DDT - Damn Dodge Truck

[jfg455]

Question: (you know I'm good for a couple) Are you going to tuck the front of the wheel opening on the front fenders a little tighter to the tire radius? I think if you just pulled the front edge back to match the tire radius and left the back side of the opeing "swept back" it would look killer. Not to much extra effort to get there either. Clear as Mud? [P

 

[Bamamav]

I was wondering if you were going to clip the rear of the front fender to match the cab height, or put on a set of running boards?

 

[Flipper_1938]

I was wondering if you were going to clip the rear of the front fender to match the cab height, or put on a set of running boards?

running boards if I don't go flatbed. ...right now the plan is a pickup bed.

 

[Flipper_1938]

Question: (you know I'm good for a couple) Are you going to tuck the front of the wheel opening on the front fenders a little tighter to the tire radius? I think if you just pulled the front edge back to match the tire radius and left the back side of the opeing "swept back" it would look killer. Not to much extra effort to get there either. Clear as Mud? [P

Yeah, I wanna alter the front fender some...mainly the front lower, outside corner. I want to get rid of the curl under feeling. ...bring the front of the wheel opening out to full width and tighter to the the tire (a little like an Advance Design chevy front fender). and yeah, a swept back rear side has crossed my mind.

 

[soltz]

That ole DDT is looking super. good job[cl

 

[I-R-POPS]

Looking good Mr. Flipper. I'm waiting for you to do your headlight idea so you can tell me if its worth the effort to make the top of the fenders look right.

 

[Flipper_1938]

Looking good Mr. Flipper. I'm waiting for you to do your headlight idea so you can tell me if its worth the effort to make the top of the fenders look right.

I think it will look a whole lot like this. ...and studying the shape of the front fenders on this beauty, I may not need to "fix" the lower corners as much as I was planning. These fenders appear to curve under like the Fargo fenders. I do need to make my wheel openings smaller like the Zephyr/ half ton

 

[I-R-POPS]

That Zephyr is such a cool piece.
I really hope you don't mind if I use your idea on the head lights.
That would cure the only thing I don't like about this body style.
Even a round head light moved down looks good.

 

[jfg455]

Looking good Mr. Flipper. I'm waiting for you to do your headlight idea so you can tell me if its worth the effort to make the top of the fenders look right.

There was just an article in the tech section of last months Street Rodder mag about dropping the lights into the fenders. They used the stock buckets and dropped them 1/2 way into the fenders instead of flush mounting them. Not sure which way you were thinking.

 

[Flipper_1938]

Looks like there might be decent weather for the upcoming long weekend. I think I may play with the truck.

Up to now, the body is in the mock-up stage. Nothing is bolted down. The previous owner had hacked out the firewall and floors and went back with "new". I don't like his new stuff. All of this needs to be redone. Then I can do body mounts.

Using the dakota chassis creates the possibility to do something a little different with the floor. The frame height drops down about where my feet/legs will be. Should I use this "free space" to step the floor down for more foot room? ...a hidden compartment to hide the ECM (will that be too hot?)? ...or should I just build a flat floor?

 

[Old Iron]

If you bolt the ecm to the compartment floor wall etc. it will act as a heat sink and will be fine.
Can't hurt to have more foot and leg room.

 

[Flipper_1938]

The previous owner had hacked out the stock floors and then put flat sheet in (kinda). No firewall and a big wide empty spot down the middle...and no reinforcement underneath.


IMG_6817 by Flipper_1938, on Flickr

it is also wavy as hell

IMG_6818 by Flipper_1938, on Flickr


IMG_6819 by Flipper_1938, on Flickr

Some gone

IMG_6821 by Flipper_1938, on Flickr

my mock-up body shims exposed

IMG_6822 by Flipper_1938, on Flickr

how I got the body to float

IMG_6824 by Flipper_1938, on Flickr

floors all gone and trans crossmember moved back

IMG_6828 by Flipper_1938, on Flickr

 

[Flipper_1938]

Now to start taking advantage of the dip in the frame....more foot room!

No turning back now

IMG_6831 by Flipper_1938, on Flickr

the fun part was figuring out how to put my tube structure in the A-pillar

IMG_6832 by Flipper_1938, on Flickr


IMG_6833 by Flipper_1938, on Flickr

2nd one was way easier

IMG_6839 by Flipper_1938, on Flickr

I was at a good stopping point. The body holds its own self up again


IMG_6838 by Flipper_1938, on Flickr

More later

 

[maverickmk]

Very nice. Looking good.

 

[soltz]

Great work. I love the Tarzan body lift. [cl

 

[smallfoot]

Nice work! That's a great lookin truck...

 

[Flipper_1938]

Great work. I love the Tarzan body lift. [cl

That is my new front porch swing!

 

[jfg455]

^^^^are you sure you have enough head room in that shop??^^^^Lol
\

 

[Flipper_1938]

^^^^are you sure you have enough head room in that shop??^^^^Lol
\

Dad patterned it after a hay barn he saw near Tunica, MS. It is 32 feet tall inside!

The big window in the back came out of a 30's-40's Ford dealership in Tunica (that was torn down when the casinos came to town). I think dad paid $10 for the window....and we spent a whole day digging it out of a concrete wall.

 

[52 fordman]

Shop

Truck looks good like how you are doing the cab set up on the frame. Some real good ideas, keep up the good work.

As for the shop I would add a second floor to part of it with shelves for storage. But I know it takes time and $ so keep working on the truck.


52 fordman