'46 Chevy Shorty

[Tango]

Mornin' Jack --- the Duramax reference is a huge help...many thanks. That really opens up my search field a bunch.

I just received my drivers door window from Peninsula (haven't even opened it yet) and will be test fitting it and the A/C this weekend. Will try and get a couple of pix.

[ol trunt]

Flex stuff on '35 Jack

[Tango]

Got window --- here it is just set in the hole. Still need to skin the inside but at least I now know the fit is A-OK.



The frame is aluminum but it's hard to see against the white paint I applied in order to clearly mark for the cut. May wind up painting the frame in the body color...or not. The window was sized to match the glass area of the existing windows.

[ol trunt]

Tango, It didn't look that good from the factory! Jack

[bansil]

Originally Posted by ol trunt

Tango, It didn't look that good from the factory! Jack

x2
Great lines!

[Tango]

Thanks Guys --- of course the original was a folder, so none of the basic lines were set up for a flat door. I have WAY more hours in this thing than I ever would have imagined going in ...and it's still not finished. Then there is a little distortion matter that I believe resulted from welding. There was no way to jig this thing given all the little curves involved. I'm hoping the mongo hinges I'm using will pull it back where it needs to be.

Trying to figure out just how to affix the A/C right now. Window units were never intended to be bolted down and drilling into the case is way too risky since the coils and such are right up against the sides. May wind up with a strap over the top. Not very sophisticated but it just might do the trick. Then there is the drainage. I don't want a half-gallon of condensation slopping into the bus every time I hit the brakes. Best bet seems to be making the whole housing I built into the drainage system. We'll see how that goes over the next few days. Till then...

Onward!

[ol trunt]

Tango,I sometimes slip a piece of pipe over the drill bit leaving just enough bit showing to do the job. That way when the bit goes through you can't accidently drill into the stuff below (all things considered). A stack of nuts held in place with tape also works--my two cents worth.

Your comment about the sloshing water reminded me of a date I had as a kid. A/C was not common in the day and I had one of those nifty cylindrical swamp boxes hanging on the front passenger window. One quick manover in traffic turned my hot little date into little Miss frigid. Oh well, all was not lost as the episode turned into a wet "T" shirt contest! HA HA Jack

[Tango]

Hey Jack --- I definitely remember those old pre-A/C swamp coolers but never could convince my Dad to get one for the family '48 Chevy sedan. They actually work pretty well in desert areas (low humidity) but don't do much of anything down here in the swamp called Houston.

[ol trunt]

'Mornin Tango, I finally got around to checking the McMaster-Carr catalogue for the flex tubing I used on my genny. I backtracked from the hard copy to the online catalogue and discovered that if you type in 5262K14 in the "find" box it takes you to the product I used. I'm not sure what they have in mind regarding the bend radius but what I found with the 1/2" ID stuff is that it requires an arc that when shaped like a "U" measures about 6" across the legs. Jack

[Tango]

Many Gracias Jack --- yours took the 1/2"? Still haven't torn mine down. And I'm guessing the stainless that is rated to 1000 degrees ought to be adequate and not at all a bad price for SS these days.

Will try and remember to get a couple of pix tomorrow of the A/C exhaust hood that just about ruined my mood today. A real PITA but will hopefully help keep things dry. And I have to admit...it was lookin' pretty old school cool. I styled it after something I saw on a '30's era transit bus. Had the sheetmetal shop cut everything and I'm welding it up. More to follow...

[Tango]

Got the rain hood/duct for the A/C box assembled this weekend. And yes...it was a pain to put together. Still needs paint but that can wait until much later. Have it screwed in place but ran out of light for pix of the final test install...only the earlier-in-the-day version.


The final version with the "stabilizer" down the middle added.


Test fit before adding the rod in the middle or screws. The roof deck will align with this unit and be full width & length.


From the other side. Now have the center stabilizing rod welded onto the fins and it is drilled and screwed to the A/C box. Will be adding a stainless steel mesh filter behind the fins to keep birds & mud-daubers out. Same kind that go into range hoods. Pretty happy with the way it looks. Like I said earlier, the design was taken from a 1930's rear engined transit bus which had a big "breather" at the back of the roof to vent the motor heat. Always liked the streamlined, Art Deco, industrial look of it. Hmmm...gotta' wonder what it would look like chromed?

Next comes a couple of small window deletes that need some work to fit.

Onward!

[ol trunt]

Tango, That looks great! I especially like the way the curves align keeping the original "art decco" look. As always, another work of art. Jack

[bansil]

very nice!!

[Tango]

Thanks Guys --- still so much to do, but every "little project" completed brings the horizon a tiny bit closer. Gotta' just keep pluggin' away.

Still no good news regarding the rear end. The 5.43 ring & pinion set I so desperately need is yet to be found and the alternatives are very costly both in dollars and time. If anyone out there knows where a ton-and-a-half dually Chevy parts truck from '41 - '52 might be laying around...please...lemme' know! I'll take the gear set or whole rear end if need be.

Meanwhile...the engine & tranny should finally come together in about three weeks and figuring out how to stuff them in will be the next major challenge. Have to admit there are times when I ask myself why in the world I didn't just buy a "normal" Skoolie to build out. I could have been on the road by now! But then I take a look at the pix of this old girl and fall in love all over again. Ahhh...the things we do for love.

[GreyEagle]

Hey Tango............ Check with this guy he may have one........

http://www.oldchevytrucks.com/Used-Parts.asp

[Tango]

Dwise --- You are correct sir! The 5.43 was indeed standard and the 6.14 optional. However, for whatever reason finding the 5.43 is much more difficult. Possibly due to the fact that many owners have re-geared their "optionals" back down to "standard" for better highway use. And while they sound close, there is quite a bit of difference. The 5.43 will put the sweet spot on my little Cummins (1800 rpm) right where I need it at 65 mph in sixth gear while the 6.14 will need about another 250 rpm to make that speed. The biggest difference would show up in the mpg column. And it's max mpg I'm going for. With everything dialed in right, it is possible to pull "around" 30 mpg with that motor & tranny even in a box like mine.

Grey Eagle --- Thanks Bud. I have already checked with them and no luck. I do have a call out on their in-house forum though. Maybe someday...

[Tango]

Hey Dwise --- According to my GM manuals, the 5.43 gearing was "standard" issue and the 6.14 was an "available option" on all ton-and-a-halfs including the school bus chassis they produced from '42 to early '47. However...in the real world, it seems like most folks back then must have originally opted for the lower gear option because they appear to outnumber the "standard" by 2 to 1 or more. Which brings us to the other factor that I believe makes them hard to come by...changes in driving habits and changing desirability. You gotta remember that when these puppies were built...the Interstate Highway system was still quite a few years off in the future and 45 or 50 was about as fast as anyone wanted to go an a rocky dirt road full of pot-holes. That made granny gearing favorable. Especially if you threw in a few hills and the kind of loads a 1.5 ton would be hauling. I'm guessing that as the the roads improved and the average speeds increased over the years, lots of the 6.14's got swapped out for the slightly higher 5.43's and since no other gear set was or is available for that rearend, they are now scarce as hen's teeth.

I can't say that's how it went down, but after a couple of years of digging and researching...it sure seems that way.

And the search goes on.

[GreyEagle]

Just a few possibilities ........ Some of the links have complete trucks for sale.... with updated runnin gears... may have old parts lying around.. good luck in your search..

http://www.stovebolt.com/gallery/gallery%2041%2046.html

http://www.chevsofthe40s.com/

http://www.classicindustries.com/truck/ ... &sb=0&r=15

http://www.who-sells-it.com/cy/jim-cart ... parts.html

http://classictrucks.net/classifieds/sh ... vy-trucks/

http://www.oldbus.us/

http://www.desertclassics.com/chevytrucks.html

http://www.wiju.com/cars-vehicles/1946-chevy-truck.html

http://www.bhwincvintageauto.com/catalo ... /Chevy_GMC

http://www.ownster.com/index.cfm?type=P ... rod+trucks

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/arch ... -p-23.html

http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/chevyresources.htm

http://antique-auto-parts.com/zencart/chevy-c-1.html

[Tango]

Hey GreyEagle --- Many thanks Bud...I will definitely check them all out!

Dwise --- the A/C I'm installing is just a little 8000 btu Frigidaire from Wally-World. No heat strip, I'm handling that separately. I was going for cheap price coupled to decent reliability and easy replacement. Seen too may "RV" units go south early or the owners left with a big hole in the roof while waiting on parts or repairs. Some people lov'em...I don't. With this arrangement I can easily pull & replace four or more units for the price of one Coleman or DuoTherm and won't ever have to worry about those crappy fiberglass shells you so often see lying beside the road. You'd think that after all these years, one of the RV A/C makers would have figured out something that was at least a little bit UV resistant.

If you decide to go the window unit route consider building out the box larger than whatever unit you first buy. That'll leave you plenty of options down the road. Also...work out a good system for drainage. I don't know about your location, but here in the South you can pull 10 gallons of condensation out of thin air in a day. I found that out the hard way. The drain line plugged up on one of the mini-splits here at my studios and I had to empty a 30 gallon tub every three days until the A/C guy could get here.

Life in the Tropics does come with a few strings.

[Tango]

Been workin around the clock on everything EXCEPT my bus for the last 3 weeks. Makin me crazy.

However...if any of you folks happen to be in Houston this weekend, stop by for the 20th annual ArtCrawl.
My studio is hosting the biggest show of the bunch. Here's a couple of links. It's a great time with tons of art, music,
fun and tasty beverages...and it's all FREE!

http://artcrawl2012.blogspot.com/

http://www.artcrawlhouston.com/

The might even be a few ArtCars in the neighborhood.

.