[Capt Crash]

OK. Its time for my next build. I bought this truck about 18 years ago, as I always wanted one. It sat out in the back yard next to my shed for the next 15 years while I built other cars. I would collect parts over the years, and a couple of years ago, I started to piece it together. I only work on it when I have some free time which isn't much, but I try to get one day a month. Here goes.
This is what it looked like when I started to lay out the parts that I had.
20190209_201419 by Brian Klein, on Flickr
20190209_201434 by Brian Klein, on Flickr
20190209_201448 by Brian Klein, on Flickr
I also had a bed, but no frame.
So I put an ad on Craigslist and ended up with this.
100_0944 by Brian Klein, on Flickr
100_0945 by Brian Klein, on Flickr
I paid $100 for the truck with no front end or fenders. I then sold the transmission for $75 and made a trailer from the bed, and scrapped the left overs so I made money there.

 

[Capt Crash]

This is the Toyota as I started to strip it.
100_2914 by Brian Klein, on Flickr
100_2915 by Brian Klein, on Flickr
100_2916 by Brian Klein, on Flickr

 

[Capt Crash]

The Toyota already had IFS, but the wheel base was about 8" to short. While fitting everything, the Toyota steering box was where the fender should go, and the steering arms were hitting the back of the grille shell, and I still would have had to weld in a section to the frame, so I ended up cutting the factory suspension out. Then I cut the frame and got some steel tubing that fit inside the old frame. Then I was able to weld in a mustang II front end at the correct wheel base.
IMG_0397 by Brian Klein, on Flickr
IMG_0400 by Brian Klein, on Flickr
IMG_0401 by Brian Klein, on Flickr

I also had the original 10 bolt rearend from my 69 Camaro and the old Cragar wheels.
IMG_0399 by Brian Klein, on Flickr
IMG_0402 by Brian Klein, on Flickr

 

[Capt Crash]

Here I have the bed mounted, and the rearend sitting in place but the mounts are not welded in yet. I also have the cab in place to see how much of the frame will need to be cut out to get the Mustang II in place.
1499900393212 by Brian Klein, on Flickr
1499526698437 by Brian Klein, on Flickr
1499900393644 by Brian Klein, on Flickr

 

[bpenrod]

Cool build!

 

[Larry84GT]

Nice... I did a similar project with a old IHC cab and a s10 frame...

 

[carpediem]

How did you go about getting a title for the 37 or did it come with one? I have a 1940 Chevy truck I would love to do but it doesnt have a title. Will be a cool truck and will be following your build. Cant wait to see more

 

[Mark D.]

Nice thread. Following.

 

[Capt Crash]

How did you go about getting a title for the 37 or did it come with one? I have a 1940 Chevy truck I would love to do but it doesnt have a title. Will be a cool truck and will be following your build. Cant wait to see more

I don't have one yet. I did get one for the Toyota. There is no VIN on the Chevy. I have spoken to the DMV about getting an assigned VIN and a bonded title and it didn't seem that it would be a problem

 

[Larry84GT]

When I did my old truck originally I only had the s10 title I used the frame from.... eventually I did get a legit IHC title... the title was from 1942... I wanted to keep the original one, so I just plate and I sure it under the s10 vin...

 

[Capt Crash]

So here I am putting the Mustang II front end in the frame. This is not an aftermarket kit so there are no instructions. I ran a string to get the centerline of the frame, and then would center the front end by the shock mounts. I would make sure that everything was level, and then check the wheel base.
20190114_142041 by Brian Klein, on Flickr
Then I would put the body on, and see how everything lined up. Then I would take the body back off, make what ever corrections I needed, and start over. It took a lot of time but it is pretty close now. I still am just tack welding everything so that I can make changes as I go along.
20190112_211317 by Brian Klein, on Flickr
20190112_211309 by Brian Klein, on Flickr
20190114_160846 by Brian Klein, on Flickr
Now that I had an idea about where and how I wanted the body to sit, I made some body mounts to keep everything in the same spot, and then started to see about fitting the engine and drivetrain.
20190209_201525 by Brian Klein, on Flickr
20190209_201536 by Brian Klein, on Flickr
It is a 6.0 LQ9 from a 2006 or so Tahoe, and a 4L80E. I bought them off of Craigslist, from a guy who had changed directions on his project.

 

[carpediem]

Looking good! Gonna be a fun ride. Once the ice age we are having here begins to thaw I plan to get out in the shop myself. You are making good progress.

 

[oldguard]

Looking good!

 

[fla1976]

Any updates on this build? Looking very good.

 

[Capt Crash]

Not much progress lately. I am in the middle of a new house build, and then next summer will be a new shop build. The car projects are on hold at the moment. I have been collecting some needed parts. The exhaust is going to take some work as the frame area is very tight around the engine. I have some truck manifolds, corvette manifolds, and block hugger headers, and none of them fit. I will probably have to build some, and maybe rework the frame as well. I am also toying with the idea of a turbo under the bed.
Thanks for the interest though.