Project Jones--a different kind of build-up

[gferris5]

Howdy-
So I thought I'd start my own truck build-up thread. I want to document the progress in such a way as to keep it and have something cool to look back upon later as well as creating a place to get good feedback from those who have more experience than I. My goal is to have a truck built with a unique philosophy of using every choice as an opportunity to do something different--even if it means struggling and swearing (Addendum: skills and especially money are the limiting factor, hence the lack of a fuel injected Caddy engine and so forth, bear with me).

My dad gave me the truck, we called it Jones because we thought such an American truck deserved a solid, American name. Jones served my family well for about 15 years and then was forgotten to death around 1990. It sat for nine years before I painted it for my senior project in high school, not a great paint job, but it keeps the rust off. I had a good summer job in 2003 and I bought a ton of parts for it, but college kept me from getting everything together and getting it running. Now that I have graduated, I don't have much more time, but I do have my own garage space (clean-out pending) where I will have to get the truck towed so that I can get it running.

Okay, stats:
1968 Long Bed, 2wd
What I have ready to go (everything is new):
GM Crate 350, intake, carb, headers, mufflers, dist. etc.
4 core radiator, bed-mounted battery,
TCI 700-r4--that OD had better be worth the trouble.
Audiobahn sound system.
The drivetrain is pretty "vanilla" but it will be great to have basically a new truck with a tested combination. This truck is going to be a driver.
*I'll also fill in more details as I move the truck along, this post is just to get acquainted.

Pics are coming in next thread.
Cheers!

[gferris5]

Pictures as promised

Jones himself



Humble beginnings, but some goodies along the way

[gferris5]

I will do my best to update this thread as often as possible, but progress will be slow at times.

Thanks for your help, feedback is welcomed.

[jsbgump]

Looks like a great start. Keep us posted on the progress

[gferris5]

Thanks man-
I feel fortunate to live in California, where a car can sit for nearly 20 years and not have any rust. I will keep everything updated.

[matthufham]

That paint didn't look too shabby, faded is all. Looks to be a nice project. I recommend putting a front sway bar from a heavy duty 67-72 optioned truck or a 73-87 one on there if you're going to be driving it everywhere.

[gferris5]

Good suggestion-
I'll put it on my list of junkyard/craigslist "watch-for" items.

[gferris5]

Every good project should have some way of keeping track of it's setbacks, and I'm sure this one will have plenty. So here goes
Setback numer one: Getting the truck from Sonora to Santa Cruz.

It's quite a conundrum, moving a vehicle 180 miles and still having some money to restore it when it gets here. I wish I could just get it up and running in Sonora and drive it down here, but I wouldn't feel safe over some of the scary highways on the way here. I have a couple of friends with trucks in Sonora, but none who would want to help me move Jones down here. I have AAA plus, and they'll tow for free for 100 miles but its $6/mile after that. Should I just drop off the truck in a parking lot at mile 99 and then call another AAA tow truck to tow it the rest of the way? Any suggestions on how to move this thing would be greatly appreciated--what a lame way to start out a build-thread I know, but this thread is as much for my own record keeping as it is for others' entertainment.

Anyway, here are some more pictures to keep everyone entertained. One is of the last truck I built and have since sold, rockcrawling wasn't my gig, I want a truck that I can wax and not have to worry about bashing. The other is a pic of the engine compartment while I was getting it all prepped for paint. The other is of my garage which will have to be cleaned out in order to make room for the truck. All those parts are from my slovenly roommate's Datsun which blows headgaskets like we go through toilet paper. He wonders why--but how could you do good work with a shop space like that?

As promised:

[Skruffy]

As far as getting it home, I would check out www.Uship.com. I'm looking to move something from CA to IL using someone from there.

[Yukon Jack]

Originally Posted by gferris5

I will do my best to update this thread as often as possible, but progress will be slow at times.

I know all about slow progress - took me almost 3 years to get my K20 back together after I tore it apart. This place is a great motivator - good luck and welcome to the board.

[gferris5]

Quick update-
I did some straightening up around the garage. See pics. Now all it needs is for my housemate to clean up his disaster area--which he said he would do, and for one of my old housemates to move his pool table and I'll have a shop! I'm also going to start looking for a cheap welder to do little projects--welding holes, making brackets etc...

AND, I figured out how I'm going to get my truck here: I'm going to drive it! How novel. I hired a friend to get it wired up and running, and then I'll spend a weekend or two tuning it--e.g. getting the brakes working, tweaking the engine, hooking up gauges etc and then I'm going to drive it down. I don't feel too great about having someone else do the finishing touch, but he does great work and at least when it gets here, I'll be able to drive it between projects and do the stuff I really enjoy: Paint and Body and modification for power.

The shop, getting there...

[Palf70Step]

Sounds great. Truck look real good for starting with. Good luck with the tweaking and driving. You eve think about buying a tow bar and pulling it down. That's how I got mine back 140 miles and no problems. My towbar was worht the $100 and who knows what I'll bring home next (if the wife lets me )

[gferris5]

LOL--yeah luckily I don't have a spousal financial commitee at this point, although my girlfriend seems to be practicing for the role. I'll see about rounding up a tow-bar, the only problem is that there's this really steep and twisty highway to get into the town where I live and I just don't want to take any chances. Then again, I could always use the tow bar to tow it 80 miles and then have AAA tow it the rest of the way--for free! We'll see. I have some more pics to finish up the shop; I know: boring. But we should be up and moving pretty soon here.
Thanks for checking in.

[Palf70Step]

I towed mine back on some hairy roads. As long as I remembered I was towing it, no problems. But I got complacent part way home until I hit some time turns on some unsmooth road and the @$$ of my Dodge let me know, FOOL SLOW YOUR BUTT DOWN. No problems though.

[FRENCHBLUE72]

Looks like a good starting point for a great project....

[LUV2XCLR8]

Keep us posted

[71-longbed]

what kinda camera are you using for those pics ??

[gferris5]

Thanks for the encouragement guys--I can't wait to tear into it once it gets back down here--should be within a couple of weeks. I've also officially started saving for a welder.

71_LB--I am using a Nikon Coolpix 1200 (I can't remember the number) It is a couple years old but it works great. I am resizing them using Google's Picasa program, not too fluid but not bad software. The early pictures of the truck are just scanned into my 'puter.

[gferris5]

Hey Gang-
Okay, the end of the quarter has totally consumed me, but I should have April to get my truck down to Santa Cruz and get some work done to it. In the meantime, I think the shop is ready--minus one surprise addition I will add when I get the truck down here.

Pics:

[gferris5]

Ha,
Yeah I've been referring to the mirrors as "dumbo ears." They are actually on the list of stuff to be removed and modified, although they would look hilarious in chrome.

[greenhorn male]

My garage is set-up pretty much like yours, ie, washer and dryer about same location. Left of washer/dryer I have a fridge. My water heater is where your furnace is. I hate it because I have to compete with my wife between it being my work shop and her laundry room. She usually wins... I need clean clothes, LOL. So, most of my work is done outdoors and the garage is a laundry room/storage room.

[gferris5]

Yeah, I've been thinking of ways to rope off the laundry area, but I'm not sure if it will leave enough room. I think my longbed pickup is barely going to fit in that garage anyway, but hey, I'm pretty stoked, my housemates are cool with the shop and I've put it together with stuff I've found or stuff I've had for a while. I'm particularly stoked about the stereo and the free workbench I put together out of scrap wood.

[barn9]

Have you looked in to renting a trailer for the move? Rental companies in this area rent car trailers for around $50 a day, and they have tie downs also.

[gferris5]

I would think about towing it, but I don't think my little Volvo is up to the task of towing it. I tried towing it with an f150 and it could BARELY move the thing, I needed a Cummins to finish the deal, and I don't think either truck owners are going to volunteer their rigs to me anytime again soon.

Here's the plan:
The quarter has finished! No more papers to grade, no more whiny students to handle, soo I'm going to just go up to Sonora and finish it with my own hands and drive it down. Don't despair: There will be enough pics to choke a horse. This thread is as much for my record keeping as it is for your entertainment. Hold tight my bowtie friends, this thing will get moving before too long!

[gferris5]

Okay,
Quick pic-less update for now. Sorry!!!! I enjoy the pics as much, if not more than you guys. These pics will not disappoint.

Okay, so I spent the last three days working on the truck, and we are down to a whole bunch of little things. It feels like I dropped a handfull of BB's on the ground and I have to pick them up, but they must be picked up in specific order.

Where it stands:
Everything is there and installed, from the air cleaner to the drive shaft, now its just a matter of making it all work together. The pulleys need to be aligned, the battery terminals need crimping and connecting, longer choke cable, adjust throttle rod, etc etc...As for the 700-r4, it is looking good, I installed the cooler, dipstick, and TV cable this weekend. Now it needs the TCC lockup and TV spring installed. It is a pain to get to that tranny pan with the crossmember. I had to grind off an edge of the x-member just to access four of the bolts.

I need help with the brakes--from you guys!

1st question: How does the rod from the brake pedal connect to the bracketry behind the booster? Ah, the perils of taking things apart when I was 18 and not organizing anything (I'm 25 now). Also, do you just have to push the rod into the booster to bolt it up to the firewall? It doesn't fit when it's connected to the bracket and sticking out where you don't want it. Pictures would be a huge help.

Second: I need to know where to get all my brake parts. This thing needs a full job, I want to replace all the lines--the old ones have been compromised, and the metering block.
Questions:
Which Master Cylinder should I run if I have drums now but want Discs later?
Where should I get all the lines, metering stuff? Is it easiest to buy a kit? Or should I just buy it and bend it? I am a cheap skate, but I also want to have it look nice. Which restoration catalog do you guys prefer (if any)?

Okay, a semi-boring update, but I could really use some help.

Thanks!