Build thread 37 Dodge PU

[40FordDeluxe]

Mike, I haven't forgotten about you. my silly brother hid the coffee can of connectors so your shipment was delayed. Take care Ryan.

[Mike P]

No problem Ryan. I've been plugging away on a few small things to keep busy but mostly just getting ready to my annual trip back to Illinois in a few weeks (I'll be taking the Ram 50 this year).

Once I get back (in between getting some stuff ready for a swap meet in Tucson) I figure I'll get back on getting the front suspension, service brakes and fuel system taken care of .....the last 3 big things on the truck before I can put it on the road.

Again thanks Ryan.



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[40FordDeluxe]

I should hire you to bring me a truck back from the Phoenix area that I found. The Ram50 may eat too much gas for that though.

In all seriousness, will you be going up I35 or across I80 at all? If so, I'd like to buy dinner if you have the time.

[Mike P]

Not a lot (any ) progress on the old Dodge since I made my annual trip back to Illinois. I did get around and ordered the parts to rebuilt the front suspension (ride height adjusters, ball joints, and bushings).

The rebuild parts came in yesterday and as it will probably be a bit before I get started on that project I was just going to throw them up on the bench. Fortunately I ended up thinking better of that and went ahead and opened all the boxes to check the parts. My luck was holding true to form, one of the upper ball joints had been miss boxed…..I don’t know what it fits, but it sure isn’t a Mustang II.

On the bright side, Speedway was great. they said they would get a replacement ball joint out today and that it wasn’t worth the shipping for me to send the incorrect one back….. just keep it. Not sure what it fits. but it’s new and clean and may end up as a paper weight


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[Whiplash23T]

Just shows that one must listen to those stomach noises at times aye Mike otherwise you may of been spending money to replace the foreign part.

[Mike P]

One of the ongoing projects I have when I’m visiting family back in Illinois is going thru the boxes of old pictures. I came across this picture of my Granddads’ panel truck the other day. He owned a barber supply company and was o the road a lot selling the things used on a day to day basis in the barber shops (razors, sharpening stones, aftershave, shaving soaps etc).




I can’t see enough detail in the grill to know specifically what year it is but it is 36-38 Panel version of the 37 Dodge Pickup I’m building.


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[stovens]

nice old photo

[53 Chevy5]

I love old pics like that, thanks for sharing

[40FordDeluxe]

Very nice pic. You sure don't see many of those at all. Thanks for sharing it Mike!

[johnboy]

Was it a coincidence you chose this particular make/model?
Or was it a deliberate choice to follow that which you already knew Granddad had driven?

[Mike P]

It was just coincidence. Up until I came I didn't even know there was a truck associated with the business. I bought my 37 basically as an impulse buy.....I came across it when I happened to have the money and I thought it was a decent price.

By the way the logo on the side reads "Giles Barber Supply Company" .


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[jerry clayton]

Being from Illinois-it must be difficult to live down there in Arizona and see all those nice possible projects setting everywhere!!!!!!!!!! I used to watch both sides of the road-out behind the barns-for any old 57-58 Mopars just to get some blocks!!!!!!!!Usually after a while we would dispose of them but save the studs, nuts and washers---------

[Mike P]

Now that it’s warming up a bit I’m back on the 37 again. The Mustang II front end was already installed when I bought the 37. The previous owner had used a burned up Mustang II as a donor and transferred the suspension components….. worn out ball joints, bushings, calipers, springs and all to the truck.



I kept putting off rebuilding the front suspension using the excuse that I wanted the full weight (engine, transmission etc ) on the front end so I could get the correct front springs in it. Anyway I’ve run out of excuses so it’s time to rebuild the suspension. Rebuilding control arms is not my favorite job by any stretch of the imagination but being basically cheap and having the time and tools I ordered bushings and ball joints rather than a new set of control arms.

My luck held true to form. One of the upper control turned out to be bent. Of course I didn’t pick up on that until after I had spent an hour knocking the ball joint and bushings out of it.



I had given Dave my spare set of used Mustang II control arms for his project a while back but he had mentioned that for the difference in cost between buying the parts to rebuild them (not to mention the time and effort) he was just going to order new ones when the time came. Anyway I ended up picking the upper control arms back up and used them. I finished up the arms yesterday, so at least that’s one job down.



Today will probably be spent getting the holes cut in the upper spring pockets so I can get the ride height adjusters installed.



Once that’s all done I’ll be able to get it back together and do the brake conversion. I’m going from the 9” rotors to 11” which should finish up what I need to do on the front suspension.



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[34_40]

Lookin' good Mike. I'm with ya on rebuilding "A-Arms".. and a bummer on the bent parts.

But it looks like it's all come together and a huge improvement on the rotors. Thanks for the update/pics too.

[40FordDeluxe]

Very nice Mike! If you want, I have some brand new MII springs you can have. They are these springs. I got them before I decided to go air ride on mine.

https://www.gearheadworld.com/store/...12461C139.aspx