My '59 Apache

[Denee007]

Yes Orrie, that is my original thought, and I think a crossmember needs to be put back in somehow. Ogre just has a way of making things sound easy to do! ; ) Afterall, he is a genius!
I was wanting to use the original piece that I cut out, modify it, make tabs of some sorts and bolt it back in. This idea may work if the tranny winds up like yours did, but you didn't cut yours. If the original cut out piece doesn't work, then I can use rectagular pipe to make something. So, that sounds like a plan! In the picture below, behind the original crossmember before I cut it, was the tranny crossmember that I was going to use, now I'm using a different crossmember. Maybe I can use this one some how~ otherwise it's scrap metal.
; ) dne'

Originally Posted by OrrieG

Looking nice. I thought you were going to put back in a piece of rectangular tubing to act as a cross brace?

[Chevette]

I think your fan needs to be closer to the radiator. Truck is lookin' great. I think you hit the mark with the color on the dash and engine house.

[Denee007]

Originally Posted by Chevette

I think your fan needs to be closer to the radiator. Truck is lookin' great. I think you hit the mark with the color on the dash and engine house.

[Denee007]

This was a fun part! I had some left over radiant barrier and glued that in.


From Newport engineering~ this windshield wiper motor/switch was the easiest installation yet, little thinking involved ! It bolted right in! I haven't made it work yet as I don't have a 12 volt source. I highly recommend this company!!
Installation of my first switch!! A momentus occasion!

[wutnxt]

Hey truck looks great and your making some big progress over there.
I think the color combo looks great too, keep up the good work

[OrrieG]

I just check each electrical component as I put it in with a spare battery and alligator clips so if I have problems during wiring I have eliminated the component as the source. I clip the neg to the body panel to check the ground circuit.

[_Ogre]

if you cut it out i'd just use a 4'' grinder with a cutoff wheel in it, that's all i ever use.
you do need to add cab support in that area if you remove it
i haven't figured out how you'd get the trans out with the stock x-member in

this is how i hung my 700r4 and braced the cab mounts

[OrrieG]

You can get the th350 out, I have had mine in and out 3-4 times. The bottom back of the bellhousing is right at the back of the crossmember. It angles up towards the front at the same angle as the top of the bellhousing (I couldn't find any good pictures of it on this computer). As it come back you slide it down to clear the firewall recess. Tight, but doable. Denees removable crossmember will make it easier. I would just make it so it slides up snuggly into the original nubs and use a long horizontal bolt on each side, its more of a tension member (no vertical loading) without the original bellhousing weight on it.

[thump16]

i have an original bolt in crossmember if you want it Denee. Its free.

[_Ogre]

original bolt in x-members were only available on the hydromatic equipped trucks (i'd take him up on the offer denee )

[Denee007]

That's sweet of you! You mean it's just like the rivited one that (was) in there? To be honest, I just hate the idea of taking the remaining crossmember "nubs" out! I hate those rivets! and now I have the plates in place~ I don't know what to do. I do know this, whomsover would buy my truck, hopefully many years from now, will take this truck apart, put a camaro clip, etc., and repair many other gliches, so I'm not too upset about how it is. As long as I can make it to the Nifty50ee's, and local car gatherings, that's most important to me. I'll never go on long road trips and it will never see rain. I'm doing the best in the scope of my abilities (with help from my friends here ; ),) and genuinely hope to make memories with my grandchildren (as they materialize, lol) as they will remember riding in Naynay's old cars!, knowing she did all of the work, unfortunately they'll never understand the amount of work that goes on in the "restoration" or "restomod" process, as most kids today and forever will probably never comprehend real work.

So, in essence, do I suffer taking out the old CM remanants? But it should be done before installing the engine and tranny, right? or would there be room to take those cm nubs out after the engine is in!
; ) dne'

Originally Posted by thump16

i have an original bolt in crossmember if you want it Denee. Its free.

[Denee007]

Not to change the subject, but I have the front windshield in my bedroom (already stubbed my toes on it!) and I'd like to get it installed. I bought the windshield here in Houston for 150.00) I bought the rubber from Steel rubber products. Should I pay someone to install it, or is it something a "normal"(like me) person can do. I can get my brother to help me. ; )

[OrrieG]

I have had two windshields installed in my truck over the years. Watching the work and finese it took, I felt it was money well spent. I think my truck may be just a little off because both times it took well over an hour and lots of pushing, beating in one case, to get it in. If it does not seat down all the way it will easily pop right back out.

[Denee007]

Thanks Orrie! I'll start searching for an installer today!

Originally Posted by OrrieG

I have had two windshields installed in my truck over the years. Watching the work and finese it took, I felt it was money well spent. I think my truck may be just a little off because both times it took well over an hour and lots of pushing, beating in one case, to get it in. If it does not seat down all the way it will easily pop right back out.

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[_Ogre]

two of us installed the windshield in my truck in an hour, it's relatively painless.
the big back window took us 4 hours of beating and cursing...

i've found that most installers can't do the old stuff

[Denee007]

While trying to figure out what to do about my windshield, I took my "new" instrument cluster bought off of ebay for 200.oo (reconditioned) and just set it in, and I almost mastered installing my AC/heater control, still have a couple cables to route, but looks nice!; ) Oh, I tested my windshield wiper motor with the arms (not wipers) and it hums along nicely! Oh I wish for my windshield to be installed! ; )

[Kim57]

The dash looks real nice.
Kim

[Russell Ashley]

Your dash looks great. That color really goes well with the red exterior.

Sorry that you are having so much trouble with the windshield install. That's why I always just let the glass place where I buy the windshield do the installation. That way I don't have to worry about breaking it and don't pay anything until it's installed.

[Denee007]

Thanks Kim, Russell!

Today was kind of a fun day, most days are fun anyway! I finished the cable connections going to my ac/heat controller, except for the heater control valve. Then I test fitted my single din 7" player(it's awesome!), then figured out a way to install my fuse panel. Darn there a lot of wires that need to go somewhere! I wanted the fuse panel easily accessible, plus need room for my foot brake pedal, so that looks like it will fit ok. I'm done for the day, was an easier day and that was good.
Any hints as to how to run the wires, like through the firewall?
Dinner time!; )





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[Denee007]

Howdy ya'll~ though I'm still a little incapacitated, I am still able to work on other things. I worked on the wiring harness connecting/soldering wires, etc., made a bracket to hold my fuse panel. I had mentioned earlier,but now it's hopefully permanently installed! Installed the ignition and headlight switch. Gosh I hope they work! I need to figure out where to put the wires through the firewall and what grommet I can use to protect the wires. I need to put the truck back up on the lift to do the wires. Today is just clean up, need to move some stuff out of the bed of the truck to start thinking installation of the gas tank that I bought from brothers. I know, I know, the front glass is amongst that mix of things to do, I don't want to mess my back up any more than it already is! Maybe with all the men here during Thanksgiving, I could possibly get my glass installed, but I doubt it.
; )

Where I've been the past couple days, not all the time! lol I bought my wiring harness from Hotrodwires.com at a local swap meet. Bill, the owner, also the tech support, knows me well now! I call him fairly often to figure things out~ I love tech support!


emergency brake temporarily installed, still need to clean it up better and paint it. It looks like it will work OK. It's a little away from the kick panel, but when I make a kick panel and put a speaker, the clearance should be just fine.

[_Ogre]

denee: this may help you get your windshield installed correctly
i think it is the right size, just needs to be installed the right way
soapy water, a rope and 3 people is all you need

[OrrieG]

"Maybe with all the men here during Thanksgiving, I could possibly get my glass installed, but I doubt it. ; )"

Put the men on the outside; you, beer and tv remote on the inside. When glass is successfully installed everyone gets reunited. Have a good Turkey Day.

[Denee007]

Thanks Ogre for the neat windshield illustration!

and Thank you too Orrie for the funny comment!

I doubt I'll ask people on Thanks Giving to help me~ So, I'll wait patiently, perhaps Friday. Gary will be off and my brother can come over.

Today I removed the stuff out of the bed of the truck(new bumpers, new gas tank, and an amazing amount of stuff), and general organization of my garage, looks nice for a change; )

[TennesseeZ]

Just tried to post a comment on your blog, as I noticed you were kinda stressing about not getting any, but got a "forbidden" message. So I'm commenting here. Nice work on the truck, and the pony, and everything else. I'm really impressed with your ambition and skills. Keep it up, you're almost there with the truck.

[Denee007]

I certainly appreciate your sweet comment! I just spoke with my husband (Gary), that I don't think people are able to post comments! Yesterday my brother said the same thing as you. So we need to look into that, so Thank you, and Thank you!
You know TennesseeZ, I think often about today's kids, they know how to do stuff on computers, and they go to college and learn how to do one thing, hopefully well. But they learn little about, looking at something, maybe the natural response would be, "what makes that tick?", take it apart even if destroying it in the process! I've destroyed a lot of stuff! I guess growing up with 3 brothers on a lone shell road, one finds things to do. We are fortunate to have grown up without computers,cell phones, modern crap! Society is becoming zombies, idiot savants. Ok , got that off my chest!
I tried to get my girls to hang out with me in their growing up years to learn about stuff, develop common sense and logic. I cherish my growing up years and has paid off. Ok, time to make breakfast.

Originally Posted by TennesseeZ

Just tried to post a comment on your blog, as I noticed you were kinda stressing about not getting any, but got a "forbidden" message. So I'm commenting here. Nice work on the truck, and the pony, and everything else. I'm really impressed with your ambition and skills. Keep it up, you're almost there with the truck.

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