If you started all over building your truck, what is the one thing that you would change?

Change, modify, add, delete whatever you want to call it, is there any one thing that comes to your mind that you would or would not do?

I'm hoping to get some ideas so that I only have to put my trucks together 2 - 3 times, not 5 or 6 times.

Thanks all for your reponse,

 

I would have bought a bigger first aid kit!!!!!!

 

not on this one but on the 55 that i had then twise has now i'd have left it the one ton and put the fe in it and probably had it done by now .

 

One thing? ONE THING????

How in the heck am I supposed to answer that? There are about a bazillion things......

OK, so I exagerate a little bit. I don't really have any major regrets (so far) but there are tons of little things, some of which are all apart of the learning curve of building a truck. Its hard to take in how one part will effect so many other parts. For instance, a stering column in its basic sense allows you to steer the truck and connects the driver to the wheels. Whats hard is trying to plan ahead for all the additional details; length of column, shift linkage? position of shift tube at end of column in relation to....well...everything, fully splined connection? Double D connection? shift indicator, ignition switch incorporated or seperate, wiring connections, reverse lights, nuetral safety switch, high beams, etc.....angle of column to dashboard, how it bolts to the dashboard, how it penetrates the floor....and the list goes on and on and on.

I think if I could change one thing it would be my initial planning. I started out with a general idea and a will to make it happen. Of course, this inevitably leads to some "reactionary" type of planning (or recovery...lol) in some instances where one modification overlaps into another area.

I never really ever set a budget either. When I started I didn't have any extra money to spend on a truck project. Basically I scrimp and save and make things work.

All in all, I like my truck alot and am pretty happy with where I am at with it and where its heading

I think this will be a great thread, I can't wait to see some of the other responses
Bobby

 

A ready to roll chassis is the only thing I would do differently. And it would be from Walton. Kick up rear,4 bar,Tubular A-arms, coilovers on 4 corners.
I can't even think of any changes on anything else as the project was planned fairly well on paper for parts and effect. I spent the winter ordering parts from sponsors on this site and storing as needed. I bought parts in the order sequence that I would need them for the build.
I used new parts to refrain from finding and cleaning and repairing used parts saving more time and frustration with old parts. I actually found this to be more cost effective than my past 8 or so truck builds with used and rebuilt parts.
More info than requested I'm sure.....But that's why I only have 1 thing to do differently next time. Then I could build a driver from scratch in 2 years not 3.
Jon

 

What I would do differently is work on my truck, as opposed to buying 3 more projects-in-waiting. Ok, I wouldn't do that differently. But I'd atleast clean out the garage first, or not. Wait, I got it....I'd head South for a clean and complete truck, and pay the cash, and not take home a free pile of parts resembling an F1. Which means I need a trailer, and an F350, and.....

 

The one thing I would change..... that's one hard item to put my finger on. No really though, I would wait for a better frame to come along instead of cutting off the chopped up front rails and grafting the Town Car suspension to the front. I didn't really think all of it through and didn't give thought to having to remount the front sheetmetal and bumper when I started this mod.
I think the truck will ride and drive great with the new suspension, but if I had it to do over, I think I would go Jag.

 

All that makes sense to me Havi. I actually gained a lot of ground after learning to finish one before even starting on more. Sometimes we just get overwhelmed. I once had 19 cars at the same time and they were getting finished only in my dreams.
Jon

 

Keeping my last '49 and not building my current '49........

 

I would ditch the 400 and go with a 302 and make it a 331 or 347 stroker, probably would have cost the same too. I would probably go with an MII IFS and not the Volare. But, as hot rodding goes, these projects are never technically "done", so there might be more mods/changes in the future. I do know that there were some things that I changed my mind on while I was working on it...that's because it took so many years to get "done".

 

OK, I don't seem to see anything you did wrong.

More than one project at a time Don't see anything wrong with that.

Clean out an area first It gives you exercise to crawl over all the junk.

Save the money and buy a decent project to start with instead of working on a pile of rusty junk Umm...Someone's got to love the old rusty iron, anyways, it won't take that much to make it pretty again.

Buying a trailer and bigger truck What the heck can be bad about that!

Havi, I just don't see a problem.

 

IF I had to narrow it down to one thing, it would probably be put a FORD engine and tranny in it! Right after I got my subframe done (Nova), a guy I buy parts from, had a 1988 Crown Vic with 65,000 miles on it! I could have bought it for $650 running and driving! It only needed sheetmetal to be a good car.


I wish I had bought it and REFRAMED my '56 and used the whole running gear! Since then I've done several on that very frame, and they worked great!, Of course I had to narrow the frame rails and such, but they are sweet!

 

Like they said above
Every Project is different, every project is the same! Part of the "pleasure" in this hobby is the thinking, planning adn problem solving ...just like you're doing right here... you are going to make mistakes or misteps, that is part of the learning curve.
In my mind, the planning [schemming] and building is even more fun than driving my finished truck.

I didn't/don't have a lot of money so I bought pieces at a time, starting with a cab & doors and a chassis to keep the missus happy. The missus and I are now ex and the truck is built but I'd started with a whole [hopefully running] project next time. And I think there will be a next time!

I'd love to do a '55 Desoto Wagon. Anyone got one?

GW

 

I wouldn't of had my grade A hood sandblasted, boing boing. yeap he told me that darn thing had 4 layers of paint on her.

 

I would have built my garage two years earlier! Trying to work outside on free weekends and make any meaningful progress sucks!!!