'46 Chevy Shorty

[roach711]

Originally Posted by M1031A1

I doubt I'd tackle such a project by myself.........

Tango - what you and Jack have done is way out of my comfort zone. I fine with swapping out auto parts, but making my own ain't gonna happen.

[Tango]

You can do it. Piece-O-cake.

[crazycal]

Originally Posted by Tango

You can do it. Piece-O-cake.

Did I hear cake. I like cake. I'm hungry.

[Scooternj]

Originally Posted by crazycal

Did I hear cake. I like cake. I'm hungry.

The cake is a lie

[crazycal]

Originally Posted by Scooternj

The cake is a lie

You're not very nice.

[Tango]

Actually...I prefer pie.

"Trust the pie".

[M1031A1]

Originally Posted by Tango

Actually...I prefer pie.

"Trust the pie".

Trust the . Notice the PI cutter.....

[Tango]

More on the Steering Story --- managed to get the final pieces cut & the plate for mounting the steering gear box installed today. After a bunch of checking & rechecking I decided to go ahead and weld that sucker in place.


Here is the fishplate notched, prepped & beveled.


And a couple of braces fabbed from some 1/4" flat stock. They will weld to the plate but bolt to the frame.


A final test fit of the gear box after tack welding the plate in place.


1/2" thick mounting bracket fully welded.


Reinforcing braces on the inside. They are welded to the plate, but bolted to the lower frame rail. All of the welding was done on the fishplate...not the frame (see below).

I try to keep welding on the frame to an absolute minimum. These older rigs were built with different metallurgy and a totally different design concept on the frames. Stiff suspension paired with a flexible frame. After WWII they went the other way...rigid frames and soft suspension. Too much heat in too many places can cause pre-war frames to fail so you are better off bolting or hot-buck riveting. And since I don't have a hot-buck set-up...mig it is.

Also, any attachments, bolted, riveted or welded (newer frames only) to any frame should be made to the top or bottom rail of the "C" channel only. Never drill through any portion the vertical section of the frame. Chevrolet and other makers have put out a number of bulletins about this, but many folks are not aware of them.

Back to work.

ONWARD!

[ol trunt]

Beautiful Tango!!! The buttresses you added are a good idea even though they would only come into play if the power part of the power steering were to fail or the pump wasn't running. We "old" guys need to keep reminding the kids about knowing FOR SURE just where the mfg's allow welds and holes in their specific frames!

I can still hardly wait for you to get that (beautiful) biotch done so we can have a little fun! Jack

[M1031A1]

Outstanding work as always!!!!

[Tango]

MANY THANKS GUYS --- This thing just keeps on challenging me. Sometimes to the point of breakdown. Felt like I nearly broke my wrist today using my old school Milwaukee half-inch corded drill to poke those few holes in the frame. That sucker has enough torque to do some real damage if it gets crossways. And it did. Several times. Still hurting even after several rum & sodas. The biggest issue was simply space. No room to drill or weld even after jacking that mother up. I kept knocking my welding mask off and finally wound up using just a loose glass welding plate to try and shield my eyes. Not recommended. The slag falling down onto my face was not something I would wish on anyone.

[Tango]

I am wondering if anyone else has looked at the Whynter Dual Zone refrigerator/freezer as an on board option. Having owned a Dometic, 3-way (110/12v & propane)...I never want another and I don't have room for a household unit. And the thermoelectrics are toys only fit to keep already chilled drinks from getting too hot. The newest generation of fridge/freezers incorporate very efficient 12volt compressors that will actually freeze food and the Whynter units seem to be getting the best reviews of all of them these days as regards power use and functionality.

I don't need a lot of volume, so their 62 qt. model should keep me in frozen pizza for quite a while. I have an undercounter space designed to fit one on a slideout but wanted to see if any other folks here were looking at or had any experience with them before locking down my mini-kitchen design.

Any and all feedback welcome.

[Tango]

More steering stuff today --- Managed to chop up the Isuzu steering column, fab a mount and spend a lot of money.


Unlike Ol' Trunt, my steering column had to be chopped down to fit.


Made an angled tab to attach it to the dash. It will eventually bolt through and have another brace underneath.


As expected it came up a little short so I'll need to add a section to the adjustable sleeve. That's where the money came in.


Hey Jack...whatever yo do, don't damage or wear out the sleeve that fits onto the top of gearbox. Could not find a used one anywhere so I ordered one through the local Mack/Isuzu dealer. That little tube and gimble costs $365.00!!! And I thought Cummins stuff was overpriced!


At least now I can get an idea of where the pilot seat goes.

And I also discovered that the brake pedal mounting is going to be yet another nightmare.

Ain't we got fun!?

ONWARD!

[ol trunt]

Hey Tango, I like the idea of cutting off the base of the column--it will definetly make for more foot room. I see where the flange hooks up, but how else are you going to support it?

I don't follow what it is you say you cut too short. Is it the slide? If so, I had the same issue and simply added a bit of tube between the slip and the gear.

If you put a swivel under the drivers seat so you can turn it around to face the "house" you'll find the tilt and slide in the column to be very useful and well worth the effort.

Since I like to tell you what to do, how about using the Isuzu brake pedal set up. It mounts easily to the bottom of the dash and the flat surface of the front cowl and has a smallish pad which further helps with foot room.

Again, I like the shortened column and its extra foot room. Mine is OK but just a little less space and I'd be getting claus·tro·pho·bic over the lack of foot wiggle room. Jack

P.S. Where is the milk crate drivers seat? It ain't a Skoolie without a milk crate.

[Tango]

Ya Jack...Gotta have a milk crate somewhere in there or it ain't a real skoolie! --- The steering linkage will be co-supported by an as yet to come bracket that attaches to the "footbox" which I am still waiting on. There will be a single swivel connecting the original tube to the new, chopped portion.Gotta set it way off to the left to make room for the brake pedal. That's the tricky part. Squeezing a brake, accelerator and steering column all into a minimal space. But hey...you know how that goes, right? Good thing I have small feet, right?

And funny you should mention the Isuzu brake pedal. I went back to see what else I could use and they had already scraped the truck. Most go to South America as soon as they are worn out, so NPR parts are hard to come by here.

[Tango]

Toys in the mail! --- I got my "Test Window" yesterday and played with it today. A double pane, lift arrangement with screen by Peninsula who makes custom RV & boat windows. I only need four but wanted to make sure my alterations would work before getting in too deep. Took a bit more whittlin' than anticipated, but then...that's to be anticipated when dealing with a 70 old Skoolie.


On arrival I marked the upper corners that I knew had to be notched to fit.


Took a little off in stages to get it around some existing structural on the bus that I did not want to remove.


Wound up having to take some off the bottom of the drip rail in order to get them in all the way.



First test fit revealed the need to trim back the caps I had made to close off the lower part of the window opening. The bit of green along the bottom got trimmed back flush with the outer trim of the window.


And here it is after all the sawing and chopping. In and fitting!

Now to order the other three and do the same. Final installation won't take place until after the body is sandblasted and primed so there is no real rush.

ONWARD!

[M1031A1]

Tang,

OMG!!!!!! THAT is BEAUTIFUL!!!!!! WHERE did you get those and for how much???? Good grief I need a set for Heavy in the worst way! I'm NOT fond of the stock windows in my bus at all.....

[Tango]

Thanks M --- Motion Windows is the division of Peninsula Glass that fabs windows for boats & RV's. I used them years ago on my old BB and really liked the quality. They also made the odd-shaped window that is in the door I built for this puppy. They build the windows for a big portion of the RV's made. They ain't cheap, but they are good and have tons of options. These run about $250 a pop. Thank goodness I only need four. Could have got them for less but went with double panes, screens, etc.

Take a look at their site below. You can play with different features & options and get a direct quote.

And BTW...they arrived exactly on the schedule promised.

Boat Windows, Rv Windows | Motionwindows.Com

[ol trunt]

Hey Tango, great looking windows and they look like they fit like a glove thanks to your careful rebuild of the casements. But what's this "so there is no real rush" business? We're all looking to you to help set up our Non Rally next spring in say, Silver City New Mexico and your bus is a must! Huba Huba! Jack

[M1031A1]

Called the window guy. VERY helpful! Since the weather is cooling down, I'm going to get exact measurements this week and get an accurate quote from him.

Exactly what kind of windows are those? I have several numbers on the order sheet. It's kinda unclear which numbers refer to which windows. I'd like to get some similar to yours.......

Thanks!

M