A little direction

Not much to show in terms of pics but I finally got the steering all hooked up.  Had to get the angles correct, cut the firewall hole, create a column bracket and attach to the brake pedal bracket which is tied in to the firewall and dash for stability. 

Now rolling it in and out of the shop won't we such a pain as we will have some control over the direction!!  Woohoo.

Next big set up issue will be the gas pedal setup which is proving to be a pain in the rear, figuring out where to mount all of the computer modules and wiring harnesses both in and out of the cab.  What a royal pain in the rear.  I am starting to wonder about why I chose a fuel injected modern beast.  Hopefully it will be worth it in the end.

I little bling......

Working on some inspiration for the project.  I want flames on the truck.....Anyone out there a photoshop guru that wants to do a mock up for me.  Here are some pics I have found.

It's about time.....

Work has been very slow on the beast.  I have been watchin the show Overhaulin tryning to build up some ambition.  I think it backfires since I see the thousands of hours needed by people who know what they are doing which makes me.....who is making up what he is doing a little worried.  Today however I moved onward.  The new floorboard and tranny tunnel is welded in.  I have now tack welded the new firewall in place which is the original Dakota tailgate skin complete with the DODGE letters stamped into the metal. 

Trimmed, tack-welded, holes being cut for brakes/steering

My kids helped push the truck out onto the blacktop.  We took the Dakota be off as you can see it on the utility trailer to be taken off to the scrap yard.  You can see the donor trailer I found on CL for $100 that looks to be from a 1938 IHC.  With  my kids help we got it off and have begun to set it on the frame.  I am going to have a lot more work to fit this bed than I had hoped for.

Anyone wanna start an auction.....



More inspiration....a pro-street truck.  I like the flame paint job!





This, that and the other....

Before I saw anything else I must say that my wife is THE BEST!  I have been working on the heat and A/C but the Dakota heater plenum is HUGE.   It will not fit.  This is where my wife/banker comes in.  She OKd the purchase of a Vintage Air system so I will be ordering that soon.  That should make the heat/air option fairly clean and easy.


These are pics of the steering column.  The new firewall will be shorter so I had to cut out about 4" of the perforated metal you see and then I rewelded the mounting plate closer up the column.  Later I will likely have to modify the shifter mechanism but that should be pretty easy.

Steering column shortening

I recently cut out the Dakota tailgate skin and used paint remover to get it ready for its installation as a new firewall for the IHC.

Tailgate skin with paint remover in action

 I tried to use the Dakota floorpan and tranny bump but that was going to be obnoxious so I bought some tubing and am fabricating a new floorpan and tranny bump as we speak.





New floor pan/ tranny bump skeleton



New name for the project----Unintended Consequences

It's a little too long for a license plate but it might become its name.  I spend hours in the shop thinking about the next this, that or another before cutting, welding or moving and yet, no matter how much I plan and think there is always an unintended consequence.  For the last few nights I have been struggling with the steering and brake setup.  The new firewall geometry is different than the Dakota so I have been measuring, fitting, and mocking up new setups.  I could go out and buy some of it but that goes against the grain of the project so I usually just plan and modify.  Last night I cut and reshaped the brake pedal mounting bracket.  I welded it back up and set it in place.  Everything was looking good until I reset the brake pedal in the swing mount only to find  that I change the mounting angle enough that the master cylinder pushrod won't line up with the pedal!!!!    ARRGGHHH!!!   Another Unintended Consequence!    Oh well, par for the course.  Just another challenge to overcome.  : ) 

I am working on the locations of the brake booster, brake pedal, and steering column.  I have to fabricate a steering column mount and I had to cut and lengthen the brake pedal.  Plugging along.

Tight fit

I thought I did a great job with the radiator support only to find out it conflicted with the tilt mechanism.  I cut it out and reworked it.  The kids helped me put the front back on and I think it should work.  The front tilts up and down and the radiator fits.  I need to fab the upper supports and somehow tie it to the engine block but I have a couple of ideas that should work.  The pic below shows how little room I have to play with up front.



View from above...... not much room.



This pic shows the beginning work on the new firewall.  I cut out most of the old.  I plug welded some of the holes.  Now I am debating the best way to complete the next steps.  I may leave it open a while longer while I do some of the cancer repair work on the cab sides.  It would sure be a lot easier to do the work with the firewall out.  I would love to get the firewall in so I can set the steering and brakes but I think I will wait a bit.

Opening it up wide!!

Radiator work

I had the kids help me roll the 47 from one side of the shop to the side with the lift.  We took the front clip off.....man I love the tilt front, remove 2 pins and the whole front comes off. 

I played around with a few options then fabricated this lower radiator support.  I had to cut about 3 inches off of the upper and lower radiator hoses to bring the radiator as close as I can to the pulleys.  Up top I still need to fabricate a support.  I am working on some options.  The lower support was pretty simple.  When I put the front clip back on and chech for clearance I should be able to finish welding the support. 

My next big project is going to be a redo of the firewall.  I have been trying to figure out the best way to do this.  I would really like to redo the entire firewall and make it smooth and flat.  I didn't make it to the sheet metal shop this week for some flat stock but got thinking, pulled out the cutting disc and cut the back panel out of the Dakota's tailgate.  I have to do some more figuring but I think I am going to weld it in as the new firewall.  I am going to try and keep the embossed DODGE lettering for fun just so the Dodge doesn't get completely lost in the project.Sorry IHC guys but this is a mixed project.

The picture below is why I have not done as much on the truck as I should.  I took the kids up night skiing.  The photo is from my cell phone and does not do the sunset justice, but it gives you an idea of how great it looked.

Wahhahhhhaaa.....new parts...for the beast

Though it doesn't look like much has been getting done...you are right, it hasn't.  But I have been on alert for parts.  I have needed a truck bed and a seat.  I think I have found the answer to both problems.  There were a few IHC pickup bed trailers on Craigs but I could never connect with the owners.  I recently found another listing and went over and bought it.  Based on what I have read it is likely a late 1930's box but I am still researching it.  Here  are a couple of pictures.  There is also a data plate on the drivers side at the rear panel.  I can't make out all of the info, I need to work on it a bit.  For now I can make out that the plate says "xA6 . 5 - 19522"  The "x" is one number I can't make out.  I am pretty sure on the other numbers.

This week I will work on taking off the Dakota bed, removing the IHC bed from the trailer frame and swapping the two.  Now the bed itself obviously needs some rehab but what can you expect for something that has probably been outside for 70 years!!

Now, what to sit in?  The Dakota seats were beat up and too wide.  I have been looking for a while and finally found what I think will be a good answer.  This bench is 47" wide and apparently the 3rd row seat out of a 2000-2006 Suburban/Yukon.  They are tan leather and in spectacular shape.  They also solve another issue since they come with integrated lap belts.  I had my daughter help me put the seat in for a test fit and it looks like it will work well.  I need to fabricate a mount for it but that should be relatively easy.

Slow but sure....

I have not done much lately on the truck.  We bought a little MR2 to run in the local AutoCross races.  I think the thing needs about as much work at the IHC.....well maybe thats a stretch.  Anyhow I got the radiator back from the shop.  They did a great job moving the upper hose location so it now looks like it will fit.  It will be tight and without much room but it does fit!!!

Now I need to fabricate a mount for it to stabilize it.  Then I need to cut a hole in the firewall and start figuring out the steering and brakes.   It's coming along!

My version of a tilt front......still in progress

I made some great headway with the tilt front mechanism.  I still have some issues to overcome but with a bigger hammer, duct tape and bailing twine I can probably overcome the issues.  Some of the issues are:
1)  minor alignment issues from side to side and front to back, hopefully I can adjust rather than cut and re-weld
2) whether or not to cut the fenders or design some sort of mechanism that spreads the rear of the fenders as it aligns with the cab so it does not scrape the dickens out of the paint and body
3)  attaching the hood to the front clip
4)  designing a latch mechanism...I am thinking about using a Cadillac soft trunk closing mechanism....hmmmmm.....more fabrication work!

Pivot rails extending through the shee metal

First Tilt attempt.....it works

This is me looking like a gangsta with my skull cap on. Tough angle and backlighting.  Later I will post another with the bumper attached.

A Willys coupe with tilt front and cut fenders