Southern Charm... (Build Thread)

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ErikinSC

ErikinSC

Been there, done that, got the T-shirt.
SILVER Star
10 Year
Joined
Jul 13, 2014
Threads
82
Messages
1,938
Location
N Charleston, SC
'My 74 Re-Re: Rebuilding a Rebuild / Resto / Mod Project

Alright. So I've been reading & searching, posting & aksing, watching & following... and now it's time to document my project. So, here we go.... I got the 'bug' a few months ago, probably been festering for a while longer, but it didnt manifest itself until I actually went and drove a Crusier sitting on the delaerships lot.... that's when I knew I wanted one.

The dealership wanted stupid money for it, but what they heck, it was fun to drive. 13" steering wheel, toggle switch ignition, and just enough rust under the shiny paint to make you know that there was work to do. I took it to Glen, and let @lextechautomotive look it over for me. He found more cons than pros, pointed out all of the things that concerned him and educated about what I NEEEDED TO LOOK FOR. So, back to the dealership it went. I let them know i wasnt really interested in the truck, and that's when I really started my search.

image.webp
 
Let Your Fingers Do The Walking

So, I've got enough informaiton to be dangerous... Glen pointed out all of the things I needed to focus on whne looking for my 40. It reminded me of all the things my dad had taught me when we went looking for my first car. So I started searching and using CL to look at 40s from Charleston to Florida, upto NC and over to Hot-lanta. Unfortunatley, there were not that many cruisers to choose from, but there were a couple that I thought were 'nicer' cruisers to consider from. I started checking photos, contacting sellers and trying to get more info. I created a list and had to devise a way toput my eyes on them.

I figured I could make a road trip, for work of course, and swing by to see the cruisers under consideration along the way. Problem was, there is no easy way to pull off a Charlotte, Atlanta, Jacksonville, St Augistine 'business trip' without the :princess: finding a way to tag along for a 'free' weekend. I managed to set up a trip to Jacksonville in a rental car - had to pick up a truck for work - and set up a meet with a seller that same afternoon. Brought the man-cub with me, as he's the future driver :steer: in 3 more years. We checked out the truck &realized it was not 'restored' to the degree suggested; looked good from far - but it was too far from good enough. :bang: Explained to the kid that we'd need to keep looking. Thanked the fella, and headed to the hotel and iPad to keep searching.

Contacted a seller in St Augustine with a green 40. I was going to make a trip down on Saturday morning, but the fella basiclly talked himself out of selling the truck.:flush: Strike another truck off of the list.

I kept checking CL for additional leads, searching further and further from my target cities. I talked to a fella in Pinehurst, NC and another one in Atlanta - time for another road trip?

Then i happened upon a post while looking at Atlanta... a nice looking beige rig in Chatanooga, TN.
 
So I got the seller to send me some more pics, and i was liking what I saw.image.webpimage.webp
 
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Made arrangements with the seller to come see his truck and let the office know I was off for another road trip. RSVP'd a U-Haul (I had a GOOD feeling) - just in case & got up real early on a Friday morning for the road trip. We left in the dark, the :princess: riding shotgun again, made our way from Charleston to Atlanta to Chatanooga.

The truck was as described. I had arranged for a local shop to do a 'pre-purchase inspection' but by now, I knew more about what I wanted to see under the 40 than the mechanic, so he let me do the inspection and cut me a discount on his lift rental. The sellers rep - yodahog - was very knowledgeable and pointed out many of the repairs and upgrades that had been done durin the POs Resto/mod. Everything appeared to check out, and we struck the deal there. A trip to his bank, a bill of sale and title - and I had my new Toy.

We loaded it up on the U-Haul - i didn't want any suprises on the way home, and headed back that afternoon. A quick stop at Cracker Barrel, and my co-pilot found a proper dash buddy:

image.webp


We got home 'tomorrow' - but it was a fun couple of weeks searching for the right truck for us.

OBTW : For something fun to do, we counted yeeps & FJs on the trip to / from Chatanooga.... but never saw a 40...
 
Into the fire....

While talking to yodahog (he was actullay the seller's rep), i learned about Mud. Once we got home, I finally got to see what the hype was all about - Y'all have got some awesome information (@Poser @Trollhole @cruiseroutfit & @lcwizard & others) , beautiful rigs, serious crawlers, and the occassional, totally over the top (this would be for you, @SSCR ) builds ! I've spent countess days, falling asleep in the La-Z-Boy reading, searching, hyperlinking, and researching so many things....

Well our 40 was being properly resto/modified by it's PO, Patrick. I got the photos, the reciepts, the stories, the catalogs, and the parts - he was even kind enough to send sme of the 'extra's' he still had after hegot back home that August evening in a care package a couple of weeks after we got home.
 
:cheers:
 
ErikinSC I stopped at that dealership when I was out in my 40 it was in rough shape. I think for sure you did way better with what you bought. We'll have to meet up one of these days in summerville.
 
Well Young Luke has done... wise the search was...
 
Well done mate. That is sure a great find and pick up. What's that little alien thingy-ma-bob on the dash again?:hmm: Looks cool...
 
The History Lesson....

I really think I have a good find. The PO acquired the truck a couple of years ago, and I'm sure they were as excited as kids at Christmas:

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It appears the truck was previously blue.... in it's prior lfe....

The PO decided to rebuild the truck for his :princess:. So.... off came the top, remove the tub, strip it to the frame.... and let the Rebuild / Restoration / Modification begin....
 
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So, I'll pick up where I left off - the PO started his build around 2011-2012 I suppose. I'm not sure exactly, but based on receipts I have, this would be a good guess. He stripped the truck, which was blue (I have since found red up under the dash) and took it to the frame.

1741 pics-2 frame.webp


The frame was sandblasted and painted black. I found 2 welds on the rear frame members... near the back bumper. I also found a section of channel that has rusted thru - but I feel that we can repair it in the near future.

The body was apparently scrapped (for lack of a better word - because I do not know what they did with it) and an Aqualu tub, rear lower lift gate, and new fenders (I am to believe) were mated to the original front cowl, aprons and windshield frame... Not sure about the grill (bib) - but it is very straight....

1741 pics-2 primered.webp


and then I guess everything was prepped for paint....

1741 pics-2 early primer.webp


I'm not sure who's lunch they used the tin foil from....
 
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The PO did'nt have a lot of pictures, but he did give me a few more. The motor was swapped out (somewhere along the line) as a 2F has found a new home in this truck. Apparently, the 2F block was acquired / rebuilt at Jake's Diesel Repair in Jan 2012 (2F block, pistons, rings and push rods) but it still has the F head (?) and apparently a steel vented valve cover. Mine is the red one in the background - the PO has some big toys (yellow diesel in foreground)

1741 pics-5 motor rebuild.webp

1741 Pics-3 motor R side.webp
 
Before we get into the engine bay too far, the PO had to have the truck painted ....
1741 pics-3 front clip.webp


1741 pics-3 interior.webp


and their rebuild started .....

1741 pics-3 interior 2.webp
 
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