1968 50th Longbed build thread

[Orange67]

Really like your truck, man. Very nice.

[drewbert41]

Well it has been about 4 years since I posted on this thread, but since then I have moved to a house with a garage. During covid I was able to clear out the garage enough to have the truck towed here and the longbed just barely fit. I have it up on wheel dollys and it is working out pretty well. I installed some garage lights from harbor freight and now its a good place to work.

I got the cheapest vinyl seat cover from brothers for Christmas and did an alright job installing it myself. Good enough and beats the musty\mildewy cloth from before. I also got the seat lowering brackets from brothers and installed them.

I put on a new felpro gasket and filter on the TH350 to hopefully fix the leak and still need to hook up the cable.

I decided to go back to manifolds so I pulled my headers which meant the starter and alternator as well. I went ahead and ripped out the rest of the exhaust. A lot more room to work underneath now. I am painting up my new manifolds with VHT and I bought a flowmaster downpipe kit to put on with my Porter mufflers that have been waiting around.

I have a fuel delivery problem so it is not running at the moment. Thinking of installing the Edelbrock intake and carb kit. I definately want to move the tank to under the bed someday.

Here is a pic dump!

[CC69Rat]

Good looking truck man! I'll follow along. I love the 50th trucks for sure. Heres my old 68.

(Reflection from the house across the street, it wasnt two different colors the pic just looks weird)

[drewbert41]

Originally Posted by CC69Rat

Good looking truck man! I'll follow along. I love the 50th trucks for sure. Heres my old 68.

(Reflection from the house across the street, it wasnt two different colors the pic just looks weird)

Thanks Chad, I followed along on a few of you guys other builds, but must have missed this one. Sweet truck! Did you use the factory paint codes?

[drewbert41]

Got one of the new manifolds installed. Original alternator mount was on the manifold. I bought a bracket for the headers, but that does not work for this unless maybe I use a tube spacer.

Went ahead and ordered this kit:

[drewbert41]

For those late to the party this truck is rusty as hell and sat in a field for years. The drip rail is rotted through in places. The area behind the sun visors is rotted all the way through in places. I get rain through the firewall. You can see the ground through the bed. The rockers are pretty much non existent, etc. My trailing arms are eaten up pretty bad as well.

I am following the advice of many of you here and just working on mechanicals and getting it drivable first. Someday I will buy a big compressor and a welder. Maybe build a bigger shop and work on the body.

For now I finally have a safe place to jack it up and work on it. I also earn enough now to knock out some of this stuff that I used to have to wait forever for.

I still have only driven the truck for a block or so and I have owned it for 5 years! I am ready to get it on the road!

[drewbert41]

I ran the exhaust and put on the mufflers. No pics.

Got the new intake installed. Second photo is everything mocked up.

Gotta do a bunch of small stuff now like plug holes in the intake and get an adapter for my oil psi sender to fit with the new intake.

Next on the list is installing an Edlebrock fuel pump so I can get the 6 psi the carb needs without messing with a regulator.

Gotta make the stock mech linkage work with the carb. Saw a few threads here.

Plumb the fuel line, change fluids, hookup shift cable and I should be close to taking the first drive!

Learning as I go and its just me so its kinda slow. Got some motivation to get back at it recently from Vice Grip Garage.

[RCbowtie69]

looking good keep up the hard work & Keep on Truckin''

[drewbert41]

Been working on the truck and the checklist is almost done.

Found the pics of the exhaust I ran from the new manifolds.

I got my throttle and kickdown working after a lot of tinkering.

Installed the new fuel pump and ran the line to carb.

I went ahead and bought a used gas tank that is clean for $100. I don't really want to chance it with mine and these new parts. Still plan to relocate it under bed someday.

Since I got a clean tank I went ahead and ordered new 3/8 sending unit and 3/8 fuel lines from inline tube. Will be here this week.

Just buying fluids, etc. now. Getting close to firing it up!

[drewbert41]

TH350 had leaked dry over the years.

Scraped off all the rtv off the pan and put on a good gasket.

No leaks after 2 hours, but had a small drip overnight. Hopefully I can just snug them down a littleand be good.

[drewbert41]

Trans is still leaking at from pass corner. I am going to look up higher by the dipstick tube, etc.

New (to me) fuel tank is installed w\ new 3/8 sending until and fuel line.

[68Gold/white]

Some of the older TH350's had some sort or trans pressure controled swith. It screwed into the trnas side, in the area of where the dipstick tube inserts. If the swith is or isn;t plugged. It takes a 1/8 inch pipe plug and some teflon tape to fix.
OR, if you've never had the trans dipstick removed from the pan, the "O" ring or some sort of seal can be leaking. "O" rings were used on earlier trans. The dipstick is the determining factor as to whether or not you have an "O" ring seal or a sleeve...

[drewbert41]

Originally Posted by 68Gold/white

Some of the older TH350's had some sort or trans pressure controled swith. It screwed into the trnas side, in the area of where the dipstick tube inserts. If the swith is or isn;t plugged. It takes a 1/8 inch pipe plug and some teflon tape to fix.
OR, if you've never had the trans dipstick removed from the pan, the "O" ring or some sort of seal can be leaking. "O" rings were used on earlier trans. The dipstick is the determining factor as to whether or not you have an "O" ring seal or a sleeve...

It seems to be packed with RTV