gotnitro? Posted November 8, 2021 Share Posted November 8, 2021 With all the Autocar ,DR. love going on here lately, I decided to jump on the wagon !! I picked up a very nice rebuilder at a local show...so nice I'm kinda embarrassed for tearing it down and using it for the intended build . The build will be a plow , using the dump box from a Ford plow kit , and 24s for rubber . Heres the pile I started with before carefully disassembling the truck. The planned build ..photo used w permission thanks Ryan Pedone The cab showed DK slam lock doors but retains the DC narrower hood..wipe sweat from brow...now I can just use most of the kit parts ! Check out the new tires next to stock the float front...yeah crazy . The dump box from sam i am I traded forever ago, nows the perfect project to use it ! Looks like the truck was built with tube glue, lightly wiggling the parts and they popped right off ! Here's the chassis after just a few minutes ..I never even had to use a sawzall.. I'm gonna remove the Rockwell 6 bar and replace it with a single drive axle . The front will have a driven front axle from gw trucks . I'm keeping the stock engine for now...well see A quick mock up to check frame length Any comments or suggestions welcome Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam I Am Posted November 8, 2021 Share Posted November 8, 2021 Great project, and glad to see the box being put to good use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TruckerAL Posted November 8, 2021 Share Posted November 8, 2021 Good start so far! Where did you get those 5 hole rims from? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gotnitro? Posted November 8, 2021 Author Share Posted November 8, 2021 8 hours ago, Sam I Am said: Great project, and glad to see the box being put to good use. Thanks Sam ! Funny how a project kinda finds us , I was searching for ideas and buddy suggested this . I saw the small dump box and the bulb went off 6 hours ago, TruckerAL said: Good start so far! Where did you get those 5 hole rims from? Thanks the 5 holes are from moluminum same as the 24s . He sells 2 hole budds too. Id stashed these for a future project and forgotten about them....glad I was cleaning out that drawer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warren D Posted November 8, 2021 Share Posted November 8, 2021 I'm interested to see how you're going to do the radiator. I've got a build in mind that uses the same nose as your project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gotnitro? Posted November 9, 2021 Author Share Posted November 9, 2021 26 minutes ago, Warren D said: I'm interested to see how you're going to do the radiator. I've got a build in mind that uses the same nose as your project. Hello Warren, thanks for following along ! Looking at the kit radiator vs the real truck there appears to be shutter type louvers outside of the grill. I'm wondering if their purpose would be a cold weather mod ? Good catch , I hadn't noticed them yet !! There's been several changes to the truck over time, so capturing the interesting details will be my main focus. I wanted to use a simple " rollover" plow w scratchbuilt hitch/ receiver, but there's the option of using a smaller township size " one way " plow I purchased from Ryan too...fun to have choices Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warren D Posted November 9, 2021 Share Posted November 9, 2021 This is the truck I've been looking to do, IIRC 1975 A-Car but it has a narrow hood more like a narrow nose Pete and the grill is something you don't often see on Autocars but seems to have been popular. Louvers for sure but horizontal: https://pbase.com/baywing/image/171753949 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DRIPTROIT 71 Posted November 9, 2021 Share Posted November 9, 2021 Looks like a great project l, but it needs that green engine in the frame!😀 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gotnitro? Posted November 10, 2021 Author Share Posted November 10, 2021 17 hours ago, DRIPTROIT 71 said: Looks like a great project l, but it needs that green engine in the frame!😀 Thanks but sadly this ones being left as a come apart..its only area really bonded well and afraid frame will crack removing it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gotnitro? Posted November 10, 2021 Author Share Posted November 10, 2021 19 hours ago, Warren D said: This is the truck I've been looking to do, IIRC 1975 A-Car but it has a narrow hood more like a narrow nose Pete and the grill is something you don't often see on Autocars but seems to have been popular. Louvers for sure but horizontal: https://pbase.com/baywing/image/171753949 Nice truck ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mopar - D Posted November 10, 2021 Share Posted November 10, 2021 Very interesting build Jeff are you going to go with the Erie County paint or make it a NY DOT? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gotnitro? Posted November 10, 2021 Author Share Posted November 10, 2021 (edited) 9 minutes ago, Mopar - D said: Very interesting build Jeff are you going to go with the Erie County paint or make it a NY DOT? Erie County, yellow /hunter Green scheme. They also ran smaller funnel plows , which works out I have one ready Digging around last night in the parts bins and surprised myself ...I had a front drive axle from Gary already!!! Kept digging and found my rear spring pattern from the Oshkosh plow...and decided to build a set myself..just needs eyelets and mounts fabbed up. Front drive axle hiding in parts bin horray cant wait to get everything mocked up Edited November 10, 2021 by gotnitro? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mopar - D Posted November 10, 2021 Share Posted November 10, 2021 Jeff your making great progress on this one. Maybe if you go back to your parts bin again you will find a radiator with some lovers. lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronzekeg Posted November 10, 2021 Share Posted November 10, 2021 interesting, I'm following. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gotnitro? Posted November 11, 2021 Author Share Posted November 11, 2021 21 hours ago, Mopar - D said: Jeff your making great progress on this one. Maybe if you go back to your parts bin again you will find a radiator with some lovers. lol. Lol you know I've gotta at least fabricate something on this project or its less fun 😅 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mopar - D Posted November 11, 2021 Share Posted November 11, 2021 I have to agree with you on that Jeff! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldTrucker Posted November 11, 2021 Share Posted November 11, 2021 Very interesting build! Saw lots of these trucks in various forms when we lived in Colorado, most long out of service sitting behind barns and old buildings. One was an old fire truck in the small town we lived in and had a plow on it! The truck I remember the most was a wrecker version that a local company used for years to pull big rigs. Called it "Big Moe". 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gotnitro? Posted November 13, 2021 Author Share Posted November 13, 2021 @Johnny- thats cool ! Theres quite a few of these older trucks still serving local towns around the US , love seeing them Work continued on assembling a rolling chassis. Finished building up the rear susp mounts then started up front . Concerned the truck would have a Carolina squat, ai wanted the front axle mounted 1st . Seems Murphy was visiting today..so the engine would need to come out..hmm whered that green engine go.... The axle dropped into place since this isn't a bowed Mack frame ...smiling at this . I lost one of the round ends the hub attaches too , so some spare parts filled in. I drilled and pinned these together to avoid shearing off wheel later. Test fitting everything together after Murphy took the squirrels for dinner , seems my concern wasn't founded after all, the truck sits pretty level ! Photos of the Erie trucks revealed another difference, they had a shorter Gallion box. This box was glued pretty well, and didn't want to damage it . I dug out another bagged parts truck and reworked the bed. I ended up removing 3/4" then replaced the vertical side bars . This wknd I'll shorten the frame to match . Mock up w shorter bed Thanks for following along, any feedback welcome Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DRIPTROIT 71 Posted November 13, 2021 Share Posted November 13, 2021 Looks great! The only thing that mock up needs is that green engine!😀 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gotnitro? Posted November 14, 2021 Author Share Posted November 14, 2021 11 hours ago, DRIPTROIT 71 said: Looks great! The only thing that mock up needs is that green engine!😀 Funny you should mention that..seems the squirrels conspired together and left this photo on my phone lol While I was sleeping it seems they worked thru the night and I found this today ...somehow they attached a dump bed , and chopped the frame all without opposing thumbs !!! All jokes aside , today was a busy day getting the frame and dump box sitting correctly. I fashioned some pivot tabs from solid stock , and rebuilt the frame to accommodate the pivots. Checking the cab / bed gap i settled on a 3/4" chop. That seemed like the narrowest space a squirrels tail would fit thru !! The truck after the chop, there's a slight droop showing up ..the frame wasn't glued yet in case it needed more . I absolutely love how these ridiculous 24s fill up the wheel opening. Thats it for today..gotta feed the squirrels Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DRIPTROIT 71 Posted November 14, 2021 Share Posted November 14, 2021 This one is looking good and sounding better!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gotnitro? Posted November 15, 2021 Author Share Posted November 15, 2021 On 11/8/2021 at 6:40 PM, Warren D said: I'm interested to see how you're going to do the radiator. I've got a build in mind that uses the same nose as your project. Tackled the cold temp shutters tonite , took much longer than planned. Cut strips of 015" sheet into narrow strips, then cut to length fitting each into the frame . I used C channel sides , 90 ° angle could've worked better . Slicing the strips off the sheet caused them to curl slightly, so I carefully bent flat . Capping the top / bottom w strips and I'll remove the entire frame tomo. I think giving the kit grill a black wash should help both stand out , we'll see Each strip was .050" wide x 33mm long I was having trouble seeing the slats angle, so colored sheet was slid under frame Thanks for following along! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldTrucker Posted November 15, 2021 Share Posted November 15, 2021 Looks heavy duty for sure! I remember in the article on narrowing the the Pete hood and adding shutters they use a slat from a mini blind cut into strips so it had that slight curve to them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gotnitro? Posted November 15, 2021 Author Share Posted November 15, 2021 10 hours ago, OldTrucker said: Looks heavy duty for sure! I remember in the article on narrowing the the Pete hood and adding shutters they use a slat from a mini blind cut into strips so it had that slight curve to them. Thanks , its gonna be a rough working truck. Good suggestion on the mini blind material for the shutters Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mopar - D Posted November 15, 2021 Share Posted November 15, 2021 Nice progress Jeff I can see you are doing a good job on keeping your squirrels out of your way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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