Bringing Rosie to life

[49Fireman]

This should be interesting. This is my first project and I am blessed with very little mechanical aptitude. However, I am driven to get this truck rebuilt and better than new for my mother-in-law, Janice to enjoy for years to come and she plans on passing the truck down to my kids when they are older. I have a friend who will be helping me, he is blessed with incredible talent and mechanical ability. I will post pictures and updates periodically. My friend Mark and I are both Firemen in the San Francisco Bay Area. My mother-in-law named this truck Red Rosie so Rosie it is. Let's bring Rosie to life.

[oldman3]

Welcome to the site and looking forward to your rebuild...Jim

[49Fireman]

Thanks Jim. I haven't finished reading up on your build but I will be taking notes.

Here is the plan, so far. I have a MII IFS kit with 2" drop spindles and the power rack from CPP and a gently used (I hope) crate 350 and rebuilt 700r4 tranny that I got from an '89 suburban. I plan in a c notch in the rear but I haven't decided on a rear end yet. I have family helping me trailer both Rosie and the donor suburban 70 miles south to my friends shop in a couple days. Then the fun can begin. I will post a few pics of both trucks later tonight.

[49Fireman]

Rosie originally had a 235 straight six that someone had swapped in at some point. It ran good when we bought it but had a substantial crack in the side of the block and was losing water as fast as you could pour it in. We are happy with the condition we get to start with. The cab, front clip and bed are solid with little body work to be done (the back of the cab does have many small dents because Rosie used to haul scrap steel in a past life). The biggest problem, body wise is that the right rear fender and the running board are munched and have been repired poorly with bond and apparently munched again. This is a bummer because I would have loved to just clean Rosie up and let her rock the patina.

[youngrodder]

Originally Posted by 49Fireman

Rosie originally had a 235 straight six that someone had swapped in at some point. It ran good when we bought it but had a substantial crack in the side of the block and was losing water as fast as you could pour it in. We are happy with the condition we get to start with. The cab, front clip and bed are solid with little body work to be done (the back of the cab does have many small dents because Rosie used to haul scrap steel in a past life). The biggest problem, body wise is that the right rear fender and the running board are munched and have been repired poorly with bond and apparently munched again. This is a bummer because I would have loved to just clean Rosie up and let her rock the patina.

Nice start. You can still rock the patina. Just color match to the patina paint if you have to repaint the parts you need to replace. I have seen where other people did the same thing to great results.

Marc

[49Fireman]

Thanks rodder

[49Fireman]

This is the 350 I will be putting I the '49. Anyone know if the master cylinder and power booster from this '89suburban could've used in the '49 or do I need to spend the money on the frame mount master cylinder and power booster?

[ghettoluxury]

I would try to use as many parts from the burb as possible.

[fabguy]

Originally Posted by ghettoluxury

I would try to use as many parts from the burb as possible.

I absolutely agree

[Katrina/10]

Anything can be done, but a big master cylinder and booster like that will take up a lot of space in the engine compartment of the 49. I prefer the under floor type, but they are more difficult to put brake fluid in.

[mikec4193]

I like it...another 8 lugger being saved...looks cool for sure...

Thanks for sharing with us here...

MikeC

[49Fireman]

Thanks Mike, it's not going to be an 8 lugger for much longer

[53 292]

X2 on the frame rail booster

[*Kenny]

looks like this will be a nice project! I'll be following

[PurdueSD]

Originally Posted by 49Fireman

This is the 350 I will be putting I the '49. Anyone know if the master cylinder and power booster from this '89suburban could've used in the '49 or do I need to spend the money on the frame mount master cylinder and power booster?

I used the engine/ trans/ booster/ master/ pedal assembly, gas pedal and e-brake mech from my donor 88 burb. Not on the road yet though.

[49Fireman]

Purdue, have you figured out what you're doing about the steering column/steering box? I am thinking of trying to reuse the the tilt column out of the burb because it is already set up to shift the 700r4. Thoughts?

[PurdueSD]

Ya, I went with an idiidit. My burb column was broken, so I never considered it. check out my build thread... Click on the link below.

[49Fireman]

Ya Purdue, yours looks like a much bigger project than I would dream of trying to undertake. That being said, I like where you're going with it and it makes me feel like I'm heading in the right direction with mine. Crappy part is that I paid twice as much for my '89 burb donor than you did for yours. So I guess I'd better reuse $800 more parts out of mine

[49Fireman]

I know this is REALLY jumping the gun but what have you guys done for replacement wood in the bed. The wood in ours is rotted out and has long been covered by a 3/8" steel diamond plate.

[iowaboynca]

Depends on what you want to spend, what you plan on using your truck for, and how much you want to spend. A couple of guys have modified the floors of late model bed to work. Some guys have DIY'd wood and coated the heck out of it with marine varnish. And you can spend the cash on a kit. .If that diamond plate fills the box you may want to keep that as that stuff can get pricey.

[49Fireman]

Thanks Iowa. You are actually just down the highway from me. I ran the tough mudder in Patterson last year. The truck is just a weekend cruiser for my mother-in-law. Nothing crazy but trying to stay on a budget. Saw northern pine from bedwood for under $300 but don't know how that would hold up. I like how tough the diamond plate is but the wood sure would be nice.

[dmack91]

I did my own bed wood using pine. I think I paid $70 for the wood, $50 (shipped for the bed strips), around $20 for bolts, and $15 for teak oil finish. Plan on reapplying the oil every 4-6 months and will see how it goes. Couldn't see spending big $$ on a wood kit, I like the look of pine, and figure that I can redo it if it doesn't hold up.

Of course, that is on a F*rd F1, but everything is comparable.

Just an option.

[49Fireman]

Ok, I'm looking to get rid of the TBI system off the '89 burb donor and replacing it with a new carberator and manifold. All the results I'm getting say that the Edelbrock performer and performer RPM intake manifolds will NOT fit on 1987 and later heads. Any ideas?

[ghettoluxury]

Here an option and only around $150.
http://www.speedwaymotors.com/PowerP...fold,1623.html

[57chevyman]

I used the frame mounted MC so that all of my pedals would still go down thru the floor, instead of looking mismatched and have the brake pedal hanging from above. Clutch pedal goes downward too.