Fat Tire 56 project
 

I have been working on this for a couple years now. I found this site and it has been a wealth of info for me. I should have already started a thread detailing my progress but never have. So now I am posting up some pics and info I have learned.

Re: Fat Tire 56 project
 

more badassness to follow, very nice!

Re: Fat Tire 56 project
 

A little info on the project:
Its on a 78 C10 frame
Has a 9" rear with ladder bars and coil overs
It has a 461" BBC that I built and a turbo 350 trans
The cab/firewall has not been cut but I have managed to fit the engine, radiator and electric fans in there.
The radiator started out from a 67 Chevelle and the fans are from a F$%d car.
The seat is out of a 84 C10 and the tilt steering column is out of a 1986 RV. I had to shorten the column to fit. I have the shift up on the column. The gas tank for a F)*d mustang.
The rear tires are Mickey Thompson 33X19.50X15 on weld wheels.
I plan on leaving the patina look and just use it to cruise in.

Re: Fat Tire 56 project
 

Thanks!

Re: Fat Tire 56 project
 

Nice. It's ok to say "Ford." :)

Re: Fat Tire 56 project
 

Very cool project...

Marc

Re: Fat Tire 56 project
 

I have been working on getting the truck to the point I can drive it. Got the steering taken care of, the brake lines and brakes done. I am going to tear the 9" rear down and check everything since I know nothing about it other than its 4.10 gears.

One big obstacle I ran into was the lower radiator hose. I had measured everything to make sure I could get column shifting ability, valve cover clearance, electric fan to water pump clearance (5/8"), p/s reservoir to radiator clearance etc. etc. When I installed the alternator belt it created a issue with the lower radiator hose. The belt is in direct line with the water neck of the radiator.

This is my first attempt to solve that and my first attempt to weld 16 gauge stainless. Hoping it will work when I put the rubber hoses on each end.

Re: Fat Tire 56 project
 

I had the same problem with my Jeep build. The bottom radiator outlet and the water pump inlet were on top of each other. I bought some 1.5 inch turbo inter cooler piping with 180 degree elbow and plumbed it in line with a 90 degree hose out of the radiator and a 45 degree hose into the water pump. I attached screen shots of my build in the alternative tinkering section. If you want to see/read up on it, it's the jeep trailblazer SS build, page 6, starting at post #127.

-Josh

Re: Fat Tire 56 project
 

Thanks for the info, if this doesn't work that will give me something else to try. These little things take up so much time to solve. I hope to be driving by spring.

Re: Fat Tire 56 project
 

I had a similar problem with my lower rad hose. (SBC in a 51 AD)

Gates 22433 is the upper rad hose for a 1999-2003 Ford F-250 with the 7.3 L diesel. (the pic is of both hoses I used, the 1 with only 1 bend fits a 1955 Chev with a V8)

With a little trimming, and I installed the coiled wire in the bend, and it seems to work fine.

looks good so far, keep it going

Re: Fat Tire 56 project
 

Nice Job on the lower rad hose! I am struggling with a similar issue currently.

Re: Fat Tire 56 project
 

if it doesn't work, could you mount an idler pulley to bring the belt up and out of the way for the hose? move the accesory a little and use the idler as a belt tensioner?

Re: Fat Tire 56 project
 

looking at the first pics the belt is pretty long and sometimes that length makes them come off the pulleys at higher rpm. maybe moving the alt to a more centered position would work? like the sbc used in some years. dunno if thats an option or if that would move the alt out of alignment.