424 monkey ward (cause all the cool kids have a gilson)

#21
Yeah, I have a real honda 390 :devil2:

Because I got it "running" when we first got it so easily I just figured on keeping it factory-ish. The 4hp is more than enough for the speed demon 9 y/o. Thats the only reason why i have been hesitant on putting a bigger engine on it. It's just driving me nuts every time he wants to ride it something else with that engine has gone out. I can't blame the engine because it sit for 20+ years semi sorta covered and brought back to life. It needed a good going through when I brought it home. The spare tec I have doesn't have a much better story. It's been sitting behind the shop for at least 10 years, parked when the washer head started acting up and we just went and got a bigger washer.

Thanks for the offer Pete. You still have those templates for the TAV plates for these things?

I've ran it past the kid and the bike is getting blown apart tomorrow. He has his 4 wheeler to play on right now and he has started back on his 59 chevy for a bit. I'll take the reins of the MW and do a frame up restro on it during the winter so it'll be totally ready by the spring.
Yes, I have the templates for the TAV. I'll pm you with what I have.
 
#22
Well this thing is getting a B&S, lol. I was gonna throw an electric start lifan 6.5, been waiting on a reason to make the 1 hour drive to go get it (I had a doctor appt up there the end of the month). One of dad's buddies was throwing out a tiller so he got it, turns out it has a 5hp IC on it that cranked up first pull. The rest of the tiller is scrap but now I have to figure out how to hook up a throttle on it.

Anybody got a good look stupid do this and this how to throttle hookup keeping the governor on one of these? I'm searching but everything I keep finding is for the gov removed.
 
#23
I have a 1969 gmc custom (factory custom with ac, the upgraded interior, 350, auto, coil sprung rear suspension instead of leafs)
NEO that would be the first GMC that I have ever seen that had a coil sprung rear. They all have leafs in my neck of the woods. And I have been around them all my life..... I was around them when they were new.... But I have never seen a GMC with coils. Doesn't mean that they didn't make one somewhere along the way but they must be the proverbial needle in the hay stack. GMC was always the Heavy Duty truck back then and that was why they used leaves. They had a higher towing rating than a Chevrolet.
 
#24
NEO that would be the first GMC that I have ever seen that had a coil sprung rear. They all have leafs in my neck of the woods. And I have been around them all my life..... I was around them when they were new.... But I have never seen a GMC with coils. Doesn't mean that they didn't make one somewhere along the way but they must be the proverbial needle in the hay stack. GMC was always the Heavy Duty truck back then and that was why they used leaves. They had a higher towing rating than a Chevrolet.
The Custom (all the trim on the door says) was listed as super custom if you look for it and a pretty rare trim level for a GMC. As you said most of them were work trucks and got the lower end options packages. Some of the stuff it had is hard to find and not being repoped. I've never seen another one (67-72) with a factory tach and factory auto trans.
 
#25
The Custom (all the trim on the door says) was listed as super custom if you look for it and a pretty rare trim level for a GMC. As you said most of them were work trucks and got the lower end options packages. Some of the stuff it had is hard to find and not being repoped. I've never seen another one (67-72) with a factory tach and factory auto trans.
I remember having a GMC on the car lot in the early to middle 80's and it had the fancy door panels and the factory tach. It was blue with blue guts like so many of them. I remember thinking that it was the only one that I had ever seen with a factory tach at that time. Don't have a clue what suspension it had as I was out of the car business by then and my Father was running it by his self. I do remember it was a long bed though... That's interesting to learn about them NEO. C-10's are not my specialty but we have had a lot of them in the 18 years we were in the used car business. 1969 - 1987

Doug
 
#26
I remember having a GMC on the car lot in the early to middle 80's and it had the fancy door panels and the factory tach. It was blue with blue guts like so many of them. I remember thinking that it was the only one that I had ever seen with a factory tach at that time. Don't have a clue what suspension it had as I was out of the car business by then and my Father was running it by his self. I do remember it was a long bed though... That's interesting to learn about them NEO. C-10's are not my specialty but we have had a lot of them in the 18 years we were in the used car business. 1969 - 1987

Doug
The story I can trace it back and I'm the 3rd owner is the first was a local paper company. It was used as a maintenance truck. Why they used a highly loaded and optioned truck I've never gotten the answer. I've talked to a few of the guys that worked out there and remember it but haven't ever found the man responsible for buying it. Dad (2nd) bought it in 84-85 and I put claim on it then. I got my hands on it in 96 and kept the tires bald on it through my teens. I parked it a few years back to start restoring it. I got about 60% of the parts but when I got sick it slowed me down. I figured when I'm 80 I might have a nice truck, lol. I was kinda hoping my son would have liked it but he had his choice and picked the 58 chevy apache we had. Dad pulled it up and we teach him things here and there on it. It a kinda rare one itself having a fleetside bed on it. Dad got it years ago cobbled together with a 78 k5 running gear and have no history on it.
 
#27
I can tell you exactly why they bought a fully dressed truck. And how they got it cheap. It happened all the time back then.... The fleet manager need a truck to sell the paper company as they were buying multiple trucks during the course of the year. And it was to late to order a truck. He didn't have one in stock. AND this particular truck had been around for to long already, had not sold due to the higher sticker price and it was the designated amount of time on the floor plane that it needed to be moved. Truly just that simple. Time to get it off the lot and pay off the floorplan as it was eating interest everyday. Its all about the dollar when you have a lot full of cars on floorplan. You reach a point that profit is eaten buy interest, so send it down the road and wash out.

Have you seen the Blazer that I have been working on????? Its a 71 with a 67 front end on it. 2wd and on the ground. A very solid rust free truck. It had a spot here and there but nothin that a dollar bill folded in half wouldn't cover. Its been a fun project so far. It has a No Limit front suspension and a Porter Built trailing arm rear suspension. Coilovers on all 4 corners. He bought a GM Performance LS3 485hp crate motor and a crate 4L65 auto (I think that's the correct designation) for it. And a new complete Currie 9 inch. 20 x 12's on the rear and 20 x 10's on the front. 14inch Willwood brakes all around. It will be a fun ride when we get it done.

Doug
 
#28
I can tell you exactly why they bought a fully dressed truck. And how they got it cheap. It happened all the time back then.... The fleet manager need a truck to sell the paper company as they were buying multiple trucks during the course of the year. And it was to late to order a truck. He didn't have one in stock. AND this particular truck had been around for to long already, had not sold due to the higher sticker price and it was the designated amount of time on the floor plane that it needed to be moved. Truly just that simple. Time to get it off the lot and pay off the floorplan as it was eating interest everyday. Its all about the dollar when you have a lot full of cars on floorplan. You reach a point that profit is eaten buy interest, so send it down the road and wash out.

Have you seen the Blazer that I have been working on????? Its a 71 with a 67 front end on it. 2wd and on the ground. A very solid rust free truck. It had a spot here and there but nothin that a dollar bill folded in half wouldn't cover. Its been a fun project so far. It has a No Limit front suspension and a Porter Built trailing arm rear suspension. Coilovers on all 4 corners. He bought a GM Performance LS3 485hp crate motor and a crate 4L65 auto (I think that's the correct designation) for it. And a new complete Currie 9 inch. 20 x 12's on the rear and 20 x 10's on the front. 14inch Willwood brakes all around. It will be a fun ride when we get it done.

Doug
Wow Doug, that Blazer sounds bad ace. That LS3 wasnt cheap. Put up some pictures of it sometime, if allowed. Would love to see it. There is one guy on 67-72chevytrucks.com, that has a turbocharged LS3 i think it was, 6.0, something like that. It was a Blazer, 2 wheel drive. I was born in 86, so never really got my shot at a 68 c10, short wheel base, some day though.
 
#29
This is not his truck but it is close.



This is his truck and the inner fenders that I built to clear the suspension and the tires...









You can see the right inner is the finished size and the left inner is still stock and just cut to clear the suspension. The pics with the fenders off the truck were after all the welding had been done. I hand formed all of the lower edge on both fenders. There is 161 inches of weld in the right fender and 180 something in the left fender. It has more because I had to fabricate the filler for the steering box so they matched right & left. Filled the vents in the cowl and had 121 inches of weld in it. It was a little bit of a challenge as I had to make a wooden buck to hammer the pieces over to get the reverse curve we needed. The front inners were widened 6 inches and the rear inners were widened 4 inches. You should see it with the whole thing mocked up. With the engine in place and the sheet metal all hung it looks nice under the hood. The big inner fenders kind of take up the vast amount of space these trucks have under the hood yet they are not overwhelming... I will be getting more pics of it the next time we work on it.
 
#30
Thanks Doug, pretty sweet. It is nice to work on other peoples things, using their money. He is going to love that blazer, they make super clean looking rides. Porterbuilt and LS3 is a chunk of change. Good thing he has you doing the fabricating, or that would be another $15000.
 
#31
Im a sucker for first gen blazers, well a sucker for 2nd gen fullsize ones and all first gen s10 blazers too. Did you start out with a k5 or find a needle in haystack c5? I actually know where a c5 1st gen gmc is sitting but the guy comes out with a shotgun because hes tired of people jumping his gate to come ask about it.

Those inners look clean. You putting an air suspension under it?

My little blazer I've been working on the fenders because I put full width dana 60s under it. Gonna just build a prerunner style bolt on sides for the rear out of fiberglass but the front I've been sectioning, wideing, and raising the wheel opening of a steel fender as time allows. Been a slow process as I only work on it between hospital stays it seems here lately.

I was born in 1980 so you aint that much younger than me. The old ones are still out there just the ones like these have become poplar. I think dad gave $500 for my truck back when running. That bodystyle now just the body you can easily pay 3-4 times that.
 
#32
Well for something in left field, lol. I got a few more parts off the bike cleaned up and painted. Looks a little sad sitting on a rim just about bare frame. I have to find a local source of some media that won't eat up the rims. About all I can find around here easily is sand and black beauty (coal slag). Coal slag eats aluminum faster than sand in my experience. Gonna try to make a trip if I'm feeling good to pick up the supplies for the frame and finally tackle it. I'll try to get some pictures when/if I feel like walking back out to the shop this evening.
 
#33
Im a sucker for first gen blazers, well a sucker for 2nd gen fullsize ones and all first gen s10 blazers too. Did you start out with a k5 or find a needle in haystack c5? I actually know where a c5 1st gen gmc is sitting but the guy comes out with a shotgun because hes tired of people jumping his gate to come ask about it.

Those inners look clean. You putting an air suspension under it?

My little blazer I've been working on the fenders because I put full width dana 60s under it. Gonna just build a prerunner style bolt on sides for the rear out of fiberglass but the front I've been sectioning, wideing, and raising the wheel opening of a steel fender as time allows. Been a slow process as I only work on it between hospital stays it seems here lately.

I was born in 1980 so you aint that much younger than me. The old ones are still out there just the ones like these have become poplar. I think dad gave $500 for my truck back when running. That bodystyle now just the body you can easily pay 3-4 times that.
neo, $15,000 wouldn't cover what has been done so far...... Not a single piece of this truck is as it was bought. The gas tank was about 3 inches lower than the rear pan. Its up tight and flush now. I spent 4 days mounting the gas tank, making a gas door and getting it all to work together. I have had to make dies and stamp pieces that you cant buy because they are Blazer unique. But I enjoy the challenge. We still have to box the frame and build the exhaust. 3 inch stainless. Plumb the brakes with stainless lines. Build a front roll pan. Fab a filler for the grille to radiator support. We just installed a set of Porter Built hood hinges. Way way better fit and finish than the GM hinges. And it has Coilovers on all 4 corners. What you see is what you will get. Nothing will be below the frame rails. And it was a K-5. Bought 20 years ago. We need to roll it out and take some pics before we blow it apart for the frame boxing and final finish work. I have some custom tricks up my sleeve for the doors. That's about the only part we haven't worked on yet. I spent 2 days when we started this project lining every piece of it up with a Laser. Then the fun began.....

We need to finish the Warriors before we start back on the Blazer. We should start back on them next week. Hopefully I can get the Bronc finished this week, weekend....

Doug

I got married in 1980........
 
#34
I have to find a local source of some media that won't eat up the rims. QUOTE]


Neo, you could take them to the local transmission shop and have then toss them in the hot wash the next time they run a transmission through. You might be surprised how clean they come out. I know that if I ever build another Briggs it is going in the hot wash. The local technical college would have a hot wash for the trans classes. Might get it done there too...

If you have to have them blasted you need to have them glass beaded. And you can bead blast them with almost anything except fresh abrasive. It just a matter of turning down the pressure and keeping your distance. I did some antique brass HO scale locomotive's for a friend with about 30 PSI through the gun. They turned out very nice. You sound like you don't like Black Beauty. I only have 5 pallets of the stuff....... That's 3000 pounds per pallet.... I use the crap out of it. I have it in my big blast cabinet and in my pressure pot. Its super stuff on steel. Its all about the grit too.... I have fine and it is just right in the cabinet and yet still functions very good in the pressure pot. It was almost free... Left over from a job at a Tank Farm.

Doug
 
#35
The local trans shop that does hot dip doesn't take outside work. I asked years ago, they only dip trans that they work on. The guy is my trans guy and knows me by name but still nothing but his own work.

I adore BB on steel parts. I have 2 55 gallon barrels of the stuff in my shop. I have a pot and a cabinet and its just about all I use on steel or cast iron. There is much better out there for aluminum. Fortunately most of what I blast fits in a cabinet and is steel. I can take walnut, glass, or corncob and do a much better finish for rider rims (not looking for a mirror show finish). The annoying part is have to order it online and wait. Local (2 hour round trip) I have play sand that I have to sift and dry or coarse coal slag. I have to play the cost of gas vs shipping cost game when I need stuff. Welcome to life in the boonies but no way I would move to a more populated area.

My parents married march 3rd 1979. I popped out march 1st 1980 in the middle of the worst ice storm this area has seen. Took my dad 2 hours to make a 15 min drive in his 69 hevelle. The doctor came out in time to catch me in the back seat of that car sitting in the emergency room parking lot. I came in kicking and screaming in a chevelle and I plan on going out in one. 37 years old now with 2 cancer scares, 3 major surgeries, and a major organ removed I'm still kicking tooth and nail. I've owned just about everything (novas, impalas, bel airs, and a fleetliner) but a chevelle. The running joke is as soon as I sign the title to one I'll drop dead.
 
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#36
Well I have gotten a bit done between the rain showers.

looks sad, everything off is in some stage of cleaning, primer, paint, or polish



New seat pan, thats the bottom. And yes its cut square, it looks out of wonk the way it's sitting on the frame. I have to go pick up the foams and buy the vinyl.



brake in primer so I can remember how it goes back. That rusty bolt is getting replaced with stainless



shiny... and the one peg that was missing the rubber in primer



Whats this funny looking carb thing doing? I set out looking for a tec 5hp and have all kinds of good running 5 hp briggs given to me. I'm gonna start looking for a briggs 5hp.





Got this to do the seat because the one I had is a light duty POS. I've been cleaning it up and restore it leaving the original godzilla/crinkle finish. Anybody cares it's a 1953 model 66-18. I've been wanting an electric version since I own a 66 and 99 (half size) treadle machines already. Best of all I got this for free, my aunt was gonna trash it because she doesn't sew :confused: :hammer: When it's raining (like it has every other day) I'm working on a cherry base for it. The one it's sitting on looks better in pictures but its a cheap press board aftermarket thing that the screws have pulled loose on the hinges. The thing is 30lbs with the motor and if that base is 1 day old it's 1 day older than it should be supporting that weight. I'm guessing its late 60s or 70s vintage.



Karen might be the only one that appreciates the last vintage iron besides me. Even those that don't care for a brand in the sewing world can look at those old machines like ya'll look at old minis or car nuts look at different car makes. I don't like dodge or ford but I'll still drool over a hemi challenger or 427 cobra mustang.
 
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#37
Well my paint choice is made.



My custom colored decals are in process. Nothing as fancy as Pete's fleet of gilsons/wards with custom text and graphics because I plan on having a light on the front of this thing so I don't have the full panel. Kinda excited and scared. No going back now and the boy better quit changing his mind on colors.

Now a teaser for the seat. If I can find the zodiac vinyl I'm thinking silver and blue in either a diamond tuck or maybe a tuck and roll. Silver sides, blue top, and silver thread.



Going with a bit of 50's lead sled theme with some modern touches (hopefully) tastefully thrown in.
 
#39
Dang neo, this spring weather got you feeling all good and getting some work done. Good for you :thumbsup:
I been feeling and ready to get out and get to work for a few months, somebody just needs to tell my body.

I have no problem doing a bunch of little things a little at a time right now. Just been down for so long doing something little feels like I just done 8 hours of hard labor, I just run out of energy. Knocking out little things that I can sit on my lazy tail. Thats why I started working on the sewing machine. I have it sitting on the kitchen table and work on it sitting down. Building my endurance back slowly and now I'm tackling things out in the shop. I think I got a all the big parts of tear down on the mini done now so I can tackle everything in small steps.
 
#40
I been feeling and ready to get out and get to work for a few months, somebody just needs to tell my body.

I have no problem doing a bunch of little things a little at a time right now. Just been down for so long doing something little feels like I just done 8 hours of hard labor, I just run out of energy. Knocking out little things that I can sit on my lazy tail. Thats why I started working on the sewing machine. I have it sitting on the kitchen table and work on it sitting down. Building my endurance back slowly and now I'm tackling things out in the shop. I think I got a all the big parts of tear down on the mini done now so I can tackle everything in small steps.
Good plan, just don't stop moving! No matter if its a sewing machine, or a Briggs, its the action of physically fixing/repairing something that is mechanical that keeps the mind going. I like to tinker on many things, and like all of us, have too many hobbies. Keep at it my man :thumbsup:
 
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