I saw a thread started by clint86 about his f-100 needing aligned and next think you know he's got the whole back side of his truck torn apart. My story is of my '62 that we built as my daily driver. First we wanted to get the inline 6 running and drop the car a few inches and drive it. We then thought it would be a good idea to have overdrive but didn't have an easy way to mount the 700r4 to the straight 6, so my grandpa built me a 283. We figured if we had the engine out, we might as well paint the fire wall, then we jammed the whole car so it wouldn't need disassembled to be painted. So we also painted the dash body color. We ended up putting an interior in it since it was this close. In the end, it was a complete resto-mod including power steering added. Pretty much everything done except for frame off! 8 years in the making, it's being picked up from paint tomorrow. Anyways, let's hear your snowball effect, hotrod style. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
This is the second time I am building my truck. The first time it was fairly stock with a 261 inline 6 and stock 3 speed and rear end. When the 3 speed wore out, I wanted an overdrive and and found it was easier to bolt the 700r4 to a V8 so I found a 327 for it. I decided to do a camaro clip along the way as I would get v8 motor mounts along with the benefits of better ride, lowering and brakes. Once I got the clip in, I decided to short box it. When I took the leaf springs apart, I found all the pins and bushing wore out along with a broken main leaf, so I have decided to put in a 4 link. All this from a wore out 3 speed transmission..
A friend of mine brought his 69 AMX over to my shop for a roll cage install. When I found there was nothing solid enough to attach the cage to it got a new floor and sub frame connectors. Then I decided to open up the rear wheel openings for slicks clearance (street/strip car) found out the quarters were junk- which led to door repair, removing marker lights,hiding wiring in engine compartment, removing cowl vents- it's turned into a ground up restoration. At least the end is in sight now...
Mine usually begins with a bad wheel cylinder, then brake hoses, then brakes lines. When they stand out like a diamond in a goat's butt, some painting, then glass beading and it really snowballs from there.
Oh yes, I understand the snowball effect. My '54 used to be my daily driver. Due to me being an idiot which I won't go into here, I needed a steering swap. So I decided while I was at it I was going to swap out the tired 350 with a fresh 350. Should be an easy swap. Well, as it goes one thing leads to another and the whole car is torn apart and stripped. Missed out on years of enjoying the car.
since I do remodeling I am all to familiar with this. I once went to move a light switch that was mounted behind the door swing. This led to removing the ceiling to get to the wiring, found that there was a second ceiling under it. Got that off, found the wiring for the light was knob and tube. rewired the kitchen, since the ceiling was down put in recessed lights, then the new ceiling. With all that light the old cabinets looked like crap so they got refaced, then the countertops had to be done. All over a light switch, worst part was it was my house!
Great stories!! It's amazing how one thing leads to another! Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I call it the mummy's tomb effect. Like when they dig up an Egyptian mummy that is perfectly preserved after 3000 years but as soon as you touch it, it crumbles to dust. Same with an old car, that looks good, until you try to fix one thing and everything falls apart and breaks as soon as you touch it.
I was getting deeper into my '59 Ford, I really had no intention of taking the dash out, but we wanted to look behind it at the top for rust and it needed a good cleaning... plus the wiring was all shot to shit. Next thing I know the guts are all out and I'm in the driveway power washing everything loose out of it. Scuff it up good, lay down a coat of prime, followed by a quart of lacquer over that. Take the heater apart... pressure check the core, clean it all up and test the heater motor and switch. Dash is out, may as well paint that too. In the end it was all worth it and made assembly nicer since it was all clean and sexy.
Bought my unibody as a beater to drive and enjoy until I can move to a house safe enough to bring my 57 away from mom and dads place. Sloppy steering and front end led to a crown vic swap, and then a crown vic rear and axle flip. bad heads on the motor led to new heads and hei ignition as the old system was shot. that lasted about a year and that motor decided to go, swapped in a used 302 and aod. that motor crapped out in 2 years (had been in a demolition car and I knew better) dropped in a stroker, trans cooler plugged up and killed the trans, so had a custom trans built. Figured I was that far into it so I stripped it to bare metal and did complete body and paint with a boatload of metal flake. now my beater is a full fledged hot rod wearing a sexy dress.
I set out to repair a main seal leak in my stock '55 Chevy 1st Series pickup . . . Then, mission creep set in.
Theres some pics of it in my albums on my profile. I haven't add any since paint... I should do that sometime. If you do instagram ive got a lot of it on there "gearhead graphics" is my name there as well
Exactly. I noticed a couple drops of brake fluid on the floor of the cab. Replaced the master cylinder. Then I figured if I'm replacing that, it's time for the wheel cylinders, and hoses. So then it's time to look at the hard lines. Then the drums, springs, backing pads, etc etc. I kept the pedal though. Stops on a dime now.
I bought a nice running driving '55 F100 restomod with a Fuel Injected 5.0 (Old School) and AOD, Hiedts front end and explorer rear. The paint was not great but was decent enough for a driver. It still had the spare tire on the drivers side of the bed with the indentation in the fender, which I really didn't like. A lady hit the drivers side rear fender in a parking lot incident (YEE HAW!!!) so I took it to a shop to have that fender replaced and painted. Well, then the holes in the bedside had to be filled and I scored a great deal on a new bed at Pate Swap Meet. So a new bed was going on. Well, then some of the cab needed paint soooo...... It got a whole new $8,000 paint job with flames, new wheels etc. Just as I got the truck back from the body shop, my Dad passed away very unexpectedly. I lost interest in it and it sat in my garage for 3 years untouched. When I finally got around to messing with it again, the new paint job had failed. Now I have a cab with a chopped and lengthened roof, chassis gone and an avatar of what it will hopefully look like again some day. This is right after the new paint job. This is what it looks like now. The Vision
Very slick...Are those the quarters from an F-1 panel truck?? (cut down) Love the big back window...(optional for 'slant-cabs' in 1955! Rare, though)
They are quarters from a'55 F100 panel cut down. But plans have changed a little. Going to use a larger part of Ranch Wagon quarters and parts of the panel truck quarters to come up with a Ford version of the Cameo.
My story's already been posted but the short of it is. A leaf spring job turned into a cab back frame off and an axle tear down and rebuild. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
This mission creep looks to be acceptable. What can you tell me about this engine setup you've got here? Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Stock 235 ci stovebolt engine with 4-71 blower. Still in mock up stage. Haven't decided whether I'm gonna upgrade the engine internals or just re-ring it since the truck will be for show, not competition. If I do upgrade the internals, I'm leaning towards forged pistons on GMC 302 connecting rods. The mock up so far is detailed on my website build if you are interested - http://www.laroke.com/larryk4674/2015/wip67.htm http://www.laroke.com/larryk4674/2015/wip68.html http://www.laroke.com/larryk4674/2016/wip69.html http://www.laroke.com/larryk4674/2016/wip70.html