Projects The LeGrange Produce Tribute Truck build

Nice build! I like you idea on the terminal strips but I was curious as to how you plan on protecting the connections. Since this will be your daily, I am sure it will not be exposed to nice warm dry days all the time. Keep it up!

 

That Murphy fella seems to pop up every where.Looking good.Please keep the updates coming.Did Momma say"I told ya so"?
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

 

Actually, the weather here in OK is pretty dry. We have 2 seasons really: Tornado season and Summer. winter only lasts about 60 days and the humidity here is about 35%. They make a dielectric varnish that is brushable or a sprayable. I kinda figured I might do something like this.
http://www.directindustry.com/prod/...eb&utm_content=SimilarProduct&utm_campaign=CA

 

Gotcha. That may be sufficient for that type of climate. Up until just a couple of years ago I lived with northeastern Indiana winters so that is where my mindset usually is. Other climates can definitely be better on things like this. Thanks.

 

Looking good brother. Before ya know it you'll be pulling I to my driveway.

Sent from my SM-G930T using H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

This is a great common sense build!

 

That wiring looks clean. We have a full hookup camper pad, when I am ready I am hiring you to do my truck. Pull that ol Avalair up here and work for a few days!

 

Man, that sounds like fun T. I love Custer State Park and that whole area. We may just do that some day. Be careful what you ask for.

 

Remember. We live 5 minutes outta the Park! In fact, going to take the kid and wet a line later.

 

Mama Root got out there yesterday and installed the floor panels permanently and we threw some Fat Mat Xtreme down to help quieten down this pig.

 

Welp, I feel somewhat accomplished. I repaired the grille rot down in the lower chin area, finished the bodywork and got it in primer. All after church today. Not bad. Tomorrow I'll throw some color on it and see how bad it bleeds through. Primer/sealer ain't what it used to be these days.

This was really a good grille. I bought it from a hamber probably 10 years ago and he didn't break it off in me. I think I paid like $200 for it plus greyhound freight. I'm glad I bought it when I did.

I hadn't planned on painting 2 grilles for 1 truck, but alas that's the luck of a LeGrange.

 

Kyle Ambrose sent me some pics of my newly striped air cleaner and restored 1935 Oklahoma Tag. It makes the rest of the truck look bad.



I put power on for the first time this week. A lot of stuff not working. Fixing it one thing at a time. The whole stereo amp deal isn't working. I'm sure it's something I have done. Since this is my first amp, it's a vertical learning curve.

I wrestled with the Vintage air unit. There's virtually no room in the cowl and I will never use one of those 4 way bulkhead adapters for the firewall again. I have fought and fought the lines etc. The 4 way square ones are like a friggin jigsaw puzzle. If you don't tighten things in the right order, you can't get on the fittings. Seemed like a good idea at the time.

I screwed up the threads on the fitting on the evaporator due to the hoses being so short and rigid. Sort of cross threaded one. I ordered the tdie to chase it. I wonder if I am the only one that crap like this happens to?

Pics later.

 

I am glad I'm not the only one who goes two steps forward, one step back! I am planning to put air in my 37, what would you do differently now? Separate the lines to individual bulkhead fittings? Your way ahead of me so you can be the one to let us know what didn't work.

 

I would use one of the straight across bulhead connectors. I ended up using a 1" crows foot and a 12" extension to assemble it. I talked to Vintage Air today, they said they assemble those in a furnace where all the solder melts at the same time. Of course they do. I ordered a 7/8-18 die and I am hoping that works. If not, what's another $200? Who needs food anyway?

 

This needs no caption.

 

Hey Root, was by your place on Saturday (granddaughters birthday) but had the mother in law with us so didn't stop. Truck is looking good, and yes the three or four vintage air systems I have worked with are hell in close quarters. The one I put in our '61 econoline shop truck looked about like your pic but I didn't have a firewall to run through. Routed lines down the front door jamb.
The units seem to work OK but I seriously am thinking about an under dash MK5 unit if the Buick doesn't sell and I build it.

 

The breather looks awesome Root!!

 

The plate and air cleaner looks great! Sorry to hear about the struggles with the lines and bulkhead on the AC unit....real sorry, cuz that's my task for today. I'm certain my hoses are about to look much the same as yours. Didn't even think about getting in there to tighten the hoses....I will now. Fortunately, I have not cut any holes yet for the bulkhead, but I have tried 3 different shapes to fit the space I have. :/

 

So, a lot has happened in the last few weeks.

I always tend to set up my own imaginary deadlines, then thrash to meet these self imposed deadlines. My goal is to make it to the NW Arkansas Hot Rod Hundred on June 11. I would like to have some time to shake it down prior to that 4 hour voyage, but that never happens with me.

Since, I am driving this every day, I figured I better add seat belts. The problem is these cars were never intended to have seat belts. I started looking for a place to mount a retractable belt. Behind the seat there was a bracket that used to house a flimsy cross brace. I removed the cross brace a long time ago. I figured I should try and finish up under the seat, so I could get the interior in. My stereo experiment hasn't worked out like I had expected, so I am moving on until my stereo buddy has some free time to see what is wrong with my setup.

I made some plates to sandwich the bracket.

I ordered a generic retractable seat belt from Julianos. I reversed the belt from the normal mounting direction.


The wife laid out the carpet and sewed up a shifter boot out of the leftover materials from the door panels. Got the shifter mounted and since I don't have the equipment to bind the carpet. I did what all po folks do. Cover it with a sill plate. That pretty much hides the loose edges.

Here's a shot of the completed interior. It turned out just about the way I envisioned it.
I wanted a rustic, work truck feel but not the typical cardboard interior that Ford would have normally installed.

One thing I had to do was to figure out a better latch for the glove box door. Although mine is more of just an access cover now, the spring tab was missing and I don't think they sell new ones. They were sketchy at best, they tend to rattle around. I bought a $2 cabinet latch and epoxied a striker to the inside of the door. This provides a positive lock now and no rattling. Kinda cheesy, but it is what it is.
P

 

Your interior looks perfect. Simple, complete, comfortable but not over done. Some make their's so nice I'd never feel like I could drive anywhere.

 

You done with this yet!?

 

Thanks. I appreciate that.

 

T, I am burned smooth out. Trying to get it running by Thursdayish.

 

I was looking at your pic of the lines through the firewall. There are 90 and 45 degree fittings available to make that go a lot easier. I have a assortment of them that I bought on ebay.

 

Yeah, I have probably 20 left over. Nothing really makes it any better. I think I may have hard lines manufactured to help clean it up.

 

Really like the interior. I always use the individual bulkheads to allow me room to work when installing hoses. At least as much as I can.

 

Good job brother. It looks awesome.

 

Keep After it, man......you will prevail......

 

Thanks guys. I usually throw my hands up in disgust every night and say I'm done. Then I wake up and start all over again.

Last night I noticed I had play in the front of the one piece oil pan gasket. That tells me I bought the thin instead of the thick, so off the pan comes today. It's always something.

 

Hang in there Chris....it's darkest before the dawn.