Scrap Truck to Race Truck

[WasagaChris]

Hello all, this is my first post on this site.
A friend and I are building a race truck to run on the local track here.
We picked up a 72 long box from the wreckers for $200. It had no drive train and no box. We also got some long box bed sides, box front and a pair of fiberglass rear fenders for a step side for $50.
The truck will be a short box step side.
After getting it home a Saturday was spent stripping out the cab and then the frame was cut to shorten the wheelbase.
Two more weekday evenings and the box sides and front were shortened, then tacked into place and the fenders attached.
The cab is really rotten but that doesn't matter for a race truck.
Here are a few shots of the 1st evenings work after the frame was shortened.

[WasagaChris]

Here are some shots of the second nights work:

[WasagaChris]

One more evenings work and the roll cage is starting to take shape.

[WasagaChris]

We got a little more work done on the roll cage this weekend in between rainstorms.

[WasagaChris]

We also removed what was left of the front clip so that we can replace the fenders with some decent used ones that were donated. The doors also were removed from the cab so that we can finish the roll cage and then repair the floor and rockers.
I got a line on front floor pans, floor braces, cab corners and outer rockers all for $340 CAD.
With the front clip removed you can see the outriggers welded to the frame to support the roll cage. The rules are 6 points welded directly to the frame and because the frame on a truck is so far inside from the edge of the body the outriggers are needed.

[WasagaChris]

Today I ran the truck over to a local blasting shop and had the seven layers of paint taken off.
It looks much better now that all that mess is gone.

[dozerbill72]

Welcome to the site. I would say I hate to see a truck destroyed at the track, but that is far better than the scrapyard. At least you're giving it one more chance at live. Looks like you aren't wasting any time getting it ready. Good luck and have fun.

[WasagaChris]

Originally Posted by dozerbill72

Welcome to the site. I would say I hate to see a truck destroyed at the track, but that is far better than the scrapyard. At least you're giving it one more chance at live. Looks like you aren't wasting any time getting it ready. Good luck and have fun.

Thanks Bill yes if it was in any better condition then we wouldn't race it. It was just rusting away at the back of the scrapyard. Long before we ever set eyes on it, the truck was rode hard and put away wet.
We found evidence of a pretty serious collision. The driver's side front frame horn has been patched in from some other frame. The driver's side windshield pillar has also been transplanted and the cab side above the gas tank shows evidence of a pretty hard hit.
Someone in the past also patched the cab corners and replaced the rockers rather poorly. They just slapped new rockers over the rusty old ones.
It must have been some time ago as all the repairs were brazed in. Who brazes nowadays anyway?
What we started with was a poorly repaired frame and a rusted out cab. No engine, trans or box so nothing we are using would ever have seen the streets again.
The goal at this moment is too get most of the heavy metal work done before the cold weather sets in here. It costs far too much to heat up my shop in the winter so that welding and body work can be done.
Over the winter a 350 and three speed manual trans will be implanted and then we can start setting up the suspension and braking for track use.
This is essentially street stock so we need to stay as close to what was available from GM in 1972 as possible.

[WasagaChris]

I made the two hour run today to get the cab repair panels.
2 cab corners, 2 front floors, 2 outer rockers, 2 front floor braces and 2 rear floor braces all for $340 tax in.



My buddy who is doing all the welding is working out of town so nothing major will get done until the weekend.
This weekend past we got some more of the roll cage in and farted around with a few small things.

[WasagaChris]

This weekend was very productive being that it was a long weekend we had an extra day to work on the truck.
The floor pans are now fixed as well as the cab corners and outer rockers got welded in.
Keep in mind that this will be a race truck and doesn't need to be pretty. The floor is solid now and doesn't have any holes in it. We will still be doing a little more work to clean it up a bit and then shoot some color on it. Probably just flat black.

[WasagaChris]

A few more pics:

[WasagaChris]

Today is a quiet day so we decided to pull everything out of the shop to do a major clean up.
This is one of two projects I completed a couple of years ago. Matching C4's both verts, one is a six speed and the other is auto. I got both cars in Florida and while sound they needed prettying up and a good refreshing of the mechanical.


Also this weekend we got a steal for free. Somebody was getting out if racing and gave us this roll cage from a late model car. There is more that enough tube to finish the roll cage for the truck and should save a lot of time bending up pipe.

[WasagaChris]

5 hrs later and the shop is usable again.

[webfoot]

I think that will be cool. What eng/trans you going to put in it?

[WasagaChris]

Originally Posted by webfoot

I think that will be cool. What eng/trans you going to put in it?

It will be a 350 with a 3 speed manual transmission. It will be mostly stock as that is the class of racing. Some small mods are allowed and some won't be found out.

[ghalperin]

Originally Posted by WasagaChris

It will be a 350 with a 3 speed manual transmission. It will be mostly stock as that is the class of racing. Some small mods are allowed and some won't be found out.

What race series is this being built for? Is it FTMS Pure Truck? If so, that looks pretty fun.

[WasagaChris]

Originally Posted by ghalperin

What race series is this being built for? Is it FTMS Pure Truck? If so, that looks pretty fun.

You hit the nail right on the head. Here is the link to the track's website:
http://www.fullthrottlemotorspeedway.com/

[WasagaChris]

I got busy and forgot to post last weekends work. This build is a family affair. The driver is building it with his two sons.
Here is his 15 yr old trying his hand at welding.

This shot shows the truck's driver explaining to his 18 yr old what is being cut off the wrecked race car's cage to be recycled into the roll cage of the truck.

Next the passenger door was gutted to keep only the outer skin. It was hung back on the hinges and tack welded temporarily into place so that the door bars could get bent up and tacked into place.

Then we worked on setting the base for the race seat.

[WasagaChris]

We decided that the front hoop from the race car would work better than what we had originally done, so we cut it out and then welded in the car's hoop bars.
Driver's side:

Passenger side:

Here you can see his son's first attempt at welding up the holes in the firewall.
keep in mind that this doesn't have to be pretty and it's not bad for the first time.


Here is a quick shot of the passenger door from the outside, tacked into place to fit the bars. Once everything is in place the door will be welded shut.

[WasagaChris]

Very productive weekend. Shot some color on the truck. Finished the pass side door bars and got the reinforcement X installed. Installed the seat mounts and the mounts for the 5 point harness. Painted the cage(mostly).
Fixed the PO's pass door lower section replacement. Welded up the pass door. Hung the pass fender. welded shut the door handles. Fixed some rust in the pass door and shot some more color on the truck. Hung the rear pass fender to see how everything lined up.

[rusty76]

I think I might just follow along.

[WasagaChris]

No drastic moves forward this weekend. Saturday was spent at the u pull it yard. Scored a complete rear axle and trailing arm setup. 3.73's in this axle too so it will be a complete swap. The axles need to be drilled out to install the racing wheel studs.

Also scored a gas pedal, clutch pedal linkage, power steering lines and a few other small items.
We also hung the driver's rear fender and the better driver's front fender and cut out the inside of the driver's door and hung it temporarily to see how it will all line up. The lower outer edge of the door is shot like the passenger side so that will be patched once the final install of the door is done and it is welded shut. There is more interior work and roll cage work to be done so the door will be coming off and wait until all that is done.

We also scored a racing steering column for free. Had to cut it down to fit but it is now mounted with the removable steering wheel.


We also installed all new front brakes, rotors, calipers, pads and flex lines. No pictures of that because it is all stock and pretty boring.

[ghalperin]

It's looking good. Are you allowed to used fiberglass body parts?

[WasagaChris]

Originally Posted by ghalperin

It's looking good. Are you allowed to used fiberglass body parts?

Nothing in the rules says you can't.

[ghalperin]

Originally Posted by WasagaChris

Nothing in the rules says you can't.

Sweet