Project - Not so Nice (1 Viewer)

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Man that looks awesome!!! Troll hole top?

Thanks! It's actually one of the very first OCD tops. I purchased it from a member that had bought it from Jim and then sold his 40. It's a really nice top. Sucks he treated so many folks the way he did.
 
Was jonsing to do some wrenching but damn it's been cold. Fired up the heater in the garage and got the front end aligned. Super easy process, put front end on jack stands, remove wheels, clamp angle iron to rotors, mark off 10" from rotor center forward and back. Measure and adjust so front measurement is 54 9/16" and rear side is 54 5/8". If it ends up tracking fine then no need to take it to an alignment shop.

Also, swapped ubolts and plates on the front to ruffsuff ones I had waiting...then torqued the (more then just finger tight, lol). Checked the rears and re-torqued them...holy s*** they loosened up. Will need to check them on the regular for a while.
 
Working on finishing my oem soft doors....slowly. Being so damn cold doesn't help with anything, contact cement, weatherstripping, canvas, etc.

Passenger side door is essentlially done minus the handle. It needs paint so who knows when it will be warm enough.

SOR weatherstripping and canvas, Genesis OffRoad wing window rubber and replacement plexiglass.




SOR weatherstripping is really nice; however, it's just one long piece so it requires cutting and glueing for the top two corners.









 
The inside window felt for the soft doors is long been disco'd but the hard door felt is still available and not too expensive. Two of the four push clips line up but the other two don't and it's too long. Easy fix though, just cut ~2" off one end, remove two of the clips, make two new holes where needed, reinsert clips and you're done! I'll take pics of the drivers side door when I make it.





Also, the window runs are supposed to have rubber bumpers at the bottom, but mine were long gone. Subbed some small grommets which worked great. The SOR felt runs suck (or my cement'ing did). I'm going to try some felt tape on the drivers side.

 
So clean!:eek:
 
Great stuff John!!
 
Got this in the other day. Novelty type item but matches how this truck has been built. Color code is for Audi Nardo Grey, soft top model, with gm trans and 9.5" 4.11 diffs locking front and rear. Turned out really nice.

Credit to @RAGINGMATT

 
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So I picked up some parts from John today and got to see project “not so nice” in person today and was not disappointed. Ridiculously good work John!

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Finally...checked the timing tonight. Holy s*** it's spot on and was set @12 btdc. I'm going to run it at this setting and see how it does. If it pings then I'll retard it a bit.

The i timing gun I got also displays rpm, which is nice. My idle atm is low...300ish with zero choke. Once I get an exhaust installed (scheduled for this Friday morning at Henry's) then I'll adjust it to 650.

Also bled the pwr steering pump.

Question on coolant - I filled with 2 gallons concentrate and 1.5ish gallons distilled water. It's at the top of the radiator and hasn't lowered after idling for 10 minutes or so. I figured it would go down once running...am I doing something wrong / maybe have an air bubble preventing coolant from circulating? After idling for 15 minutes or so I had a reading of 175 degrees on the head.
 
Finally...checked the timing tonight. Holy s*** it's spot on and was set @12 btdc. I'm going to run it at this setting and see how it does. If it pings then I'll retard it a bit.

The i timing gun I got also displays rpm, which is nice. My idle atm is low...300ish with zero choke. Once I get an exhaust installed (scheduled for this Friday morning at Henry's) then I'll adjust it to 650.

Also bled the pwr steering pump.

Question on coolant - I filled with 2 gallons concentrate and 1.5ish gallons distilled water. It's at the top of the radiator and hasn't lowered after idling for 10 minutes or so. I figured it would go down once running...am I doing something wrong / maybe have an air bubble preventing coolant from circulating? After idling for 15 minutes or so I had a reading of 175 degrees on the head.

Just run it like it is and keep a gallon of water in the truck for a while. Watch your temps closely and then check it sometime after you've put some miles on it. You might have gotten lucky and had no air trapped in the system.
 
Just run it like it is and keep a gallon of water in the truck for a while. Watch your temps closely and then check it sometime after you've put some miles on it. You might have gotten lucky and had no air trapped in the system.

Will do...thing is that I think I do have air trapped. So I filled via the radiator. Heater was not connected. Heater is now connected and valve is open but level is still right at the top of the rad near the cap. I would've thought it would be lower where I couldn't see the coolant after opening the heater valve?
 
Maybe the t stat hasn't even opened if the housing was only 175 degrees?? I think the oem 2f t stat is like 180 degrees.?

I'm sure I'm overthinking this!
 
I think you’ll be just fine at 12*. These low compression motors need all that advance to get out of their own way anyways!

An easy way to bleed is to chalk the rear wheels or set the parking brake, then lift just the front of your cruiser with the front lift arms on your hoist. Will help and pockets or bubbles of air move to the top of the radiator
 
I think you’ll be just fine at 12*. These low compression motors need all that advance to get out of their own way anyways!

An easy way to bleed is to chalk the rear wheels or set the parking brake, then lift just the front of your cruiser with the front lift arms on your hoist. Will help and pockets or bubbles of air move to the top of the radiator

I almost suggested the same, good call. After reading your last post Jon, you have to have some air trapped if it didn't drop after opening the heater valve.
 

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