DRIPTROIT 71

Great looking build!! A real work horse!

Very nice and clean builds! Looks great!

Looks pretty awesome from here!!

Cool project! I know it will be nice!!

Don't forget that tomorrow is the last day. A finished "Under Glass" thread must be started tomorrow to finish the contest.

Looks great! Don't forget a finished "Under Glass" thread must be posted tomorrow.

I was a mechanic for over 24 years and back in my younger days we built a lot of jacked up 4x4 trucks and I owned several. I also have a friend who still collects old Dodge trucks. I even owned a 78 W100. Dodge pickups were set up very similar to the Chevrolet 4x4. We even converted some to Chevrolet axles. The differential was on the passenger side and most had 203 transfer cases with full time four wheel drive. I've only ever seen one with a divorced transfer case and a lot of things had been changed on it before I saw it. That is not to say that there were not many more made, I just haven't seen them. The Dodge also had a small 5 lug wheel pattern, the same as the car until the late 70s or early 80s. There are pictures of a 79 Wrangler van on the internet. It has coil springs on the front with a Dana 44 as Brian said, with a steering set up very similar to the 78-79 Ford 4x4. From what I can see the suspension is similar to the Ford as well. The differential is on the drivers side just like the one pictured above. Notice also the small lug pattern on the van above without any lockouts. Most of these were full time four wheel drive with 203 new process transfer cases. In scale I don't think that there's enough difference between the 205 and the 203 to get too concerned over. The 203 was chain driven with shifting levers and rods to the case mounted floor shifter and the 205 was gear to gear with plunger shifters connected to the case mounted floor shifter. Most Ford front differentials had the pinion at the top with a reverse cut gear. The ones that I've seen with the pinion at the bottom had a longer front drive shaft and a divorced transfer case. Just from what I can see in the photo's I would have to agree with Brian that there's a good possibility that this one has a divorced transfer case. As Brian said the Firestone kit is a good starting point. Depending on how accurate you want to be, you could probably use all of the 4x4 parts from that kit. From what I remember the front differential is not that great in that kit, as already said any Dana 44 would work. I think the B.N.L. resin has a good Dana 44 too. I did find some Dodge 4x4 vans on line that had leaf springs on the front, but they were all modified to some degree, but some may have had leaf springs from the factory as well like the pickups.

I like it!!!

Amazing work as always! Looks like the real thing!!

Thanks Danno!!!

I'm really liking the hood choice!!

That's Heavy Duty!! Looks great!!

Very cool!! A real Johnny Cash truck! Excellent work!!! I like the front bumper!!

Very nice!!

I got my engine and it looks awesome!! I had to order a couple of grills to go with it. I'm hoping to build something between a 4000 - 6500 GMC between 60 and 66 model. Very fast service too!!!

A little sunlight makes a great looking model look even better! Excellent work!! Looks fantastic!

Thanks! I just have odd taste. Thanks Carl!! Around here there are a lot of tractor based versions and most of the trucks have the 48" tires but not the 66" tires. This project went in the 66" tire direction after I saw several of these on line. Thanks Jeff! I still hope to order some more. My original plan was for a log truck that I still want to build, but I have more plans than I have actual time.

Thanks Dennis!!

That trailer turned out incredible!!! Excellent work!! It looks great!!

Excellent work!

Very nice work!! You did great with all that decal work!!

That is an awesome looking build! Great work!!

Nice work! I like the conversion too, even the color reminds me of the old 4200. I had a similar project in mind but backward from yours. I hope to do a back dated 4300 like the older4200 kit some day. Looks Awesome! Great work again!!

Very nice build!!

Awesome work!!