AmericanMuscleFan Posted May 3, 2021 Author Share Posted May 3, 2021 15 hours ago, cobraman said: This is going to be one fine model ! Actually it already is. Thanks Ray, I really appreciate your comment! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie libby Posted May 3, 2021 Share Posted May 3, 2021 hi francis. your truck is so much fun to look at. the wireing and brake lines are so cleanliy done.i was having a hard time locating wire that looked correct and i saw in a forum a suggestion to use wire from usb cables. they are very nice.also in a phone cable.more colors in the phone cable.i hope spring has sprung up north.ill be watching for more on your truck .charlie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmericanMuscleFan Posted May 4, 2021 Author Share Posted May 4, 2021 Thanks Charlie! I'm also working on the steering column but the alignment is not as straight as your Mustang so I'll have a nice challenge to connect the steering box with the steering wheel shaft. I may have burned out the steps by doing the brake lines first... I'm not out of the woods...! 🤫 Yes, spring is knocking at the door and although I should be happy about it, it worries me a bit for the future, the spring tasks can't wait... 😂 Francis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmericanMuscleFan Posted May 5, 2021 Author Share Posted May 5, 2021 Hello everyone, A little more progress was made on the assembly this week, today's update is on the front suspension / steering. Everything is functional and the front wheel alignment is even better than I expected. I didn't have what I needed to anodize the rear brake calipers when I did the assembly but I received my order late last week so I anodized the front ones. The red wasn't intense enough so I painted them red for more contrast. I don't intend to take the ones in the back apart to paint them, so they will stay bare metal, I like them that way too. I will then have the delicate and difficult task of connecting the steering box and the steering column, this side of the engine bay is very packed with the brake components, clutch linkage, oil pump and the starter... the header might have to be modified? One of the close-up photos is a bit blurry, as it is difficult to take sharp photos with all the elements in the field of the lens, my camera kept focusing, I may have to take my shots from a bit further away. This spring is similar to last year's due to the pandemic situation but the nice weather is slowly starting to set in with the outdoor chores that come with it, so I hope to be able to keep moving forward with this project in the coming weeks. Comments/suggestions are welcome and very appreciated. Francis Overall frame view with main components finally installed. I was forced to remake the rack pinion body to leave some room for the oil pan. Seen from under. Different view. Front wheels steer freely. Other direction. The brake discs turn freely inside the calipers (sorry for the blurry picture). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Pol Posted May 5, 2021 Share Posted May 5, 2021 wow what can I say true craftsmanship I been watching all this time but did not comment Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmericanMuscleFan Posted May 6, 2021 Author Share Posted May 6, 2021 On 5/5/2021 at 3:23 PM, John Pol said: wow what can I say true craftsmanship I been watching all this time but did not comment Thanks John! I'm glad you like it and don't worry, it's free, so come back (and comment) anytime. 😊 Francis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claude Thibodeau Posted May 6, 2021 Share Posted May 6, 2021 Hi Francis! Thank God, you used regular rubber brake hoses!!! Most Provincial or state DMV outlaw braided hoses. I would have been sorry if you would have been turned down on mechanical inspection... CT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustang1989 Posted May 7, 2021 Share Posted May 7, 2021 Really coming along on this one. That whole chassis looks the part brother. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian McLaren Posted May 7, 2021 Share Posted May 7, 2021 As amazing it has been watching you produce all of the individual parts and their quality, it's not until seeing them come together to produce realism of this level that it becomes evident that " The whole is greater than the sum of its parts" Just incredible Francis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmericanMuscleFan Posted May 7, 2021 Author Share Posted May 7, 2021 22 hours ago, Claude Thibodeau said: Hi Francis! Thank God, you used regular rubber brake hoses!!! Most Provincial or state DMV outlaw braided hoses. I would have been sorry if you would have been turned down on mechanical inspection... CT Thanks Claude! Let's say that for this one I went with the most realistic because the braided lines (at least the ones I have) are not really convincing and rather flat than round. Sometimes functionality must prevail aesthetics, I know you know what I'm talking about, you also gravitate to the world of real toys! 😉 Francis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmericanMuscleFan Posted May 7, 2021 Author Share Posted May 7, 2021 8 hours ago, mustang1989 said: Really coming along on this one. That whole chassis looks the part brother. Thanks Joe! At least I now have a good solid and straight base to receive this endless bodywork. A lot of points and improvements on this frame have been made since the beginning and I'll be glad to move on... 😁 Francis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmericanMuscleFan Posted May 7, 2021 Author Share Posted May 7, 2021 7 hours ago, Ian McLaren said: As amazing it has been watching you produce all of the individual parts and their quality, it's not until seeing them come together to produce realism of this level that it becomes evident that " The whole is greater than the sum of its parts" Just incredible Francis Thank you so much Ian! There is a lot of wisdom in this statement and it applies to many things in life! You prove this point yourself with all the great work you put into your own projects my friend. This is all just a hobby, but it does reflect a little bit (I think) of the values we live by. 😊 Francis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bainford Posted May 7, 2021 Share Posted May 7, 2021 Francis, that chassis is simply stunning. The work is exceptionally clean. I’m loving this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tortuga Kustomz Posted May 8, 2021 Share Posted May 8, 2021 Amazing work Francis, i have no words to describe my self Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmericanMuscleFan Posted May 9, 2021 Author Share Posted May 9, 2021 On 5/7/2021 at 6:30 PM, Bainford said: Francis, that chassis is simply stunning. The work is exceptionally clean. I’m loving this. Thanks Trevor, I've spent a lot of time on this thing since the beginning and I have to say I'm pretty happy with the result so far despite all the changes I've been forced to make! Francis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmericanMuscleFan Posted May 9, 2021 Author Share Posted May 9, 2021 21 hours ago, Tortuga Kustomz said: Amazing work Francis, i have no words to describe my self Thanks Marcos, your support and comments are always appreciated my friend! Francis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Colmer Posted May 9, 2021 Share Posted May 9, 2021 Love that chassis and drivetrain shot! Has anyone used the word "spectacular" yet? I call it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmericanMuscleFan Posted May 9, 2021 Author Share Posted May 9, 2021 13 hours ago, Scott Colmer said: Love that chassis and drivetrain shot! Has anyone used the word "spectacular" yet? I call it! Thanks for the superlative Scott! I don't know if it really deserves it but I take it with a lot of humility knowing the talent of the person who said it...! 😊 I still have a few small items to add (engine/transmission and driveshaft are the most obvious...lol) and I hope to continue with more updates in the coming weeks. Francis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Codi Posted May 11, 2021 Share Posted May 11, 2021 You just have to be loving this at this point Francis. The pics of the engine in & the suspension........well, what more can be said. Perfection. Cheers, tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmericanMuscleFan Posted May 11, 2021 Author Share Posted May 11, 2021 3 hours ago, Codi said: You just have to be loving this at this point Francis. The pics of the engine in & the suspension........well, what more can be said. Perfection. Cheers, tim Thanks for the exaggeration Tim! I have to admit that I really like this old truck but I am working hard to follow in your footsteps speaking of perfection! I'm not there yet, unfortunately, but I'm pretty proud of what I've done so far! 😊 Thanks for your kind comments by the way! Francis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmericanMuscleFan Posted May 12, 2021 Author Share Posted May 12, 2021 Hello everyone! I had just a few hours at the bench this week and haven't much progress made on the truck. The only part I was able to make is the steering shaft with the articulated joints at both ends. The part is rather small but very delicate to make. You can see that the position of the truck cab has nothing in common with a Corvette and the shaft has a strong angle to connect the steering box. The good news is that the joints work great even though this is not exactly how I wanted to make them. The opening is only 0.031" and it was rather difficult (at least for me) to make them "universal joint" type in such a small space. I take this opportunity to upload the pictures I took of the rack and pinion modification before I mounted it on the frame. I had to modify it to be thinner under the oil pan because the previous one was interfering with it. I hope to bring you more next week! Francis Brass gear box in the milling. Finished gear box. Pinion rack steering components. Assembled modified part. Note that I plated the assembled part just before mounting it on the frame. Steering shaft joint in progress. Link of the articulated joint during the machining process, the part is 0.030" thick, holes are 0.020". Pre-assembly. Different view. One down one to go... A different view on my big index finger. Final steering shaft with articulated joints on both ends. Test fit on the truck, and it fits!!! 😁 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tortuga Kustomz Posted May 12, 2021 Share Posted May 12, 2021 Awesome work on the steering shaft, looks amazing on the truck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foghorn62 Posted May 12, 2021 Share Posted May 12, 2021 Sweet work as always Francis! The more this build comes together, the more I marvel at what a thing of beauty the whole assembly becomes. The individual parts are each amazing in their own right, but seeing them assembled together, each with it’s own function yet in concert with the others just boggles the mind. The sum of the parts is far greater than the individual. Each member of the orchestra is a master, but the symphony is the true work of art! TCOTTC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattilacken Posted May 12, 2021 Share Posted May 12, 2021 Incredible!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claude Thibodeau Posted May 13, 2021 Share Posted May 13, 2021 Hi Francis! Wow, this is what we call a tight fit. I would not want to be the guy busting his knuckles to bolt the headers on this truck... Just kidding... Bravo! Now, to be able to pass tech inspection, you will need pressure lock pins to fasten the joints to the steering shaft. Quite a challenge! But please, don't do it. That would be, litterally, nano-machining! I can't wait to see this thing in person! CT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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