possible body swap?

[billy]

OK, lets say if you change bodies, I'd be interested in the cab and bed

fair enough
if i DO go batpoop crazy* and build a 2 cockpit inline speedster body
you get first dibs on the 27 cab and bed





*wouldnt be the first time....

 

[smallfoot]

Sorry, my vote would be to keep the truck. But I'm all truck...I'm a little bigger than you Billy and mine is an A cab but I'm being very careful on every inch of room I can scrape on the inside. So far, mines not far along enough to get a real closed in feeling yet but my pedal room seems to be ok, leaving a little head room too, but it's channeled and chopped and I think I'll be ok with it...time will tell...and if it's bad, I can change it. If you customize your speedster idea into something reasonably comfortable for both you and the Mrs. won't you be getting away from the small and sleek looks of the speedsters?

 

[billy]

Sorry, my vote would be to keep the truck. But I'm all truck...I'm a little bigger than you Billy and mine is an A cab but I'm being very careful on every inch of room I can scrape on the inside. So far, mines not far along enough to get a real closed in feeling yet but my pedal room seems to be ok, leaving a little head room too, but it's channeled and chopped and I think I'll be ok with it...time will tell...and if it's bad, I can change it. If you customize your speedster idea into something reasonably comfortable for both you and the Mrs. won't you be getting away from the small and sleek looks of the speedsters?

I DUNNO
this whole thing is so much in the air
i been kicking ideas around for a couple years trying to think of something so my wife can be comfy
see the trouble is
she loves this truck and says it makes her feel cool riding in it
but she cant even get behind the wheel
and after about 10 or 20 miles she is done.
and after about 50 i gotta get out myself.
what i do have is a long skinny frame and drivetrain that work great
the engine isnt 2000 miles old
brakes are excellent
steering is good.
i am starting to think that i am going to make a two cockpit body frame out of wood in my garage and that way i can actually see what will and wont work as far as looks.
think 1920's indy car
some of those were huge for what they were

 

[billy]

i could give it a shiny aluminum skin.
no doors
you would climb in
two dinky lil wind screens
it would be kinda like making a boat except dont have to worry about leaks

 

[smallfoot]

look around for an old drop tank off an old plane, sometimes pontoons come available too...boats or planes.

 

[earthman]

I my experience if you do away with the truck you will regret it forever. I vote for keeping the truck and collecting parts (always fun) for a speedster. (i love speedsters) You really don't want a V8 engine in a speedster anyway. I love the inline seat idea like a bi-plane. [cl If i get to build one i am thinking pop rivets and panel adhesive for the body

 

[Dirtyrat]

I say you shorten the bed to a bobber length, move the cab back, and extend the cowl area.

 

[billy]

update
my bride just got home from work and we put it to a vote.
she says that it is my car but dont sell it.
but she loves the double seater idea and the body swapping idea.
right now it is 90f here
but the winters are brutal.
i cannot for the life of me figure out that combination of words to put in a google search for a double seater speedster 1920's type indy car so i can look at pictures.

 

[Yankee Transplant]

hey billy this will give you some leg room and a trunk for your picnic basket

 

[billy]

View attachment 110997



hey billy this will give you some leg room and a trunk for your picnic basket

this is what my bride has to say about your idea
QUOTE
that is %$#@!*& brilliant
give that guy a cigar. UNQUOTE
and i agree
thatsa whata i wanna do!
it looks very cool

 

[I-R-POPS]

I think brilliant is a little excessive. Just kidding.
That is a doable option then you can build a speedster when you can.

How's the tornado season working out for you up there.
Any been close? That double tornado was kool looking from afar.
Keep your head down.

 

[Yankee Transplant]

Hey billy the thing about this is you can take your bed off and do all the fab and lining up without cutting anything from your truck , untill its perfect ,, then get the saw out and its no return then ,, need to get some one to photo shop it for ya,,, I was just playing with the picture on my paint app. Its not very good but you got the idea . plus all your hard work on the truck is still there

 

[billy]

Hey billy the thing about this is you can take your bed off and do all the fab and lining up without cutting anything from your truck , untill its perfect ,, then get the saw out and its no return then ,, need to get some one to photo shop it for ya,,, I was just playing with the picture on my paint app. Its not very good but you got the idea . plus all your hard work on the truck is still there

yep
take the bed off and mock up a cardboard cab extension etc.
then when it looks right measure measure and measure once again for ... well..i guess it would be for good measure.
then turn into the mad butcher of north platte[ddd

 

[Sam_Fear]

A decent looking turtle deck is not a easy build. This is the best I can come up with - extend the body about 6" through the doors and shorten the bed a equal amount. Otherwise the proportions get thrown off. Next best thing, build a new one and sell this one.

 

[I-R-POPS]

yep
take the bed off and mock up a cardboard cab extension etc.
then when it looks right measure measure and measure once again for ... well..i guess it would be for good measure.
then turn into the mad butcher of north platte[ddd

You want me to go ahead and start cutting on it for you?

 

[billy]

Speedway has a turtle deck fur $450

 

[smallfoot]

Ya gotta delve into old biplane pix to get the inline two seater shots much. Any kind of two seater search brings a bunch of side by sides in auto pix...
This is a cool looking cockpit to me:

 

[animal]

A decent looking turtle deck is not a easy build. This is the best I can come up with - extend the body about 6" through the doors and shorten the bed a equal amount. Otherwise the proportions get thrown off. Next best thing, build a new one and sell this one.

That's what I was talking about in my first post....but with a cab extension, the turtle-deck idea would still work, too.

 

[billy]

while i like that turtle thing
it is beyond my skill
and the only way i will be able to stretch the cab is by cutting here.



to replicate that raised line i will use some kind of trim that matches it in shape
i dont care what it is made of
plastic/rubber/wood anything that will match will work for me.
forward of the red line the cab narrows
but behind it is runs straight back and the roof has a simple bend to it.

stretching the doors themselves would be cool but finding material that is the same shape would be impossible
not to mention all the wierdo curves in the lower half of the doors

 

[mikec4193]

i will sacrifice some comfort for style but if my wife cannot ride and be comfy
whats the point?
i might as well have a single seat hard tail chopper.

Hey Billy

I love this quote for sure....makes way too much sense really...I am trying as we speak to unload a 1947 Willys Jeep....other than it wont run over 45 mph but my darling life wife wont drive it...so if she wont drive it why have it???

Good luck with your plans...how do you like Nebraska countryside so far??

MikeC