Commando V18

[combatmp29r 27]

HI all. I think I have this picture thing down now, so I'm going to post some pictures of the 1969 Commando V8 turned V18 I'm building. If It ever stops raining here I'll roll it out and get some recent ones. The hood fabrication is now complete and it is in primer. The rear hitch is almost done. I changed how I want the wheelie bars to be (everyone around me is using bumpers now, so I'm adding upper supports and mounts). I have an entire second chassis laying here, so the transaxle, frame, and front end are all painted and assembled. The tractor is currently sitting on a set of 6x12s as the 23x8.50-12s have a set of freshly painted rims and will go on the painted chassis after a couple more days of drying. It already has a newly painted set of front tires and rims on it. I have the dash tower, dash housing and tank suport all in primer. Time permitting they will get painted this weekend. So soon I will be stripping down the 18hp twin briggs for paint and putting it on the new chasis.

Here is where all the madness began

I was given this Commando V8 12 years ago by a neighbor.

The stock rear stance 20x8.00-10 tires

The rear Tires on steroids 23x8.50-12 Goodyear Terra tires

The new motor in place

The Hood under fabrication. I had to add 1/2" blocks after this to level it, and it has pieces welded in to cover the sides of the dash housing and tank like the stock hood did.

Stock Commando/Charger V8 rear hitch

Rear Hitch 90% complete. Still had to add the actual pulling hitch plate and upper wheelie bar mounts.

Heres the hitch installed with the stock sleeve hitch in place. I can still use all my stock attachments and a few custom ones

And here it is in pulling mode. I've added a set of 6" vertical bumpers to the bars and upper supports that attach on the top of the hitch.

Here is how it looked mid november when I took the last outdoor photos of it. Newer ones to come soon (I HOPE!!!).

Front with the goofy looking temp exhaust

Right Side

Rear

PLease add any input. I always like to hear other peoples opinions on projects.

Joel

[nylyon-(Admin) 7,880]

Those are some great pictures. As a note, there are several members here with dialup, and the larger pictures take a while to load. If you could size them to 640x480 that would make them much faster for the dialup's.

Great pics though!

[kj4kicks 154]

Cool project Joel! I'm all about cutting up some hoods ! LOL.

Ditto on the pics. If you crop them to get rid of some of the background, they will load faster. You're learning quick, though !

Eldon.

[combatmp29r 27]

OK thanks guys I'll down size them. I thought they looked alittle big when I went back and looked at it.

[nylyon-(Admin) 7,880]

if you need a tool to help, check the links section there is a link to a picture tool which some of the folks use here.

[combatmp29r 27]

I'm going to put apicture here just to test if I got them sized right.

[nylyon-(Admin) 7,880]

Better, still a large file size though, about a 1MB

[T-Mo-(Moderator) 4,604]

Joel,

Love the terra trac tires. I see you have the guard dogs in place just in case one of us wants to take an unauthorize ride on a horse. :D

[combatmp29r 27]

The Terra Tires were actually aquired by chance. I had made a deal with a buddy for a set of good year 23x8.50-12 lug tires he had on a charger 12. when I went to pick them up he said that he had a set already off that had more tread on them. He wanted me to look at both and decide. Well you can see what I chose. They're something different (like the V18) and we've used them for years on the bobcats and backhoes on the farm with no complaints.

As far as the dogs go, those are only the 1st line of defense After then you have to get past the rabid racoon locked in the shed with the horses and the 3 phase 220 wired to the tractors :P

[combatmp29r 27]

Dear God we have grown like a bad weed. This post was clear back on page 18. I remember when I started it it sat on the front page for at leaste a week. OK so it has progressed quite a bit since this was last updated Oh and regressed a few times as it did today Note to anyone out there building a V8 project. When you dig through your parts totes make sure you prep/paint and install a V8 hood stand, not a V7 one. That way when you fit the hood up again to fab your hydraulic lines it will match up with your dash not sit 2" above it Ok these pics are alittle behind, well ok alot behind, but I promise there are new updated ones coming. As soon as I prep/paint/and install the right hood stand :imstupid:

Here is the final hood fabrication pics

http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd206/c...V18hoodfab8.jpg

A test fit of the wheel weights

And the power steering pump turned Hydraulic pump.

Oh and the ones I took when I was where and how to mount it

For those interested its finally mounting place is under the rear fender and is being run off the upper groove in the trans pulleye. Oh and anyone ever tried to find a 1/2" x 22" belt before? :horseplay: was that a fun endevor even Napa frowned at that one. They ordered it anyhow though :banana:

[T-Mo-(Moderator) 4,604]

Joel,

I almost forgot this project. It's coming along nicely and in lieu of some of life's adversities that befelled you, it's coming along periodically. Looking good, Joel. B)

[combatmp29r 27]

Thanks Terry. Yeah other than the normal and kid chasing setbacks, We've had another child, moved and I'm sure one or two other unplanned things LOL. Its much further along than these pics show, and I'll do my best to dig up some of the reassembly pics that I have taken. No promises yet though I have a dash stand to fix :whistle:

[T-Mo-(Moderator) 4,604]

Not too mentioned a flood along the way. B)

[perry 82]

sure looks like a beast .

[Kelly 1,033]

Yes post pic's when you get time, I'd love to see more.

[combatmp29r 27]

OK Kelly since your twisting my arm Actually I need a break from the prep/ and paint stage of the correct dash tower. Oh and I put the wrong upper steering shaft in too I should have done more when the one I had the wheel on was too long.

Here we go with reassembly:

Rear Frame sides mounted on the trans

Center Frame section painted and ready to install

The Mats Eldon made up installed on the running boards

All these pieces go where? Anybody have a Commando V8 I can take a look at?

Oh wait never mind I had one or two sitting around oh wait theres one now

Woo Hoo all back where they belong

Now this is still way behind where it sits now, but I'll take more as I reassemble the dash stand. I'll look for the ones from fabricating the new front steering, and front weight bracket. Stay tuned

[kpinnc 14,641]

Looks like some great work Joel!

Kevin

[combatmp29r 27]

Thanks Gator. Its definatly not an Eldon paint job, but then again I've torn large chunks back apart 3 times now since the first reassembly pic was taken B)

[Kelly 1,033]

Now that was fast, looks good. where's your shifter boot?? find one for the vert? or you have to use something diff? I'm learning here I had no clue that parts were so diff between a v8 and a v7 I knew the frame was cast in front on the v8 I think, but not the dash being diff. there I learned my thing for the day, back to veg. mode.

[kj4kicks 154]

Looking good Joel ! Man those mats look snazzy on there....

[combatmp29r 27]

Kelly, to be honest they shouldn't be different. Parts#s are the same It was actually a hood stand of a CG7, which again has the same part# but wow its not the same Of course there were 2 V8 dash stands on the shelf and only 1 CG one. 66% chance of getting the right one, but no not me.

[Rideawaysenior 25]

real cool

[Nick 13]

The project is looking good Joel. I think I had one of those V8s about 6 years ago but sold it to the other former Vert guy Terry.

Also reminds me I just saw an old ad on craigslist for a Vert. If he still has it I bet the price will be lower by now. Thats a nice area to drive around so I could pick it up and deliver to the Portland show.

http://dayton.craigslist.org/grd/733110175.html

[combatmp29r 27]

The funny thing Nick is I may have the V8 you sold Terry. I picked up his workers last summer, along with some goodies for them. He's down to just the showroom quality 70 Charger V8 and a nice set of implements for it. Its for sale too though. He's movwed on to horizontals it would seem. I still turn to him for advice, or knowledge a good bit though. He is definately an asset to the wheel horse world also. Lives about 15 minutes away from the new place too

Oh and thanks for the link Nick I'll look into it.

[combatmp29r 27]

Kelly, I totally skipped your shifter boot question earlier. Yes, I have found a boot, but its being held hostage by a Tricycle Drivin Guy in PA. I actually used a second trans that I had laying here or was it a third Any how the boot is there at the bottom of the shifter. Its just hard to see with the overspray from the shifter. This pic of the trans before I changed axles ought to help you out some