Projects 34 drag truck build

Well I guess it's time for an update. Like I said earlier, I decided to add an exhaust. Like every project it's always more work then I thought it was going to be.

The first issue was how to squeeze 4" of exhaust under a truck that's only 5" off the ground at the lowest point. I figured I'd use oval tubing. But being the cheap ass stubborn pollack I am, I couldn't image dropping the kind of coin they want. So I did decided to build my own.

I built a die out of 2 lengths of 2" steel pipe and 3/4" square tubing. I bent flat 16 gauge around it using vise grips, pipe wrenches, my body whatever I needed to push it around. The finally ratchet straps to pull it all the way closed. Actually once I figured out a procedure it wasn't too bad.

 

My Dad use to call that being thrifty!! Nice job & great "buck" to get it uniform.

If you had a press & torch you might have been able to get round material & flatten it out to your desired size. Just a thought.

Paco

 

Next up was the mufflers. As usual nothing off the shelf will work. So what I came up with to have some 16 gauge bent up. I just built a box but I made the top removable so I can add stainless steel mesh. And yes I drilled everyone of those holes!

 

You are doing GREAT work!
Very professional looking job.
That motor looks like it is expensive!!!

 

Will you be adding the exhaust to the existing headers you have on there now? Looks like you could just make caps for the ends and add the exhaust to the collector.. Where will the outlets exit at? Pipes going to run underneath the frame rails, or will you route it so it comes back into the engine bay and goes underneath the cab?

Sorry for all the questions.. I can only imagine you've got so much room to fit between the frame rails, the floor of your cab, and the ground..

 

Probably, one of the tightest parts was making the turn off of the collectors and the turn under the cowl. I originally was going to make the round to oval transition at the cowl. I ended up staying with the round until I made the turn towards the back because I didn't have the room for the oval 90 elbow. Plus I thought the round looks better coming off the collector. The problem I was now running a 4" piece of tubing through a 4" frame rail. Obviously I couldn't just hack a huge hole.

I built frame cut throughs using cut down 5" steel pipe. 5" steel pipe is 5-1/2" OD, so I cut out a 1-1/2" section and heated and squeezed it down to 5" OD. That left me 4-1/2" ID to sneak the 4" exhaust through.

 

I love this truck.... It was so cool to watch the people when you would crank it up in Austin. Everything came to a screeching halt when this thing fired.

The mufflers look great.

 

Since I decided to put an exhaust on it. I had the idea of a bead running around the tubing to finish it off.

I've never tried to form sheet metal with a hammer form. So I figured I'd give it a try.

 

Killer exhaust.... sometimes wayyy to much work is just enough!

 

That's right thrifty!! I thought about that but from what I read and kind of experimented with was that it crushes the center and doesn't make an oval.

Thanks and yes it especially if it breaks!!

Thanks, the Revolution was such a whirlwind I never got a chance to intruduce myself. I love your roadster!

That's funny, hopefully nobody thinks I'm too much of a pussy now that it has an exhaust!

I'll have more progress pics to post tomorrow.

 

ive always loved your truck Mat as we're on the same page in our tastes...Cant wait to see more




"That's funny, hopefully nobody thinks I'm too much of a pussy now that it has an exhaust!"

umm, well, uhhhh....haha

 

It was a whirlwind for us too, we were jet lagged for two days (or maybe hung over ). Thanks on the Roadster, maybe we'll catch up somewhere on this side of the country.

 

I love your truck. It will be so much nicer to drive without the fumes in the cab. And I prefer to call it being frugal.

 

Looks great Mat!

 

Sounds like a plan.

Bingo on the fumes! It would get pretty rough when I was caught in traffic. I remember looking over at my wife when we caught at a light in downtown Austin and her eyes were tearing up from the fumes. She's such a trooper!

Thanks Don.

 

I also made the transitions from round to oval. For these I started some of the oval tubing I made. I made a die the correct ID for the round end. I split the tubing to form the round end. I reused the oval die and welded everything back up.

 

Not alot of room in those cabs..

 

Damn it that truck!

 

You should have saved this for tech week!

 

Nice job Matt , that kind of stuff is fun to do

 

Interesting stuff, did I miss where the exhaust will end ?

 

That's not a bad idea. Maybe I'll post a more detailed thread during tech week.

Thanks Steve, you're right it is fun once I figured out where everything would fit.

Swade, you didn't miss anything, I haven't got a chance to post the pics yet. But here ya go.

So, I got the mufflers mounted and mocked up the rest of the exhaust. I had measured it out before and I came up with 3" of ground clearance at the lowest point. Saying that'll be enough and actually seeing what it looked like is another thing. Once I set the truck on the ground I knew it would drag on everything.

So....a new plan was in order. I decided to cut down the mufflers and notch 2 crossmembers plus a part of the frame rails. This was after I had both mufflers completely done. That and it's now April and I want to be driving this thing. But I'm not good at compromising when it comes to stance, and I sure as hell can't raise it up any.

So I took a few days off of work and I now have both sides mocked up and the exhaust mostly finished welded. Now I got a bunch of laying on my back welding up all the crossmembers I notched. Plus I need to reroute the fuel lines, because they ran on the frame rail which now has a 4" exhaust pipe running through it. I have a open channel mocked up to run the lines through. I wish I would of thought of that when I first built the truck.

Anyway heres the pics as this is where I'm at right now. I have 2 more days off next week hopefully I'll be close by next weekend!

 

Nice!
You could always run the exit pipes along bedsides as belly burners..

 

Right on, funny (well not so much) how one change leads to countless others, that damn domino effect.
I set the chin of my truck at 3 inches off the ground and it hit every freaking thing just getting out of the garage and up on the trailer. I had a tough time routing a 3 inch exhaust off the fenderwell headers and under the running boards too. I couldn't image finding room for 4 inch, that's the diameter of the bullet mufflers I used and just those was tough to fit.
I raised mine up but really don't care much for it and will need to lower it back down.

 

seeing this truck in person is insane! and i just stumbled on the build thread.... some top notch fab work. this truck is right up there with brian bass's coupe. the truck sure is a rocket. here area few low quality videos from eds back yard

 

Super Cool Cowboy !

 

I tip my hat to you brother,........that is one bad a$$ truck !

 

yep yep ^^^^^^^^^^ what he said

 

If it wont hold on the brakes...make more power so you dont need them...seems like an easy enough concept Mat hahaha

Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!