So I sent the guy an e-mail today and left my number. He calls me up the same night and tells me that he still has two supports for the truck. $50 bucks, can you believe that. A brand new one costs almost $200. You hooked me up phat Franken Truck, and I really do appreciate it. I made a deal to come and check it out toward the end of the week and get it from him. I hope to have my second tax check in from last year which I didn't file for state. I'm using that on my motor and that core support. Now just to break loose the left side of the support bushing, and work my way back to the cab and then the bed. If it's not to much trouble I might eventually get that chasis black Por-15, wire wheel my frame and paint it. Almost can't wait. In all due time though! Can't wait to see how good the frame will look after some reconstructive surgery. A little of this and then some of that and, Walla a real truck to be proud of. Thanks again Franken Truck.

Motorhead26

 

Word

I just hope it fits! Most all major parts are interchangable, but there a few odd ***** out there. . .they fit except something like 2-3 bolt holes are off Is it possible to crossreference OEM parts numbers for the different year trucks just to make sure?

Your welcome on the "hook up". I check CraigsList daily during lunch and I buy Trading Post's regularly, and with summer hours coming up at work, I will start my weekly trips to Pick-n-Pull. I'm always on the look out for parts, so if you need anything let me know, I'll keep an eye out for it

 

Once again I really appreciate it!

How do I go about cross referenceing parts to know whether or not it is going to fit? AAAA! It shouldn't be too off, should it? I guess I should e-mail him and ask him what year they came off of. More than likely that should give me a good round about time. I forgot to ask him that because I couldn't believe the fact that he only wants $50 for it. He didn't tell me a whole lot about it, but none the less I guess I should check it out. Thanks for keeping your eyes peeled for me. If you do happen to find any odd ball parts or anything that you might think would spark my interest let out a shout. Extra parts are not bad, besides I think I might need a washer assembly. Not the motor just the assembly. If not then I will pick it up off of LMC truck. Let me know if you need me to help you out sometime.

Motorhead26

 

Hey man,
I went and picked up that core support, but I might still have to cut and weld the sides from my old support to this one. The support I bought for $45 I think is from an 86' something. The light incerts dip back to hold a headlight for the top and a side maker on the bottom...not on the side like mine. The old core support I have is to rusted to do anything with, but I can salvage some pieces off of it toward the outside of the light and tig weld it to the new core I bought. That will give it a more flat appearance like the old one and help with the attatchment of the lights once it is back in. What do you think, any advice?

Motorhead26

 

TIG? Lucky dog

Um, measure-twice-cut-once. Use any comon areas between the two cores to measure from. . .dunno what else to tell you. Good luck!

 

I'll do my best on the cutting and you better believe that I am going to measure twice and cut once. I've got a friend who's a welder and he is going to come over and help me out next week sometime; that is if the sun comes out again and is warm. I just picked up a sawzaw from a friend to finish off those pesky rusted body mount bolts. Better to just get it over with and cut the damn things off then waste time and mess with unscrewing them. I've already got the replacement bolts and it's not like I am going to put them back in again. Question...Do the body mount bolts screw into the cab itself, or do they just go through the cab and are bolted directly to the frame?
I don't want to mess anything up. I go to do a bodylift and I have to do a entire face lift to my truck...sucks

Motorhead26

 

Neither!

The body mounts are basically two big "rubber doughnuts" that sandwich the frame mounts. The cab sits on a metal insert in the mount on the top rubber doughnut (or there could be some shims first), then that all sits on the frame mount, then the bottom rubber mount comes up from underneath with another metal insert. The mounting bolts go through the cab, through the rubber doughnuts, and thread into the bottom insert. They double as isolators, no part of the cab should be touching the frame, hence the need for grounding straps between the two

This should make sense when you finally get them out

Hehe, welcome the world of restoration

 

Already got them out, and I will post pics tomorrow and show what I did. That sawzaw worked great and three out of four came out no problem. A little penatrating oil and walla! The rear still have to be tapped out so that I can replace them as well as the front. Tomorrow I will cut out the driver side bushing and that will be the last mount for the cab. After fixing the core support and replacing the bushings and all, after will come the bed. Not to far from completion, and almost half way done. Disconnected the steering gear too.

Motorhead26

 

Here are some in the process pics for my body lift and bushing replacement. I've got to get another hydrolic jack to lift the other side so I can line up the cab and work up underneath the cab. Cutting the metal is no big deal when replacing bushings and using a body lift along with it. the reason for that is because there are different bolts included in the kit along with nuts and washers. Most of these bolts will not fit in the stock bushing set where the metal bushing is welded to the nut. Take a look at what I'm talking about!

Sawzaw on the bushing housing
http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s...6/IMGP0820.jpg
Jacking up the cab
http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s...6/IMGP0819.jpg
No more bushing
http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s...6/IMGP0823.jpg
Now to space out the cab from the frame until I am ready to jack the cab high enough to clean up the frame mounts and replace everything. I'm just taking my time. Priced out a lift shop to do this type of work and it would cost me $525, about $75 an hour. Screw that!!!
http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s...6/IMGP0827.jpg

 

Some new pictures here for you all to check out my progress. Keep your pictures posted here on before and after pics of whatever project your doing. Check out the new work over this weekend!

Before the face lift
http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s...6/IMGP0505.jpg
Half way between the front surgery...still a ways to go though.
http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s...6/IMGP0828.jpg
Before the paint and the bushings...
http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s...6/IMGP0832.jpg

Paint will be on its way soon. That will give it the spice needed to make it look renewed again.
Motorhead26

 

Change of plans Franken Truck. Get this! Went to a junk yard this afternoon and looked at about 10-15 different trucks and out of those about 5-6 looked like mine. ONE out of all of them looked good enough to strip out the core support. If I pull it myself they will keep it from $50-$75. I am just hopeing that I can find a buyer for the 86 core I already have. Know anyone who might be interested? Anyway, when I get some money and some help from a friend, so I don't have to be at the junk yard all day, I will go get it. It's not going anywhere, but it will get more and more rusty the longer it sits there. Everything looks intact though and the lights and grill and big things are off and out of the way which is a plus. I got some primer on some of the inner parts like the battery tray, the metal piece that holds that black looking box that fuel fumes are dispersed back into the engine. I can't remember what its called. Also I am going to undercoat the front end of the truck and possibly take the bumper off before so I can get the corners. I will clean up and undercoat the rest of the engine compartment once the engine is pulled and before the new one goes in. I'll post some pictures once I get the parts painted and the front end undercoated. that won't be untill I get that core though so i can clean it all up together before I put it all together. I still have to clean up the other mounts and primer and undercoat them as well before any bushings are put back.

Motorhead26

 

Which junkyard?

Man, I dunno if thats a good ro bad thing. . .I do know that I have $$$ of parts laying around I will no longer use due to either finding better, newer, or just changed my mind about 'em lol.

I don't know of anyone who might be looking for a radiator support. . .you can always list it free here at FTE, in the classified thread at teh top of the chapter or back on Craigs list I'll keep my ears open though for yah.

 

Al ready listed it, and thanks. Something else Franken truck. I told you about me getting the new body mount bushngs for my truck and adding the lift kit. The question I have though is this. Even though I cut those other bushings apart with a sawzaw, do I still need to use them or just the bottom retainer sleeve where the bolt is welded? I looked at LMC truck pictures of the F- series body mounting, and the steps where the bottom retainer on the underside and then the rest of the hard ware, get this, except for the piece I cut through. The poly bushing already has a metal reinforcement molded into the bushing itself, so wouldn't I just use the bottom retainer so the lift kit bolts can just go back through the original retainer? I'm very curious to know. Take a look at LMC website and look at the F-series body mounting picture with all the parts suspended in air so the user knows what goes where and tell me what you think. I think I might just need the bottom retainer. If so I might check out the local auto parts store.

Motorhead26

 

Everybody probably done seen my "few" before during and after pictures, but here is the link again. Major dial up warning. LOL

LINK


The after is really the before pictures, because you are never finished. I still have plenty to do on the wiring such as replace the fuse panel, and a number of projects under the hood. Stabbed in a MSD Pro Billet distributor recently and I am still playing with the timing curve to get it where I want it.

 

Haha...I remember thoes barber shop driveshafts

Absolutely beautiful truck you built! Im very jealous...