I have always intended to add a build thread for my 73 ’40 but due to my slow progress I felt like it would be better to put off doing so until I had more to show for it. As time has gone on I have acquired enough photos that I am in danger of never doing so if I don’t start now - not that I am all that far from where I started. (I did start a small introduction thread when I first bought the truck https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/1st-’40-intro-questions-already.803001/)
When I purchased the truck I had almost no mechanical knowledge and I thought I would be able to drive it while I worked on it. However due to my lack of experience, that was not the case. Soon after getting it home I discovered oil pouring out from under the manifold, which I knew couldn’t be a good sign.
https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/help-please-oil-leak-identification-with-pics.804281/#post-9188719
Fast forward a year or so and the 2F engine is out, a 6.6L Small Block 400 is in, attached to an SM465 and the original xfercase is sitting in it (thanks to the patience and support of my fiance, the help of my brother, and the tireless technical advice, fabrication, and general cruiser wizardry of Joe (a.k.a ‘sometlc’), a Mud member and now good buddy I met when I was picking up some parts i bought from him off of kijjiji). It has been a long road and a ton of learning just getting to this point. With three young children, a single household income, and no garage, both time and money are in short supply, but I am always looking forward to getting outside to work on it.
My intentions for it are fairly modest at this point. I would like to build a reliable vehicle for light wheeling / exploring with the family / sasquatch reconnaissance. I plan on going much further into restoring / rebuilding things some day in the future when time/money/knowledge allows, so one of my primary goals is to fix things in order to maintain them, and to just generally not make things worse with poor fabrication and quick fixes.
The list of things that it will need to get to this point are many, but I am slowly but steadily moving forward.
The Good
I have attached some pictures of the progress so far, and will hopefully be able to keep this thread updated if only for my own interest; so please don't expect acts of mechanical genius, or a demonstration of the astounding workmanship that the Mud is absolutely packed with (for quite a while at least).
Before I picked it up (from the kijiji ad):
When I got'er home:
Picking up the small block 400 from my good buddy Logan in Cranbrook:
Logan and his uncle working on his derby car (more of an art than a science Im pretty sure):
SBC400 arriving home:
Bell-housing, SM465, adapter, transfercase, and propellermount being pulled and loaded:
Pulling the 2f out (note the rivers of oil coming down from under the manifold):
Joe (sometlc) prepping and welding in the AA engine and transfercase mounts:
A quick and very basic preliminary refresh of the motor:
SB400 in at last (FJ400):
Fender flares arrive (might be a touch premature but exciting none the less):
It won't totally fix the problem but with the rubber welting added it will be close (good enough to stop me from wanting to kick a kitten every time I untarp the back half of my truck - at least until I have the money and skills to fix it properly) It will also look much better with 35s rather than the 31s on it now:
When I purchased the truck I had almost no mechanical knowledge and I thought I would be able to drive it while I worked on it. However due to my lack of experience, that was not the case. Soon after getting it home I discovered oil pouring out from under the manifold, which I knew couldn’t be a good sign.
https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/help-please-oil-leak-identification-with-pics.804281/#post-9188719
Fast forward a year or so and the 2F engine is out, a 6.6L Small Block 400 is in, attached to an SM465 and the original xfercase is sitting in it (thanks to the patience and support of my fiance, the help of my brother, and the tireless technical advice, fabrication, and general cruiser wizardry of Joe (a.k.a ‘sometlc’), a Mud member and now good buddy I met when I was picking up some parts i bought from him off of kijjiji). It has been a long road and a ton of learning just getting to this point. With three young children, a single household income, and no garage, both time and money are in short supply, but I am always looking forward to getting outside to work on it.
My intentions for it are fairly modest at this point. I would like to build a reliable vehicle for light wheeling / exploring with the family / sasquatch reconnaissance. I plan on going much further into restoring / rebuilding things some day in the future when time/money/knowledge allows, so one of my primary goals is to fix things in order to maintain them, and to just generally not make things worse with poor fabrication and quick fixes.
The list of things that it will need to get to this point are many, but I am slowly but steadily moving forward.
The Good
- It came with lots of interesting history of the first two owners of the truck, original sales receipt & warranty card, fuel logs, maintenance records and receipts exc.
- The frame is in fairly good condition for where I am from.
- Actively registered and insured.
- The floor is fairly solid.
- Not extensively modified.
- 2f engine pouring oil from under the manifold (removed)
- The rear fenders are ruthlessly chopped ( I have purchased bushwhacker flares that fit over/ cover this - sort of)
- The “custom roll bar” doesn’t allow the use of doors. (will be replaced)
- There is slight rot on the frame rail behind the rear spring hanger.
- The tops of the wheel-wells are mostly rusted through (covered currently by roll bar rig).
- Sloppy rollbar supports welded haphazardly to frame.
- 2” body lift
- The entire truck is painted with baked on textured vehicle undercoating.
- Wiring
- Driveshafts
- Tires / wheels (35" on white wagon wheels)
- Grinding off rock guard, cutting out rot & rattle canning it Krylon pistachio (spring greenish).
- Remove the roll cage and supports
I have attached some pictures of the progress so far, and will hopefully be able to keep this thread updated if only for my own interest; so please don't expect acts of mechanical genius, or a demonstration of the astounding workmanship that the Mud is absolutely packed with (for quite a while at least).
Before I picked it up (from the kijiji ad):
When I got'er home:
Picking up the small block 400 from my good buddy Logan in Cranbrook:
Logan and his uncle working on his derby car (more of an art than a science Im pretty sure):
SBC400 arriving home:
Bell-housing, SM465, adapter, transfercase, and propellermount being pulled and loaded:
Pulling the 2f out (note the rivers of oil coming down from under the manifold):
Joe (sometlc) prepping and welding in the AA engine and transfercase mounts:
A quick and very basic preliminary refresh of the motor:
SB400 in at last (FJ400):
Fender flares arrive (might be a touch premature but exciting none the less):
It won't totally fix the problem but with the rubber welting added it will be close (good enough to stop me from wanting to kick a kitten every time I untarp the back half of my truck - at least until I have the money and skills to fix it properly) It will also look much better with 35s rather than the 31s on it now:
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