clintonnut 126 #1 Posted September 17, 2012 Here we go! I want to have it done before January so I can enjoy my last year of High School with this beast! It will be a 4x4 1985 Dodge Crew Cab short bed Cummins 5.9L turbo diesel with twin turbos, performance engine parts, 5 speed, 4" of lift and 35" tires with moto rims. NO CHROME!!! Parts gathered so far: NP205 29 spline IC Rad support 12v P pump engine Jungle Shackle Flip Here's what I am going for. Mango Tango (jeep color) If I go with the '78 I will use the '78 grille like this. Not sure what body style I want to use for fenders, doors and bed (whether 70s or 80s) but I will definitely use the 70s hood and interior. P pump motor getting torn down for rebuild: Shackle flip thanks Alex! Rad Support 205 29spline gasket and seal install. Needle bearings were not caged (pain in the A--) and Snap rings on shafts were a pain in the A-- as well. Really happy how it turned out though. I paid $400 for it and the reseal was $32. Was sandblasted before I got it also! Here's what I got out of this weekend (instead of homework) this purchase definitely puts me on cloud 9! Got a fair price on a crew cab that is 95% rust free! Really incredible shape for an East Coast truck! Woke up at 7am and made the 500 mile round trip with my buddy yesterday to Southern Virginia to get this! I also got a short bed box for the short bed frame I will be getting. Came with a clear title and was a Big Block stick shift truck. It received a different trans so they modified the floor for it. I'm planning on installing a removable trans tunnel out of a 1970s truck. Gutted the cab today! The only rust is in the drip rail so I will have to deal with that but not bad. Floors are perfect, all pillars are perfect, rockers, doors and cab mounts: again, perfect. I also made a deal with the seller and bought the fenders off this truck that were removed when I got there as they are straight and rust free. Charlie 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AMC RULES 36,945 #2 Posted September 17, 2012 ...and with twin turbos no less, what a beast that one's gonna be! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jake Kuhn 1,547 #3 Posted September 17, 2012 Thats going to be one nice truck charlie! Can't wait to see more work on it! ~Jake Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KC9KAS 4,741 #4 Posted September 17, 2012 I think I like the color! Not really into MOPAR trucks, but I sure saw a nice 1970 Road Runner today! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stevebo-(Moderator) 8,040 #5 Posted September 17, 2012 charlie, is that a dually too boot? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coadster32 793 #6 Posted September 17, 2012 Damn man...don't you ever sleep!!! Definatly incredible work all with good vision. Keep it up Charlie. :handgestures-thumbupright: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zeek 2,284 #7 Posted September 17, 2012 Ahhh, so that's what you've been doing! That's gonna be sweet truck, nice job on the details already! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VinsRJ 721 #8 Posted September 17, 2012 Looks like a nice foundation to start with Charlie! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
clintonnut 126 #9 Posted September 17, 2012 Steve, I do not think I will be keeping any of the dually stuff. I just don't haul heavy-enough loads for that. Charlie Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
clintonnut 126 #10 Posted September 17, 2012 I have $1100 left right now. I'm gonna have to start selling some stuff......Keeping my prized horses and 95% of the clinton stuff. That should get me at least a rolling truck. Then I'll go to grandpa for a little loan. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ken B 3,116 #11 Posted September 17, 2012 Ain't no grass growing under your feet! That looks like a fun project, without a doubt go with the 78 old school front grille. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
massey 111 #12 Posted September 18, 2012 Nice, I love my '91 with the Cummins. That color is going to look great. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
clintonnut 126 #13 Posted September 22, 2012 Here's last night. Had a paper due for school but screw it! On dollies! More tonight! Charlie Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
6wheeler 586 #14 Posted September 22, 2012 Yup, those non-caged needle bearings are a PITA. I am a divorced T-case fan myself. 205's rule though for sure. Looks like a good start for ya. Not a mopar fan myself but good luck to ya. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
clintonnut 126 #15 Posted September 23, 2012 Here's last night. Shaved firewall and repaired the hacked clutch linkage area. Stil need to do upper floor pan in same area. Dealt with the roof. Has several holes in the main support. Not sure what to do yet. Clown Pubes! (carpet insulation) Charlie Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
clintonnut 126 #16 Posted September 30, 2012 I finished up the inner roof support and got that painted. Then drilled 2 holes in the cab roof and used spray foam in the center between the two roof skins to get rid of the drumming effect. Engine is mostly apart, just need to get the rust ridges out of the cylinders to get the 5 other pistons out Crank and rod bearings looked great except two of them which had a heavy groove in them from dirt or metal. Hopefully crank doesn't need ground. Pistons looked great! No scoring on the side and the rods are BRAZIL :alien: Wrist pins are nice and snug and have no scoring on the wrist pin bearings. Shop getting cleaned up: Most of saturday was consumed doing fab work on a model A rat that is going to get a 4BT... Charlie Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ken B 3,116 #17 Posted October 1, 2012 Looking good Charlie. Do you ever sleep? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
clintonnut 126 #18 Posted October 2, 2012 Looking good Charlie. Do you ever sleep? NOT ON FRIDAY/SATURDAY!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
clintonnut 126 #19 Posted October 7, 2012 Here's this saturday. Spent a lot of time working on my buddy's '30 AA rat rod. Got the sub frame done on the cab for it and doors finished. Needs the top chopped, suicide hinges put on and firewall welded in and cab will be done. Got 1/2 the floor stripped down to bare metal and the pillars on the drivers side. Doors are sanded down to primer base now just need finished sanded with finer grit. Hope to have at least the floors and doors in Dupont Epoxy primer next Saturday. Cowl Cracks Charlie Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jake Kuhn 1,547 #20 Posted October 7, 2012 Looking very nice! :bow-blue: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shorts 182 #21 Posted October 7, 2012 looks real good, when you're done with this one< I'll take a 2wd dually in black and silver with a 6BT@ 400hp with a 727torqflite behind it Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
clintonnut 126 #22 Posted October 7, 2012 Got one fender prepped! Took 3 hours to paint strip and sand with 80gr then 100gr then 220 but it is SUPER NICE!!!! I did both sides and took care of 100% of it so I plan to epoxy prime the cab, doors and fenders this week. Just takes MOTIVATION!!!! If you ever wondered why dodge paint peels, it is because, in my truck's case, they did not use primer! On top of that, the zinc/galvanizing that was on the metal is not a good bonding surface because while I was using scotchbrite on the inside, it was powdery and obiviously not a good suface to paint on. Yes, taking it down to bare metal is a TON of work but realize this, you HAVE NO IDEA the quality of the paint that is currently on the surface, how well the metal was prepped or what is under the paint! I found on the cab that the floors looked great and the paint was nice but when I took the paint off the metal was starting to corrode underneath! It was not visible from the top side but the factory paint didnt SEAL the suface. The bare metal gives you 110 better adhesion, protection and quality of the product. If you keep the vehicle for a long time, a good paint job lasts 20 years so when it comes time to do it again you just have to take the clear coat off and ruff up the base. Using good products will prevent the extra elbow grease of maintenance down the road, hold up to oxidation better and the paint surface quality is going to be that of a show car. Yes I know, its a truck and it will be worked, but it is a creampuff and I want to make it look good and last. I like doing it right the first time. In the coming years, trucks of this era especially crew cabs will be increasingly harder to find and rust free ones will disappear. It is the same with redoing a wheel horse! Yes, sanding the original paint works but a little more time and not rushing will make it that much better! After 80 grit. This was done with an electric Black & Decker DA sander. It is small and meant for small jobs but i restored a whole wheel horse tractor with it and it works quick! You don't always have to sandblast! Just need to weld a couple trim holes closed and delete the antenna mount. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
clintonnut 126 #23 Posted October 9, 2012 Started out using brush on stripper in a gallon and was suggested the Rustoleum Aircraft Stripper aerosol and I'm never using brush on stripper again! It's nice because it soaks in, does not require water to remove and it didn't leave any nasty residue! I'm still going to wipe all surfaces down with metal prep and wax/grease remover to be safe but it is a really great product. $8 a can sounds pricey but I was able to do all of my doors and fenders as well as both sides of my bed with 2 CANS!!! It scrapes pretty easy too! Here's some bare mexican metal bling! By the way this is moving it should be MANGO TANGO in time for HALLOWEEN! I'll have a big orange jack-o-lantern of a cab in the shop! I guess right now im carving my own pumpkin! Load of ugly panels Not so ugly now! Took me 3 hours to do a fender using the brush on stuff and took me an hour and a half to do each of the rear doors with the spray on stripper. Rear doors don't have any dents so I don't think I will need any bondo on them! Just high build primer and block it out! Picking up paint supplies Thursday to take care of this bare metal pile that is continuing to grow...My buddy says I now have a bare metal fetish. I gotta admit it is pretty nice to look at! Charlie 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zeek 2,284 #24 Posted October 9, 2012 Wow, great work! Thanks for the stripper info, I had been using the brush on stuff and it's a MESS!! Now I see why you skipped Steam-O-Rama :) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
clintonnut 126 #25 Posted October 12, 2012 It's going to run me about $1000 in paint supplies to paint the crew Spent $583 today for everything but only got 1.5qts of color. The color is $137/quart. Has 10 different color tones mixed in. Very tedious to mix but done by hand with a digital scale so it is accurate. Should get everything stripped and etch primed this weekend! Worked with a really great guy in Willow Grove PA. His is a private run business out of his garage at home. Has a huge selection of every auto cosmetic thing you would ever need. Way better pricing than anywhere else. All good products too. I went with matrix brand with the Mica clear coat. Here's a peek of the Tango! Charlie 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
