47-55.1 If I had to do Over Again.... What would I change On My Build?

[vintovka]

Curious if anyone can recommend the type/models of power door locks and how they installed them in an AD?

[Matt_50]

65blackfleetside I have been meaning to look up kits for power locks. Does the key still unlock the door on passenger side? And can you explain the anti theft block bolt you mentioned.

[_Ogre]

Originally Posted by vintovka

Curious if anyone can recommend the type/models of power door locks and how they installed them in an AD?

shaved handles
i just close my doors, never locked them even at night at a motel

[65blackfleetside]

Matt 50,

Originally what I attempted to do was just make the OEM door Locks -Power locks by installing an actuator and remote key fab system. When I attempted this, the geometry just would not work due to the original design of the door handle mechanisms. I installed the actuator on the flat bar inside door that is connected to interior handle and latch. There is a sweet spot that had to be thrown just right and the actuator just would not dial in that finely. I played around with a few different ideas trying to go with the OEM material but had no luck.


So what I ended up doing is placing a small bolt washer and nut in the OEM lock hardware inside the door to disable the OEM locks. The handles and latches still function as originally intended. but the door wont lock .
I then bought an aftermarket bolt mechanism (see link) that is mounted 12" below the latch inside the door. It has a 1/4" diameter bolt that throws open and closed with an 15lb actuator. and attached it to a remote/ key fab.
So the security part is - Thief breaks the door glass, reaches in pulls handle,Door wont open and its difficult to see the small hand operated bolt because its on the lower half of door panel.

Also...With this bold engage/ locked with passengers inside truck, the doors will not fly open due to the sometimes unreliable/worn OEM latch assemblies.

Here is the Autoloc latch that I used.https://www.summitracing.com/parts/a...hoCbiIQAvD_BwE

Make sure you use a very strong door actuator (The autoloc actuators are not strong enough.) I tried to go cheap here and wasted $ buying 2 sets of them.
Then I ordered the 15lb ones from balls rods with floating clutch.https://www.ballsrodandkustom.com/in...oduct_list&c=5
Those worked great.

[NorCalGal]

I’m interested

[Matt_50]

Is the key lock disabled or just the locking function from inside disabled? If the key is.. what if you have an electrical issue?

Do you have and pics of the install?

[gigamanx]

Great thread. I really had to think about this one because I have the truck I had hoped for all along. I get to drive it even though its not "finished" by most standards.

Regret #1: Not having heat in my garage. I should have just spent the $200 bucks for a 240v electric heater so I could be comfortable. Far too many winter days were wasted because I didn't want to freeze my hands off.

Regret #2: Trying to make do with gauges instead of spending the $700 on decent ones.

Regret #3: Cheaping out on the steering column with an eBay special instead of a quality ididit or flaming river. I'd add, cheaping out on trying to use a 110v welder when life got so much easier with a proper 240v MIG welder.

[RyanPartridge]

Originally Posted by MiraclePieCo

I have no regrets. Instead I'm happy about several things, mostly that I kept everything simple, inexpensive, and old school.

1) Happy I used a SBC instead of the LS that the seller was including with the truck.
2) Happy I didn't do air bags or any other gimmicky stuff that might be as outdated in 10 years as shag carpet and dingle balls.
3) Happy I kept it like a true old truck, with no street-rod luxuries - no AC, PW, tilt, cruise, etc. etc.
4) Happy I got it on the road relatively quickly, rather than toiling endless years and never finishing it.
5) Happy I didn't spend so much on it that I regretted it.

It was my plan to get it on the road ASAP, and from the frame up I had it driveable in about a year and a half. Everything fell together pretty nicely - except for the cracked head from the heat and force required to remove a sending unit adapter. I built it to be a daily driver, not to wow a bunch of strangers at shows who would just criticize it when my back was turned. I wanted my truck to be an obvious hot rod, yet still retain the character of an old truck, and I'm satisfied I accomplished that.

Love it! It's traditional...and perfect!

[joedoh]

Originally Posted by Matt_50

Is the key lock disabled or just the locking function from inside disabled? If the key is.. what if you have an electrical issue?

Do you have and pics of the install?

the key lock only locks and unlocks the outside handle, it doesnt unlock the inside handle locking function. meaning, if you were sitting inside and used the inside handle function on both doors and someone tried to open the passenger door by unlocking with the key, nothing would happen, the doors would still be locked.


his deadbolt setup is the same thing, with the deadbolts set in position, using the outside key will still do nothing to open the doors.

[Marty68]

Originally Posted by MARTINSR

Very VERY good theme for a thread! I have nothing to add right now, I am not even close to being done.

The only think I could say is I regret doing the build! I wish I would have left my truck together 25 years ago and still be driving it now! It was a finished truck, wish I would have left it together.

Brian

my exact thoughts about my 68 I sold. I refuse to blow my truck apart. it WILL NOT get painted.... however the pictures of "flat" cleared patina are intriguing/

[vintovka]

Agree on NOT starting some projects. Mine took forever and seeing it sit was a nagging irritant (in addition to all the other non-joys of life). Now its finished its such a mental relief (another item checked off the bucket list). I would advise those considering a major rebuild project to think twice. The costs today alone may stagger some. I went an astounding 30% over on parts budget and 100% over on labor alone (mine and hired). TV Car shows delude many into costly projects that appear quick and easy (and turn out to be costly disasters that disrupt lives). The shows are there to sell parts - period. My advice is to be sure you have the physical and financial wherewithal to complete a project BEFORE you begin.

[58CameoAZ]

My Regret, should of finished my 58 Cameo "BEFORE" I got Married!!!!! Lol...
& Married a Wife that liked my Truck! and not ended in a Divorce.

I Do have 4 Great Kids Tho, That, I don't Regret

Allen

[jocww]

I wish I had done this truck before so my mom could see what her present to my dad looked like.

I havent gotten to drive it yet, but its almost there. its at the shop getting finished up. I know I will like the auto, but i hope i love it enough not to kick myself for getting the t56. Im sure my dad will like just putting it in drive and going. Right now I am in it for about 38k and i only started with a budget of 25k. so yea i blew through my checkings, and my savings, but im o so close.

[gigamanx]

Originally Posted by vintovka

Agree on NOT starting some projects. Mine took forever and seeing it sit was a nagging irritant (in addition to all the other non-joys of life). Now its finished its such a mental relief (another item checked off the bucket list). I would advise those considering a major rebuild project to think twice. The costs today alone may stagger some. I went an astounding 30% over on parts budget and 100% over on labor alone (mine and hired). TV Car shows delude many into costly projects that appear quick and easy (and turn out to be costly disasters that disrupt lives). The shows are there to sell parts - period. My advice is to be sure you have the physical and financial wherewithal to complete a project BEFORE you begin.

Well said. Before I bought the truck, I decided if I could put $500 a month into the build to keep it moving forward. I had a goal of $10,000 or under and I believe I got to $14,000 before I got to where I am. I spent probably an hour a day for two years.

[vintovka]

I would like to double down on my comments about car shows and getting folks to start costly projects they can never finish. Some are honest and reveal the end costs of some builds. The average seems to be 80-100k with many going well over. The others present parts with out the labor and "side" costs. Those i find dishonest. The illusion of completing a custom with in a hours show (less 30 minutes of commercials) is itself dishonest. Showing a team of highly trained specialists with all the time and tooling available do the work is also misleading. The sad reality is most can never recover even half of what they invest in most builds. Seems clearly way more cost effective to buy a finished vehicle and let the PO take the loss. If you Build , remember you are paying in $ and sweat for the experience.

[solidaxel]

The first four were for practice
The last one I built was for a good friend and I used his money
so I had a chance to make any changes, and the suspension was the biggest
upgrade, along with an LS and 4L70E
The electric overdrive was the more fun to drive than the 4 and 5 speeds
That transmission is much smarter than me!

[65blackfleetside]

I agree withfully with the last two posts above

My build was life consuming for 15 solid months- I can see where many would have given up. I did not have deep pockets to farm anything out- It was all just me and this forum.

I am so glad that I went with the LS3 and 4L60E tans.
For Me- The truck is so much more fun to drive with this set up.

As far as the S10 frame goes ( I know this is a very controversial topic.)
I am glad that I did the S10 swap but to get it correct is by no means an easy task. Adding a late model front end and upgraded rear end on an original frame would have worked just as well. Probably about the same amount of work maybe a little less? Not sure?

This has been my 3rd and most labor intensive build.
I didnt do it to make money- I would be out of business in 6 months had I tried to turn a profit.

[slammed57]

Originally Posted by gigamanx

Great thread. I really had to think about this one because I have the truck I had hoped for all along. I get to drive it even though its not "finished" by most standards.

Regret #1: Not having heat in my garage. I should have just spent the $200 bucks for a 240v electric heater so I could be comfortable. Far too many winter days were wasted because I didn't want to freeze my hands off.

Regret #2: Trying to make do with gauges instead of spending the $700 on decent ones.

Regret #3: Cheaping out on the steering column with an eBay special instead of a quality ididit or flaming river. I'd add, cheaping out on trying to use a 110v welder when life got so much easier with a proper 240v MIG welder.

curious on which gauges you went with and why you dont like them, I will be in the market soon for some, thx

[slammed57]

Originally Posted by vintovka

I would like to double down on my comments about car shows and getting folks to start costly projects they can never finish. Some are honest and reveal the end costs of some builds. The average seems to be 80-100k with many going well over. The others present parts with out the labor and "side" costs. Those i find dishonest. The illusion of completing a custom with in a hours show (less 30 minutes of commercials) is itself dishonest. Showing a team of highly trained specialists with all the time and tooling available do the work is also misleading. The sad reality is most can never recover even half of what they invest in most builds. Seems clearly way more cost effective to buy a finished vehicle and let the PO take the loss. If you Build , remember you are paying in $ and sweat for the experience.

I will have about 40-45 k in mine when all said and done, Its been about 5 yrs, I could of been done sooner but Ive done so many modifications to it and spent the extra coin to do it right the first time. But I really love building them, after this I will be starting a 50-60 convertible for the wife, not sure yet of the make and model. yes you will never get back all your money but it sure beats sitting in the house and watching TV all weekend long!

[joedoh]

Originally Posted by vintovka

Seems clearly way more cost effective to buy a finished vehicle and let the PO take the loss.

I give this advice a lot, even if you have a sentimental attachment to the truck you have, it is still cheaper and easier to edit than create. I can understand if you want a jacuzzi and flower planter integrated bed with lazy boy reclining seats and 3 cylinder yomatsu diesel power, but for a MII, SBC, 5.3 LS, S10 swap, satin paint, or anything else truly "unique" (read that as commonly available and popular), there are between 5-10 on ebay you can DRIVE TODAY for less than the average 18 month build will cost.

edit: and this is by no means a knock to the guys that can and do build their own stuff. but if its your first time turning a wrench, and your first time planning a project, well, it can be done (gigamanx did it, faster than most too) but that is the outlier and you should expect to have a hard time of it. most guys think buying parts is the same as building, but only building is building, stocking parts is just storage.

[Dan in Pasadena]

I spent too much money. After my truck was torn down to the frame my mother had to go into hospice care about 35 miles away. I was going every day after work, then later every other day. I either had to farm out the work or sell it as an aborted project. Both were UGH to me.

So I found a very good guy but very good ain't cheap, I was excited about it getting done faster than I could have, but distracted because of mom.

Now I LOVE my truck but it's too showy to drive around as a semi-daily.

I'm glad I "scratched the itch" I'd had for 40 years, but I wish I'd done mine more like MiraclePieCo.

[1project2many]

My "build" was spread out over about four years. I dragged it home, went through the mechanicals, and started driving it in about 9 months. I took it off the road to replace the clutch about 10 months later and spent 31 months "restoring" it with a bunch of help from a pro body man.

For many years I worked at a GM dealership that let me buy parts at cost. You have no idea how much that saved.

The body man at the dealership quit and no one was hired to replace him, giving me full access to the body shop for a couple of years.

Eventually I moved from the dealership to a body shop up the street because the owner wanted to start doing mechanical repairs and was willing to sell me supplies at cost.

One of the body men there took pity on me and allowed me to trade parts for his future truck in order to secure guidance and then labor to help finish and paint my '57.

In '90s dollars I figure I have less than $10k into the truck. I was very frugal with spending and I only replaced what had to be replaced. I kept the suspension stock. I re-used the brake shoes and shocks that were in the truck when I bought it since they were still good. I didn't change axle seals or even front wheel seals. I made most of my own patch panels with the exception of the floors and cab corners. There were still plenty of parts trucks around MT that had good parts. so I bought a rust free bed from a '63 for $200. I bought a rust and dent free RH door for $75. I bought a radiator for $40. I bought an original turn signal switch for $25. I think those opportunities would be tough to find today.

[1project2many]

After my truck was torn down to the frame my mother had to into hospice care about 35 miles away. I was going every day after work, then later every other day.

That's a tough spot to be in. Few people who haven't been there can understand how it changes your priorities. God bless you for making the trip again and again.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by 1project2many

That's a tough spot to be in. Few people who haven't been there can understand how it changes your priorities. God bless you for making the trip again and again.

Thanks for taking a moment to comment on it. It was only what any child would do for their parent in the same circumstances. If you're not from LA you wouldn't know the traffic but I was working in the Crenshaw District and going out to Northern Orange County every day. Good thing I had a company car but even with a short visit it was adding 3 to 4 hours to my day.

God Rest my Mom's soul, I'd do it again forever if I could have her back.

[joedoh]

Originally Posted by 1project2many

My "build" was spread out over about four years. I dragged it home, went through the mechanicals, and started driving it in about 9 months. I took it off the road to replace the clutch about 10 months later and spent 31 months "restoring" it with a bunch of help from a pro body man.

For many years I worked at a GM dealership that let me buy parts at cost. You have no idea how much that saved.

The body man at the dealership quit and no one was hired to replace him, giving me full access to the body shop for a couple of years.

Eventually I moved from the dealership to a body shop up the street because the owner wanted to start doing mechanical repairs and was willing to sell me supplies at cost.

One of the body men there took pity on me and allowed me to trade parts for his future truck in order to secure guidance and then labor to help finish and paint my '57.

In '90s dollars I figure I have less than $10k into the truck. I was very frugal with spending and I only replaced what had to be replaced. I kept the suspension stock. I re-used the brake shoes and shocks that were in the truck when I bought it since they were still good. I didn't change axle seals or even front wheel seals. I made most of my own patch panels with the exception of the floors and cab corners. There were still plenty of parts trucks around MT that had good parts. so I bought a rust free bed from a '63 for $200. I bought a rust and dent free RH door for $75. I bought a radiator for $40. I bought an original turn signal switch for $25. I think those opportunities would be tough to find today.

thats some first rate scrounging!