Kechi 1949 3100 4.3 4L60e

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its not my favorite thing to do any more. I spent a lot of time at shows when I was younger but now the people are different, there is a lot of "what I woulda done" and "what you shoulda done" thrown around. most of these guys have never held a grinder, and their last project has been sitting disassembled for decades because taking something completely apart is light years easier than putting it back together. dont get me wrong, nothing wrong with working at your own pace, but maybe keep your nose out of my backyard if you cant rake yours. others bring the late model stuff like dodge demons/hellcats and camaro zl1s that I could see at the dealerships.

I try to go to automobilia, which is a nice show in downtown with a great cruise afterwards, and the run-what-you-brung attitude is great. I like KKOA salina too, although its been years since I have gone and I see its already past this year. and last run in ark city is another great one. starbirds show is run by devlins now, and I havent really been in a couple years, no reason I guess except ticket prices, and I dont really enjoy the sameness of the magnificent 7 cars (used to be joker cars) any more.


I stopped going to most car shows years ago for the same reasons you cite. I only go to one show, Turkey Run in Daytona. At the local shows, you always get some expert who has to tell you what he would have done differently.

Years ago, a guy was telling me what he would have done differently on my car, and it hit a nerve. So, I said to him " Where is YOUR car so we can go over and critique your workmanship ?" He sheepishly said "Well, I don't have one right now."

Everybody is an expert !
 
Non-builders who say "I woulda done it this way" will gain a whole new level of respect when they build. Hats off to all you guys who share your projects here. [cl
I'll be sure to include a "suggestion book" with my car in future shows. :D [ddd


Suggestion 1: Get it to a show this summer. :D
 
Years ago, a guy was telling me what he would have done differently on my car, and it hit a nerve. So, I said to him " Where is YOUR car so we can go over and critique your workmanship ?" He sheepishly said "Well, I don't have one right now."

Classic! [cl
 
[cl[cl[cl nice way to get your point across.


I worked all day but it sure doesnt look like it. welded up and braced the column/pedal bracket, got the firewall modified, the column hole is always too high, I have to lower it because of the different angle of the column, got the steering shaft cut to length and the booties installed and buttoned it up.

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you could STAND on the rim of the steering wheel, thats how solid this dash support is. I have been in some trucks that the column is a real flexible flyer, or the firewall bulges when you step on the brake, but I like em a little more stiff.

here is the steering shaft, I used the collapsible one to make the install easy, I could have used a straight 3/4 DD shaft but it would have been more work to get the correct length. steering lined up nice and straight, the only mod needed was one exhaust stud that MAY have been close, I knocked it down with a grinder.

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thats not a kink in the brake line by the way, just an awkward picture

I put two bends in the gas pedal too and put that in. it was too close to the firewall to get a full stroke, I cut 80% of the way through, bent and welded twice (like adding an S curve) and it fits perfect and gets full stroke on the throttle blade.

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you can see I am almost done with the trans tunnel, the cab has a big jagged hole from somewhere in history so a little more patch work and it will be sorted.


tomorrow I will pop the front end back on and bolt it down for the last time, maybe get the ac and rad in for the last times too.
 

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Great progress.[cl :D :cool:
These are the things that most ( i would have done it this way) people at shows never even consider.
[P [P [P
Torchie
 
I would have a LOT more done, but the joedoh rule is snapping on me.

first, I got the dash all sanded and ready for paint. two trucks ago I painted the dash before putting in the dash wiring, and had to deal with being careful on the paint, needing a few touch ups. last truck I painted after doing the dash wiring, and it was a paint to mask everything off.

I decided the former was better than the latter, since these are just daily drivers after all. I sanded the rest of the crud off the dash with some 150 grit, thinner wiped it, tack cloth it, let it dry dry dry dry. one dry coat, one wet coat and it solvent cracked. I was using 10 min flash time because of the heat and humidity but that was still too much.

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so I waited a couple days for it to dry so I could sand it off. while I was waiting I tried bleeding the brakes, one front bleeder was plugged up, easy to fix with a 1/16 drill bit, but the other broke off in the caliper. tried to bleed the back brakes and that bleeder broke too. I wasnt monkeying on them, just normal torque. I think someone tightened the crud out of them like it was a strongman contest.


today I sanded all the old (new) paint off and shot it again. humidity and temps were a lot better, and I got a better result.

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color is oxblood, looks really red in the flash but its more burgundy. it matches the seat and carpet I got.

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so maybe TOMORROW I can weld a nut to the broken bleeders and get them backed out, then get the front end on and the wiring slung through the cab and front end.


edit: last coat, no flash.

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haha thanks everyone.


the pink. man nothing oversprays like this burgundy color. the tranny hump, even the motor has a fine pink mist on it.
 
Overspray! Years ago, I painted my cousin's F600 gravel truck, fire truck red and white. I painted the grille, bumper and mirrors white first and laid those items aside. Next day, I didn't think to cover the white pieces and lit straight into spraying the red. The red looked like a million bucks, flat and smooth, probably the best paint job I ever sprayed, wasted on a dump truck.... anyhow, the white parts looked white for the most part, but had that tint of pink in certain light. :p

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