ok here we go.
1.Has anyone taken off leafs from the front end and put them on the rear to stiffen the springs?
2.Has anyone used coilovers in place of the stock rear shocks?
3.How wide can i go tire wise in the rear w/o modification?
4.should i shave the cowl vent?
5.my body is ALL surface rust, with some spots all the way through. Can I eliminate the rust good enough with just a grinder so that i won't have any trouble with it in the future?
6.Can i see some pictures of motor setups? 302's pref. I was wanting to do tri power, 4 duece, 6 duce or evern i high rise with big velocity stacks
7. I am considering NOT putting on running boards. Your feedback please

I guess that is all for now. oh yeah if i dont use the running boards i am wanting to make some straight pipe, fully funtional lake pipes...1 pipe each side

 

Big...
1. No. Don't think it would work. Get some new springs.
2. No. Why? Couldn't this help question number 1?
3. What kind of wheels? How much backspace?
4. No.
5. Tough one. How much and where is the rust through? Whatever good metal is left after grinding might be too thin to be useful.
6. I could put up a 292 with 3 deuces but that wouldn't help much.
7. Hmmm... am taking mine off to patch and paint them. Will withhold the opinion till I can see it.

Sounds like you are wanting to put together a different looking hotrod truck. I'm all for that. I like to sketch my ideas out to see what they will look like... especially those lakes pipes. Hate to think I'd be seeing my gas tank drooping without the running board... but that could be worked out. good luck. himmelberg

 

1.I can't do like add-a-leafs?
2.basically yeah. I flipped the rear axle and c-notched the frame and was just trying to cover my butt so if that wasnt enough i could have the coil overs...plus SOME adjustability
3.Crager s/s 15 x 10 i think a 4-6in backspace.
4.My teacher says i should becuase they leak and blah blah blah blah. Personally I like it and think that is one of the eky "old lookin" features
5.how much - everywhere but the doorjambs, SOME of the underneath of the hood, where the bed goes-back of cab.....
6.-
7.I am wanting to a "tradtional " looking hot rod or a rat rod if you wanna call it that. i already have the LTD front end, flip rear w/ c-notch. I was wanting to paint it flat black with MAYBE some flames on the fenders and hood or some mild scallops

I have been meaning to do that but i just haven't. I need to also pos tthe pictures of a model t grill and a tudor motor i did that has a 6 duece setup-colored pencil
thanks for the help

 

When I bought "project "TYMNBUX" last year, it was a nostalgic hot rod truck with a y-block, chrome rev's,fat tires,drop leaf front,jacked rear, and look at the gallery under "love at first sight" ( 1st pic) and you will see what pipes and no boards would look like. These pipes are the old cast aluminum Thrush pipes that were hooked up to duals. The truck was done in the late 60's and sat until last year.

 

i would tuck my pipes real close to the frame. thanks for the picture

 

1. No, I run monoleafs.
2. My truck came with coil-overs bolted in place of the regular shocks. Pretty stiff ride, even with both rear springs down to 3 leafs with oneleaf busted each side.
3. I run 12" wide (P295R50/15) on 15 X 9.5 ET mags with 3.25 backspace. Could run 3.50 backspace and would have about .50 clearance between inside side wall and box side. The tires were outside of the fender before I moved the fender out 2.0. Now it lines up perfect. P275R50/15's (10.5 wide) just fit under the fender in the stock location on the same rims.
4. I plan on shaving (filling) the vent. Didn't want to at first because I thought it was the only ventilation I would get, but have been running it thru the summer and found out it is pretty worthless for ventilation. Flipping the vent window around (into the wind) works really well. As to leaking, they are notorious for that. My truck had the cowl vent sealed with RTV to keep the rain out.
5. Grinding the surface rust away is essential. If you don't, it will be back (under the filler) and that is a worse problem. (See my "Hood patch panel" gallery for an idea of what happens). I would then seal the surface with POR-15 or other rust inhibitor.
6. I run a 351C. There is one picture of it in my gallery "Randy's 56". I hope your gas budget is large for the setup you have in mind, because you won't be doing much long distance cruising. Great bragging rights, though. (if you can get the carbs tuned).
7. I like the running boards. I use side dump exhaust and made flared cutouts for them just forward of the rear fender. (Sorry, no pictures yet). The Lake pipe idea sounds pretty cool, though.

 

Rust converter does a good job of preventing surface rust reoccurance. It is not a paint, but a water thin chemical solution you wipe onto the surface. All the rust will turn black and be rendered inert. Use a wire brush wheel rather than a grinding wheel, you don't need to thin the metal any more than it is already, to remove as much of the surface rust as possible. BE SURE to wear eye protection when using a wire brush wheel!!! (My brother has lost most of his vision in one eye when he didn't put on eye protection for a quickie brushing) After treating as directed on the can, paint over it with a good quality epoxy primer. Note! Primer itself is NOT WATERPROOF, and will rust right through if exposed to weather, you'll need to put a coat of sealer or flat clearcoat over it before driving it. Remember to do the back of any panels as well. You'll need to replace any rusted through areas with new metal though, covered over rust through will just reappear pretty quickly.

 

1.Has anyone taken off leafs from the front end and put them on the rear to stiffen the springs?

Never heard anyone complain the stock rear springs were too soft. How many leaves you running now?

2.Has anyone used coilovers in place of the stock rear shocks?

Shouldn't be necessary if you get the springs stiff enough for your taste.

3.How wide can i go tire wise in the rear w/o modification?

Depends on your rim backset and ride height

4.should i shave the cowl vent?

Personal taste.

5.my body is ALL surface rust, with some spots all the way through. Can I eliminate the rust good enough with just a grinder so that i won't have any trouble with it in the future?

Go easy on the grit coarseness if you grind. Blasting or chemical stripping is better. Finish clean with acid based chemical prep. Follow up with epoxy primer and you should be OK.

6.Can i see some pictures of motor setups? 302's pref. I was wanting to do tri power, 4 duece, 6 duce or evern i high rise with big velocity stacks

7. I am considering NOT putting on running boards. Your feedback please

What Himmelberg said. You'll have issues concealing the tank and frame for a finished look.

I guess that is all for now. oh yeah if i dont use the running boards i am wanting to make some straight pipe, fully funtional lake pipes...1 pipe each side

 

I am going to mount a s-10 tank under the bed somewhere. so no stock tank will be showing. i may also put a stainless keg in the beg for aditional gas. im worried about the rear suspensoin becuase i flipped the axle and just dont want to bottom out when i hit a speedbump, but i dont want to deive a log truck. SOMONE TELL ME THE MAX SIZE TIRE I CAN FIT NO MATTER THE WHEEL SIZE FOR GODS SAKE! my dad is a tire man and i can get pretty much any wheel i want.

 

About the cowl vent...I converted mine to power. Had to in order to build my console. In the process, 2 great things happened: NO leaks 'cuz it shuts real tight, and because of the console the air is now deflected directly at your feet...real nice on a hot day. Plus, being powered, if you want to open it just a little bit you can.
Norb

 

how much did that cost though?

 

The PO a couple generations back converted ours to power, but it leaks all over the floor when open and still a bit when closed since he never replaced the weatherstripping and the cover is warped. Is there supposed to be a drain or something to drain away any water that gets in? I really want to leave the vent operable. That's a small leak compared to around the doors tho, still has the very dead OEM rubber weather seal. I'm going to order the complete rubber kit from Mid F. Anyone have any experience with the original vs the smaller profile door rubber?

 

SOMONE TELL ME THE MAX SIZE TIRE I CAN FIT NO MATTER THE WHEEL SIZE FOR GODS SAKE!

Try this link

measureityourowndamnself.com

WE SAID IT DEPENDS DAMMIT! EXCUSE US FOR NOT WANTING TO WASTE YOUR MONEY BUYING SOMETHING THAT RUBS. HOW WE SPOSED TO KNOW YOUR DADDY HAS A TIRE STORE, OR YOU DON'T ALREADY HAVE RIMS.

A few guys here have run 275-60-15s. But of course they will rub if your truck is too low. Or you don't have a perfect rim backset. I am running 255 width and have room for error. To others max tire means a tall skinny tire. Something around 29 inches tall in a 70 or 78 series. 3" wider rear fenders are also available. Run them and the max tire size changes significantly. By just about 3 inches believe it or not.

If your truck is assembled, have your Dad throw a tape measure under the fender. He'll give you the right answer for your situation.

 

Fenders... I can't get that link to work. Bwwhahahahahahaha.

I'm off to work with a smile on my face. thanks. himmelberg

 

Oh, Fenders............I fell off my chair!!

Quote: "2.basically yeah. I flipped the rear axle and c-notched the frame and was just trying to cover my butt so if that wasnt enough i could have the coil overs...plus SOME adjustability
4.My teacher says i should becuase they leak and blah blah blah blah." End quote

Answer to #2: Measure from the center of your hub to the upper fender area, subtract the amount of travel you have with the C notch. Then measure how wide the fender opening is at that point. It ain't rocket science and without knowing your notch dimensions we can't give you an answer. As your dad is a tire man, have him mount some skins on your choice of rims and see if they rub.

Question for #4: Are you doing this project at school?

Suggestion #8: Patience is a virtue - these old geezers will put up with a lot, but poke too hard and they'll grab their false teeth and take a bite out of your hide!

Hotrodding by definition means making it up as you go along. You can't be dependent on what someone else knows or thinks. So just get 'er done and don't look back....oh yeah, most of all have fun!