For GPster

enjenjo · October 08, 2005, 06:00:50 PM

I had the opertunity to measure both a big truck front end, and a pickup frontend today, and they are both the same length. The only one that is longer is the 850 and 870 models which had diesel engines in them, these were mostly GMCs, and are truely big trucks, with cycle type fenders. These had a three peice hood, top and seperate sides.

GPster · October 08, 2005, 09:43:36 PM

I think I have the hood idea taken care of. I cut mine straight accross at the front so it's only flat on the top and doesn't start the curve down. That made the hood long enough to go past the front of the radiator. I then cut the sides of the hood off so that the bottom edge of the hood didn't turn out and the cut line was parralell with the top edge so now I have a hood that looks like the top of a Model A hood only wider (24" at the radiator) and fits the original hood/cowl recesses in the cab. Still up in the air about a grill. I contacted that guy from HAMB that you helped me get in touch with on that '32 shell of mine. When I explained what I was looking for in a trade he said he'd rather just have a price. I told him $50.00 (it's a duece cut down to "T" height) he never replied. Must have been too much money. I've toyed with the idea of a Mercedes Benz grill ( '59 to '66 or '67 to '72) or I may just cut the '32 shell and widen it. Thanks for remembering and bringing up the subject. Wednesday we had to travel east for a funeral. Lost an uncle and with the way my generation has spread out there aren't many that could heed the call. Probably be home tomorrow night to read "CHAT". Then next week I can start rumaging around in a junk yard for a door hinge if the water's down and the snakes have gone into hibernation. I was all set to do it Tuesday and check for straight 8s for Sumner when I got the call. GPster

41ChevyTrucker · October 09, 2005, 11:06:51 PM

Hey GPster how is the truck doing? Is this the fenderless 54 chev? Sorry I have not been on here or the hamb much. I login and browse once in awhile but work and kids having been keeping my yapping time on the computer to a minimum. My truck is still "in progress" maybe next year hehe

ANYWAY I happen to have one of those Mercedes Benz grills. I bought it on Ebay for only $10. I thought it looked cool and couldn't resist at that price. If you think it will work and will use it, you can have it. Here's a pic...

GPster · October 10, 2005, 08:53:53 AM

Quote from: "41ChevyTrucker"Hey GPster how is the truck doing? Is this the fenderless 54 chev? My truck is still "in progress" maybe next year hehe
ANYWAY I happen to have one of those Mercedes Benz grills. I bought it on Ebay for only $10. I thought it looked cool and couldn't resist at that price. If you think it will work and will use it, you can have it. Here's a pic...

Because of the business mentioned above, I missed it's premeir. The car show up the street was yesterday but I was somewhere in Pennsylvania on I80 coming home. Because the trip planning started on Tuesday, I didn't have time to get it ready. I was going to try for the "Most Unfinished" prize. My next big job is to try and get the door to close but I can't try Enjenjo's trick because there's not enough structure to have one piece force another. I agree with the look of the Mercedes grill but it looks like a '59 to '64 and is probably only 22" to 23" wide and my idea would be to have something in the 26" realm to cover the radiator mounting. As near as I can tell the '66 to '71 might do it but they are shorter so maybe I need two. Might still use the widened "Duece" and make the hood flip foreward with the light bar as the hinge point. Maybe there'll be more progress when snow hits the ground. It will be hard to landscape around the pond (hole in the ground with 5,000 gallons of water in it). This was going to be the winter that the truck was going to be driven out back and the Jeepster was going to come back in. Oh Well! GPster

41ChevyTrucker · October 10, 2005, 12:16:22 PM

oh yeah the grill I have it not that wide. oh well it makes good garage art I guess. I wish I was ready for the premier of my truck. I was making some progress, had the stovebolt mounts/crossmembers made and was looking to buy a driveline when I decided I needed more horsepower. My daily driver truck is a 4 cylinder and I wasn't looking forward to less power in my hot rod. Once I have the truck rolling and have the engine equipment I am just going to get a crate motor. For now I bought one of the plastic mockup sbcs on ebay and the tubular mounts from speedway. Now I just need a bellhousing to mount up to my saginaw before I can weld up the mounts mounts and get my driveline. Price wise it looks like the 10.5 bellhousing is the way to go. My local junkyard has them fo $45 which is a little cheaper than what I have seen online. If stay at around 300hp do you think my rebuilt saginaw and a 10.5 inch clutch will be OK?

enjenjo · October 10, 2005, 12:31:32 PM

That combo should work fine. After all, Chevy put Saginaws behind big blocks in 1970.

41ChevyTrucker · October 10, 2005, 01:54:35 PM

Quote from: "enjenjo"That combo should work fine. After all, Chevy put Saginaws behind big blocks in 1970.

Ok good. thanks.

Rayvyn · October 10, 2005, 02:24:41 PM

Quote from: "41ChevyTrucker"
Quote from: "enjenjo"That combo should work fine. After all, Chevy put Saginaws behind big blocks in 1970.

Ok good. thanks.

If you're still willing to part with that grill, let me know. I know a couple of VW guys who are looking for that type of grill.
TIA.