Popular Post _Matt Posted March 2, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted March 2, 2015 This is my '51 Chevrolet Pickup. I finally got some motivation to work on it after owning it for about 5 years. I bought it back in 2010 with help from my parents, when I was 14 turning 15. It was 100% stock, farm spec when we got it. Was originally from Bakersfield, CA. Had the straight-6 blue-flame engine which has been sold. Currently sitting on a jaguar front end and Holden LSD rear end. It's the longwheel base model, which I wasn't too much of a fan of, but it is growing on me. The extra long tray has been good for storing parts and boxes. Has hardly any major rust, just a hole is the passenger's foot well were the heater was leaking. The plan is to keep the body as is, slam it more with airbags, and chuck in a v8 (probably a 1UZ) Already have new rubbers, chrome badges, handles etc and airbag kit. Next major task will probably be to c-notch both the front and rear to get it sitting where I want / as low as the ground will let me. //oldschool.co.nz/index.php?/topic/47317-matts-1951-chevy-pickup-discussion/ 29 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post _Matt Posted March 9, 2015 Author Popular Post Share Posted March 9, 2015 Pulled off all the junk off the back and put the front back on, so we can start to C-notch the rear end. Took out the diff to see how low it can go and to get some measurements. Can still go a little lower in the rear. Needs about a 7 inch C-notch. 5 inch will be sticking through the deck, which is a bit annoying. Time to make up some cad drawings so it can get laser cut at work. 24 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post _Matt Posted April 5, 2015 Author Popular Post Share Posted April 5, 2015 Finally got the c-notch pieces laser cut. So we pulled off the tray and started stripping it back. 17 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post _Matt Posted April 12, 2015 Author Popular Post Share Posted April 12, 2015 I got the c-notch semi welded up. It's welded on the inside to the chassis and plug welded on the outer sides. Also has some reinforcing plate in the middle. Just need to fully weld around the top now, then cut out the original chassis and bend up the bottom piece. Also found a use for the rear bumper. 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post _Matt Posted April 19, 2015 Author Popular Post Share Posted April 19, 2015 More progress! Got the top fully welded on now, chassis cut out and the bottom partially tacked. We are thinking of putting the airbags on the outside of the chassis, since they would be pretty close together if they're on the inside. Like the pic below, except the top bag mount will be about an inch or so lower. 21 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post _Matt Posted July 18, 2015 Author Popular Post Share Posted July 18, 2015 Not very much progress has happened in the past months; Gave the Jag front end a good clean, cut off a few bits and decided how to mount it. Goes low enough with out cutting chunks out of the chassis or front end, which is good. Bought an engine this week as well. A lot of people won't be too happy with the choice but it was really cheap and already has been rewired to suit a project like this. It's a Nissan VH41. Gave it a steam clean today and come out much better. Was covered in dust. Test fitted it and it seems to fit quite nicely, except the inner guards might need some work. Keen to get rid of that ugly spider looking thing and get some ITB's on there. Tell me how I should have bought a LS and spent ~10x as much to get it going: //oldschool.co.nz/index.php?/topic/47317-matts-1951-chevy-pickup-discussion/ 21 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post _Matt Posted July 25, 2015 Author Popular Post Share Posted July 25, 2015 Got the front end centred and straight (hopefully). Made some mounts for it and tacked them on. Unsure whether to TIG or MIG them on. Opinions? Also had some air bag mounting plates laser cut at work. Going to weld the 3mm plates to the front end and then just bolt the 5mm ones to the bag, which then bolts up to the front end. Then to try and figure out how to setup the rear suspension. 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post _Matt Posted August 3, 2015 Author Popular Post Share Posted August 3, 2015 Certifier came and looked at this last week and said everything looked good. His only suggestion was to box the whole chassis because of the engine upgrade. Finished the top airbag mounts in the front end. Fitted together quite nicely. Just need to get the lower airbag plates laser cut, then drill some holes for the bags and the front suspension should pretty much be done for now. 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post _Matt Posted August 15, 2015 Author Popular Post Share Posted August 15, 2015 Got the lower airbag mounts all done. Chucked the airbags in. They sit good, just a little too close to the lower rear arm so might grind a little off. Cool video: Â 16 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post _Matt Posted August 30, 2015 Author Popular Post Share Posted August 30, 2015 Pulled the cab off the chassis today. Flipped the chassis upside down so I can finish welding the c-notch. Once that's done it can probably go to get sandblasted. Heaps of room under the bonnet for a supercharger 22 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post _Matt Posted September 11, 2015 Author Popular Post Share Posted September 11, 2015 Pulled off all the extra mounts and brackets that I no longer needed and welded up the bottom of the c-notch. Took it to A1 sandblasting who sandblasted and primered it. Looks so much better! I think the next step is to box it, make some new crossmembers and sort out the rear arms. 22 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post _Matt Posted October 11, 2015 Author Popular Post Share Posted October 11, 2015 Not very much has happened recently, but now hopefully back into it. Most of that time was spent trying to figure out how to clamp the chassis down so it is all straight before welding on the boxing plates. Decided to make some trestle like things that are bolted to the floor, then put some spacers in between them and the chassis to get it all level. Chassis is then welded to the trestles to hold it in place. Managed to get most of it within 0.1 of a degree. So I'm hoping it comes out quite good. (Probably better than it was from factory anyway) Will bring the boxing right up to the front crossmember, just need to do some cutting to get the plates fitting. Thinking we might need to close-tack it all together, then fully weld the top and at least tack the new crossmembers in, so it can then be flipped to weld underneath of the boxing. That should then hold it all together without twisting too much, I hope. 17 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post _Matt Posted October 17, 2015 Author Popular Post Share Posted October 17, 2015 Cut up some plates to fit up to the front crossmember, drilled some holes for the bolts that the front end mounts with. Close-tacked all along the top and down the joins, just need to tack along the bottom. Then I can start the long process of tig welding it all together. 18 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post _Matt Posted October 25, 2015 Author Popular Post Share Posted October 25, 2015 Got most of the top welded up and a little bit of the bottom done. It didn't really take as long as I thought it would. Can probably flip it over now to weld the rest of it. Need to also start designing the crossmembers sometime soon. 22 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post _Matt Posted November 1, 2015 Author Popular Post Share Posted November 1, 2015 The chassis is now fully welded. It is so much stronger now, hardly twists at all. This is the design I've come up with so far. I was thinking of using 1.25 inch round tubing and getting it all cut out on the tube laser we have at work. It will be double layer like the last image, so there's room for the exhaust etc to go through. In-between will be hoops for the drive shaft as well. Does it sound like a good idea? 23 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post _Matt Posted February 6, 2016 Author Popular Post Share Posted February 6, 2016 It's only been 3 months of no progress, whoops. Oh well, back into it now. Decided against trying to make it out of round tubing so just used some 30x30x2mm RHS as it's much easier. More updates over the next couple of days hopefully. 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post _Matt Posted February 8, 2016 Author Popular Post Share Posted February 8, 2016 Yay progress! Still at least 12 bars to cut up and weld in. 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post _Matt Posted February 20, 2016 Author Popular Post Share Posted February 20, 2016 Nearly done, might put some more horizontal east-west bars coming off the wide V parts (if that makes sense) as it looks a little empty there. Then I guess it can all be welded and the engine can go back in to figure out mounting and driveshaft hoops etc. Picked up a commodore diff as well, since it has disc brakes. So can also start setting up the 4 links as well. 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post _Matt Posted August 29, 2016 Author Popular Post Share Posted August 29, 2016 Didn't realise it's been 5-6 months since I've worked on this. I guess the engine swap on the Starlet and buying a house didn't help! Oh well, I have some motivation again, so back into it. Chassis was fully welded ages ago and started setting up the rear suspension.   Made a hoop for the drive shaft to fit through.   Had some brackets laser cut for the mounting of the arms. Originally thought I needed to use the top hole on those brackets but that ends up making the diff twist way too much throughout the suspension travel. Tops arms need to be closer to parallel to the ground, which keeps the diff the same level throughout.     Acquired some 4-link rod ends thanks to my parents   Next up I think will be fitting the engine and making sure the driveshaft is at the right position and then figure out where the 4-link brackets mount. 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post _Matt Posted September 6, 2016 Author Popular Post Share Posted September 6, 2016 Have done quite a bit of work on this in the past week, been doing a few hours each day after work. Made the engine and gearbox mounts, just need to weld them in, but that can wait until the front guards and cab are test fitted. Headers just clear the chassis rails on either side. Gusseted the front end brackets Holes No more holes Started on the rear end again. Trying to position the lower 4-link arms first and then will figure which way to mount the top ones later. 21 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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