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July 26, 2007

Things are picking up. I've been distracted by other projects for a couple years, but things are getting completed and my truck projects are coming back to the top of the list and I'm enjoying having time to work on them. My new shop is essentially complete. See it at www.MaxwellGarage.com. The shop project both distracted and the lack of a shop slowed things down. Its completion is a double win.

Since my truck projects are intertwined somewhat, often relying on the same parts cars or trucks, and requiring some things to move before others can be accessed, I've sorted through an order of precedence for the projects. I wanted to think through my resources and make sure I don't have things being used before they are available...

Based on my initial thinking the projects proceed in the following order:

Order Project Logic
1 Little Suede Truck I have all the major parts and can start without messing with anything else. And its for my wife, so its a priority project!
2 Dually This one should not be real difficult, the finished project should be very practical, and I'm eager to do it. It took a big step forward recently when I bought another truck to base it on.
3 COE Sub This one may be out of order... But I have all the major parts and since its the most demanding project on my list so with the first two out of the way, it makes sense to get started. But I may push it behind the others because neither of the later projects are dependent on it.
4 OldSub The one that started it all, and the one I most want to get right, so I'll practice a bit before getting started. I've been buying sheet metal parts to repair the rust issues, and have been refining concept and finish ideas.
5 Parade Truck Simply truck, based on my '51 4400, '52 6400 and a '53 450. I think I'll use the GMC 270 from the Suburban so it can't start until I being taking the OldSub apart.
6 Utility Trailer I need a small trailer to haul scrap off with. Actually I need it to store scrap till I haul it off... This projects joins the others because I'm doing it with a '54 pickup bed.  
7 Yard Dog Based on the '51 4400 shortened for moving things around the yard.  

Projects 6 and 7 may not wait to be last... They are both minor projects that have project utility and therefore may happen when they would be most useful. Otherwise I think things are in the order in which I'll start them.

2005 and 2006 haven't been good for my projects. 2007 has been a lot better but still slow. The only issues I see slowing me down are time and money, and though both remain real limitations neither should be any more of an issue than they have ever been.

When I last updated the plans I had decide to push the Suburban back, but do some derivability work on it. I've updated some of that a little.

Updating the ideas.... My next steps with the Suburban are to fix the heater and align the front end, and see if I can make it a bit nicer to drive.

Describing the projects in order this is what they look like.

Utility Trailer

This project is under way in the new shop right now. I've removed the bed from the donor truck, and plan to work on the frame right away. The axle is in the shop and the frame is outside still. Possible completion in the next couple months.

Little Suede Truck

The Little Suede Truck is going to be a g-machine/pro-touring car. It remains at the top of my project list.

My current plan is to use the '54 Chevy cab but swap on the back panel from a '54 GMC 5-window. It will have the '78 Monte Carlo underpinnings. While at one time I though I'd build a custom box I've since rejected that idea, mostly because this is my wife's truck, and she wants a standard bed. I expect to run a 350/350 combo in this one. Other options have been on my list, but that is the quickest and most practical. I may change it at some later date.

Dually

The Dually changed dramatically recently. I bought a '54 GMC 5-window 1-ton Dually and it is now the basis of this project. I had originally thought this one would be an extended cab, but probably won't bother. Its a lot of work, and not really necessary at this time. Too many others have done it and I'm not as interested now that I've seen lots of others.

Behind the cab will be the big utility box to carry tools. I'll create bedsides under the box with standard fenders over the rear duals.

The '54 GMC has a running 248 backed by a Hydromatic. It may need to stay stock. At least I'm going to try to use it stock instead of rushing into the Cadillac 500 or Chevy 454 as originally planned.

COE Suburban Cargo

I recently bought cheap a very rusty COE with much of the cab missing. It has the cowl, doors, fenders, hood and grill, all the COE specific stuff, and should get perfect for an ambitious custom project. My plan is to create a 4-door cab with Suburban type windows and the 1-ton panel cargo compartment behind the 2nd set of doors. This makes a long truck, but since the wheelbase of the motor home donor frame is 164 inches that's okay.

The proposed running gear donor is still the '79 (I thought it was '78, but was wrong) Chevrolet P30 chassis. Cadillac 500 and Turbo 400 are my current power train thoughts and this engine transmission currently sit in the back corner of my shop.

Suburban

I've been thinking Cadillac Northstar as the power plant but also thought I had a line on one real cheap. I've considered something crazy like mounting the Suburban on the front drive Cadillac platform but more likely I'll adapt the Northstar to an S-10 four wheel drive frame with Astro all-wheel-drive to create an all-weather Suburban. The Northstar turned out to be just a 4.9 so that's out. Further planning can wait.

I'm planning to repair the rust while mostly preserving the original look. The interior will be updated, perhaps in serious modern SUV fashion, but since that will cost a lot of money, we'll wait and see where it really ends up.

Parade Truck

I have two big Chevrolet trucks, a '51 4100 that is really rusty, a '52 6400 that was nice until my neighbor dropped a tree on it. I've also got a '53 GMC 450 cab, hood, fenders and grill. The idea is to build a drivable truck that looks original enough to call a classic, but can be safely driven in parades and in other public displays. I'm not sure which of these will become a driver, but one will...

This is an updated table of specifics on the trucks.

Little Suede Truck

OldSub

Dually

COE Suburban Cargo

Parade Truck

Primary Driver

Teri (probably Steve...)

Steve

Steve

Steve

Steve

Basic Concept

G-machine/travel car for general use locally, and runs to car shows.  Must be comfortable for Teri to drive, since after all, this is her truck! Maybe run in on the Hot Rod Power Tour or a similar event.

Light truck used for family trips of two hundred to six hundred miles.

Serious truck, with capability for heavier use such as pulling a loaded trailer at freeway speed because it might get used for iron retrieval trips hundreds of miles. Will mount my big utility box to provide tool boxes and a service truck look.

Heavy truck with major passenger capacity and the capability for heavier use even pulling a big loaded trailer. COE 4-door cab based on 1-ton panel body and Suburban side glass.

2-ton truck as stock as is practical and mostly used for carrying big stuff around local and then in parades the way a Parade Truck should be.

Basic Look

Original, lowered with stock bumpers.  Standard door handles and such. Suede paint.

Classic body built today.  Implies modern bumpers, smoothed doors, smoked glass, low as the driveway will allow.  Hidden gas cap.  Leave the gutters because we live in a rain forest.

Original 50 plus years of patina, but with the NW rust all banished.

Serious custom with major body modifications to meld COE, panel and sub. A model few have ever seen or more accurately won't see till I build it...

Clean farm fresh truck.

Engine

Mild small block.

Cadillac Northstar? (under review)

GMC 248 (454 Chevy or 500 Cadillac possible)

500 Cadillac GMC 270

Transmission

Turbo 350*.  Lokar classic type floor shift.

Automatic (700R4) or maybe a T-5.

Original Hydromatic or Turbo 475 from motor home

Turbo 400

SM 420 granny gear 4-speed

Front Suspension

g-body Subframe

S-10 pickup stuff or Cadillac Stuff.

Stock with disk brakes.

P30 IFS

Stock

Rear Suspension

g-body Subframe

S-10 pickup stuff.

Chev 14 bolt or Dana 70

P30 rear

Stock or Dana 70

Brakes

Disk/Drum or Disk/Disk

Disk/Drum

Disk/Drum

Disk/Drum

Stock Drum/Drum?

Wheels/Tires

Classic look: Artillery wheels, beauty rings, red paint and '41 Chevy hub caps.

The big slots I've been hanging onto for 20 some years...

Era correct 1-ton dually wheels (modified for modern tires?)

22.5 Alcoa?

Stock or 22.5 Alcoa

Steering

Power with tilt wheel and original steering wheel.

Power with Tilt and modern fat wheel. Or maybe classic wheel.

To be determined.

Power with Tilt and some wheel.

Stock

Electrical

12v with alternator sized for the need

High capacity 12v sized for stereo, power seats, windows, door locks… 

12v with Alternator sized for the need.

High capacity 12v sized for stereo, power seats, windows, door locks… 

12v generator (scored a generator recently)

Comforts

Air conditioning, heater and defroster.

Air conditioning, heater and defroster, power windows, door locks, power mirrors.  Cruise control.  Rear heater/defrost.

Seats, heater and defrost.

Seats, heater and defrost. And industrial strength air.

Seat.

Seating and Interior

Heated, power, leather seat from a Cadillac Sedan Deville.

Four leather buckets (power!).  Posh with everything upholstered and power everything.

Stock.

Seating for six or eight with a fold-out bed and storage.

Tired Old Stock

Sound

AM/FM Stereo with CD Player

At least an AM radio…  Full stereo system with Cassette/CD, and should have separate front and rear audio.

At least an AM radio… 

At least an AM radio…  DVD and Computer.

Delete plate

Glass

Stock clear glass

Tinted glass in front, mini-van type windows on sides and back.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Dash Board

As stock as possible

Modern instruments in stock look dash panel.

Basically stock '54 GMC.

TBD

Stock.

Controls

Updated stock type, maybe some column mounted.

Modern, column mounted.  Heater controls with the three dial approach.

Whatever

Whatever

Stock

Bumpers

Stock

Wrap around with modern look.

Big truck bumper from the 4400

Good question

Stock Front

Exterior Lights

Stock look with modern turn signals and side markers

Halogen and LED.

Halogen and LED and side, top and rear marker lights.

Halogen and LED and side, top and rear marker lights.

Stock

Time Frame (start)

Underway

Driver now, customization begins later...

2007 or 2008?

Future

Yeah

Completion Target

2008

Driver now, customization begins later...

2008?

Future

Yeah

Donor Car?

’78 Chevy Monte Carlo.  Its mostly gone except for the parts I kept for this...

I need both an S-10 and a Cadillac.

Anything laying around! '54 GMC parts truck, '50 1-ton frame, '72 3/4-ton frame.

'79 Chevy P30 Motor home, '51 COE, '51 1-ton Panel, '52 Suburban

'51 4400, '52 6400, '53 450 and any other spare parts...

Last updated: July 26, 2007

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