edwinsmith

It's not a fun 3 person job either.

oliver foster

Ordered up some longer than stock Pro Comp ES3000 for the front end of the project, as the slight lift, but more the axle relocation requires a longer range of motion.

thrashingcows

Yup I can confirm that it sucks doing it by yourself just out in the driveway...

oliver foster

I got one of the front shocks on, before work pulled me away. Currently the project is on jack stands on the front axle, waiting for me to have a moment to tackle the drivers side shock.

Instead I am working on a 12V crew cab swap project for a younger guy....and prepping up an 8 inch frame for an older guy doing a Resto on his '93 W-250 reg cab SRW.

oliver foster

Well I haven't had time to do a lot, but I have some time here and there to keep working on it.

I got the passenger side fender trimmed up to where I am happy with it. I saved the off cut incase anyone ever wants to return it to stock. I used a super thin 4 1/2 cut off wheel in my cordless grinder to do the deed with.

The holiday weekend was a bit cold and damp, so I got the wood stove going and worked it the shop a bit yesterday. We had a frost three nights running.
My neighbor stopped by to borrow some tools and have a beer yesterday, so while I had the extra hands, we tackled the lower door hinge. We pulled the door off, pulled the lower hinge apart and install new brass bushings and a pin in it. We then re-installed the door and messed with the adjustments till it was just right. Nice to have the door open and close smoothly again.

I am hoping to have the time to do the fender massaging on the drivers side this week. The left to do list is starting to get pretty thin looking.

oliver foster

Well summer past by , as usual, without me having much time to work on major Dodge projects.

I did get some of the dash and dash wiring cleaned up, along with the custom bent and welded up shifter handle painted and installed. I have also driven it a few times around the shop.

I tried to order up some 37 inch tires yesterday and found out that most places that list the tires as available, actually have them on a year long Covid back order.
Pretty slim pickings in the E-rated 37 inch tire category.
I will have to do some more research to see what options I can actually get. I was looking at the Toyo 37x12.5R18 in an all terrain tread pattern.

On a side note: My daughter is eying out a build to start this winter. She wants us to fix up my old '69 Plymouth Barracuda Fastback with a small block, 4 speed power train and a 8 3/4 rear end. I stopped driving it the year she was born, but it has always been stored indoors. We rolled it out of the shop to wash off the 18+ years of shop dust off it last week. It pushed / rolled easily, but the brakes are non existent now.
Should make for some fun projects for us to spend time together working on over the long cold winter, when the sun goes down at 4 PM....Once I get my pre winter to do list done...

1STGENFARMBOY

That sounds like some good fun Oliver, she will have fond memories of it for the rest of her life.




on a side note, my truck has been in the barn all summer, long enough to have three 8 inch long mud dauber tubes on the outside of the front fender just above the wheel.

oliver foster

Still time to get it out and blow the dust and the mud off it!

bigredbrick

Pictures, must have pictures! Is it a 340 Barracuda? Formula S? Cuda 340 with the little fake hood scoops and black hood stripes and black rockers?

KRB

Sounds like the 'Cuda takes precedent. She (Charlotte, not the car) won't be home forever, the truck project can wait! Besides, the next best thing to wrenching on an old Dodge W series is an old Mopar muscle car!

oliver foster

Charlotte and I spent a few hours today in the shop getting the projects ready for the winter. We got the '69 'Cuda out to where we can work on it and out of the back of the shop where has lived for YEARS. The 360 I pulled from my '85 white crew cab for the cummins swap, years ago, will be the donor motor for the Cuda.
The Cuda [which is actually just a Barracuda ] is not a super rare model. It is not a 340 car, it doesn't have the swanky Mod Top interior, the Formula S package or a big block under the hood. It was a alpine white with red interior 318 4 speed with an 8 3/4 rear from the factory. I can see at least 3 different colored paint jobs on it now, the last being yellow.

I drove the truck outside to cut the drivers front fender edge to match the cut I did on the passenger fender in the spring. The truck ran great and I let it run for 20 minutes to test for any leaks, ETC. I had plugged in the dash gauges, over the summer so I got to see that all the gauges worked and it was charging, holding good oil PSI and after 20 minutes of idling, it was starting to show some heat on the temp gauge.

KRB

Think it will be a driver by spring?
Much rust on it?

oliver foster

There is some rust on it, but nothing major as far as getting it on the road and inspected in VT. A spot of rust on the front fenders and some poorly installed metal patch over the rear quarters but the main body is pretty solid. If you wanted it show quality, then yeah there is some rust to deal with. Driver style ride, like I am thinking to get her on the road, will not need much body work.

It COULD certainly be a driver next summer. We will see how much time she has with college starting in January to spend in the shop with dad..

oliver foster

I spent last night getting Project Covid ready so I can get it on the lift. I blocked off most of next week to work on the truck, with the plan of getting it on the road for the summer.
My friend is coming out for a visit to help me punch out the last few items on the to do list.
The biggest thing left to do is go through the front end. I have wheel bearings, king pins, seals, ORD tie rods and Spicer U joints on the shelf incase any or all is needed.

I ordered up a set of Toyo Open Country A/T 37 x 12.5 R18 a month ago....they are supposed to be in by the end of May. It was hard to find a 37 tire that was not back ordered and/or really expensive.
When they show up I will see if I need to modify the front suspension more for them to fit.

oliver foster

Sitting on hold with Bond auto parts, trying to get some brake parts to button up both the axles, right now. It has been a good couple of full days in the shop.
I got all the lights and wires run / installed last night so they shine or blink when they are supposed to.
I will update the thread with more details at the end of the week.