Blueballz build thread
 

Ok so my first major truck build. Sold my 71 and spent much time hunting down a 55-59 big window. Missed a couple that went fast. Finally came across this one and jumped on it. 57 chevy big window from a farm in Montana. 235 inline 6 with 3 on the tree with overdrive. Paint isn't original but still has a "survivor" look to it. Needs all new rubber, new floor boards, a cab support, and window felt and gaskets.
My plans !:clap:
Complete air ride, rockers on the floor. Fbss. Already ordered scotts hot rods superslam for the front. Also ordered triangulated 4 link for the rear that I will be running both sets of bars parallel with bags over the outside bars and a watts in the back to keep it centered. Was planning on keeping engine and trans but scotts tells me the ifs displaces the inline 6s a lot so now the plan is to throw a rebuilt sbc in and retain the original 3 on the tree with overdrive. Fabing notches and some other simple stuff my self. Enough talking. Here's what I have so far.

Truck when I brought it home. One hell of a bumpy ride.

Re: Blueballz build thread
 

Sloped driveway jack stands... patent pending.

Re: Blueballz build thread
 

Notches done.

Re: Blueballz build thread
 

Looks like a nice truck to start with.

.

Re: Blueballz build thread
 

Looks like a cool project.
Kim

Re: Blueballz build thread
 

thanks guys. Yeah I'm looking forward to it. We've been getting so much rain that I havnt been able to do much outside. We needed it though.

Re: Blueballz build thread
 

:two:rain finally let up so I was a able to drop some old steel and get notches laid out. Would have finished em but work threw a job at me tomorrow so I couldn't burn the midnight oil. Hopefully I'll have enough day light to weld em up and do some more work out there. Also I will be adding reinforcement to all the joints of the notches and boxing frame rails once i see where my crossmember and tabs will be.
On another note after much searching I found a 1979-81 camaro or pontiac rear end. locking dif, 323 gears he tells me and disc brakes. Just as I was giving up and sourcing parts to convert over my dana 44.:two:. Do y'all think the 323 gears are tall enough for the 3 on the tree with a v8? It has 392s in it now.

Re: Blueballz build thread
 

Notches welded in. Got a new welder for this project and still getting a feel for it. It's burning pretty good though.

Re: Blueballz build thread
 

Looks good.
Kim

Re: Blueballz build thread
 

Nice work!

:uhmk:

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looks real nice

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:lol: love it.

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got my front sheet metal off and ran into a few more obstacles. rusted door hinge pockets and noticed the current method of mounting the transmission hangs too low. And unfortunately the tailshaft doesn't have any mounting perch on it. Anyone know if it's ok to weld on a tailshaft? If so I can fab a little something up and get a universal trans crossmember.

Re: Blueballz build thread
 

scotts hotrods superslam kit came through. along with a mountain of paper. This will fill my recycle bin for a month! The product looks great though! Can't wait to install it. Still not sure if I'm going to be able to keep the manual 3 speed given its mounting set up. I may just put the 235 and overdrive trans up for sale and try and get a 700r4 and push the motor up about 2" in the engine bay instead of cutting the drive shaft.

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Also starting to chew over some wheel options. Want wide whites, easy maintenance and longevity of coating. So thinking chrome but I love these blue artillery wheels with pin striping.

Re: Blueballz build thread
 

Nice looking parts.
Kim

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ah the delivery gods have arrived!

great progress

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Ok haven't posted ina while it's been slow goin. Got the front cross member and control arms mocked up with whee and fender and noticed I was only getting 6" of travel which would put my ride hight at about 3-4". Sent the control arms back to get the ball joint cup tweeked. They were able to get me about 1 more inch of travel. I guess that's it. Here's a few pics of the progress so far.

Re: Blueballz build thread
 

And pictures

Re: Blueballz build thread
 

Haha I just picked mine up last month and noticed they had a ton of paper in there. I have found other uses around the shop with that heavy duty paper. What are your plans for a rear suspension setup?

On another note, I just moved to Austin from Walnut Creek, you ever go to the cruise-in at Baja Fresh over in Pleasant Hill?

Re: Blueballz build thread
 

I remember hearing about that cruise in but I didn't make it in my 71. When I get this ****er rollin I'll have to check it out.

For the rear I had purchased a kit from Nfamus Metal Fab back in dec. They seemed to be blowing off my order and stopped answering their phone so after about 4 months I had to have my bank get my money back. So, buyer beware there. After finally getting my $ back I went with Thorbros. I'm planning on running a parallel 4 link set up but with the upper bars located on inside of frame. This way I can run bag over bar on the lower bars that will be located on the outside of frame. I have a watts link coming to keep axle centered. I can't wait man. Should be getting the rear kit in a bout a week. :chevy:

Re: Blueballz build thread
 

Creeping along. Got a little more done. Wasn't crazy about the bag notches they sent with the kit so I got some 6" sched 40 pipe and made some. Came out good I think. Front end is pretty much there, just need to hack out the massive crossmember with like 20 rivets and set up sway bar. I'm still waiting on Thorbros rear kit to come through.
I'm thinking about picking up a HF gantry crane to get this cab off. I'm sure I'll use it enough in the future to justify the purchase.

Re: Blueballz build thread
 

Looks good.
You can use an engine hoist to get your cab off.
Kim

Re: Blueballz build thread
 

Thanks Kim. Yeah I've seen some pretty creative videos and threads on using the hoist. I'll revisit that idea next time I'm out there tinkering. By the way I swung by your build thread and I must say, that is awesome sheet metal work sir.

Re: Blueballz build thread
 

I hate this website... I'm now looking at picking up a wrecked 2004 chevy 1500 to drop the 5.3 and 4l60 in my 57. I was looking up 383s and kept seeing everyone talking up the ls 5.3 conversion for reliability and milage and even power. Plus I never realized that I could get a whole powertrain will all accessories and belt for less than I'd be paying for a rebuilt trans and rebuilt long block.:mm: I love the simplicity of the old school stuff but this might be a fun route.
If anyone knows of any fitment or clearance issues I'd love a heads up.

Re: Blueballz build thread
 

Choppin it like a tree. Thorbros stuff came in. And I can say they are legit. These link bars are the beefiest I've seen. The frame mounts look to be 5/16" plate instead of the 1/4"-3/16" most places make. Got my lower mounts welded in.
Yeah I know I should have the axle mocked up. When I had it taken apart to rebuild it I washed it out and left it to dry out side and the scrap metal guys picked it up. Talk about ****ty luck! So I was able to find a new housing and that should be here next week. Here's some picks of what I've been up to.

Rear upper shock mounts set up

Re: Blueballz build thread
 

Welding on lower link frame mounts.

Re: Blueballz build thread
 

I like the fact that their hanger tabs are bolt on but they held the bar too close to the frame so I would have had to notch for the bag. I didn't want to notch the rear frame rails so I moved the tab hanger out about 5/8", used the old bolt holes for plug welds and welded all the way around. Now I should have 5/16"-3/8" clearance between bag and frame.

Re: Blueballz build thread
 

Cools awesome and keep up the great work.

The only fitment issues with the ls engines is you pretty well have to you the F body camaro oil pan with a lowered truck like yours or mine..
I went with long tube headers, to get to the mustang ii front end but i think i should have an issues here.

Ls is the way to go to my opinion but im new school.. lol

Re: Blueballz build thread
 

Thanks. Yup that's what scotts hotrod tells me. Part number 12628771.

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Got a little more done. Drilled out the axle tabs for the upper arms so the bars won't be spaced so far apart vertically. With the stock holes the bars would have been 10" apart and that would have had my tabs and bar end sitting 2" above the frame rails. Since that's where my tank is going I want to keep them as close to the height of the frame as possible. So this will put my tab and bar sticking up just 1/2". Plus now I have the choice of running bars parallel or top bar angled down slightly.

Re: Blueballz build thread
 

Finished the upper bar tabs and mounts. Fabbed up a cross member for the center of the frame with a notch for the driveline. Once installed I'm going to connect this cross member to the 45 miters on the tab mounts and that should help to stiffen up the frame a bit. There will also be the trans cross member in there some where too.

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2 more pics.

Re: Blueballz build thread
 

looking great man!!

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Thanks rednek13x. Its getting close to being done with the frame.
Your longed is rad by the way!

Re: Blueballz build thread
 

Nice job so far. I like your thought process.

Re: Blueballz build thread
 

That's a very nice truck to start with and awesome fab work!

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Thanks guys!

Re: Blueballz build thread
 

Got some more goodies in today. Getting the tabs welded in. Kind of working backwards from what I've seen most people do since I didn't have the dif housing. So I raised the lower bars to ride height and used some extra sheet metal to weld them to the frame parallel to each other and at ride height. Then I put the tabs on and leveled them out and tightened the bolt and welded a piece of metal from each tab and to the bar that way they we locked in position and I could set the axle onto them and position it for pinion angle before tacking. Then moved in the upper bars making sure they were parallel and then tacking. When it came to welding them in I welded one side of one tab on one axle tube then moved to other side and so on and so forth while using wet rags to keep tubes from getting to heated.

Re: Blueballz build thread
 

Blueballz

Boy oh boy, you and I think alike. Over kill is way under rated. Love it.

Keep on keepin on

NC

:D:D:D:D