Super Duper Haggis Hauler II - The Resurrection

[MacQuigley]

Well there aint not no going back now!



First the fuel neck is welded in place



Now its ready for some filling and painting (my favourite jobs!!)





Its not quite a flush fit but its not far from it. Quite happy with it.

[MacQuigley]

Thanks to family commitments I didnt get much done over the weekend but I eventually got the new shifter installed.





Fitting those levers was a real pain and the bars that fit to the box were too tight and took a bit of fitting. But it was worth it because the shift is as smooth as anything. Beginnig to thing it would be nice nice in the Vette but only if I can find a way to get it high enough to fit it from below.

Unfortunately its still a little short but because of the way its made I can alter it to suit perfectly (I hope!)

I also mocked up the rear bumper for the first time now that I have the correct brackets.



New rear lights arrived this week as well so start to look at a way to mount them this week.



Sadly Im away this weekend so wont see much getting done but there are a couple of holiday weekends fast approaching that should see some progress.

[ibrown50]

The pop up filler works really well and the shifter is just awesome
I have been looking at those exact same lights for my truck, sadly I’m a fair way off needing rear lights at the moment

[mjh1965]

Is there room to install a flap and hide it Bill

[MacQuigley]

Cheers Rian. I can sense the end now. I just want to keep at it so I can finally drive it for the first time!

I thought of going chrome first but decided its easier to repaint than re-chrome if it gets scratched. Got to admit it looks better than Id originally imagined. Thought all that blue might have been too much but so far so good. The little chrome in the headlight surrounds, the chrome of the rear lights, the door handles and the chrome wing mirrors (when I fit them) Oh and the chrome "custom" panels behind the doors should be enough to break it all up.

[MacQuigley]

Its actually beginning to look like a truck again!





Only concern I have is those tyres are really tight in the fender wells. The passenger side is the tightest and there is some scope to bring the axle over to the drivers side a little, plus the bed will raise the fenders 1/2-3/4 inch which will help but ultimately I may have to raise the bed height an inch or so by changing the 3" drop springs to maybe 2". That would be a shame as I like the stance exactly as it is.

[ibrown50]

Bill your truck looks better each post. Is your tyre clearance issue inside against the bed or the outside against the fender?

[MacQuigley]

The issue is on the outside edge of the tyre against the inside edge of the fender (if that makes sense). Largely due to wider 12 bolt and 265 tyres (just as well I didnt go for t he 275's I wanted). Worst comes to the worst I could chop the axle but the axle still needs to be centred as does the bed and the wood will raise the height of the fender a little. Oh and the seal between the fender and bed side will gain me a couple of mm.

[ibrown50]

A good fiend of mine had the same issue with his ‘56 t-bird. To fix it he had some material machined off the mounting face of the wheel, effectively moving the wheel inboard by 1/4” or 3/8” ( I can’t recall the exact amount) it would obviously be subject to you having sufficient stock on the wheel in the first place but he did this 5 or 6 years ago and had not had any trouble

[MacQuigley]

Its an idea but Im not sure I could get it in enough to make much difference. There is a good gap currently on the drivers side. The bed does need to be centred as does the axle so I may just make it.

[mjh1965]

I know it’s a bit late , as you have painted the arches . Did you roll the edge of the arch up to give you a bit more room as that usually helps . There is always the option of a little spacer between the bed and arch as well every little helps as the say

[MacQuigley]

I did Martin. Bought a rolling tool and it was as much use as a chocolate tea pot. However I cut the inner lip, folded it in on itself and welded it back up to get as much room as possible. I reckon there may just be enough room.

Always new this may come back and bite me. Never measured up wheels before and I knew it was going to be tight. This is but a minor problem. I can always change the tyres for 255's, though Id rather not in fact Id rather have 275's.

[MacQuigley]

I may have a problem.

Started to strip the intake off tonight to repaint it over the weekend and found signs of water inside one of the valve covers.



Emulsified oil and water!!!!

I couldnt get the engine to start on Sunday when I last tried and in truth its not been running that well the last couple of weekends. Cant help but think head gasket.

[Captainfab]

Uh OH!

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by MacQuigley

I may have a problem.

Started to strip the intake off tonight to repaint it over the weekend and found signs of water inside one of the valve covers.

Attachment 1896016

Emulsified oil and water!!!!

I couldnt get the engine to start on Sunday when I last tried and in truth its not been running that well the last couple of weekends. Cant help but think head gasket.

Poop !!!

[MacQuigley]

So the last couple of weekends have been filled with various jobs.

First thing to sort out was the issue with the "sludge" I found under the passenger valve cover.

After getting the intake off I could see no signs of any water contamination and when I pulled the drivers side valve cover and found similar sludge I took a chance that this wasnt the result of a blown head gasket (what are the chances of both blowing at exactly the same time!?!) and decided to put it all back together, after resetting all the valves.

This time I sealed the front and back with a bead of silicon that I let skin over before fitting the intake and torquing down.

So with it all back together, I cant say she fired up first time but she did fire up and seems to be running just fine. I reckon that the last couple of times Id run the engine I didnt run it long enough to let it really heat up and it was really cold out. I think, I hope what I found under the valve covers was just condensation mixing with oil. There was absolutely no signs of oil and water mixing anywhere else.

One very positive thing about doing all this, not including the fact I got the intake repainted at the same time, is the fact that oil leak I had at the back end of the engine seems to have been cured. Not sure whether thats down to the fact that Ive sealed the intake better than before, or whether the new PCV valve is operating better or maybe that the vacuum connection to the new PCV valve is better than before but no matter the reason at least I dont need to take the oil pan off to replace the rear main seal or the pan gasket!

This weekend I started by lengthening the shifter lever. Must admit this is the first time Im been disappointed with Summit. I bought a new Hurst shifter believing the lever was bolt in as Hurst only make bolt in now and there was nothing on the Summit website to suggest otherwise. Unfortunately this turned out not to be the case and according to the Hurst technical support this shifter has been modified by someone other than Hurst. So anyway Im left with what I have (though Hurst have pointed me in the direction of someone who can help with parts if ever I need them) and after a but of cutting and welding Ive now got the shifter lever in a position that makes it easy to shift.

The only issue with the transmission now is the fact that I noticed that when I run the engine its permanently engaged even when in neutral. Looks like Ive knocked something out so thats this weeks task to fix.

Anyway by the time Id finished the shifter on Saturday I wanted to move onto different things so on Sunday I decided to move onto the bed and rear end.

First I set the bed sided into the correct positions and spaced it up so I could check the tyre to fender clearance which was worrying me a little. So with a little fine tuning of the panhard arm I think Ive now got enough clearance. Its still tight but I will see how his works.

Next I decided to torque up all the rear axle, suspension and I fit the parking brake cables.

Then I did a bit of a trial fit of the new bed wood. I wanted to do this more to see if I hwas OK with the natural colour of the wood or to see if I wanted to darken it. Ive decided to keep it as it is. Its a little light but any stain I could put on it is just too dark.



Finally I got the rear mufflers fitted and the last of the hangers in place. Only got a couple of tail pipes to fit and thats the exhaust complete.



So, Im hoping to pick up my new propshaft today or tomorrow and if I can figure out whats up with the transmission tonight then by the end of the week I may actually have a vehicle I can drive. Now that would be NICE!

[Captainfab]

It is not uncommon without a drive shaft (prop shaft)for the output shaft of a manual trans to turn, while in neutral and the engine running. I believe it is just the oil from the input shaft turning the countershaft and thus the output shaft.

[mjh1965]

Can’t wait to see the video footage

[MacQuigley]

Not sure it will be that exciting. I'll only be going up and down the drive!

[mjh1965]

Bill it’s moving under it’s own power. So by reckoning you have won the race . But who is going to come second that’s the question

[MacQuigley]

Lets just say Im the first to get over this particular hurdle.

This is an endurance race and there is still a long way to go!

[MacQuigley]

So I took the C10 for a wee run at the weekend, all the way up to the top of my drive way for a clean and a bit of a photo shoot.









Also varnished and fitted the bed. Like so many other part it was not an easy fit.



Still a way to go yet before I get her on the road but it is getting close.

[Captainfab]

The truck is looking great Bill

[MacQuigley]

Originally Posted by Captainfab

The truck is looking great Bill

Cheers John.

Decided to take a day/weekend off as I needed a bit of a break from it. So my youngest son and I got the rifles out and went to the range for a wee but of long range relaxation!

I must be getting old! Its getting hard to keep ahead of him now. I only beat him by 0.3 of a point in one and completely humped me in another!

Anyway that was Saturday. Sunday I went to help my Dad bleed the brakes on his Cobra, but in the afternoon I got back to the C10. Got the new carb return spring bracket fitted, new MSD plug leads and heat resistant boots fitted oh and I tried to fix the power steering box, hopefully Ive sorted the leak and the problem I caused but trying to fix it in the first place!!!

May not get much done for a couple of weeks now as Im away a fair bit (Im in the far north of Scotland as I type) and my C3 should be back from the paint shop on Wednesday and Ive a new interior to fit, maybe I will got some use out of it this summer!

[MacQuigley]

Not updated this much lately, partly due to the fact progress has been slow due to work commitments and frankly other cars getting in the way.

However, some progress has been made. Got the tailgate painted and fitted



Also painted and fitted the front bumper (well almost - forgot to paint the bolts)



And the cowel panel and side steps are just about finished (including the previously mentioned bumper bolts)



All thats left to paint is the 2 quarter panels and that should be the body work done. In reality there is now not a lot left to do. I may have it on the road this year after all!