Hello all, some of you have seen me lurking around asking questions and putting out my thoughts on this build. I started off wanting to due alot of custom work on this truck but over the last two yrs I have decided for now to leave the body like it is. This will change down the road and I do not know yet if that will just be rust repair and paint or chop drop and roll it in every direction.

What I am doing now is a 95 T-bird IRS set up with bags and a TCI MII front end with bags as well. Fort a motor and trany I know this will ruffell alot of feathers but it will be Chevy. I came across a deal to good to pass up on a 2005 5.3L Vortec and 4L60E AOD with only 23k on them for $1500. Also I know Chevy EFI systems fairly well and have several others so it was the direction I went. I will not be cutting anything up to get it in so it can always be CORECTED later if I come to your sences.

I will pull the bed off to box the rear part of the frame for the T-bird IRS and same with the front clip for the MII and motor install. At that time I will clean the frame and paint it and may re-paint the fire wall and inner fenders but not touch the out side at this time. The interior will also get cleaned up and in working order. I will install an under the floor PB set up but I have not yet decided who to get it from. How is the TCI set up? I do not want anything hanging below the frame because I plan on this sitting on the running boards when the bags are aired out.

The truck only has 45k miles on it as I pulled it out od a barn that it sat in since the early 60's. It is very complete and very clean for a truck of this age. The only real rust is in the fenders were the braces are doubled up the runing boards meet. But all this is easy for me to fix corectly. I own a fabrication shop were I do alot of rust replacement for customers and I have just about every tool under the sun needed for this kind of work but that will be after it gets on the road and I have spare time to play.

Well here are a few pic's of it now and I will update the build as work ocures with some step by step pic's. Also here are three examples of what I am going for this time around with it.












Kevin
LFD Inc.

 

I have a few questions for you all if I may. First one is why is their only a key lock on the pass side and not on the drivers side? Second is their a trick to getting the cowl vent to open because I tried real quick and it feels like it is locked or just bound by age. I have not yet tried any penitrating oil as I did not have time to play much with it but I dont want to damage it by forcing. Also these trucks are 6V correct? I plan on runing a new harness and I will replace all the plugs and bulbs if needed.

Kevin
LFD Inc.

 

Looks good to me, ain't nutin like a 51/52, just test painted my hood and replaced it today, going to look good I think, maybe some pics tomorrow.

 

Homade your truck is looking good I have checked it out before. I also am running a 92 vett LT1 in my 70 SWB Chevy and it is a great motor but I am only getting about 16mpg with a 700R4 and 3.41's. I hope to get in the mid 20's with 3.27's and a 4l60E and the 05 5.3L.
Tell me what did you do for your front end? That is about the height I want the front at then I will make the rear match.

Kevin
LFD Inc.

 

Kevin, I'm the cheap hillbilly from Kentucky so when I had the 93 Z28 I used everything, I took the unibody and cut it down, married it to 51 frame,then z'ed the frame behind the front wheels then dropped the frame horns to get the core support down, everybody says to lower the rear but I like the rake, you know it's different, Garry

 

Hi Kevin
I've a 53 and the key lock is the same as yours
My understanding is that so the driver does not step into traffic,but exits to the safe side which of course aint as easy but made more 1950's sense

 

Kevin
Old Henry, when your truck was mfg, didn`t want his customers parking their trucks
on the street, getting out, and get hit by a passing car. So he put a door lock on the passenger side only to encourage drivers to slide across passenger side, exit, and then lock up. Strictly a safety feature.
About the air vent - The seal between the cowl and the vent is probably stuck to both the cowl and vent- they can really stick with age. I`d try a heat gun to release it.
And yes your truck is 6 volt.
Sounds like you have a good handle on it so good luck with the dream.
Gary

 

The TCI brake set up is nice I put one on this week you have to get rid of the stock crossmember and it uses one of the rivet holes to locate it. The 7" booster will hang about 1 1/2" below the frame but the running boards are quite a bit lower than the frame so you will be OK. It even hits the stock pedal bumber on the floor.

I have been told the lock was one of Henrys ideas that you were supposed to open the door for you wife/girlfriend. Don't know if it true but it sounds good. I have a 51 also that has a CXXvrolet in it prepare to get some grief over it.

Mike

PS looks like a good find on the truck.

 

Thanks guys that is what I was thinking on the lock but wanted to check. I may just have too hack it up and build a right hand drive so the lock is easier to use Never mind I already have another project going that rout and one should be enough. As for the pedals I was hoping to make the pedal box a bit bigger and move the brake and gas forward a bit. I plan on moving the rad forward rather then moving the fire wall back as I am 6' tall with knees that really don't like being crampted for long periods of time. I will be installing cruise control and since my 5.3L is a drive by wire it is a very clean set up. Have any of you pushed things forward a bit?

Kevin
LFD Inc.

 

Nice to hear the Dark side has another recruit . My 48 is built on a 1973 Ch**y 1/2 ton frame that has been Z cut and shortened....not sure how much as it was done by the PO. How far are you planning on pushing out the pedal box for more leg room? You may have issues unless you mount the engine far enough ahead, which may mess with the weight distribution causing it to steer harder if the engine is set out too far in front of the axle?

I am currently looking at options to clearance my distributor that would certainly hit the firewall if the engine is revved excessively.

 

I'm sorry hearing about your condition.

 

thats a good one Dick, he he!!!!!!!!

 

Thank you for your concerns, please keep me and my Plasma cutter in your prayer's!

Kevin
LFD Inc.

 

I would like to get as much as I can and if that is only a 2 or 3" than so be it. I will mount the motor as far back as I can with out firewall problems. This motor does not have a distributor so I don't need to worry about that.

Kevin
LFD Inc.

 

Ok here are the rest of the pics (batterie's died yesterday) of any work starting. Turns out I will not be the one to "Dark Side" this truck, check out the heater that has been in here since the early 60's if not earlier

If their are any pics you want just let me know. I wil start pulling this truck apart this week and get it ready for the new parts.












One thing I forgot to mention was one of the deals I made with the PO was that he could have the drivtrain back from this truck for his 50 panel. It is missing most of the parts and he wants to put it back all stock so these parts will help. But even if he did not want the parts I would stil be going this route!

Kevin
LFD Inc.