'46 Chevy Shorty

[Tango]

Howdy All --- Hope to get a little work done this weekend. Now have all of the hanging straps for the fuel & Black/gray tanks as well as some pieces for the rear deck mounting system. And while it was mighty tempting to simply weld it all together, I want to construct it in such a way that it can be easily unbolted from the main frame rails in case I ever change my mind...or back into something really solid. Here's a few pix...


Fuel tank with new neck, drain, return and (lots of) hoses...ready to position and complete the skid plate/hangers.


Here is the skid plate with the hanging straps that will get welded to it. Aluminum is just too fragile for off-roading.


And these rascals will help support the black/gray tank. They fasten to the same all-thread that clamps it in place.


In this view are the rear frame rails to which the deck will attach. May have solved a mystery in the process. Chevy did not build a chassis this length, it came about three feet longer and most Skoolies are sized to that. This bus is a super-shorty and it appears that Wayne simply cut the rails down to fit whatever the order was.


While its' safe to guess that people have done things to it over the years, I feel pretty certain the torch job that bobbed the frame was done by Wayne to accommodate this body. Note: The clean metal is just from "adjusting" it to fit the new C-channel pieces inside the existing rails.

[ol trunt]

Hey Tango, I'd agree that the torch job was done at the factory. I found that the ends of each of the "outriggers" on my frame had all been cut to length using a fire wrench--and none too evenly.

I can hardly wait to see all the tanks in!

[Tango]

Hey Trunt --- Ya...they didn't spend too much time cutting them down. My chassis is a 165" wheelbase but the actual frame/body length doesn't jive with anything that Chevy ever built. A little "creativity" obviously took place. And with the body fit, it must have been at the Wayne factory. The real shame is that Wayne, which had been around since before the Civil War, went out of business and must have dumped all of their records and drawings. I have never been able to find anything with specs from them, just a couple of very general sales sheets. Real shame to see all that history lost forever. And I'm anxious to finish up the tanks myself. Still have a fair amount of drilling & welding to do but will get on it this weekend.

And I've changed gears a bit on the rear deck. Now taking the time to construct it in such a way that it can be unbolted from the frame instead of just melting them together. Will post a few pix as I make headway. And speaking of gears...the zero miles, 2012 Allison I had lined up got sold out from under me in spite of being "spoken for", so I'm back on the hunt for a tranny. ARRRRGGGHHH!

[ol trunt]

Tango, sorry to hear about the trans--but it sure does refresh ones belief in the general nature of us humans though, doesn't it. I had a similar experience with the first bus I tried to acquire. After driving from SoCal to Bend Oregon to look at a '35 Chevy and making a deal with the seller to buy it, I found after I had made shipping arrangements that the guy sold the bus to someone else--real nice.

Man, both those stories make me mad--Oh Well.

Your bolt on idea is probably smart. It will give you more flexability for later mods.

I hadn't given any thought to researching company records on my bus--just too busy trying to build it I guess. It would be interesting, I wonder if I'd have any better luck with the defunct Superior records than you had with Wayne. Where did you start looking for info?

[Tango]

Hey Trunt --- I did several months worth of Googling online with minimal results. There is some history of the Wayne company, but no records or unit specific info of any kind. Hope you have better luck with Superior. There are, however, a couple of sources for original period literature. Found sales sheets with some basic data along with other literature but only from GM on the 1-1/2 ton Chevy truck chassis it was built on. One is McLellan's Automotive Literature (Link Below). This guy has quite a collection of obscure documents on virtually every brand and occasionally gets some bus info. And if you tell him what you are looking for he may be able to find something through his sources. Mind you, he doesn't give this rare stuff away but was a very nice chap to work with. And as noted above, info regarding the chassis itself is fairly easy to come by. For Chevy info, check what is available (Free) on the Chevrolet Heritage Center. You can download most of what you need there for the original chassis & running gear as it was sold to the bus makers.

Hope these help

http://www.mclellansautomotive.com/

http://www.gmheritagecenter.com/gm-h...tion-kits.html

PS...
you probably already know about it but just in case...there is also the Stovebolt Forum for old Chevy owners. Another great forum and valuable resource for GM specific info. Just noticed this morning that there is a brand new guy there just starting a '37 pickup. If you toss out a line there, you might connect with some good info.

http://www.stovebolt.com/ubbthreads/...s.php?ubb=cfrm

Best of luck.

[roach711]

Regarding spare tires, I figure that with duallys I've always got two potential spares. My bus had a flat rear tire when I picked it up but the fleet manager said his drivers just drive it in when a rear tire goes flat. I drove mine 40 miles home that way with no damage to the tire.

As a practical matter, I'd only have to change a flat front tire. With a flat rear I could still drive to the nearest repair shop.

[ol trunt]

Tango, Thanks for the leads. While I didn't find what I was looking for I did spend a couple of enjoyable hours just crusing through them. I'll hunt for both Wayne and Superior info--who knows, maybe I'll find something Jack

[Tango]

Howdy All --- well...I managed to get a little bit done today. Installed some rubber insulation/isolation on the fuel tank rock guard/mounting system to control electrolysis between the aluminum tank & steel guard. Only problem I had was that while cutting a piece of cardboard for a contact cement spraying shield I managed to stab myself (really good) with a box cutter just above the knee. Sank it to the hilt, blood everywhere. Missed the big femoral artery as well as any nerves or tendons as far as I can tell, but otherwise did an excellent job of slicing myself deep. At least I've been doing such idiotic things long enough that I had a full first aid kit handy and was able to put a tourniquet in place before I bled out. Moral...don't do stupid sh_t! I know better than to cut TOWARDS MYSELF...but you know how it is when you get in a hurry. You either screw things up beyond repair...or hurt yourself really swell.

Gonna take an aspirin and go to bed now.

[Tango]

In addition to slicing & dicing myself, I did manage to get a couple of things done.



Here's the new hole in the floor with the filler neck & vent in for a trial fit. I am adapting a rubber shift boot to seal out the weather. The whole rig will also get a metal box enclosure as it will wind up being inside a storage area under the sofa-bed.


The fuel tank rock guard with the mounting bracket/support straps welded.


The rock guard with rust treatment & paint plus 1/8th in. rubber insulation to isolate the aluminum from the steel. Still needs holes drilled into the mounting tabs.

Then back to the black/gray tank for final fitting and mounting the straps.

.

[ol trunt]

Tango, very nice work and it gave me an idea about how to plumb my fuel tank. BTW, years ago I rented a motot home (to go to Baja) and the rental company had installed a large gas tank at my request. They hung the thing with allthread and let the ends run wild. The threaded portion rubbed against the brake line and I lost the brakes. Since then I have always put a piece of hose over the allthread to protect stuff etc.

Based on the high quality work you do I'm sure that I am preaching to the chior--but the hose trick does allow you to "crowd" things a bit if space gets tight.

[Collin Humble]

Just read this whole thread... And this is such an awesome bus! I can't wait to see this thing finished!!

[Tango]

Hey Trunt --- I like the hose idea. Hey, if nothing else, it should help keep the threads fairly clean.

And thanks for the encouragement Collin. There are times when I have to wonder if this rig will ever come together. I did just line up a buddy who has some diesel engine, custom fitting experience and hope to tear into that task before too very long. That said, I just got the word that a major sculpting commission is a go. It will take ten months to complete, so I may be limited to working on the bus after 8 pm for a while. Either that or take the money and pay someone else to keep it moving. One way or another...

Onward!

[ol trunt]

Sculpting? Is there nothing you can't do? Tell us more. Jack

[Tango]

It's a long story Trunt --- maybe the best way to explain it is to look here...

http://fauxboisinconcrete.blogspot.com/

Basically, I make stuff out of cement that looks like old weathered wood. There are only two of us left alive still doing it at this level.

[Collin Humble]

Originally Posted by Tango

And thanks for the encouragement Collin. There are times when I have to wonder if this rig will ever come together. I did just line up a buddy who has some diesel engine, custom fitting experience and hope to tear into that task before too very long. That said, I just got the word that a major sculpting commission is a go. It will take ten months to complete, so I may be limited to working on the bus after 8 pm for a while. Either that or take the money and pay someone else to keep it moving. One way or another..

It'll come together. I wish that I had the know-how and time that you do, I really do. But, I just have to rely on others to get my project moving... Speaking of - Anyone looking for side-work? Welders/fabricators? Anyone? Bueller? Is this thing on?!

[TheRainbowBoxer]

Really cool stuff on the faux bois... had never heard of that before. The children's nature sign is a truly awesome piece!

[ol trunt]

Thanks Tango, Your art is truly beautiful--now I can see why the work you have done on your SKOOLIE is so nice.

Congrats on the contract--make some BIG bucks on your art so you can spend it on the bus! Jack

[Tango]

Thanks for the kind words. It is an obscure old art but actually a lot of fun (but only if you happen to be fascinated by gnarly old wood). Very cheap materials, very labor intensive. And I teach a couple of rounds of classes in it each Summer. I'm headed for Tennessee in a week or so for the last set this year.

And no doubt any income will wind up in the bus. It' still the same old dilemma though...

"When I have the money, I don't have the time & when I have the time, I don't have the money".

[bansil]

Tango,
Where in TN?

[atcc77]

Originally Posted by Tango

"When I have the money, I don't have the time & when I have the time, I don't have the money".

SING IT BROTHER !!!