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

Radiator and front end work

The radiator was getting to be a problem.  I took my Dakota radiator to a local shop that did a great job.  He narrowed the radiator by about 5 inches, took out the built in transmission cooler and overall did a great job.  It takes a good eye to see where he cut the upper and lower tank and welded them back together.  I have not put the sheet metal on for test fit but the upper and lower fitting look good and it is much more narrow than the one I ordered from Jegs so I think it should fit with minimal difficulty.  I will need to fabricate a radiator brace with this should be fairly simple.

The work was done by Radiator King , 4103 West Overland Road, Boise, ID 83705 , (208) 336-6504

Initial Radiator fit

 Here are some other pics of the front end showing how the front bumper should fit on the extended support. You can also see the basics of how I intend to create the front tilt. I will use a longer section of C-channel which will fit over the 2x3 tubing which is welded to the frame. The C-channel with hold the bumper, go through the slots in the sheet metal and will be welded to a bracket I will fabricate on the inside of the front sheet metal. I will use 5/8" steel rod pivot point that will be removable so the entire front can be easily removed.

Basic ides of the front pivot mechanism

Basic front bumper fit

The next thing on the list is fabrication of the brackets to attach the front sheet metal to the pivot mechanism and fabrication of the radiator bracket.

Fabrication work

How to create a tilt-front.  That has been bugging me for a while.  This weekend I started in what I hope will be a good option.  I am fabricating a set of posts of 2x3 tubing that will be welded to the front frame crossmember.  The posts will be spaced to exit the front of the grill where the original bumper mounts were located.  The end of the post will have a set of holes drilled.  I have a C-channel that fits nicely over the tubing that will also fit through the gap (after a little surgery ) which will extend all the way to the front bumper then back through the grill and will be mounted to whatever frame I fab for the inside of the front grill/fender/hood sheet metal.

You can also see from the pics that I have notched the Dakota fender and I will cut some off of the ends.  I think the Dakota bumper is going to work fairly well.  On and original IHC there was a sheet metal piece that filled the gap between bumper and grill.  I will enentually have to create one.

Notched Bumper from the Dakota

Sizing up the front bumper to check fit

Basic framework for future tilt-front mechanism

The posts coming through the grill slots

As for the radiator.  I sent back the new one that would not fit and took my Dakota radiator down to a local shop and they are going to try and cut about 4" out of it and then I will see if I can get it to fit.    Cross your fingers and toes for me.

Grrrrrrr......radiator blues

Mrs. Claus was awesome and bought me a radiator for Christmas.  It came a week ago but it won't work.  First I messed up and ordered the inlet/outlet fittings on the wrong sides but if they were correct the newer rad would have been much too thick.  I am fighting with very minimal space from the pulley system to the nose cone of the front sheet metal.  I have 3-4 inches.  I sent back the new rad and took the Dakota rad to a local shop for surgery.  He is going to cut about 4 inches off of the rad and I will see if we can get this to work.  I am hoping with a shroud and electric fan I can keep the motor cool enough.

Next big project will be the front tilt clip.

I have also noticed I will probably have to get a smaller brake booster.  The current one is much too large and likely will not fit with the smaller firewall area I am working with.

Road trip

I have been looking for some rear fenders for my project.  I found Vintage Automotive in Mountain Home (45 min drive).  Jim said he had a couple of the IHCs that had some good parts.  I hooked up the trailer and took off.  What a place!  Acres of old cars and trucks.  Stacks of hoods, fenders, radiators, bumpers, axles, brake drums and anything else you might ever look for.  I don't know how he would identify most of it but it is a scavengers dream.

He drove me up to the IHCs in his International pickup (1970's model I think) that nearly had 500,000 miles on it.  He showed my 3 separate IHCs.  The green one in the pic had the best parts.  We pulled out his tools and went to work.  And work it was.  It took 3 of us over 3 hours to remove 2 rear fenders, a front right fender, and drivers side running board.  I also picked up unbroken front turn signal markers, a windshiled frame crank and two headlight assemblies minus the headlight ring trim.

I thought about taking the whole bed but it had enough cancer in it that it would have been hard to work with.  It was also the 8 1/2' bed which would have require major modification for what I want.   Also the local CraigsList has a couple of later model IHC bed trailers listed.  I hope to pick one up and use it.

Eventually I will probably go back for some other odds and ends.  Especially when I try to fit a bumper.  He does not have an IHC bumper but there are so many other cool bumpers I think I can find one that will work.

Wanna buy a hood

Chrome baby.  They don't make it like this anymore

Not sure what it is but it looked cool

This is the KB-2 I cannabalized

Oh, the sadness



My cab up with help of the lift to get at the new body mounts