Woo Hoo! Parts for the steering and brakes have been ordered!

I've ordered a new center link, tie rod ends, adjusting sleeve, brake shoes, wheel cylinders, hardware kits, and master cylinder. There are some parts that I'll buy locally such as the brake lines and clutch set.

Progress, progress, progress....

wow dave.. i owned that truck many years and drove it many many miles.. but never bought it any new parts (maybe a oil filter once or twice). if i didnt have a used part from another truck it didnt get it.. it will love you way more than it ever did me..ha ha ha ha ha

It shouldn't get too snobby - almost all of it was wholesaler clearance which nabbed me 50 - 75% cheaper than I could get it locally. I got all the parts for less than I would have spent on just the center link here in town. :-X0A6

Wheelin' and dealin' is the only way to get it done. Great job, Dave!

Way to go Dave!

I am now thoroughly embarrassed. I've been making progress on the '71 but not updating my build thread. I guess it has slipped my mind here lately so I'm going to play catch-up while its raining.

Friday, my boy and I got the inner fenders off.
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h2...psa057f1dd.jpg

This is the left inner fender. It's in pretty good shape, but will need some attention at the hinge mount for the hood.
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h2...ps35e35791.jpg

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h2...psff8d15ea.jpg

The right side is going to need a lot of attention. There's severe rust under the battery box and at the hinge mount.
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h2...psd89bb44e.jpg

Today I got out and worked on clearing out the remains of the front cab mount. After I realized that I couldn't get a drill in to drill out the spot welds, I took a die grinder with a cut-off wheel, and a reciprocating saw ad took out most of the mount.
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h2...psf2d07777.jpg

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h2...ps8c554ac5.jpg

I was just about done with removing the last of the flange from the cab mount when it started raining. I grabbed my camera and shot a picture of what I found behind the cab mount.
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h2...psd873d175.jpg

I am thinking that I'm going to have to cut this section out and separate it from the flange, bend a fresh piece of steel to fill the gap between the seam and the replacement floor panel. I also thing that I now have to pull the dash and heater out as this seam is about 1 inch below the heater box and behind the firewall insulating mat. Oh well - I needed to work on the heater controls anyhow...

Wow, Dave. It's getting involved. ...but then again, they always do. Hang in there!

your doing good dave... but it is like i always say... all old cars or trucks are like a bucket of crap, the more you stir it the worse it stink's... but do it right and it will last another 40-50 years in a truck that anyone would be proud to drive... remember we should be able to make most of the replacement sheet metal parts you may need to help with the budget........ just a suggestion but since you are this far into it, this may also be a good time to bite the bullet and just pull the engine and trans (makes working on the cab so much easier), get a complete gasket set and have a look inside the engine. clean everything get some krylon and make it look like a new one

Nothing is ever simple Alan. If I had wanted a simple project, I would have shelled out the cash for someone else's hard work. I wanted a project - I got a project.

RC - I've been considering pulling the engine, but now I'm seriously thinking about it. If I could figure out how to pull it and get it on my engine stand I would. There's a strip of rock/gravel/dirt between the concrete garage floor and the truck. It will be a pain in the rear to maneuver on the ground. You're right though - the engine needs to come out.

Puling the engine and tearing it down would also let me send the heads in for valve guides and hardened valve seats for unleaded gas. If things are worn - I may take you up on some 390 parts RC.

I told my wife that I ought to pull the engine and she suggested that freshening up the engine would be a great winter project. So here in the next little bit I'm going to be pulling the engine...

yea dave i know what you mean about not having the right stuff to pull the engine.. i have been known to cut down 3 - 6 to 8" trees about 15' long chaining the tops together making a tripod. hanging the hoist pulling the engine.. pull the truck out of the way, put the engine on the stand and work it over.. ..if you need to borrow a hoist, come-along, engine stand or anything i have just let me know.. we can figure a way to get it to ya.. we can probably dig around here a little and find a few engine parts if you need them ..if your not planing on staying original i have a few other powertrain options too

Thanks RC, but I'm pretty sure I can find one around here. I've seen a couple on our local online classifieds lately for not a whole lot. If not, I can always rent one for a day, or keep an eye on Harbor Freight. I can always sell it later and recoup some of the cost if I had to.

I'm open for options on the powertrain if the 360 can't be saved. After hearing her run after sitting for so long makes me want to stick with it, but I'm not going to beat my head against a wall or spend a ton of cash to save it. It will all depend on what I find as its coming apart.

I've been going through the garage again trying to find space to stash my mudders out of the was so I can bring the bench seat and other parts on in. I moved the inner fenders out to the bed of the truck for now. I figure a little rain isn't going to rust them any more than they are. I'll move them back in before winter - snow and ice wouldn't be good. The outer fenders are staying in for now - I have exposed steel on them. Before long, I'm going to have truck parts stashed everywhere.

A cab makes a great stash spot....looking good. I am sure there are a few nice parts trucks in my local JY, come on up some day.

I think I'm going to have to make the time for that soon.

The girl and I have tickets for the Jamboree next weekend!

some time imagination and elbow grease, youll make one fine truck, cant wait to see more!

Despite a thorough sun-soaking at the Jamboree, I've managed to make some progress. Kinda like some of the guys at the mud bogs yesterday - work like heck move an inch forward...

Here's my new toy I picked up at Harbor Freight yesterday. It's all folded up in storage mode which is why it looks funny.
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h2...psb8cd027e.jpg

I managed to get the front core support taken out without too much fuss, busted knuckles, etc.
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h2...ps5975e60e.jpg

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h2...psdf9b047a.jpg

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h2...pseaf3a195.jpg

Like I said, slow and steady progress. I'm going floating next weekend with friends so other than some small things I get to after work, not much more will get done until early July.