The 24 Hours of Lemons Forums → Lemons Newcomers → So, we went the way of the devil and got an e30, but also 49 dodge pu
Found a radiator lying around the shop from a 47 plymouth that is in much better shape, I am going to flush it, and re-solder the mounting bracket on, and run that. My boss says that he will give it to me as long as he can keep the old one for scrap/repair.
Realized that the exhaust was cut just after the header on the dodge, so I am debating whether to run a normal exhaust, a sidepipe, or a stack........
If you run it out the side run it to the pass side and use a decent muffler, loud gets old quick. Make sure you post this thing on moparts.com You might find people that will help or donate parts.
Update on dodge, cleaned up the plymouth radiiator and going to re-solder the mounting bracket on it, installed the MOON guages, stole the voltage regulator off of the dart to put on the truck alongside the alternator, so now the battery is charging. Ordered 100$ of crap from rock auto, cap, oil filter, air filter, v belt, battery disconnects, some random switches, a water pump. Also took another look around the yard and realized that I probably should convert the pedals to a more normal style than big ass holes through the firewall, so on to stealing parts of a 3rd gen camaro, hopefully including the power brake cylinder. May also steal the parking brake system and install that instead of the frozen cable. Last thing, I was underneath the truck and discovered somebody at some point decided that the right front leaf spring could safely be held in place with baling wire. nope, no bolts, just baling wire.
Last thing, I was underneath the truck and discovered somebody at some point decided that the right front leaf spring could safely be held in place with baling wire. nope, no bolts, just baling wire.
That's silly. They could just booger weld a pile of Sched40 pipe cuts & have an adjustable spring eye.
That's silly. They could just booger weld a pile of Sched40 pipe cuts & have an adjustable spring eye.
There is a part of me that for some reason thinks this is a good idea........
Does the spring hanger unblot or is it welded to the frame?
Just looked at the left side, it is held on with a single piece of 3/16 inch steel, and only on one side of the shackle with a couple bolts going through it......definitely looks like it would bend in half if actually drive on, so I am planning on getting some 1/4 inch steel and drilling holes in them to make new spring perches.
Yeah, with steering suspension and brakes, always good to overbuild a bit. Thought about putting a Volare stub under that thing?
Not sure what exactly will happen with front suspension, current step is to get it on the road and see what kind of shape the drive-line is in. Fix the leaf springs ofcourse, I did put some brake fluid in the system and I did get some pressure, but the entire brake system is temporary anyways so.....just enough to drive it around for a couple days. pulled the radiator out, installed a voltage regulator and wired up the gauges and changed the oil. Also found out that the plymouth radiator is much smaller than the dodge radiator, so we are going to attempt to repair the old radiator.
Kevin
Well keep at it! I love it more and more...
Well, we have now been accepted into the race in Utah! going to have to email Nick back for an extension, because I am broke as shit right now and still have a ways to go on the truck too! Ahwell, guess I will just keep at it. Just a tad over 2 months away and the truck has barely driven 20ft, and effectivly has no brakes.
Well, we have now been accepted into the race in Utah! going to have to email Nick back for an extension, because I am broke as shit right now and still have a ways to go on the truck too! Ahwell, guess I will just keep at it. Just a tad over 2 months away and the truck has barely driven 20ft, and effectivly has no brakes.
Keep at it, I was wrenching on the Rambler for 7 months before it was "Race Ready"
Progress still being made, drove the truck off of the dirft and onto the pavement in front of the shop (interesting on 3 flat tires and no power steering) pulled the wheels off of it, found that brake fluid is gushing out the right rear drum, and that this truck has been in a MAJOR front end accident, the front axle is bent backwards about 2 full inches, which explains why both of the front leaf spring hangers are missing on the rear, the right side is baling wire, the left side is a piece of steel and 2 bolts that are both loose, and no bushing. Last problem with it is the left kingpin has about 4-5 degreees of slop in it. The plan right now is to mount the new brake cylinder (stolen off of a 3rd gen camaro headed to the junkyard) Probably going to also steal the cable operated throttle off of it as well rather than the linkage assembly with no pedal on it. Re-locate the speedo cable so it isn't going through the floorboard, Pull the rear axle.....and that is a good list for today.
Well, pulled the old gas tank and emptied out the bed of the truck yesterday, will post up pictures later tonight of all the crap I found in the truck. Also realized that the floor is rusty enough that we need to weld up a new floorpan of some kind. Installed the cutoff switch, cuts off power to the ignition coil as well as all accessories. Will test it sometime this week. Going to bring the new axle to the shop tomorrow and see how much work we are going to need to do to make it work in here, especially driveshaft wise. Just a quick clarification, on our truck what counts as a firewall and what counts as floorboard? The engine is just under your right foot if you are sitting in the drivers seat, in fact the starter is a foot pedal that goes through the floor and physically engages the starter motor. Also, When I am putting a rollcage into this truck, do I need to weld to the frame of the beast? Because there is nothing else to weld to, especially in the rear. I know we are oddballs running a non-unibody here......
For advice about how best to cage this thing, email Lemons Chief Tech Guy John Pagel and talk to him. He will be helpful. Everybody involved with Lemons will want to see this truck race, so you'll get all the help you need to make it pass tech.
email sent. as promised here are some pore pictures of the truck, some with the bmw in the background, one of the bmw by itself. Believe it or not I am going to register and insure this thing and drive it on the road once in a while for shits and giggles. Votes on which picture to send to Hagerty is appreciated.
That thing is a bucket full of awesome!
The IH Scout that was at Sears Point bolted up a Ford Aerostar mini van front suspension/steering/brakes to their truck. You may want to take a look at that. It may be easier than piecing together Mustang II pieces.
Lexus SC400 front subrames are quite narrow, they have big brakes, and they're common in junkyards. Narrow enough to fit a 1941 Plymouth sedan, which probably has a frame very similar to a '49 Dodge pickup's.
Dodge truck now has no suspension under it, and no throttle linkage, and no brake pedal, and floorpan is cut out where it was rusted to pieces. Looking at a jaguar front end tonight
Jaguar front clip was badly bent, so no go there.
why can't you just fit what you have? Grind weld cut, weld some more, drill. The thing isn't going to be fast in the turns anyway.
Because the front axle is so bent that this thing will eat tires...the the thing has way to much positive camber. The bent axle also means that the leaf springs if we bolted them back up would be under a fairly high torsional load which will theoretically make them bind. That and drum brakes and a destroyed kingpin. The rear axle has a ton of wear in it, the spider gears are toast, you spin one hub and you can feel the play in the spider gears, and I am relativly sure that they would be dead in less than a 100 miles. I dont expect it to handle well, but I can't afford going through tires every couple hours, and for the price of rebuilding what I have, I can put some sort of ifs with discs up front.
The 24 Hours of Lemons Forums → Lemons Newcomers → So, we went the way of the devil and got an e30, but also 49 dodge pu