The Super Duper Haggis Hauler

[Johnny_Lamebridge]

Nice job using the leftovers to fill the speaker hole.

[MacQuigley]

Originally Posted by ibrown50

It appears non of the new panels fit too well but you're doing great with them anyway, keep at it

Im just hoping the front fenders and bed panels are a better fit. Im not expecting perfection, I know they will have to be fettled but so far the fitment has been really poor.

[MacQuigley]

Originally Posted by Johnny_Lamebridge

Nice job using the leftovers to fill the speaker hole.

At first I wasn't sure how I was going to rebuild the doors and fill those holes but it has worked out well. Glad I took the time to do it now.

[MacQuigley]

As for last night, got the welding on the door finished and in epoxy primer. Hopefully tonight I will get the new skin on, though Ive the Land Rover to finish prepping for a show on Saturday, so may not get much done.

[MacQuigley]

Door number 2 repaired



The skin on this was not well made. It fits, where it touches - mostly! It will need some additional work to get it right.

Spent most nights this week fitting Captainfab's steering box adaptor. Just got to check my work then weld it up.

Suspension gear is finally on its way to me so the next two weeks, will hopefully, see a rolling chassis as Im off on holiday.

[MacQuigley]

Well thats the adaptor for the steering box all fitted.



That was a bit of a marathon. Not the easiest installation Ive ever done. Nothing to do with the kit I must add, its excellent. But I found it hard to get it all to line up mainly due to the internal strengthening inside the chassis. Cutting it out was difficult as I dont have gas burning gear and the head of my plasma cutter was too big to get to the middle. But its done now and I heard yesterday my suspension if finally on its way so hopefully the next 2 weeks will be productive.

[MacQuigley]

Bit of a "to cut a long story short" but after 4 days I have ended up with this:-



Having started with this:-



Full update ASAP. Wilwood rear brakes have arrived. Hopefully the rest of the parts will be here Monday.

[CRGRS 66]

What colour will you be painting the magic chain? Black to blend in, or an accent colour to make it pop?

[MacQuigley]

The magic chain has long since been binned and the bulge in the chassis knocked out!

[Ta2Don]

Been a bit since I've checked in... Great progress!!!

[Grizz1963]

Looking great Bill.

Well done.

[MacQuigley]

My better half and I were away last weekend at friends wedding in the borders (of Scotland - though it had a surprising Texan theme to it, long story) so little time spend on the truck then.,

However, as Im off for 2 weeks I did, as I said last night got a lot done to the chassis.

However on arriving home Monday there were a couple of boxes waiting for me.



And what was in them, well first parts of a much larger shipment (that seems to have taken an age to get here)



So thats the rear brakes sorted. The front and rest of the suspension should be here on Monday but i wont get anything done now till then as Im off to my sister in laws tomorrow, home late Sunday.

However, I did fit this to the the chassis tonight. I like the contrast between the colours. What to you guy's think? (The rear axle will be he same but I thing the rest will be black)

[MacQuigley]

Well, today has not been without its problems, but eventually i have managed to fit one front corner!



I had to fit the old spring and until I order 17" wheels Ive had to take the caliper off but at least Im one 1/4 the way to a rolling chassis - almost! Still got some shocker issues to resolve and a pinion bearing problem to fix, but Im getting there! At times like this, I miss my land rovers!

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by MacQuigley

Well, today has not been without its problems, but eventually i have managed to fit one front corner!



I had to fit the old spring and until I order 17" wheels Ive had to take the caliper off but at least Im one 1/4 the way to a rolling chassis - almost! Still got some shocker issues to resolve and a pinion bearing problem to fix, but Im getting there! At times like this, I miss my land rovers!

Well done mate.

I am very impressed and pleased for you and your progress.

[MacQuigley]

I have a rolling chassis



Still a load to do to it but at least the worst (I hope) is over (chassis wise at least)!

[MacQuigley]

Now that the chassis is mostly complete (more about that shortly) I got back into the second side of the cab.

Last night I got the outer rocker tacked in place



Im not 100% happy with the alignment between the rocker and the door bottom but there was little or no more movement possible on the rocker so I will leave the final fitment until all the repairs are complete



So whats left to do on the chassis. Well the panhard bar I bought doesnt fit, so I need to chase POL (again) on that.

The shockers on the front are too short and the rear dont fit the mounts. The rear are easy to sort, I just need to cut the steel sleeve and they will fit. I think it will be easier to find something correct in the UK for the front so when my mate gets back from holiday I'll have a chat with him (he owns a small auto accessory shop and should be able to help).

Still not been able to get the front springs to fit but that can wait until I have the full weight of an engine in place. At the moment Ive got the 2" lowered springs fitted and to be honest Im interested in seeing what that looks like with the engine in. (though to get the full impact of that and the 21/2" lowered spindle I'll need the new 17" or 18" wheels - something else to buy ).

One worrying thing is the fact that the steering stop on the Wilwood spindle hits the lower POL control arm rather than the steering stop on the control arm. It will work if I slacken off the ball joint nut but that doesn't look right to me. But again I think I need to wait until I have the weight of the engine on the frame before I tighten up all the suspension.

Also need to take the rear axle off to change the bearings. I was able to source these in the UK but the inner pinion bearings I was sent were wrong and I needed a rolling chassis before the replacements would arrive, but thats no big issue.

Anyway, seeing as I was on holiday the last two weeks I did take some time out. The first two weekends my wife and I were away (2nd weekend the grand kids tagged along) but the weekend past my youngest and I made our annual camping trip to a wee town about 40 miles from here where they hold an annual car show. The show is largely old British cars, as you would expect, but this year there was a reasonably good turn out of American steel. Thought you guy's would like to see some pics, though I warn you there was only one Cheyy truck (thought there was a really nice panel van there but I dont seem to have a picture of it for some reason)

[ibrown50]

Great progress Bill, I had a similar issue with my outer rocker (only got the passenger side done so far), I couldn't seem to get enough gap at the front, I eventually tweaked the rocker panel to get it. The car show looks great too (love the black Labrador behind the Z28 doing what Labradors do best!).

How much short are your front shocks, would it not be easier to drop the upper bracket? They look like they would grind off and reweld. My shocks (also from POL) were too long and had more stroke than I had suspension travel so I had to raise the bracket.

[MacQuigley]

Hi Ian,

I based the position of my shock mounts on the section of frame that came with the front clip I got. It looks like whoever did the work on that truck used longer shocks hence the higher mounting point.

Considering Ive got the frame all painted Id rather investigate the possibility of getting a longer shock first especially as getting them off will not be easy (I welded them on to STAY!).

However, Im probably better waiting until Ive at least got the engine in before I do anything. That way I know everything will be compressed. Though another problem I forgot to mention is that the POL engine perches are too tall! Another mod there I think. Cant make my mind up about POL. One minute they are great and responding. Next minute, nothing! I guess it will all work out in the end!!!!!!

[MacQuigley]

Back to the rocker tonight.

Like the drivers side I had to make a few cuts to get the door bottom to fit



All welded up now and fortunately the front only required a very small cut.

Then it was time for the cab corner. I hate making cuts like this



Hopefully this is the last major surgery it needs. But unfortunately I found it needed some minor surgery Id missed.



Oh well something else to keep me out of trouble for a bit!

[Grizz1963]

Good updates Bill.

I never understand why here companies, who obviously make a lot of money, do not actually get it right and make panels that just fit.

Also, why do all the buyers not just boycot them till they get the panels right.

Surely, getting the tooling sorted would have 100% customer satisfaction, rather than 0%

You are doing an amazing job here.

[MacQuigley]

Couldn't agree more Rian. It cant possibly take any more effort to make the panels correctly than to make them wrong.

But this is not something restricted to panels for these trucks. Ive bought many panels here for old British cars and they are just as bad and in some cases worse and some of the now OEM parts you buy for Land Rovers are so bad there is no way they will fit.

Ive often thought the same, what would happen if we all boycott them,but I dont see that ever happening.

[MacQuigley]

Anyone got a good picture of where all the bed supports go? Some of mine were missing and I seem to be short a few holes.

Just trying to assemble the bed sides etc so I can check them for fitment and so I can measure up for tyres.

[66ChevyMax]

Does this help:

[MacQuigley]

That does help but two questions.

Should there be two of the deep supports at the rear



And does the shallow support at the front bolt to the frame or just the bed sides. There doesn't seem to be any holes in the frame to fit it to.

Anyway the bed is partly assembled for fit and so I can measure up for wheels and tyres. I can almost see light at the end of the tunnel but then I realise they are the headlights of the train thats about to hit me!

[forestb]

The last cross sill in your photo does not belong there. There should be a cross sill that goes right under the tail gate that is actually visible from outside the bed. There are two brackets that come off of that cross sill that sit on top of the vary end of the frame. It looks very similar to the last cross sill in the second photo in post #248 except it is a little different because it is for a step side.