Originally Posted by focusedontheprize (Post 5175049)

First, I want to say you guys have a phenomenal forum here. I have been only reading it for a few weeks now, but you guys are quite good at what you do and are very helpful. Props to all you guys.

Picked her up in Minnesota and had her shipped back to NY. It has been a bit of a feat trying to find a AD truck in NY that is in good shape and a reasonable price. Finally found her back in January.

She is a 1949 Chevy 3100. It originally was a farm truck in Nebraska with a 216 4 speed still in it. The truck is pretty solid and I am very happy with the purchase.

Here is the goal: I want to have it driving by July 4th. My plans are to:

- Lower the truck
Front: 4" drop axle - probably go with Sid from droppedaxles.com
Rear: 4" lowering blocks with stock leafs

- Change the drivetrain
After doing a bit of reading, I am seeing the 216 isn't that great of a motor to go with because of the splash "oil trough" system. My goal is to stay with the inline 6 (I would really like a 292) and I am matching it up with an S10 5 speed.

- Swap out the front drums for discs
This seems to be a feat if I do not want to go with a kit and I want to keep the 6 lug setup.

Other than that, I want to drive her how she looks. I love the look of these trucks and would like to keep it mostly stock (straight axle and such).

I definitely will have a bit of questions for you guys, but July 1st is my goal to take my first drive

Here is a few pictures of her:

Originally Posted by focusedontheprize (Post 6631622)

@BlueJeep: 215/75/15s out front...235/75/15 out back

@TNACustom: Yeah, it is just one of those things that we have to deal with. It is funny when we go to shows and guys instantly ask where I bought it out west.

Originally Posted by 48ChevBagged (Post 6635059)

Love your truck. It has an awesome patina.

Originally Posted by focusedontheprize (Post 5313481)

I do not like rust. I hate it.

So with the frame being bare and my parts on the way my father asked me when was I plan on assembling the front end again. He then looked at my reaction and without me even saying a word he goes "That rust is bothering you isn't it?". You can bet your a** it is. That had to go.

So with some help of my old man and my buddy we moved the frame down to another location where I could prep it and paint it. I was going to originally get it blasted, but I then wanted to POR15 it more than anything. So off with the flap disks and the drill.....

Before:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7210/6...8f6f2f13_z.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7126/6...6fb997bc_z.jpg

After (corner of my 1972 Challenger):

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7191/7...c8bca773_z.jpg

So for anyone who has never used POR15 before it loves rusts. So if you decide to put it on anything that is already rusty and you want to clean it up a little bit, make sure you don't go over board. I just "one three-ed" the frame enough where it was clean, but there was still exposed rust. You then will clean it, prep it and dry it, and I end up laying two coats on POR15 on it. It came out a glossy black and I wanted to tone that down so I headed over to Home Depot to pick up a few of their Rustolem Flat Black rattle cans and ended up with this look....

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5276/7...27ee504b_z.jpg

That was exactly what I was looking for and all my parts will be painted the same way.

Originally Posted by 99 to Life (Post 6637583)

I hate a rusty frame but I like a lil rust on the body!! just a lil surface rust with the patina. I'm about to strip and coat my second frame, was gonna have a blaster do it and epoxy it. I coulda prolly had that done for like 250ish. But since Im on such a tight budget and actually have to work as slow as the money comes in, I'm doing this one by hand again.

Another alternative is chassis saver for anyone whom never used it. they offer it in satin, which I'v just got but yet to use. Their silver is really nice, they have lt. grey, gloss black as well. also cheaper than POR.

Originally Posted by TJ's Chevy (Post 7005882)

Any updates on this sweet build? Especially wanna hear on the 292. lol Did a very similar build in my 66...old worn out 292 with clifford intake and headers, hei, and 600 cfm edelbrock 4 barrel...thing moves! lol

Originally Posted by MIKESAD50 (Post 7880380)

Have you been driving this since the end of 2015 with out changes? You say you made a nice trip to TX. how did the truck perform? Advice to improve it?

Originally Posted by focusedontheprize (Post 7880441)

With that being said, I am looking to do a lot more of the long distance trips and thus the reason I am putting a 4 link out back right now and a IFS out front in the future. Just looking to make it as comfortable as possible and setting it up for the future heart transplant (eventually a LS swap).

Originally Posted by 54 LS-3100 (Post 7880493)

I can't decide between the tci leaf kit or a parallel 4 link out back. Most of the guys I talk to about the tci kit say it's the way to go, but don't have the miles on the kit like you do.

Thoughts? It will be on a cruiser with mustang II out front, a Ford 8.8 out back, and powered by a 5.3/ 4l60e. Not building a high HP track monster

Originally Posted by focusedontheprize (Post 7880504)

It will be a good setup and I think you'll be very happy with it. I am running a 8.8 out back also. 31 splines, 3.73 gears, disc brakes, and a posi unit - all for $125 out the door - it was a no brainer for me.

Originally Posted by TNACUSTOM (Post 6627860)

It is weird how on the east coast you can't fine these trucks. I can drive around in a afternoon and at least five sitting in driveways or yards.

Originally Posted by Desert1957 (Post 7880755)

OMG, $125.00 tell me where? I could use one.

Originally Posted by focusedontheprize (Post 6624978)

To catch this up...I had the chance to drive the truck 3 weeks ago when I was home. I had swapped in the transmission and put in the adjustable T/O bearing from Novak at the time. It was a life saver.

The truck drives great...I can tell it has a difficult breathing through that single barrel carb and that intake so that will be the first thing to be swapped out..but other than that it drives great.

My wheels caps finally arrived from Wheels Vintiques....

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7229/...38564c5b53.jpg
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7046/...50aa548fa4.jpg
https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3736/...53e8f7fe1b.jpg

Originally Posted by wolffcub (Post 7881052)

what are your tire size specs?

Originally Posted by OutlawDrifter (Post 7886720)

Very cool daily driver, looking forward to the 4-link setup.