Builds My 40 Build... 20 years and Counting... Purists beware, this may hurt... :D

[bikersmurf]

Back in ‘92 I built a new rear tub and haven’t given it much thought since. It’s still going strong as ever, and I’ve really enjoyed the extra weight over the rear axle. I’ve been planning to replace the aluminum 1/4 panels for many years. When I wrapped the outside 29ish years ago it was a quick and dirty solution.

Well… time has caught up with me. The section of floor under the driver’s feet has now moved up the list.

I should have warned those of you who think a rusty truck is one that has a couple patches of surface rust.

Fortunately I stashed some door sills and the front floor of a tub that was coming off and being replaced with an old Aqualu tub. Once I dig out the patches, I’ll determine which parts I can reuse, and what parts will need to be fabricated.

But, before you get your popcorn and settle in, reread the title of this thread… it’ll be at least 4-5 days before I have any time to work on it. I’m hoping it’ll look good in the end, but it’s going to take a while. While I’m at it, I’ll tie the cage mounts into the body mounts and the frame. If I need to do it, I might as well build it better. Although it’s useful that the front floor is being held up by the floor, the floor isn’t supporting the front cage in any way.

 

[too tall]

Jeesus, can't wait to see how you approach that issue. Personally, I'd go find another 40 series to start with. Not much left of that.

 

[bikersmurf]

Jeesus, can't wait to see how you approach that issue. Personally, I'd go find another 40 series to start with. Not much left of that.

All that’s left of the 40 I bought in ‘91 is the cowl, windshield frame, floor under passenger & drivers seats, front doors, door sills, and front bib. It’s reached a point that it’s easier to list what’s left of the 40 I bought in ‘91 as opposed to listing everything I have replaced in the last 34 years. Suffice it to say that I stopped keeping track after it surpassed 36 donors. If any of the 40s I got parts from had parts from other 40s that had been parted out, then there is a nonzero chance that some of the parts I got thinking they were from a new donor likely originally came from a donor already on my list.

When @Toshi38 put an Aqualu tub on Andy in my driveway, I kept the trans cover, door sills, and everything that was left of the front floor. They aren’t perfect, but they are 10x better than what I started with in ‘91. As you can imagine, this isn’t something that can be fixed properly in 15 minutes. So, it’ll take some careful planning to reconstruct the nonexistent door sills and floor.

Believe it or not, the rust on the cowl can be fixed with a piece of sheet metal the size of a dollar bill… or at least everything but what lies beneath the windshield frame to cowl weatherstripping. For now I’ll be leaving that can of worms for another year.

I’ve got sections of Andy’s original floor, better front doors, another hatch, a 60 series transmission top cover, and another transmission tunnel. I’ll be breaking this down into manageable chunks since it’s insured, and I want to keep driving it over the summer. I also don’t have the time or energy to restore the everything to 100% this year.

 

[bikersmurf]

I agree that this corner looks bad, but here are some other areas previously shown in this thread…

Scans of pictures printed on film…

Frame is due for fresh paint, but only has a bit of surface rust. Tub is still looking solid after 33 years. Hood, hardtop, axles, and drivetrain are in great shape.

 

[bikersmurf]

Out of order a bit.

With the P/S conversion I swapped in a “rebuilt Saginaw pump” heart for $50. It didn’t feel worthwhile to keep mixing and matching parts for the used pile to find one that didn’t howl. Unfortunately 2.5 years later the P/S pump was getting louder and louder. So I bought a new one for about $100 USD.

Heart you’re thinking…

Saginaw pumps can be removed from the “Sardine can” housing. Although it could theoretically be possible to find a complete older style Saginaw pump that mounts to the lower side of a long water pump and also has a double pulley, it would be very difficult. The early pumps usually have a pulley with a keyway and a nut… not a press on pump. Also, one of the older parts guys (& corroded) I spoke to said he’d never seen a double pulley on a Saginaw pump.

So when I say Saginaw “heart” I mean the metal pump that fits inside my pump housing and that I can press on the double pulley. If I walk into almost any parts store and ask for a pump for a ‘79 Chevy 4x4, I’ll get the right center for my housing and pulley. Easy Peasy.

This is what I thought was cool about the new pump…

This pump came with a printout showing the test results for the new pump… and it was only about $10 more than I rebuilt pump.

The pressure relief valve tests at about 1297 PSI, which seems to be exactly where I want it. After installing it, it works perfectly. Not much noise and it turns my 33x10.50 A/T tires easily with one finger while stationary on dry pavement. I could increase the pressure and flow, but it’s more than enough for most people’s standards which makes it exactly what my angry nervous system needs. Also, if Edelman found that I modified the pump they sold me, they likely wouldn’t honour the lifetime warranty on the pump.