'78 F350 Dually Project

[RivennHewn]

Thank you. The topic on it is still active on this forum.

I'm familiar with your work: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10871&highlight=beast+runs

And it's been an inspiration


Connor,
You are the 2nd person to mention MEB Manufacturing. I'll be giving them a call!

 

[HOTFR8]

I'm familiar with your work: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10871&highlight=beast+runs

And it's been an inspiration

Nice to read that.

 

[RivennHewn]

CL comes thru again

Original 1979 grill surround with grill, bezels and lights. $150

Not perfect, but so much better than what I have.

 

[Toolfool]

Must be clean living bringing you all that luck. Nice score.

 

[RivennHewn]

Must be clean living bringing you all that luck. Nice score.

Apparently not clean enough to win the lottery or powerball!!!!

 

[drivesitfar]

Riv: while i approve of all your work and additions to your truck i'm starting to wonder if it might have been less expensive to buy a new truck?

just kidding (or am I) cause you are not finished yet.

i know a member off the top of my head that bought a $40 60 year old Craftsman block grinder and spiffed it up then turned it into a belt grinder (the BLOCKMEISTER) and i think he's almost got $600 into it now.

just saying.

I hope you didn't get sunburned today out on the water if you found some time to get the boat ready and out there. i'm digging up my front yard to repair some CRITTER DAMAGE last fall and getting it ready for new sod. DAMN IT'S HOT OUT TODAY.

Still love living in PARADISE. don't you??

 

[RivennHewn]

Drives,

My goal is to NOT be on of those ads on CL selling a vintage classic for $20K, and have $40k worth of receipts to prove it's worth it.

My goal is presentable and functional, but in no way am I going for show. It will still be a work truck.

Funny you mentioned the boat. We were kick'n ourselves for not getting it out this afternoon. I just poured our new front porch, and then had to finish the brick patio up to the new porch. It's done, and crossed of the list.

 

[drivesitfar]

Riv: sorry about the post i made cause i was over heated from picking dirt from damage from a midnight critter that ripped up my nice front lawn last fall. i know you'll agree it's a PAIN IN THE **** having to do things over that you thought were checked off the LIST.

back to your truck i also know you are putting in the things you like or want in your truck and for the prices you find stuff and with your skills on tearing apart and assembly you won't be one of those guys you mentioned. you will also know a helluva lot more about your truck which is a good thing even though at times like the gas tank you wish you didn't have to repair some things.

i hear you on the boat and all in good time. i did see your patio and WELL DONE getting that project done cause i know it will get some use.

cheers and hope you are almost having a cold one if you haven't already started.

 

[RivennHewn]

Riv: sorry about the post i made cause i was over heated from picking dirt from damage from a midnight critter that ripped up my nice front lawn last fall.

No reason to apologize. I'd like to think my skin is as thick as my skull

Funny thing about projects around the house, as soon as you get one done another one comes up. And then when you think you've finished, the 1st one comes up again. It's just a vicious circle

 

[RivennHewn]

And to think, all this time I thought I wanted a short wheel base flat bed.

How could I be so wrong

 

[drivesitfar]

Riv: did you BUY A THIRD TRUCK??

 

[RivennHewn]

Stopped by https://www.ballardforge.com

And bribed him into cutting some brackets for mounting the underbed toolboxes.

My bandsaw didn't have the capacity to cut 8x8 tube. Nice to have a shop with larger tools just down the road a bit.

 

[RivennHewn]

Riv: did you BUY A THIRD TRUCK??

Not yet, but I"m working on it

 

[drivesitfar]

Riv: well then I hope your wife approves or is she the one that wants the camper to pull the boat to your out of the way fun spots. if she doesn't know about it i'm wondering if your marriage will survive a third truck?

best of luck.

 

[RivennHewn]

Drives,
As much as I'd love to bring that one home, it's not going to happen��

 

[James E]

I may have missed something while I was out of the country for a few days, but if you haven't already, please tell us about the design of the brackets you're making out of such massive tube.

 

[RivennHewn]

James,
you haven't missed much here.
Did you go anyplace fun, or was it work?

The brackets I'm using are for two reasons. first, they help clear the leaf spring and dump bed brackets. Then, they space the box out further til it's just underneath the edge of the bed. I don't want to have to bend down and reach under the bed.

4 each at 8" X 8" X 3/8" X 1-1/2" wide.

Each side will have two brackets. I was thinking I was going to weld them on, but there are existing holes that I can make work so I'll be bolting them on.

 

[Strouty]

Looks great, of course your picture reminded me of the Ellis bandsaw that I passed up before knowing enough about it, then when I changed my mind it was all ready sold.

I would think that camper would really make the wife and neighbors go crazy.

The grill looks like a nice clean upgrade, gotta love craigslist.

 

[RivennHewn]

Strouty,

I'd love to see the looks on my neighbors face when that camper showed up in my yard.

I may have to go find the owner and offer free parking for a week!!

I wish I had more room for a larger bandsaw, but maybe in the next house.

I want to get started on the grill swap, but it'll wait til I knock out a few other projects 1st.

 

[James E]

James,
you haven't missed much here.
Did you go anyplace fun, or was it work?

Went to Barcelona for fun.

Those brackets are way more substantial than I would ever think of making them. I like your style.

 

[Strouty]

I'd love to see the looks on my neighbors face when that camper showed up in my yard.

I may have to go find the owner and offer free parking for a week!!

 

[RivennHewn]

Went to Barcelona for fun.

Those brackets are way more substantial than I would ever think of making them. I like your style.

I'm a little jealous. I could use a vacation right about now.........

 

[drivesitfar]

Riv: can you maybe buy it and have the owner of your construction company if you are not the owner call the new camper flatbed a construction shack so you can park it at the building you are working on. then expense it so you end up with a FREE CAMPER when the job is finished.

then take it out on weekends with the boat behind it to points unknown and the wife and neighbors won't have an issue.

 

[Toolfool]

For your fleet : https://seattle.craigslist.org/sno/cto/6145357826.html

 

[RivennHewn]

Tool,

I went and drove that truck.

It ran OK, but was a rust bucket that was out of my budget. He's had it on CL for about a year, and just recently dropped the price. Still asking too much in my opinion, but he may sell it someday.

 

[RivennHewn]

I spent the last few afternoons cutting, fitting, and welding up some brackets.
Opened up a few 12 oz. cans of Fabricator-in-a-can, and got into a mode.

Mock up:

Fitting:

Don't leave your fingers too close the the welding tip.
Burnt glove: I felt that one!

All welded up and
Painted:

Going to get it mounted up as soon as the rattle can truck bed coating dries.

Then the fun part - matching it on the other side.

 

[Toolfool]

You planning to bolt the box to the verticals and horizontals ?

 

[1Garageman]

Fitting:

That is a really nice job you did!

 

[drivesitfar]

Riv: nice fab work and looks like you are bolting it to the frame so it doesn't have to take a ride on the flat bed every time you dump it. WELL DONE!!

the other side should go a bit quicker, but it's always a challenge isn't it trying to copy something?

good luck

what's the status on the camper? did you tell your wife or your boss about it yet?

 

[RivennHewn]

One down, one to go......

Tool,

It's just screwed to the angle on the back, and the bottom.

And then, for an added shot of cool I added some plastic diamond plate to line the bottom of the box.

It's a heavy plastic product that's intended for heavy foot traffic areas on commercial roofs.

Drives,
Again, I'm sad to say that the old camper ain't happening

 

[Lwel9226]

Riven.... Your box frames/brackets look good... I think you might want to add a diagonal brace to your tube hangers.. A simple flat bar the same thickness as the tube wall from corner to opposite corner should be more than enough...
I like your trucks... I put a lot of miles on a '79 F350 extra cab non-dually... Moved up to a diesel, still miss the simplicity of that old '79 with a 460 in it...

LynnW
foBW

 

[RivennHewn]

Thanks Lwel9226,

I was contemplating adding a diagonal brace, and will on the next one and retro one onto the 1st.

 

[RivennHewn]

She's not there........

Connie left with her new owner today. Hated to part with her, but needed to create parking space with my son's car home for the summer.

The upside is, I got a cash influx that should more than cover the hydraulic repairs to the dump bed cylinder

 

[SignalZero]

I had to read the last 5 or so pages of this thread last night to catch up. You've been making a lot of progress.
Did the craigslist grill surround go on Connie or are you saving it for the '77?

I'd check the sound decibels in my '77, but I don't think it'd give you a good baseline. My passenger door seal is pretty flat and the seals on the vent windows scream when they're closed. They actually make less noise when you crack them. New seals and weatherstripping are on my list, but they're not at the top.

 

[RivennHewn]

Safety 1st.....

A couple more pics of the mounting, but wanted the bed up. I found a nice 2X2 tube that just fit perfect. Now I can safely work under the bed w/o worrying about it coming down on my head.

There is a bit of flex, so I think Lwel9226's suggestion of a diagonal brace will need to happen. Stresses of driving are likely more that me trying to wiggle them.

SignalZero,
Connie left with her face crushed in.
I'll most likely use the grill on the '77, unless I see an opportunity to make a buck with it. At the price I got it for, I might be able to flip it and pocket some $$

 

[RivennHewn]

Been thinking about getting the hydraulic cylinder fixed, so tonight I went out and took a look at it.

Like a few things I've found on this truck, the PO didn't always tighten his nuts down. 3 of the 6 main nuts on the ram were too loose. I tightened everything up, and hoping when I let it down tomorrow, it won't leak.

 

[Toolfool]

Can't believe you were driving that thing with loose nuts.

 

[HOTFR8]

Nice work on the tool box mount.

 

[RivennHewn]

Tool,
Ever since I found the hand tight nuts on the fuel pump, I've been checking everything. The bed mountings are good, it was the cap on the end of the cylinder that needed some tightening.

Thanks HOTFR8,
Hoping to get the other side done tomorrow.

 

[RivennHewn]

Question about cleaning the underside of the bed, and frame.
The leaky hydraulics and 16 grease zerks for the dump bed have the frame, axle, and everything else under the bed coated with that lovely grease and dirt combo that sticks to everything.

I don't want to pressure wash it in my yard.

You used to be able to degrease at the self serve car wash, but not anymore.

Where would I go to get this done?

I'd like to do this right, and not kill any salmon.
I kill enough with my fishing pole.