51 Willys Build

[supersmitty]

Great progress! The floor structure looks awesome!

 

[the reverend muddy grimes]

Loving this (It's my Dad's dream truck). The only issue I see is I can't figure out how you can read the gauges where they are mounted. But I view the world through the eyes of someone who is 6'5 and anything low is odd to me.

 

[willyD]

Funny you mention that about the gauges. They were sort of OK there but not the easiest to read for sure. They are gone now. I bought all electric gauges and plan to mount them in the pockets above the windshield. Its a bit of an odd location but I think it will end up being pretty cool and very easy to see. I already have my hacked gas gauge up there. At some point when I'm really hunting for something to do, I will replace that gas gauge too. I just don't have a lot of motivation to deal with the sending unit! I have the new gauge and sender on my bench with the other gauges though...

 

[christcrusader13]

This is shaping up nicely!

 

[willyD]

I got my brake lines plumbed. It was my first time to double flare brake line. For some reason, I was a bit nervous about doing that but at least that part went smoothly. The lines could be a bit better but getting them stuffed between the motor and firewall with all my wiring and other crap there was not the easiest thing in the world so they are a bit wavy. Oh well, at least they are pretty hard to see and look way better than what was there.

I put a line lock in my rear brake circuit for fun. The idea is that I can shut off my rear brakes and then left foot brake for standing and controlled rolling burnouts. Granted, this in not a drag truck at all so it's just for screwing around. Yes, I will be safe and not mess around at the wrong times

 

[sgtpontiac]

Very Nice Willy

you are movin right along.....nice work....[cl

 

[sc5080]

I put a line lock in my rear brake circuit for fun. The idea is that I can shut off my rear brakes and then left foot brake for standing and controlled rolling burnouts. Granted, this in not a drag truck at all so it's just for screwing around. Yes, I will be safe and not mess around at the wrong times

I'm wondering how you hooked up the line lock since they are generally installed on the front brakes. You set the brakes, press the line lock button, and then release the brakes. This leaves the front brakes applied and the rear brakes off so you can do your burnout. When you have all the smoke you want, release the line lock button and drive out of the burnout.

Anyway, thats the way I hook it up on my drag cars.

 

[bob w]

Set the line lock without stepping on the pedal to take the rear brakes out of the circuit. Hold the pedal to apply the front brakes.

 

[sc5080]

Thanks Bob. Guess there is more than one way to do almost anything. Hadn't considered hooking up the line lock that way.

 

[Yankee Transplant]

Hey I might want to put one of these on my future rat

 

[Skip]

Hey I might want to put one of these on my future rat

Its always good to warm up the tires a little before leaving the drive-in. [ddd

 

[soltz]

Being on the thrifty side

I've been doing controlled burn outs for some time.
I just go to the hardware store and get a quarter turn valve and plumb it into the rear brake with it under the dash, works like a dream for about a buck 99.

Link to the first one with the sprint and it's just a little 305 in a heavy truck[cl
http://vid1054.photobucket.com/albums/s499/ssoltz/Burnout little 1st_zpsze4yqimu.mp4

It the little handle under the cruise control [cl

But what ever works for you, it's just fun and safe [P

 

[willyD]

I thought about the valve for the line lock but decided that I didn't want to deal with the extra plumbing! I'll use a lighted missile switch for it I think so that it very obvious when it's on. Not 100% on that yet but that's what I'm thinking.

On a different note, what do you guys think of wrapping my headers with header wrap? I stuffed my headers back on last night and it seems like I either need to wrap them or build a number of heat shields. I personally kinda like the look of header wrap but I'm wondering if any of the stories of it destroying your headers are true. Thoughts? Also I feel like the wrap might help with noise a little...

 

[Flipper_1938]

I'm kinda curious about the noise (and fumes) with those headers too. The outlet is pretty high. How long until you go for your first drive?

They look cool as hell though....

 

[willyD]

Ya, they are pretty high and sloped up a bit. I'm a little nervous about they fumes in particular. We'll see how it goes... I'm pretty sure I'm at least going to put some turnouts on them. I'm not sure when I'll get it on the road yet. I'm hoping that I can have it driving sometime in may though.

 

[willyD]

I'm picking away at smaller stuff now. I have a long todo list but at least most of it is small stuff so I can often cross off a few things a night...

I have my drive shaft in, more wiring changes done, my headers back on and a few other little things done.

Now I'm on to mounting my radiator. I bought an American Eagle aluminum radiator for it. Seems like a pretty nice radiator for the price. My buddy has one in his car and likes it so I figured I would give it a try too. I got it mocked up and the mounts tacked last night but found a few issues with my placement right when it was time to quit for the night so hopefully I'll get it officially mounted up tonight. I'll run my electric fan as a pusher. Hopefully it will have enough air flow. It the same one I used for the yota motor so we'll see....

 

[willyD]

I have been working away since my last post. It's mostly been on random small stuff but I did get my radiator and fan mounted up. I will get the radiator plumbed hopefully tonight. I also came up with my plan for my air cleaner, at least for now. The pick show a double stacked 10 inch filter but I found a 10 x 3 that I will use and see how it goes with that.

 

[willyD]

I finished up my gauge pod and got my gauges mounted in it this week. The pic isn't all that good but you get the idea. It's hard to tell but the gauges are mounted above the windshield where the sunvisor would be if I had one. I have a matching Dolphin gas gauge that I will put in later but I didn't feel like messing with swapping the sending unit in my stock Toyota gas tank so for now, I'm keeping the Toyota gas gauge that I pulled out of the cluster. The pod is set up for the Dolphin when I get around to doing that though.

I also found this cool old Trico clamp-on switch. I'm guessing it was for an after market windshield wiper or heater or something. Anyway, I'm using it for my line lock. I added a small LED to it so that I know if it's on.

 

[smallfoot]

Man, that's a cool old switch!!!

 

[willyD]

Ya it is. It's fun to find stuff like that and put it to a good use.