Congrats to you on the job well done. The side view looks great!
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Congrats to you on the job well done. The side view looks great!
Thanks! I got everything boxed and braced today; my old welder got a serious workout. I’m going to break out the power washer tomorrow. I also think I’m going to go ahead and change all the A-arm bushings, ball joints, and tie rod ends. Might as well start out fresh.
The magic of POR 15
I don't know how the long term is on that stuff but it sure seems to work good. I know sanding it off is terrible.
It’s pretty tough stuff. You can beat it with a hammer when it’s dry and not chip it.
Looking good. I would have left it in the weeds. That would have helped resale since it will probably have a new owner before Thanksgiving. :LOL:
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But with good intentions
The old flathead ran great but it had some oil leaks from old dry gaskets. So it’s just going to get a new gasket set along with a new water pump and some paint.
Spent lots of time cleaning and painting parts the last few days; as soon as the gasket set gets here I can put the motor back together. Looked great inside, nothing to replace.
Did you repaint the firewall or just clean it up? It looks great !
I painted it; well go for patina on the outside and a fresh look under the hood.
I was thinking about doing the exact same thing on my 48 Dodge. I'm anxious to see yours all done.
I decided to do a trial fit on the engine to make sure I had the motor mounts in the right location and check that the oil pan would clear the Dakota frame. It dropped right into place but I am going to have to do a little notch on the frame; the oil pan is just touching the back of the front crossmember. But I’m happy; all the measurements looked like they were right. Should have the motor bolted in for good this week and be able to start putting all the stuff back on it.
It looks like it fits pretty well. A little notch isn't so bad. Better than having to dissect it. Haha
That looks too easy, you're almost tempting me to cut my 48 Dodge apart. Almost.
Do it! It’s sure a cheap way to upgrade the steering and brakes.
I got the frame notch cut, bolted on the oil pan, and the motor is in to stay barring any unforeseen issues. Once I get everything bolted back on the motor I’ll start cleaning up the suspension and putting it back together.
Looks like it was made to fit!
Got a fair amount done this week. Just about everything is bolted on the engine, trans is in, and one side of the suspension has new a-arm bushings and ball joints. Got a lot of late hours at work this coming week so probably won’t get back on it until next weekend.
More great work Pat! Keep at it!
Thanks, Ryan!
I dont want to hang a power steering pump on this and I also dont want to spend $200 for a new manual R&P, so I'm going to try and convert the power rack to manual. Theres several videos on how to do this; this one is for a different brand of rack but I think the principle should be the same. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vj6clQuEC-8&t=737s
I would be a proponent of keeping the power rack and building a mount for the pump. Easier to steer is better in my opinion.
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I did the same on my 49 business coupe; had a manual steering rack with the big diameter steering wheel and it actually had a nice feel to it. I'll see how it comes out.
Almost back on all four feet.Attachment 71672
Amazing.......
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I'm following this intently, I'm curious to see how your converted power rack will work with a manual steering and how everything will line up.I don't even have the block pulled out of mine yet, so all options are on the table yet LOL
I did the manual rack conversion over the weekend; only took a couple of hours and I used the You Tube link I posted for guidance. Im curious to see how it steers, too. Im hoping to have it rolling and the column mounted over the next weekend.
I got the front end finished up this evening; looks like a clear path to the rack connection for the steering shaft hookup. Should be doing steering column and start figuring out the pedals this weekend.
Got my steering column and pedals mocked up. The old column was missing several parts and had an add on blinker switch. This one came from an early 60s Dodge truck. Just had to swap the shaft so the steering wheel splines would match. For pedals I modified a set of Fiero pedals and used a Wilwood clutch master and a big bore Mopar brake master. I’ll probably start on wiring next before I start putting the front clip back together. I saved the whole wiring harnesses from the Dakota; I’m just going to modify it and use it.
Great work!
I’m not going to paint this but I am going to address a few spots where it’s rusted through. I found a core support and another passenger door that will help fix the serious cancer.
Started getting the front clip back together. I got this grill off the other truck; it’s a 1959 but it’s in better shape and I like the look. I’ve got a little rust repair on the driver’s fender and the passenger door but the rest is going on as is.
Gonna be KEWL! (to steal a term from Dave Severson)
Beyond kewl, that thing is gonna be way kewl!
Here on the east coast we'll say it's Wicked Kewl! lol..