$3,000 driver build

[Mikeeal33]

Originally Posted by NVBUYER

Hey Mike, nice chatting with you tonight! Found your build thread and am reading it right now. Let me know if you ever need anything!

It was nice talking to you too Diego! You have a nice clean truck. Hopefully mine will be at that level some day.

Thanks mcnally! I'm a single dad, I have no choice but be on a budget lolol.

So I've fallen off the update wagon lately, I just moved to a new place, been getting used to that, and I don't have internet here yet so it's tough to post anything, let alone pics. I'll work on a nice update and let y'all know what's been up.

I did get a homie hookup yesterday from another board member, thanks Tim! Hopefully the front of my truck will be bagged real soon.

[Xeen]

Originally Posted by Mikeeal33

So I've fallen off the update wagon lately, I just moved to a new place, been getting used to that, and I don't have internet here yet so it's tough to post anything, let alone pics. I'll work on a nice update and let y'all know what's been up.

I wondered what happened to you.
I'm looking forward to an update with progress pictures.

[Mikeeal33]

Just been a mad house for me lately, work has been crazy too, non stop.

I've been driving the snot out of this old truck though:



I'll be back soon, plenty of updates to share.

[knomadd]

Originally Posted by Mikeeal33

I've been driving the snot out of this old truck though

GREAT!!!

Originally Posted by Mikeeal33

I'll be back soon, plenty of updates to share.

Can't wait to see them!

[Mikeeal33]

A few weeks ago I'm cruising down the highway doin about 75 and I'm not kidding this mirror just shot off, like a bullet, disappeared. Gone. I'm thinking damn that sucks that was a factory mirror!



So Summit has them in stock for $40, I go pick one up. Not two days later I'm hoisting this old girl into my new, single car garage, in which I have to make a 3-point turn just to get in, and CRUNCH, I drive the mirror right into the opening of the garage:



So yeah I'm on my third mirror now.

I also got the rear shoes on, brakes feel great:



I'm bagging the front this weekend, I hope, or atleast getting some taller springs. My camber is eating tires like nobodies business and if I shim the upper arms out enough to get it close my tires will rub. So, up she goes. It all depends on whether or not I can track down some steel plate today or tomorrow, I have the rest of the stuff. If I can't hopefully I can find some stock coils I can use, and only take one full coil out this time. That should lift it about 1-1.5" which will be good. Then I gotta buy tires.

[Xeen]

Yikes you are hard on mirrors.
Objects in mirror are closer than they appear.

[Mikeeal33]

lol, yeah. Even my kids were laughing at me after the second one.

I had had a couple too many beers that evening and only went from the driveway to the garage, but the layout of this place is so bad, so bad I'm telling you.

[hanly2]

Can't wait to see what you do with the front.

[Mikeeal33]

Dang I finally got some internet at my shop again, what a pain in the ass. Seems like once a month lately it goes out and it's always a total cluster f--- to get back up.

[Mikeeal33]

Pretty much full lift here front and back:



Thanks again Tim for the hookup on the bags, I wouldn't have been able to get this done without em!!!

[Xeen]

Wait you forgot the picture of it aired out!

[texasld]

Having all the tools in the shop make the Budget part a little easier! HEHE. Truck looks sweet! Keep it up.

[Mikeeal33]

Thanks guys.



That's the front tires resting on the inner fenders and rear axle resting on the notches.

Lots of bugs to work out still but it rides real nice, I'll do a written update as soon as I can.

[hanly2]

You got the tires on the fenders without cupping the a arms? Do you have drop spindles?

[NVBUYER]

Originally Posted by Mikeeal33

A few weeks ago I'm cruising down the highway doin about 75 and I'm not kidding this mirror just shot off, like a bullet, disappeared. Gone. I'm thinking damn that sucks that was a factory mirror!



So Summit has them in stock for $40, I go pick one up. Not two days later I'm hoisting this old girl into my new, single car garage, in which I have to make a 3-point turn just to get in, and CRUNCH, I drive the mirror right into the opening of the garage:



So yeah I'm on my third mirror now.

Man you sure stay busy with your truck! I'm not sure if you know of the company Golden State Parts, but they're over on Arrowhead in Carson. They stock the same mirror for the same price but it might save you a trip to Reno - you know if it happens again. (ha!) Heres their website if you want to know more about them. http://www.golden-state-parts.com

Looking forward to more updates! Your truck looks better and better everytime you post a picture! Keep up the good work.

[slowcpe]

Very cool build. Not sure how I missed it but you stole that truck. Looks good laid out.

[BigDaddyV]

Love the way the truck looks aired out! Beautiful!

[GAc10boy]

Lookin' awesome!

[boynton]

Looking forward to the write up for the front suspension! Did you find your gas gauge short?

[mcbassin]

Very nice progress on the suspension. I like all the custom parts you made too. Right up my alley

[lowlyfec10]

sub'd. wish my 69 didnt have the upper n lower body mouldings now lol

[Mikeeal33]

Originally Posted by hanly2

You got the tires on the fenders without cupping the a arms? Do you have drop spindles?

Yes 2.5".

Originally Posted by boynton

Looking forward to the write up for the front suspension! Did you find your gas gauge short?

Hell no! It works when it wants to. I'll fill it, (or get close I think) and it'll read around 1/2 to 3/4 tank. Then float around, but sorta seem to work. Then some days it only reads empty lol.

The front is on shraders at the moment, here's a pic:



I ran it like this because I had to get the front camber at a reasonable angle ASAP. I ordered valves on Monday, they'll be here Friday. So this coming weekend I'm gonna plumb the new valves into the system and wire them up, set my ride height and align it.

From yesterdays pics, I made a traditional plate that bolts to the upper spring pocket, I used 1/4" plate. I made a cardboard template then just traced it onto the steel. First I drilled all the holes and wiped out two hole saws, but got the job done. Then I cut the plates out, wiping out the band saw blade, but once again got the job done haha. Barely. I should take a pic of the blade lol.

Here's where experience would have come in handy. I assumed the upper bag mount should be where the spring goes, so that's where I drilled the holes. Well we got the bags all the way in and realized they were way too slanted, (picture how the original coil springs sit) not cool for a bag. Pulled it all back out and ended up offsetting the upper mount portion out one inch. That lined it up pretty good and I'm happy with it. The pics I posted are after we offset it. Normally that would have sucked a lot worse but with my choice of mills here I just clamped em down and elongated the big air fitting hole with an end mill, and re-drilled the other two. Done.

The bottom cups, lol, I bet I'm the only mofo with 7075 billet aluminum cups. Hahaha. Hey it's what I had laying around here. 6" remnants. I ended up making them 2.150" tall. I can always pull them out and face them shorter if I feel the need but I like where they sit now. I turned down the diameter of them on the bottom so they seat in the lower control arm real nice. No movement or shifting. Then just drilled a 3/8" hole for the bolt. Done.

I also need to fix about 3 leaks in the rear air system that I'm hopefully gonna get to before I'm ready to chill for the rest of the weekend. I was ignorant in thinking pipe dope would work for my fittings when I did the rear. It didn't. I have loctite 545 now and that stuff works great.

Thanks for the compliments everyone. More to come.

[Mikeeal33]

Dang shraders sure know how to bring a thread down, lmao!!! Look they FINALLY showed up:



Another fiasco. These stupid valves were supposed to show up last Friday, they got here yesterday. I had to call the post office and everything, jeez what a pain.

[aggie91]

I just found this thread over here, Great build so far. I like your budget approach. BTW, that was an awsome price for the truck. double that around here gets you a pos.

[Mikeeal33]

Thanks Karl. Budget is the only way I can make this happen. It's why I'm able to drive it now. If I had to buy the stuff that I've built it'd probably still be in the garage.