Topic: 38 GMC Build using original drive train

[goose-em]

I will try to post this in chronological order but who knows after this many years.

Way back in 08 I decided to build another hot rod, or rat rod whichever you prefer.

Here are a couple of photos.

what she looked like just after picking her up

[attachimg=1]

 start of the tear down.

[attachimg=2]

more tear down

[attachimg=3]

look at that clean interior

[attachimg=4]

Right after the start of the tear down we decided to move to Lousiana.  HAd to do some quick frame and suspension work to get it on the trailer for the trip.

[attachimg=5]

[goose-em]

More of the temporary suspension.  I really liked the unintentional stance.

Third picture is in the new shop in Louisiana around August 08

[goose-em]

Figured I better get my avatar up before going any further so now that I have accomplished that.....

onto the photos!

Working on the rear suspension on a Saturday.

My panhard bar didn't quite fit right so I threw in some temporary brackets to keep it from moving around.

These were changed later but as these are in chronological order you will have to wait to see.

And of course I had to give it the old fat man jump test!

[goose-em]

Since I didn't have much time to work on it during the week at the shop that left only Saturdays.  I decided to bring it home so I could have a brew while working on it.

My wife was thrilled that I relocated her car from the garage to the driveway. 

I have a few pics of the chop, I lost a bunch of the good ones when my other computer suffered a major coronary.

Chop was 3.5 inches.  I left the back window the stock size as it was small enough already.  Layed the A-pillar back which is my preffered method on this style of cab. 

Doing the A-pillar this way makes it look mean and fast.

[Greybeards Customs]

That does look nice with the front post leaned back .

[goose-em]

So I say to heck with chronilogical order although this is still an older pic with the temporary front suspension still in place.

Here it is in October 2009 and shows how awesome the chop with the layed back post comes out.

I will go back in the right order after this though.

[goose-em]

OKay, back to the build.

I am throwing in a pic of the uncut grille to give an idea of how big this art deco thing is.[attachimg=1]

[attachimg=2]

Going to change this pile of parts from this[attachimg=3]

To this[attachimg=4]

And then add a rolled rear pan made from a 55 gallon drum[attachimg=5]

After a little lead work the chop is looking good[attachimg=6]

After I won a little gift from my Australian buddies[attachimg=7]

[goose-em]

I will figure out this picture thing yet!  New site new issues.

and onto the show!

I just love the 38 GMC grille.  Art Deco and full of style, what to do??

Cut it up of course

Small problem now that it is around 15 inches shorter than stock

A few cuts and some tack welding an walla

Cut the grille strips from this

To this

And you end up with this

[hotwheels]

Holy cow goose-em, that is a great build my friend. I love how you used a piece of a barrel for a roll pan, awesome. I love the comment too about your wife loving her car being moved out of the garage, hehehehehe. That there is funny stuff.....Thanks so much for sharing your build with us, it's awesome.

[goose-em]

Did I mention all that crap laying around in the last picture was the remains of my temporary front suspension.

There is no turning back now, this 27 buck rear suspension was my inspiration, I put my engineering, machinist and welding skills to the test next.

As a side note this front suspension which can also be used as a rear suspension, has been patented by me and will soon be available for public consumption at www.nineoninespeedshop.com.  (shamless plug I know)

Now back to the build!

I can't really tell what these thumbnails show but I know it is the new front suspension.

I will let the pics do the talking other than.....

This suspension design allows the front axle to move up and down in a straight line wlimintating fore and aft movement. 

It utilizes an upside down leaf srping but the distance from the center of the mount to the axle never changes, this allows the steering to have almost zero bump steer.

okay onto the pics

[goose-em]

Thanks Hotwheels.  I try to keep it light.  Afterall I do this for fun and profit!

[Sky]

That's coming out sweet dude !!!!!

[goose-em]

So that was my front suspension in a nutshell....why does Austin Powers Gold member spring to mind, "this is me in a nutshell" too funny!  "lower the globe"  "you don't even have a name tag, you stand no chance at all"

What's next, let me dig into my archives, many of my build pictures ahve been lost but I can dig up a few more.

Sub floor, 3.5 inch channel and some tubes

add a little sheet metal.

In case you can't tell my tunnel is a triangle.  I decided to do it this way mostly because it was cool and easy.  Most are round and I wanted something different.

Once you see the finished project you will see why.

Please note that I am not the fat guy, at least in my head.

And even though Todd Hoffman of Gold Rush fame and I could be brothers we are not.  But I will give you his autograph if asked

[goose-em]

Here is Todd and I for your enjoyment....

You be the judge.

Time to watch SOA with the wife.

BAck tomorrow

[hotwheels]

Here is Todd and I for your enjoyment....

You be the judge.

Time to watch SOA with the wife.

BAck tomorrow

That is hilarious, look like twins...........hehehehe

[obama]

Always good to dress nice around the shop, case somebody sneaks in and snaps a photo.
Nice to have ya join us Goose-em. Truck with that chop, and the leaning post gives it a nice look.

[Greybeards Customs]

This is a fun thread .... Nice web site by the way 

[goose-em]

Well it was liesure suit Friday.

I had the old seat frames laying around and was trying to figure a way to get the old canvas off.

Then I remembered I had a can of gas and some matches.

Worked great, too bad I didn't use them

[goose-em]

Somewhere around this time in the story is where I lost a bunch of photo's but I shall push onward....

Seeing as how this is a 1938 model I was trying to keep things around that same era.

So I made some of these

and welded them to my rolled pan

and added this repop set of 1938 Harley taillights. 

I wanted originals but could only find one, thought about just going with one but decided to use the repops.  Someday I will find the match to the original and get rid of the repops.

[Greybeards Customs]

Show me a guy that doesn't like to build a fire and I will show you someone that doesn't like beer !

[goose-em]

In case you can't remember what the engine looked like when I first pulled it here's a pic.

2nd picture is after and extensive, expensive and LOOOOOOOOONG rebuild, 2 years to be exact.

This is what was done:

cleaned
magnaflux
hardened valve seats
new valves
new valve springs
custom made flat top aluminum pistons with 4140 wrist pins .060 over
cylinders bored .060 over (we had the option of boring to .120 over but could not find rings and wanted to leave a little for the next rebuild should it ever need it)
Crank was lightened, ground and balanced (crank weighed an amazing 120 pounds before we took 40 pounds off)
Head was milled .062 (that is 1/16th inch)
Deck was milled .063 (added to the amount taken off the head and you get .125, we could have gone to .188 or 3/16" but didn't want to move the plugs)
Old compression = 6:1, new compression 7.5:1 Yee Haw!!!!!
Original cam was sent to EGGE for a little grinding, went with the old school 3/4 grind although we could have went with something a little more racey this grind just felt right.
Then of course were all the new timing gears, flywheel ground and lightened, NOS water pump, etc.
Original delco distributor was rebuilt and changed to HEI with a 40k volts flamethrower coil
Cloth covered sparkplug wires
Rajah knurled ends
Edmunds Custom intake (this was a pure luck find and as far as I know the only one in excistence)
Dual Stromberg 97's rebuilt by my shop using only Genuine Stromberg Parts.
Custom made exhaust manifold by Nine-O-Nine Speed Shop (not quite done with the tubes yet.

Anyhow, back to the pics.

[goose-em]

Whoops, with all that wordiness I forgot to say the most important thing....

Stock horsepower = 85

New horsepower = 200 or thereabouts

Of course I didn't give away all of it's secrets!!!!!!

Here is the first start video

Small | Large
	Small | Large

and a "burnout" the following weekend

Small | Large
	Small | Large

[goose-em]

I am terrible at taking photo's so I am missing quite a bit but here is what she looked like last December 2011

Since then I have replace the rear springs, the old ones had too low of spring rate and the truck was to low.

I built a set of P40 Warhawk seats based off a seat that a guy I know has, it was made from plywood not aluminum and I thought it was really cool and different.  They are exact reproductions but still need some cushions.

Grille has been finished and painted, moved the headlight mounts up 2.5 inches.

Brakes are done, all original.  Obviously the drive train is in.  original everything even the pressure plate and clutch although I rebuilt both.

[Greybeards Customs]

The truck has an awesome stance !

[obama]

That's a cool pick for a motor in that truck!
Is it a comfortable trans to drive, being part non syncro I believe, or was it modified?