What did you do to your non-G body project today? [2022]

[CopperNick]

Remember my comments about having a back up support frame welded up and stuck under that cab, JIC???? Well, having the ram piss itself dry and then attempt to escape is about the freakiest JIC moment i can imagine. (Well there are others but..................) Your boss must just about to the permanent cringe stage when he sees you coming.



Nick

 

[joesregalproject]

Dads coil springs finally arrived. Put two new coils on the rear and two new rear KYB shocks. Lower shock mounts were a PITA. Coils were easy. Car should be good to go for a while.

 

[81cutlass]

Took the 2500 mile round trip, much of it down hwy 2 in Montana, to Glacier NP.

Cool place, much of the lodges and chalets, boats and tour busses are all 1915-1937 era and very well maintained. Worth the trip!

Also dad got a new service truck. 10% of the price of a modern diesel pickup and cheap to fix. He's had an 87 IDI 6.9 since 91 that has been in 2 chassis (f250 reg cab 8ft bed from 91-06 and a f350 cab & chassis from 07-today but the floor on the 350 cab is almost entirely missing, the 4 speed aod is going out and suspension is shot.

Enter the 92ish f700.
Ford I6 6.6 mechanical diesel, 6speed manual. He's going to fab a ramp style bed for it and cut the frame down to maybe 12f-16t long. Pull the welder generator off the f350 service truck and should make a good cheap diesel tow rig.

It's got 22.5 aluminum wheels too so it's almost everything cool about a modern hot rod ramp truck minus the bed & air ride.

 

[ck80]

Did some running this morning picking up parts and supplies so I didn't get to the shop until about 12. Definitely made progress though. Everything on the frame from the bed to the back of the motor is done! Fabricated a bracket for the fuel filters and switched the lines around.
View attachment 204623
I think my new setup is a little bit better than what it had.
View attachment 204624
I also heat wrapped the new up pipes and put them on. Yes I'm itching and I did soke the wrap in water, but short sleeves no gloves. Come to finde my new down pipe would not work. Apparently my old one is part of the kit the last owner installed and it and the turbo are different than stock. The only reason I was changing it was to loose the 9th injector hole but Barry from the machine shop figured out a 20mmx150 Subaru Impreza oil drain plug would work with a crush seal washer. Of course I had to order them in but I'll have them Monday. It shouldn't be a problem to put the plug in even after the cab is on it's a straight threw shot from the wheel well. I set up all the body bushings to put the cab back on and that's when things went south in a hurry! The lift I'm on is not in the best shape and no one uses it much. When we do use it it's usually real quick and we always drop it to the locks because it leaks oil BAD! Well my cabs been on it on the locks a few weeks and I guess all the oil leaked out of the lift because the leaky hydraulic ram fell out! Yes fell out of the post! So needless to say my cab is still in the air and still on the locks. I'll talk to Sam tomorrow about having someone come repair it Monday. So I'm switching gears again. Tomorrow I'm going to shoot for working from the front back lol today I went from back to front and did prity good. I may have a rad support back in it before a cab on it at this rate. No matter it's all gotta get done but I really wanted to have the cab on today so I could finish wiring tomorrow.

I still can't get over how much crap they pack into every square inch of these trucks these days. I get some of it is because, you know, diesel.

But when I compare my '51 to an '86, not that much different. But that same '86 to now? Ridiculous.

 

[Clutch]

Remember my comments about having a back up support frame welded up and stuck under that cab, JIC???? Well, having the ram piss itself dry and then attempt to escape is about the freakiest JIC moment i can imagine. (Well there are others but..................) Your boss must just about to the permanent cringe stage when he sees you coming.



Nick

I told him a year ago we needed to fix that lift and get pads for it because it's dangerous. He didn't listen I and many other people told him his reply no it's ok

 

[Clutch]

I still can't get over how much crap they pack into every square inch of these trucks these days. I get some of it is because, you know, diesel.

But when I compare my '51 to an '86, not that much different. But that same '86 to now? Ridiculous.

I couldn't agree more when assembled you can't even see the engine

 

[Clutch]

Time for a late morning coffee update. Some of this stuff was done last night and some today but I didn't get pictures. I forgot because my home life was on my mind. So the bottom of the cab is done all back together for install running board bolt holes fixed trans linkage clipped to the floor and heat shields on.

Not much to see there but in these photos.
Fuel system done
Up pipes done
Down pipe done
And body bushings ready

Now I'm coming up with an idea to brace this coolant pipe that comes out of the mid plate because the last thing I need is that thing leaking later

It's only held in by a 12mm bolt threw a sheet metal flange and it's flimsy. Basically the o-ring holds it in. So I want it to be sturdy. What it bolted to before is gone! Part of the performance upgrades.

 

[ck80]

Time for a late morning coffee update. Some of this stuff was done last night and some today but I didn't get pictures. I forgot because my home life was on my mind. So the bottom of the cab is done all back together for install running board bolt holes fixed trans linkage clipped to the floor and heat shields on.View attachment 204662
Not much to see there but in these photos.
Fuel system done
Up pipes done
Down pipe done
And body bushings ready
View attachment 204663View attachment 204664View attachment 204665View attachment 204666
Now I'm coming up with an idea to brace this coolant pipe that comes out of the mid plate because the last thing I need is that thing leaking laterView attachment 204667
It's only held in by a 12mm bolt threw a sheet metal flange and it's flimsy. Basically the o-ring holds it in. So I want it to be sturdy. What it bolted to before is gone! Part of the performance upgrades.

If everything is together, looks like there's bolt holes empty on the back k of the head below the valve over in that pic. Maybe some kind of brace there?

 

[Built6spdMCSS]

Now I'm coming up with an idea to brace this coolant pipe that comes out of the mid plate because the last thing I need is that thing leaking later

What goes in these 2 holes and how solid do you want to mount it?

 

[1evilregal]

been chasing an a/c issue on the DD deville, pass side comes out of the vents @ 50* and driver's side comes out @ 72*, off of a single evap coil... tried pulling out a few components to run a camera up the venting, but couldn't get far enough in.... it escalated quickly....

still haven't found the issue, but ended up pulling the rest of the carpet for pressure washing (while I'm in here...😗 ).... figure it'll look good for resale if I can't sort out the a/c issue.... like clutch, working in en eclosed shop in 95-100* temps sucks. Getting older means you appreciate the creature comforts, such as a/c, and figure it's too nice to have after a long hot day of slaving, to do without...

side note: my northern friends always ask why I don't move back to Detroit, this thing just answered any questions... 20 years old, 189k miles (northstar with the original headgaskets/bolts) and NO rust in the floors.