was crappy day, just didn't get alot of work time in and I started on my rad support, without my rad. I'm going to most likely use the same rad I'v used before, so it was good to take some measurements off my 51'. So this photo is basically what supports the inner/fenders up front. the rad will be tied into it some, but there is another xmember that you can't see that the rad will sit on. The PWS box just gets in the way enough to make things difficult. But I sectioned out a piece of tubing to go over the box and end to end of the frame. tacked it in. I then made two tabs with nuts on them, so you bolt the whole support together, incase you ever need to tear the front clip off, you can. I'm hoping to get the rad before I make the final mounts for it. This is just phase one.

I go got some 18g so I can start back on my floor, I'm gona have to make a tunnel in the back of cab some, I also have to notch out my xmember for my mechanical fuel pump. I have my engine a little farther back on this one. but if I get the radiator and get it in and see what clearance I have then I'll maybe move the engine up a snug.

[DieselRat]

You making some good progress on this one, I feel the same about chassis length and moving it a little more rearward on the front wheels to get the rear axle a little more centered. Mines the same as you said, looks dead on from some angles, and pushed towards the rear at other angles. Must be fun doing it a second time around and more or less prepared and know what you gotta do and learned from the first truck.

[99 to Life]

rat, thanks. yeah second time around is always easier. though this one is bagged my 51' isn't so its still some different stuff. For sure I'v referenced my 51' on quite a few things. I have another dime frame for a future swap, and some original frames to do too, so everyone should get much more efficient. my 51' took me about a year worth of weekends. this one should hopefully be a year worth of 1 day a week, so half the time and with more work involved.

[xpickup]

99 to life, the progress looks great. It is going to be in the weeds. I like it! It is nice you can check out the other one if you need.


Shannon

[DieselRat]

Whats the make on your tires on each of your trucks?

[Billys68SS]

Looking good Henry! I'll hopefully be back on mine as soon as we finish the 66 we are working on.

[99 to Life]

shannon, thanks she will def be in the weeds.

rat, I use Remington 14" bias G78 tires. I got 3 sets and a lead on another. You can usually find them used for couple hundo a set. I don't think they make these anymore.

billy, yeah hope you get on it. I get so pissed if I miss my one work day on my 49'. Its friggin snowing here on my work day and windy as ever, my girl just lost her job so money is even more tight. Just a hard year so far. Hopefully we all get some breaks this year.

[IWanna49]

Don't lose the faith, Hank. Things will work out with good times ahead.

Still lovin the shirts I got from ya. I get random (cool) comments whenever I wear the patina one,

Greg

[99 to Life]

Hey greg, cool man glad to hear. So how bout this luck. New Eastjunk welder used under 20 times quit working today, LUCKILY it was dang near end of my workday, but.... I still didn't get to finish what I was working on. I'm already borderline never buying anything from them again and now this. So we'll see what they say monday. Just so happens I need to weld up a muffler on my other daily so it can pass inspection, so..... now I can't even do that and might as well just buy a new muffler. When it rains it pours I guess.

[Root2812]

Originally Posted by 99 to Life

So how bout this luck. New Eastjunk welder used under 20 times quit working today

Man I know how you feel. It sucks when a tool you spend good money on disappoints you. We dropped $1500 on a plasma cutter from the Mac Tools guy that comes by my dad's shop. We bought it because it was supposed to easily cut 1/4 inch steel and we were doing frame work. What BS that thing is! It can barely, if you're really slow, cut 1/8 inch plate. I'm hoping we are using it wrong or something or maybe its just faulty and we can get a new one but what a disappointment, especially right in mid project.

[99 to Life]

4-5 Sat. So as I just stated my eastwood welder stopped supplying gas toward the end of my workday, lucky for it or it woulda been thrown out my door literally. Thing works good minus a few issues I have with it and their company. Hopefully get a new selenoid or whatever the part is and get it fixed. I only bought it cause I was in a jam, won't go down that road again esp if I don't have to.

So I made some progress back in on the cab floor. got the floor pans in up front. Cut out some pieces for my trans tunnel. Just couldn't finish welding it all up. Started on a patch up top towards the engine recess area, pretty complex patch their and I was doing good till my welder quit. For my trans tunnel, the one piece I'll be bolting on, so I can have access to the top of the trans if need be. I made a cab mount washer out of big and small washer, just welded them together, cut out a hole in the floor and tacked it in place.

I am on a role with bad luck this year. With the weather, money and this truck its about to get renamed project "hardtimes" LOL. could be worse

[Billys68SS]

Hey Henry, who makes the welder? It kinda looks like a Century. What did it do? What size wire are you running? I have a Matco (Miller) that I run .035 in to weld my large metal and a Blue Point (Century) that I run .023 in to burn sheet metal.

[99 to Life]

hey guys, don't wanna make this out to be a talk smack thread or anything but for sure when equipment is used maybe 20 times in the past 3 months I'v had it, you'd expect no problems. Its made by eastwood in china I believe. I don't think they go through anyone that makes other welders.

The problem is the gas selenoid and or circuit board. I got a hold of the tech guy today and he wants me to tear it apart and check the ohms so they know what the problem really is. I didn't sign up for all this headache and even boxing it up to ship back will be a complete headache too if thats what it comes down to. Its a good welder minus the terrible cords and a few skimped parts that will prolly break in the long run. I run .030 through this because I'v had to weld some 3/16 type stuff and sheet so I didn't wanna keep changing the wire. I run .023 in my craftsman that I use for sheet. I did all the dash work on p.2 with that welder which I'm prolly gonna just use till I get this eastwood fixed.

[skymangs]

If you wind up going with a new welder, I absolutely LOVE my Lincoln 140. For the money, there is no better choice. I gave like $500 for it at Home Depot. I run .023 and have no problems welding anything from 18ga. all the way up to 3/16. If I want to weld 1/4", I bump to .030. Just my .02

[99 to Life]

4-13 Sat. So here is my rant on karma. My girl lost her job, so now when I think money problems at an all time low couldn't be worse, they just did. Welder craps out, new one showing up monday, so I had to use my backup. Only good news is I'll have a new welder for free and only one workday setback sorta. Lastly on my way home from a late night this evening, I hit a pothole and blew my upper balljoint. So towed home. There are a slew of other things I could write a book about, but I'll spare ya.

So today, wasn't too happy I had to use my crappy back up welder. and I needed to run some wire to my garage for it anyway since its just 110 and all my 110 power was temporarily run by extension cords. So I got a jump on that today, so soon I'll have the garage fully wired and lit.

All I got done today, which seems like nothing is finish up what I left off on last week. Got the upper trans tunnel done and sides. Just gonna keep the top bolted on for several reasons. Started on the rest of the framing so I can finish up the rest of the tunnel towards the back of the cab. I should have the floor done next weekend. Some panels I'm gonna leave unwelded so I have easier access to things like exhaust, brake, fuel and air lines being ran under cab. Getting some chassis saver soon and some seam sealer. Frame and engine I'm hoping to be done and mated by end of May. Got a slew of things after that and then hoping to be wiring August. Shake down runs by Sept/Oct.

had my 51' out the other day, gotta a bad selenoid I believe, so I just push started it, gotta love manuals. Might just toss a new starter in and use that truck for a while. Everything I own needs work wtf, I seriously can't keep up.

[FarmerSid]

Too bad about the better half losing her job. That's quite a trans tunnel. Just finishing mine but I'm going to run an automatic. It's amazing how much time it takes doing that sheet metal work with dealing with shrinkage and fitting.

The tough times you are having may be blessing. Your girl may find something much better. Good luck to both of you and if you need anything, just ask.

[FarmerSid]

Hey 99. Looking at your pictures, what idea's do you have for locating the battery? I'm not 100% on any idea's I've seem so far. Don't like under the hood. Not fussy on the drop down tray with floor lid filled in as that would be a pain to get to the battery and since the truck is going to be lowered, may not drop down enough. Kinda leaning towards keeping the battery lid in the floor. Thoughts?

[oldman3]

Hey 99, hope things get better for you bro, hope the new welder gives no problems...Jim

[99 to Life]

4-19 Sat. Sid sorry didn't see your last post. I'm 100% most always going to put battery behind seat. That is another reason why I don't use stock seats, you can't fold them forward. My 51' has bat behind seat, I run a kill switch in the cab (I feel is a must for any rod) then I have a junction box up on firewall (which is convenient but looks dumb, so it will someday get moved into the cab, my 49' will have the exact same set up but i'll have the junction box in cab). I hate bats in the engine bay and prolly hate them more under the cab. Its also nice cause I have some things wired directly to the bat that aren't a part of the wiring harness, so its just all around convenient for me behind the seat.

So I got a replacement eastwood welder, hooked it up, made one tack and boom gas stopped. Sooooooooooooooooooo pissed. Luckily they did send a replacement solenoid from my last welder, so I hooked that up and it works but it seems to leave the gas on waaaay to long after you release the trigger, so its sucking my gas really bad, so now I gotta call and get another one and I'm in process of finding a different/reliable solenoid, but really haven't dug much info on that. eastwood does have decent customer support but man not a happy first time customer. its a good unit but I'd rather have something else for my daily and use this as a back up. Here is a pic of what the valve looks like.

Nothing too exciting on the truck. Started wrapping up the last of my tunneling and make some more floor pieces. I'll prolly wait to weld the whole floor in so I can have some access to exhaust and all the other stuff that runs under the cab.