Technical Yeah, Its got a Hemi/41 shop truck

Very nice. Taking notes.

 

I made plans to play this Friday instead of working...that way I still have a full weekend in the shop

It was nice meeting you face to face Saturday. Hopefully it will not be the last time. My garage seems so much larger now

 

I had a little time after work last night so I headed out to the garage with a couple of file folders I stole...borrowered...from work to use as a template. This is tricky fitment and requires some patience and a sober head, 2 things I usually in short supply on in the shop.

I love using these old file folders for template material, they hold a crease and are sturdy. Banks throw them away all the time.
Got to remember to cut the flanges at an angle to match the frame rail and trim the corners off where they sit inside the frame rail for a good fit. One thing not on the template is the cutout for the fuel and brake lines, that is coming.

I used the drill press to drill 2 holes then opened them to the outer rail with a cutoff wheel. This side is for the fuel delivery and return lines, I'll do the same on the other side for brakes and an electrical conduit I am going to build to hide the truck rear harness.

A little tappy tappy with the hammer and it slides into place. Ill still have to remove, grind some good weld contact areas and stich it back in but this is good for the trial fit.

I ran the fuel line reliefs above and below that square cut bolt hole in the outer frame so nothing would be in the way.
As if it was there all along, the new side reinforcement splits the tranny cross-member bolts allowing for easy wrenching on the inner rail and splits the outer rail bolt holes without blocking anything.

That shouldn't be too hard for even me to weld up

When done it will look like Henry meant to put 4 speed automatics and HEMI's in the trucks all along. While the fabrication work is mine I will give a shout out to the Wizzard aka @Pist-n-Broke as this design is his. When he turned the truck project over to me he felt obliged to hand out some helpful hints as well. It would be rude if I didn't steal them all.

My exhaust pipe will run through the center holes and the smittys will hang just before the 9 inch. I have a couple form my 34 build that will be put into service. After hearing my 34 run them, I am in love with the tone and anxious to hear how the HEMI makes them sound. All for now, hopefully I will wrap up this part of the project over the weekend and get that cab back on for fitment. My tranny mount is practically impossible to find (thanks mopar) so I will end up building one once I have the tranny at proper height.

Thanks for following along. Hope it is helpful.

 

Other side cut and both sides spot welded in. Ill do the rest on the frame rotisserie. Rolled the frame off the lift so I could get the cab back on.

the lift makes short work of replacing the cab.

Looks like a truck again

No trimming needed to the firewall, very light contact at the back of the trans tunnel that I need address when I replace the floors.

Looks like it was born there and yeah, it's got a hemi!

 

Very good! Thanks for the inspiration.

 

Are you sure this is really you doing this build and not your evil twin? Hardly a buffer in sight.

 

This one aint getting all the polished bits, mind you it will be cool but not over the top. I love my Roadster but the truck needs to be a truck. I k now it is shocking but I don't plan to polish a single bolt.

 

Who are you and what did you do with Billy?

 

It's just coolsville. Loved the early engines.

 

A little update on the truck is needed. I removed the rear cross-member as it was too close to the 9 inch and all i need is a square tube to mount the shocks to on top. Once out it became quite clear that the frame had some rust in it from the cross-member rearward about a foot or more. So the frame has been on the table and surgery has commenced, I will provide some pictures of the process later but here is the obligatory teaser

Ick! Out with the old!

In the meantime I have been collecting trinkets to build around and one of them was this most excellent AC under-dash vent from an early 60's Merc. I am using Vintage Air's compact Gen II heat/cool/defrost system that will be tucked under the dash but I didn't like the cheesy vents. This piece showed up on e-pay so I spent a less than the plastic vents cost and got it. It is just the face plate, I will build a small box for it that will direct the AC to the front vents and a couple of floor vents for the heat, I will use the standard defrost vents. The controls will be hidden but you will have to wait for that little gem. For now, the teaser shots

It is temporarily held in place with a couple pairs of vice grips for now.

That will go nicely with the crestliner wheel I am using. The Hemi will make it a hot rod under the hood but it'll be cool on the inside.

 

Now you've really challenged me to get on my Desoto/ 41 pickup project!
Please keep the updates coming!

 

Hi Billy,
Since you didn’t use the stock pistons,,,,will you hand them down to another Desoto engine guy? As Humphrey Bogart said in Treasure of the Sierra Madre,,,,Hey mister,,,could you help a fellow American that is down on his luck? LOL

Tommy

 

Crap Tommy, I didn't keep them!

 

Been a bit but not because I haven't been busy, just nothing post worthy. Finally got the inner and outer frame sections built (actually the Wizzard did the building, I am merely the master's apprentice). Any matter the frame is back in one piece again. This is the inner frame welded in from the back side to make the finishing easier where you can see it...assuming you had the truck on a lift and was standing under it looking for my repair. Wizzard, I hope you like what you see, I hit those welds with the best I can lay down. I was pleased.

and the rearward cut of the inner rail

I did hit that with some rust preventative paint for the heck of it (like Henry did, right?)

Then added the outer rail

Here is a shot from the inside

Even before I prep and finish the frame the repair is practically invisible, which was the "masters" plan. The Wizzard came up with the idea of welding the inner panel from the outside then covering the welds up with the outer panel to make it easier to dress. Genius is a strong word but he qualifies in my book, thanks @Pist-n-Broke .
You would be hard pressed to find the rust repair even on an unpainted/unassembled frame. Time tomorrow to bust her lose from the frame table and put it on the frame rotisserie so I can work the bottom side of those welds and the bottom side of new X member.

I had a few buddies that thought this repair was ridiculous, I disagree. Then again, I don't want to own their builds when they get done. They would be honored to own this this one.
Now we can get rolling (so to speak). Shop truck build...engage!

 

Ugh! Welding and grinding, am I right? What a chore but the frame is coming along. I hit the inside and outside of that new tranny X member I built, boxed some of the front of the frame where it was started but needed finishing, cut out a couple plates and welded them on the rear rails and built a rear cross-member and tacked it on. Tonight I will finish that project, add the brake tabs, and fill about 1000 seemingly redundant holes in this frame.

 

Coming along very well. Looks great!

 

Been there done that with the hole filling, big pain. What are you using for a backer when filling those holes? I found a big thick piece of aluminum billet worked real well for me, just clamped in place and weld worked good.

 

"... I don't want to own their builds when they get done. They would be honored to own this this one. "

No true'r words, have ever been spoken ... regarding a great many friends' "hopes and dreams".

Lol. Love it. Funny f*cker, and great work !

 

Thanks, that rusty frame bit slowed things down a bit but I'm happy with the fix and I'm back on track. I hope to have the entire mock up done by February and blow it apart for paint.

I have a brass drift that I like using but it is too long to use inside the rail so then I revert to a copper spoon. On threaded bungs and such I use brass bolts to keep the threads clean while welding.

I have more fun building these things than driving them, much more creative and I can drink while I do it!

Can't forget the little stuff like this wedge for the truck bed bolt to sit square on. Busted it off the old panel (easy since it was mostly rust) and stich it on the new one. I had to laugh to myself last night while drilling a new hole for this bed bolt and a new bump stop over the axle, all the holes I am filling and I add two more! Texas 2 step.

Also finished welding in the shock mount cross-member. Some day I need to learn to TIG but my MIG welding is getting better. I was laughing with @Pist-n-Broke last night that the best welding tip I got lately was wearing my reading glasses under the hood. Funny but oh so true. He suggested running up to the welding supply and fitting a new magnifier lends on my helmet. On my to-do list today.

 

Excellent work!

 

Really like the idea of the brass bolts, gonna steal that idea if you don't mind.

 

I stole it from a buddy so I'm glad to pass it on. Beats getting welding platter down the threads and having to chase them.
Here's a little project I did last night, it is menial but a friend said I needed to do it and I had an evening free. As you have read above I had to replace a chunk of the frame that was rusted out and poorly repaired somewhere down the line. One of the items missing was the shock brace. I asked several on here and elsewhere but no one had a donor frame to pull the bracket off of so I made one. I started with a scrap piece of frame channel left over form the repair and cut it to size.

I probably could have stopped there as no one is ever going to see this unless they crawl under the truck but this about bragging rights at the tavern where we gather to compare build progress.
On another thread I was instilling the virtues of plasma cutters and if that tool offends your traditional approach to car building , better stop reading for a moment. One of the cool plasma accessories I found on epay are these steel guides. They come in squares and rounds and multiple sizes. I love them.

I marked out the carriage holes after measuring off the original

Vice grip the guide in place (also makes a good handle and a place to ground to.

And seconds later we have square holes. The round ones were added on the drill press.

The X in the middle I sliced with the plasma torch so I could fold the steel to copy the original brackets reinforcement indent. I am not using original shocks, these brackets are cosmetic but I still want them to look correct. Bendy, bendy, weldy, weldy

And of course the obligatory grindy, grindy

And the same routine to the frame rail to add the squares in the bottom of the new rail.
Tip: You know how to quickly line up the holes from your bracket and transfer them to the frame exactly? Use the plasma torch to shoot a hole through the 2 layers of steel while the bracket is clamped in place then drill it out with a step bit (round holes) and center the guide over the bottom holes for the sqaures.

Finally, at the end of the evening I attached it with a couple of "rivets". A little body work and paint and it will blend in to the frame nicely. If the devil is in the details, I'm afraid I picked up a hitchhiker.

Did I need to? Nope
Was it a waste of time? Possibly.
Cool points? Meh
Worth a beer at the tavern on boys night? Oh hell yeah!

 

Just read your thread nice work on the hemi and the truck. I have a 392 hemi in my 40
ford and love it. I enjoyed building the hemi also and found hot heads a great source. And the HAMB was a great source for the hemi also.

 

Little details,,, geezzz your starting to sound like someone I know personally. I like that bracket.

 

Can someone be both a bad influence and a good friend? Guess we will find out. And when you think about it, at your funeral do you want people saying you did things half ass? Full ass, that's my goal.

 

I had to laugh after reading that. I can tell ya there have been more than one person that has used the word Ass in a conversation describing me. Generally that's brought on by me not doing work for them there way that I assessed as Half Ass. Not the case with you, makes it easy to help out.

 

Your not planning my Funeral right away are ya?

 

I'm never in charge of funerals...wakes are more to my liking and forte. You know what the difference between an Irish wedding and an Irish wake is? One less drunk. Another nice thing about wakes is there is no rule about there needing to be dead body present to have one. Make America great again by all means but God bless the Irish and that delicious Jameson Black Barrel!

I'm getting close to done on the frame's initial set up. I ordered front and rear anti roll bars that I want to make sure the provisions for which are present. In the meantime I am finishing working the welds and start the body work on the frame. The latter for you following along at home involves a skim coat of filler over the "textured by nature" areas.

I bought high build catalyzed primer (black) and hardened satin black chassis paint. The axles, sway bars, peripheries, and suspension will be gloss black. All SS lines and hardware and a touch of chrome so I can identify it in a police line up. Of course the Hemi and 518 trans will be gloss black as well with SS bolts.

A departure from the color and chrome of the 34 frame but still uniquely my own.

 

Do I remember an issue with the through bolt that mounts the Coil over to the lower A arm. Seems like one part was 7/16 bolt and the other was 1/2". Am I confused here? Maybe to many projects and to much time. Could just be my Meds I guess.

 

SHHHHHH!!!!!! Lower A arm? At the advice of council I have no recollection of that event. Geez! Keep that on the down low, guy have been flogged for less.
But yes, I still have to add the 1/2" bolts to some miscellaneous part I am working on.