Super Duper Haggis Hauler II - The Resurrection

[MacQuigley]

I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. I can almost feel myself driving it for the very first time. But there are many a slip between cup and lip that may catch me out yet.

I got that rear window from LMC. The original was just a fixed single glass panel. I will say, like many other parts, its not a great fit. The rubber is really a little small for the opening. Im hoping it wont fall out when I hit my first pothole to be honest. Don't think it will but Ive got a replacement standard seal just in case I need to refit the original.

[MacQuigley]

2nd bed side and front on this weekend.





Unfortunately I did manage to damage a little of the paint, partly by not paying attention and letting myself get distracted talking to my daughters boyfriend. I was only intending to loosely tighten the bolt and ended up going to far. Of course the paint is still soft so the washer dug in. Oh never mind I can touch that up later.



Also got the grill panel fitted. I was going to insert the lettering in the same old English white Ive done the interior in. I did try but gave up and repainted it when I realised, Im not a sign writer - it looked bloody awful! May get it done professionally at a later time.




A question for anyone who has fitted new door handles and locks. Has anyone had any issues with the actuator rod on the handle being too short to press on the lock lever inside the door? Mine are about 3/4" too short. Its not a big issue to extend it in some way but I cant understand why they are too short as they seem to be the same as the original.

[ibrown50]

The bedsides look great Bill, did the front panel come with the bed strip thingy (technical term ) already attached?

[MacQuigley]

If by that technical term, bed strip thingy, you mean the 90deg fold at the bottom them yes it came with it.

The side panels also came with their bed strip thingy's attached which is a right bummer as I bought 2 nice polished stainless and expensive parts to go with the sides! I'll be able to open a shop welling C10 and C3 parts by the time Im finished!

[MacQuigley]

So, one rear fender down, painted, sanded and polished. My painting has definitely improved but there are a lot of blemished in this. im probably one of a fey few that will notice and it will do for now.



Next up for the paint treatment will be the tailgate.



Also got the passenger door finished. Glass in and lock on. Had to sand back some of the area at the corner of the rocker as it was rubbing but not a big issue to repaint.



Need to line up the door gaps again after removing and replacing the front fender.



Oh and as it turns out these are NOT the correct brackets for the correct 62 bumper I bought!!!!! Just another little test!

[mjh1965]

Looking really good Bill . I wish I had the time to get on with mine , but I've just been too busy with work . I have got the four days before Easter off , so I can get on with finishing the cab off . But I don't think I will catch you up .

[MacQuigley]

Bit of a slow weekend for a number of reasons but I did get the passenger side rear finder fitted.





Not fitter the seal between the fender and bedside. Not sure I will fit it. Need to decide about that, cant decide if it will look better with or without.

I did notice that ive screwed up the bodywork on the rear of the bedside front support pillar. I was sure Id got it completely smooth but nothing could be further from the truth. Im going to have to sand it back and refill it. Just goes to show the difference between natural and artificial light, though in truth its so bad i think I must have had the lights off when i decided it was OK to paint. And its not like I rushed it. It took 3 weeks to "get right". Maybe I should have taken 4 weeks!

[MacQuigley]

So Ive spent most of the winter prepping and painting panels and to be blunt Im sick of it, so for the last couple of weeks Ive been doing other things just for a change.

When I bought the bench seat a couple of months ago, It didnt have a base so I started making one, using what I had kicking about ie Uni-strut. I also wanted to keep the battery out of the engine bay so I decided to put it behind the seat.

Its all a little agricultural to be honest but you know what you wont see it and it does the job nicely.







So next up I want to try and sort out all the wiring. Now I may be an electrician to trade but I still hate car electrics! So if anyone can tell me how to connect this thing up Id appreciate it;



Having belled it out it looks like there is one supply to the sidelights and one to the dipped beam. What Im not sure about is the fact it seems that when you go from side lights to dipped beam the sidelights go out. Im not sure if thats a standard US set up, In the UK its more normal for the sidelights to remain on when the dipped beam is on. Its not an issue either way to be honest, just unexpected (not sure the Vette operates like that but I cant check right now as its back at the painters).

Think Im also going to move the gas tank a little further back. When I fitted it, I didnt have the sides or rear cross member on so I fitted it level with the frame rails at the rear. It turns out I can move it back which would be better as the filler and vent wont then be under the bed cross support. Bit of a pain as I welded in the fixings but such is life.

No matter, with every little job completed Im one stage closer to driving it!

[ibrown50]

Love the seat Bill and great idea putting the battery behind the seat, better than putting underneath the truck on the chassis rail ........oh hang on that's what I did

[MacQuigley]

Originally Posted by ibrown50

Love the seat Bill and great idea putting the battery behind the seat, better than putting underneath the truck on the chassis rail ........oh hang on that's what I did

Well I almost did do that Ian but Im getting too old to be rolling about cars when I dont have to! Im thinking of running some additional cable to a couple of insulated posts somewhere handy so I can jump it easily if necessary.

Been out doing some of the wiring tonight. I hate car electrics and so much of this seems to be back to front ie I spent 30 minuted trying to figure out the wiper/washer switch only to eventually realise the negative and not positive gets switched!

[MacQuigley]

Oh how these electrics are doing my head in.

Between differences in terminologies, the really crap wiring diagrams that came with the new harness and, I’m embraced to say, a couple of real dumb mistakes on my part I was close to burning it to the ground tonight.

However, I think I finally figured it out. Didn’t help me chasing down a cable that it turns out I’d “hidden” inside a conduit thinking I didn’t need it.

With luck this week and weekend may see most of the wiring in place and hopefully working and scored off the list of things to do.

[MacQuigley]

Weekend update, well I guess 75% of the electrics are now done at least where I can finish them if I cant do the rear lights as I don have any yet, but everything is now run in and most are terminated. Id likely have finished it today if I hadn't needed to travel to Aberdeen for a meeting tomorrow.

Anyway, as a week break from wiring I decided to fit the clutch peddle linkage. Remarkably it went together easily, first time which is highly unusual for me. All down to the excellent design (Cheers John).



Still to work something out for the brake peddle but that should be easy enough

[Grizz1963]

Your build just makes me grin.

You really have putinthehours and sweat Bill.

Hopefully the electric gremlins get out the way soon.

[MacQuigley]

Originally Posted by Grizz1963

Your build just makes me grin.

You really have putinthehours and sweat Bill.

Hopefully the electric gremlins get out the way soon.

Cheers John.

The worst of it is to trade Im an electrical fitter. Creating wiring looms used to be a daily activity for me. Oh how 30 years off the tools have made a difference.

If my old foreman is still alive he'd kick my arse/ass if he saw it and if he isnt he will be turning in his grave!

[MacQuigley]

Originally Posted by MacQuigley

Cheers John.

The worst of it is to trade Im an electrical fitter. Creating wiring looms used to be a daily activity for me. Oh how 30 years off the tools have made a difference.

If my old foreman is still alive he'd kick my arse/ass if he saw it and if he isnt he will be turning in his grave!

Sorry Rian, I was thinking of another post there and thinking I was replying to Captainfab! My only excuse, its my age!!!

[MacQuigley]

Well thats another really awkward job done tonight, got the starter motor wired up. Ended up taking the start motor off, turning it so the solenoid was at the bottom and then reclocked it so the connections were far enough away from the sump/oil pan.

Hadnt been looking forward to it as Ive got issues with my hands which making working in a tight space with something as heavy as the starter really awkward. Sadly age is catching up and the discs in my neck are, well f&*ked, and pressing against the nerves that run down my arms. Hopefully I'll be able to get it fixed because it is now starting to have an negative effect on my ability to easily do things I used to take for granted.

Getting old sucks but as someone on here has in his footer (Im sure its Ian or Martin) it IS better than the alternative.

Anyway, enough of the self pity, Im aiming to have the truck wired enough by the weekend that I can start her on the key. There will still be a good few systems not fully connected but I should be there or there abouts.

[MacQuigley]

Hit submit instead of preview!

So originally my preference was on the core support, mainly as it makes connection easier but looking at the pictures I actually think higher on the inner fender looks best.

Opinions? Anyone else done this or similar (or is nobody else daft enough to waste time and money this way!)?

[ibrown50]

There just something very cool about a “hurst on the floor” (sing it brother) shame it’s not a 396

[MacQuigley]

Ive been trying to work "Ive got a 62 C10 with a 454 Holley carb and a Hurst on the floor" into that track every time I play it but it just doesnt scan (plus I dont have a voice like The Boss - If I did Id have someone else build my C10 as Id be loaded).

[MacQuigley]

I had been hoping to be able to fire up the 454 this weekend "under its own power" ie with all the internal electrics done rather than via the spaghetti junction of wires Id run everywhere, but sadly it wasnt to be!

However the reason that didnt happen wasnt down to an electrical issue but a mechanical one.

So I got the important electrical systems all working. The lights work just fine, indicators (well front as Ive no rear lights yet). The starter motor spins but is not engaging the flywheel. Its likely because I turned the starter so the solenoid points downward making connection easier. I hope its just a case of shimming it but I think I will need to turn it again. Thats not the end of the world but its so much easier this way. Fuel pumps are working. Gauges are working.






I didnt try to sort the starter yesterday as frankly it was far too cold to start crawling under the truck, so I will do that sometime this week if the weather gets a little better.

For me this is an important step forward as there electrics were completely shot when I brought the truck home so this is the first time Ive had things like working lights, indicators or even a spinning motor!

So as well as the electrics I also connected the brake pedal to the booster (though Im not happy with my work so I will re do it, but for now it will at least let me bleed the brakes just to make sure Ive no leaks in the system), fitted the Lokar clutch and brake pads as well as installing the Lokar gas pedal.



I need to sit down today/this week and update my to do list but I really can see light at the end of the tunnel now. Im still waiting for my propshaft to come back from the machine shop but once I fit that, fit the clutch slave cylinder, bleed both it and the brakes and hook up the throttle cable I may actually be able to run the truck up and down my drive. Now that would be a step forward!

[MacQuigley]

Success! Starter motor re-clocked and working just fine.

Water pump working though just temporarily, will need to run a permanent supply to it.

Oh and now the alternator is on and the serpentine belt fitted I also have power steering.

So who can spot the difference between the pictures;







Working gauges (well mostly) Woo Hoo!

[MacQuigley]

Time for a weekly (well almost) update.

So this weekend, I fitted the Lokar throttle cable bracket and cable, attached the clutch cable, moved the gas tank back 2 inches so I can better access the sender and breathers, connected up the sender then fitted an earth after it wouldnt work. That was Saturday taken care of. Yesterday I got the headlight buckets modified, fitted and the lights wired up.





Thats another few bits off the bench and onto the truck!

[MacQuigley]

So I need to decide where Im going to put the gas filler.

This is it mocked up, mostly to confirm I bought the right holesaw!





Ive 3 options:

On top of the fender



On the side of the fender



On the rear of the fender



Personally I like it on the rear but its not flat there and the lights may interfere. Anyone got any other suggestions? (BTW its going on the drivers side fender. These pics are for indication only

Could possibly put a reflector on it if Im putting it on the rear, that way its not so obvious and i meet our MOT rules!

[mjh1965]

I think I prefer it on the rear . As far as an MOT you don’t need one as I am sure you know.

[MacQuigley]

Originally Posted by mjh1965

As far as an MOT you don’t need one as I am sure you know.

I know, but strictly speaking it must be able to be MOT'd. Besides a couple of reflectors are likely a good idea.

Anyway, something dawned on me this evening and thats the fact I still have a rusty old fender I bought before I decided just to go for it and buy new parts.

So I decided to use it as the dummy. This is what it looks like with the filler in the rear.











I think this is the way to go, though I may have to rethink my rear lights and its going to be tight to "plumb" in but its doable.