'53 duramax
 

Figured I'd start a build thread for my truck. Long story short, I've been working on this thing for alost 4 years as time and money allowed me to. I picked up an lb7 duramax for dirt cheap and after a lot of measuring I thought it would fit fairly easily. I also picked up a ginormous allison to back the lb7. Hopefully the pics will post, it's been a while since I posted pics on here.

http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/...209_181552.jpg[/IMG]

Re: '53 duramax
 

Had to cut the new firewall back out to clear everything. Floors also had to be cut to clear the trans.
http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/...209_150348.jpg

http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/...209_150420.jpg

Re: '53 duramax
 

Awesome! Keep us posted

Re: '53 duramax
 

Firewall moved back and tacked in...
[IMG]http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/...209_173735.jpg[/IMG]

Re: '53 duramax
 

this is a awesome!

Re: '53 duramax
 

New trans tunnel made. I'm not really a good fabricator, but I do what I can. We made the motor and trans mounts pretty much from scratch tho.

[IMG]http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/...218_094425.jpg[/IMG]

Re: '53 duramax
 

Trans mount and motor mounts

[IMG]http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/...208_141704.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/...208_141648.jpg[/IMG]

Re: '53 duramax
 

cool build! wish I had your skill

Re: '53 duramax
 

Project is looking awesome. I am working on a similar build. Are you able to run the factory oil pan?

Re: '53 duramax
 

Everything actually fit pretty good as far as just dropping it in the frame. We had to notch out a lil bit to clear the oil filter and I have to rework the down pipe a lil bit.

[IMG]http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/...208_141655.jpg
[IMG]http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/...208_161442.jpg[/IMG]

Re: '53 duramax
 

Yeah the motor sits high enough. The trans pan is actually lower because we set the motor at -3 degrees to help get clearance at the yoke. Nothing hangs below the running boards tho. I wish I had a pic to show but I don't. I made my own floorboards and re braced everything to help with the structural integrity of the cab. This pic is of all the brace work on the floor, it's now skinned and smooth. This is also with the old trans tunnel I made.
[IMG]http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/...606_195412.jpg
[IMG]http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/...624_100232.jpg[/IMG]

Re: '53 duramax
 

Very nice work. Gonna be a amazing truck. Good luck with the build. I will be a lurker.

Re: '53 duramax
 

really digging this build! Lots of easy ways to add power to that LB7 too, with that torque curve that truck is going to be a rocket!

Re: '53 duramax
 

I want to follow this keep up the good work.

Re: '53 duramax
 

That much torque...are you boxing the frame?

Re: '53 duramax
 

Cool fabrication work. The floor is solid looking.

Re: '53 duramax
 

Sweet project and great work on it!

Re: '53 duramax
 

From the pics of the trans cross member, it looks like he has.

Re: '53 duramax
 

Yeah the frame is boxed from the rad support to the rear crossmember.

Re: '53 duramax
 

Iceburgh, I've seen your truck down at the fall cruise last year, good lookin ride man, I should have mine down there this fall

Re: '53 duramax
 

I love this!

Re: '53 duramax
 

Subscribed......looks like fun!!

Re: '53 duramax
 

And Ryan from Trucks thought putting a D-Max in a square body was cool. This is going to be a monster.

Re: '53 duramax
 

That's easy, there's twice as much room!

Re: '53 duramax
 

All that weight on coil overs and Mll IFS will that be enough spring for a Duramax?

Re: '53 duramax
 

Guess we'll find out lol. Motor doesn't weigh anymore than an old iron hemi and they stuff them in a lot of stuff without problem. I can't imagine that the front end couldn't hold an additional 300 lbs over what it would've weighed if I had put a 6.0 in it like I had originally planned. I know it sounds like a lot more tho.

Re: '53 duramax
 

And if they're gonna make a 700 lbs spring I would think the rest of it would be designed to take it, trust me it's been on my mind lol. If I take my first trip down the road and the front wheels fly off, I guess it couldn't handle it lol

Re: '53 duramax
 

I think you'll be fine. I pondered putting a 5.9 in my 40 Ford and the only thing I'd be worried about is lower ball joints. Like you, I figured an old hemi with a blower would weigh just shy of 1000lbs. I see hot rods with blown hemis racing and being beaten with MII's all the time with no issues. I have an old friend that had a 49 Chevy truck that was pro streeted and had a cab that was crew cab length, but only a 2 door. It was a heavy ride to have a MII front suspension. He had a lower ball joint rip out of the socket once. He baught stronger ones and kept an eye on them and never had a problem after that.

Re: '53 duramax
 

Kinda what I thought too, it's a trial and error build, with most of it being error lol.

Re: '53 duramax
 

You can't prevail without some failure first. :lol:

Re: '53 duramax
 

Can't wait to see it. We go every spring and fall and drive right through Red lion to get there. Hope to have my suburban there this year

Re: '53 duramax
 

Very cool!! Nice to see another out of the box thinker like my '52 with a 7.3L. Just use all high quality suspension and steering components and check often. What rear end are you going to use?

Re: '53 duramax
 

I have a chromoly fabricated 9" housing with a set of currie forged axles.

Re: '53 duramax
 

Yup that should handle it!!

Re: '53 duramax
 

Hung the front fenders today to see how everything fit, steering is done too. Plenty of room![IMG]http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/...312_151420.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]
[IMG]http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/...312_151547.jpg[/IMG]

Re: '53 duramax
 

[IMG]http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/...312_151509.jpg[/IMG]

Re: '53 duramax
 

Looks great. We're either doing a Duramax or BBC

Re: '53 duramax
 

So far the duramax has been pretty easy, a lot of cutting, grinding, one off parts and welding tho. we made everything to pit this motor in from scratch and we don't have any fancy fabrication tools other than a plasma and a welder lol

Re: '53 duramax
 

Sounds good. We arent scared to cut or weld :). Will be watching for when yours is running. Thanks

Re: '53 duramax
 

This is sooo freaking cool. I love the Allison in my '02...actually shifts very smoothly for such a large beast and I'm told can be made even better with some tuning. Your creating is going to be a tire fryer, but you already know that! Thanks for the entertainment!