Muscle Cars & Hot rods

[953 nut 68,091]

My '47 Dodge with a 350 Chevy V8 had mechanical throttle linkage. Pulling out of a restaurant parking lot I hit the gas pedal, left motor mount broke, engine twisted to the right locking the throttle linkage wide open, I hit the brakes avoiding hitting another car while the rear tires were pouring out smoke. When I turned the key off there were a few people on the sidewalk applauding                  and not a police car in sight.

[Handy Don 17,151]

1 hour ago, 953 nut said:

and not a police car in sight.

Is that a complaint or gratitude? 

[Pullstart 70,974]

For future Google reference.  S10 V8 Hydroboost conversion Astro van Silverado k2500 struggle is real.  

 

They say you can use a Safari or Astro van to convert an S10 to hydroboost.  I figured the one out of my 2000 K2500 parts truck would be just fine.  Not just fine, but doable.  I heavily modified the stock V8 v belt power steering bracket and also heated and manipulated one of the return tubes on the late model reservoir.  The stock brake master cylinder could not be used either, it did not fit the 3/4 ton booster.  We pulled an oil cooler off the wall in the shop, it was literally part of my shop deco.  It’s mounted to the core support and we need cooling hoses hooked up to it.  Otherwise, it’s nearing time to fire it up!
 

 

Rylee has been very involved in this project, can’t you see how much fun @Lil’ Pullstart is having?

 

[Thegearhead0324 1,797]

@Pullstart, that truck reminds me of my 83 S15 I had years ago, also owned an 85 when I was 16. 

[Thegearhead0324 1,797]

These aren’t muscle cars or hot rods, but these are my two girls here. My 79 F100 with original paint, put in a roller 302 and kept the 3 on the tree, and my 95 Chevy that has seen and done quite a lot and is my daily. 

Edited yesterday at 11:16 AM by Thegearhead0324

[ebinmaine 80,045]

6 hours ago, Thegearhead0324 said:

 3 on the tree

 

I've driven hundreds of vehicles over the years but I don't recall ever driving one. 

Owned a couple that weren't registered and rode in a few. 

Neat throwback. 

[953 nut 68,091]

6 hours ago, Thegearhead0324 said:

3 on the tree

The ultimate theft deterrent device, kids today wouldn't know how to steal it.                  

[Handy Don 17,151]

8 hours ago, Thegearhead0324 said:

 3 on the tree

With six children, our family rides were 9-seater International Travelalls with the three on the tree. Took my drivers test with it and got a compliment from the evaluator at my smooth clutch and shifting work. Failed, though, for making a left turn from the right lane of a one-way street. Learned something new that day!

[Pullstart 70,974]

I needed a bushing for the new brake rod.  The shaft was 7/16” and the hole in the rod was 5/8”.  The old vacuum check valve just needed to be framed out and it’s a perfect fit!

[ebinmaine 80,045]

Use what ya have!!

 

[Thegearhead0324 1,797]

I kept the three on the tree for nostalgia, I actually learned on my dad’s old 79, basically the same, except he had power steering. Mine is manual steering, so I make sure the king pins and all grease points are all greased up, gearbox lubed, and I replaced all bushings and the shifter collar on the column so it shifts nice, doesn’t hang up as I remember my dads used to do. But it’s definitely fun to drive. I’m 38 now, I was around 12-13 years old when I was driving and shifting dad’s old truck. 

Edited yesterday at 08:42 PM by Thegearhead0324

[Wayne0 1,604]

6 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

 

I've driven hundreds of vehicles over the years but I don't recall ever driving one. 

Owned a couple that weren't registered and rode in a few. 

Neat throwback. 

My first car was a '53 Buick Special, 3 on the tree straight eight. $50 from a junk yard, drove it home.

King pins (J.C.Whitney), muffler and tires is all she needed. Thank God for Chiltons! I think I still have the book.

Edited yesterday at 09:35 PM by Wayne0

[8ntruck 9,159]

Just before I learned to drive, we had a '63 Fairlane with a 3 in the tree.  My oldest sister learned to drive a stick shift on that car.  Dad was teaching her in late February, with some snow still on the streets.  She did pretty well - until she got on a dry street.  The car made about 3 hops per block until she polished up her clutch skills.

 

In the late 70's I was involved with a SCCA Pro Rallye car.  Our tow vehicle was a GMC van with a very loose 3 in the tree.  A successful 1-2 shift required the lever to go towards reverse before dropping through the neutral gate to go into 2nd.  If you got wrong, you coasted to the side of the road with the clutch in, then climbed under the van to reset the shift levers on the trans.

[953 nut 68,091]

4 hours ago, Handy Don said:

. Took my drivers test with it and got a compliment from the evaluator at my smooth clutch and shifting work.

When I bought my motorcycle in '73 I had to take a road test to get an endorsement on my license for it. The NY DMV required a second vehicle driven by a driver who had the motorcycle endorsement for the evaluator to ride in. A friend who was on unemployment at the time volunteered to drive the evaluator. When I got to his house with my pick-up, motorcycle in the bed, he got in and as we backed out of his drive he said he had never driven a standard shift.          I let him drive to the test area and we unloaded the bike. As the test went on I had to pull to the side a couple of times while he started the truck after stalling it. At the conclusion of the test the DMV guy said I had done fine and turned to my friend and laughed as he said "you I have some doubts about" then shook his hand and said you are a real good sport, you never panicked.       

[Handy Don 17,151]

Learning to drive before power steering on a very heavy vehicle, an early lesson was to be rolling before trying to turn! I still have that habit and I cringe (silently, of course) when my spouse cranks the wheel while standing still!

[Thegearhead0324 1,797]

@Handy Don Yes I agree, after driving manual steering you can feel how it can wear steering components when at a stand still. I do the same thing as a habit with all vehicles, I always like to start at a roll before turning the wheel. I cringe inside when I see the kids or warden just cranking that steering wheel at a stop. 

[953 nut 68,091]

15 hours ago, Thegearhead0324 said:

Mine is manual steering, so I make sure the king pins and all grease points are all greased up

Looks too new to have king pins, they went away in the mid '50s unless you are talking about a heavy duty truck.

[ebinmaine 80,045]

10 hours ago, Handy Don said:

Learning to drive before power steering on a very heavy vehicle, an early lesson was to be rolling before trying to turn! I still have that habit and I cringe (silently, of course) when my spouse cranks the wheel while standing still!

 

2 hours ago, Thegearhead0324 said:

@Handy Don Yes I agree, after driving manual steering you can feel how it can wear steering components when at a stand still. I do the same thing as a habit with all vehicles, I always like to start at a roll before turning the wheel. I cringe inside when I see the kids or warden just cranking that steering wheel at a stop. 

 

 

 

You guys would get a huge kick out of the vehicle my father learned to drive as a semi back in the mid 60s.

It was a late 50s or early 60s Mack B model truck.

I don't know what transmission it had but likely was a twin stick back then.

 

>> No power steering. <<

 

24 inch diameter steering wheel that went six or seven turns lock to lock. By comparison, most vehicles nowadays go about half that.

 

Needless to say, when he was learning how to back a trailer he was shown how to pick a line, and stick to it, and trust his mirrors.

 

 

[Pullstart 70,974]

The Z06 wheels fit!  
 

1. I am NOT actually a fan of wheel spacers.

2. This instance, it actually corrects the scrub angle and wheel center.

3. There will never be a wild load like 4 Wheel Horses in the bed.  It take a special skill with a small tool to open the tailgate and I won’t even show my kid how to do that.  She may figure it out, but it still won’t have big weight in it.

4. This is a fair weather vehicle, and won’t go too far from home.

[Thegearhead0324 1,797]

1 hour ago, 953 nut said:

Looks too new to have king pins, they went away in the mid '50s unless you are talking about a heavy duty truck.

This is a twin I beam front end (2wd), no control arms, if it ever needed an alignment someday I’d have to take her to a heavy duty truck place to have them heat and bend the beams. It is funny tho because I have seen the old commercials for 70s Ford trucks and they do a suspension test with the whole front end bouncing around but the frame and body stay smooth and straight. 

[Handy Don 17,151]

31 minutes ago, Thegearhead0324 said:

the old commercials for 70s Ford trucks and they do a suspension test with the whole front end bouncing around but the frame and body stay smooth and straight. 

I was in college then and in my dynamics class we tried to figure out the ONE speed at which that harmonic would work.

We also wondered how many tries it took the engineers, with the truck bouncing around wildely, to get that video!

Edited 7 hours ago by Handy Don

[Thegearhead0324 1,797]

7 minutes ago, Handy Don said:.

We also wondered how many tries it took the engineers, with the truck bouncing around wildely, to get that video!

I always wondered the same, how many takes did it take to not get those metal pipes to not touch the wires while bouncing around. But commercials back then were actually creative. 

[c-series don 12,293]

My first truck didn’t have power steering, so yes I too learned that you must be rolling to steer. Especially when you have a snowplow hanging off the front! Also learned not to keep your thumbs in the wheel when trying to go over a curb diagonally. That’s when the steering wheel spokes turn into a fan spraining your thumbs very quickly!! 
 Years ago I used to oil and stone, or some folks call it chipseal or tar and chip driveways and roads. You definitely cannot stop and turn the wheel on the stone or it will pick up the hot oil and then you have a big mess on your hands. Just about every rookie driver I worked with did this. 
 @Handy Don I also cringe when I see people stop and turn the wheel. Sometimes if you’re in a tight spot I get it, you almost have to. But I especially cringe when I see them do it on brand new blacktop 🤦‍♂️

[953 nut 68,091]

5 hours ago, Thegearhead0324 said:

suspension test with the whole front end bouncing around but the frame and body stay smooth and straight. 

 

5 hours ago, Handy Don said:

truck bouncing around wildely, to get that video!

Film splicing 101, not engineering classes. You are wasting your time if you are looking for an honest commercial. 

[ebinmaine 80,045]

32 minutes ago, 953 nut said:

 

Film splicing 101, not engineering classes. You are wasting your time if you are looking for an honest commercial. 

 

 

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