Well since there is so much sadness, and since I'm feeling like a slacker... I'm gonna skip the fight workout tonight (usually do it Thurs but will be gone for the girl's b-day tomorrow) and head to the shop instead. She's getting her hair done so I have a couple hours. I REALLY hope to get the inner fenders set to where I can tack in these patch type plates. We will see...

 

Nice I will try to get my cab mounted on the 93 Dually Chassis

Thanks for the motivation... too hot out...

 

So wed night I worked on the crew a bit again. Only had a couple hours and spent them doing the same old clearancing on the inner fenders. I didn't get it done like i had wanted, but hey - I'm at least closer...

Here's a couple pics of what I am dealing with.
Corners on the stock inner fenders hit the core support I made. So clearancing a bit



I'm also little by little clearancing for the shock hoops. You can see the magenta line for the next cut in the pic below.


This is taking forever (8?? hours in this so far) as I have to put together to this point (core support, inner fenders and fenders on) to get a true fit to mark the things up, and then take all the way apart to cut/sand.


One day I'll finish this...

 

I hear ya on the time thing. I have been working on the body of my dodge crew, and it kills me. Bodywork (sheetmetal) just takes FOREVER. Keep up the good work, though. Nothing is worse than later thinking you shortcut yourself

 

It seems like all the little detail crap is what kills you on any project. Things that you either think wont take much time or things that you really didnt think about at the time turn into the ones that eat up the majority of your time on something like this. Thats why it would cost a fortune to pay a shop to do this type of build.................my labor is cheap though!!!!!!!!!!

 

Exactly. I know the small stuff takes hours - it ALWAYS does and I ALWAYS seem to forget that and think it will go quick. Oh well.

While I'd love to be able to pay a shop to do some of this work - I'm too **** about how I want it done and too poor to afford to pay someone who has the skills to meet my expectations to do it. So I do it - in my not so free time...

If I cut corners I'd have to come back later and take time to redo it because I was unhappy and I KNOW I would be. So I'll just suck it up and do it RIGHT now.

And on that...

Saturday I was surprised that I ended up with a few hours to get to the shop. I was again too lazy to drive an hour or so north to go pick up some rear doors off a crew cab at the yard up there so I went to the shop instead.

It seems I've got the inner fender trimming retty wrapped up. That being the case I figured I'd mess with the headlights and other portions of this custom core support fiasco...

Last time I was messing with the truck I had printed off a section of the core support to mock up. I clamped this thing to the core support and started looking at fitments.


This layout will have to be a little different that I originally expected (single plate vs. boxes like I thought) but it should work out fine.

I started messing with the headlight buckets I got (H4 setups off a euro VW Golf if I remember right) and their fitment.


I got the lenses protected and had to do a little cutting on the things. There were a couple tabs on the bottom of the mounts that interfered with the grill a bit.


A little bit closer.


Still looks like I may need some more trimming on the headlight "bucket" but we will see.

Here's the marked up template with my notes on it.


I need to do a couple quick revisions and then print out another one or 2 of these to mess with.

Not sure if I'll be in the shop tonight or Wednesday - but one night I will be.

 

Got some more work done last night. I almost thought I wasn't going to as I went to the shop after sparring and apparently I pushed myself a bit hard in sparing as I felt a bit nauseous afterwards and thought I was just gonna head home and relax.

I did man up, pull my head out of my butt and get to work though!

I got the patch/cover plates for my inner fenders tacked up, test fit and then fully welded and temporarily 'rust proofed."



Next I set to work on messing with the inner fender connection/bracket template. I got it marked up yet again so I can make some changes today.


At that point it was after midnight so I figured I should get some sleep.

I headed back in this morning and worked for about an hour and a half before work. I didn't do anything on the truck since I hadn't revised those templates yet, so I messed with something else I had been putting off for a while - my pressbrake setup for my H frame press. I have been collecting materials for it for a while and I actually got the last piece 6 months ago or more, I've just been lazy about making it. There have been lots of times where it would be nice to have and I know I will need it coming up so I figured I'd get at it now and get it done. I should be able tow wrap it up fairly quickly which will be cool!

 

Looking Good!!

 

Another night of fitment and messing here and gone. I'm pretty close on the front inner fender mounts now. I'm thinking one more template test fit and I'll be ready for cutting on them. We'll see.

I then got the hood set on the thing and it's slightly askew. It's either the hood is slightly off (autofab fiberglass so I doubt it) or It's gonna take some time & fitment to get "right". I'm not looking forward to it, but I gotta just grin and bear it.

Got back into the shop again this morning and spent an hour on my press brake setup again. That should wrap up pretty quick at this point. I'm thinking I'll get back in the shop Friday morning and will hopefully have it pretty close then.

 

Looks cool. Wheelbase looks short - and based on the rear shock mount setup I'd say a bronco maybe?

While the fabrication is nice for sure it's nothing majorly out of the norm for a high end 4 link on a desert truck.



I worked until almost 1 AM again and then was in there again at 7 for an hour or so before work. Nothing really to show for my efforts aside from some more "press brake" pics, but I did get the fenders pretty well finalized as far as mounting goes. I tried messing with the hood a bit, but even though this thing is the MUCH lighter than stock autofab unit it's too damned big/bulky to easily adjust by myself. Looks like I've got to wait til I can get a buddy in the shop with me to mess with it.

Until then - how about some more pics of that pressbrake

 

Nice. You should think about putting a couple springs in the press brake.

 

Bought them this morning - the pics were taken last night

It's not done yet as the angle iron "female die" is just set in there for the pic. It'll be welded in and gusseted soon though.

 

Not a real update but more of an excuse for why there haven't been updates...

I worked on a buddies truck during my 2 shop nights this past week as we were trying to get ready for a Baja run. I've got some parts I have to get pulled for people this week so I'm not sure how much work will get done but I an anxious to get back to it - especially after baja!

The baja run was a blast! PM me if you want to see pics.


Also for fun here's a pic of me driving my buddies bronco for a bit. For the remainder of the weekend I was riding along with another buddy (guy I help pit/chase for) in his blue ranger.

 

Ahhh such great work I just the last bit of the free time I have had over the last day or so reading all the way through this. Now I need to start getting back to work so that I can steal your ideas call them my own and walk around with a puffed up chest.

Great job I just had to say it again the welding looks great and if I had half the tools... Ahh the poor life of a soldier for me. Stuck in Germany with no truck to work on maes me sad. Get more done.

 

Sorry - been busy travelling with the girl so haven't had much time to mess with this. Plus any time I've had in the shop has been spent messing with the Alfa or other misc. projects.

I'll get back to it again soon...