I finally got some time to post my pictures. I finished up my most recent classes just after the new year and got straight to work. I got the rear half of the frame done with rust encapsulator prior to school so now I got back to painting the chassis pain and getting the new components in. I boxed the rear of the frame and had to cut some 3" notches in the box plates to get the front spring hangers in. Other than that things went off without a hitch. It looks so much better and I;m sure will ride better too. I'm ordering a new rear sway bar and that should finish it up for now. Eventually want to put a Ford rear end in but the Chevey will do for the time being.

 

Good looking build, Red. Reading through your thread makes me even more excited to get moving on mine.

 

It has been a bit since I updated but I accidentally deleted my account and couldn't get on to post anything. So here is what I have accomplished.

I moved the bed under my carport/shed to get it out of the way. Once there I started to break all the welds along the inner panels to free the thick sheet ofg metal that was in the bed.


Once those were broken loose, I was unable to get the tailgate end loose as the original builder had fabbed a tailgate and lay'd it on top of the bed floor. So I cut out a great deal of the floor and have come to a stand still as to how I want to proceed with taking out the rest. IO might have to remove the tailgate and that might create more work instead of just cutting the bed metal off flush with it.






A couple weeks later, my wife had to go out of town unexpectedly and I was unable to go due to work commitments so she took the kids with her. That left me with an unexpected amount of free time on my hands to I could advantage of it and did some heavy lifting on the truck. I decided to pull the 350/TH350 and get moving either rebuilding the existing frontend or go with a new frame stub.




This was my first welding for my dad. He wanted this put in for the radiator. Those are bike tire tubes we used for cushioning. Glad to be done with them.


I had to tear out the carpet so I could get to the shifter/linkage. It wasw going to be replaced anyway. Fortunately it came out in one piece so I can use it for a template.



It took me a while to get the motor out with the trans attached as the rear cross member gave me some fits and I was doing it by myself but it eventually came out.



I put it on craigslist that afternoon and had it sold the next day. Now I have a bit of cash to put towards it. Next thing will be to get the 302 buttoned up, get the cab off and save up for a new frame stub.

Red

 

I was home for the last two days due to the impending Hurricane Issac which luckily past to the west of us. So after I got my hurricane shutters put up I put some more work in on the truck. I removed the radiator overflow from the firewall and started to take out random screws from the firewall as well. As I was doing that I decide I would pull up the floor to see what needed to be done. I say this because when I pulled up the carpet when I pulled the motor I found that the original builder had screwed pieces into the floor to put it together. I knew that because of all the self taping screws sticking out after I pulled the motor. After removing about 20-30 screws of different sizes this is what I have.

 

Man, that is a LOT of work. I'm sure it theraputic, and I'm sure you're enjoying it. Keep us up to date, and good job!

 

I have continued my work on the firewall/floorboards. I cut out the part of the firewall that had been modified to seat the 350. It wasn't done well as seems to be par for this truck. I widened the opening as well.



I also put some citrus paint stripper on the firewall because I am going to try to fab the new recessed portion. It looks as if undercoating was sprayed on it so I had to put several coats on. We'll see how that comes out.
I ordered new floor sheetmetal. It was dissappointing to spend my money I was saving for the front end but it needs to be replaced as well so it should be here in a week or so.
It seems that I have been doing more destrction then construction so since I can do anymore on the cab until the sheetmetal comes in, I put the inner fenders on to the front fenders as well as the newly revived headlight buckets.



I wanted to install the grille but I went on a search for the chin spoiler and cross brace and couldn't seem to locate them. Then I realized they are attached to the grille that I had already assembled! It is stilling in my bedroom so instead of going inside and waking the kids, I went back to work on my bed. I was trying to remove the last bit of the steel plate in the floor but I realized it was sandwiched between the roll pan and the fabbed tailgate. I like the look of the rollpan and I know my dad did as well so I didn't want to remove it but I had no choice. It needs to be redone anyway. So off it came!




The thing I found disturbing it the amount of filler in the rollpan. It makes me wonder how much more I will find.

I want to take the entire bed and have it media blasted but I can't afford to do that.

 

So here is the firewall once it was cut out
I fit the new floor sheetmetal in
I also got a new drag link that fits. The old one was cut and sleeved and in my opinion unsafe. I was fortunate to find a earlier model Nova drag link that fit. It will no longer have power seering due to the headers on the 302. I'm going with a Vega manual box.
I ordered and got in a new rear sway bar from Chassis Engineering. I got it half way on when I realized they forgot the endlink sleeves, so I have been waiting for those to finish installing that. I'm still looking for a front sway bar as mine got the saame sleeve treatment the draglink did. More to come later.

 

awesome build! i see the tags on the replacement tins, where did you pick those up from?

 

The tins are from Direct sheetmetal. I have been very pleased with the quality and the inbstructions. Overall they have gone in very well. I am fabbing my own firewall as $360 for a new one is a bit steep. It doesn't look as nice as the premade one but I think it will work.

Red

 

Any updates???

 

I have test fit my fabbed firewall but am not completely happy with it. Picked up a rear end from a 98 Explorer and got it stripped down. It looked like it was laying in the mud for a while. Bought new rotors, brake lines, cut the shock mounts off it and getting ready to remove the spring pads so they can be relocated. I bought a sweet new lokar shifter but got the wrong one. (I got a C-4 shifter and need one for an AOD) Right now I have lots of parts but no time as I am working full time and school full time and working with my scout Pack.

 

Finally got around to getting the rear end off to the welding shop for new spring pads. I have to pick it up tomorrow. Decided against the fabbed up firewall as my metal working skills are not great. I went ahead and bought the direct sheetmetal and got it welded in. I am now tring to get the floorboards welded to the firewall. I have to order new rear shock plates from chassis engineering as the ones they sent me with their rear end kit fit the smaller Chevy rear end. The Explorer read end need 3" u-bolts. I will post pics up this weekend as we have my son's final football game on saturday.

Red

 

I've always loved those 40-41 Ford PU's. Good to see another one getting put back together.