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johns bucket list

john dioli

Member
Hi all its been a while since ive been on here , i did have the beginings of a 27 metal roadster pickup but ended up selling it.
But wait theres more last week while working out in the back country i spotted a T bucket on a ratty old trailer at the edge of a gentlemans driveway, wooooo right turn clyde i pulled over and went to the house and was met by a little old lady and when i inquired about the t she said yup its for sale and my SOB husband is out back, ahhh ok so i went out back and he was sitting on the step hands up to checks elbows on knees like a little boy who lost his dog. Well he said ya its for sale lets go look at it meanwhile wife is yelling you better get rid of it, So his story is he started the car when he was 19 in 1963 and never completed it got married in 1964 and put the car in a barn down the road and 2 days ago pulled it out and brought it to the EDGE OF HIS DRIVEWAY due to the frying pan being waved at him by his wife of over 50 years any way he said its got a 55 dodge front axle 67 chevy motor with early off center corvette heads with orig. corvette script valve covers a t10 4 speed and 55 chevy rear end with a glass body. Then he said the dreaded words make me an offer now i truelly didnt know what to offer but i did have $400 bucks on me looks like his heart fell when i asked $400 he said ok lets go tell the frying pan. so we walked up to the house and she said fine , get it outta here tonight ok ill be back by 830 she said hmmmm no my husband will deliver it to you He looked like hed have a heart attack i really felt back the the gentleman ,I told him when i get it on the road ill bring it over so he can drive it.
So i have some questions for the guys who have been around from the 60,'s if you can identify mainly the body and to let me know what you think the it thanks for the input
john
bus card of body builder on back wall interior






 
opps had a typo its a 35 dodge front end not 55 and i want to change the steering to a vega prolly mounted up front similar to ex junks oh ya it also has a vintage hurst shifter and the battery expires in 1970 hahaha thats when i was born


 
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well hot rod black body red wheels unless i get a set of aluminum wheels, rear 10 inch with 285/70/15 and skinnies up front, vega type steering mounted in front of motor, keep the small block and t10 short 11" windshield basically similar to ex junks T but ill take my time i have a 72 el camino im messing with also
john
 
Whew man I thought you had been talking to wife by the words of encouragement she was using, but then I realized I didn't have a T like that. LOL!!! anyway nice find, good price and good luck with the build. I really like the truck in your avatar. Have a 1954 f100 with a tilt glass front end I'm thinking about starting on after the T I'm building now is done. I didn't get as good of a deal on it as you but close.
 
well I pulled the t out into the light. look pretty much the same ive decided to keep a small block in it and change to a 350 tranny.
what do people think of the frame should i box it or is it enough just to leave it the way it is?






thanks for all your advise
john
 
IF,, it were mine, I believe that I would at least box around the engine, and tranny mounts at least 6" fore and aft. At each open end of the box plate, I would fish mouth the box plates to relieve stress points.
Curious what others may think.
Lee
 
I'm with choppedtop. Good advise. I would box in around the engine mounts for sure. Looks like it has a solid mount for the engine. I would have to scrap that if it is and put in a rubber mounted setup but cut that front mount and keep it for frame support. That's a lot of vibration in a solid mount and since the th350 will require a new crossmember I would do the same for it. That going to be a cool and fun project!
 
well finally worked on T the motor is out getting built, and Iwelded up all the holes and cut out the 2 cross members the front motor plate wont be used but the drive shaft loop will but made different. I bought 3/16 plate to box the frame so thats next. then i need to get bisket motor mounts and the master brake and pedal mount.
john

 
christmas in may now for another call to Ron for brakes and spindles, column also
Hey um can i use JB WELD to attach all of this?
john

 
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worked all morning making my boxing plates and also had the approval of Ms Barnette.
I ordered my brakes and spindles and column from Ron also, I need to get my butt in gear and get this thing going
John

 
John , do as you wish , but it's generally accepted practice to put your boxing plates inboard of the edges of the c-channel , that way you can weld a nice fillet & not worry about undercutting the edges of the frame ... plus it looks "neater"...
dave
 
Hey Dave thanks form the advise that is what i may do I have a lot more grinding to do I was actually going to grind the edge down so that both top and bottom of plate is half way of thickness of the main frame to make a V to fillet weld if that make sense, I ran out of discs so off to harbor freight,hope to have plates welded by next sunday

Hey Ron and if I dont get this side of garage cleaned before tonight my wife Sandy will have my hide and ill be sleeping with Barnette if she cant park her nova
john
 

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