Re: "52 3600/3100"
 

yikes......... that is a reminder to all of us to be careful, and not to rush........ remember, this is our hobby that we enjoy in our spare time, it is not a race.

One habit I have picked up is to wear my leather welding apron when I get the grinder out. I know it wouldn't protect my shoulder in this situation, but I remember my sweatshirt getting caught up in a wire brush and it scared the hell out of me.


Hope you heal soon, and glad it isn't any worse.

Re: "52 3600/3100"
 

man that really sucks!

Re: "52 3600/3100"
 

I think most of us have had a cut off wheel experience. Hope it heals quick, and best to you...Jim

Re: "52 3600/3100"
 

holy crap! glad your ok!

Re: "52 3600/3100"
 

scary stuff

Re: "52 3600/3100"
 

Alright I know I have said it before but this year is the year. I will drive this truck out of my shop if it kills me. Ordered another **** load of parts that should help solidify the drive train and have it in place. Paint and body is going to go on after its driving. I have had this truck for almost 8 years and I am ready to drive it damn it. wish me luck. or dont either way lol

Re: "52 3600/3100"
 

Looking forward to see you ripping it down the road...Jim

Re: "52 3600/3100"
 

Ok so since I have boxes of brand new parts to install and more stuff showing up weekly.( my wife loves it ......) I will update on what I have been able to do with a couple of hours here and there.
Clean up and paint the engine block.
Swap the oil pan for the muscle car pan.
mock up my headers.
Swap the internal harness in my 4L80E. I have destroyed about 6 trans filter seals so if anyone has any tips on how to get one in without destroying it or get one in and it stays in and accepts and filter that'd be great.
I have some new filter seals on the way. Hopefully I can get that thing put back together and get the drive train final mounted this weekend.

Re: "52 3600/3100"
 

Weekend update. 6/18/23
Started prepping the interior for paint. Let my 7yr old son pick the color, he did well.(Sandstorm Tan)
Battled a stuck manifold bolt for a whole day and then 15 minutes of the next lol It was broken about 1/8 inside the threads so I had to build it up with weld btu every time I'd weld a nut on the nut would twist off!!! I ended up building it up and twisting it out with vise-grips after letting kroil do its job over night.
Headers on and torqued.
OIL pan filled after 3 trips to the parts store to find the right filter for my ebay ls swap pan.
mocked up the radiator and got some hose on but I am thinking I may have to try some flex hose as these bends are kind of funky.

Process is slow but atleast the train is moving.

Re: "52 3600/3100"
 

Been there with broken bolts. A cobalt reverse drill bit works sometimes and when it works really good it unscrews the broken bolt.

Re: "52 3600/3100"
 

Alright well 2023 driving didn't happen but I am on the path to goodguys in desmoines. It wont look pretty as I am not doing any body or paint as of right now, But its literally days before I roll this thing out of the drive on its own.
Update: In the last few months I have.....
Rebuilt custom motor mounts.

Completed the drivetrain.

Have ran the engine in the truck. Would post a video but everyone has heard an ls.

Kilmat and put some temporary carpet in.

Rebuilt rear drums.

Built an exhaust

Installed the seat.

Installed the shift linkage.

Built a hidden switch panel enclosure.

made a ecm bracket for under the dash.

Installed the tailgate along with a GM seatbelt latch for the tail gate.

Upcoming Priority List:

Build and route brake lines

Hook up Trans cooler lines

Fix leaky fuel pump fitting.

Install Glass

Finish wiring

Build custom inner bed frame to accommodate my fuel cell.

TEST DRIVE

THE to do list is getting smaller after almost 9 years. It might finally happen.

Re: "52 3600/3100"
 

Looking good! I want to see a picture of the tailgate seat belt latch. Rob

Re: "52 3600/3100"
 

Here ya go. Learned it from Stacey David on TRUCKS. I can't remember if it was Copperhead or another chevy build he did.

Re: "52 3600/3100"
 

I DID IT

I drove my truck out of the shop this past weekend and it was one of the most rewarding things ever. 2 months ahead of goodguys so I can try to finish it up and do some shakedowns before doing a 6 hr round trip in it.
My wifes android sending the video to my iphone is terrible but Ill include the link to my FB post.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/94E...ibextid=WC7FNe

Re: "52 3600/3100"
 

Congratulations !

first drives are always a great feeling

Re: "52 3600/3100"
 

Excellent! :metal:

Re: "52 3600/3100"
 

That's awesome!

Re: "52 3600/3100"
 

Starting to come together.
I have license and insurance on the ol boy. I put the glass in with the help of my dad. Doing the rear glass locking strip without the special tool is super fun. Took it for another drive and smashed on the gas. Nothing broke so Big Plus.
Started wiring the lights up. I have found that the American Autowire kit comes with more wiring options than I'll probably ever need. Still need to figure out what I am doing for a bed floor. As for the paint job, you have to understand that this was a farm truck that had 40 years of getting its butt beat on a farm. there was no amount of body work that was going to save the bumpy front fenders and I don't have the cash to buy a new front clip so I'm running it just like it looks in the pictures. Over time I plan on getting it perfect little by little, but I want to enjoy this thing.

Re: "52 3600/3100"
 

Wiring will be cleaned up also. I have it set up for testing purposes currently. still have to install loom and button things up.

Re: "52 3600/3100"
 

Nice!

Re: "52 3600/3100"
 

Small set back!!

So after installing glass and working out some cooling issues with the ls swap and some steering work with proper borgeson joints, lil barnwood bed install. I went for another 1/4 mile test drive. Everything working as it should on my way back up the street I am a happy camper. I go to just give it a little gas nothing wild but I must have spun the tires and SNAP. Something popped and I spun super hard into a grass embankment almost rolled and slid backwards into my neighbors yard. Thankfully I didn't have my kids with me because I hadn't installed my seat belts yet. After the initial assessment of the damage its looking like Ill need a new right rear axle and drum, a new radiator, short section of rear brake line, most likely changing the wheels. I did break some of my 4 link components but they look re usable. I wish I knew what caused initially but Ill never know. The sheet metal is all work able for what I need and I wasn't injured so its just a minor set back in the grand scheme of how bad it really could have been.

Re: "52 3600/3100"
 

Glad you are alright! That sucks!

Re: "52 3600/3100"
 

Yikes, glad it was only a 'test' drive and no one was hurt.

sounds like the 4 link let loose (weld?) and caused the damage?

Re: "52 3600/3100"
 

I'm thinking it was one of the welds on the pumpkin. I struggled to get one side STUCK really good, but I thought I had that issue resolved. This time around ill make sure I put the HEAT to it . Considering doing a parallel set up and ditching the triangulated rig all together so that's not a possibility for 2.0.

Re: "52 3600/3100"
 

Oh man, good you are ok. The truck can be fixed :)