1949 Chevrolet Pickup Project

[Nailhead]

1949 Chev 5 Window Diesel Project

......I've been lost but now I'm back ( 6 months ! )... . Sometimes everyday life gets in the way of playing with the toys !! anyways as of Nov 5 I pushed my 49 5 window chev back in the shop and working on it everyday. Some pics of it from way back over the years when I started ( 7 years now, geesh ! ) . The real bad pics I left out. Basically a bunch of old farm trucks that I stripped and am restoring the parts and slapping together. I'm kinda old school so nothing high tech here. I do all my own work including grinding the valves rebuilding the motor. Painting small stuff I do but the finall stuff I explain below. 1950 3/4 ton frame clipped with 80 Olds cutlas. The original style 1/2ton frame I started with I just didn't feel was strong enough so changed to the much heavier 3/4 ton frame which is same as a one ton. I'm out for economy so am using a 81 Olds DX block 5.7 diesel ( don't laugh too hard ) I have lots of parts for them and actually drive one in a 81 GMC all the time. Tranny is a dual pattern 200 R4 ( .67 od )so I can bolt any GM V8 to it later if I want to. Diff is 81 Grand Prix, 2.29 ratio, wow, didn't plan that one but it was in the car that I had and the width is right for the truck so that is what I used. Not sure how it will pull as according to my calculator in 4th at 100kph it will be revving only 1300 rpm. If I shift the lightning rods into 3rd then it revs up to 1800 rpm. Top end will be beyond anything I will ever attempt. At 3000 rpm it will be going 172 miles per hour and she ain't revved out yet, scarey. But I should make fantastic fuel mileage which is what I want. I shaved the door handles and they open with a remote control. I made up my own power window setup too. To do this I cut the outside skin off a doner door to see what it looks like in there. I took the rear door mechs out of a 76 Grand Marquis and adapted them to the original chev regulators. No plastic junk here, it is all steel. I just got them installed the oher day and they work fantastic. They are very quiet and fast, I really am pleased how they turned out. Tilt is 81 Grand Prix. I'm using 56 chrysler guages and speedo, Hurst Lightning Rods , will have underdash a/c, buckets I just stuck in yesterday from 2008 chev truck. I originally made fit buckets from a 84 chev van but they are tall and I don't like them sticking out above the back windows. So I found cheep a set of cloth 2008's in mint shape with 6 way power and lumbar , pulled off the headrests and they are very nice to sit in. Body stock otherwise. I only have the cab and doors painted so far. The color doesn't show well in the pics but it is more purple than grey. Light
Amethyst metallic pearl, Imron can only mix it that I found, not cheap stuff !! Painted the frame with POR15 , man what nice stuff that is. Insulating everything inside including inside of doors. Got the inside mostly wired up now but still have to make a console and modify the Ford pw switches to fit a chev bezel, takes alot of time making things. I did all the body work but left the final blocking to a pro friend of mine as I'm not that good at finishing it straight and the cost of material today is retarded so don't want to screw up. Anyways hope to get it running before the snow melts. Just a old school hotrodder building himself a daily driver from basically junk.

........I don't like this site for posting pics as it keeps logging me off, must be a timer or something, just blew 1/2 hour and got nothing on, so will try do it in stages and see what happens.

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[Nailhead]

 

[stovbolt]

wow your doing some neet stuff there keep us posted beutiful job!!

just a question how are the laws there as far as grafting the frame ?

 

[Rusty Olds]

Great going there, more pics please.

 

[John in Oz]

Looks good, neat to see you saving a neat old truck like that, one of my favourite models to.

 

[Jellybean]

Nice, keep it up

 

[CDNflatlander]

Cool post thanks for the pictures and update (push )
Greg

 

[351CFalcon]

thanks for posting the updates...looks good.

Nothing wrong with installing a diesel.

 

[bullet]

Oh that does look good .... going to be a fun driver Im sure.

 

[PG409]

WOW..................great photo essay,Nailhead.

THANKS for taking the time to post up the photos.......

 

[Nailhead]

wow your doing some neet stuff there keep us posted beutiful job!!

just a question how are the laws there as far as grafting the frame ?

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......you know we are lucky here in Saskatchewan cause the laws are not against us . As long as the vehicle was registered in the province before , you got proof of ownership then you can plate the thing without inspection. I can take a bumper off my old 58 in the bush and go to the gov't plate issuer ( SGI ) and licence it no questions asked. My 38 Ford coupe hotrod is running on a modded 49 plymouth frame about 25 years now, no problems with plating it ever. Last year I sold a not running 60 chev wagon to a guy in BC that needed total restoration. He requiered previuos registration otherwise he could not get it licenced there. I only had a bill of sale when it bought it many years ago and no old plates or registration info. I went to SGI, showed them my bill of sale and bought a plate for a month and sold the car that way. Now if the vehicle was pulled over on the roadside inspections that they do here sometime and see the modded frame they may tell you to have it inspected. How sticky are the rules for welding done etc I do not know.

 

[Nailhead]

.....Thanks guys. Here's a shot of it 2 years ago when I sorta had the body hanging on by a couple of bolts as I was fitting everything. With the olds front clip I had to make all new mounting for sheetmetal . But it gives an idea of what it will look like finished. Notice my wheels " look right " in the front fenders and not funny sticking out like some guys build with mustang2 or newer chev truck bolt on's . 14x7 cragar's in front and lots of room. All the weight is not on in the pics so it should sit a little lower after. The tranny was a newly rebuilt I got out of a 84 burnt olds. Just painted it with POR15 metal mask and it looks like new. I really like the por15 paint, use a brush, sticks like crazy and paint over rusty metal too.

 

[Oldman]

The "Advanced Design" is far and away my favourite truck! And you're doing a great job of it, as well. I'm envious!!!!
Mike

 

[Stan]

...Interesting project you got going there. Should be a nice cruiser come spring. Keep us updated.
Stan. ......

 

[Kevinsrodshop]

I like that shop. Good looking project too.

 

[Nailhead]

I like that shop. Good looking project too.

.....Thankyou very much. As you probably know, shops are never big enough. I collected alot of memorbilia over the years and proudly display it and enjoy it every day. Here are more pics of the inside to see for those who like this stuff.

 

[John in Oz]

What is with the 58 Chevy Rag Top, looks interesting.

 

[Nailhead]

....Here's a neat tool I bought a couple of years ago purposely for building this 49. It is made by Long Acre Racing and is used by the Race guys for doing quick wheel alignments on the track. You can set castor and camber on any surface so the floor doesn't have to be level etc. The digital level zero's out to what base you are using and then measures accordingly. Neat trick it does that it can be flipped over 180degress and the numbers still show the same not upside down. Not only the wheel alignment was my desire to use it for , but also setting the drive line angle. There should be no more than 3 degrees difference in the tranny output shaft and the pinion but no less than 1/2 degree to have the bearings roll properly and U-joint longivety and smoothness. Since it is a diesel I was not really worried about motor angle but the " gas engine norm " of 3 degrees looked right for clearances for me so that is what I set the motor tranny at. I didn't have the diff perches welded yet but all was sitting snug in it's place. I also used a come-along and winched down the suspension an inch to give the load it would have approximately with the box on. Driveshaft in place I then rotated the diff untill I had 1.9 dgrees difference in the drive angle which is about mid way of the tollerance as it bounces up and down on the road. I then tacked the perches , removed the diff and painted it as shown above pics. The 3 arm holder is fully adjustable to fit the wheel and adjust the castor camber accordingly. The level just slides out and can used anywhere like shown. Pics under the truck don't show well but it gives a idea what I was doing. It is a very neat tool this digital level and can used in many places building whatever.

 

[Nailhead]

What is with the 58 Chevy Rag Top, looks interesting.

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.........that is my lawn ornament. It was a 58 Impala hardtop that was rolled and rusted out badly. I cut off the roof, put on a sedan windshield frame, fixed the body and painted it. It looks real from far. I have a real one that I fully customized years ago. Guys all around know me for 58's as I have had about 30 of them in my life, still got about 20 in my graveyard. I learned to drive in a 58 chev and today is my only car if I want to go someplace anyplace.

 

[the old trucker]

Keep an eye out for The Canadian Pickers if they see those signs & the shop inside.....