I just got my 48 running and has 1000 miles on it in only 2 weeks. Will post the pictures of the build. It was my 1st attempt at chopping a top and body work on my own. I liked the way it turned out. I did some things diffrent than most builds. I don't like the look of all the depressions where the fenders and hood used to be so I filled them all in.
I traded for this 48 for a Carb and a Dist. The motor mounts were brazed in which caused some problems down the line with the brass bleeding out of the frame as I tried to weld on it. The cab was loaded with rat crap and had eaten a lot of the floor and a place in the back of the cab away. It was ONLY after the 2nd sand blasting that the smell went away. The truck was a farm truck and had been beat to crap and patched alot. But it was the right price. I am out of work so I had lots of time and not much money so I set about to work. I had a stash of parts for a 55 I have been working on so I used lots of them and I had some pretty good parts to trade for the things I needed.
Always been a Chevy guy , thought it was time to try a Ford. Found a complete T-5 that a guy had bought to convert a Mustang from automatic to standard so I got everything and more than I needed. Found a cheap 5.0 roller in Houston. So now I had my powerplant set up.
Did some horse trading and swapping and ended up getting the motor trans. and rearend out of this Pee Kup. Will use the 351 for a stroker motor for the 48 when my ship comes in. Had tons of small stuff on it I stripped off to use in the project. I drove it home with a broke steering column. It would lay on the seat and you had to hold it up to drive. Had a good 9".
With all the MAJOR parts collected it was time to start. I saw Hotrod Preachers front frame section and knew I wanted to use the stock frame somewhat simular to what he had done. Pulled everthing down to the bare frame and double Z'd it. And pinched it in. He PM'd me with how he had done his so that helped not having to start blind.
For the rear I knew I wanted to try the late 60 early 70 GM pee kup rear end setup. I found a set of arms cheap and a set of 175 lb coils at a swapmeet. I have some good friends that have lasers so I just laid out my rear mounts like I wanted them and they whipped em out. You could do them yourself but this was available and all the parts are the same unlike if you whittle em out with a torch and try to grind em all to match. I used the stock spring location on the arms. Added shocks to the rear of them with some brackets I made. After a computer search to find some shox off a light car . I ended up using some off a Volare. On the trailing arm mounting points, after lots of measuring and computer searches. I ended up just putting them where they fit and I had the correct pinion angle. I was making all the brackets anyway. The sway bar is roundy round stuff as Day Motorsports is just down the road. Check out roundy round stuff lots will cross over to Hot Rod use. Rear tires were 30 buck close outs. Had the ride height I wanted for building. Swaybar is level @ ride height. All brackets are minimum 1/4 "
I was working late one nite on the truck and was pondering whether to chop it or not. I have always wanted a chopped top on a hotrod. Well at 2:30 in the morning I decided to do it. I had been reading all I could about it. But had never done that kind of metal work. I taped it of and started my cuts with Hacksaw,cutoff wheel air and electric. Came out good and straight. I decided to keep stock rear window so I can see.
Here's some more. tips Cut straight. Go slow, think it out BEFORE you do it . Keep gaps the same all the way around when you weld it up. Watch your heat.
Just found these. See how Jedro used brazing????????? All that brass really contaminated my welds as it kept bleeding out of the frame. The truck was hacked on but I don't think they ever actually had a small block in it. Just the mounts.
Nice! Your chop looks pretty good. Is it done yet? I haven't done anything like that either, and I really want to chop my cab. There's only one way to know if I fail or succeed, LOL.
Yes the truck is finished I was just showing how I did it. If you are a decent welder and have PATIENCE,do your research and take lots of time. You should be able to do it. Welding sheetmetal is a whole new world. Some guys said I should have welded a strip inside the cab then welded it up. That possibly would have been easier but I felt it was a place for rust and corrosion to build and a way for moisture to attack any putty from the backside. So I chose to weld it all up. I sectioned my roof also which a lot of people don't want to do but the end results turned out good. I also didn't like the way the cabs look when you pull the fenders and hood. So I took the hood and cut it down and used it to fill the void on the cab. Laser guys cut some panels for me and a piece to fill in the front of the hood. I welded all the holes up in the frame and the cab to smooth the look some more. I used "easy weld wire" in my 110 v Hobart for the sheetmetal and filling the holes. I swear by that stuff really easy to work with. Not as affected by rust as 70 series wire.
I dumped the fuel injection for a 600 DP Holley and a Weiand Xcellerator,GT40P heads and a Furd X303 roller cam. Saw some old Interceptor stickers at a swapmeet and stuck them on the late model covers and put on a breather in place of EGR. Had a fox body pan with the hump on each end so I bent up a piece of sheetmetal to fill in the void between the humps and now have a poorboy 7 qt pan.The motor is really snappy. I can't believe how smooth it is. I kept the stock bore pistons and crank size as everything was in excellant shape. It is just a really smooth running lil motor with a nice rumpty rump at idle.
Used a Jegs kit and welded up some headers and used 3" out the back under the cab. I made my own baffles based on the car chemistry style. I used freeze plus for the plates. Truck was loud and had no tone so I got a couple of the IMCA mufflers from Day. More roundy round stuff. Made the truck very driveable and has an excellent sound. turned out great!!
