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

[JohnnyC]

gota love good ol canadian steel...my rear half is 1/8" floors and 3/16" on the sides...all canadian steel...its held up really well for a DD in the salt belt of the upper north east.

nice rig Biker

 

[John McVicker]

Good build Bikersmurf. I like heavy duty. Thanks for the pics.

John

 

[bikersmurf]

The points type distributor is a good indicator to the age of your SB.
I haven't even seen my dwell meter in over twenty years!
Nice tub, i like it, but wouldn't ceramic armor over say, 18ga be somewhat lighter?

The 350 was built Sept 16, 1969. Points have been eliminated with a CraneCams product with Rev limiter. I can always throw a set of points back in to make it run if need be... Like the simplicity.

Ceramic armor would be lighter so it wouldn't help as much with the traction.

 

[bikersmurf]

What are the covers on the rear quarters? It almost looks like two different kinds of materials. Is the front part SS sheet riveted on?

Also, I was wondering what kind of bench seat you have? I'm planning on installing a wider bench seat that will overlap the wheel wells as well.

Love the build,

I replaced the metal above the inner fender with 1/16" aluminum... Wish I'd used steel... But that was back around 1998, so I haven't any complaints. It's held on with self tapping screws. Some day I'll weld in steel.

The black in the corners is conveyor belt. I added an aluminum stay to keep it from flapping... Won't rust or dent.

I custom made the rear bench back around 1992. It's getting a little beat up so I'm planning to replace it with a Caravan seat which has adjustable sliders. It will be removable rather than just tipping forward (which is all the current one does easily). The seat will seat 2-3 adults in relative comfort, but the roof is a little low for me at 6'4".

 

[bikersmurf]

SBC swap with manual steering

Has a lot more pictures of the 350 and its stock heat shielding around Ram's Horn manifolds.

 

[bikersmurf]

gota love good ol canadian steel...my rear half is 1/8" floors and 3/16" on the sides...all canadian steel...its held up really well for a DD in the salt belt of the upper north east.

nice rig Biker

Would you use 3/16" again or is it overkill? Bud Built 1/4s are on my wish list... But I'll likely make/have my own made because shipping would likely be a deal killer.

 

[JohnnyC]

If it is a wheeling truck...i would HIGHLY recomend them.

they lasted really well...i would bash into bolders and bounce off trees...overkill...yes...but a good kind of overkill

a friend roll's his at a local steel shop...i bet you could get someone to roll you some 3/16" sides

 

[Roboosfj40s]

I like function much better than Purdy. Pretty will not get me anywhere here except Car Jacked haa haa! I like ur work John.

Rob

 

[toynut]

I custom made the rear bench back around 1992. It's getting a little beat up so I'm planning to replace it with a Caravan seat which has adjustable sliders. It will be removable rather than just tipping forward (which is all the current one does easily). The seat will seat 2-3 adults in relative comfort, but the roof is a little low for me at 6'4".

One of the guy's here put a rear split bench from a tracker and welded tab's for shoulder belt's into his roll cage.

 

[bikersmurf]

Ive got mini truck 3 point belts for two and a lap belt in the middle for a third.

 

[69LC]

bikersmurf, I really liked your rear c-channel replacement with the legs going up to the fenders. I have always thought of doing that on mine too as my c-channel is wasted. My first tub had no channel left and I could wrap a chain around the rear crossmember through the area where the channel should have been.

 

[duffontap]

I replaced the metal above the inner fender with 1/16" aluminum... Wish I'd used steel... But that was back around 1998, so I haven't any complaints. It's held on with self tapping screws. Some day I'll weld in steel.

The black in the corners is conveyor belt. I added an aluminum stay to keep it from flapping... Won't rust or dent.

I custom made the rear bench back around 1992. It's getting a little beat up so I'm planning to replace it with a Caravan seat which has adjustable sliders. It will be removable rather than just tipping forward (which is all the current one does easily). The seat will seat 2-3 adults in relative comfort, but the roof is a little low for me at 6'4".

It seems like some 1/8"-3/16" rear quarters would be a great compliment to your tub. I know 77TPIFJ made his own 3/16" panels by heating them and bending them around some weights (the kind you lift for exercise).

Custom made bench? Wow. I had a GM bench seat given to me a little while ago and one of my upcoming projects with my tub repair is finding a safe way to install it so I can get all three kids safely loaded in the back. Our kids are all under five, and all in safety seats which you are not supposed to mount on jump seats. I'll probably do what you did with the three point harnesses on the outside eventually.

Thanks for the info. JD

 

[bikersmurf]

It seems like some 1/8"-3/16" rear quarters would be a great compliment to your tub. I know 77TPIFJ made his own 3/16" panels by heating them and bending them around some weights (the kind you lift for exercise).

Custom made bench? Wow. I had a GM bench seat given to me a little while ago and one of my upcoming projects with my tub repair is finding a safe way to install it so I can get all three kids safely loaded in the back. Our kids are all under five, and all in safety seats which you are not supposed to mount on jump seats. I'll probably do what you did with the three point harnesses on the outside eventually.

Thanks for the info. JD

The rear bench was essentially made be widening a marine seat I picked up second hand. I used its stainless steel hardware (hinges) from the sides and widened the wood seat back and base. Originally I'd upholstered it in fabric, but more recently reupholstered it in 2.5mm neoprene. The neoprene looks decent, is very easy to work with, and is very forgiving. My front seats are just stock seats also reupholstered with neoprene.

 

[bikersmurf]

Until about a year ago, the heater was mounted beneath the rear bench in the middle with a 6x9 speaker box on each side. The particle board speaker boxes have disintegrated after 15+ years in the back of a 40... And I plan on removing the enclosed area under the seat to increase versility of the 40.

I've moved the rear heater back to its stock location, and plan to fabricate mounts to fit a caravan seat in the back. It has sliders which will allow the bench to move back and forth 6" or so, and also has quick releases... I've also got an auxiliary fuel tank waiting to go in under the floor... If the floor can support it...

 

[bikersmurf]

Back around Dec 2010, I replaced the rear heater with one that had been collecting dust in someone's basement. It looked in very good shape, but in the end it needed a small repair. I still have to decide how I'm going to wire its second speed.

There are some pics in this thread...
Two speed rear heater.

More on the rear heater...
Insulating pipes to rear heater... Need ideas.

 

[bikersmurf]

Dec 2010, I rebuilt the very worn front door hinges using oversized Oilite bushings. They're an off the shelf part availible almost anywhere.

Here's a thread with more info... Door Hinge bushings

 

[bikersmurf]

From the to do list...
Where to put fuel sender in MAF aux tank?

I've got had the tank prepped and ready to go in for more than a year... Need to pull the tank for onboard air, install a smaller one somewhere, and drill some holes to install the MAF tank.

It never ends...

Anyone have any good ideas for air tanks, and where to install them?

 

[AlexJet]

Nice story write-up.

 

[twoyotas]

solidly utilitarian, I like it. like the beefy c channel and the support legs.

 

[bikersmurf]

Hooked up a Tach again... $5 well spent. Bought it from a Jeep guy... He'd bought it, didn't know if it worked, but for $5... What the heck.

Turns out "Faria" is a brand name, made in the USA Tach.