Weekend progress...what did you get done?

[red71cheyenne]

Spent the weekend fixing the leak on the thermostat housing on the '71, and think I finally got it to seal. While I was there, I did the CS144 alternator upgrade. Looks like it is going to work out fantastic! After it was on, started up the truck, ran the fan on high, stereo, headlights on bright, dual electric fans running all this while idling in reverse and the volt meter didn't even budge! Hopefully this will take care of my voltage problems. Also managed to mock up the radiator in the Blazer. Once I get the exhaust figured out on it, I'll be able to start it up and move it around.

[BowTieMan]

I replaced both upper balljoints, new upper control arm bushings, new brake shoes, wheels cylinders, brake hardware kit, put in my polyerathan pan hard bar bushings, put in a new thermostat, and cleaned all the years of mud, tar, and who knows what else off the front end.

[Palf70Step]

Hmmmm...got a catback and magnaflow mufflers on the Dodge. Helped a board member/friend clear some trees from his yard. Saturday I worked on the 69 trying to find a tranny leak, until I found water coming out the tail pipe. So I guess I'll be yanking some heads. Stripped some more things off the 70. Getting ready to yank the motor on it, then hopefully the cab will be removed real soon. Today, I loaded up the bed and some stuff being bought by another local board member, discussed truck. Entertained the Krazy_texan for a while. Pulled some more things off the 70's cab.

[GMan69]

Met up with krue, Putter, EBBHightower, and Subtle71 at a local cruise-in. Y'all, Dean's truck looks fantastic. Especially under the lights.

[dennislbrooks]

Went on a tour of "Unique Performance" in Farmers Branch, TX. They are assembling Shelby 67 mustangs with 427's and Fooses 69 Camaros with 572's. The people there were great, took time to talk to us, answer questions, and showed us around the shop. www.UniquePerformance.com
I highly recommend this place even tho everything they had was out of my reach.

[subtle71]

Originally Posted by GMan69

Met up with krue, Putter, EBBHightower, and Subtle71 at a local cruise-in. Y'all, Dean's truck looks fantastic. Especially under the lights.

Thanks, George! Thanks to Krue also (he posted some kind words on another thread).

Back to the original question... I actually got to drive my truck!! This is something that has not happened since February. The overdrive works now. I averaged 17.6mpg on the trip. I am pleased. A few more weeks and hopefully I will have her all together. The new interior should be fun if I can turn my thoughts into reality!

[HeavyD]

I decided I'm going to stuff my new 72 doors from Paul72 into the hatchback of my beater Honda when we meet in Fargo this Saturday. I then realized it is going to be one cold trip. Still, it will be fun to meet another board member from Minnesota.

[69TowRig]

Absolutely nothing

[mocwon]

Installed new valve covers, new Taylor big block wires, wired rearview mirror and installed, got sunvisors back from trim shop and installed, put up Christmas lights and cut a couple of trees down for a neighbor.

[chevytruckfan]

Went to the Army Navy football game party in Tampa, got drunk off my ass in Ybor City with the commander of SOCOM and his Cheif of Staff. Met a female class of 1980 grad (one of the first) and went to dinner, spent the night at her place, and slept off a hangover and drove home on Sun and replaced a burnt fuse. Given my condition that was a huge accomplishment.

[70short/step]

Love those valve covers!

[GMFamlee]

Not exactly this weekend, but I haven't posted here lately. Got my transmission leak fixed, glass packs and exhaust manifold replaced. Also ended up replacing the battery. Not exactly big changes or very cosmetic, but progress nonetheless.

[FRENCHBLUE72]

Worked saturday and spent sunday at harbor freight getting some tools for my 5 year old x-mas gift and hung some vertical blinds in my computer room and modifided my 20$$ harbor freight cart to hold my millermatic 135... Hope fully the truck will be next weekend..

[Green Machine]

Originally Posted by rick980

got the cab and frame to the body shop...........in the snow and salt...dammit, wasn't supposed to snow, go the truck on the trailer woke up in the morning 3 inches of snow and salty roads...so glad he is removing everything.

Got our 1970 cab an frame off to the body shop too, damn snow here too, drove about 15 miles on sloppy pavement, then about 10 more miles on snow packed/icy road at about 30 mph. Got everthing covered with that damn salt slop crap. Well at least its there now, bodyman has box completely stripped and looks like he is taking EVERY dent out, even the box floor, I think its going to be nice.

[shifty]

Finally got the LS1 and T56 bolted to the frame and pulled the engine hoist off for the first time in almost 4 months, I think? Pictures of the work start here:

http://satellitehead.com/gallery/thu...album=9&page=5

When I laid the tall hump onto the cab floor, I noticed that they had bead-rolled pattern on the floor that matched up perfectly with what needed to be cut out, so I had a factory pattern. The hardest part was working through the body seam. Took a combination of a pneumatic nibbler, sawzall and a jigsaw with a metal bit (sawzall only cuts good in a straight line).

Basic process: I placed the high-hump on the cab floor and measured where it should be. Spraypainted the bolt holes to have a visual of where they will be for reference. I used a ½" drill bit to drill my pilot hole, then used a nibbler to nibble out the rough square of the primary hole. Once I nibbled up to the body seam, it took a pair of tin snips to cut it loose (should have used the sawzall, hindsight is 20/20 ). The top arch of the tranny hump was the worst to cut out and will take the most cleanup. I still haven't cut or tapped any holes for the high hump, won't get that done until I'm on cleanup.

Once both pieces were out, everything lifted and bolted up perfectly and you can see the end results below. Need to take an angle grinder to everything tomorrow and smoth it all out, then sand and primer with some rustoleum (paint will come once drivetrain and suspension are done). Still not sure what to do about the body seam I cut through, if anyone has advice, I'm all ears

I also notice that the tranny xmember doesn't fall into any of the stock holes . It's going to be a real pain in the ass to try to drill the framerails with the cab on. I hope to hell I don't hafta pull the cab off, I don't have the resources for that in my garage and the truck ain't moving. I'm going to square it up tomorrow and try to get it tackwelded in the corners to see what I'm looking at for more work.

I also noticed that I forgot to put my e-brake cable OVER the tranny xmember, so now I need to figure out how to disassemble the e-brake cable so I can mount it over the hump and tighten it back up.

It's so nice to have a cleaner garage again ... now if I could just get rid of the stupid inline engines, I'd be good to go

Anyway, everything else looks good. Gotta figure out this week what all I can take off the top of the engine for emissions. I'm still not sure. Need to order blockoff plates for those items too and send off my harness for some hacking - don't want to pay $400+ (minimum) for a Painless kit.

[vk_chevy]

Originally Posted by mocwon

Installed new valve covers, new Taylor big block wires, wired rearview mirror and installed, got sunvisors back from trim shop and installed, put up Christmas lights and cut a couple of trees down for a neighbor.

nice set of valve covers, I'm looking at getting a set too

[smbrouss70]

Finally installed my "Bolt-In" C-notch (I've had it in my closet for a year and a half). For something that has 6 steps in the instructions you wouldn't think it would take a whole weekend to do, Damn rivets! All in all if I had to do it again I think I would make my own C-notch, it would have to be A LOT easier.

[knsmodels]

about mid week I had the ball stud for the Z bar linkage to the motor snap off....spent Friday pm. and Sat. getting it out of the block and back together......fun job......NOT.......

[Coleman]

I almost completed a rear 14 bolt FF swap in about 2 hours on my 68 K20. I couldn't fricken believe it. I've had this 14 bolt 3.73 laying around waiting to swap out my old eaton. Just for kicks I dropped out the old and rolled in the new and everything matched up, spring perches, drive shaft, almost everything. All I had left to do was swap out the e-brake cables and move one shock mount. I've heard of straight bold on's before but never thought I would ever see the day. I haven't driven it yet, we'll see if my luck holds out.

[68 Stepside]

I sat around trying to figure out what I'm gonna do when all this snow clears.

[krue]

Dropped the tranny in my buddy's E150 van (he drives a furd cuz he's paralyzed and the Chevy van aint rated for the conversion ). Replaced the front seal in it and stuck it back in. Slipping in first . Kids only source of income is his disability check and he's stuck driving a 15 year old van that he can barely keep going.

Anyways, I drove a couple hours to check out the cruise in with Putter, Gman69, Subtle71, ebbhightower and various others. Had a good time and managed to pic up some sorely needed tools at HF. Spent yesterday with the family (since I only get 2 weekends off a month I can't waste all of them on my truck ).

[matthufham]

@ shifty, my trans crossmember had the 2 top mounts torched off by the p/o, and i have never used the top mounts. maybe that'd be in your best interest if you can't drill the holes, mabe use a sawzaw or cutoff wheel.

[yank]

Put the back glass in the pumpkin and rerouted the back brake lines on the axle so they dont interfere with the exhaust that will be going on later this week.Also did my holiday duty of putting up xmas lights ( ba humbug).

[truckdude239]

umm i replaced 3 sets of headlights and an voltage regautor

[67chevy2wd]

Originally Posted by HeavyD

I then realized it is going to be one cold trip.

Yes it is cold down in this area. I am going to college in Wahpeton which is 40 miles south of Fargo and it was -13 this morning plus windchill. Even though it is soo cold we still get some pretty stupid people trying to start their diesel pickups, just to drive two blocks. Needless to say they never got them started.