40 chevy truck, neighbor hood find

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What made you decide on 21"? You'll have a pretty short bed, just wondering.



Check out mine, same bed. I'm using a 2WD S-10 rear (s-10 frame as well) with 15x10" wheels and 3-3/4" backspace, allows me to run 31x10.5R15 tires with a small tub in the bed. Works great.

Looking again that input shaft on your rear doesn't look like S-10?

It may not look like s-10 ,but I cut it out of a 95 2wd s-10. that is about the same size tire I want to use. I mocked up some 275 -60s today and bolted them on, will have plenty of room for as big a tire as I want. as for the bed I wanted it short. but where I cut it it will almost look original. I cut 22" off the bed but I only cut 21" from the frame so I could keep all the cab mount holes.I will cover this with some pics in a later post.
 
I recently scored a borg warner super t-10 from my son's salvage. that was kind of what lit the fire to get back on this truck. bolted it to the engine i'm using and temporarily sat it in place to check the fit, and took some more measurements.it fit easy plenty of room. don't know if I'll keep those headers,maybe some fenderwell's? I'll cross that bridge later.
 

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Ok some more mock up to find the front spindle center line.the plan is for a m-II front end.and to set the for and aft of the engine,before I take the body back off to finish the frame.
 

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found these wheels in a guys junk pile, some old superior mags.he said dig them out and there yours. took them home and pulled the old tires off,mounted some other tires and bolted them on so I could mark where to cut the bed sides.I have plenty of room for all the tire I want.all of this metal i'm cutting off the bed will work good to patch some rust holes. by the way I have been using this tire changer since I was kid. It used to be in my grand fathers service station in the 70's.
 

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I wanted to get a better look at what I was doing. so I moved it out and mocked up the fenders again.I sat and stared at it for a while,and re measured some things. what do ya think ?
 

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I like it, the short bed makes it look a lot like a Willys pickup. Greta score on the wheels too! Nothing beats a freebie! Those should polish out nice.
 
In my humble opinion the wheels need moved about 1/2" forward so it don't look like it has an overbite. Looking really good otherwise. That is a really nice truck your starting with.
 
In my humble opinion the wheels need moved about 1/2" forward so it don't look like it has an overbite. Looking really good otherwise. That is a really nice truck your starting with.

I have already moved front axle center line forward 1". there is a brace inside the fender that keeps me from going much farther forward.I'll check it out though, I'll move it and stare at for a while. Thanks for the feed back.
 
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I welded up a frame for the bed floor. pounded out some dents ,patch in where the tail gate hinges bolt on. squared it up and welded it all together. later on I'll build a battery box and fuel tank mounts.I want it all to hide under the bed floor. don't know what I'll cover the bed floor with yet.
 

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Nice work.myou gonna try and match the patina after you get done.?

no I will paint it. by the time I get rust holes patched and the holes in the firewall filled and the fenders straightened, and I will have to shortin the running boards, about half of it will be bare metal.I already have some semi gloss black paint I will probably shoot on it.
 
This truck was already good, but it just keeps getting better.
I love the patina and will miss it when it's gone, but cutting out the metal worms has its consequences!

-Chaz
 

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