TAC Spotlight => Projects & Restorations => Topic started by: FormTA on November 14, 2022, 11:37:46 AM
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So..... I have another non Trans Am project....
This is a mismatch of parts that I am going to build a 49 F1 Ford Pick Up. Someone gave me the 51 cab and hood and I found the 49 front clip on marketplace for $300. The S10 I bought 5 years ago with intent to do this swap. The truck runs great and everything works and it is hard to find a 4x4 standard cab. But, thw frame is totally garbage, unsavailable... I found a ZR2 Frame for $100 that is in great shape so I have that... Anyway, here is what we got done this weekend.
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Front clip and doors off in no time. Got my son involved as I knew this part would be fun. He really enjoyed it.
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Look at the rust pouring out of it.
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Looks great my friend! Great getting the kids involved. :cool:
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Wow, talk about an ambitious project.
A great father & son project. I like the classic look of the 49-51 Ford F1, this will be fun to watch!
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Thanks guys. Cut the firewall and floor out of the F1 and maneuver it onto the S10. Right now I'm using the rusted running gear to align the firewall and floor to the F1 cab.
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So, that right there was a lot of work. Now I have to wiggle things around and figure out where the original S10 firewall will sit in the F1 cab that puts the steering wheel and brake booster where they need to be and where the cab needs to be to put the front wheels centered in the opening. It is close in the last picture.
Again, hope posting this project doesn't offend folks as this is supposed to be Trans Am Country.
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Luke, you are not wasting anytime. Looks good!
I can't imagine anyone being offended. This is still automotive related, it's an interesting build. There are certainly a lot of other posts that are not about Firebirds or Trans Am's. I think an active build is good for TAC.
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Thanks, things will look like they slow down as I work on making the firewall fit the cab and rebuild the other frame and then swap the engine and trans over into the other frame. Ya, this would have been much simpler had this chassis not turned out to be garbage....
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Cool build, will follow along.
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Wow, you guys don't waste any time! I'm already impressed!!!
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Ya, well that was the easy part. Now I have to figure put how to blend the firewalls.
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Nice project. Keep cranking on it.
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Spent last night fighting with the S10 firewall. Finally got it where I think it needs to be and where it will live. I made some brackets and tack welded it in. I did this all wrong. I should have made a jig to hold the S10 firewall in place when I removed the cab from it. I guess I didn't think about it as the plan was to leave the floor in too so it would all be one piece and not move. Well the floor and the floor mounts were so rusted I cut them out. That left the firewall hanging by the steering column and brake booster. I guess it wasn't really in the right spot anyway as the floor dropped like 3 or more inches because the body mount area was gone.
The plan now is to remove the cab and graft the two together better and make all of the dash modifications to accept the S10 controls like headlight switches, gauges, 4x4 switch and maybe the passenger side airbag. Still up in the air on this one. It wouldn't be difficult, I would like to have it in there but I think it will look bad. I mean the steering wheel and gauges are already something I have to live with and I think bee ok but the passenger airbag will be like a sore thumb I think. I thought about dying it red to match the dash and maybe it would blend in.
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Really cool project man! Keep the updates coming.
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Thanks Ryan! Today I drug the ZR2 chassis up to the shop and pushed it inside. Hopefully I can start tearing it down and get the front half ready for paint. I'm not totally sure on the length but I know I need to shorten it about 12" so I won't be doing much work on the back half right away. Once I get the frame ready I can start to swap the engine, trans and Tcase over to it. Then line the cab up to mock up body mounts. Not much to see here but pictures anyway.
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Took forever, but I got the torsion bars out so I can tear apart the front suspension. I forgot how much I hate torsion bars.
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The truck in the background.
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Nothing like a father and son project, I'm glad to see a young guy interested.
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So tear down continues. Pulled the upper and lower A arm, spindle, half shaft and sway bar off. Had my son media blast the spindle bearing carrier thingy. While I was messing with the steering I noticed a bit of slop in the steering box. I removed the slop by loosening the large nut and turning the Allen screw a 1/8 of a turn at a time until all slop was gone. I'm going to have to see if that will help my loose steering in the TA now.
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One side down, one to go. The plan is to blast everything and then epoxy primer and then rattle can black. Then reassemble with new components.
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I hate rust... But the teardown and spindle looks great Luke! So cool your son is helping you. We need more younger folks in this hobby.
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Man, you guys are killin it. So nice to have them extra set of hands, ain't it?
"When the walls, keep tumblin down"..(John Mellencamp) :smile:
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We spent yesterday doing the same thing to the other side along with removing all the weird electrical, break, and fuel line clips. There were a bunch of those on this frame. We still have to remove the steering box and all the components along with the front differential. Once all that is off then the wire wheels and sand blaster come out.
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Got the front differential out and the rest of the steering components. I had a little time left to start cleaning the frame. It is really cleaning up nice. I also started removing the body mounts and any other items welded to the frame that I won't use.
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Luke, you sure are doin it right. And that is some kinda frame. Talk about your "Super Duty". When trucks were strong, and long B4 uni-body cheesed out our traveling machines. Great progress.
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That’s dirty hard work, sure looks good cleaned up. I am one of those people that love a clean frame and undercarriage! I agree with TAJoe, that’s a beefy looking frame, much stronger than what they dreamed of when your F1 was initially built.
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Ya, S10s were actually pretty well built trucks. The frames were boxed from the factory and the Zr2 used the full size rear axle. I may have to remove a leaf and run the torsion bars a little loose to help with ride quality. I don't know what the weight difference is between the f1 body and the S10 body. The Zr2 was an extended cab and I will have to shorten the frame about 12" or so, which won't help....
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Wow Luke, you are making quick work of that frame. Looks great, keep up the momentum. :cool:
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Got an hour in the shop so more grinding and wire wheel cleaning.
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More time in the shop today. I got quite a bit of wire wheeling done.
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What a mess on the floor. Hopefully I can flip it over soon and get the other side cleaned up and then media blast the whole thing and spray som epoxy on it
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Went through one new wire wheel. My leg may have a few wires stuck in it though.....
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I finished wire wheeling the top side and pulled the rear-end. I need to find a replacement rear axle as someone pulled the center section from this one. I have a lead on one close to me, if that falls through I'll order gears and a limited slip unit for this one and rebuild it.
I have run out of parts to remove from it.. .
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I then flipped the frame over by myself and my cherry picker.
That was a little sketchy at times.
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Just have to wire wheel the bottom now. I picked up 400lbs of blasting media so once I have the bottom clean of rust I will be blasting the whole thing and epoxy it.
Any suggestions on what, if anything to top coat the epoxy with? I want a satin look. I was thinking maybe rustoleum but that stuff never seems to set up hard enough. I may just put multiple coats of epoxy and call it a day.
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Oh, I picked up and swept the shop. Can you tell? :-x
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Frame looks great, so what do you do in your spare time!
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Ya, I keep busy.... Kids homework, my real job and cooking food for the fam.... oh, and sometimes I sleep...
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Looking great Luke. Sounds like we have similar work ethics haha
Oh and FWIW, what I did with the frame on my 68 was used a product from Rustoleum that is very similar to POR15 but is oil based. It makes sense to me that a paint to prevent rust would be oil based rather than water based like most. What I did was painted the whole frame, then topped it off with a satan black while it was still wet, and it came out just like a factory finish. It was super strong and durable the whole time I had the car. Only drawback is that it takes a long time for the paint to fully cure. I think it was about 3 days before it was fully dry.
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Well, I haven't posted much on this as it is supposed to be winter and we have been on a few snowmobiling trips to the UP (the only place with snow :mad: )
I continued to wire wheel the frame and I bought 12 bags of medium blasting media. I have a pressurized media blaster but this medium media was way coarser than what it usually is and I had nothing but issues with it clogging and it was just a mess.
I spent a day screwing around with that and nice days in January are hard to come buy. I returned what I had left for the fine grit and waited for another good day. I spent the good part of a Saturday and Sunday blasting but I noticed my compressor wasn't keeping up like it used too. The dang thing is 30+ years old and I have rebuilt the head twice already (they use reed valves that snap off after many hours).
Anyway, I bought a new compressor to replace it 10 years ago when I thought it was going to die then. I also got it for $110. I used to work as a buyer for the hardware department of a retail chain here in Ohio. We had this automated clearance system that used to keep reducing the price of a clearance item by 50% every month unti said items were gone. I noticed this V twin 6hp 60 gallon compressor on the list and kept watching it until it got so low I had to go see if it was really there (the store that showed it in inventory was 3 hours away). Sure enough they did and I bought her.
Back to the other day, I thought I could go grab that new compressor from the barn (1/4 mile back on my property) and quickly make an extention cord and hose to backfeed air into my shop (my shop is plumbed with metal air lines). So I grab it with my tractor and strap it down and make my way to the shop. On the way I hit a bump and the compressor fell back onto the loader arm and snapped the big flywheel/pully off. Long story short I found a replacement pully and received it the other day and I have been back at blasting.
It is ridiculous how long it takes to blast a frame even with decent equipment. The two compressors together kept 95 psi and it still is taking forever to get everything blasted.
Here is the aftermath of me dropping the compressor. I did try to weld it just to get me through the day but that sent a pully flying across the shop.... :shock:
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New pully installed...
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I still have a small section on the side of the frame to do and then I have to flip it over and do the top side, which hopefully won't take long but it just keeps raining here.....
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Side note my boss has a brand new really large V twin compressor that puts out 50% more CFM of air that he bought to get our shop by when a screw compressor went out that he said I could have. It has only a few weeks of time on it. When I pick that up I'll have 3 large compressors..... and my current 30+ year old one still runs like a champ but the big blaster just uses so much air. I really don't even need to replace it right now.... Decisions, decisions...
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Since it was raining, I decided to blast and paint the steering knuckles. Not much to see here but one more piece refinished.
Like Rich said years ago, it's like eating an elephant, one bite at a time...
Self etching primer and low gloss engine paint.
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Looks great Luke! Sounds like you have more compressors than you know what to do with haha
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Well, I am finally done blasting the frame. Now time to clean the shop and create a temporary paint booth so I can get this in primer. It's getting cold and snowing now. Hopefully I can get time tomorrow to spray at least one side of it.
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Snow :x
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Frame looks great Luke, that’s a lot of surface area to clean up.
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Ya, you aren't kidding. Took way longer than I expected and 16 bags of blasting media at $12.99 a bag!
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Snow :x
Not much but enough to hinder my blasting session....
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Looks too much like work. $75 and a couple days later I got my subframe back all blasted.
Did that wire wheel jazz in my 20's - not again if I can help it.
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Yup. I thought about sending it out but I'm not sure they would have been as thorough as I. This thing is clean, you can eat off of it.
Again, this is one of my many flaws. I feel no one can do it as good as I and, things have to be perfect. This is why my projects take so many years to complete. I am hoping I can build the frame and suspension and good as new or better but just clean the engine to OK condition and just drop it in and get it running. Then get the body cleaned up primed and installed. Then worry about finish bodywork.
At least this is the plan in my head. My ADHD my prevent the engine installation though....
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I think like that too but there are instances when my time is worth more than the task.
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Hung some plastic to create a temporary paint booth. Wiped the frame down and sprayed it with epoxy. Time to order new suspension parts and clean up any usable stuff I have here.
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After I get the front and rear suspension rebuild/replaced I still have to cut the frame in half and shorten it.... I probably won't do that until the cab and front sheet metal are installed and I'm happy with the front wheel location. I will then need to get a bed and find out exactly where I want the wheels.
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"After I get the front and rear suspension rebuild/replaced I still have to cut the frame in half and shorten it.... I probably won't do that until the cab and front sheet metal are installed and I'm happy with the front wheel location. I will then need to get a bed and find out exactly where I want the wheels."
l can't even imagine me trying to do something like that. You have my respect!
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Great work Luke!! Frame looks brand new. I was thinking to myself, why would he not put a top coat on if he's got the paint booth up, but then you asnwered my question when you mentioned modifying the frame. :cool: Definitely in for the progress on this!
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I am thinking I may top coat it now anyway and just repaint the area I cut up when I shorten it.
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How much do you think this will need to be shortened?
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14" on the flat section behind the torsion bar mounts. Depending where I end up placing the front fenders will determine if I end up at the factory ford wheelbase or something different. I don't want to be in a situation where the rear wheel doesn't end up exactly in the center of the fender.
The bed sides have pre drilled holes to mount the fender so I can't fudge there and the running boards determine how far apart the fenders are so you can move the bed back or forward.
Shortening the frame is no big deal. I'll cut the frame half way vertical and the horizontal 10" or so and then continue vertical. I'll
also create a sleeve to slide inside and weld too. I will be a strong joint.
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Sounds like a plan. Those must be some long torsion bars... is it a straight up rectangular section behind them?
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Yeah, it is a really nice and ideal place to section it. I think because this was a extended cab frame and the regular regular cab frame is almost perfect wheelbase but really hard to find (in good shape).
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I did not realize the 95-04 frames were so stout! The 1982-94's were essentially modded A/G body frames.
You cannot order a standard cab Canyon/Colorado anymore... :sad:
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So today, besides unloading the Roadrunner from my trailer, I media blasted one of the lower control arms for the ZR2 Frame. I primed it with self etching primer by majic. They also private labe the tractor paint at the tractor supply stores. I top coated it with satin black rollbar paint by VHT. This is a paint you can get at orillys auto parts. This is a hidden wonder. This stuff sprays great and lays out beautiful. You can get it in gloss and satin. I think t is just as good atms the SEM trim black. You can tell when spraying ot it uses a good reducer that smells like your bodyshop type paints. It's definitely not your old oil based Rustoleum paint.
I would highly recommend it for trim or anything you want to paint black and it should be readily available.
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So today, besides unloading the Roadrunner from my trailer, I media blasted one of the lower control arms for the ZR2 Frame. I primed it with self etching primer by majic. They also private labe the tractor paint at the tractor supply stores. I top coated it with satin black rollbar paint by VHT. This is a paint you can get at orillys auto parts. This is a hidden wonder. This stuff sprays great and lays out beautiful. You can get it in gloss and satin. I think t is just as good atms the SEM trim black. You can tell when spraying ot it uses a good reducer that smells like your bodyshop type paints. It's definitely not you oild based Rustoleum paint.
I would highly recommend it for trim or anything you want to paint black and it should be ready available.
Thanks for the tip, I'm going to be pulling the fenders off my car soon and cleaning up the firewall. Sounds like the rollbar paint is just the ticket!
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Ya, I was thinking about mentioning it in the tips and tricks section to rebuild that. So far I am really impressed.
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The lower control arm bushings really put up a fight! Got one arm blasted, primed and painted.
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Little by little.
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I received the lower control arm bushings and ball joints. I also received my GM brake backing plates. I removed all the stickers and cleaned them and sprayed them with a clear coat of paint. I wanted to try to prevent them from the same fate as the originals....
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So, bolts and fasteners are pretty expensive, especially if they are unique. I decided I wanted to clean and zink plate some stuff. I have never done anything like this before, I just wire wheeled and sprayed them with paint.
Well, today I did a quick, makeshift plating bath and tried plating a bolt. It worked amazingly well!
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Dull zink plated bolt.
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Quick polish.
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That turned out good.
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That came out fantastic! Not only saved a couple of dollars, but I get a bit of satisfaction knowing I am saving an original part as opposed to just buying new stuff just because. What is the process you used?
I can imagine the gruff I would get if I were restoring bolts in my kitchen though, your wife must have been away, LOL. Mine had a fit when I threw some plastic stuff in the dishwasher for cleaning.
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She was away but when she came home and saw the "mess" she really didn't seem to mind. I think I might post the process I used in the tips and tricks section. We really need to rebuild that. Other than the zink plate and maybe the the sodium carbonate, most of it is household stuff. I even used an old phone charger as the power supply.
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Beautiful job on the bolt restoration. I did something similar on a motorcycle restoration many years ago. They looked great right afterwards, but a decade latter a few of the bolts showed a little bit of rust. My thoughts are I didn’t give the electrolysis process enough time. I think I used a kit from Eastwood.
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Thanks for the info. I thought I'd try it out and see. Hopefully better than paint. Time will tell.
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That's really cool Luke. Please do make a write up and let us know your experience with them!
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Been busy, my son and I have been rebuilding a atv engine, no crank, connecting rod, bored cylinder. Splitting the case with all the transmission gears is a little scary. Also showed him how to lap valves. You don't see that much anymore. Also got him to help clean some truck parts too.
Cleaned, painted and resealed the front differential.
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Luke, seems like you always have a lot going on. The differential really cleaned up nicely. That’s the only part underneath my car that I haven’t touched and it bothers me. Once the weather is a little warmer, something I can tackle outdoors.
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Ya, surprising what a little carb cleaner, simple green and brake clean can do.
The first part I have attached to the frame....
Hopefully I will have more going on it as I have been cleaning, rebuilding and paint
ing other parts in preparation of assembling the front suspension.
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Ya, surprising what a little carb cleaner... can do.
Carb cleaner- not just for carbs. I've been killing wasps and spiders with it for years in the shop. :lol:
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Luke, are you keeping it a 4x4?
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Yes, going to rock 31s and pushbutton 4x4.
And I too kill wasps and crawling things with carb cleaner and a lighter. I caught my chicken coop on fire a few year back so be careful!
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Had a couple hours so I worked on pressing the 4 lower control arm bushings in. That was a challenge as on one side would fit in my hydraulic press so the other was done with precision adjustment tools and a ball joint press. I scratched them up a bit so i touched up the paint. Also installed one upper control arm.
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That looks brand new Luke, you are doing a top notch job. What is the process for doing that zinc coating?
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I will once I perfect it. Ha, ha.
Today I sanded, ground, primed and painted the torsion bars and one if the front axle shafts. They seemed tight and the rubber boots weren't leaking so I hope they last a bit. Trying to save some money where I can. New ones are like $500 for the pair. All of these suspension parts are really adding up. I have a ton of money in this frame.... Anyways I put all 4 A arms on and the rear torsion bar support beam with new hangers and bolts.
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It is amazing how many pieces, parts and fasteners go into a front suspension. Sourcing the fasteners has been a challenge. I have been turning to McMaster for many of them but the $$ is really stacking up. I have also been raiding the bolt box and jar I have from the 1998 Trans am I parted for my LS swap. That has turned up quite a few in the last few days. Now I need new bolts to hold on the front calipers, mine are rusted so bad I don't want to use them. Going to check McMasters tomorrow at work.
Still adding new parts to the frame. Really looking cool to me. I feel like I'm building a new truck from scratch.... Too bad I am going to put a pretty nasty engine, trans and transfer case in it.... I'm going to do my best at cleaning it all up but I'm not going to nut and bolt it like the frame.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52762627882_6dcccdd1bd_z.jpg)
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Looks too nice to cover up with a body!
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I appreciate the kind word and encouragement Larry!
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Looks too nice to cover up with a body!
True words...
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Looks too nice to cover up with a body!
It's funny because I was thinking the exact opposite haha. What a great frame to be put under that killer patina body! I love the patina builds when they have the right parts underneath. You are doing it right Luke. I've been to some car shows where guys have literally taken a car that was sitting in a field and got it working barely enough to power itself and you are concerned about it being on the road with you. :shock:
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I want to do the patina build but wife says it needs to be painted red.... we'll see how it goes. I want to start on the Charger so....
She wants it to look something like this.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52764634518_b0ee780b22_z.jpg)
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I put the rotor, caliper and brakes on the driver side. I cleaned my new tie rods and primed and painted them flat black because I didn't want to put raw steel parts on the frame just to rust in a week. I also had to media blast some other small brake line brackets. My old harbor freight blasting cabinet is really getting a work out on this project!
Old parts
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52765556950_aa7e251b86_z.jpg)
New parts (I must have mistakenly ordered drill and slotted rotors, hope the are ok)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52765633813_7cd6ab4f1e_z.jpg)
Tie rods getting a coat of paint. They are only threaded together by one thread and then the exposed threads are masked off.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52765557365_92e5aa1643_z.jpg)
Replacing most of this mess.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52765149811_d48ee46ab8_z.jpg)
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I cleaned some parts and rubber bushings in the kitchen sink with the wife's (old) toothbrush. By am I playing with fire...
Installed the sway bar, tie rod and upper and lower jounce bumpers I just got in today.
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The lower ball joints didn't have grease zirks but they had a boss where one might go. Me not trusting they put enough grease in and I like to service my stuff, I decided to add one.
Here I milled the boss flat.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52766577037_f88c4dc77c_z.jpg)
Next I used a center drill to keep my actual drill from waking.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52767528340_18092d594b_z.jpg)
Here I drilled the hole with a #3 drill. I used my shop vac to reduce the amount of metal shavings going inside. I also used a feed rate that kept the chips as a string (or as we call the at the shop "danger noodles").
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52767369114_c307e4bc6d_z.jpg)
Then I hand tapped the hole 1/4-28, no power tapping today, I didn't want to run into the ball and snap my tap.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52767368404_a51e27d572_z.jpg)
Next I chamfered the hole. I have chamfer tools but these step bits work great for this.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52767368479_5d2bdf621c_z.jpg)
Thead in the zirk and clock it correctly and then add grease.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52767368529_4dbffbfa78_z.jpg)
I always find this type of work interesting and thought I'd share.
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^^^ 100% agree thanks for posting.
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This is very impressive, both the amount of work and the quality!
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Great work as always Luke! Great tip on the speed rate, to form a long string rather than chips.
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Started stripping the axle. I started trying to remove the leaf spring bushings. Well, I spent like 3 hours trying to get one out. I beat the living, well, you know what out of it..... I finally figured out f I drilled out the rubber I could curl the tube inward and it would release from eye. The next day I worked on the other one and had it out in like 30-40 minutes.
Maybe some will benefit from this if they ever need to replace their bushings.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52837519312_e5be81bf25_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52838089356_44e38f770d_z.jpg)
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So, I have continued to work on this off and on. I have finished rebuilding the rear leaf springs but I switched out the overload spring (because one was cracked in half) with a flattened helper leafs I had laying around.
I pulled them apart and wire wheeled each leaf and sprayed them each with epoxy. I then cut strips of UHMW (ultra high molecular weight)polyethylene 1/8 thick to put between the leafs. I used this when I built the springs for my solid alxe swapped S10 Blazer. It is super durable and slippery so the springs actually slide. Anyway both sets are done and assembled. I'll get some finished pictures soon.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53214130732_9a9e6438f3_z.jpg)
Logan helped and spray some leafs amd other miscellaneous parts in epoxy.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53214130767_76986491ff_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53215399734_14288040a0_z.jpg)
Once we got the springs rebuilt with new eye bushings, pins and clamps we started to wire wheel and use a acid solution to clean and strip the gm 8.6 differential.
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(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53215402484_a98fd14c7f_z.jpg)
Now this part you guys might find useful/beneficial. I am rebuilding the S10 rear disk brakes which is a swap many do to our Firebirds.
I pulled the rear cover and removed the screw pin that holds the spider gears in place. This let's you push the axles in just enough so you van remove the retaining C clip. Once the clip is out you can pull the axle shaft.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53215402479_a5d8aaec98_z.jpg)
You need to remove your original backing plate to install the S10 one like this. I media blasted this, sprayed it with epoxy and then VHT satin roll bar paint.
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(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53215318903_476dac75fa_z.jpg)
I then installed this emergency brake rebuild kit. The only part you need to keep is the little lever that the cable attaches to.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53215402254_aa801d0609_z.jpg)
Here you can see the slightly rusted lever. I lubed up yhe internals with high temp brake grease too.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53215522580_4bc4139d38_z.jpg)
A separate kit has the adjuster wheels. Which I installed along with the brake shoe retaining clip (ar the top)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53215402224_4a54fcbff1_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53214133247_baaf06e3cf_z.jpg)
I then installed a new backing plate and the parking brake shoe. Th backing plate was completely rusted and gone from all 3 of the S10 axles I have so new ones were sourced. It was kink of hard to find these so I don't know how much longer they'll be around.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53215318718_cafa885850_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53214133122_b60e342d2d_z.jpg)
While you are at it you should replace the axle seals and clean up the axle shaft too.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53215402359_3413a88b31_z.jpg)
I have all of the part numbers somewhere that I used and I can list them if others will find it helpful. Also once I get the diffential completely assembled, I'll show how (or not) the 8" trans am snowflake rim fits.
More to come hopefully soon!
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Looking good Luke!
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Beautiful work Luke as always!
Years ago when I restored my 1975 TA, I found a differential out of a 1980 Indy Pace car. I wanted the rear end for the axle ratio, but an added benefit is it had disk brakes. I can't say there was much of a difference in braking performance. But something most people don't talk about is a safety advantage to putting disk brakes on a differential that uses C-clips. With rear drums, if you break an axle on a differential that uses C clip retainers, the outboard part of the axle, brake drum and wheel can come right off. Or it may destroy the fender. When you have disk brakes the axle will stay put.
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I have gen 4 read disks on my TA and it is way better than the stick drums I had before. In fact they feel the same as like my wife's Acura RDX. I can stop on a dime. Now, I haven't had the S10 disks on a Firebird before but I may soon. I have another S10 axle and I was thinking I can swap the rear disks to the Formula that my son wants. We'll see....
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The S10 brakes are a great alternative to the LS1 rear disk brakes. In fact could be argued that they are better because you can get some combination of a 2wd and 4wd that works great with factory staggered shocks. Another cool bonus is Flynbye performance has brackets that can be used with those brakes to run the C6 Z51 13" rear rotor!
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Awesome job!
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Made some more progress and finished rebuilding the leaf springs and got those attached and blasted and painted some brake line brackets.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53246962469_28dcacc9a5_z.jpg)
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(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53247104215_ac901b83ee_z.jpg)
I really hope people appreciate this as I really had to dig through my parts stash to get to my original rims.
Here are how the fit the S10 rear disks.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53246926259_98420f391a_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53247049010_32f32a1b0c_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53246846953_9f40595040_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53247061855_d4224c67e7_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53247062085_7dacbb040b_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53246847563_d56eee5918_z.jpg)
So, they seem to fit fine. About a 1/4 of clearance and I'm sure there would be a way to attach the parking brake easily too.
Remember, I am not running the TA rims that was just to show folks who are looking for alternative rear disks for their F body's. I still need to find some seriously offset steel rims I can rum moon/dish hub caps to go with the 49 body. You can see the 3rd gen Camaro rims that I used to run on my 98 S10 Blazer with 31s. The offset is crazy on these.
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Nice work. I can appreciate having to dig something out. Although from what I gather you have a quite a bit larger stash of parts to deal with :grin:
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Good info on the S10 rear brakes.
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Thanks for checking. I didnt have any plans to upgrade my rear brakes but the S10 upgrade interests me and I currently run those stock wheels. Though I’m working on going back to rally’s
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The S10 brakes fit under my factory turbo wheels, which I believe are the smallest of all the factory wheels. The increased stopping power was an improvement over my factory rear disks. There are many different length E brake cables listed on rockauto.com for a Blazer, and they have end tabs that fit on the little hooks shown above. I ran the cables down the left side of the car and crossed a long one over on the rear axle. This eliminated the factory cable X crossover on the mufflers.
Ryan, does FlynBye still make the extension brackets to fit the 13 inch C6 brakes? I do not see them on their website; but I might want to get a set in case I ever want to upgrade.
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Good info! I also have a 79 formula that will probably get the left over S10 brakes from the other axle I have.
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So today I finished up what needed done to roll the axle under the frame. I now have a rolling chassis. I also started assembling the bed. I want to get this all lined up and welded together so I can spray it in epoxy as it's all raw metal. It does seem to have some sort of anti rust coating but flash rust is showing up... So I got pretty far and as I'm writing this I am final welding it. I got it all squared up and the panels drilled for plug welding.
I still have not idea what I'm doing, just making it up as I go...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53274377682_2b9f820552_z.jpg)
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So, I decided since I am going to paint this truck I didn't want the chains that hold the tailgate closed (and up) banging around and chipping the paint. Originally they used metal hooks slid through rings to keep the gate closed. Really basic stuff back then. After looking around and purchasing some hidden latches I realized I didn't like anything available for tye old F1 Fords. Most of the hidden latches require you to drill holes through the tailgate to bolt the latches too. These bolts are visible when the gate is closed and looks bad to me. So, after some searching and coming up with nothing I decided to make my own. This latch will slide into the rolled lip at the top of the gate and I will make a stainless striker plate kind of like your house door has. I made this really quick at work this morning, it utilizes a bolt knob we make for centerfire riffles.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53301115045_093df737e9_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53301115075_7cf5e1b07e_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53301007324_735837a839_z.jpg)
I offset the plunger so it would he closer to the cab so it will grip more metal. It will make more sense once I get a picture of it installed.
Here you go, I Obviously still need to notch the gate for the knob to come through and mount it, but you get the idea.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53300693726_06caf738fc_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53300693691_95b82be6ee_z.jpg)
I also plugged the holes where the chains mounted to.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53301147000_66455a3f88_z.jpg)
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(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53299808052_0b88ca39ea_z.jpg)
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Very impressive fabrication and engineering! The tolerances on your tail gate latch are slightly higher than you would see.
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Very nice Luke! I like the custom stuff.
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So this weekend between picking up the Charger donor car and unloading it I was able to complete my sanding of the truck bed. I sprayed epoxy primer and 2k primer on it. I still have the front side to spray. I'll get that once I get the tailgate ready, hopefully by this weekend. Once that is all in primer I'll set it on the chassis. That will give me space to pull the engine and get that ready to move over to the new chassis.
This thing took a ton of primer, lots of sq feet there. I used up all of my primer so I picked up a gallon of each primer and a gallon of reducer plus the required hardeners for a staggering $520... PPG Omni line. Just though that I'd post that for those wondering about supply costs.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53392118209_6fa26c2e18_z.jpg)
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Looking forward to seeing this one in paint. I love the look of pickups in this time period. In a different world I would have a stock one as a daily driver!
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Wow, the prices of paint supplies have really gone up!
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Finished up spraying epoxy and 2k primer on the back of the box and the tailgate.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53395444077_dd85356ac9_z.jpg)
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I may have missed it if you said before but what color are you going with?
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It's a Toyota red called Sunfire red pearl used mid 2000s.
Kind of a dark red. I wanted to use hot rod flats red but I hear it's really tough to get a consistent sheen with that stuff so I decided to to just go base clear with the Toyota dark red.
We'll see, I'm going to order some this winter and spray the tailgate and see how I like it.(the Toyota red)
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If you wanted a flat color, you can always go over the whole thing with Poppy's Patina wipeable product. You can use a Matte, satin or semi-gloss. That's the plan for my car. :)
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Ya but I have nothing to start with. What were you thinking, sprayed the base coat and then not clear it? Then use a flat whipe on clear?
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Yes, exactly. It's made to wipe on over old paint and clears. Let me know if you want any "fauxtina" tips :)
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Check this out
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vk-DSNZRefs&pp=ygUWQ2FzZXlkIGN1c3RvbXMgd2lwZSBvbg%3D%3D
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So, I got my wife and daughter to help me carry the bed from tye back of my shop and around to the fron and set it on the chassis. I throw the tailgate on amd just because I wanted to see how the tire would sit in the wheel wells, I threw a fender on.
To me it looks almost perfect which will make creating mounts fairly easy. Remember this is a 4x4 now so it will sit higher and there is no weight on the chassis yet.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53398658260_3b776fb3f1_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53398658285_c9395429f3_z.jpg)
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(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53397292577_0bfa115c4e_z.jpg)
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Looks like the perfect amount of wheel stick out! What's that other car in the garage next to the F1? :)
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Actually the wheels will be about an inch farther out. Those are 96 Camaro wheels which don't have the correct offset.
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Pulled the cab off the rusted chassis that I was using to mockup things.
Plan is to clean and replace any seals that might be leaking.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53401287612_8a6801da72_z.jpg)
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Looks great! I need to pick up a tractor like that.
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Luke, do you have two chassis for the F1 pickup?
As others have said before that’s a great tractor. I don’t have the use for one full time. If you were my neighbor, I would be bribing you with a few dinners from time to time to do a little landscaping and grading around my house.
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Yes, I have 2 S10 chassis. One, I completely rebuilt because it was a nice solid frame. This one was going to be the one but it is just so rusted and totally unsavilable.
Yes, this is a great little tractor. I built my old 1947 Farmall BN with a loader amd 3 point but it really rutted up the yard. I was able to talk my wife into letting me buy this one. The old farmall served us well for many years (20+). I actually bought it from the original owner, I sold it to my brother and it's still going strong. I got forks and a rototiller for the kabota, it is really handy to have around but I have only put 50 hrs on it in the past few years. It does make a great engine lift though.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52767336309_7dd2fe32d8_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53274377587_12b6c73e22_z.jpg)
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That’s what I thought but wasn’t sure. New chassis is beautiful. You will have the best of both worlds when complete. Classic looks and modern ride and handling. Will the ABS be functional? I like the fact you are not lowering it to the ground, just not my thing. Who knows, maybe when it’s done l would take my TA out for a ride and short visit to see it. That is of course if you would be up to company.
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Larry,
Absolutely, hopefully I can keep the momentum and get this think finished.
Yes, the plan is to keep the air bag and ABD system. I put all new wheel sensors in the front so hopefully it all still works. I am going to replumb the abs box so it fits in the F1 engine compartment.
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Luckily I didn't have the cab or front sheet metal to get in the way of the engine removal.
I was able to use 4 feet of extentions to get the torque converter bolts out.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53428796016_4ea77836d8_z.jpg)
Motor is out of the donor truck. Now to clean it up and replace the gaskets and seals.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53428947248_33e4e0e79c_z.jpg)
Somehow all of this wiring has to go inside the cab...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53428796006_3e8d4c3b5b_z.jpg)
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Looks like fun!!
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Took the valve covers off and scraped off years of grime. Then proceeded to us my double bowl parts washer. I forgot to get an after photo but the came out great.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53449735267_cecefc733e_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53450976349_4988593e54_z.jpg)
Last night I started on the oil pan. Once I get it mostly clean I'll remove it and spray some aluminum brightener on it and then replace the gasket and rear main seal.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53451070620_489c282123_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53450974664_8bb738a336_z.jpg)
Making progress, slowly but surely.
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"Making progress, slowly but surely."
In my world, that ain't slowly. That's "impressively fast and nice!"
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Looks great Luke! If you haven't tried it already, look at LA Awesome. I found it at Dollar General.
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I'll grab some today
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This is quite the project, very impressive. Never would have even thought about converting onto a modern chassis.
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So grabbed some of that LA totally awesome cleaner.
So to compare that to the purple power, I'd say the Awesome degreases better but the purple power seems to leave a brighter finish behind. I then used the awesome first and then a scrub with the purple. I'm still planning on using a brighter to see if I can get it just a bit better.
Now to pull it off and clean the block for a new pan gasket.
I'm not sure where it was leaking, it didn't drip much but the oil pan was covered. I do see evidence the balancer seal is leaking but I'm changing all gaskets and seals to be sure.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53452583665_b641ff8763_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53452583670_6b296e0765_z.jpg)
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If you have any NAPA stores near you they have an aluminum bright spray that works pretty good. It is an acid and the fumes are very strong as a heads up.
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Luke, that’s got to be the deepest oil pan I’ve ever seen. Nice job on cleaning up the engine.
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Thanks all! Ryan, that is exactly what I got. I scrubbed it down in my parts washer and I'll spray it tomorrow at work in our plastic slop sink withthe brightener. I didn't want the brightener to possibly ruin the stainless sink.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53454826145_76c5a530e4_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53453488757_72bc25fe91_z.jpg)
We'll see how it works
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Wow, that is a really deep oil pan!
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For those that care. The aluminum brightener didn't seem to make any difference. I watched videos on it and it seemed to work great for others. Maybe I got the pan as clean as it will get. The brightener bubbled as I let it sit for a minute or two and then I washed it off. Didn't seem to change at all.
Anyway, I'm happy with my cleaning and how it came out.
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I cleaned the aluminum lower intake in the same manner and also cleaned the plastic upper section. The Totally Awesome worked great on this. This stuff cleans as good or better that carb cleaner and doesn't seem to harm anything.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53495638772_1243a4703c_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53496528186_79b6578cf4_z.jpg)
I ordered a new fuel injection system/spider. This one is an upgrade with the injectors at the end of the tubes for better fuel atomization. I hope it makes a difference, according to the internet it does...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53496678223_8c273c776f_z.jpg)
These Vortecs are odd as the injection goes inside the intake.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53496829189_8bb7e05680_z.jpg[/img
[img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53496829214_5a085d77d5_z.jpg)
I cleaned the alternator and AC compressor mount the same way but then blasted them with glass bead media for that new look.
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(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53495639997_6ce48aa6ae_z.jpg)
I also ordered new AC Delco idler, tensioner and water pump.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53496679423_1a4261e2c4_z.jpg)
I cleaned and clear coated the water pump to try to reduce the rusting effect.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53496529426_859e7fb454_z.jpg)
I am cleaning up the power steering pump and replacing the shaft seals as I think it was leaking a tiny bit. I am also working on the AC pump and alternator. I'm really trying to get the engine bay to look better than my trans am.
Hopefully I can show you a fully assembled engine soon.
Any suggestions for the exhaust manifolds? I was thinking maybe a silver Cerakote product..??
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That looks fantastic Luke! That engine will look new when you are done with it.
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Looks great Luke. I like how you are replacing water pump, Idler pulley, gasket & seals. All the things that wear out. Your truck will have a nice vintage look, 21st century reliability and modern day performance.
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So on my quest to clean and restore each piece going onto this engine I decided I needed to do something with the exhaust. I took the original manifolds and media blasted them with slag and then 100 grit aluminum oxide. I then sprayed them with a ceramic coating from Cerakote called the V series. It has a 1800F temperature rating. I then baked them in a oven (actual oven I use for Cerakoting fire arms) at 500F for an hour or so. Man these came out great! Hopefully they will last like this for years.
Nasty rusted and oily manifold.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53514478407_7413431b1e_z.jpg)
Blasted manifold
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53514478462_014ff82a03_z.jpg)
Coated manifold
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Nicely done Luke!
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Nice work Luke. I'll have to check into that paint.
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It's a one part ceramic coating. The tough part is finding a way to heat it to 500°F for an hour. Luckily we have an oven at work for this purpose. Today I did the other side and the spark plug heat shields too. All came out great!
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Moving on to mocking up the body so I can make body mounts and see where things need to go. For now I am doing this on the old junk chassis so I don't scratch up the nice rebuilt one. Remember the new chassis is 4" higher and has 31" tires. I may go down to the size on this chassis if it looks good. So for now I'm trying to keep the cab low on the chassis.
You can see the 2000 S10 fire wall here. I will blend it in but for now I just needed the location for the steering column and brakes
I made a wood frame and bolted it to my engine lift to help this one man band.
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(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53544064945_8494e169c5_z.jpg)
Once I get the body mounts built I will pull the cab and start to get it ready for paint. I tried to get my wife to let me rock it in, as in condition because I think it's cool but she's not having it.... So many months of sanding and welding ahead...
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Lookin good!
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Great progress Luke! Looks great sitting on there and I love the ingenuity using the engine hoist.
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Well, I have been really busy working on this heap. I needed to make a mounting point on the cab so I could bolt it to the frame. The cab used a weird arm system because the frames twisted so much back then and I didn't really trust it so I came up with a plan to cut it out and weld in a 2x2 3/16 bar and run bolts through the cab and this beam onto frame mounts that I made.
Well, I started media blasting the bottom if the cab and we'll, it started to disappear... I then started cutting things away and it started to escalate quickly. I had to weld bracing in because it all has to come out. There were no holes in the floor before but it must have been just rust holding it together.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53611317242_776145818a_z.jpg)
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I have more to post bit I'll have to do it in several posts because it takes too much time to do all at once and I don't want to lose the post halfway through..
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Both cab corners were bad and I had to fix those before I could make the floor panels I forgot to take pictures at some points so here is a mix of left and right.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53612641255_f984e105e1_z.jpg)
CAD drawing or arts and crafts
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53611325677_29f4aea905_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53612538274_fa24685656_z.jpg)
I have a homemade brake but the radius it bends is like 3/16 or more. For tight bends I found it better to clamp the metal to a 1×1 tube and just slowly hammer it over.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53612407868_ddb1927e89_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53612648205_4d1dfc4c39_z.jpg)
I figured now would be a good time to get the shrinker stretcher out of its box that I bought like 4 years ago. I had to make a stand and used rods and made pedals so they are foot operated now.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53611325542_e9b19a478c_z.jpg)
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(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53612531144_1e3ecdd4fd_z.jpg)
Then I found the front door piller areas were a mess, so on to making those.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53612641225_06f6a68c62_z.jpg)
After cutting the outer skin away I found the inner post was rotten, so I had to make that part first...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53612532679_9affeb4db4_z.jpg)
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(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53611319932_287bc883b3_z.jpg)
And the inner panel...
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I then bent up this little panel. This was quite an accomplishment for me. It came out great and it is a real panel!
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(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53612644265_05b0945af3_z.jpg)
More area near the cab corner needed replacement.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53612411098_e5f07d144a_z.jpg)
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I had to use the English wheel on this piece because it curved vertically too.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53612411083_599386c3f3_z.jpg)
And, another panel I had to make... I am making way too many panels....
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To minimize warping, I made this tool to cool the welds quickly. Works well.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53612410978_814904635d_z.jpg)
Mmi have a bit more to post here in a sec.
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That doesn't look like fun, but if anyone can fix it it you can! Look forward to seeing more progress.
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So that is where I am right now. Basically rebuilding the entire 6" of the cab. I did buy a power bead roller so when I finally get to the actual floor panels I get to try that out. I also got a small planishing Hamer to help fix the fender damage. So my sheet metal working tool are growing and shop space is shrinking....
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53612542259_6036b708b7_z.jpg)
Glad someone invented grinders
Well on this side I found crash damage buried under a gallon of filler.
I cut the top layer of sheet metal away and I'll try to straighten the hing post and then either make a new panel or try to fix the original and put it back on.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53612654320_dece6ea73a_z.jpg)
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Luke, I am envious of your skills. Great progress!
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I forgot, the whole reason for this is so I have something to weld a 2x2x3/16 beam to so I can mount the cab to the chassis.
The seats were bolted to these little clips in the sheet metal floor and since I cut the floor out I made these plates that I spot welded to the big support beam. I feel much better with these to mount the seat and seat belts to.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53612200406_11b02ded5a_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53611328497_46d73e8842_z.jpg)
This us the top side inside the cab. I have to media blast this area but it is strong. I already blasted the other side and it's clean and solid.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53612651215_e9f4e1797c_z.jpg)
I made up two floor panels that welded to the only good floor brace which actually was used to mount the in cab gas tank at one point.
I used my bead roller with a tipping dies I made to make the curved flange and then punched the holes with my air punch and the drilled the holes along the center.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53612541114_1131de3f73_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53612411013_25d5f852eb_z.jpg)
Then I made the beam which needed a curve to it. I thought my truck was heavy enough to put a bend in it. Nope.
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(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53611329337_1818b87963_z.jpg)
I have a hydraulic press but that would put too sharp of a curve in it. I then remembered I had a pipe bender somewhere and dug it out. It worked great and I was able to put the perfect bend in the tube. I used a block of wood to push on the square tube as not to kink it.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53613381819_43bbf89c85_z.jpg)
Where the bolts go through the tube I turned up some sleeves to weld in so it wouldn't crush and make things loose.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53612414323_d86079ea7e_z.jpg)
Not my best TIG welding job but ok.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53612652175_7c4541b52d_z.jpg)
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Got the body flipped back upright and welded in another floor brace. I also made both rocker panels and a perimeter floor frame.
Then got to use my bead roller to make my first floor panel. Came out pretty good for a backyard hack.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53645362586_1f7bed893f_z.jpg)
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One panel down and like 7 more to go and a transmission hump... Fun, fun.
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Love the floor work man! I need to put a bead roll in my roof patch panel.
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Made another panel but I ran out of argon so both are just cleco on place
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Youre a certified panel beater at this point. Great looking work! I really enjoy doing that kind of work but I dont have your skills yet or the awesome set of tools.
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Thanks, I'm just a backyard hack with the cheapest version of any tool I need. I then make my own upgrades to get them to do what I need or deal with results. I'm not good at any of it but I enjoy doing it and learning so it's all good. I appreciate the comments which help keep me motivated. I know it's not a F body but a panel is a panel.
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My motto is to buy the best tool I can afford. However with some body work stuff I think the 'homeowner' line stuff is fine with limited use. The tools you have look great to me. A full time shop running them 8 hrs a day may wear them out quickly but they will probably last you forever. I bought a very good Iwata spray gun. It was rated as a good part time gun, and I paid about $400 for it. A pro painting every day would probably laugh at it, but for painting once every couple of years it works great for me.
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I was lucky as I had a friend at devilbiss and I got two extremely nice paint guns, one a vigilante kit that was almost a grand retail, for free. So I do have done nice stuff.
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Got some more supports for the floor welded in and two more panels made.
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Wow Luke, those look killer!! Outstanding fabrication work man.
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Yea dude those are awesome! Nice job
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I'm no kill fab guy buy I am a little proud of how my floor is coming out.
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Luke, floor panels look great!
Question, are those going to be covered up or painted to show?
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Unfortunately I plan to paint it and then stuck that tar ish aluminum backed sound deadening mats and then make a custom carpet for it. I'd like to leave it but I plan to drive this quiet a bit so I want it to be comfortable.